Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (HarperOne) has been named Barnes & Noble's inaugural Book of the Year. The chain's booksellers across the U.S. nominated their top books from 2019, which were narrowed down to eight titles by a selection committee that included CEO James Daunt. Then B&N booksellers voted for the winning title.
"Our booksellers chose eight brilliant and diverse titles for our inaugural Book of the Year prize shortlist," said Daunt in announcing the winner. "This is the book more than any other that has caught the magpie eye of our booksellers. Word of mouth amongst our booksellers has made this inspirational book the surprise bestseller of the year. We are very proud to name it now our 2019 Barnes & Noble Book of the Year."
The award is one of the more public examples of Daunt's influence over the company since Elliott Advisors, owner of Waterstones, bought B&N in August and appointed him CEO. Waterstones has had a Book of the Year Award since 2012, a year after Daunt was appointed managing director there. This year's Waterstones Book of the Year was also The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.
B&N bookseller Amanda Craig in Birmingham, Ala., called the winning book "spectacular. The perfect gift for anyone. Inspirational, thought-provoking and beautifully illustrated." John Carroll in Tupelo, Miss., said that "every page is worthy of meditating on as you take your own journey with these characters." Glenda Moret in Brentwood, Tenn., observed, "This book touches the heart and reminds us of who we want to be and the world we want to create for ourselves and others. A beautiful book for the soul as well as the eyes."