I’ve wanted to read a Jennifer Ryan novel since I added her debut The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir (and her subsequent books) to my TBR shelves. I’m happy The Underground Library was her first book I read.

This World War II story set in London during the Blitz is told from the points of view of three young women working in London’s East End:

- Juliet, a librarian newly transferred to London and the Bethnal Green Library
- Katie, a library employee who plans to attend university in the fall
- Sofie, a Jewish refugee who fled Germany alone

Through them, Ms. Ryan describes everyday life before and during the midnight bombing raids when thousands of citizens sheltered in an underground train station. After the library was badly damaged, the books and shelves were relocated to the shelter as an important resource for its nightly residents. None of the women’s lives unfold as they expect, and society’s conventions of the time impact their options and choices.

The plot has a relatively large cast of characters that I was able to track since most were well formed and memorable, even the “villains.” I appreciated the themes of intergenerational friendship and found family, two of my favorites. The variety in the main characters’ backgrounds provided a three-dimensional perspective of this time in history.

I was first introduced to the actual history of the Bethnal Green Library in the underground tube station by reading the 2023 novel The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. Each author has her own storytelling style, but I found they complimented each other to give a full picture of this wartime phenomenon.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book. I enjoy Ms. Ryan’s writing style and am eager to read her backlist titles.

A beautiful novel about the somewhat unlikely friendship that develops between Juliet, Katie, and Sofie. Chapters are focused on one of them. Each of them is in a different and to varying degrees difficult situation when they find themselves united by the Bethnal Green Library when they all meet in London. Sofie has immigrated from Germany, and Juliet and Katie both have fiances who went to fight in the war. All of them either have terrible bosses or a father telling them what to do.
When the Blitz bombings start, they all end up sheltering in the underground station. The library is bombed, and then what is left moves to the station as well. The women, along with others from the neighborhood, create community and welcome distractions through readings, book club, and other programs.
The women go through many of the horrors of war, and the real fears, but they are able to be hopeful because of their friendships and community. While the book is set in a serious and difficult time, I found it hopeful and ultimately positive.

Based on true events during World War II, air raids started hitting Bethnal Green, residents began fleeing to the train tunnels, underground. The library’s new deputy librarian, Juliet, started bringing books to tunnels to share with others to pass the time. But one night, their library was bombed and much of it was destroyed. Saving what she could, Juliet moved shelves of books to a tunnel and started The Underground Library. With the help of Sofie, a Jewish refugee from Berlin, and Katie, a library employee, Juliet tries to revive the library and the community that comes with and supports it.

The story alternates between Juliet, Katie, and Sofie’s perspectives and follow their individual stories of breaking social norms, navigating relationships, and new friendships.

This wasn’t my normal genre but I loved the strong women and heartwarming friendships they make within their library community. I didn’t realize until the very end that it is based on true events. The details throughout the entire book are vivid and I could easily see it play out as a movie. The time and research the author put into writing the book is palpable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This book has all the good things: A book about a library. About people who love books. Saving books during the London Blitz. People who come together around this makeshift underground library and form a community despite the dangers of war. Of course I wanted to read this one! And it checked all the boxes – heartwarming, friendships, historical fiction, books and book lovers, a bit of romance, and based on actual events.

Many of the characters were endearing, engaging, and resourceful. Main plot, sub plots, and all threads tied up happily at the end. A satisfying, well-researched read that left me more knowledgeable about this time period and wartime in London. And I appreciated how the characters expressed their love of books throughout the novel.

I enjoyed and agreed with so many comments of the characters expressing their thoughts about books and libraries and their importance in their lives. Here are a few quotes:
“To Juliet, a library was more than just a repository for books. It was a spiritual and intellectual adventure, a place to delve into the rich treasure trove of life.” She explains to a friend: “To me books are like old friends, telling us great truths, holding our hands through the difficulties, showing us light and joy at the end of every tunnel. Sometimes all I need is to see my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice to know that the characters are there inside me, warming my spirit, telling me to live life on my own terms, comforting me that everything will be all right in the end. Books are the only thing that keep me going, a kind of home inside my heart.”

