A story of women's lives during The Blitz in London, Ryan's words build a living, breathing group of remarkable women surviving and thriving through one of the toughest times in history with grace, self-possession, and caring. They all have very different upbringings and backgrounds, but the common love of books and the community that can be built around them brings them together to help create and nurture a community in times of danger and loss.
I was hooked on what could happen to every single character and spent the entirety of the book dreading something horrendous happening to everyone. Yet in true Jennifer Ryan fashion, there is darkness but the whole point of the story is the light and hope that you can find by coming together as a community.
Another highly recommended historical novel by an author who never disappoints.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the wonderful read!

The lives of three plucky women intersect in WW2 London during the Blitz--Juliet, the deputy librarian eager to start a new life in London; Katie, the soon-to-be-university student pining for her fiancée; and Sophia, the Jewish refugee searching for her family-=in a novel inspired by real life settings and events. Each woman's story is poignant, rife with love and loss; they are united by their love of books and will to thrive in the face of war. Ryan brings realistic events to life against the backdrop of air raids and underground shelters and creates a diverse cast of characters representing a cross-section of those impacted by the war.

Throughout the novel, Ryan deals with serious themes including healthcare and childbirth, the horrors of battle and bombings, and persecution of the Jews. as she weaves these stories together. Each character is clearly developed, and their stories are engaging, but the reader's attention is pulled in many directions over the course of the story.

“The Underground Library” by Jennifer Ryan is a heartwarming historical novel set during World War II. When the Blitz threatens a London neighborhood, three young women band together to save their beloved community library. Amid tragedy and adversity, these women prove that even in the darkest times, literature and community can thrive.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Jennifer Ryan’s historical fiction novels and her new historical fiction novel, the Underground Library delivers on everything Ryan does well in her novels. Her home front novels showcase how World War II impacts live in both small and large English communities and how there is redemption despite the ugliness and sadness. Her novels are full of female characters with spunk and likeability and this novel is no exception.

Here, the reader is introduced to Bethnal Green Library in London and the surrounding neighborhood when Juliet Lansdown takes a position as Deputy Librarian in 1940 much to the chagrin of its head librarian who has always hired men for the position. Juliet is desperate to escape her small-town life after her fiancé goes missing in the war. She soon meets a wonderful cast of supporting female characters including two older sisters and Jewish refuge who escaped from Germany only to find tough circumstances in London. The group solidifies when the library is damaged and they start running an underground library in the nearby Tube station as part of a nightly bomb shelter.

I love Jennifer Ryan’s books because while the characters go through hard things (it is a war after all), there is redemption and community so the book does not feel overwhelmingly sad. Five stars!

I will post reviews on post this review on Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon & Barnes & Noble.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan is a great book based on history. It is an amazing story of how, in the middle of a war, people came together in a way that benefitted so many in their community.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

First, let me say that Jennifer Ryan has added much to my understanding of what it was like to live in England during WWII. Her meticulously researched stories bring the era alive and make me filled with wonder and pride for the women left at home when the men left to fight the Nazis.

This story begins when Juliet Landsdowne travels to London to serve as Library Assistant Director at the Bethnal Green Library. She is from a very small town and London is, at first, overwhelming. But she is getting away from an unhappy childhood and the loss, and probable death, of her fiance, who was reported missing amid the Dunkirk evacuation.

Although the Library is not all she had hoped, it is much larger than the one in her hometown and she revels in the sheer number of books. The first person she meets is Katie, who is working the front desk until going off to University at the end of the summer. When Katie receives word that her boyfriend is missing and presumed dead, she and Juliet bond over their losses and become good friends. But Katie realizes she has a small problem that she must hide from everyone. Because Katie's boyfriend has left her pregnant, an unforgiveable sin in her parent's world, and one she has no idea how to handle.

One day a young German Jewish refugee comes into the library looking for respite from her employer. She has come to England on a Domestic Visa and must work for the employer who vouched for her, but he is an unhappy and demanding employer who mistreats her and takes advantage of the power he has over her freedom.

These three women work together to form a Reading Group in the Library and when the building is bombed they relocate the Library to the nearby underground train station. There are hundreds of people forced to spend their nights in the train station during the London blitz and the little underground Library becomes very popular with a lot of them.

The story follows the three women, others they become acquatinted with, and, of course, the men they meet. It is a great read and you almost feel as if you are trapped in this underground area with bombs going off all around and above you.

Excellent historical fiction based on a true story. Historical fiction isn't my go to genre but I was intrigued by the idea of an underground library in London during the Blitz. Great characters, well paced plot, and multiple story lines kept me reading late into the night. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley andBallantine Books for an advanced reader copy.

The Underground Library is an inspiring, true life event that occurred during WWII in East London.

A group of women come together to save the books, brining joy in the tube where residence seek shelter during air raids. Their work saves precious literally works and lives in their fully functional underground library. The harrowing events of this war, and this books story, gives glimpses of heartwarming moments during the ravishes of war.

