The Underground Library by by Jennifer Ryan

Juliet Lansdown is the new deputy librarian of the Bethnal Green Library. She's so thankful for this job to get her out of her parents' home and away from the people who know she was engaged to a man who is now missing from his military posting. Her new boss thinks little of women, especially working women, but Juliet is going to find ways to get around his first reaction of saying no to everything she suggests.

Katie Upwood will soon be starting university and that's when her job at the library will end. Her father is a boorish man who gives his wife and daughter little attention unless it's to belittle and criticize them. At least Katie has memories of her boyfriend who enlisted in the war as soon as he could. But then she gets news of him as missing in action, presumed dead, and things just get worse from there for young Katie.

Jewish refugee, Sofie Baumann, escaped to London from Germany and worries constantly about her sister, who wasn't able to find work like Sofie did. Her father refused to leave Germany and her sister stayed with him. Now, Sofie is trying to find out what has happened to her sister but her resources are few, especially since she works for a cruel man who hounds and berates her constantly. Her happy times are when she can steal into the library and visit with the kind folks there.

These three women come together and it's amazing what they can accomplish despite being considered not good for anything. The author's note at the end of the story lets us know which events and places are real and how they and the timeline may have been changed to fit the story. I didn't realize the Underground stations were used so heavily and in such a semi permanent fashion, allowing the people who sought shelter there on a regular basis to have a sort of home away from home. There really was an underground library and I know I'm going to read more about it in the future. Book reads, classes for children, and a medical area for those who needed it are set up and these clever characters are allowed to share their knowledge and skills to help themselves and each other. This story has sparked my interest in many real life events that I had already read about or knew a little about and introduced me to some new historical events I want to research.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I read a lot of books in this genre, so the premise grabbed my attention. Sadly, I had trouble staying engaged due to pacing problems and little connection to the characters. For such a dark time in history, this book was unusual in its positivity. I enjoyed the alternate narrators, and each was distinctly drawn. As a reader, I did love the library aspect of the story. There was more of a romance angle that I expected (or preferred), and the ending was a bit too HEA for this genre.

Jennifer Ryan has delivered another fantastic WWII book with a setting of the homefront in London. This time she focuses on the role that reading and the library played when London was under bombing each evening. People found shelter in the subway and eventually, a library was brought to the subway to entertain, educate, and soothe the evening community.

In this book, we meet three young women who struggle with racism, classism, and women's rights as well as love, friendships, and motherhood. The library ties the three stories together.

I learned more about WWII and had to google for more information. If you think you are done with WWII books, read this book and learn about life in the subways, and internment camps near England.

This ebook was given to me by Net Galley to review. I should say, I requested this one because Ryan has become one of my favorite authors. I can honestly say that this book was an outstanding 5-star read for me.

Historical Ficton, WWII, Homefront of London, Jewish Immigrant, Library, Bombing of London

Juliet, Katie and Sofia become friends during the Blitz of London. Their stories are individual but their strengths united.. I loved the story and I was sorry to see it end. The underground library was a real event that took place during the blitz. I never knew about this. The book shows an energy, a bravery and a strong will that all 3 characters exhibited making each of their stories one you will not want to forget

It’s 1939 and 19-year old Sophie gets the chance to seek safety in England but has to leave her Jewish sister and father behind in Germany. Meanwhile, Juliet is a small-town British woman beginning an important job in London as a library director, allowing her to escape her rigid parents’ expectations. And Katie, who works in Juliet’s new library, has a bright future ahead of her when she discovers all her careful plans have been upended.

The Underground Library is the fourth novel I’ve read by Jennifer Ryan and it felt different than the others. While she always focuses on the WWII time period in Britain, particularly on the people left behind to find a way to live at home, this one felt much more gritty to me. The protagonists were truly dealing with devastating situations. The first chapter about Sophie having to leave her family in an effort to find safety was so heartbreaking to read. I don’t recall feeling so emotional after reading one chapter of a book before!

All three women had hurdles, two of them were particularly difficult. I knew things would turn out for the best but I was still invested in hearing their tales. They were all equally riveting. And, once again, Ryan taught me about aspects of WWII which were previously unknown to me. I loved learning about the Underground Library in the subway station! And I always find it interesting to hear the stories about the women left to manage their families’ lives while the men are fighting battles away from home. While women were given more opportunities since the men were away fighting, they still had uphill battles to gain any sort of freedom.

This novel moved me through the entire range of emotions. It was up and down, happy and sad, tragic and wondrous, dangerous and safe. It was about the importance of a support network and friends. I really enjoyed it and would like to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it before publication next month.

