I’ll start my review with a disclaimer that I’m absolutely fascinated by WWII stories. While it was a grim time, so many amazing stories of heroism, perseverance, and community come forth from those who unwillingly became a part of the war.

This book is a historical fiction tale of three women whose stories are intertwined by friendship forged through the Bethnal Green Library. The story begins with one woman, Sofie, who is Jewish and living in Berlin in 1939. She escapes to London on a domestic visa, and first goes to the library on an errand for her employer. Juliet has come to London to work as the Deputy in the library. Katie is working in the library temporarily until she goes to University.

Once the nightly bombings by the Germans start, the reliance on each other becomes crucial.

The author weaves in well-researched occurrences in London during the war. She shows that despite the aggression by the Nazis, life goes on and people can be forever changed — both good and bad. I felt emotional reading the heartwarming stories of these characters, I think because the dialogue between them is so moving.

Thank you to Net Galley/Random House Publishing Group / Ballantine and Jennifer Ryan for the advance copy. Expected publication on March 12, 2024.

Wonderful story!

This was a fantastic book, very well-written and fast-moving. I have always been a lover of libraries and the value they bring to a community, and this book absolutely personified that sentiment.

Juliet, Katie and Sofie, all young women from different backgrounds, but all central to the survival of the Bethnal Green Library, which, after a blitz attack, was moved to the nearest Underground station, becoming The Underground Library. The library became essential as the residents of the community took refuge, night after night. The library gave people something to keep them entertained and their minds off what was happening above ground for a precious few hours.

All 3 women are also going through issues of their own. Their devotion to the library and community created bonds with other women and men, who supported each other throughout their struggles. It was beautiful to read about the connections forming, and the families who were created, blood or not. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys women's fiction and historical fiction.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley and Ballantine books for allowing me to read The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan. Jennifer Ryan is a great author who writes great historical fiction books, I am lucky enough to read some of her books. My favorite quote from the book "Libraries aren't only about books; they're about people. They're about human life, how books can mend hearts, comfort wounds, and inspire us. "
Juliet is the librarian who has to move the library to a safe place hence the the title underground library.

For fans of historical fiction there is so much to love about this book! WWII themes, books and strong female characters. This book has it all. Wonderful characters, easy to read and well written.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
While I don’t read many World War II books anymore, I was drawn to the premise of The Underground Library and how it explores the way people banded together to protect their library and controversial books in the wake of Nazi book banning. Given the continuing relevance of book banning today, this book feels very timely.
Ryan did a lot of research into the era, and I really got a sense for the setting, especially how they navigate everything from rationing to life in the underground stations and you even feel the smoky atmosphere as a result of the bombing during the Blitz.
I really appreciated that the three women at the center of the book came from different walks of life, bringing different perspectives to this vital space, while also demonstrating how these different people can come together to form a community. Each woman’s voice feels distinct, and while I can’t say I really was drawn to their lives beyond the library, I enjoyed them overall.
The book has a slice-of-life feel overall, and while the atmosphere captures a subtle sense of fear and anxiety over the war-torn backdrop the characters live in, the story is otherwise on the slower, more mundane side at times. That’s not to say that it’s not engaging, but it impacted the pacing at times, with my immersion occasionally flagging.
However, I did mostly enjoy this, and would recommend it if you enjoy World War II historical fiction, and/or if you’re interested in a book about the importance of literature and the sense of community and connection.

I really enjoyed this book! Jennifer Ryan definitely did her research, as the book was based on actual events and places during the Second World War. The character development was excellent. I look forward to recommending this one to our patrons.

I enjoyed this book set in London during the Blitz. Each chapter rotates through the stories of the three main characters. I found all three women’s stories interesting and I found the connections between them believable. It was interesting to learn about what went on in the London Underground stations during WWII

This wasn't the best world war 2 story I've read but it wasn't the worst - Reading about their different personalities was so fun and I had a good time with it. Some parts did feel repetitive and unimaginative though
3.75 Stars

I was thrilled to receive a digital advanced copy of The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan from NetGalley.com. Both of my parents grew up in England during World War II. My mother was evacuated out to the country, but my father remained in London with his parents. He often told me how fearful he was of being on train station platforms due to the amount of people and beds in the underground stations during the Blitz. While I've tried to imagine the scenario, it never became clear to me until I read this book.

This book transports you back through the years to the Blitz and makes you feel like you are there with the characters experiencing the "Blitz spirit" of the community pulling together to the make the best of a horrid situation through the underground library. I loved it so much that I couldn't put it down and was quite upset when it ended. I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author. Highly recommended!

