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.

The War Librarian is a fascinating, emotional look inside the lives of two women in the military. This book is beautifully written and covers two interesting pieces of history. A must read for fans of feminist historical fiction.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This is a dual POV story taking place in two different timelines focusing on women serving during war. There is a lot of information and history here. It is obvious that much research was done for this novel. This is not a fast paced novel, but it was very good. Normally, slow paced books drive me crazy, but that’s because I am impatient to get to the good stuff. I like plot, not set-up. But this novel’s pace didn’t bother me because the plot is the experience of the two women serving in the war. Their tale slowly unfolds. I just sat back, learned, and enjoyed the story. At the 50% mark, I couldn’t put this down, especially the last quarter!

I loved this book! It is everything I love and want in my historical fiction novels. I enjoy light, fun and quick reads once in a while to break up the seriousness, but in general, I love books with a lesson, that educates me on something or someone I didn’t know much about, that makes me think, that stays with me for a while after reading, and that is emotional. This book had me feeling dread, scared, nervous, frustrated, angry (oh so angry!) and sad. It made me cry.

This book was hard to read at times, as I think all books dealing with racism and sexism are. You could really sense the main characters’ frustrations and determinations. I loved the book, am glad I read it, and recommend it to those who love learning a little something from historical fiction novels.

I think Addison Armstrong has become one of my new favorite historical fiction authors. I loved both this novel and her debut. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Thank you Net Galley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

#NetGalley #TheWarLibrarian

Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinGroup for the eARC of The War Librarian in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. After reading other novels lately that haven't quite sparked my interest, I was beginning to wonder if I'd hit some kind of reader's block, but The War Librarian cleared that right away. My interest was piqued immediately, and I read this book in one day.

The story follows two women - one, Emmaline Balakin, in 1918 and the other, Kathleen Carre, in 1976. Emmaline's story is the more intriguing initially; she works at the Dead Letter Office, rerouting lost mail, when she comes across a letter returned unceremoniously to sender - a sender she knows. She breaks the rules and pens a false letter, eventually following it all the way to the front of WWI in France. There she serves as a War Librarian, raising spirits, making fast friends, and rediscovering someone from her past. Kathleen, years later, is in the first class of women admitted to the US Navy, and is excited about joining up and serving, only to be waylaid at every turn as a woman - one that most of her male peers wish were not around. Personally I don't care much for instruments of war, and Kathleen's near fanatical patriotism was initially off putting, but her journey slowly grabbed my interest, and I looked forward to her chapters nearly as much as I did Emmaline's.

The concept of War Librarians at all is fascinating to me, and I was surprised to find out that they actually did exist, and that the US sent millions of dollars worth of books to the front - books that were often enthusiastically received. Emmaline's interactions with the soldiers really speaks to the level of desolation they must have felt. While it is not graphically shown in so many words, one gets the feeling of it from their excitement over Emmaline and her books. I also really appreciate that Armstrong didn't forget that not everyone in WWI (or the Navy of the 70s) was white; there were black characters with narrative importance, fleshed out, and whose circumstances were addressed. A lot of historical fiction glosses over the realities of racism, or presents it without commentary or censure, but The War Librarian does not. This book is not about racism, and as a white woman the author does encourage one in her acknowledgements to read fiction written by authors of color, but she doesn't pretend that it doesn't exist. Perlie's and Derrick's stories are important, even though they're minor characters - minor, but clearly main characters in their own stories.

I'm looking forward to this book's release later this year, and am going to find myself a copy of the author's debut novel too.

This is a truly unique and wonderful story. With two timeframes, 1910s and 1970s, the author weaves them together to make such an inspirational story. Gripping and suspenseful with strong female characters, this multi-generational novel had me enthralled from beginning to end.

What a fantastic read! I didn’t know much about war librarians and although fiction, the author based a lot on what really happened. Unexpected ending and very enjoyable book!