Pub date: 8/9/22
Genre: historical fiction
In one sentence: Emmaline is a war librarian in WWI; in 1978, midshipman Kathleen will discover a connection to this woman and her incredible work.

I love dual timeline historical fiction, and Armstrong's The Light of Luna Park was one of my favorites of 2021! The War Librarian did not disappoint. I had no idea there were war librarians, and I loved Emmaline's passion for her work. She forms a book club for wounded soldiers (!) and also confronts racism/segregation within the ranks - this is a strong woman you'll love getting to know. Plus she gets a bit of romance to keep things interesting...

Years later, Kathleen is part of the first female class at the Naval Academy, and the sexism she deals with is just horrifying. I enjoyed learning about these women and how they banded together to make their dreams come true. The connection between the two timelines shocked me in a good way - I love when thrilling moments like these make my jaw drop!

If you love historical fiction, don't miss this one! 4.5 stars rounded to 5, and Armstrong is becoming one of my fave historical fiction authors!

Thank you to Putnam Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book! Thank you to NetGallery for adv copy.
Sometimes alternating chapters can be confusing but the chapters of Emmaline and Kathleen were beautifully written. As an Air Force veteran and a current librarian, this book called out to me. My heart ached throughout the book. Each character was not only realistic and believable but made me feel all the emotions.

Highly recommend!!!

"The War Librarian" consists of two interwoven storylines. One from the past, and another more recent.

Emmaline becomes a war librarian when she learns that her childhood sweetheart is serving in the war, and she hopes to be closer to him.

Kathleen is a Navy plebe undergoing harassment at the Naval Academy.

Each finds themselves in precarious positions where their country and its policies run contrary to their personal beliefs of right and wrong, and they're left to puzzle out what honor, loyalty and service to country truly mean.

It's a puzzle I'm familiar with as the mother to a female airman, and the questions explored in these interwoven stories are ones that are well worth exploring.

I felt the author created a wonderful exploration of the topic with engaging characters whose plight I truly cared about.

Thank you Addison Armstrong, NetGalley, and Penguin for an advance review copy.

I loved this book so much. The thing about generational historical fiction, especially when those generations don't seem immediately related to each other, is it feels a little bit like math keeping everyone straight. It didn't take too long and absolutely does not take anything away from the book if you'd rather read each POV as a separate person rather than interconnected histories.

I connected the most with Emmaline, not so much with Kathleen. I did enjoy reading Kathleen's parts though so it wasn't like I was skipping through a pov I didn't like (flashbacks to shatter me)

Overall, I would adore this book on my shelves and have already found a way to bring it up in casual conversations.

“Shouldn’t loyalty to a country mean you want it to be the best it can be? Sometimes that means learning what’s wrong. Learning what’s wrong so it can change.”


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5



This book is so enthralling and one of the best historical fictions I’ve ever read. It seamlessly blends two storylines one being a WWI war librarian and the other being one of the first women to be accepted into the naval academy. It was filled with twists and surprises and every chapter had me wanting more. Both povs are centered around a strong woman who was paving the way for future generations through so many obstacles thrown at them. It covers more topics of sexism, racism, politics, and the power of familial relationships.

I cannot recommend this enough!!

Everyone needs to add this to their tbr and buy it when it comes out in August. I read this as an e-arc from netgalley.

Content warnings: war, death, assault

THE WAR LIBRARIAN is another strong historical novel from talented author Addison Armstrong.

I enjoyed Armstrong's first novel, THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK, so I was eager to dip into this one, which did not disappoint. Both timelines of THE WAR LIBRARIAN (1918 and 1976) are captivating. I didn't know much about either the war librarians or the first females to attend the naval academy. This well-researched story provides a welcome introduction. I also enjoyed the themes of friendship/working together and the impact of secrets.

My one complaint is that chapter one is a little slow because there's some exposition that gets in the way of the scene. However, the book picks up and for the most part is well-paced.

I especially appreciate the feminist angle to Kathleen's story.