I turn to Jennifer Ryan’s books when I need something comforting. The characters will definitely face hardships and there may be some tragic event, but over all I know things will work out. I also appreciate the research she puts in to write historical fiction that portrays life during WWII.
The Underground Library follows three main characters – Sofie, a Jewish German refugee on a domestic worker’s Visa, Katie, a recent graduate looking forward to attending university whose boyfriend is reported missing in action, and Juliet, the new deputy librarian at the Bethnal Green Library in London. The story jumps forward in time every few chapters, but the bulk of the story takes place from August to December 1940.
Each of the main characters learns more about the world outside of her own narrow experiences. The emotional growth is believable and I enjoyed how intertwined all their lives were. Taking women from disparate backgrounds and bringing them together to work for a better future is the hallmark of Ms. Ryan’s books. I agree that books and sharing ideas and information is important, but the tone did get a little preachy at times.
I appreciated the Author’s Note at the end explaining how she took events that may have happened at different times and places in London and centered them on this neighborhood for the story. She provides sources and additional reading information as well. She does an excellent job of describing the sites, smells, and chaos of London during the air raids.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for an advance copy of this book.

The Underground Library is a lovely story surrounding three women at the beginning of WWII. The focus, however, is not on the war. Instead, it is a love letter to libraries, books, and friendship.

Juliet: new deputy librarian at Bethnal Green library
Sofie: a German Jewish immigrant, working as a maid
Katie: works at the library, is off to university in the fall

The three women are all brought together by the Bethnal Green Library in East London. When the library is destroyed during the Blitz, Juliet decides to move the library underground to the Bethnal Green train station, building a community among the many who shelter there during the nightly bombings. Surrounded by a cast of delightful side characters, each woman works to save the library while also dealing with their own personal struggles.

I read this book in a day. Highly recommended.

I don’t often read historical fiction even though I enjoy the genre. The Underground Library is based on real events. The author’s note at the end gives a little more detail on liberties she took with the story.

Our three main characters are in London for different reasons but are brought together through the library. All three stories were very interesting so I never got to a chapter and wanted to rush through to another character. Juliet took a job as library deputy to escape her strict parents attempts to marry her off. Katie was already working at the library and grew up nearby. Sofie is Jewish living in Germany so he family forces her to flee to London alone on a work visa.

Pieces here and there are predictable but still nice to read and in spite of some of the horrors mentioned (it is WWII) there are plenty of heart warming moments.

I received a copy of The Underground Library via NetGalley to read and review.

4 out of 5 stars
The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan is a WW2 historical fiction book that follows the lives of several women in Bethnal Green, England.
The story did start slowly, but the character progression propelled the story forward and I soon found that I could not put the book down. Thoroughly researched, The Underground Library gave a new look at what it was like for those during the Blitz.
This is a must read for fans of the genre.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for an advance copy of The Underground Library in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, WWII Fiction, General Fiction, Women's Fiction
Spice Level: Sweet to Medium (affairs are mentioned but not really on the page)

We're following three women in London during WWII.

Juliet: Her fiancé is missing. She's moved to London for a position as a librarian, but she's full of new ideas on running a library and hits against opposition. Her parents never approved of her fiancé.

Katie: Young and naive, she's working at the library. Her boyfriend is killed, her family is a mess—full of expectations, and she doesn't know how she'll survive. Her mother is a hard woman.

Sofie: A Jewish refugee from Germany who is put in a compromising position as she searches for her sister and neighbor. Her employer keeps a tight reign on her activities, but then everything goes wrong.

I loved the support and friendship within the community.

This book is based on a true library created in the underground where people slept during the bombings.

Everything turns out pretty happy at the end—and as strange at it might sound, I wished it wasn't quite so pat. Life is so messy, and war must be even worse, so I wanted something to be a bit more ambiguous. Some modern ideals are inserted in the book, and I'm not sure the characters feel historical. One thing that did sound accurate was the prejudice a side character faced if she were to divorce. The hardest parts of the war are glossed over. It's a tightrope to maintain a historical feel but make it palatable for modern readers. I really did enjoy the book and think other readers will too.

I recommend this book!

Happy reading!

Jennifer Ryan's "The Underground Library" is a work of WWII historical fiction, but its focus is more on relationships between people and the books that bring them together than it is on the events of the war. It was an enjoyable read, although the outcome for each of the characters was obvious from the moment they were introduced. I enjoyed learning about the real Underground Library and the resilience of the British people in those underground networks and loved the role books and stories played in helping them get through the Blitz. Definitely worth the read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

“The Underground Library” by Jennifer Ryan is a delightfully written story. While the basis of the book is London during World War II during the blitz, the author created a wonderful story about the power of books to bring people together.

