Absolutely loved the book! Set during the Blitz in London, its a compelling portrait of the life of those living largely underground together while above group life is tenuous and dangerous. With the men largely off to war, Juliet Landsdown becomes the Deputy Direction of the Bethnal Green Library, over the objections of the current library directory. When the library is damaged during a bombing raid, Juliet has the idea to move what remains into the underground, also over the objections of the library director. She starts a reading group, a discussion group and the underground library becomes a source of support for the underground inhabitants, who spend more and more of their time underground. It is also the personal tale of jewish refugee Sofie Baumann, and Katie Upwood, a young woman who plans to attend university but who's plans are completely upended by the loss of her fiancée. Both become a pivotal part of the library and the community.

The Underground Library is a vivid description of the lives of those living underground during world war II; compelling, inspirational, it brings the Underground library to life!

I have read many WWIl books and was somewhat hesitant to read another. I, however, love libraries and books and decided to give this a try. It is not a typical book about the war, but more a story of the power of books, survival, about chosen family, and the importance of connections, human and the book kind.
There are three main characters, all of different backgrounds and
experiences. They were all likable and deal with difficult circumstances throughout the book. It was easy to follow these characters without getting confused !
One of the main parts of the story is the setting- London, specifically the underground stations and the importance these stations were to survival, yes, but also to to community.
The Underground library that was created was invaluable to each of the main characters but also to the secondary characters in the book.
Having worked in a library and in a book store I felt a strong connection to the characters and understood the pull the books and library community had in the characters.
I highly recommend this book and was given an advanced copy in exchange for a review by NetGalley, the publisher, and the author.

3.5 stars

This one was heavy - based off true events from World War II, this piece of historical fiction took me a little while to get into as the pace starts off slow and the themes are very heavy; especially thinking of the current day situation regarding Israel & Palestine.

This story follows three different women who are interconnected through their participation in the Underground Library after the Bethnal Green Library is bombed. The three main characters go through their own unique challenges that will tear your heart apart, but luckily there is a happy ending that makes all the turmoil worthwhile.

This book covers challenging family dynamics, some romance and life-altering secrets. This is not a casual fast paced read that you can take lightly - my emotions ran high and my anxiety with it page after page; imagining what it would be like to be in these situations and praying for a positive outcome for these ladies.

I think readers of historical fiction will be delighted and thoroughly enjoy this piece - this is definitely much different than the fantasy smut that I typically consume, but it was definitely worth reading and reminds us of what war can do to people and how far women have come in a short amount of time. There's a huge theme of female empowerment and challenging the norms of the time which captivated me and had me rooting for the characters.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

Unimaginable that this is based on a true story. So dedicated to books, education, and people, the library workers kept the library, not only alive, but thriving after its physical building is bombed and no longer habitable. The library workers have incredible resilience and determination during tragic war time. I was fascinated that these women actually kept the library going in an underground train station. The same train station where many of local people that did not have a bomb shelter took refuge from the nightly bombings. I felt like I was there the details so vivid. Solid 5 stars!

The Underground Library follows three women in London during World War II: Sofie, a Jewish German refugee; Katie, a girl who works at the local library; and Juliet, a young woman who's recently become the deputy librarian. The three of them find a home in the library and its regular patrons, and when bombs start falling on London, they move the library underground.
All three women have tough family dynamics (Sofie has lost touch with her family and is desperately trying to find her sister and bring her to safety; Juliet has never gotten along with her parents; and Katie's family is living a lie behind a beautiful facade). But they find a family in each other, and in the library, and the power of that new family gives them what they need to reconnect with their own--or to forge ahead and make new ones.

The Underground Library is a story of resilience and hope. A story about the power of books and friendships and love of all kinds. It is heartbreaking and tense and oh so beautiful.

This was my first of Jennifer's books, and I really enjoyed it. It is a fantastic story of perseverance during a time of war and immense struggle, as well as the power of books to heal and bring hope. Jennifer had a knack for writing strong and determined women, particularly in a time where women's skills and value were often overlooked or dismissed. I really enjoyed the use of multiple POV's and the kinship between the characters. Definitely recommend!