I loved the way author Jennifer Ryan was able to show how the books, and the underground library, had created a community during this extremely stressful and dangerous time. Friendships and romances were formed, families were reunited, and people developed courage and strength – all from the books and the library.

After I began reading “The Underground Library” I noticed this novel’s premise of Bethnal Green Library being bombed and relocating to the nearby underground tube station was the same as "The Little Wartime Library" by Kate Thompson but with a different fictional deputy librarian and a new cast of readers and volunteers. They’re each great novels, different enough that they complement one another, and you’ll be glad you read them both!

I loved this feel-good story! Another book in the crowded field of WWII fiction but this book was engaging from the first page. A library in London in 1940 is bombed and the deputy director, a woman named Juliet, takes charge and moves it to the underground where families retreat every evening during the bombing. The library becomes a lifeline and source of hope for these families, but even more so for the women who are responsible for running the library. One by one, their stories unfold, each facing their own hardship during this difficult time in history. Along the way, they find solace in their new library friends who help them along their journey. This book is like a warm hug -- I loved it!

I had no idea about the history of the Underground Library. This retelling of its origin with a cast of amazing women is so fascinating.
Three women, Juliet, Sophie, and Katie, all have this wonderful library in common. Each experiencing life and its challenges differently but always there to support each other during a tumultuous time in history.
Lovely story about war times and how these three women persevered through every hurdle.

I've always been intrigued by books about The Blitz and books about libraries/book clubs. Since this is a combination of the two, I figured it was a "can't miss." novel. I was right. Compelling characters and true-to-life descriptions will transport you to 1940 London as you peruse a book in the underground tunnels while bombs drop overhead. Highly recommend.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers. My reviews voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

In recent years, there have been several WWII stories about librarians, libraries/bookstores, and books. Many of them have been about protecting books from Nazi book burnings. Jennifer Ryan's newest book The Underground Library is about a library in Bethnal Green that moved into the tube station after its building was damaged during the London Blitz.

It was my first time hearing about this library (though I recently discovered another book about it). I looked it up wondering how much of The Underground Library was accurate. There is a historical note at the end where Ryan shares some of things she changed and modified to fit the story. The book focuses heavily on women. That makes sense given that many men were away at the front. None of the characters appear to be real people. When I looked up a news article about the Bethnal Green Library it looks like two men were actually in charge of the library during the war.

The story is told from the point of view of three female characters:
Juliet Lansdown - she has come to Bethnal Green to be the deputy library (this is the number 2 leadership spot). She has a lot of ideas but the man in charge doesn't want to hear any of them. When the library is bombed he is hoping to take a position in the country, not open a library in the subway tunnel. But Juliet and many of the other women see the need to keep the library open.
Katie Upwood - she is working at the library before heading to the university. With so many men away at the front, there are more openings at universities for women. This is her chance to become more than just a housewife. She has a finance in the war. To her family reputation is everything.
Sophie Baumann - she is a young Jewish woman living in Berlin with her older sister and father. She is the only one in her family to secure a work visa to England. It's almost too late though and her journey out of Germany is dangerous. Though she comes from privilege, she must now be a maid to survive. Unfortunately, the man who she works for is cruel and makes sure Sophie knows that he holds all the power.

Through these three women and the people they encounter, we learn about life in London during WWII. In Bethnal Green the tube shelter became the heartbeat of the place. In addition to the library, there was canteen, a medical center, concerts were held and more. This is where the people in the city found community during a terrifying time.

Though all the characters are fictional, they felt like real people. Their stories were definitely real and representative of the attitudes and events of the time.

If you enjoyed Ryan's The Kitchen Front, then you will want to add The Underground Library to your reading list. The historical information paired with heartfelt stories makes this the perfect book for fans of historical fiction.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Saturday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2024/03/the-underground-library-by-jennifer.html

THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY
BY: JENNIFER RYAN

SPOILER ALERT

Four Stars!

