I found this book to be both interesting and heartwarming. This is a historical fiction novel with a dual timeline that covers the first women volunteer librarians during WWI and the first females in the U.S. Naval Academy. I especially enjoyed the older POV covering the volunteer librarians.

Solid historical fiction. Dual POV and timeline. Interesting twist at the end. Covers important topics. Balanced and well-paced plot. Good choice for book clubs.

*The War Librarian* by Addison Armstrong is a beautifully written dual-timeline historical novel that captivates from start to finish. Following two courageous women—one a WWI librarian on the front lines, the other a WWII naval academy candidate—the story weaves themes of resilience, knowledge, and defying societal expectations. Armstrong’s rich historical detail and compelling characters make the novel both educational and emotionally powerful. The alternating perspectives keep the narrative engaging, and the depth of emotion lingers long after the final page. A must-read for historical fiction lovers who appreciate strong heroines and untold stories of wartime bravery.

Such a wonderful read. I always tell myself I read too much WWII but I always find myself drawn to it. The writing was great, enjoyed the characters, and reading about their experiences.

Wow what a story! This one weaves together two courageous women from two different time periods. I thoroughly enjoyed both of their journeys and the writing kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and who is captivated by how a love of books keeps people going even in dark times.

This book was such a sweet historical read. I love the duel timelines with a ending plot twist. I will definitely be recommending this to the historical fiction fans at the library.

I had a bit of trouble with the dual timeline and even though it was a nice read, I think this one just didn't hit with me. The women in WWII storyline seems to have been really popular in the last decade and I was hoping this one would feel different.

As both a female veteran and librarian I enjoyed this story set in WWI. Armstrong clearly did her research. It also led me to do more research on these volunteer librarians and the first women accepted into the Naval Academy. The women are strong, independent characters and the duel storylines were interesting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy. All options are my own.

A fun sweet read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

Timely and enlightening! The War Librarian a of sisterhood and sacrifice, reminding us of the importance of standing up for what is right in the world–even in the face of war and great peril.

Give me a book about war and a librarian and look out.

Thank you NetGalley.

A story of two women in different times striving to do something they have come to believe is their manifest destiny.

Emmaline volunteers as a war librarian, reading and sharing books with injured soldiers. Books that are not on the approved list become a part of her library and the lively discussions between members of the book club of soldiers become the highlight of her day.

Kathleen becomes part of the first coed class in the United States Naval Academy in 1976, She and the other female recruits faces challenges they never imagined - uniforms and protocol designed for men to outright harassment and condemnation from male service personnel in all ranks.

This story of two women blazing a path for others intertwined with their perseverance for doing what is right creates a page turning novel that will keep the reader engaged and guessing until the very end!.

I received a copy of The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I struggle with dual timeline stories -- this one was no different. A lovely and heartwarming read, it just wasn't quite for me. I'm sure it will find a bevy of readers whom it's perfect for!

4.5 Stars

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong is inspired by the first female volunteer librarians during World War 1, a role I didn't even know existed. It's fitting that I finished this read on International Women's Day as too often a woman's role in history goes untold. I feel honored to have read this story and absolutely loved how the dual storyline came together in the end. Highly Recommend!

While I appreciated this authors attempts to weave an interesting story, this story just dragged on and on for me. I feel like this kind of story has been done a lot in recent years, and I’m frankly tired of historical fiction authors constantly retreading this world war 2 women territory. I found Emmaline to be frustrating in terms of her youthful naivety, and the romance aspect of the story didn’t feel authentic to me. No chemistry. I loved this author’s first novel, a I will try another book by her in the future , but this one was just a 3 star read for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Well researched, this novel is thought provoking and emotional as it draws attention to the lesser known women serving books during wartime as respite against the darkness. Inspiring, courageous, and emotional.

Thanks to Penguin Group Putman and NetGalley for this ARC in return for my honest review

Addison Armstrong is one of the brightest young authors that I have and pleasure to read. Barely out of college she has produced two wonderful books, the newest being "The War, Librarian." This book follows the dual timeline of World War I and the first class of females at the US Naval Academy in 1976. in 1918 Emmaline Balakin is working at the Dead Letter Office of the US Postal System, and stumbles upon a letter from a former friend of hers, who is now serving in France during the war. She eventually becomes a librarian, and it shipped overseas where she is part of the effort to bring books to the soldiers. While there she finds that her friend is one of the wounded soldiers at the hospital where she is working. She is shocked by the horrors of the war, by the segregation among the wounded and hospitalized, and tries to bring joy and happiness to these individuals, through books, despite all the perils of being near the front line. She makes friends with another young lady named Nellie who is a Red Cross volunteer who helps Emmaline navigate the system while she's over there, as well as teaching her how to drive. In 1976 Kathleen Carrie is part of the first group of female midshipman at the US Naval Academy, and is the granddaughter of Nellie. We follow Kathleen as she is subjected to all types of hazing and harassment at the Academy. Many of the male midshipman do not wish to have females in the Academy, and do anything possible to intimidate them, including trying to have them dismissed from the Academy for treasonous behavior. But there is a secret from World War I, that will impact Kathleen in her attempt to be part of the first class of female midshipmentat the US Naval Academy. This is a well researched book, filled with historical events, and certainly shows you the female point of view in both timelines. The authenticity in this book is shocking, and it also saddens one to see what women had to put up with in their efforts to help and assist our country and military.

An incredible story that tells the lives of a grandmother and her granddaughter in alternating chapters. The grandmother’s story takes place during WWI as she is sent to France to be a librarian at a hospital. Books from the ALA are sent to soldiers but the government tries to ban certain titles as being treasonous. The granddaughter is one of the first women admitted to the Naval academy and faces harsh hazing. The two stories weave together family, friendships, and lost loves.

This book had everything I wanted in it. First of all we’re talking about a librarian. That’s an obvious plus to any book nerd. But Armstrong brings so much more than that to that table. This was outstanding.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Historical fiction always gets me. I enjoy learning about things I would never have read before whilst I read a fiction book. Some authors do not do it well but this one did. It was very well thought out and the characters really jumped out of the pages. Overall, a very good book.

Absolutely loved this book. I struggled at first to get into it, but once I did I was fully invested and could not put it down!