Nora is the main character in The Midnight Library. She is a 35-year-old British woman who lives alone with her cat in the quiet town of Bedford. Nora likens herself to a black hole because her life is imploding daily; when the novel opens, the omniscient narrator mentions that Nora will commit suicide. A few chapters later, Nora’s cat dies, she loses her job, her only music pupil quits, and her estranged brother visits town but doesn’t inform her. These events cause Nora to spiral, and Nora feels her only recourse is death. She overdoses on alcohol and anti-depressants, but this overdose is just the beginning for Nora.

When Nora enters an in-between state called the Midnight Library, she learns that her original expectations of life, and how she perceived the events of her life, caused her to devalue her root life. Nora used to blame loneliness and lack of purpose for her ills when her problems really arose from her mindset. Once Nora decides to appreciate life more, she embraces not only her potential but the potential to find love and kindness in the life she once tried throwing away.