This is my second book by Ms. Ryan. I loved “The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle” and was excited to read her new book “The Underground Library”. To start things off, Ms Ryan is an excellent writer. She has the ability to draw you into the story. The characters are beautifully created and I felt like I knew each one. The sense of ‘sisterhood’ is central to the story. This feeling of belonging and support was strong and heartwarming. Each woman is powerful in their own unique way. By combining these elements together Ms. Ryan has formulated the bond and glue for the story. Each character will stick with me for quite awhile.

The story is told from different points of view. The women are diverse in their backgrounds and present circumstances. The story centers around the Bethnal Green Library in London. It actually becomes a character itself. The library develops friendships, as well as, a love for books. The library brings unity to the Londoners who need a sense of unity and kinship.

When I finished the “Wedding Dress Sewing Circle” I anxiously awaited the arrival of Ms. Ryan’s next endeavor. “The Underground Library” did not disappoint! I truly loved the story, the settings, the characters and the writing. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Ryan has in store for us next. However, while I am waiting, I am going to read some of her other books.

I would like to than Ms. Ryan, Random House Publishing Group, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Underground Library is a solid work of WWII historical fiction, based during the London blitz, and centering around 3 female characters coming from different perspectives and places in society. It covers a lot of important topics, such as book censorship, fear of German Jews during the war, and pregnancy outside of marriage. If I have any complaint, it's that things work out a little too neatly in some ways, especially in an era so filled with tragedy, it seems likely many of the people who had gone missing would never be found, and it kind of brushes over some losses. But this is still a really good book, I liked all the characters. There is a bit of romance in the book, but it's not the central point. The main love here is for books and reading.

“…she grasped the true and immense power of books. How they could transcend time and speak to an inner voice. How much they needed them.”

Like many others, I find WWII fiction to be an overdone genre. However, my interest was piqued when I saw this was about books and a library, and I was not disappointed. Ryan seamlessly pulls the reader into the time period and the lives of three women.

In the same vein as The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, these women are drawn to each other through books, and through that connection, we learn about their varying struggles across gender, class, and religious divides. I really enjoyed how the story focused solely on London during the height of the Nazis bombings - you get a sense of what it must have been like to live in the city during that time.

Sophie, Juliet, and Katie were all extremely relatable, each in their own way. Although they struggle enormously throughout the book, I found their stories to ultimately be ones of hope and triumph. The Underground Library is a beautiful tale of friendship and survival, and at its heart, there are books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Ryan’s, The Underground Library centered around London during WWII and a handful of women who defied the bombardments to open an underground library as people fought to find safety in underground tubes during the height of the Blitz. The book is a treasure trove of well-researched details, albeit a few modified for purposes of writing entertaining WWII fiction. I became embroiled in the lives of Katie, Sofie, and Juliet as soon as I connected with each one of their varied life stories. The expansion of each character including the older sisters, Dorothy and Irene, and their unusual friend, Marigold pulled me in as each woman fought the horrors of war, the terror and deprivations of rationing and bombing raids to save the Bethal Green Library as an underground library which brought joy and camaraderie to people from various walks of life. Based on well-researched facts, the story showed the power of women united for a common cause despite the male librarian’s reluctance to open an underground world of reading, socializing, and exchange of books during the crippling of London in 1940. I was immediately transported to the tubes; I could feel and smell the cordite alongside the characters as I became familiar with each of their personal stories. I could feel the ‘Blitz Spirit’ of the community as the story transported me through each character’s individual tale of sacrifice and determination. Having read an extensive collection of WWII fiction over the years, and having had family who fought in the war, I enjoyed the backdrop of a library as the focal point of the novel with a chaser of female empowerment and romance in a time when women were just beginning to be pulled from the home and hearth to support their countries. As I live in the US and I watch world events unfolding now, I find the story enlightening, showing the power of books, the joy of reading, and the education of the masses as society seeks to destroy knowledge for the sake of power. I give this book a solid 5 stars. It was not only based on a true story, but it showed that people can come to common ground via knowledge and joy gained from books, despite the difference in upbringing and social class. As Germany burned and banned books during this period, (a shock happening in the US today) a group of women worked together to save the Bethal Green Library, while starting a school for those children that remained in London as the bombs destroyed their homes, schools, churches, and lives. The book kept me up with the coffee flowing. I simply couldn’t put it down. Many thanks to Net Galley for the digital ARC. This review is entirely my own opinion of an author’s story I enjoyed from start to finish.

A refreshing insight into WWII in London. Yes - it was devasting, but the courage and determination of the citizens - who banded together despite the restrictive class and gender barriers - was heartwarming. Wonderful characters, well-developed, and far from the typical “woe-is-me” or superhero stereotypes. Admirable and enjoyable as the reader really cared about what happened with each protagonist.