ARC received by NetGalley. Thank you!

During WWII residents of London were sometimes forced to make the underground tube stations their home. The tubes provided safety and a glimmer of security during very uncertain and scary times. The tubes became micro-communities where people would gather with the commonality that was binding them; the effort to stay alive and safe.

One of these tubes, The Bethnal Green tube turned into a true community with social gathering spaces, strangers that became friends and family...and a little underground library. Ran by children's librarian Clara Button, a war widow, and her assistant, a sassy young woman named Ruby, this library became a refuge for many people calling the tube home. The Little Wartime Library follows the inter-woven lives of this underground library and the people that found shelter in the comfort they found there.

I am not one to give spoilers for reviews so I will just say that the characters of this book last a very lasting impression on me. A slimy director had me cringing and angry at their actions that at one point I had to set the book aside for a moment. Another had me heartbroken for them and yearning to give them the love they so desperately needed. It takes a talented author to develop a plot and characters that will do this, and Kate Thompson delivered.

Based on a true story, The Little Wartime Library is perfect for lovers of historical fiction, well developed characters and the desire to feel a wide range of emotions as they turn the pages.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson is based on true events set around WWII when an underground library is built over the tracks from a bombed out railway tube, Bethnal Green. Bethnal Green tube station was the scene of a terrible civilian disaster when 173 people, 62 children, were killed in a stampede on their way to shelter there during an air raid in March 1943.
The author has well researched the background into this lovely heartfelt story.
Clara Button is not an ordinary librarian. While the world is still at war, Clara has created the country's only underground library. This community thrives. There are bunk beds, a nursery, a cafe and a theatre that offer shelter and escape from the bombs that fall above them. Along with her friend and library assistant, Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is just what everyone needs in their little life underground.
This is such a beautiful story set during World War II. It shows the strength and courage that a librarian must go through, to ensure people have books to read, friendships and support through the toughest times England has ever seen.

So many people are homeless and living in this underground world and Clara is determined to make sure that there are books for them to read and does everything she can to encourage more people into the library. She and her assistant, Ruby start a children’s bedtime reading session and a book club for anyone who wants to join. They later start a travelling library for the factory workers who can’t get to the library. These women were genius and visionary.

There are people who are against what she is trying to do, but Clara never gives up. As Germans continue dropping their bombs, many people from the underground are affected. It was difficult to picture the atrocities these people had gone through.

This story was beautifully written. There are true events that are heart-breaking and some that are heart-warming but we see Clara and Ruby advocate for the people who really need this library.
I enjoyed reading this story and I can picture this being made into a movie!!
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Libraries are the engines of our education and our escape, never have they been more important in transforming our lives.”

Author Kate Thompson’s 5-star historical fiction focuses on the pioneering efforts of two women who effectively transformed the lives of wartime Londoners.

In September 1940 after a bomb damaged their local library branch, librarian Clara Button and her bibliophile bestie Ruby Munroe created the country’s only underground library in the unfinished Bethnal Green tube station, 78 feet below ground - the only place where the bombs couldn’t be heard. Their aim was to offer solace and foster a joy of reading amongst the East Enders.

The characters are the highlight of this delightful book. Clara, a war widow, had every reason to be bitter. She disregards her ‘imposed upon’ obligations and her losses and channels her energy into providing equal opportunity books to everyone in the secret community. Ruby has a big heart and puts others before herself, desperately wanting to hide her inner unhappiness and loss. You’ll be in awe of the sense of community the author creates and come to love many of the library patrons.

Based on the real history of the Bethnal Green Library, Thompson’s book reveals that although COVID and The Blitz are both very different, the effect on reading has been the same. Books, in both cases, were “a key weapon in the fight for morale.” The Blitz revealed the need to have equal access to reading material and the stigma of reading for escape and relaxation lifted. Covid revealed the need for equal access to information via the internet. We may not have had the bibliobus that the East Enders had, but our community had a book bicycle that travelled between communities to the shut-ins. I’ll never forget the first time I re-entered the library after the restrictions were lifted. The protocols were worth every effort.

This book is a true gem and helps us realize the value of a library - the heartbeat of a community. Reading for Victory may have been a wartime slogan, but, reading for victory during the recent pandemic was a war on COVID.

“Library work isn’t all about books. It’s the people who make it special; you never know who’s going to walk in and what their story is.”

“Stories are the grease of life.”

“Books were their escape into another, less punishing, world.”