Armstrong does an excellent job at pulling the reader in.

I adore historical fiction and normally dislike the two timeline stories. The War Librarian started very slow in my opinion and took me a while to get into but the last few chapters was worth the wait. Emmaline and Kathleen both depict strong female leads during their time. Unlike other two timeline stories this is one where you need both to get the true picture on how the are interconnected.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This is one of my best historical fiction novels I’ve ever read and one of my new favorite books. The dual timeline is done so well and the book does a great job at building suspense. It reminds me of Kate Quinn’s writing style which is a huge compliment in my opinion. I absolutely love the strong female character presence too. Love it so much I’m going to but it in August!

Dual timeline historical fiction set during World War I France and 1976 United States. Likeable characters with interesting interconnected stories, but rather predictable. Would have liked more historical background about women in the military. The dual timeline, historical fiction set during wartime has been overdone.

I really enjoyed this ARC from NetGalley.
Set in WWI, Emmaline Balakin was working in the Dead Letters Office when she finds a startling letter-that she isn't supposed to see. Spurred on by that she volunteers to go overseas to run a library for wounded soldiers getting treatment at a field hospital. There she meets Nellie, a Motor Corps mechanic/driver-the first woman to be in such a position-and they become fast friends. More like sisters, in fact. Emmaline must grapple with what she found in the letter she wasn't supposed to read as well as the fallout of war and what betrayals lurk around every corner.
In 1979, Kathleen is one of the first women plebes to ever attend the Naval Academy. Her grandmother, Nellie, served in the military in WWI but remains close lipped about the things she saw and did there. Nonetheless, Kathleen is determined to let nothing stand in her way to becoming a respected member of the Navy. As she faces sexism and discrimination, she finds out more about her grandmother's past as well as deals with her own betrayals and secrets.
A compelling read that provided me with an all-new viewpoint on what happens when determination meet war time, when loyalty is challenged, and the fight women have faced in battle and at home.

I started this fast paced historical fiction while in the midst of a reading slump (which is why it took me as long as it did). It started off a little slow, but as the stories progressed I was hooked!

This story is dual timeline takes place in both 1918 in France during WW1 and in 1976 at the Naval Academy with a woman who is apart of the first class to allow women into the academy.

There is some heart-wrenching stuff in here: war, assault, sexism, and racism. I wanted to cry at some points.

There’s also love and interesting plot twists/surprises throughout. There are characters you really want to root for and ones you can’t stand.

Please add this book to your TBR for its release in August. I received this as an E-arc through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

Oh how I just devoured this book! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book, and I’m telling ya, you must get this book when it is released in August. I’ve never read a novel that so seamlessly blends two different historical time periods together in a way that comes to the most beautiful resolution. I love a book with a strong, independent female character, and with The War Librarian, you’re getting several. I simply adored this book. A must read in 2022!

Set in a dual time line, Kathleen Carre was amongst the first group of women admitted to the Naval Academy at Annapolis. All she ever wanted to do was serve her country like her grandmother, Nellie who drove for the Motor Corps during WWI. As she struggles with the hazing and the rigor of training, Nellie passes away and when a letter arrives has her questioning if she even knew her grandmother at all. The answers to her questions come when that letter lands Kathleen on trial for treasonous material after a male classmate does everything possible to expel her from the academy.

This is a very interesting story. As I am slowly diving into WWI fiction, there are some things I learned about the war…especially the roles women played and the racial tension that existed even amongst soldiers defending our country. I was most grateful for the history lesson!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam and Addison Armstrong for early access to the wonderful history lesson.

