The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin is a highly recommended historical fiction novel inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw.

Zofia and her best friend, Janina, who is Jewish, both love books. When bombs begin to fall and Warsaw is occupied by Hitler's forces, looting of the city begins, Jews are being locked up, and books are being banned. Zofia knows both her friend and all books need saving. She begins to salvage books from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starts a book club. The one thing that continues to sustain Zofia and Janina is their love of reading. The struggle is to preserve the books along with the Polish culture and community.

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a very well-written historical fiction novel. The narrative is set in Poland from 1939 to 1944 and follows the campaign to eliminate Jews and the Polish population. The author's notes that follow the novel are must reading as they provide information about Martin's research into the story. The events she covers are based on the real life efforts to preserve the underground Warsaw Library during WWII. Real historical figures are woven seamlessly into the plot.

It is a story of struggling, loss, and grief, but is also an ode to the determination and bravery of those individuals who were courageous enough to risk their lives in a common goal. Those who love reading historical fiction, especially novels set in WWII will want to read this novel. 4.5
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Hanover Square Press via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

4.5⭐️

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐁𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟖.𝟏.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

Thank you @HTPBooks and @BookClubbish for a gifted ebook.


📖1939, Warsaw: All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend since childhood, Janina.
But now as Germany bombs and destroys their city, and the horror increases around her, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina, half-Jewish, is forced to relocate into the newly formed Warsaw ghetto.

But life only becomes more dangerous for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. Through the war raging around them, Marta and Janina find hope and the will in each other to survive, and fight using the only weapon they have left – literature.

—---------

I can’t resist books about books. But reading about Zofia, to be so brave as to start a book club amidst the war that raged around them in Poland, with books banned by the Nazis, made my love for books grow even more.

This book is incredibly well-researched and written. My heart went out to Zofia, her family, and the Jewish families. It was amazing how the people risked their lives - not only to help the Resistance but save the books that were to be destroyed too. It truly speaks to the power of the written word.

𝘏𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 - 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.

This book is fantastic! I love how much historical context is used in the story and you can tell reading this book how much research Madeline Martin did. I love how this story shows how powerful literature can be in bringing people together. This is an absolute masterpiece and a book I would recommend to anyone who enjoys literature. This is an absolute gem! Special Thank You to Madeline Martin, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This review was published on Goodreads on August 18.

The power of books is the focus of this WWII novel. Hitler’s troops troops wreak havoc, but the Polish people fought back. Small victories maybe, but victories nonetheless. This is a unique focus among WWII stories.

THE KEEPER OF HIDDEN BOOKS by Madeline Martin is a tour de force historical fiction novel featuring a group of friends in Warsaw, Poland during WWII inspired by the true story of the public and underground libraries that continued throughout the war. This is a must read for all lovers of books who believe books have the power to uplift, nurture, embolden, and provide escape during the worst of times.

Zofia Nowak and Janina are inseparable best friends bound by the love of books. This novel follows their lives, their families’ lives, and friends during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw during WWII. It is a poignant look at the horrors perpetrated by the Nazi’s in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto and against the general Polish population in general. Hitler looked down on all Poles and wanted them eliminated or used as slave labor.

Zofia not only worked with Polish Resistance, but also worked in the library warehouse to save as many books and historical documents as possible from the Nazi book banning and burning. Janina and her family are Jewish and end up in the ghetto, but both continue to find ways to share books, remain friends and resist.

This story is beautiful and inspirational as well as so hard at times. There is a reason autocrats ban and burn books because the words and ideas are powerful. Books give hope, teach empathy, and spread ideas that can change hearts and minds. This book has an inspiring friendship at its center, mentions wonderful literary novels throughout, and reminds us to be ever vigilant of those who seek to ban and destroy books and history.

I highly recommend this marvelous historical fiction novel!

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a well-researched, page-gripping, heartbreaking story of a young girl who profoundly loves books. Set between 1939 and 1945, the story is told through the perspective of a young girl named Zofia Nowak and her friends, who have a deep love of literature and will do anything to defy Hilter to destroy the books he deems not worthy of his new world. I enjoyed seeing this glimpse of how people fought Hilter in the form of a book club, hiding books inside a forgotten warehouse and, at times, in a suitcase behind a wall. The book reminds us that although Hilter stole many things from many people, some were determined that Hilter wouldn’t steal their love of reading, their books, or their freedom to choose what to read. The bravery of these young people in a time when their world is torn apart by bombings, war, and friends being pointed out as unworthy of living is fantastic and to be admired. There are a lot of stories from that time in our history, and we should never forget and pray it never happens again.

