Historical fiction is a go-to genre for me. The Little Wartime Library was very different from a lot of the historical fiction I have read. It is set in London, during WWII, and follows the lives of those living in London during the war.

The book tells the story of the little library that operated in an unfinished tube tunnel in the East End of London. This tube tunnel was home to a great many people who needed a safe place to stay after the bombing started. An entire community was formed in this tube tunnel.

The themes in this book were of love, loss, resilience, and bravery. This book speaks to something I have felt for my entire life. Reading can transport you to a different place and time. Reading is relaxing, reading is entertaining, reading is educational and informational. Reading is essential to nourish our minds and soles.

The Little Wartime Library played a huge part in the lives of those it serviced. It gave people a place to go to connect with others. It gave people an escape from the horrors they witnessed and the grief they experienced. It gave children access to stories that could transport them to other worlds, where they could be princes or princesses, or adventurers. It opened up worlds of possibilities to them.

This fictional telling of the story of this little Wartime Library and its female librarians was fantastic. For those who love libraries, reading and historical fiction, I can not recommend it enough. It was just so beautiful.

Thank you, @NetGalley and @readforeverpub, for the advanced digital copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The historical aspect of this novel was fascinating for me - I did not know that part of the Underground (subway) was converted into a bunker in WW2 and that a library was moved into the space. I enjoyed reading the stories of the characters Thompson created - characters that faced realistic challenges for the time period. I liked, too, the thread of hope that runs through the story - and the fact the library itslef gave so much to its community.

This was a really interesting story, made even more interesting to me when I read the authors note at the end about how much of the story was rooted in truth. This book followed the life of two librarians Ruby and Clara who created an underground library in an abandoned tube station during WWII. Both have suffered unspeakable tragedies in their young lives, but pull together to create a place of learning and solace for a giant underground community. There were so many wonderful side characters in the library community as well. This was a beautiful story of love and loss, and above all hope. I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson is an amazing and inspiring historical fiction based on true events.

Following the bombing of the public library in WWII, Clara and Ruby run the library underground in the tunnel system of London. These women become more than just librarians to their patrons...they become friends, family, educators, advocates and protectors.

I absolutely loved this story and highly recommend it.

I was utterly captivated by this book. The plucky librarians, Clara and Ruby, who provided a myriad of services above and beyond the traditional expectations. I hadn’t heard of the underground library before so it was delightful to read how it touched so many people’s lives. Books are such an important asset, but during times of extreme crisis they are lifesavers.
I was most taken with the children in the story. The “Tube Rats” who haunted the tunnels and relied on the precious gift books afforded them, in a time when their childhood was sacrificed.
This book is just a must read. The extensive notes the author provides at the end adds to the prowess of the story.
Probably the most profound statement in the entire book is “ History isn't about dates and battlefields, leaders and royalty. It's about ordinary people getting on with the business of living in spile of such unforgiving odds. And somehow in the process always managing to hold hard to hope. It was such a simple truth.”

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing for the gifted ARC! This book will be available on February 21st!

Based on a true story of survival and perseverance in the hardest of times, The Little Wartime Library opens readers up a world inside the underground tube shelter during WW2 in London. In an effort to remain safe from German bombing, the civilians formed an entire community 78 feet underground.

While the story revolved around the library and the importance of people (especially women and children) having access to literature, there were several other subplots. I became more invested in those subplots (romance, war heroes, family drama, domestic abuse) than in the central story about the library itself.

I loved the friendship between the two main characters Ruby and Clara and their constant loyalty to each other even in the worst circumstances. Also, I loved all the children characters; they were all absolute angels.

After I finished this book, I did some research on Bethnal Green, London and the absolute devastation of the actual attack that killed 173 people making it the worst civilian disaster in WW2. Reading more about these events and seeing pictures of the actual tube shelters really made the story feel more alive to me and I wish I would have gone into the book with the knowledge I have now.

3.5 Stars

The Little Wartime Library is a historical fiction novel by Kate Thompson. The first chapter does not adequately represent the rest of the book—between the heavy use of World War II era British slang, and caricature-like presentation of a main character, the reader might not recognize the novel as the well-researched historical fiction it is. Reader: keep reading! This is the story of two young, strong, single women who run a library in an underground bomb shelter — formerly a subway station. Throughout the story the women face—and grow through—challenges and conflict with family (born and chosen), library customers, administrators, and romance —all as London’s East end is targeted by German attacks. Readers should be prepared to need to look up certain slang terminology. The book explores women’s roles, the role of libraries, and the psychological effects of war. You might appreciate the novel more if you read the author’s notes and acknowledgments first.

I love historical fiction and Kate Thompson's 'The Little Wartime Library' poignantly connects the Blitz with the pandemic. Living in the States and a child of the 80s, until 9/11's bombing, my world hadn't been rocked by world events. There was a veiled curtain between things happening 'over there' and here.