I deducted one star because when my ARC was issued and I read this back in October of 2023, I was misled by information stating that my entire information was factual. It has come to my attention that yes, while "The Underground Library did exist, it was indeed run by men. This renders the Deputy Librarian character of Julia historical fiction. I know, I know I should have researched this back when I initially posted my review on October 16, 2023. This has caused me hours of updating my review that I have already spent a significant amount of time writing back in October, 18, 2023. I'm leaving my review rendered below intact. However, I have deducted one star and the below five stars can't be changed below. It reflects four stars on Good Reads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The character of Julia as depicted below is in truth fictional as stated as the Deputy Librarian.

"The Underground Library," written by Jennifer Ryan is based on some factual information. At the time I read this it stated erroneously that it was factually correct. It's my fault for not looking into it at the time I posted my review, which was marketed as factual. The real library employed men which at this late stage I feel misled. The narrative introduces three women for main characters. They are Julia, Katie, and Sofie. Julia is the new Deputy Librarian whose idea it was to move as many books as possible when the library that she recently was hired at gets bombed by the Nazis. Citizens have began sheltering underground in a train station every night when they hear the air raid sirens warning them that their city is vulnerable to getting bombed by the German, Nazis. After the library is bombed Julia was industrious to have had the brilliant idea of giving the village people the gift of books to help entertain those folks driven from their homes to seek safety in the underground train station.

Katie worked at the library where Julia is newly hired as Deputy Librarian and encourages Julia to facilitate her ideas towards starting a book club and reading aloud, to the masses of people sheltering underground, at the train station every night seeking safety. Katie was engaged to Christopher who she presumes is dead from fighting in the war in World War II. Soon Katie discovers she is pregnant and tries to read as many medical books in the library regarding child birth. She has so far hidden her pregnancy from everybody, until one day her mother discovers Katie's secret by noticing Katie's pregnancy bump on her stomach. Also, Katie's mother glimpses over her shoulder and sees that Katie is reading a book about child birth. Katie's mother is ashamed of her now telling Katie that she is going to ruin their family's reputation since Katie isn't married.

Katie's mother decides that Katie should continue to keep the pregnancy hidden and her mother will pad her stomach pretending she is pregnant. After Katie gives birth her mother will fool everybody with a pretense that Katie's mother delivered the baby. Her mother thinks that this ruse will save her family from being shunned by society if they think the baby is hers. She plans on raising the child as Katie's sibling. Both Katie's mother and father are cruel to Katie for bringing shame to their good name. Katie feels hurt by her parents reaction and she ends up telling Julia who is supportive, and urges Katie to seek medical treatment in the underground clinic staffed with nurses and a doctor.

From everything that Katie has read in the medical books in the library she is concerned for both her and her baby's health. She comes to the realization that her mother's idea of giving birth without assistance from either a midwife or a doctor is dangerous. The potential for many things that can go wrong is what Katie is thinking on the night she gives birth. She disobeys her mother and seeks medical help in the underground clinic. Her mother wanted her to give birth with the two of them in a shelter with no sterilization in a dirty environment. At this point, Katie has told several friends in the Underground Library, who've embraced her to gain the confidence to ensure, that she delivers her baby with trained professionals. Katie leaves her mother behind in the dirty shelter, and gives birth to a son named, Johnny. She loves her son so deeply she rejects her mother's plan to pretend she's his sister instead of his mother. I was happy with this outcome.

Sofie has escaped Berlin by reluctantly leaving behind her sister Rachel, and her father in a comfortable home. She narrowly escapes Berlin and flees to Britain with a visa under contract to work as a servant. She is given a cramped room and she is treated badly by the man who she lives with. He is very atrocious in the way he treats Sofie and she is determined to find her sister Rachel. One day while dusting she drops one of his precious ornaments breaking it. It was an accident that could happen to anybody. His reaction is to treat her with cruelty and he searches her room and finds her mother's gold bracelet sewed into the hem of her clothing. He confiscates the gold bracelet, which Sofie was planning on using as payment to find out where her sister is. This leads Sofie to steal a ring of his deceased wife, and pawn it to use as payment for information to find the whereabouts of her sister Rachel. Sofie enlists the help of Julia who lends her the money to buy the garnet ring back from the pawnbroker. Unexpectedly, the man whom she borrowed the ring from finds out what Sofie did and has her arrested and hauled off by police officers.