This books follows Emmaline, a librarian at the front of WWI, and Kathleen, one of the first women accepted to the Naval Academy in the 1970s. If you like historical fiction and split narratives, this is a fairly enjoyable read, but not a home run. While I loved the settings, I felt the characters were a little one-dimensional. Most of the plot elements seemed fairly predictable, particularly the third act "surprise" (which I figured out less than 20% into the book.) However, since this book is more of a character study than a mystery, that may not bother some people. The writing is good, and I would say overall this book is average, with strength only in the sense of time and place it evokes in both narratives. Not much re-readability factor, so my personal advice would be: borrow this from the library if you have nothing more exciting waiting, but don't buy it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this WWI Historical fiction story which also focused on the the first U.S. Naval Academy Class to allow women. The discrimination these women had to deal with was heartbreaking. But I loved the strength and courage of these women characters. I also loved the friendship that grew between them. I enjoyed the two timelines and learning about the War library during WWI. This felt like such a timely read even though it is historical fiction as it deals with so many issues we are still facing today.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with the digital advanced reader copy.

As a librarian I am of course drawn to books that have librarians in a significant role, and particularly those where a librarian and librarianship is a central theme, and this book did not disappoint. The characters are well-developed and the plot moves at a satisfying pace, neither too slow nor too fast, the intertwining stories and seeing how the characters grew and developed set against very challenging circumstance. One story set in France during WWI, and the other at the Naval Academy in 1976 with the first class of female midshipmen. Considering everything going on right now with all the attempts of censorship, book banning, and book burning going on in our country, the message of the importance of the freedom to read and the responsibility of librarians (and everyone!) to protect that freedom really resonated. As a woman who previously worked in a male-dominated field as a civilian employee of the Navy and who is the mother of a daughter who is also not only in a male-dominated field, but also serves in the military, the story of Kathleen and her classmates fight to be accepted into the Naval Academy and overcome all the abuse and unfairness heaped on them really touched a chord with me as well.

This is a wonderful book and I recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction, librarians, and others who oppose censorship and all forms of discrimination.

I first want to thank NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read the advanced copy of this book. I am a huge fan of historical fiction but have found it difficult to find stories about women in service other than mostly nursing stories. Granted that was mainly the roll most women were able to fill prior to WWI, but I was immediately drawn to this book by its title.

The book goes between two time periods, 1918 and 1977. I normally dislike books set in dual times but this one flowed fairly well. In the beginning before I knew the characters I had to go back a few times but once I reached about 25% I was golden.

At the end of the books there’s a section with including a question and answer with the author. I hope this is included in the final publication as it was very informative and important to the book in explaining some things.

Thanks for a great read.

This dual timeline novel follows two young women separated by half a century and a war. In 1918, Emmaline Balakin is tired of sitting on the sidelines. Spurred to action by a letter from her past, Emmaline enters the war effort as a volunteer librarian in France. In 1976, Kathleen Carre is one of the first women to enter the United States Naval Academy. Kathleen knows that she deserves to be there just as much as the boys- even if it seems that no one else does. As past and present blend together, the stories of these two women are tangled in a web that Kathleen must unravel to secure her fate.

This book hit all the right notes for the first three quarters of the story, but what made it truly phenomenal was the ending. I absolutely love dual timeline historical fiction novels, and I have devoured many of them, but never have I read a more cleverly written converging of timelines than I have in this book. When I finally understood exactly how the past and present were related, I had to pick my jaw up off the ground. I also appreciated how this story highlighted roles in World War I outside of combat. Reading about the motor corps and the librarians added a fresh perspective on the many ways people served.

I highly recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction and dual timelines! Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam Books for providing me an advanced reader's copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction and dual timelines are my favorite reads! I loved how the two different timelines connected.

Many of the quotes used in the book about the joy reading bring such as “Books are the best place to hide when the world is just too much to take” really resonated with me.

Did not see the twist coming at all. It added more details to the story and helped push the book to the end.

I will say, Mabel’s story line felt a little unnecessary but it didn’t make me like the book less.

I was engrossed from start to finish in this story about two women from two different time period . This book is a engaging read set during WW1 and during the time when one of the first women was accepted into the first coed class at the United States Naval Academy as a member of the class of 1980. It's a story of intrigue, the bravery and strength of women, resilience, a secret, and love. It's about women trying to fit in an environment dominated by men. I enjoyed reading this heartfelt story. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.