Ryan has written an engrossing story, weaving three women's story into perils for survival. The British people demonstrate amazing spirit and willingness to live life no matter the where they make their bed. The Underground Library is love letter to ALL libraries around the world.

Thank you, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Once again, Jennifer Ryan has pulled me into a historical fiction novel with some romance that is based on a true story, but fictionalized. The Underground Library features three women in London during World War II when London was bombed and air raid sirens sounded nightly.

Juliet Lansdown is the new deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green Library. However, it isn’t busy and she is determined to invigorate it despite a head librarian who doesn’t want change. Katie Upwood has been working at the same library until she starts at the university in the fall. Her family life is filled with conflict, she has a secret, and her boyfriend died in the war. Sofie Baumann is a refugee from Berlin who received a visa by going into domestic service to a hateful and disparaging widower. She’s concerned about her father and sister left behind in Berlin. Will they get visas? Her one relief from it all are her visits to the library and friendship she finds there.

When the library is destroyed by bombs, Juliet manages to relocate the books to the local Underground station where residents take shelter each night. However, tragedy seems to follow them. Will the library be saved? Will Juliet, Katie, and Sofie get their happily ever afters?

Juliet has oppressive parents who she is happy to leave behind in Upper Beeding. She’s smart, needs a challenge, bookish, energetic, empathetic, and has a lot of ideas. Katie is smart, lives at home with her parents and brothers, and has a secret. Sofie uses books to escape terrible times. She is worried about her family in Berlin and is treated horribly by her employer. The characterization is the main and supporting characters is excellent.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. The characters were likeable and the focus was on women, the roles others wanted for them, what the women wanted for themselves, and the challenges they faced in achieving them. Other themes included friendship, family, life choices, wartime danger, community, found family, sacrifice, volunteerism, treatment of others, the power of books, hope, and romance.

Overall, I learned a lot about these women who had a vision and pursued it relentlessly as well as about the library itself and the internment camps on the Isle of Man. The excellent characterization made this book special. The author did significant research and I recommend reading her note after completing the novel.

Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books and Jennifer Ryan provided a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently expected to be March 12, 2024.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books and the author for the privilege of reading and reviewing an ARC of The Underground Railroad by Jennifer Ryan. This review reflects my honest and freely given opinion. The Underground Library is a wonderful and compelling book that touched my heart in a way that books sometimes do; I imagine it will stay with me for sometime. I havent read much historical fiction based on World War II events, however after reading Ms. Ryan's moving story about the Bethnal Green Library I will be seeking out more books of this period.
The book, while fiction, is based on events that actually occurred. Juliet, Sophie and Katie, fictional characters, come to life on the pages, and I felt as if I was rooting for friends as they faced their many challenges with indomitable spirits and firey passion. The book provided insight as to the trials
faced during the war, how individuals who, may at another time, not had much in common forged friendships and bonds that wouldn't be broken, how believing in oneself empowered each woman to exceed their personal expectations, and significantly and positively impact the lives of others. I highly recommend The Underground Library, a must read for book lovers. 5 Stars.

Juliet is excited to start her new job as deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green Library in London, but soon learns that, as a woman, she won’t be doing anything really worthwhile. Katie, a young library employee, has a secret but doesn’t know who, if anyone, she can trust. Sofie, a Jewish refugee working on a domestic service visa, is employed by an exceptionally cruel man, so she escapes to the library as often as possible, not only for a break but also for help in finding her sister. When German bombs destroy the library, Juliet and the others move a good portion of the library’s collection to the local Underground station where many of the city’s residents shelter every night. Despite one tragedy after another, the women are determined to keep the Underground Library open and help boost the spirits of their new neighbors.

I have read several other books by this author and have enjoyed them all, so it’s no surprise that I really liked this one as well. The writing is beautiful and made me feel like I was right there with the people of the story, hearing the planes and their deadly cargo, scouring the debris for people and things of sentimental value and trying to put lives back together. I liked the three main characters, but also liked most of the secondary characters as well, especially the library regulars who had connections that helped in difficult situations. The individual stories of the three women drew me in right from the start and kept my interest throughout the book. I was not surprised by the resolution of any of those stories, which were logically and emotionally satisfying.

I have two or three of Ms. Ryan’s earlier books on my to-read shelf, and I look forward to reading them – and anything new she writes – at my earliest opportunity.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan

Three young book lovers cross lives in London during the Blitz. The Nazis are attacking and disrupting everything in the city. People are scrambling for safety, especially at night.

Juliet, Sofia and Katie have different reasons for being in London, but their lives soon intersect with others who help bring the library underground to save the books from bombs. They each have a story to tell, and end up helping each other beyond measure.

This book is based on a true story and has a valuable cautionary message for today about book banning to make everyone think alike. Books and libraries are needed in every community for many reasons.

I feel this novel best targets a YA audience as an introduction to WWII and Nazi dominance. It all ties up in the end a little too nicely for me, but would highly appeal to a young girl with a romantic heart. My rating: four stars.