These three women Julia, Katie and Sofie along with secondary characters make the Underground Library a success. All three women with the help of kind secondary characters know the joy, hope and inspiration that is derived from reading books that have the power to transform peoples lives. They all pitch in to help Julia by volunteering and giving their time, to involve everybody in the village with the belief that books should be made available to all. They grow close and realize that good friends have the value of standing in as empowering one another in ways that their families have failed them. This would be Julia and Katie because Sofie had a loving family as opposed to Julia and for the time being Katie.

The woman who Julia lives with is compassionate and helpful. Two elderly sisters named Dorothy and Irene act as a surrogate family also. All with the goal of making sure that the Underground Library thrives. The head Librarian is a man who wants the Underground Library to close so he can move on to Suffolk. This is a warm heartening story of young women with the assistance of the elderly sisters and Julia's landlady overcoming the obstacles women faced during World War II, in an era where men were given more power and liberties. These women by banding together defy the convention that women should be relegated to be wives and homemakers. They prove that they are just as capable as men in the workforce even though that era suggested otherwise.

There is some romance, but it is handled respectively and not steamy scenes that can have the potential to overdo it. That is not the case here in this beautifully written depiction of some real events that took place during the Blitz. A beautiful library is destroyed near London by the continuous bombing by Germany's, Nazi regime under the influence of Hitler. Julia's parents wanted to marry her off to men who she wasn't interested in. The man who she was involved with is named Victor and it is common knowledge that he has become a deserter during the war. She doesn't know where he is and has secured herself a great opportunity to leave her village behind to accept a prestigious job opportunity as Deputy Librarian. She is full of innovative ideas as to how to put her passion for books and their valuable power to enhance readers lives to work and help this beautiful library to grow to its full potential. The head librarian is a man who doesn't share Julia's enthusiasm towards her ideas for making improvements that would give more incentive for the village people to participate and find the wonderful opportunities that reading has to offer. He is not looking to enrich peoples lives through sharing Julia's ideas that are selfless with her encouraging people to explore what this glorious library has to offer. She truly wants to share her love of reading and books by getting the people that live within the community to reap the rewards that come with having such a beautiful oasis in their midst. With the raging war and the constant bombing she believes that the power of books can give a much needed respite from the ravages that come from war.

What I found unrealistic was a couple of situations. One being that Sofie's father stayed behind in Berlin and was Jewish making me wonder how he was forgotten so easily by Sofie. With Sofie's sole focus being geared towards only finding Rachel to reunite with. Not once, expressing the pain of leaving her father behind in the same circumstances that caused her to narrowly escape an unsafe city. There wasn't any concern in the narrative, nor is it later addressed or concern about what happened to her father by his choice of remaining in a Nazi occupied Berlin. Escaping Nazi brutality towards all Jewish people where it was imperative for Sofie to have narrowly achieved emigrating to Britain by which she almost didn't survive. The reason was because of her ethnicity that put her life in jeopardy during her attempt to flee. Which left me contemplating the fact that it's only reasonable to wonder why Sofie or Rachel never expressed worry or grief about their father's fate by leaving him behind? I've read enough World War II novels to know that their father most likely ended up in a concentration camp. Yet, Sofie and Rachel get their HEA, not once expressing the loss of their Dad or wondering what happened to him. Common sense tells me that it didn't end well for their Dad regardless that he refused to leave Berlin. If it was imperative that Sofie and Rachel escape Berlin because the Nazis were in power and Jewish people weren't safe, which I reiterate by asking the same question in my next thought. How could they leave their father where it was dangerous to be Jewish and never mention him once? Nor feel the deep sorrow of leaving him behind? If they both narrowly escaped Berlin because of the danger they faced perpetrated to all Jewish people by the Nazis, how could they not be devastated leaving their father in such a perilous place? I felt that this was glossed over thereby making this novel weaker by not addressing this important fact. I know that I would be affected leaving my father behind in a city that was unsafe to remain and I would be heartbroken by the fact of knowing his fate. This was a huge plot hole that made this story unrealistic.

