Here’s an interesting perspective: we have a Spanish man, writing from the viewpoint of a French woman, in a book translated into English. Can it work? Are all the nuances correctly perceived?

The Librarian of Saint-Malo, inspired by true events, was originally published in Spanish in 2020. It is – as far as I can tell – the fourth of Mario Escobar’s novels to be translated into English and published by Thomas Nelson. For the most part this is an epistolary novel, written in the first person, and occasionally referencing the recipient. It’s also a novel that needs to come with a Kleenex warning.

How important are books in the “grand scheme of things?” I have an entire room of books in my home that I’ve not yet read. How far would I go to protect them? This is the question Jocelyn faces when the occupying Nazis decree that certain books are not suitable for consumption in an Aryan empire and must be destroyed. Are books more important than human lives? I’d like to think that, if push came to shove, I’d let the books go; that I would not go to the lengths Jocelyn and her small cohort do to protect the many pages in my collection. Because I felt, at times, that Jocelyn acted illogically, emotionally, and even, selfishly.

Are you someone occasionally tempted to flip to the back of a book to see how it ends? Don’t do it. The language at times is stilted, perhaps due to the translation process, and there are paragraphs of explanatory speech. There are several unlikeable characters (hint: not all of them are German), and actions with which you might not agree. Some of the plot might even seem improbable. But to flip to the end will diminish the book’s impact. And it’s the impact which made me give The Librarian of Saint-Malo a full five stars.

Disclaimer: Although I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of an Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour, the opinions above are my own.

"The Librarian of Saint-Malo" by Mario Escobar is a historical fiction is set during World War II and the German occupation of France in the small coastal town of St, Malo. Readers follow Jocelyn, a young librarian, who is determined to save old, valuable books from being destroyed or sold by the Germans during their occupation.

Overall, The Librarian of Saint-Malo is a great addition to the already vast number of recent historical fiction books set during WWII. It is a worthwhile read full of suspense, action, and romance, and tells a wonderful story seen through the eyes of a city librarian.

What book lover doesn’t love a gripping historical fiction where a quiet, yet civilly disobedient librarian squirrels away books that the Nazis are attempting to get rid of?

Set in San Malo during the height of the Second World War, Jocelyn fights the German occupation by resisting protecting her library and books. All the while, she’s worried about her young husband who has been sent to fight for the Germans.

Told in letters, this epistolary novel is one not to miss.

“The Librarian of Saint-Malo tells the story of Jocelyn and Antoine Ferrec, a life full of love and literature.” Author, Mario Escobar, sweeps readers from Jocelyn and Antoine’s glorious wedding at the Cathedral of Saint-Vincent to the German invasion of Poland – both on September1, 1939. The enthralling accounts of survival and passive resistance are told through Jocelyn’s letters to author, Marcel Zola, who she is hoping will someday tell the story of how the citizens of Saint-Malo fought to defend and protect their beloved city and treasured books in the library. The German colonel in charge, Andreas von Aulock, ordered the “purge of the city’s bookstores and libraries to get rid of subversive writings as outlined in the famous Liste Otto.” As the librarian, Jocelyn also encounters Lt. Baumann and Hermann Von Choltiz, specialist in Medieval French literature. Hermann has been sent to protect France’s cultural heritage by classifying the books in the Saint-Malo library. Readers, be wary of the relationships that Jocelyn develops with these Germans. Mario Escobar weaves alarming comments and stunning descriptions of actual, true events with enough subtle hope to create suspense as to the German officers’ intentions. Jocelyn’s quest also leads her to Yvonne Oddon and the Musée de l’Homme in Paris. Fans of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will delight in the Bouquinistes, booksellers along the Seine, and the book club Jocelyn creates with the 7 requisite members, including a Count! Anthony Doer’s All the Light We Cannot See is another perfect pairing as this setting is before the bombing of Saint-Malo.
From the invasion of Saint-Malo by Germans in 1939 to the Allied forces’ arrival in 1944, Mario Escobar creates captivating descriptions of the not only the beauty but also the magnitude of destruction to the “Little Jewel” on the coast of French Brittany. He deftly takes readers from doom and despair at the burned heaps of rubble and complete ruins to hope at the heart stopping, satisfying climax.
“The city had been collecting books for centuries. We were the soul and memory of Saint-Malo. I had to protect the library’s holdings…” Readers everywhere are ever grateful for librarians such as Jocelyn and for Mario Escobar’s The Librarian of Saint-Malo.