What an intense, inspiring, heartbreaking, hopeful, poignant story, authentic story about a group of Poles (both Christian and Jew) working together to fight their Nazi occupiers in a courageous effort to protect the treasures of Poland: her citizens, her history, her cultural heritage, the knowledge of her leaders (doctors, lawyers, scientists, etc.), and perhaps most important of all, her humanity.

This book was almost impossible to put down. The characters are so incredibly well developed and complex. They put a human face on a devastatingly difficult time in our world's history, immersing me in their lives in a realistic and relatable way that left me in tears more than once. Martin doesn't shy away from the heart-wrenching realities of the Nazi regime. That, and her impeccable research, bring an authenticity to the events in the book that affords intimate insight into Zofia, Janina, their family, and friends. It's that intimacy that brings these characters to life as they risk everything to protect all they hold dear, including one another.

As a lover of books and a staunch believer that all books should be available to all people, I was especially impressed to learn that this book is based on actual people who risked everything during WWII to preserve and protect the libraries of Warsaw and the books housed within. It speaks to the knowledge to be found in books, to the free thought, ideals, patriotism, and resistance within. To the empathy that occurs from learning about and understanding other people, religions, and cultures rather than attempting to homogenize a populace by denying access to any book that goes against the government's chosen ideals. It's no wonder the Nazis were determined to ban and then destroy the literature of Poland. There's a lesson there that all generations should take to heart.

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a powerful, thought-provoking, beautifully-written story. I highly recommend it.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

I always say that I enjoy Historical Fiction even more when it is about an event or time that I learn something new about. The Keepers of Hidden Books did just that. When Hitler and the Nazis defeated Poland when they invaded, their goal was to destroy the Polish identity as well as 85% of the people. They didn't expect the Poles to fight back and save so much of their culture through the Warsaw Lending Library. Zofia leaves school to support her best friend, Janina, who happens to be Jewish. They get jobs at the library and soon become part of a group saving books that Hitler has banned. When Zofia's father, a doctor, is arrested and imprisoned with not reason given, she wants to do even more to support the resistance and get Hitler's Nazis out of Poland. Eventually Janina and her parents end up in the Warsaw Ghetto and Zofia risks her life to help them. Eventually working for The Home Army in the Warsaw Uprising, Zofia and her friends do what they can to free Poland.

As a book lover, I can't imagine a world without books, but knowing that these women working in the library were willing to risk their lives to save books and get them in the hands of people wanting to read them is hard to believe. As I read this book, I got to know these women and understand that this was a symbol of their fight and freedom. There was a quote in the book that blew me away:

"There was power in literature. Brilliant and undeniable. Books inspired free thought and empathy, an overall understanding and acceptance of everyone. In the pages of books that were burned and banned and ripped apart for pulping, Zofia had found herself. These were the parts of her that were human and strong and loving, parts that understood lives she had never led."

I can't recommend this story enough. It is emotional, full of loss and grief, but it is also the story of brave, courageous people. People who stood up to bullies at risk of their own lives. A story of family, friendship, and the power of books to bring people together and to open minds. Another well written and researched book by Madeline Martin.

I was gifted this book in exchange for a review from NetGalley. All review opinions are my very own.





I love historical fiction and when I find a new story about World War II, I am eager to read it. And it has a book club, too? Be still my heart! Read on to find out what I thought about it!

From NetGalley:
All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books, and her best friend, Janina. But few could have imagined the depths of the evil and destruction brought by the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, and Zofia finds that everything she so treasures desperately needs saving. The Keeper of Hidden Books is the story of Warsaw’s brave librarians and of a secret book club, formed with the purpose of reading the books and saving the culture that Hitler was determined to remove from Poland’s shelves – and erasing from the world.

My Take:
This book couldn't be more timely here in the United States. With libraries being under attack as I write, I found this book to be chilling yet brilliant. This book moved me in ways I am still pondering about. Madeline Martin has created a story based on history yet touches the very heart of what we are experiencing today. We are supposed to learn from history or be doomed to repeat it. I think it is obvious where we are today.

I loved the relationships built by the author, those of family, friends, and culture. The last few chapters moved me to tears. I cannot wait to share this with my own book club. This is the one book I may have to insist on for this year!

