The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson is a wonderful piece of historical fiction! The fact that this book is based on true events makes it even more appealing. A fascinating peek into the London underground community during WWII. This close-knit community pulls together and rallies around one another. Clara button is the Bethel Green Tube station's librarian and she along with her friend and coworker Ruby are the unspoken leaders of the community. Opening the library app for children's reading time, adults' book club, and general support, advice, and acceptance for all. They are the glue that holds them all together! From tragedy to triumph, heart break to hearts healed, across the ocean and back, this book was an absolute delight! "Check out" The Little Wartime Library and see for yourself 😉

Books, Drama, Bombs and a lot of tea. The Little Wartime Library gave me a glimpse of what it may have been like to be a book lover, and a librarian, in the underground library of the east end of London during the blitz.

With heartwarming characters and spunky side kicks this book kept me entertained.

I especially enjoyed the notes at the end providing more history behind the story.

Such a beautifully written book! Set during WW2 London, this story revolves around the underground library at the Bethnal Green Tube Station and its patrons. Adversity, determination, strong women, death, destruction, books, friendships, love, resilience and hope are all explored.

The Author's Notes and the Reading Group Guide at the end of book are extremely informative and helpful.

I read 31 books in February and this book was my favorite!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. Review is my own.

I finished this book last weekend and immediately gifted it to a librarian friend of mine. It celebrates librarians in a way no “book about books” has quite managed before, while telling the story of a real-life library that was built in an unfinished metro station in London during WW2.
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Clara and Ruby, the librarians at Bethnal Green’s underground library, bring light to an otherwise dark place and dark world. While overcoming their own challenges, they transform a simple book-lending facility into a place of comfort, of community, and of social revolution.
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Lots of triggers in this one, though not overly graphic on any of them:
- domestic violence
- rape
- death (of adults and children)
- miscarriage
- suicide

With a list like this, you’d think this book would be depressing, but it is so hope-filled and lovely.

4.5 stars and rounded up. I basically loved everything about this book! Originally, I was drawn to it because it’s about a library. But while reading it, I learned that it was about so much more than that! This is a love letter to libraries and the importance they have in all of our lives.

This story shows librarians as the true superheroes that they are: encouragers, teachers, listeners, social workers, and a friend to lean on. We get this story from the dual perspectives from head librarian, Clara Button, and her loyal assistant and best friend, Ruby Munroe. They do their effort to help those at home during the war in England. In their quest to create a little wartime library underground, in the British tubes, you see the character growth from them and all they come in contact with.

This book had me in all the emotions from laughter to tears. Make sure that you also read the author’s note at the end about the real life connection to the library in the book. If you love your local library and a good book, and historical fiction, you will adore this one!

A huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars, rounded up.
What a wonderful look at how a library can be a community for so many.

Set in 1944 London, Clara is a young widowed librarian who starts a library underground in the unfinished Bethnal Green tube station when her library is bombed. Clara, along with assistant and best friend Ruby, transform the space into a hub for the community, a meeting place where there just happens to be books. She welcomes the kids who no longer go to school and struggle to stay entertained; the older adults who all have their own quirks. Three are 5000 people living in the tunnels underground and they all need support.

The story, based loosely on true events from WWII, runs the gamut of emotions, as would be expected in a wartime tale. But it's the spirit of the the people and relationships that they create that leave you with a positive feeling of humanity. Clara struggles to move on after losing her husband in the war and Ruby lives a bit of a fast life that she knows would not happen in peacetime. They are both strong women who are dealing with their own struggles and those of the families around them.

Be sure to read the Author's Notes at the end, it's fascinating to read about what was based on fact and some of the real people who lived through it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I pretty much loved everything about this book. I love learning about historical movements through fiction books. I had no idea such a story happened. And I never would if I never saw the cover. Cheers to the art department! I didn’t read the synopsis but immediately wanted to read about a library with such a fun looking librarian on the cover. 😊

This story kept me so engrossed that I never wanted to stop. I needed to know if everyone had an HEA! I needed them too. And I am so happy that the story turned out the way it did.

I have a few friends who will definitely be getting this book for Christmas. I know they’ll love it just as much as I did.

I love books! Let me say that again, I love books! And of course, libraries have…books! Needless to say, anything about a library I’m all in for! This story about the only underground library in England during the war is absolutely fascinating! The librarian, Clara Button, is the sweetest and kindest of ladies doing her part during the war. She’s not just a librarian, but also a confidant, a social worker, a teacher, a mentor, a counselor, and so many other great titles!

Clara and her best friend and library assistant, Ruby or Ruby Red Lips as she’s referred, are quite the pair at this little underground library. They read to the children every night because the tunnel’s too dark to read and some of them don’t know how to read just yet. They also start a book club reading racy fiction that even a couple men join in on, They lend out books to people of all ages and are compassionate towards all who are surviving.

They experience bombings and children who go missing. They wonder who’s clipping the racing pages out of the newspapers. They witness people having affairs in the reading room. They even visit the bunks of children and adults alike. Clara and Ruby are both extremely caring people, sharing the love that seems to be missing during the war.

There’s so much more than happens in the book. So much that I wouldn’t be able to put it into words how lovely it is. The Little Wartime Library is definitely among my historical fiction favorites, the list is growing! I give this book 5 out of 5 tiaras because of the extremely well thought out storyline and events. It’s more than just the library, there’s a war going on!