There is nothing I love to read more than a good historical fiction novel with epic women characters and Jennifer Ryan did not disappoint. WOW!! This story definitely gives you the warm and fuzzies, but maybe that's just me when I read a book about books/libraries. I really enjoyed the author's note at the end. Those always help to wrap up the historical fiction novel and let you know what they pulled from history and what was conjured by the author. I will definitely be recommending this book to my fellow readers to add to their TBR in 2024!! I also cant wait to add this to our list for our local book club to read. Do not pass this one up!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Jennifer Ryan for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and own opinion.

Juliet, Katie and Sofie are three young capable women that meet through different circumstances. Juliet comes to Bethnal Green as Deputy librarian. She is leaving behind her old love and learning to be independent.
Katie is a young girl that works in the Bethnal library. Her boyfriend is overseas.
Sofie has come to the area with a Jewish work visa. She has fled Germany.
Juliet, Katie and Sofie start an underground library when their precious library is bombed.
I really enjoyed all of the characters and the storyline very much. Juliet, Katie and Sofie will stick with me for a long time.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan unfolds against the backdrop of World War II, focusing on three resilient young women—Juliet Lansdown, Katie Upwood, and Sofie Baumann—whose lives become intertwined in their efforts to save Bethnal Green Library from bomb damage during the Blitz. Juliet, the new deputy librarian, faces challenges breaking traditional gender roles, while Katie harbors a life-altering secret amidst personal tragedy, and Sofie, a Jewish refugee, seeks sanctuary from an abusive employer.

As the library succumbs to bombs, Juliet relocates it to a local Underground station, creating a symbol of hope and resilience. While the novel explores familiar WWII themes, Ryan's storytelling prowess, well-developed characters, and the library's role as a community hub elevate it. The book seamlessly weaves history, romance, friendship, and female empowerment, offering a poignant reminder of the enduring strength found in literature during challenging times. Despite minor deviations from historical accuracy, The Underground Library stands as a compelling and emotionally resonant addition to the genre.

I loved The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan and I was so excited when I found she had written a new historical fiction piece!

Juliet, Sofie, and Katie join together to save the Bethnal Green Library during the London Blitz. They know how much it means to get the books into the hands of those living through the attack because it gives them hope and a distraction. They move books to an underground station in hopes of bringing joy to others.

I could not stop reading this book; it was so good! I felt a kinship with the characters and bonded with them over their love of books. Wonderfully written by Jennifer Ryan!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read The Underground Library!

I love what the author did with this one. She takes a diverse cast of female characters and tells their individual stories in a way that makes you want to keep reading along. The chapters switch between characters but I never felt a desire to skip or skim any of them to get to the better characters. They were all equally intriguing in my opinion and that's a hard thing to achieve.

In the notes the author mentions changing some details regarding the setting in order to tell a more complete story of the things people experienced living in the underground stations during the air raids. While it does make the story seem less real at times (like too many coincidences), it does move the narrative and make the story more engaging and I forgive her for this. It is fiction, after all.

I definitely recommend this. Especially if you like a WWII, female centric story based in London. But who doesn't?

I enjoyed this story about women from different walks of life meeting for a book club and eventually running an underground library together during the London Blitz. It shines a light on friendship, family, resilience during difficult times, and the importance of libraries.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

There are few things I love more than books about books except maybe books about libraries and multiple perspectives. The Underground Library hits the mark on all these. This is the story of a group of women who meet through London's Bethnal Green library during the Blitz of WWII. While the library serves to bring the community together it's the people who make the community, library, so incredibly special.

The Underground Library follows Juliet, the newly appointed Deputy Librarian of the Bethnal Library; Katie, a library employee soon heading off to university; and Sophie, a Jewish refugee who is working as a domestic servant for a reprehensible man.

When the library is bombed during the blitz, Juliet decides to move it underground to ensure it's safety. In ensuring the library is saved, the library ends up saving the main characters and so many others.

Excellent WWII fiction with plenty of courage, heart, and determination.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballentine for the advanced copy

I really like this WWII era book that focused on the blitz in London from 3 women’s points of view. The characters were charming and resourceful, and I love how the community came together and created not only the underground library, but many other social services as well. The author did a lot of historical research but there was one small detail that bothered me. The librarian, Juliet talks about books she loved as a child and mentions Narnia, when the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe wasn’t publishing until the 1950s ( and is actually about children evacuating to the countryside during the blitz, so not something she could have read before the war). It’s a small detail but it made me then look up every book that was mentioned to see if it had been published before the story takes place. I also have to say that everything tied up just a little too neatly for each women, and while they endured the horrors of war and deserve a happy ending, I felt that pretty much everything working out alright detracted a bit from the story.
Overall, a very solid historical fiction on focusing on community and a love of reading!