My mark of good historical fiction is how well the author does the research. I believe that Madeline Martin has earned her "A" on research with this book.

The Author:






Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance. She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), one incredibly spoiled cat, and a man so wonderful he's been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she's not writing, researching or 'moming', you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves research and travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.



The Keeper of Hidden Books: A Novel

By Madeline Martin

On Sale: August 1, 2023

ISBN: 9781335455024

Hanover Square Press Paperback Original

Price: $18.99



Buy Links:
HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-keeper-of-hidden-books-madeline-

martin?variant=40957166223394

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1335455027?tag=harpercollinsus-20

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-keeper-of-hidden-books-madeline-

martin/1142592141

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-keeper-of-hidden-books-a-novel-of-world-war-

ii/18842611?ean=9781335455024



Social Links:
Author Website: https://madelinemartin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadelineMartinAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MadelineMMartin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelinemmartin/


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12062937.Madeline_Martin

I'm not a huge fan of women in the European Resistance during the WWII as I think there's too many book and something which was very important is becoming a literary genre.
Plus my father was in the Italian Resistance so I tend to be hypercritical
This is a different type of story, well plotted and poignat. I appreciated the setting, Warsaw, and the originality of the story.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Such a timely story of what happens when books are banned by a small group of closed-minded people. As long as there are books, and people, there will be book bans and reasons to be angered. It's so important to keep reading those books, and to read books about book bans (though this is a bit different than what we are currently dealing with in the US). This was the message I kept hearing while reading this, and I think it's very important!

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Buy This Book
Madeline Martin gives us another look at how bibliophiles fared in the conflicts of WWII in her latest novel, The Keeper of Hidden Books. A view of love, loss, and occupation, this stellar story will have you appreciating the freedom and peace you enjoy and realizing just what it costs to have it.

It is August of 1939, and Zofia and her friends, Janina and Maria, are basking in the enjoyment of being young and free. All three belong to the Girl Guides, excel at school, and are busy planning for their future once their education is finished. When the fighting with Germany begins, none of them expect Poland to fall. And nothing in their lives has prepared them for the relentless bombing, for pilots that smile as they strafe city streets with deadly bullets, for the losses of friends and family as the fighting wears on and on.

Books are both their escape and a subtle form of resistance. Even before the war with Germany began, the young ladies had formed the Anti-Hitler Book Club, determinedly making their way through all the volumes the Nazi dictator had banned, and as the fighting rages around them, they resolve to read even more of these stories. When they see a bombed library, its books scattered amidst the rubble, they join in rescuing what they can from the destruction. Helping to find the books new homes and aiding in running the main branch of the Warsaw public library quickly becomes a way of life for them, along with short food rations, power outages, and daily air raids. But even that is insufficient preparation for the occupation – and the appalling cruelty of those who now run their country.

Zofia and Janina become official library employees once the Nazis take over but Janina, who is Jewish, soon finds herself facing intense persecution. In spite of that, both girls insist on expanding their book club to include kindred spirits and on doing what little they can to thwart the new regime. As the persecution and danger rise, will their courage be able to face the challenge? Or will they, like so many others, learn to accept the status quo?

Those looking for a book-centric story will need to look elsewhere. Novels are lauded as a wonderful escape from the horrors they are experiencing but the focus of this narrative is on the persecution of the Polish people, especially anyone of Jewish descent. While Zofia does take on the dangerous task of hiding books the Nazis ban, that work makes up less than ten percent of the tale. Mostly, the author fixates on the atrocities of the occupation and the cost paid by almost everyone who resisted. From the librarians who were caught and murdered while moving forbidden manuscripts to safety, to those killed for being old, slow, Jewish, or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, the death toll is staggering. Both Janina and Zofia concentrate almost all their efforts on saving people from the ghetto, even as that inevitably costs them more than they could have imagined.

The characterization of the two leads is hard to pinpoint since so much of the text is given to action and worry. Both Janina and Zofia are so driven and focused that their personalities are subsumed by the things they are doing and their desire to succeed. Of course, what they are doing is very admirable and it is understandable that they are driven towards success when the result of failure would be their own deaths and likely that of anyone in any way associated with them, but many stories of this nature still take time to build more of an identity into their principals than this one does. At one point, a character mentions once wanting to be a museum-worthy artist; when asked why he no longer has that dream, he says, “Who would waste a dream on something so selfish?” That sums up, I think, what is wrong with the story – the characters have nothing left in them but their present circumstances. With the exception of knowing that Janina is beautiful and that Zofia once wanted to be a writer, who they are as people is completely engulfed by what is happening. Even important issues, such as why Zofia had a strained relationship with her mother from the start or why her father was so prescient, really needed more/deeper exploration.