Fans of Jennifer Ryan know that her novels about the WWII British Homefront are always based in fact and that they feature well drawn, sympathetic female characters coping with the war. Here, Juliet, Sophie, and Katie meet and bond at the Bethnal Green Library where Juliet has just been made deputy director. Katie, meant to be heading to university in the fall, helps when they move the library to the underground during the Blitz but she's got a secret that won't be secret too long. Sofie , a Jewish refugee in service to the meanest man in the novel, loves to read but she's desperate for news about her sister, which introduces her to Mac and then changes her life. These women are joined by a wonderful supporting cast, including a pair of elderly sisters. While this follows a familiar trajectory, there are some good twists for each woman. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. I know it's one more WWII novel but Ryan's storytelling skills make it a worthy one.

I love historical fiction and especially enjoy WWII books. It is a very inspiring story. I enjoyed following the three characters throughout the story. I always enjoy a book about books. I felt that the story was well done and would be sure to pick up more by this author again. Thank you to NetGalley and Random house for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review
4 star

This historical novel is loosely based on a true World War II story. The Bethnal Green library was indeed bombed and the librarians set up an underground library in the half-finished Bethnal Green tube station, where all of the neighborhood sheltered. However, the characters are all fictional. I enjoyed the novel, told from the perspective of three women: Juliet (librarian), Katie (adolescent girl), and Sophie (German Jew who escaped from Germany to London). Each woman's story is given equal weight in the novel. Their stories intertwine nicely and all three women show growth during the novel. The novel was a bit more romanc-y/soap-opera-ish than I would have liked, but it wasn't too cringey. Overall, I would recommend this book.

On a side note, I discovered another historical novel about this same underground library called The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. I haven't read it yet, but, interestingly, both authors turned the male librarian assistant into a woman.

*thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my review*

What a beautiful story about the kind of community that a library can create! Jennifer Ryan weaves a compelling tale about friendship and resilience based on the very real story of the Bethnal Green Public Library, which survived WWII by moving underground after the building was destroyed in a bombing.

Sophie, Juliet, and Katie share the spotlight in this triple POV narrative, where their bond over the library allows them to put aside their differences and help each other navigate the difficulties of life during wartime. A number of distinct themes arise in their shared stories: 1) overcoming situations, 2) overcoming limitations, and 3) overcoming expectations. Ryan deftly handles historically sensitive topics with grace as she tells this war story.

While the timeline wasn’t always clear and there were a few too many pithy realizations for my taste, the characters were so lovely, and the relationships were wonderfully developed. As far as WWII stories go, this one isn’t too heavy. Yet it honors the impact the war had on everyday life in Britain. The unsurprising separations and deaths don’t overshadow the HEA that so satisfyingly crowns the story.

I really enjoyed this book, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a cozy bookish read set in WWII.

(reviews to be posted on Goodreads and Instagram)

I struggled with this book but I had struggled with another novel of this author, Kitchen Front, as well, so it may be that this author isn't for me. It may also be that I am not in the frame of mind for another WW II novel, though I have not read that much about the London Blitz and, having seen the remnants of a church in Liverpool from that period during a vacation with my family, I was fascinated. I also liked the concept of an underground library. I liked the historical aspect for the most part and I think the author did her homework. What I struggled with is that it was slow to get into and there were parts of it that were soap operaish. It was about these women in London during WWII that came together to start an underground library. There was a great deal of drama in their lives and that was the part that made it seem like a soap opera. Then there was difficulty at times following what was going on because it went back and forth between the characters which has the effect of making it challenging to understand each character.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing me with the opportunity to read this novel.

Another WWII book based on a true story. Aside from the aspects of the war and libraries, this is a book about friendship, pulling together and supporting each other. I really enjoyed it, but I always enjoy stories of women supporting women.

There are the three separate stories going on with the three main characters, all brought together by the library. One is facing sexual discrimination in her job at the library. One is facing struggles with her parents and a secret she is struggling with. The third is a Jewish immigrant trying to find a safe place away from the Germans.

This was different enough that I didn't feel like it was the same old WWII story. I loved it!

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

Inspired by the existence of libraries in the tunnels of the underground during WWII, The Underground Library is the story of the importance of libraries in building community and providing a common space for people from all walks of life. It has an important message in our modern times, when libraries, authors and books are under attack.

The story is told from the perspectives of three women who are, on the surface from very different backgrounds, but come together through the library. Each of their stories was inspiring, as each woman showed a strength that was not apparent at first, and each came into their own by standing up to adversity. They built bonds with each other and with their neighbors, as they created the library as the centerpiece of the community.

This is a wonderful story that will resonate with book lovers and historical fiction fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for the digital ARC of The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan. The opinions in this review are my own.

Historical fiction set during the WWII London Blitz with multi-POV from the 3 leading female characters. A feel-good story about a library that’s forced underground & the perseverance of its staff & volunteers. Friendships are made through a love of books and how they can enrich our lives. Even though the book was a little formulaic at the end, I enjoyed the story of Juliet, Sophie, & Katie. Thank you for the advanced copy, NetGalley!