The second issue I had was that even though I was happy for Katie to keep her baby, it didn't ring true for total acceptance in this time period. I know that she would have been ostracized by the community for being an unwed mother. With the exception of her friends in the Underground Library, who rallied around her giving her the unconditional love and support that she deserved. In addition, I know that she was given a wedding band to wear from a sympathetic and helpful person. Believe me when I say that I was happy that she felt the most powerful love that a mother has towards her baby and was willing to face the obstacles that existed in that era. I also know that it was highly stigmatized to be an unwed mother and it seemed unrealistic for her to have easily become a teacher. This is equally problematic to the plot, along with Sofie's lack of grief in also not including looking for answers about wanting to find out what happened to her father. And her lack of pursuing the chance to also reunite with him, not just Rachel. I hope that Katie had enough unconditional love and support from her friends from the Underground Library. That she found acceptance in a time frame where most of society were prone towards being judgmental and thought like her mother did--even though I didn't agree. I felt that the novel didn't realistically portray the traditional views of the era.

Lastly, I noticed the word "Tentative," was used excessively, where I as a reader found it to be glaringly noticeable and I wondered why not pick a similar word depicting the same meaning? As a reader, I don't normally notice an author's excessive use of a word to describe certain situations. In this case that word was overused and I hope with final editing that this will be addressed for a more flawless historical novel. Katie's arc can possibly remain unedited, but in my humble opinion Sofie's arc and her and Rachael's total disregard of showing zero concern for what happened to their father could use some editing making this more credible. My critique is meant to be positive feedback to help yield improvements towards enhancing this captivating and powerful historical fiction that is unique and deserves a wide audience. I enjoyed reading it and overall loved it and will be recommending it to everyone that I know that is interested in this genre. I couldn't put it down because I was deeply immersed and finished it in one sitting. I neglected important things that I should have accomplished in my personal life. I'm grateful to have had my wish granted to read this and think Jennifer Ryan is talented, and I'm inclined to read whatever she has written, or what she chooses to write in the future.

Publication Date: March 12th, 2024

A huge debt of gratitude to Net Galley, Jennifer Ryan and Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine, Ballantine Books for generously granting my wish to read this fantastic historical novel. All opinions are my own.

#TheUndergroundLibrary #JenniferRyan #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBallantineBooks #NetGalley

Set in London during WWII, The Underground Library focuses on the lives of three young women -- Juliet, Katie, and Sofie. Juliet flees her unhappy family life in a small village for London, where she becomes the deputy librarian at Bethnal Green Library. Katie also works at the library, but she, too, has an unhappy family life made much worse by the fact that her boyfriend was killed fighting in the war. Lastly, there's Sofie, a young Jewish refugee from Germany, who eventually meets up with both Juliet and Katie and becomes a permanent fixture at Bethnal Green Library.

When the library is destroyed by German bombs, Juliet relocates the library to one of London's underground stations where residents shelter in order to survive the nightly bombing attacks. Setting up the underground library, Juliet provides the residents with a much-needed diversion from the chaos and misery that they endure on a daily basis.

While I found the historical content interesting, the plotline seemed a little too contrived and the ending almost predictable.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #RandomHouse and #BallantineBooks for providing this electronic ARC of #TheUndergroundLibrary.

I loved this book! It was an easy read and I loved all of the characters. I also really liked reading about the real life story of the library in the underground!

In a Nutshell: A historical fiction based on true events, focussing on the functioning of the Bethnal Green Library from the local underground station during the WWII Blitz. The ending was a bit too smooth for my liking, but the rest of the plot was worth it. I learnt a few new facts as well, which isn’t something I expected. Recommended!

