Dual time novel with a twist that ties it all together at the end. Loved learning about the ALA's program of getting books to soldiers and sailors during the Great War. Also, the first female who attended the Naval Academy account of her experiences were eye opening. Discrimination and harsh treatment were hard in both timelines. I always enjoy reading the author's note. Recommended.

THE WAR LIBRARIAN by Addison Armstrong

Told through dual timelines this story is about two women, Kathleen Carre and Emmaline Balakin.

Emmaline is a volunteer WWI war librarian at a field hospital in 1918 France. She provides wounded soldiers with much needed reading material to distract from their injuries. Being a librarian allows her to come out of her shell and discover she’s braver than she thinks.

Kathleen is part of the first coed class of the Naval Academy in 1976. She and the other women “plebes” are subjected to discrimination, sexism, harassment and hazing. She is determined to prove she’s worthy and capable to be a member of the Navy.

While I didn’t truly connect with either character, Emmaline’s storyline was the standout for me. Her experience and the friendships she formed felt real and genuine. Kathleen’s strength and spirit was admirable, yet it seemed her perspective and thoughts didn’t match the era she was living in.

I did like the way their stories were weaved together in the end. Not really a twist, but a detail that was significant to all the characters.

Overall, a good read if you’re not familiar with the WWI war library program and/or the history of women in the Naval Academy.

**ARC courtesy of @NetGalley & Penguin Group Putnam

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Release Date: 08.08.22

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam , I was provided an ARC of The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*****Publishing August 9, 2022****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you love historical fiction, then this is a must read! A great story of two women who lived in two different time periods, but had many parallels and were connected by Kathleen’s grandmother, Nina. A wonderful story of heartache, resiliency, and determination. I absolutely loved this book!

A dual timeline story that follows Emmaline, a war librarian, who served in WWl and Kathleen who is accepted into the Navel Academy’s first female class of 1980 in Annapolis, Maryland. Kathleen follows the footsteps of her Dad who fought in WWII and Korean War and her grandmother who served in WWl. Her Dad did not come home from the Korean War and when she was young, her mother left to be a travel writer, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Both Emmaline and Kathleen have had loss of their parents, which pushed them both into military careers.

Emmaline was a trailblazer not only for women, but for soldiers. She helped them escape through books by reading to them or supplying them with books during the war. Emmaline has to navigate the male dominated world, will it catch up to her and she be accused of having documents that could go against the military?

Kathleen was determined to be a trailblazer for future women Plebes, so they wouldn’t have to endure the abuse and discrimination she went through. She wanted future generations of women to have equal treatment and rights at the Naval Academy. When Kathleen is accused of a military crime, will she be able to prove her innocence? Will this end her career?

This book is great for book clubs as it will spark many great discussions such as importance of books to war times to women’s rights to race relations to burning of banned books to discrimination to mental health to survival, etc. What did it take for women in their time to be successful and was this even possible?

We meet two strong women who are determined to make their way in a man's world.

We meet Emmaline Balakin in 1918 who after working in the dead letter office for five years volunteers to be the librarian in France during the war. Delivering books to the injured soldiers helps their morale and to pass the time.

Being one of very few women, Emmaline has her struggles, and seeing the wounded soldiers is upsetting for her.

We meet Kathleen Carre in 1976. She had been working in a dental office, had been raised by her beloved grandmother, and wanted to be in the class of first women accepted into the Naval Academy.

The men really didn't want women in the Academy and bullied and harassed them. One particular midshipman had it in for Kathleen and tried to humiliate her and trip her up as often as he could.

This midshipman also had her accused of treason.

We follow both women as they make it through their days. There is a connection and secret between the two time lines that will have readers dropping their jaws.

Despite the excellent writing and revelation of the secret in the ending, THE WAR LIBRARIAN dragged for me. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I like a dual timeline--here: 1918 and 1976. Two strong women face obstacles. Emmaline Balakin, works in the Dead Letter Office but becomes a volunteer librarian in France when a letter crosses her desk with a name from her past. [oy?] She struggles against some rules [notably censorship and racism]. Kathleen Carre is accepted into the first coed class at the U.S. Naval Academy and faces many obstacles--mainly, the men who don't want her there.

Emmaline is the daughter of Russian immigrants. This does have some significance as the two stories are ultimately intertwined. I do like a twist [mostly in mysteries], but this one really did nothing for me [no spoiler]. I liked the two main characters well enough [add Nana and Nellie and a few other minor characters] but was never really engaged].