The author’s note at the end was as enjoyable as the novel! This is essential reading for bibliophiles around the world.

I was gifted this precious copy by Forever, Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately from the first chapter the dialogue was stilted and trite, the characters were cliched, and the plot felt thin (considering this is based on a true event, that's a remarkable accomplishment).

I usually love books that are set in and around libraries and books and this book was another one that I ended up loving. When I first began to read it, I wasn't too sure I'd want to finish it because shortly after the start of the story the Pandemic (Covid-19) was brought up and I've heard so much since January 2020 about the Pandemic I just wasn't sure; however, I am so glad that I continued reading!

One thing I don't think people can live without is hope and that's one thing that I felt this book provided. Hope in times of war, distress, pandemics, natural disasters, etc. is something people hand onto...lose that and life looks too bleak. I love how important the little library was to the MC and how much it became like a lifeline to the community. I can't even imagine having my library shut down as in wartime. Of course, during the pandemic it was. (I live in California so just about everything was.)

I highly recommend this book! If you read it, I also suggest you read all of the notes after the "Epilogue". There is very interesting information in that entire section and I loved it as well. I would read it after the story though, not prior to reading it.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

A story about perseverance and love and the way a library can be more than just a house for books but a place for community and gathering. It can be a symbol for hope

I love the community feel of the library and how they banded together. I loved how those running it showed how strong and courageous they were. I liked the sweet love story and how the story slowly unfolded. Interesting read.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Writing: 3.5/5 Characters: 4/5 Plot: 4/5

WWII — East London — a fictionalized version of the true story of one example of what people managed to do under extreme hardship. Bethnal Green — an unfinished (at the time) underground station

This is a fictionalized history of the Bethnal Green (at the time) unfinished tube stop in London during WWII. This book focuses on the library that was moved to the station when the above ground version was bombed, but there was a veritable city created in the stop and (unused) tunnels, with triple bunks for 5,000 people, a nursery, cafe, and the as-always top notch administration by locals. I don’t like reading books about war, but I’m always drawn to books about how civilians create on the fly systems to help them survive. The addendum explains the actual history more fully, making clear what part of the book was fiction vs fact, though I found that pretty obvious anyway.

It’s March 1944. Clara Button is the 25-year old childless widow who is “temporarily” put in charge of the library, with the help of the irrepressible library assistant Ruby Munro. A well-detailed set of characters ranging across age and socio-economic levels populate the library, all with inspiring and heart-breaking stories. Thompson does a good job of bringing these characters to life. A good and engaging story — I could pick apart aspects of the plot if I were in a snippy mood, but overall I quite enjoyed it. It spoke well to the value of books and reading in all circumstances which means that it spoke very well to me!

This book would make a great movie — I hope it gets optioned!

This book was really interesting and fun to read. As a librarian and avid book lover, it was so interesting to read about how books and the library helped the characters get through such dark times.
The characters were all well-fleshed out. I found myself caring about all of them and their stories and rooting for their success.

I really enjoyed this novel by Kate Thompson! It was a lovely read with emotional highs and lows as well as interesting history throughout. The characters were well-formed and nuanced, and relationships were generally well explained, especially in light of how many distinct characters are involved. Thompson manages to create a complex cast of characters that hop in and out of the story as they hop in and out of Clara’s underground library.

In all, I found myself smiling to myself a lot while I read this novel, and tensely turning the (e-book) pages during darker periods of the story. When it ended, I wished there was more — always a sign of a great read in my opinion!

“People without books are like houses without windows”…such a simple quote but with so much meaning.

When the Blitz on London destroyed both homes and libraries, the people of London took to living in the underground tunnels of an incomplete tube. Librarian Clara Button released that these traumatized people needed an escape from the madness of war. She provided that escape in a small, underground library that let children exercise their imaginations and housewives find both strength and fantasy amongst the pages of the books on the shelves. The patrons of the library became a family and when Clara was threatened, they joined forces to defend her against the head librarian, a man who thought it wasn’t right to put ideas into women’s heads and let the children sail with pirates and find secret gardens. Society thought differently of women back then, but war changed things and women became pioneers, stepping in to their own and find a strength within them that all too often suppressed. Most importantly, the power of books and reading fill the soul.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Forever Grand Central Publishing and Kate Thompson for an early copy of this uplifting book

✨Book Review✨

Here we are, at my last @netgalley review of 2022. Thank you to Netgalley and @readforeverpub for the eARC. The Little Wartime Library publishes on February 21st, but I joined a buddy read for it and now I can’t find that chat. 🤣

Who else gets lost in our own Insta inbox?