The pandemic brought the fight home. Losing numbers that reflected battle casualties, citizens were at war with COVID. Locking ourselves at home, we took refuge in books. They afforded escapism, romance and travel while the war waged on and in 'The Little Wartime Library' the story connects the past with the present.

Living in uncertain times, Clara and Ruby sought to make the world brighter. Building a library underground in Bethanl Green, while war raged above, the library offered hope and protection. Living in London before the pandemic, I've taken the Tube and never knew that a library was housed in the Central Line.

While we're all emerging from the pandemic's aftermath, it's funny how the past can help us come to terms with the present. Clara and Ruby's dreams helped reawaken my own.

'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. It was such a simple truth. (The Little Wartime Library.''

Oh this book!! This book made my heart happy! It is so true that turning to books in times of great fear and uncertainty offers us comfort like nothing else! During the pandemic books transported us all from very scary times! Books kept us sane! This book was beautiful from start to finish! Libraries and librarians are our solace!

The Little Wartime Library is a paean of triumph for the wartime librarians who kept libraries open and books available for readers during WWII in Britain. The librarians and readers had to fight against not only bombs falling from the skies but against prejudices of both men and women who thought they knew best what books should be available.
Clara Button and Ruby Munroe ran the underground library in the half-finished Bethnal Green underground station after the library above-ground was bombed. They absorbed the books that survived the bombing and with a budget of fifty pounds built a library to carry on lending the books to the war-weary community until the end of the war. This story is not only about the library but also about the community of people who lived un the tunnels - about their joys and sorrows during the war. It's about the horrors not only visited on people by the enemy but by men on women, employers on employees, and by parents on children. But most survived, scarred but getting on with life.
Thompson evokes the feeling of East London in her telling of this story. She is a worthy author of this saga. I could have done without some of the description of emotion - "show don't tell" - but it is a worthwhile story and well told.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of the book; the opinions expressed are mine.

I LOVED this book. Kate Thompson says the quiet part out loud--books are essential because they can provide a breathing space to allow us to temporarily escape from the stresses everyday life. Clara, with her best friend Ruby, establishes a library in an unused tube station during the bombing in London in WWII. The library becomes a gathering place for the community, and the unused subway area provides temporary sleeping places for bombed out citizens. Clara, Ruby, the community, and especially the children served by the library have stories that will grab you heart. Be certain to read the information at the end of the novel, because this is based on a true story. I received this as an arc from net galley, and am under no pressure for a positive review.

Ramona Thompson

A very engrossing narrative, I have not been so captured by a historical fiction novel in quite a moment. Thompson was a bit worrying to dive into, given the small catalog to base an opinion off of. Instead, I can't wait to find more. Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity with this title.

A WW2 book centering around an underground library. Love and loss - heroes emerge. I loved the library and life surrounded by books. A very good book!

** “The enemy is trying to infect our minds with the dry rot of doubt and discontent, in the hope that our morale will crumble. We must continue to inform ourselves upon the issues that underlie the conflict and upon what is at stake. To this end, books are indispensable.” **

Kate Thompson delivers an incredible based-on-a-true-story novel about a WWII Underground Library in “The Little Wartime Library.”

As Clara Button attempts to get over her own personal tragedies, she works alongside Ruby Munroe to keep a small Underground library running — bringing together a community living on the fringes during a desperate and trying time.

“The Little Wartime Library” is a story of friendship, survival, determination, loyalty and a love letter to libraries and those who work tirelessly to keep them running. Thompson does an incredible job of building a real-life world with fallible but lovable characters. She also turns the library into its own character that readers will love and champion. It’s a hard and realistic look into the wartime life these brave British souls dealt with and overcame.

This story is truly an inspiration, renewing one’s love for reading and their local library. It reminds us that reading can be for pleasure and escape, as well as containing several other great themes, like family is who you make it; books are gateways to other worlds; and “the diversion a good story (can) bring.”

Fans of historical fiction, particularly World War II stories, as well as stories with strong women characters will love “The Little Wartime Library,” which is due out Feb. 21.

Five stars out of five.

Forever provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This is the rare historical fiction book that so closely parallels reality that you feel like you're living it. Thompson's research for this novel clearly paid off, as so much of what was experienced during the war really comes to life on the page. Some "less covered" WWII topics truly get their due here - from the island of Jersey to the plight of librarians, what it was like to be a conscientious objector, and of course, the library of Bethnal Green and the underground. Beautifully written, despite this book being nearly 500 pages long it flew by! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

This is a beautiful, fictionalized retelling of a very true story. Mountains of research and interviews paid off for Kate Thompson in this triumph of a historical novel. The characters are based on real people, and I feel so connected to this moment in history after reading their stories.