Fortunately, there are some incredible secondary characters here. Maria, who impacts both the start and ending of the novel; Darek, a young man with a love for reading and freedom who goes to amazing lengths to both save books and help those most endangered by the occupation; Krystyna the Girl Guide leader whose depth of character, intelligence, and courage left me in awe; Kasia and her close friend Danuta, both of whom are ardent readers and courageous young women. We don’t get to know them any better than the leads but that (mostly) works, given the roles they play within the text.

There is a romance here, but it happens towards the very end of the book, takes up less than five percent of the storyline, and is really a pale shadow of the relationship between Janina and Zofia. The focus of the tale is more on friendship than romantic love.

Something the author does exceptionally well is showing how thoroughly and unequivocally resisters were punished – entire apartment buildings of people were killed if just one family was caught dissenting. Minor infractions – such as taking a banned book home, owning a radio, or talking to someone through the ghetto wall – could all be punished by death. There was a suffocating presence of German soldiers on what felt like every street corner and people turned in neighbors, not because they were hateful collaborators, but in an effort to save their own children. As Zofia says at one point, “There was no right way to respond – to sacrifice a loved one and yourself, to whom others looked upon for help, or to intervene for those who saved others and be arrested as well in the process (meant) your sacrifice would be for naught.” Ms. Martin does an outstanding job of capturing just what it means when tyrants are in charge and how that actually looks for the folks suffering under their rule. It has the added benefit of highlighting just how much courage and perseverance it took for those who did resist.

That said, the author’s talent for making the reader really feel the cost of the occupation makes The Keeper of Hidden Books a tough story to enjoy. It’s a novel I’m glad to have read, and one that serves as a reminder of important history, but it wasn’t joyous or fun to read. I would recommend it to everyone, but I would also recommend choosing a moment when you’re ready to experience some angst and heartache.

stamperlady50's profile picture
The Keeper of Hidden Books
By: Madeline Martin
5📗📗📗📗📗

I love that this novel was based on the efforts of the Warsaw librarians during WW2. Martin meticulously researched for this novel and the details are rich.
📗
Hitler was known for many horrible things, and I was aware of his reign stealing art, but I knew little about him getting rid of literature or books in Warsaw. Books should be preserved and I strongly feel we should not ban books. This is such a hot topic right now!
📗
When a group form a book club their purpose is to read the banned books that Hitler did not want. I loved this novel so much as an educator as well as an avid reader. Sad to hear that over 15 million books were stolen or burned in Poland, but happy to know there were people trying to preserve them.
📗
Martin always does her research and therefore her author notes are a MUST READ!
#madelinemartin, #the keeperofhiddenbooks, #hanoversquarepress, #bookreview, #netgalley, #booksconnectus, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin relates both an horrific and amazing story. Horrific because it depicts for us the horrors that Poland faced when Germany invaded in WW11, and amazing in the way the people endured, resisted, and suffered.

War is just so evil and what Poland suffered was the result of that evil. What the characters go through in this story take us right into the heart of the conflict. Zofia and Janina and their friends and families go through hell and only a few come back. I loved how Zofia stood by Janina ( a Jew) right through. The solidarity of family and friendship throughout stands out. Not just the girls but the people they work with and turn to in a time of need.

Of course the stand out through all this is the love of reading and books. The way the characters fought for their library, secreting books, getting books out into the hands of readers and forming a little book club as well, brings home the value of books. Something we take for granted as we gobble up book after book. In Poland in WW11, each book saved was so precious. Each book was rich in thought and story and values.

Will you enjoy this book? Perhaps but maybe not. But you will stand in awe of these brave, courageous people who stood for what really matters. People who stood for love, books and their country.