Saint-Malo, a picturesque walled seaside port in Brittany, is the setting for Mario Escobar’s newest novel, which focuses on the efforts of a French librarian, Jocelyn Ferrec, to preserve the books in her beloved town during its occupation by the Germans in World War II. Knowing the importance of the written word, but feeling unable to chronicle her experiences for posterity, Jocelyn addresses letters to a famous French author describing the deteriorating situation around her, hoping he’ll transform them into a book for others to read.

It’s an odd concept, and the epistolary format is just one among many aspects of this novel that don’t make sense. The chapters of The Librarian of Saint-Malo are the letters themselves; they read like a traditional narrative, except for occasional, awkwardly inserted references to the addressee (“Marcel Zola,” a novelist the author imagines as a fictional version of Albert Camus).

Newly married to her childhood sweetheart, Antoine, Jocelyn discovers she’s suffering from tuberculosis, and she’s left alone, in her weakened state, after Antoine leaves to join the fighting. She takes solace in the books of the library where she works and does her best to save them when the Nazis arrive with lists of prohibited literature, intending to destroy whatever they deem subversive. The cruel and lecherous Adolf Bauman, an SS officer, demands lodging in Jocelyn’s home, while another German, Hermann von Choltiz, a medieval literature scholar, tries to protect Jocelyn from his compatriot’s attentions. Jocelyn is touched by his kindness and develops a rapport with him that she isn’t sure she can trust.

Saint-Malo is hauntingly described, with its storied history as a pirate haven contrasting with the traumatic Nazi occupation as neighbors turn on one another, food becomes scarce, and Jews are carted away. The novel’s characters, however, behave in unrealistic ways and have perplexing emotional reactions. In just one early example: Jocelyn sees a horrific event and learns awful news while on an out-of-town trip. That same evening sees her attending a fancy dinner party, in a borrowed gown, feeling that the war was an “ephemeral dream.”

Jocelyn is beyond naïve at times, and her tuberculosis symptoms appear and disappear when it’s convenient for the plot. Hermann is hardly a heroic individual, and the author's attempts to make a Nazi into a sympathetic or even romantic figure simply don’t work. The actions of one Jewish character ring particularly false as well.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo has an intriguing setting and theme, saving literature in a time of war, so it's disappointing that I'm not able to recommend this novel.

During German Occupation,, Saint-Malo, France was stripped of certain library books. The books the Germans considered revolutionary were destroyed. Librarian Jocelyn took it upon herself to hide books from the Germans. Her husband Antoine was called to fight against the Germans and naturally she was worried about his life.
Jocelyn writes letters back and forth with an author to tell him of her fight against the Germans to hide the books and other missions. These letters were later proof of people who lost their lives in the fight to save others.
The author does a wonderful job in describing the devastation the people experienced and what they lost. Not only their homes, but they lost their city. Jocelyn took a stand and the author was able to convey in the book the feelings and the development of the story from start to finish was so dramatic that you wanted to keep finding out what happened next to everyone not just Jocelyn.

I definitely would recommend this book.
I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

You know I love WWII fiction and I like finding stories that are different. While I knew about books being destroyed and Hitler having rare and valuable artifacts (mostly artwork) confiscated, I haven't read any stories about the people who had spent their careers curating and caring for these items. The closest I've come is reading The Zookeeper's Wife. So I was interested in reading about a librarian trying to protect books.

I thought the story started out a bit slow but I soon was caught up in the lives of Jocelyn and the other residents of Saint-Malo.