Historical fiction and writing in general at its finest! I loved The Little Wartime Library and look forward to more from Kate Thompson.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I requested this title since the premise sounds like a perfect book for me but sometimes I get it wrong. I love that it's based on a true story but unfortunately the writing left me uninterested. I wasn't hooked on the story or the characters and I'm bummed because I really wanted to love it.

I’m trying so hard to get back into my original love of historical fiction and this book was just absolute perfection to get back into that genre.

This book was a love letter to libraries, librarians, book and kindness. This is the loveliest story. It is the perfect novel for a book lover, it completely celebrates that ‘’camaraderie of story time’ and the magic of being a reader, of being able to escape to ‘for a precious hour or two’
But this gorgeous novel also captured the London home front; the challenges of the stiff upper lip, the trauma of living, the violence and stink..I had no idea there was so much living done in the underground during ww2 in London. Bunk beds, a library, games of catch and kiss, ‘their aching backs and powered egg tea’. I loved everything about it.
A novel that celebrates hope in the time of war, female friendships and the kindness that comes from two women just trying to give people something when everything else was taken away.

Set in 1944 London, Clara Button works in the unfinished shelter in the Bethnal Green tube substation as a librarian and friend to thousands of Londoners sheltering during the German assault on their city. Dealing with huge personal losses and struggling to survive, Clara and her friend Ruby provide many with a sanctuary during these troubled times. Well written historical fiction, recommended.

This was a first book by this author and I Loved it! Amazing storyline with great characters! Highly recommend

Based on actual events, this story celebrates libraries and librarians and their importance in communities. After the bombing of the Bethnal Green library during the Blitz,a temporary library is set up in the tube station where a huge shelter is built for local residents. As the people navigate life during the war in challenging circumstances, the library places a central role in building friendships, support, new families and hope during bleak times. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end with the facts of the Bethnal Green library then and now.

This homefront WWII novel is based on a true story of a library in an underground tube shelter. It never ceases to amaze me the strength Londoners had to survive the Blitz and all its horrors, and this book explains that well. It was well researched and had lots of action, emotion, and heroes and villains. This was a loving tribute to London's East End and the noble profession of librarianship.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

This book was amazing. Uplifting and beautiful, during a very dark time. Another amazing story about strong females during a time when women were not considered strong. The story and historical portions were incredibly well written. The characters and their struggles were realistic and heartbreaking. I became invested in their lives and the outcome of what happened to all the characters - big and small. Just a really well done book.

Clara is a librarian in an underground library in London during WWII. There is a thriving secret community, with beds, a nursery, cafe and theater - a place of escape as bombs fall above them. Clara works with her best friend Ruby to make sure that there is life and purpose to those living underground. However, like with everyone else living during that time, their strength and safety are tested.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Hello again beautiful bibliophiles! Coming atcha tonight with a fantastic WWII Historical Fiction novel.

Many thanks to partner, @readforeverpub & @netgalley for this magnificent #gifted review copy.

Set in 1944, this novel offers a fascinating look at a thriving "town" created in an unfinished portion of the Bethnal Green tube station during WWII. This safe haven was home to over 5,000 Londoners and housed everything from a vital library, to a café, a theater, and a hair salon, among other necessities.

We meet sweet Clara Button, a librarian, and her spirited assistant, Ruby Munroe, who manage to keep this essential public service operational during the ceaseless bombing inflicted upon England during that time. These two friends become so much more than librarians; they were confidantes, counselors, and friends to a multitude of unique characters. @katethompsonauthor writes with compassion, about a time of uncertainty and suffering, where this crucial public library kept the community afloat.

I so appreciated learning about this little-known thriving community in history, and the real-life tragedy that occurred within its walls. The story that Ms. Thompson weaved together was absolutely riveting and offered a glimpse into the hope provided by books at such a difficult time in history. With a nod to several classics, the author gives readers a heartfelt look at what a difference libraries have made in society, especially during the most difficult times.

I highly recommend this novel for historical, romance, and literary fiction fans alike!

Clara is head librarian at London’s only underground library in the midst of World War II. After he husband dies the library is all the young widower has left. With the help of her best friend and assistant librarian Ruby, the library has become a refuge for many in the underground community. Even with so much support Clara is constantly having to fight sexism, gender norms, unhappy husbands and unexpected attacks. If you are needing a book with the message to keep going and not give up hope, this is the book for you. This book deals with issues of mental and physical abuse, rape, and alcoholism so it does not shy away from the reality of war. But it also has many bright and happy moments, balancing the sad and frustrating moments with happiness and joy. This is a must read for any historical fiction fan!

3.75 stars

A great historical novel highlighting London during the WWII bombings, when people were actually living in small communities in the unused underground stations and a small library sprang up -- true stories.

These were hard times, and just about every character is incredibly steadfast and courageous under unbelievable circumstances. Deaths, nightly bombing raids, casualties, relatives and loved ones on the battlefield, children separated from their parents -- the book is full of people trying to make do while their lives were anything but normal.

The main characters are head librarian Clara, whose husband died during the war, and her assistant and best friend Ruby, who lives with her mother and abusive stepfather. Clara and Ruby forge bonds in the community offering hope and distraction to displaced children and empathy to women in bad situations at home. Their supervisor is a supercilious and superior Brit who looks down on any popular literature and on almost all the patrons of the library. Clara continues to battle with him because she sees the comfort they provide.

In the tradition of wartime fiction, there is grieving, romance, desperation, death and peril but also hope. Not everyone gets a happily ever after. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.