This was an easy enough read which I enjoyed initially, but then it spiraled down. What I liked the most was learning about the history of women in the Naval Academy--how unprepared the Navy was--from uniforms, to shoes, etc. At the beginning: standard haircuts, no jewelry, no makeup, no combat, and more.

Adversity, feminism, sisterhood, family--all themes.

I worked at the Library of Congress so I found the parts that mentioned the Library's role in the war effort interesting. At one time, my location was the Washington Navy Yard--the Metro DID NOT GO NEAR THERE in 1976 as one would be led to believe herein: "...hopped onto the Metro that would take us to the Washington Navy Yard." [It just opened in 1976 and that stop was not among the very few stations at the time.]

In the distinct minority of readers; this book really did nothing for me. I found it pedestrian and simplistic and as the "mushy" parts progressed, I disconnected.

2.5 not rounding up as sorely disappointed.

A read that will grab you and not let go, a time split read, 1918 and 1976, two generations apart!
We go to France during the Great War, with a realistic view of how our men were treated when injured! Then we are with the first women to enter Annapolis, the US Naval Academy , and a lot of the men are not happy with the situation!
It takes awhile to weave the two stories together, but the author does a great job, making the characters come to life, and then melding them together. We are soon caring about these strong women, but surprises, some not good, are ahead, and we are there to witness how this all turns out!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher G. P. Putman & Sons, and was not required to give a positive review.

Emmaline who has not done much with her life, finds herself volunteering to become a librarian for the troops in 1918 and being shipped to a hospital in France near the front. There she meets mechanic Nellie, who becomes a friend. Parallel to Emmaline's story is that of Kathleen, Nellie's granddaughter. It is 1976, and Kathleen enters the Naval Academy in the first class to include women. Both stories showcase the courage of these women, the prejudice they received and they observed, the value of intellectual freedom, and the conflicts that war and serving one's country brings. Will be a good book discussion group as these topics are as timely today as they were in 1918 and 1976.

Loved the timelines. They went so well together and complimented each other. I really enjoyed this. I felt like I was drawn into the story and this may be my new favorite historical fiction!

This split-time novel featuring a young woman in 1976, and her grandmother's life in 1918 was enjoyable and I also found it interesting to learn some things. 1976 is during my lifetime, so I was surprised to learn that women weren't allowed into the Naval Academy until then. This book also made me think about genealogy -- perhaps an odd thing to have a book make you think about, but the actions of one of the characters would definitely have an effect on any of her descendants who would try to find their roots,a nd it made me wonder how often that happens.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Group Putnam for an advanced copy of this book of historical fiction.

Looking at old photos of parents and grandparents and other relatives it is hard to get an idea of what their lives were really like. The photos are usually posed, with smiles all around, as these were the days of film, not digital and usually only had one chance to make the photo right. Unless you knew family history you didn't know the troubles these peoples in photos dealt with, nor did we know much about their adventures and their travails outside of these photos. Addison Armstrong in her new book The War Librarian tells the story of two women, grandmother and granddaughter whose lives are changed by decisions in both war and peace, but face many of the same problems and discriminations.

World War I is raging in 1918 in Europe and Emmaline Balakin whose live is more devoted to books makes a decision. She plans to volunteer to be a librarian on the front lines, a decision that does not go well in the beginning. Soon she has found love, and a purpose working a Motor Car Operator, and taking part in a project that might get her in lot of trouble. Almost sixty years later Kathleen Carre in 1976 plans to be one of the first women to enter the Naval Academy, to make her Nana proud and for herself. This plan is viewed with derision and misogyny and soon she finds herself in jeopardy both for her dream and her Nana's legacy, which might be more secretive than she ever knew.

The book works well with strong characters that carry the story and make everything work. Making a generational story work, especially one with such a large gap is hard but the author if very good about keeping both the characters and the story together, and interesting. The plot is intriguing, as are the subplots, and the support characters. An interesting, depressing book about being a woman, dealing with men and trying to do something that men considers unlady-like, but is actually just a word that men use to cover the fact that they are afraid that women will be better at something.

Fans of the author's previous book The Light of Luna Park will not be let down. The research is very good and the story very compelling and page turning. Fans of Kate Quinn and Kate Atkinson will also enjoy the story for both it's historical view of World War 1 and about female intergration in the 1970's.