Thank you to Net Galley, Ballantine Books and Jennifer Ryan for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the Underground Library. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction novel. I loved the strong themes of the importance of female friendships, women realizing they can make their own decisions and of course, the recognition of the joy of reading.
I found the relationships of the women to be empowering. They cared and supported each other through thick and thin, The thought of a library set up in an underground tube station while bombs are being dropped overhead was brilliant. The read alouds and checking out books would be a life saver during such horrific times. The author's note describes how this really occurred and I found it very interesting..
I felt there were too many minor characters who were rather flat and easily forgotten. They weren't a major part of the story but I wanted to know more about them. All of the characters' problems were too easily solved. The pieces of the puzzle fit too quickly. It was rather predictable what was going to happen next-I wanted more surprises. Overall, I would recommend this novel, it was an enjoyable read.

I cannot find the words to express how much I loved this story. I lived in London for many years so much of the book and descriptions felt like home to me. This is the story of three women, Juliet, Kate and Sophie in the midst of the blitz in London, and is based on a true story. Most of the story takes place in Bethnel Green which was the hardest hit in London from the German bombings. All three shared a love of books. Juliet was Deputy Head of the library in Bethnel Green. Juliet had great ideas about how to increase membership and encourage children to read. The Head, Mr Pruitt, was a real chauvinist but Juliet found ways to get around him. The library was badly hit during the bombings but Juliet did not want to see the library close. So she arranged to move the library underground , where the trains run, although at that time trains weren’t running to and from Bethnel Green. Each of the three women survived during very hard times never losing hope.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel focuses on three young women, Juliet, Katie and Sophie, who live in London during the Blitz. Juliet and Katie work at the Bethnal Green Library, and Sophie — a Jewish refugee who has escaped Nazi Germany — works as a housemaid and frequents the library. When the library is bombed and suffers extensive damage, these three women and others work together to save as many books as possible and to recreate as much of the library as they can in a nearby underground tube station.

The characters are well-developed and interesting, and the underlying storyline seems to be thoroughly researched. Even though I found parts of the plot to be more soap opera than anything, I definitely enjoyed reading this and think it would make a great movie (a feel-good one at that!).

I'm so sorry. I don't know if it's becuase I've been reading a lot of stories similar to this type (Historical/Fiction), and I'm saturated with them. But I'm finding that I can't seem to 'get into' this story. I'm at 65%, and I'm just ready to give it up.

I see so many glowing reviews that I wonder if it's something to do with me. There are three main characters, which I would not find a problem with, but add to this so many secondary and tertiary characters, and I started needing a scorecard!

The idea is interesting and true; it tells how the Bethnal Green Library helped win the war!

Excerpt taken from https://www.theguardian.com/books/202...

Bethnal Green underground was a half-completed stop on the Central line when war broke out. Builders were working on connecting it to Liverpool Street, but from 1939 it had been locked up and left. One week after the blitz began, East Enders defied Churchill’s orders not to shelter in tube stations and claimed their right to safety. At 78 feet below ground, it was one of the few safe places to shelter in the area and was referred to by locals as the “Iron Lung”. Over the next 12 months it was transformed into a fully-functioning subterranean community with an astonishing array of facilities."

Had we stuck with more about the library and less about the love lives of these women, I think I would have enjoyed this a little more.


*ARC supplied by the publisher Ballantine Books, the author, and NetGalley.

Jennifer Ryan has done it again with a novel rich in historical detail and atmospheric in nature. I was mesmerized by this story and couldn’t stop reading.
Many thanks to random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I expect a lot from historical fictions. I want an addictive story. I want characters that I can invest my time with. I want realism. I want truth with fiction to make a great story. What I don't expect is to finish the story with a smile and giddiness with happiness. I got all of this and more while reading The Underground Library. I read late into the night. Upon waking, I picked up the book again wanting to know what the characters would be dealing with next.

I have read about the Bethel Green library during WW2. I have devoured the pictures published in books and posted on websites. The characters in this historical fiction humanized the pictures and facts. Jennifer Ryan created characters to spark my imagination, bringing the tragedies to life. Many of the characters felt like family and friends. I became invested in them.

The London Blitz created devastating damage all over London. The bombing of the library at Bethel Green stole one of the few escapes for many until Juliet, Deputy Librarian, brought the library to those seeking safety in the tubes. The Underground Library became a place of safety, a place to congregate and a place to learn.