Plot Preview:
1940, Bethnal Green, London.
Juliet Lansdown, 26, has just been appointed the new deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green library, but when she takes over, she realises that the head librarian refuses to adopt new ideas to imbue fresh life into the library. Juliet is determined to prove to him that women librarians can handle the job adeptly.
Katie Upwood, 18, loves her job at the library though it is only for the short term before she heads off to university. But after the death of her boyfriend on the front line and some big personal upheavals, Katie finds herself handling a life-altering problem with no one to help out.
Sofie Baumann, 19, a young German-Jewish refugee, has come to London on a domestic service visa, only to be stuck with an employer who treats her miserably. She cannot leave her job as it’s the only way she can legally stay in London. The library is her refuge from drudgery while she hopes to reunite with her sister and her father, who are still stuck in Germany.
The story comes to us in the third person perspective of these three characters.

I am still on a sabbatical from WWII fiction. Historical fiction is actually among my favourite genres, but I have burnt myself out reading too many similar WWII stories. The only reason I grabbed this novel is that I had enjoyed Jennifer Ryan’s ‘The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle’, another WWII work covering a part of the war I knew nothing about. I was hoping for a similar experience this time around, and luckily, this one worked even better.

Bookish Yays:
💐 The three female characters: strong girls in tough circumstances. I liked all of them almost equally, which is quite rare in multi-character novels.
💐 The story alternates across the three leading ladies without feeling jumpy. There are clearly defined perspectives and behavioural traits, and the three girls never sound like copies of each other. The personality of each character is distinctly written.
💐 Each girl also battles a personal predicament, thus adding depth to their individual arcs and providing some interesting subplots to the novel.
💐 I loved everything about the library – its functioning, its non-book activities, its shift to the underground station location, and the challenges it faced above and below. That this book was based on the actual Bethnal Green library’s operations during WWII enhanced the appeal. (During the Blitz, the library became the first, and possibly only, bomb-shelter library in all of Britain – wow!)
💐 Even beyond the library, I loved how the story demonstrated the importance of books and reading in bringing joy and hope to people’s lives. This novel proves how books can be an escape from the troubles of reality.
💐 Though I have read plenty of WWII fiction based in the UK, I still learnt some new things about the wartime era. I never knew about internment camps in the Isle of Man. I also liked how effectively the wartime constraints were incorporated into the plotline. The story also includes a couple of real disasters connected to the underground library. The Blitz-related scenes were haunting.
💐 The author’s elaborate note, mentioning the real life incidents in Bethnal Green during the war, and her creative choices on which facts to include and which events to fictionalise. Loved it!

Bookish Mixed Bags:
🌹 The book has several interesting secondary characters, with Sebastian Falconbury, Mrs. Ottley, Mac, and the two Miss Ridleys being exceptional. However, many of the remaining secondary characters felt cliched and one-noted. The male characters, except for Sebastian and Mac, are either annoying or boring. I also didn’t understand why the book made Mrs. Ottley sound so old when she was described as being ‘about forty’.
🌹 While I do not like romance appearing in non-romance genres, I was slightly better prepared for it this time around, thanks to my experience with this author’s earlier book, which was slightly more romance than historical. Thankfully, only Juliet’s arc had too much of romance; Sofie’s and Katie’s arcs were balanced and romance-free respectively. The romance stays clean and doesn’t overpower the main topic of the library.

Bookish Nays:
🌵 The overly positive ending. I get why such a neat ending was chosen, but it felt too happy and even too straightforward for a WWII work. There was no poignancy despite personal losses. The book would have worked even better for me if the ending had been more realistic than predictable.

Bookish If Onlys:
There is another novel based on the Bethnal Green Library: The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. I haven’t read this one yet, so I cannot compare the two novels. But what I find really interesting is that both books depict a female librarian driving the success of the library from the underground location. In truth, it was two male librarians, George F Vale and his deputy Stanley Snaith, who were at the helm of library operations. In the Jennifer Ryan book, the only male librarian is a pompous snob who considers women inferior. All other library staff and volunteers are female. I wish there had been at least one positive male librarian character in honour of the real librarians.


All in all, I liked this book a lot. While I do wish that it had dialled down the romantic elements and finetuned the overly smooth finish, it offered me much to enjoy. While I am still not going to rush towards WWII books with open arms, I am now more amenable to giving such books a fair chance.