This is my first book from Escobar, and I liked his writing style. It is not an intense read and I didn't really feel like the characters were in danger, though they do participate in some mild resistance activities. If you like the more romantic WWII stories then you will like this one. It isn't really a romance but there is a theme of love and the overall story is softer than say, Code Name Helene. I would compare it in tone to Maggie Brookes's The Prisoner's Wife.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo is more fictional than other WWII stories I've read lately, but it is based on some facts which are noted at the end of the book. There is also a timeline of WWII events so if you don't read a lot of WWII fiction and don't really remember much from your high school history lessons you can learn what was going on the larger front while the events played out in the small town of Saint-Malo. This book would probably be a good one to start with if you are wanting to read more WWII fiction.

While this book isn't typically what people would think of as a "beach read", I do think it makes a great summer read. For those that prefer to read historical fiction, then this would be a good "beach read".

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on July 13

The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar is the kind of story that wraps you up in a time period, its characters, and the storyline in a way that leaves readers unwilling to separate from the experience when the book is done, similar to viewing a powerful film that engulfs you completely. It is an unforgettable story about a period when the best and worst of humanity gathered on a global stage to fight a war so staggering in it’s breadth and brutality, it haunts us today. After finishing this book, I couldn’t start another one for a week; it lived inside the core of me, and I needed time to process the experience.

A friend sent me an Amazon prepublication promotion about this book in May. That is when I discovered author Mario Escobar, and fell in love with the cover art of his three other most recent historic fiction books released in the US: Auschwitz Lullaby (8/7/18), Children of the Stars (2/25/20), and Remember Me (9/15/20). As I begin the book, I am struck by parallels of how the narrative unfolds as librarian Jocelyn Ferrec is writing to an author she admires, Marcel Zola. She hopes Zola will edit her wartime experiences conveyed in letters to him, and share the dramatic live action story of her French seaport town during it’s Nazi occupation with the rest of the world. Author Mario Escobar has said the inspiration for this book was one of his readers who shared her story with him, an author whose books she loved. He is prompted to travel to France and visit Saint-Malo, where he is moved and compelled to breath life into this book.

The story opens with joy; two people meet in a bookstore, marry, and take a honeymoon train trip to Paris, exuberantly drinking in the experience with their champagne. The reader feels the excitement and promise of starting a life together with someone you love deeply.

The story, like life in a small French village, unfolds peacefully, but the confusion of war fast approaches. The occupation of France is swift and horrifying to its citizens. Its government seems to be “missing in action,” danger is everywhere when Nazi bombing raids swarm the skies, refugees run for their lives in unfamiliar cities, cars are abandoned mid flight when gas runs out, and all able bodied men are drafted as the army fights on. Jocelyn faces an uncertain future with only rare letters from her husband, who writes as warfare permits. She shares, “I had never stopped to imagine the chaos of the world without authorities.” Suddenly readers find themselves drawn into the action, running for cover through a landscape disfigured by smoke, fire, and artillery, pushing on afterward, uncertain about what lies ahead.

Fiercely loyal to her community, occupied by invaders, she writes to Zola “A city is like a woman...everyone wants to conquer her, but she resists. They may occupy her streets but never her soul. Saint-Malo will be free, so long as we keep tending her fire in our hearts.” She learns the Nazis have assigned an officer to room in her home, and soon experiences firsthand the rising threats to culture and literature, with the possibility of book banning in her own town. She notes,“We had heard on the radio how the Nazis censored everything, and controlled the media.” Neighbors are encouraged to report town transgressors to the Nazis. She fears for her safety, her husband, her home, her town, and her country.