With air raid sirens blaring, the people sought refuge within the tunnel system. It became a mini village. Thanks to the author, I was transported back in time, given glimpses into the lives of the people. I am ashamed to admit that I didn't think about how refugees could be treated, and it was not always with kindness. I knew how some unwed mothers were treated, but hadn't thought about the extreme measures that some went through to save a family's reputation over the life of an unborn child.

The story has a lot of heart breaking moments. There is great loss of life. There is great loss of the familiar. War changed the way people lived. War changed people. If I had just been reading a textbook I would not have thought about any of this. This story made it real.

What I loved about this book was the reminder that there was beauty as well. Hopes can become reality. Love can be found. Families can be reunited.

Thank you Net Galley for an advanced copy to review. This is my second Jennifer Ryan book and I so enjoyed falling in love with the characters. Jennifer is good with multiple character stories and with this story there was no character I preferred over others. I loved the strength each woman had in the story. Sophie for being able to leave Berlin during WWII and moving to Britain as a housemaid/refugee. For her to venture out and find people that will accept her as well working to find her sister. Juliet for learning who she is and finding the family she needed and wanted. Katie for being growing up and standing for herself and making the choices she needs for herself.
The underground community seemed magically wonderful, community spending time together, having food, healthcare, a library! all in the tunnels. I know there was a war going on but Jennifer wrote it so beautifully.
Learning about the Bethnal Green Library during the 40's and how they moved the library underground was incredible. It made me do some background research on the situation as I had not heard about this. I would highly recommend this book. I am loving Ryan's books and am eager to read The Wedding Dress Circle that's on my bookshelf.

Historical fiction is my book of choice as I love to read and learn at the same time. The Underground Library had me at page one. Filled with well researched history, drama and expected romances (all the historical fiction books I’ve read have a romantic component or two), this book is beautifully written and engages the reader as they meet the main characters - Juliet Landsdown, Katie Upwood and Sofie Naumann I came to love these women and most all the people who lived in London’s Bethany Green neighborhood. The spirit of community that thrived in Bethnal Green was moving and the camaraderie that existed in the subway shelter was amazing and heart-warming.

The Underground Library is based on true incidents that took place during the London Blitz in 1940. I’ve read a lot of WWII novels yet was unaware that an Underground Library existed in a subway shelter. Nor had I fully grasped how limited and challenged women in London were in gaining acceptance and recognition in the male dominated world of 1940.

The synopsis for The Underground Library provides a prospective reader with an good idea of what’s ahead. I was quite taken with Sofie’s story - that of a German Jewess whose family plans her escape from Nazis Germany by arranging a domestic service visa at a home in London. Traveling to London by train was harrowing and dangerous. Little did she know that her “contract” would be in service to a mean-spirited man who threatened her with having her visa revoked if she didn’t work long, hard days and do exactly as he ordered.

Katie is a young woman, planning to start college in a few weeks, as her fiance serves in the war. Her family life is less than stellar as her wealthy father is demanding and superficial. He feels he married “beneath” him and Katie’s mother does all she can to accommodate her husband’s obsession with their social standing. Katie is raised in a beautiful home on the outside, but one filled with false images and stress on the inside. Despite the twists and turns in her life she matures to becomes a vital and much loved member of the Underground Library staff and community.

Juliet, the main character in this story, is more forceful and braver than she realized. Faced with opposition from the head librarian, Juliet pushes forward with her ideas, first in the library itself, and then in the subway shelter once the bombs start creating havoc in everyone’s life. She creates a warm, caring underground “family”, builds a strong network of friends and finds the strength to make surprising, but welcomed, changes in her life. As we follow the growth of all three women we see how overcoming the pitfalls and rejections facing women in that era can build strength of character leading to successful outcomes for the future.

Historical fiction novels centered around books, librarians, libraries always appeal to me. Juliet describes my feelings perfectly as she speaks to the Underground Library community. She said, “ Books give us so many things….They give us hope, joy and inspiration. They help us to see inside someone else’s world, empathize with people we’ve never met - and if there is one thing the world needs right now, it is the willingness to understand and connect”.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for an advance copy of The Underground Library.

The Underground Library
By: Jennifer Ryan
Review Score: 5 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I loved learning about Juliet, Katie, and Sofie and how they ended up at Bethnal Green Library.

•Every single character adds to the story in a purposeful way.

•There is so much power in the connection of books, and Ryan really does such a great job of highlighting that.

•It was interesting to learn more about London during the Blitz, and how people survived in the Underground during that time.

•Ryan’s writing is so engrossing, I wanted to know what was going to happen to each character!