This book was a charming, wonderful piece of historical fiction. Yes, it is set during WWII and there’s a lot of bad things happen because of that. BUT, the characters are so wonderful and I fell in love with all of them. Ruby and Clara are strong women worth emulating even though they’re fictional.

I loved all the author’s notes at the end detailing all the true aspects of this book. The storyline itself is fiction, but there truly was a tube library in Bethnal Green and a lot of the things that happen within the storyline are offshoots of real life.

If you’re a lover of historical fiction, grab this one as soon as it releases. I just might need a physical copy when that happens too, I could see myself rereading this one.

I loved this wonderful story about an underground library in Bethnal Green tube station which follows the life of librarian Clara Button and her assistant Ruby. It is a love-letter to libraries, and all who work in them.
As the war drags on Clara works hard to bring much needed light into the lives of all the displaced people around her. Based on true events I found this book was gripping, heart wrenching and a real page turner. Enthusiastically recommend!

"𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦."

The Little Wartime Library tells the story of the women who ran the underground library in the subway tunnels during WWII as the library building had been bombed out. We follow Clara Button a widow and former children's librarian, now tube station head librarian, along with her best friend and library assistant Ruby Monroe. Now Clara and Ruby couldn't be more different from one another, but they complement each other so well and work together to make the little library the best it can possibly be for the people now living in the tunnels.
Along with the varied cast of characters, they make the best of the tube station library and make sure it serves everyone and is a safe place for all. But when they have to go up against a new librarian who is Clara's boss things get ugly and complicated fast. Its up to Clara to choose rather she will continue to help the people she has come to love and care for, or if she will follow orders in order to keep her job and the tube station library open.

Overall I loved this story! The fact that it is based on a true story makes it all the better, and while some details were changed for the book you can still see what is the real history of the tube station and what is fiction. I had no idea that there even was a tube station library during the blitz, and I hadn't honestly thought about what happened to the libraries during that time because everything else had always just been focused on surviving. But in this book Clara made a good point in that everyone needs escapism and books are just the perfect things for that in a time when everything else is falling apart.

One part I really loved about this book the most is that not only did it have the history of what happened at the tube station during the war, and how it tells a story that had been untold. But how it also had several small mysteries within it as well that we saw Clara and Ruby figure out throughout the story. There was never a dull moment with these two and I loved that! The romance part of this book wasn't bad either Clara and Ruby were such different people who the guys they choose to be with and how they looked at relationships in general. Which made it all the more interesting to see how that side of their lives unfolded alongside everything else that was happening.

I do plan to read more by this author and I believe that I already have several of her books on my kindle all ready for 2023!

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson ⁣
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Pub Date: 2/21/23⁣⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣⁣⁣
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In the Blitz-battered East End of London, Clara Button took on the position of Bethnal Green’s librarian of Britain’s only underground library. In an unused Tube station, Clara, and her library assistant/ best friend Ruby, created The Little Wartime Library. Clara and Ruby worked so hard to get books into the hands of the people who needed them. They ran a Bibliobus to the factories to deliver books to the women working there, they hosted a weekly book club, and they held a nightly Story Time for the children living in the Tube shelter. They even covertly provided birth control literature to women who needed it. Librarians are never just librarians. They are also social workers, nurses, entertainers, listeners, teachers, and friends. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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This story is a beautiful love letter to libraries, librarians, and to the power of reading and its ability to make life better. It is also about ordinary people finding hope in extraordinarily unforgiving odds. Despite the backdrop of WWII and the hardships many of the characters faced because of the war, this book was filled with so many small moments of joy and levity. It was so fun to read about readers during the 1940’s! The women of Bethnal Green wanted to read SPICE. “It wasn’t just slightly spicy; it was the literary equivalent of an incendiary bomb!” Now, I want to read Forever Amber too. Also, every library needs a Library Cat. I was completely immersed in the story from start to finish. It was wonderfully written; I loved the alternating perspectives of Clara and Ruby. I wanted to stay in the ending of this book forever! I loved Clara and Ruby’s friendship so much. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣This book is perfect for historical fiction lovers, but I think it can be enjoyed by newbies to the genre too! ⁣⁣

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Kate Thompson for the opportunity to read this ARC!

