WWII Books about Books

 

The British Booksellers
Kristy Cambron
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 9, 2024)
Paperback: 384 pages
ISBN-10: 0785232249
ISBN-13: 978-0785232247
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings, The British Booksellers highlights the courage of those whose lives were forever changed by war—and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.

 A tenant farmer’s son had no business daring to dream of a future with an earl’s daughter, but that couldn’t keep Amos Darby from his secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington…until the reality of the Great War sobered youthful dreams. Now decades later, he bears the brutal scars of battles fought in the trenches and their futures that were stolen away. His return home doesn’t come with tender reunions, but with the hollow fulfillment of opening a bookshop on his own and retreating as a recluse within its walls.

 When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart had chosen another long ago, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband’s declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop—Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter. And Amos is nothing more than the rival bookseller across the lane.

 As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father’s legacy. So when an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to preserve, mother and daughter prepare to fight back. But with devastation wrought by the Luftwaffe’s local blitz terrorizing the skies, battling bookshops—and lost loves, Amos and Charlotte—must put aside their differences and fight together to help Coventry survive.

From deep in the trenches of the Great War to the storied English countryside and the devastating Coventry Blitz of World War II, The British Booksellers explores the unbreakable bonds that unite us through love, loss, and the enduring solace that can be found between the pages of a book.

 ·Split timeline: WWI and WWI/Stand-alone novel/Book length: 118,000 words/ Includes discussion questions for book clubs

 My Thoughts:

Honest truth: I was surprised to find that this author has multiple published works. I felt that my advanced reader copy felt much like an early draft. There were odd sentence constructions, weird word choices, and sentences that kind of went nowhere. Also, “thrice” and “trice” are not the same word. I hope all this was cleared up for the final publication.

On to the story. The dual timeline mostly worked, although the jump in years in the past section (when Charlotte and Amos are barely in their teens to when they are young adults) was a bit jarring. The exposition of why Amos never showed up at Gretna Green was anticlimactic. I’d have liked to actually see it, rather than just mention it later. It’s never really explained why William sets up a trust fund for Amos.

 I found Eden, for all her bravery and single-mindedness to save the estate, to be kind of a secondary character. The blurb makes it sound like she’s much more prominent than she is. This story is really about Charlotte and Amos, how the must overcome past actions to move forward. The descriptions of bombing and its aftermath are harrowing. I knew a little bit about the bombing of Coventry—mostly the cathedral there—but didn’t realize it had been so heavily hit, and I appreciated the notes at the end of the book.

 Possible objectionable material:

Descriptions of war, both WWI and WWII. People are injured and die. One character is an alcoholic. Characters smoke and drink. Minor cursing. Kissing.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Those who like stories set during war, those who love books, those who like second chance stories.

 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

 

The Wartime Book Club
Kate Thompson
Publisher: Forever (April 9, 2024)
Paperback: 512 pages
ISBN-10: 153875701X
ISBN-13: 978-1538757017
 
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

Inspired by true events, The Wartime Book Club is an unforgettable story of everyday bravery and resistance, full of romance, drama, and camaraderie and a tribute to the joy of reading and the power of books in our darkest hour.

The Isle of Jersey was once a warm and neighborly community, but in 1943, German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule.
 
Nazis have ordered Grace La Mottée, the island's only librarian, to destroy books that threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, she wants to fight back. So she forms the Wartime Book Club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading.
 
But as the occupation drags on, the women's quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . .
 
Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.

 My Thoughts:

I was very excited when I found that Kate Thompson wrote another book about books and WWII. (I raved over her previous book here: https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2023/01/upcoming-fiction-releases.html). Her Facebook page is full of fascinating interviews and history, as his her podcast, “From the Library with Love.”

 This time, the book is set in Jersey, one of the Channel Islands. These islands are in an odd geopolitical situation: They aren’t exactly “owned” by England, but they are “Crown Dependencies,” dependent upon Britain, while having their own governing bodies. Local languages are heavily influenced by their proximity to France. These islands were taken over by the Germans during WWII, leading to extreme rationing, and, near the end of the war, near starvation.

 This is the setting for this book. Mild-mannered Grace, the assistant librarian, protects the books the Nazis have banned, subtly fighting the Germans via using the library to keep spirits up. Her best friend, Bea, works for the post office, and lures Grace into warning people who are being reported to the Germans as Grace delivers library books.

 Grace also hides an American soldier, with whom she falls in love, despite the man obstacles they face.

 Eventually, Grace and Bea, and others who have subverted German control, are arrested and imprisoned. They each have their own way of getting out of the clutches of the Germans, and are reunited after the war ends.

 I love Kate Thompson’s storytelling. She writes beautifully, with a great eye for description, character, and dialogue. But just as much attention is given to the narrative. Look at this absolutely gorgeous bit of alliteration: “…the brutal, bloody, beautiful business of birth.” Wow.

 I gave Thompson’s previous book as a Christmas present to my teammates at school last year. I suspect I will end up doing the same with this one.

 There are extensive end notes about the real people and actions this book is based on, as well as book club questions, other reading, and a guide to places to visit in Jersy. And now I really want to go there.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Unwed sex/pregnancy. Drinking. Smoking. Descriptions of war and its effects. Hunger. Neighbors betraying neighbors. Deception—though in a good cause. Cursing, including a couple of instances of the "f" word.

 Who Might Like this Book:

Those who like books, WWII stories. If you liked The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you will for sure want to give this one a try.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for my opinion.

 

The Underground Library
Jennifer Ryan
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 12, 2024)
Hardcover: 368 pages
ISBN-10: 0593500385
ISBN-13: 978-0593500385
 
Publisher’s Blurb:

When the Blitz imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community’s beloved library in this novel based on true events from the author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir.

When the new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she is expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running the library, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her?

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she is only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help.

Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe.

When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever?

 My Thoughts:

I have generally enjoyed Jennifer Ryan’s WWII fiction. It was odd at first to read this one, since Kate Thompson had written about the same topic so very well last year. I was really worried that I wouldn’t be able to like this book, after reading Thompson’s.

 But Ryan’s characters are completely different—though they fight some of the same battles—and Ryan takes a different angle on the Bethnal Green Underground Library.

 As always, Ryan’s characters and their trials feel real. I like how she brings her diverse group of characters together seamlessly, bringing them into a cohesive unit working to a common goal. The character of Mrs. Ottley was delightful, and the secondary characters in this book are well-developed. Some you love, some you hate—as it should be. Dialogue is natural, and the evens believable.

 Like Thompson, Ryan provides historical references and explanation of the real events that she used to inspire her story.

 Would I have liked this book better if I hadn’t read Thompson’s? Yes. But this is still a solid, worthy effort, and holds its place among slice-of-life WWII books.

 Possible Objectionable Material:

Sex/pregnancy outside of marriage. One character considers a back-alley abortion. Parental pressure. One character is mistreated by her employer. Stealing. Lying. The usual issues you get in a book about WWII London.

 Who Might Like This Book:

Again, those who love books, who like WWII stories, and enjoy a little romance.

 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.