Definitely recommended to historical fiction readers who love books about books, and even to those fed up of typical WWII fiction.

4 stars.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Underground Library”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Based on a true story during WWII, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy or even want to finish this book. There have been many WWII books lately and I wondered how this story could be original. However, I was pleasantly surprised how well Jennifer Ryan quickly got me involved with the characters.The story revolves around 3 young women who are from different backgrounds and yet end up in the same area and become involved with the Underground Library. I truly enjoyed this WWII story about the days of the Blitz around London, and the resilience of the people of that time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Juliet, Kate and Sophie are brought together during the war. Juliet as a deputy librarian but is finding pushback from the head librarian on all the changes she wants to implement. Kate loves working at the library before leaving for college but is holding a secret that could change everything for herself and family. Sophie is a Jewish refugee sent to England on a work visa, working for an abusive man and trying to locate her family left behind. These women are brought together by their love of books and find the family they always needed, in the midst of bombings.

A different take on the WWII story showing the resilience of those forced to remain behind and what they need to do on a daily basis to get thru. The characters were likable, each with their own issues but showing the human spirit of wanting to help others in the midst of their own issues. I knew of the bombings throughout England, but never realized people were sent underground nightly to sleep. I also didn’t realize about the work visas for refugees at the beginning of the war. We find out how far these women would go to save a beloved library torn apart by bombs while trying to help the war effort and each other. This in turn, helps the town get thru scary times. Book delves into the class struggle, women being treated as second class citizens and what the townspeople were doing to help the war effort. Enjoyable book, well written and researched.

Thanks to Ballantine Corp. and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I am late in reviewing this book because I have been trying to find the words to show how much I loved this book.

It has everything I love, books, friends, unexpected friends who become family, a love of reading, and some history too.

Juliet, Sofia, and Katie will touch your heart with their own personal stories and the way they bad together in all kinds of circumstances amidst the Blitz that leaves people without homes, facing loss, and trying to survive the war.

I am a big fan of Jennifer Ryan’s writing and I highly recommend this book for lovers of historical fiction and fans of books about the love of reading.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the copy of this book. All views are my honest opinon.

I’ve read a lot of historical fictions that focus on various aspects of World War II and I love how The Underground Library was able to balance the horrors of war with the humanity that didn’t fully die, focusing on something as simple as an underground library to show a civilians fight against the Nazi’s.

The horrors of war truly are unimaginable, and there are moments of this novel that were truly horrific, to the point that I couldn’t let my imagination go there for long, knowing that I couldn’t handle it. These instances aren’t graphically depicted, which I was very thankful for, but these moments were horrific even without details.

There are also moments of mistreatment and betrayal that is beyond frustrating with the injustice of it all, but there is an underlying of hope throughout. Even with the cards stacked against them, The Underground Library defied the odds and touched so many lives. This story is so beautifully written that I easily was lost in the narrative.

I am so thankful that this story is based on truth. The fact that there was a library that gave so many hope and community in one of the darkest times in history continues to give me hope for humanity. The trajectory of everyone’s lives were forever changed along with the war. Many rose to find strengths they didn’t know they possessed, loved ones were lost, and everyone fought to live another day. How can you not have hope after reading such a harrowing tale?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A lot of times, historical fiction set during WWII is repetitive and overdone. There are so many books set during this time period. I was pleasantly surprised by this story about a feature of the war that I did not know about: a library functioning in the underground tunnels during the Blitz.

The three main characters: Juliet, Katie, and Sofie are strong, resilient women with different lives, plans, and purposes who share a love of books and reading. Together they form a book club and friend group with an elderly pair of sisters, a former nightclub singer, and Juliet's landlady, all of whom are as interesting as the main characters. When the actual library is bombed one night, they work together to move the library and reading group to the underground tunnel where they stay each night. In doing so, they form a community that bolsters the spirit of all those staying in the tunnels and brings a bit of good will to a terrible situation.

Set WWII London, The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan revolves around three women whose lives intersect during the London Blitz. Elegant prose, well-thought-out characters and a consistently paced and fluid narrative make for an engaging read.

