Courtenay, Bryce. The Power of One (New York: Random House, 1989) 518 p.

Mrs. Fiona Boxall runs the Barberton Public Library in South Africa. She is patient with the young boy who is learning to read and who makes notes in the margins of books. She joins in a conspiracy to smuggle letters from prison inmates to their families. When in time letters are allowed by the authorities, she begins a program to teach inmates to read and write. She raises money to help the black prisoners. She calls this effort “The Earl of Sandwich Fund”, and thus attracts donations from the racist white population. When a friend is arrested Mrs. Boxall says, “I tried to see him in prison, but those dreadful Boers said only authorized people could see him. If a librarian isn’t an authorized person, then who is, I ask you?” (p. 174).