I really enjoyed this book! I normally dislike the dual timeline structure in historical fiction books, but this book was an exception as both characters and storylines were compelling. I figured out the twist very early on, but still enjoyed seeing the details play out. This would be a great read for fans of Kate Quinn or Fiona Davis.

A heartwarming story amidst the chaos and catastrophes of WWII, set against the angst of women’s struggles for equality. The dual timeline gives little glimpses of future events without spoiling the read. The importance of this book lies in its reminder that history matters and family legacy should not be ignored. It is our past, the roads taken or not taken, and the people that come into and out of our lives that create our stories. Highly recommended.

3.5/5⭐️

This dual timeline historical novel follows Emmaline, a young woman who travels to 1918 France to serve as a volunteer librarian for wounded troops at a field hospital and Kathleen, a young woman who determinedly faces the daunting challenge of being among the first women to be admitted into the US Naval Academy in 1976.

Emmaline, who is passionate in her beliefs as a young girl, has become a shy, subdued woman. Following a fateful reading of a letter written by a friend from her past (in the Dead Letter Office where she works), she decides to step out of her comfort zone to do her part for the troops.

Kathleen, raised by her grandmother, has always yearned for discipline and steadiness (opposite of her flighty mother) and is determined to prove herself in the Naval Academy.

Both women face hardships (losses, discrimination, harassment), and in the end, the author provides a surprise twist to their stories.

While there was nothing radically wrong here, I found myself not as engaged as I wanted to be, and I think it was both with the characters and the storyline. While sympathetic with the women’s struggles, I didn’t connect with them as individuals. And the storyline, while inspiring in some ways, felt contrived in others. This one was pretty much just an OK for me.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing the free early arc of The War Librarian for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I sadly DNF this book. I enjoyed what I read but it didn't capture me the way I hoped. The writing was well done and I could see myself reading this at a later date but currently not in the right mindset for historical fiction.

I hope Addison Armstrong continues writing historical fiction. I enjoyed reading this as much as I did The Light of Luna Park. The dual timeline (WWI and the first female Naval Academy plebes), the interesting characters with complex back stories, and the unexpected twists all made for a riveting read.

The War LIbrarian
by Addison Armstrong
Pub Date: August 9, 2022
G.P. Putnam
*historical fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. The Paris Library meets The Flight Girls in this captivating historical novel about the sacrifice and courage necessary to live a life of honor, inspired by the first female volunteer librarians during World War I and the first women accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy.
I really enjoyed the book. Addison Armstrong is a new author for me but I do like her writing and her take on historical fiction. I will be glad to recommend this to our readers. I also learned a lot about librarians and the ALA during WW1.
Readers of Aimee K. Runyan ( The School for German Brides), Jennifer Ryan ( The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle), and Anna Stuart. will enjoy this book.
Now I am going back to devour her previous book, The Light of Luna Park. Great read of 2022!
4 stars

I really enjoyed this dual timeline! The writing was beautiful and I enjoyed learning a bit about WWI considering I mostly read books based around WWII. I was intrigued by this author and I will continue to follow her after reading this one.

Really enjoyed the book. Like Addison Armstrong's writing and take on historical fiction. Learned a lot about librarians and the ALA during WW1. Look forward to following this author.

First off thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing me an advance copy to review. I read a fair amount of historical fiction so I greatly enjoyed that this was set in WWI. I also thought the plot was unique. Some of the plot points I could see coming but that did not take away the enjoyment I found in reading it. Characters were nicely developed. Writing and pace were also enjoyable.

In 1918, shy Emmaline loves her books more than people. She works in the Dead Letter Office and she comes across a letter that changes everything. When she decides to do her bit to help out in the war and she ends up being a volunteer librarian in France, she ends up seeing the writer if that letter, who she knew and loved when she was younger. Which ultimately leads to another important letter being written, one that may ruin two women’s lives. In 1976, Kathleen Carre is one of the first women accepted into the Naval Academy, where she faces hazing and discrimination. When a letter that was written in 1918 threatens to derail her Navy hopes, a family secret comes to light.

I always loved books and books, especially when there’s some pretty interesting history that we get to learn more about. However, this was only a 3 star read for me because I wanted more character development. I felt like we got to know these characters on a superficial level and I didn’t feel tge were development enough to answer the question of why they did what they did, particularly with Emmaline’s character. The actual plot of the book was interesting, but I just felt the story was lacking that little extra spark to make it a great book.