Stories of war have a special place in my heart. Maybe because they help us find resolve or remind us of our humanity. Maybe because I’m a military wife. Who’s to say? But this book is special. Bethnal Green is special. And the work that Kate Thompson has done to keep the history of the story of Bethan Green alive in such a unique way is remarkable.

This book has it all. I laughed as often as I wept. The glimpses of life that happened between bombings almost made the horror of the war fade. And then another strike came. And the death toll increased with the names of women and children who only sought to stay brave on the homefront. My heart both broke and mended in these pages.

I couldn’t begin to talk about the characters—there are too many that I love too well. You simply must read this book and meet them yourself. This one is a gem—a true treasure of literature and history.

Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Kate Thompson for an advanced copy of this stunning book.

I DNFed at 28%. I think a case of right book, wrong reader. I did read the epilogue (lol) and think readers will be satisfied by the ending.

This book is a stunning story about a real underground library during World War II. When the Bethnal Green Library building in East London is destroyed on the first night of the Blitz, the library moves into an unfinished Tube station that eventually becomes home to thousands of displaced Londoners. By 1944, the Blitz has ended but there is still a constant threat from German bombs and other attacks, leaving Londoners ever vigilant but determined to “keep calm and carry on.” But the emotional scars of the war are simmering just below the surface.

Clara is a young war widow who, after the death of her boss in the library bombing, becomes the head librarian of the underground library. Her sidekick is her glamorous best friend, Ruby, who is dulling the pain of her sister’s death and stepfather’s abuse by living a wild life. The two make a dynamic team that lifts the spirits of the men, women, and children who live underground. As the bombs continue to rain from the sky, the women face down danger from the war, the sexist men in charge, and the lawlessness on the streets while protecting the innocent children and struggling women of the underground shelter, all while searching for their own peace.

I wasn’t prepared for the powerful scenes in this book and could barely catch my breath before another horrible thing was happening. Throughout the hardships, though, I was amazed at the power and resilience of the women. Clara and Ruby kept their faith in humanity and used the power of words to affect the lives of so many. The way the author weaves in lessons from literature and how books have the power to give people hope will thrill fellow book lovers.

I fell in love with the romances in the book as well. Both Clara and Ruby are unlucky in love and searching for a man who will see and accept them as they are. My heart was in my throat during Clara’s every encounter with the gentle Billy, hoping they would finally see the love flowing between them! I just adored Ruby’s beau, who saw past her flippant exterior to the shining diamond underneath.

This book was a breath of fresh air into the often overdone world of WWII books and is one of the best books I’ve read about London during the war! A must-read for true WWII book enthusiasts!

Despite the disapproval of her mother and mother-in-law, who think she should have “retired” from work after her marriage, widowed librarian Clara Button is determined to stay at her job at the Bethnel Green library. It’s particularly important now that the bombed-out library has been moved underground into the unused Bethnel Green subway station. There, underground in a space that has been remade to house not only the library, but hundreds of bunkbeds, a theatre, a nursery and a cafe, she and her best mate, the glamorous Ruby Munroe, conduct story hours for children, make the rounds of factories to provide books to the women working there, and generally offer solace and distraction from the destruction above ground and the nightly terror of bombing raids. Fighting the disapproval of the head librarian, who would restrict the library’s contents to “proper” literature (rather than the racy romance novels beloved by the factory girls LOL) she and Ruby also struggle to manage their own lives. Clara finds herself drawn to conscientious objector and ambulance driver, who though tarred as a “coward” for not joining the army, quietly risks his life nightly putting out fires and saving those trapped in bombed-out buildings. Ruby, who avoids heartache and pushes away her guilt over her sister’s tragic death by embracing a “love ‘em and leave em’” philosophy, can’t quite forget the dashing American with whom she spent a few unforgettable nights.

Knowing the novel is based on a true story of the underground library at Bethnel Green added an extra attraction to this marvelous novel of survival, friendship, dedication and being true to yourself despite those who would belittle or obstruct. I cheered for both Clara and Ruby, for their pain, their doubts, and their eventual triumph at the end of the war. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central for being allowed to read an ARC of this amazing story.

Kate Thompson has written a meticulously researched historical fiction novel about an underground library in London during the Blitz. The characters are so real at Bethnal Green tube station where an entire community including a theater, cafes, doctors, and a library has sprouted up. Most important is how the library was the center of it all and how it influenced the lives of so many people during this five year time frame. With a reading room, children’s story hours, and book groups, the library was the saving grace for so many adults and children. Some 5,000 people lived underground….coming to sleep every night, children making their homes there without parents, etc. The novel captures what life was like living during this horrific period for the common East End Londoner. It was such a heartwarming novel filled with struggle, hope,, and survival.