This is a piece of historical fiction set in Britain during the WWII. I loved this novel. It creates a believable world with memorable characters. The library - while a setting - features boldly and throughout the book. The human stories which are many and varied, make this novel an absolute delight. I loved Klara, Ruby and the many other characters who appear.

The Little Wartime Library
By: Kate Thompson
Review Score: 4 Stars

Five Key Feels

-I was hooked on this book from the start.

-I loved learning about the community that was built in the tunnel.

-Clara is an incredible person, and I loved learning about her run of the library.

-This book does such a good job of linking so many different parts of World War 2 (The Blitz, the Holocaust, the Channel Islands).

-Clara and Ruby’s friendship was amazing, and I enjoyed how supportive they were of each other.

——

The Little Wartime Library was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Forever, Grand Central Publishing. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 2/21/23

I LOVED this book. I was hooked from the start, and I wanted to know what happened to every character that was introduced. There was love, loss, suspense, family ties, all wrapped up in historical fiction. It was so well done.

I feel that you could get something from this book, no matter what type of book you normally read, and even if you arent a fan of Historical fiction.

I highly recommend The Little Wartime Library. You won’t be sorry you read it!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #forever #grandcentralpublishing #thelittlewartimelibrary #katethompson #worldwar2

The Little Wartime Library is a truly moving and incredible book that offered a glimpse into the everyday life of people in 1944 London. This is the best kind of historical fiction novel-- informative, great dialogue, interesting storylines, and hopeful, even in the face of tragedy. I enjoyed following the life of librarian Clara and assistant librarian Ruby as they navigated the challenging times of London during the war. I never knew that a library was housed in a London tube station and this book did an amazing job of bringing that story to life and to light.

The Little Wartime Library
Book Review

Libraries are places of comfort and shelter filled up with books that can be an escape to a foreign place, a way to travel back in time and learn, and also a companion during a hard situation.

The novel is set in 1944 when London had suffered a lot of losses during the Blitz and still, the bombing was not ceasing. The Little Wartime Library follows the life of Clara, who finds her safe place in the Bethnal Green Underground library during WWII. More than a librarian, Clara is also a social worker who helps to educate children and provide assistance to the community during one of the hardest moments in England. Ruby, her friend, is also part of this library staff, both women are coping with their traumas and suffering due to the loss of their loved ones.
The author connects the present with the past and transmits all that desperation that people suffered but as well shows kindness, strong human connections, and how this bonding brought hope, love, happiness, and solidarity during hard times.
I loved the novel because it was a touching story with endearing characters and full of beautiful quotes related to literature and life. I also enjoyed all the book titles and references mentioned in the book. It was so interesting to learn about this library and about this specific time and I think it could be a great pick for a book club discussion.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this electronic ARC.
Pub date: February 21st, 2023

"𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦."

"Sometimes you need to come underground into the darkness in order to be able to see."

An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London.
London, 1944. Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While Nazi bombs tear apart the city around her, she turned the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater. Clara and her assistant, Ruby Munroe, offer solace and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city. The women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

I have read about the Blitz and how tube tunnels were used for safety and refuge during bombings but did not fully understand how much of Londoners daily lives occurred underground. This powerful and immersive novel held a spotlight on a diverse group of community members weaved into a cohesive narrative of heartbreak and resilience.

This book was profoundly full of hope and a reminder of the importance of libraries as a community hub. The author interviewed hundreds of librarians during her research, and I loved the quotes from library workers at the beginning of each chapter; equally powerful was the Author’s Note at the end of the novel and a continued call to support libraries from the impact of the Covid pandemic.

TW: War PTSD, SA, Suicide, Genocide, Child loss, Alcoholism

I devoured this book, so needless to say that I loved it.

It’s fascinating to read how the characters were forced to live with so much trauma and heartbreak and pain…and feeling like talking about any of it was taboo. Each of the main characters had to face their own monsters but we see how they all helped each other overcome them. I loved the overarching theme of how important it is to allow people to read whatever they want, how valuable libraries are, especially in moments of uncertainty, and how meaningful it is to face your fears.

We also see how each characters tries to break the mold of what society expects of them: Clara working and not being the “typical” wife/widow, Ruby exploring her sexuality, Sparrow being a kind and extremely intelligent kid, etc etc.

Overall, this was a great read on the importance of found family, on the community around you, and how everyone is fighting a battle that we may not always see or understand.

Anyway, I hope you Al give it a chance as soon as you’re able. It is based on a true story so I HIGHLY recommend reading the authors note and readers guide at the end!

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Thompson for the opportunity to read this!