After her fiancée goes missing in Dunkirk, twenty-six-year-old Juliet Lansdown moves to London, where she finds employment at Bethnal Green Library as Deputy Librarian. She approaches her new position with eagerness and undertakes several initiatives to engage the community. In London, she also meets an old acquaintance from her village who encourages her to volunteer for the war effort in London. Eighteen-year-old library assistant Katie Upwood’s plans to attend university in the fall are upended after an unexpected development leaves her with no choice but to wait for her boyfriend to return from the front. But when tragedy strikes, she has no one to turn to but the friends she has made in the library. The library also provides nineteen-year-old Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee from Berlin who fled Nazi occupation under a work visa, a place to enjoy the books she loves among people who offer her kindness and friendship. Employed as a maid in the house of a vile widower, she is desperate to find out what happened to the family members whom she had to leave behind. After the library is bombed during the London Blitz, Juliet takes the initiative to relocate the surviving books into the Bethnal Green Underground Station – a mammoth task in itself compounded by her immediate boss’ resistance to the idea. But Julia and her friend succeed in their plans and Underground Library becomes a refuge from death and devastation all around, The narrative follows these three women and their friends as they rally around one another, lending support, kindness, a sense of community and friendship in one another’s time of need.

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the three protagonists . The author has skillfully woven the different threads of this novel into a cohesive narrative. I was invested in the storylines of all three main characters and enjoyed the insights into life in the Bethnal Ground Underground community. It’s always rewarding to read about how books and the love for reading can bring people together. The novel touches upon several interesting aspects of WII such as how women contributed to the war effort back home, the British policy for internment of Jewish refugees and the psychological impact of war on those returning from the front. Given the three distinct storylines, there was a lot to cover in terms of each of the character's personal experiences during those difficult times. However, I would have enjoyed the story more had less emphasis been given to the romantic relationships of the characters and more time been devoted to the historical aspects. The ending is a bit too neatly tied up, but I respect the author’s choice to end the story on a positive note.

The informative Author’s Note detailing the people, places and events that inspired this novel definitely enriched the overall reading experience.

3.75⭐️

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. was published on March 12, 2024.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a historical fiction based in London during WW2. Three women from three different backgrounds come together and find community in the library.

Juliet who comes to work at the library finds it isn't what she expected. There is no life to the library and she plans to change that. Katie who is bound for college finds herself as an unwed mother and her plans have now changed. Sofie, gets a work visa to work in London and leaves her home and family in Berlin where the Nazi's have invaded and taken over her city.

Juliet starts a reading group to help bring the community together and tries to foster a love for reading in the Bethnal Green Library. Once the Blitz on London starts, people start going underground in the railways for safety. During one of the bombings the library is hit and in trying to save the books the open the library in the underground shelter.

This book is based on a true story. I love when I can learn something new from a book. The library meant so much to the people in London and brought some normalcy to a tragic situation. I love how these women came together to help each other out and become a family when there was so much loss around them. The characters are likable and show great strength and perseverance during times of sadness and loss. Recommended to those who like historical fiction.

I read and liked The Kitchen Front a few years ago, and now this is my second book by Jennifer Ryan
Set during World War II in London, The Underground Library tells the story of three women: Juliet, Katie, and Sofie. Each woman's path is different, but they all end up in the Bethnal Green Library and ultimately in its underground version in the Bethnal Green Train Station which was used as a safe harbor at night during the air raids by the Germans over London.
I appreciate the way Ryan highlights women's contributions to the war, even though, as she explains in her author's note, she added the women into roles that they did not usually occupy at that time. I feel like women were the backbone of the community during the war, so having them play prominent roles is appropriate.
There were a couple of places in the story that I felt were a little too predictable or too easily resolved. I think it is more of a feel-good WWII book. It deals with hard things, but they are dealt with quickly.
I liked the supporting characters too, especially the two older sisters, Irene and Dorothy, who were the wise grandmother types who helped the young women navigate their lives in such a scary time. There is love in the air, too, and that lends itself to the warm and fuzzy feelings in the book.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
4 out of 5 stars!