Huddling in a shelter during a bombing raid Jocelyn writes, “We wait for death with our eyes closed tight, like children scared of shadows on the wall. Some ancient instinct tells us that the eyelids create an impassible barrier between us and what we fear, but the darkness did not keep me from hearing the voice, or smelling the rancid breath of Adolf Bauman. I did not know why he hated me in particular so much, though I figured it was because I was not afraid of him. Nothing terrifies a monster more than not being feared.” Hope comes when love of books and words bind hearts divided by conflict. She writes, “Something deeper than friendship united us. Neither of us had lost our humanity. Many people think human beings are what is wrong with the world, but the real problem is dehumanization. Philosophy has relegated us to the condition of rational animals, robbing us of all the virtues that make us special, and reducing us to mere beasts whose only purpose is to reproduce and protect our descendants.”

As occupation weeks turn into months and years, she sees her library as the repository of French culture and history, vowing to defend it, despite sinister forces at hand who seek it’s wealth, while wishing its destruction, as well as hers. Continuing to send letters to Zola, words that tell of her fears and resistance, she finds new allies and enemies coming from the most unlikely and unexpected quarters, and reminds herself, “The power of words does not lie in the stories we tell, but in our ability to connect with the hearts of those who read them.”

The narrative appears to emerge directly from Jocelyn through author Escobar, who establishes a potent connection with the hearts of readers, as bravery, love, loss, freedom, war, sacrifice, defeat, and victory are interwoven themes, ensuring our tending the fires of this book in our hearts for some time to come. It is a tribute to books and those who love them, the way they connect us despite differences, celebrates the liberation of uncensored words, and their power to change the world.

I received an ARC from publisher Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also borrowed my library’s audiobook (narrator Nicole Boggs was excellent). All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.

Jocelyn and Antoine Ferrec are childhood sweethearts that are newly married when WWII breaks out. Not long after returning from their honeymoon, Antoine is shipped out,

As the war rages across Europe, Jocelyn decides to encourage reading and a love of words among her fellow residents of Saint Malo. Jocelyn also begins writing letters to an author in Paris which become a way for her to tell her story and to record what is going on around her.

As more and more people are being sent to camps, the Nazis also start controlling not only what is on the radio, but also what books are allowed to be kept. Jocelyn decides it is up to her to safeguard these books so that history is not lost or destroyed,

Throughout this story, Jocelyn faces danger and loss in ways not many of us would be able to relate to. Her determination to live, to survive, and to fight in her own way was such a powerful message in this story.

The author mentions this story is told in the form of letters to an author, Marcel Zola, and often I forgot that as I was drawn farther and farther into the story. This unique take on WWII historical fiction is such a great addition to the genre and illustrates again how the desire to survive and protect is often deep within us and will surface when faced with horrible circumstances.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I tend to really love WWII historical fiction, but this one fell flat for me.

Part of the problem was the depth of the characters. I felt little for the leads and didn't always understand their motivations.

Another issue was a pet peeve of mine, which was a lot of telling rather than showing. Many of the letters expressly said "this is why I am writing this letter." Generally speaking, good writing doesn't require a blatant explanation. The reader should be able to gather the motivations of your characters without being told exactly what they are.

The story got more interesting once the war started, but I found myself rather bored with the plot.

Jocelyn struggles to keep her life together as the Nazis occupy Paris. Her husband is called to fight and the threat of books being taken from her beloved library is growing bigger. Told through her letters to a famous French author, Jocelyn must do what she can to protect her library and her country.

I really liked that this novel was set in Saint-Malo. In the author's note, Escobar explains his inspiration for the story and how Saint-Malo is not a well-known part of France's history during WWII.

This historical fiction is set during World War II and the German occupation of France in the small coastal town of St, Malo. Jocelyn, a young librarian, is determined to save old and valuable books from being destroyed or sold by the Germans. She endures many hardships, including TB before the war, and then her husband's departure to fight against the Germans. Her situation deteriorates when a particularly brutal SS officer becomes obsessed by her, but in contrast her friendship with a German officer "protector of cultural heritage" saves her several times. The themes of trust and betrayal are underscored by the difficulty of knowing whom to trust when collaborators and the Resistance both became more active. This novel has action, suspense, and romance at the same time it portrays an important chapter of 20th century history.