Once again Jennifer Ryan has given me characters to root for. Played out against The London Blitz, we watch these strangers forge friendships, despite the destruction around them. Juliet, leaving behind her old life and the fact that her boyfriend has deserted, starts a job in a local library in London. Sophie, a Jewish refugee, is separated from her family to work as an unappreciated domestic for a horrible man. Katie, heading for university, finds she is pregnant while mourning the baby’s father who is missing in action. When the library is destroyed by bombs, the friends move it below ground to the subway station where people seek shelter during the nightly attacks. Love for reading blooms among the crowd; friendships deepen; loneliness is quelled. Despite the incessant destruction, the underground library becomes a place to shelter, read and learn as many deal with fear and loss. How horrid this ordeal faced during the war, yet the characters forge ahead, warring against the enemy in their own form of combat. I love this work.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Underground Library.

WOW! I absolutely LOVED this book, from start to finish. I am already looking forward to reading another Jennifer Ryan book, as this was my first of hers. This true story is set in London leading up to and during the Blitz of World War II when the Bethnal Green Library moved underground after the library was damaged during a bombing. The characters are lovable and endearing and this book shows the strength, determination and spirit of the citizens in those times. MUST READ!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read another amazing book by Jennifer Ryan. The Underground Library is an about the Bethnal Green Library being moved to the local underground station during WW2. Like all of her other books, her characters are so captivating and likable that you feel like you're living in the moment with them. Everyone's storyline is unique and keeps you wanting to know more. With each new book, I have a harder time choosing which one is my favorite. I can't wait for the next one!

The war is on and come to London, impacting lives in various ways, but one community’s spirit is bolstered through books in Jennifer Ryan’s The Underground Library.
The Bethnal Green Library has just gotten a new deputy librarian in Juliet, who’s been provided the role while men are fighting in the war and she’s keen to bring her ideas to life in this cultural hub, with or without the approval of the stodgy head librarian. Katie, an assistant at the library, helps Juliet with her ideas as she looks forward to her upcoming time at university until a few other of life’s surprises change her course. Having come to London from Berlin on a work visa to escape the growing horrors of the Nazis, Sofie’s work as a domestic servant has been rough and she’s found refuge in the library and the people within it while she’s separated from her family. These young women each have hardships and heartbreaks they’re facing but they manage to find comfort with one another and from the sharing of books and the stories they contain. When the library is destroyed by a bomb, the surviving books are relocated to the Underground station, where the women are all determined to keep the library open in this new capacity to help distract people from fear as they shelter each night. As more and more unfortunate events occur to the city, and these women, the community built around this novel library and the surprising source of support it provides in a trying time is tested.
In following the narratives of three women’s lives during World War II and the Blitz in London, a vivid picture is presented of the societal pressures and political forces they each faced throughout the novel and the sense of community they found in and with one another as circumstance, and literature, brought them together. As each woman is navigating the challenges in her path around and through societal expectations, they manage to courageously find strength to carry on despite the difficulties and circumstances they face and pursue the path in life that they want instead of bowing to convention. While there were emotional trials that each of the characters endured that brought realistic gravity to the story in reflecting wartime perils, the more optimistic ending presented, though heartwarming, feels a bit too good to be true given the level of troubles presented for them all to overcome.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this BOOK! It's filled with history, romance, friendship, female empowerment and so much more! Did I say I LOVED this BOOK?! Make sure to read the Author's Notes at the end because the information about the real Underground Library is fascinating.

The Bethnal Green Library in London moved underground after the library was damaged during a WW2 bombing. It brought people together with a community spirit and connection that gave the people hope and comfort.

Libraries and books are special. As Juliet in the novel says, "Libraries aren't only about books; they're about people. They're about human life and how books can mend hearts, comfort wounds, and inspire us. But most of all, books can bring people together. Their ideas and thoughts make us realize that we are not alone, that we are all connected."

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books, and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited for this book. It was on my top 5 anticipated reads for 2024, and I was ecstatic to receive an ARC so I didn't have to wait all the way until March.

I don't know if I built up the hype inside my own head too much or what, but this book kind of fell flat for me. It was difficult to get into and it seemed to drag along in places. It wasn't a bad book, but it also wasn't my favorite. It definitely didn't live up to the hype inside my head.

It was an okay read.