The Keeper of Hidden Books, Madeline Martin’s latest work of WWII-set historical fiction, hits particularly hard in the current political climate of book banning and targeting libraries, with a very clear ideology that is meant to further disenfranchise the most marginalized of society. And while, looking back, things aren’t as oppressive as they were during this period (yet), it’s harrowing to see echoes of it with similar tactics that are being used today, but also reinforcing the power of resistance.
I was immediately drawn into the narrative, and how, even in the face of Nazi oppression, Zofia and Janina and others find the most effective form of resistance in reading and sharing knowledge with each other, especially the books that Hitler has declared banned. Their relationship between these two in particular centers the narrative, even when the two are parted, and I rooted for them in their resistance throughout.
And while Zofia very much grounds and centers the narrative, the story goes beyond her individual experience, and I appreciate how the story highlights the power of community and what their covert “hidden books” meant to them as a tool of resistance. I loved the book club elements, both between Zofia and Janina, as well as between other varied characters, and it perfectly replicates the very human connection books can provide.
This is a poignant read, and I’d recommend it to book lovers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction.

Zofia is trying her best to keep normalcy going while the Germans invade her town. I can’t imagine living in a world where you are told that certain books need to be burned. I am a lover of books like her book club and love discussing. World War 2 is always super fascinating to me.

WWII era ✅️ Emotional ✅️ Book about books ✅️

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC of The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin.

I've been in the mood for a good historical fiction read, and this one hit the spot. Based in the WWII era, it revolves around the banning and destruction of books, how librarians and fellow book lovers fought relentlessly for their right to read and to save as many books as they could. I cannot even begin to imagine not being allowed to read what I want. This story shows how brave those readers had to be and how we should never take our freedom for granted. 🖤

"Good books were like amazing sunsets or awe-inspiring landscapes, better enjoyed with someone else. There was no greater experience in the world than sharing the love of a book, discussing its finer points, and reliving the story all over again.”

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a magnificent, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written historical fiction. The devotion and careful thought with which Madeline Martin crafted this story is utterly brilliant and her love for this tale was evident on every page. It has been quite some time since I read a work of historical fiction so it took me a little while to truly get into the novel, but once I did, I could not put it down. I was blown away by the bravery of Zofia, Janina, and all the other characters we met, their dedication to Poland during the Nazi invasion, and their determination to fight for what was right. The way they risked their lives to save the literature they held so dear and protected their fellow Polish and Jewish citizens with such valor, was awe-inspiring. Knowing this was the reality for so many people during WWII, makes this tale even more impactful. I definitely believe that this is a book everyone should read and I cannot wait to check out more of Madeline Martin's work.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Janina and Zofia are best friends who create an anti-Hitler book club (although they intend to change the name). Essentially the book club's goal is to only read books that were banned by Hitler.

Following this, Warsaw, their hometown, falls into Nazi hands and Janina and Zofia must fight for what they believe in. They both begin working at a library after Janina is forced out of school due to being a Nazi and Zofia is kicked out from beating up a bully. Through this library, they realize the Nazis want to destroy their precious literature and the workers come up with a plan to keep the books safe. Chaos ensues as the Nazis take over Warsaw and Janina and Zofia find themselves on the frontline fighting for what they believe in.

I love books about WWII, but I usually don't find many on Poland which is why I requested this book! I thought this book had a slower start, but once it started, it took off. I loved the idea of the Bandit Book Club and all the secret meetings they had. I was constantly reading in anticipation of them being found out by the Nazis and couldn't put the book down! The end had me in absolute tears, but they weren't all sad tears. It was a mess of all emotions at the end.

The romance allowed for a nice break through the constant tensions pertaining to Poland and the Nazis. It seemed almost as an escape, similar to literature. I never could have imagined someone going to these extremes to save books, but Madeline Martin left an important quote: That literature has power.

I plan to post this review to my Goodreads account and my new bookstagram account (@read_by.dusk) right away.

Oh this book broke my heart but gave me hope all at the same time. Set in Poland around Zofia and her closest friend Janina the book starts with the two girls still in school and enjoying being teenagers Hitler is lurking on the horizons but isn't a threat and the girls and their friends have made a book club that focuses on reading books that Hitler is ordering destroyed.

As the book goes on the world changes for these girls in ways they could never imagine. They are forced to grow up and face who they really are as well as endure heartbreaking loss and constant fear. But what keeps this from being too much is the thread of hope that runs through the book. I loved the focus on books and that they are used for comfort, for hope, and for rebellion. As well I really appreciated the Polish setting. I feel like that's not a common World War II setting and it is a story worth exploring.

The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star book for me was that I found the beginning a bit slow and it took me a few chapters to really connect to the main characters but that was really a minor issue.

This was an emotional read that left me with tears in my eyes but a feeling of hope and a strong impression of strength.