‘Books don’t have owners; they’re free agents we just happen to hold for a brief moment’.

Overall this is an interesting addition to the range of WWII stories available at the moment. To learn more about one particular place during the war, namely the City of Saint-Malo in France (fascinating to Google and learn more about this locale) and told through the eyes of the city librarian, makes for worthwhile reading.

‘They look just like plain yellowed paper with fading ink and printed letters of little import, but they are much more than that. Herein lies the soul of those who wrote them and the heart of everyone who has poured over their pages. Look at this card: almost two hundred people have read this book in roughly one hundred years. Most of those people are dead now, but last week a twelve-year-old-girl read the book. It keeps living and fulfilling its mission’

If you are a bibliophile then reading this will resonate on many levels. Jocelyn’s dedication to preserve the books and their history/stories is admirable. Once again, you will find yourself running to learn more factual detail of the fate of the library and that, to me, is a sign of a great historical novel.

“We were a small handful of intellectuals armed only with books, which did little against bullets.’

The library and its preservation is what drives Jocelyn. It is her life. With the German occupation, Jocelyn will find every facet of her life impacted. The format is through letters, which whilst I appreciate the intention, made it a little difficult to follow at times. The author has an important story to tell but it gets a little lost in the range of plots as if unsure which path to follow - historical fiction, romance, action, drama.

‘Teachers, writers, booksellers, and librarians - we’re in their way. Deep down they’re afraid of us. They know we can dismantle their lies in the blink of an eye.’

As to the personal story - the romance aspect - neither of them really rang true for me. From her husband in the early pages, to the liaison with the Nazi solider, it lacked a certain believability and therefore I was not invested in that aspect of the book. All up this is a good story for history lovers, WWII buffs or bibliophiles who wish to learn more in a fictional way of past events. Any story that entertains and educates is worth your time.

‘We’ll all disappear one day … but this’ - I took in the whole library with a gesture - ‘must go on. Books are our legacy … if the Nazis destroy our books, they really have won the war. We won’t know who we are or what we’re doing here.’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Everyone wants to conquer her, but she resists. They may occupy her streets but never her soul. Saint-Malo will be free so long as we keep tending her fire in our hearts.

Jocelyn Ferrec lives in a small town on the northern coast of France. The war has already affected the lives of many, but the heart of Saint-Malo stays alive due to the diligence of its librarian, Jocelyn. Letters written to author Marcel Zola bring to life the struggle to maintain this most important part of the town. Some survive, many do not, but history brings it all alive.

Life takes on meaning when we dedicate it to others. This well written book is one you will long remember. How much meaning is in our daily lives?

An ARC was received through HarperCollins, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. These comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited

No surprise that I absolutely LOVED this WWII historical novel, inspired by true events, about a small town librarian working to save the historical books during Nazi occupation in France. I'm such a fan of Mario Escobar's writing style, he really gets at the heart of every day people's lives during the war and this was no less true in his latest book. Highly recommend, especially for fans of The Paris library. Thanks to NetGalley for my advance review copy.

“Resist,” I told myself. But how could someone like me stand up to the Germans? I was just a simple, small-town librarian who loved books and wanted more than anything to be back with her husband again.”
The Librarian of Saint-Malo by Mario Escobar is a beautifully written story about a woman who risks her health, her safety, and her life to fulfill her job as librarian and citizen in the face of Nazi occupation of France during World War 2.

Set in Normandy, The Librarian of Saint-Malo follows Jocelyn as she navigates the beginning stages of World War 2, her husband getting called to the front lines, as well as the inevitable occupation of the Nazis for years before D-Day and finally the Allied liberation efforts. Jocelyn learns of Hitler’s invasion of Poland on her wedding day. Following a brief honeymoon in Paris, Jocelyn and Antoine return to Saint-Malo only for Jocelyn to fall ill to tuberculosis. Prior to her recovery, Antoine finds out that he has been called to action to fight for France.