———

The Underground Library was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Random House Publishing, Ballantine. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 3/12/24

The Underground Library is one of my favorite books so far this year. I was sucked into the story, following Juliet, Katie, and Sofie as they navigate London during World War 2.

Ryan does such an amazing job of describing what that time was like, and how scary it was to face the nightly bombs, but also fearing for your loved ones on the continent.

Every single character had a purpose in this story, which gave even further depth to the main characters and their struggles.

This was such a great book, I cannot recommend it enough!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #theundergroundlibrary #jenniferryan

I really enjoyed Ryan's other books, but this one just seemed overly sentimental. The ending was too much for me, and I love a WWII novel with an optimistic ending.

Three women unite in Bethnal Green to create an underground library during the London blitz. This library creates an escape from the violence of the Nazi blitz both for them and for the people around them. Sophie, a German Jew, has recently escaped Germany and is working as a servant in the house of a cruel man, hoping her family will soon join her. Juliet has recently become the deputy librarian and is trying to keep the library alive amidst a war-torn London. Katie's fiancé died during the war and she was left behind; however, she soon discovers he left her with more than a broken heart. These three women band together with other members of Bethnal Green to create a library in the London underground, where hundreds shelter during the blitz.

This is a feel-good tale for book lovers everywhere as well as those who enjoy WWII fiction. It gives a portrait of England during the war, and is especially interesting since it's based on the true story of a library in the underground in Bethnal Green during WWII. Hearing Sophie's story was especially interesting, especially her peaceful interment as a suspicious German Jew in England.

Unfortunately, this story wasn't a win for me. I've read too much multi-POV WWII recently, and while I wanted this story to be unique, it just wasn't. The characters lacked depth, the writing was extremely cliche, and the ending was far too happy and trite. Everything turned out well, the characters got happy endings, and the war seemed almost extraneous to the plot at times. While the element of the underground library was interesting, the two-dimensional characters (2D because of the multi-POV) really detracted from the story. This book just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

This is another very interesting novel by Jennifer Ryan built on the ingenuity of the British people while living through the Blitz. I had no idea of all the services that were moved underground and offered to the general public. This book only addresses the public library, but the Afterward tells of many others designed to help people survive in those appalling circumstances. It’s a sweet story with lots of good people seeking ways to help each other through terrible events.

There were lots of characters, all with back stories and all with particular problems which really slowed the start of the book down. Personally, I could have done without all the whining and complaining. I guess that was to make the characters more lifelike, but to me, it made the characters less real – more caricatured.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for the early readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story is a historic fictional account of the Bethnal Green Underground Library during the London Blitz. This book weaves together the story of a diverse group of three women striving and surviving during the worst of the Blitz. Juliet, the librarian, sets up the library. Katie, a recent high school grad, whose life has gone in unexpected direction. Sofie, a German Jew, recently escaped Berlin, Germany.

I am a huge WWII historic fiction fan and recommend this book.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an early read in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jennifer Ryan has become one of my favorite writers of historical fiction and here she has written another successful WWII set story. In The Underground Library, she follows three main and many auxiliary characters.

Juliet has gotten her dream job, even if it may only be because the men are away. She is now the Deputy Librarian of the Bethnal Green Library. (Look it up for some great photos). She hopes to liven up the rather staid premises with a book club, children’s story hour and more. What will she contribute to the project that is the title of this book?

Juliet lives with a landlady and it turns out that she knows the other boarder. Juliet used to have no respect for him. Will her feelings change?

Katie has been working in the library while waiting to attend university. She becomes a friend and colleague to Juliet. However, Katie faces a serious crisis. Will she be okay?

Sophie lived a nice upper middle class life in Germany before the war. She has become a Jewish refugee in London. Sophie works for an incredibly mean spirited man and some in London view her in a rather prejudiced manner. She finds solace in the library. Will Sophie get a chance at something better? Will she ever be reunited with her family?

Readers also get to know a number of the library’s patrons. These include two older sisters and the rather bold Marigold. All of them interact over the course of the story including, of course, the three main characters.

The author does a good job of depicting wartime London. The descriptions of bombing raids, Anderson shelters and running to the underground for safety are all well portrayed.

This is a novel that will be enjoyed by those who like books about books, women’s fiction and WWII set stories. The pages definitely turn.

Look for all of Jennifer Ryan’s novels starting with The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. They offer engaging reads.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

This novel is interesting and well-written, but it’s not for me. I wasn’t able to connect emotionally to the characters. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.