“There’s no doubt that love is the most revolutionary choice and, therefore, the most persecuted and reviled.”
I’ll be honest: a lot of truly awful circumstances occur in Jocelyn’s life. This poor woman has a tragic backstory, and to have tuberculosis while her husband is called to war is heartbreaking. What I admired about Jocelyn is that she is a character of grit and tenacity, as well as overwhelming kindness. While she recovers from her illness, she throws herself into helping her neighbors and friends in the small city of Saint-Malo and takes her job as caretaker and librarian very seriously. It is through these duties where she runs into more trouble with an SS officer who becomes determined to make an example of Jocelyn. However, she finds herself being rescued time and time again by Hermann, a German solider and historian.

While I had to keep in mind that The Librarian of Saint-Malo is a historical fiction novel and not a romance, I couldn’t help but get attached to friends and people whom Jocelyn held so dearly. There were so many acts of bravery in the face of danger. On more than one occasion Jocelyn would risk her life in order to help those in need. One of the biggest challenges for Jocelyn was looking beyond the uniform that Hermann wore and seeing him for the man and friend that he desperately wanted to be for her. Even though, World War 2 was a time of great tragedy, I remained hopeful throughout Jocelyn’s story.

“Hopes are just wishes we cast into the wind—and the only thing can bring them back to us are the inscrutable whims of fate.”
I admired Jocelyn’s determination to tell her story through a series of letters to a French author whom she had hoped would help keep her story alive. Jocelyn’s story is full moral questions and scenarios. While Jocelyn joins the French Resistance, she is constantly questioning the idea of right and wrong, and who is an enemy to herself and her friends.

The Librarian of Saint-Malo is one of those stories that lingers in the back of your mind. I admire when authors such as Mario Escobar can do that to a reader. Jocelyn’s story is riveting. I was glued to my e-reader for most of a day while I devoured the pages, needing to know what else could happen to poor Jocelyn, and if she could still stay so kind and true to herself despite insurmountable odds. If you’re a lover of historical fiction that is solidly based on true accounts with a protagonist that is as brave as she is kind then The Librarian of Saint-Malo is the story for you. Be sure to get your copy now as The Librarian of Saint-Malo is newly released!

I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping war story. The author chose a unique perspective by telling the story from the viewpoint of a librarian. The descriptive language had me weeping with the Jocelyn for the losses she endured at the hands of the nazis. Her references to the “author” as she was writing detracted from the story somewhat, but I would definitely read this story again.

This is the second book I have read by Mario Escobar, and I enjoyed this story just as much. It's no secret, if it's based on WW2, I want to read it. The book certainly had a lovely premise. Although I was conflicted with some of Jocelyn's (the main character) decisions (particularly a romance she engaged in), she wasn't always relatable or easy to root for. Except I did love her passion for protecting the library and books she loved so much. I also enjoyed the bits of history and learning about St. Malo as I love discovering new places this way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the Advanced Copy.

Another great read by Mario Escobar, always love a library based novel. WW2, the German Army extending its reach through to North West France. A newly married couple are separated by Antoine’s enlistment, drafted to fight against the enemy now occupying his country and then imprisoned in a German POW camp. Jocelyn, the local librarian turns her focus to protecting what she considers to be a precious commodity, her books, priceless knowledge, the Germans are keen to destroy or steal. She forms a bond by corresponding with a French author in Paris in the hope that the story of these war crimes will be unveiled to the outside world.

An interesting read on the effects of war on a less prominent French city

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publisher Thomas Nelson for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

I was really looking forward to this book. WWII is a favourite setting of mine lately. This should have ticked many boxes for me. However I am sad to say that it didn’t live up to expectations. I don’t know if it was the translation, or over editing. There seems to be a simplification of certain things, with some things glossed over in mere sentences that should have been full scenes of dialogue. There seems to be a loss of description in setting, characters and motive.
Despite this I will endeavour to read more this authors works to see if there are similarities.