The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson is an outstandingly inspiring story of the power of literature, love, courage, hope, and friendship during the darkest time of our history.

This story is set in St Helier on the Jersey Island patrolled by German soldiers, who imposed horrendous rules for the residents. A story of best friends Grace, a librarian, and Bea, a postal worker, both determined not to let Germany win, team up secretly, and use their positions to perform dangerous tasks in fighting the enemy.

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking Thompson wrote a stunning novel! With her exquisite prose she seamlessly combines fictional characters with actual islanders, all of who were brave and determined as they fought for survival defending their own.

This story is extremely captivating and those that enjoy reading stories about books, libraries, or book clubs, will enjoy this story even more. It was double intriguing how the author included the book-ban issue throughout the novel and how Germany realized the power of words in their war efforts.

Every one please read the Author’s Note. They are so inspiring! Here Thompson discusses the historical context of this novel and the places and true events that inspired this awesome novel. I truly commend her meticulous research and the expansive segment on the actual individual Jersey Islanders whose stories found their way into this work of fiction.

Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an e-copy of The Wartime Book Club, an exquisite book, by Kate Thompson via NetGalley. I was not obligated to write a favorable review, and all opinions are my own.

Can books save the island of Jersey during the Nazi occupation? Can one woman open peoples heart at a time they are torn apart? These questions will be answered in this beautifully written novel. I loved every minute of this. It was told with two POVs, Grace, the manager of the library and Bea, her best friend. Both women are pulled in many directions but through it all their friendship stays whole.

Kate Thompson does it again with another beautifully written historical fiction novel. This novel told through dual perspective is set in the isle of Jersey during the 1940's occupation in World War Two. Grace a librarian and her best friend Bea a postal service worker hold on to the hope that liberation is coming soon to their beloved island. Life during the occupation is filled with fear, anger, resentment, and sometimes vengeance. Grace left to run the library must comply to the Nazis strict rules including destroying books that the Nazis find objectionable. Grace performs her own act of defiance locking the banned books away for safe keeping until after the war. Bea discovers poisoned pen letters being sent from people she saw as friends denouncing other locals. The girls take unimaginable risks to defy the Nazis and save their friends and neighbours. As the library grows in popularity, Grace creates a Wartime Book Club to offer an hour of escape under the ever watchful eye of the German auditor. With friendship, acts of kindness and acts of cruelty always around them, can Bea and Grace hide their secrets long enough to survive the war? An incredibly detailed novel that examines the heartbreak of war and the aspiring acts of courage during a horrifying time in history. Like Kate Thompson's previous book "The Little Wartime Library" this is another love letter to libraries, books, and the people who read them. Thompson's ability to create characters that live rent free in your heart is incredible. A chapter in history that I was not aware of and has opened my eyes to the horrors of war extending beyond the battlefield. Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for this digital ARC, all opinions are my own.

As a history major, this book just pulled all my heartstrings. I loved the story, the characters, the places it took you, and the thoughts throughout the whole story. It was wonderfully written. I shared this with many friends encouraging them to also read it. Highly suggest!

THE WARTIME BOOK CLUB is an unforgettable historical fiction set in Jersey during the height of WWII. Told in dual POV, it is the story of two women: Grace, the island's librarian, and Bea, a postal worker, and their tight knit friendship.

Grace and Bea are both courageous, steadfast and determined and use these attributes to stand up to the Nazis in their own particular ways, one of which is creating the Wartime Book Club, bringing together many of the islanders to listen to books read aloud and form community amongst one another even during a devastating time. While Grace and Bea both have interesting and tragic storylines, their friendship and love for one another is something so beautiful and awe-inspiring. The author did a fantastic job at giving both characters their own unique personalities and vividly showing the growth that each of them make throughout this difficult time.

One thing that I really loved about the book was the many references to different books all throughout this one (It made me TBR list grow quite a bit!) and that the author included notes in the back about the different characters that were based on real-life people along with the island.

3.5/5 stars.
The prologue of this story instantly gripped me, and at that point I knew I was in for a fantastic read.

I love this lens of history and how we are seeing book banning in a different backdrop—it really makes you think twice and draw parallels to the current book banning happening now, a topic I’m super passionate about. Starting each chapter with information about a banned book during the time period was also SO FUN and educational!! It definitely gave me some books to add to my tbr that I don’t think I would have ever otherwise come across.

I love how this story also highlights the importance of librarians to society as they are so critically overlooked. The ending was sweet, and nearly finished up all of the main arcs of the story. Overall, I’d recommend to fellow book lovers who enjoy historical fiction, and those who enjoy learning more about censorship!

Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Wartime Book Club is a dual POV story of two women on the island of Jersey during World War II. Grace, who is the island's remaining librarian, and Bea, a postal worker, who are trying to survive the war with their loved ones, but also push back against the Nazi regime. They use their occupations to help the resistance even on their tiny island. In the midst of the war they create The Wartime Book Club, bringing people together at the library for read-alouds and community. Keeping hope and togetherness alive during a horrific time in history.

I have said it in many of my reviews, but I love books with book-ish references and appreciation and this book was full of them! The books were appropriate for the time period and it was so special to see how books brought people together. Grace and Bea both had interesting and tragic stories in different ways, but their strong friendship bond was beautiful to see on page. In the beginning of the book, I felt like Bea was more determined to be part of the resistance and Grace was trying to endure and then it seemed like they completely switched mindsets at some point. Maybe war experiences can do that to people, but I felt like the characters did some actions that seemed unlikely for their specific characters. The author's notes in the back about the characters (some of them based on real-life heroes), the island, the war and time period, and more is not to be missed--I find it fascinating (and truly appreciate) how much research goes into some of these novels, especially a historical fiction!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my first time reading this author. Thank you #NetGalley for a copy of this story. Set in World War Two on a small island, Jersey, it’s a harrowing tale of two friends, Bea and Grace in occupied territory. The references were vivid and not over the top graphic, which I prefer.I recommend this story, and especially loved the end historical true stories attached. History is found between the pages here. Dive in and read an incredible story.

Huge thank you to Forever (grand publishing) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Wartime Book Club!

I absolutely fell in love with this book from the moment I started reading it. It’s a story about friendship and the bonds that going through hardship can make stronger.

Bea and Grace are childhood friends who grew up on the island of Jersey. During the Occupation of the island, they inadvertently did things to show resistance against the Nazis, from stealing mail, warning their neighbors about tips their fellow islanders were giving to the Nazis, to banding together to support one another and escape in books.

This story brought a smile to my heart and tears to my eyes. It’s one I wish I could read again for the first time!

The Wartime Book Club is a historical novel set on the island of Jersey during World War II. Grace La Motte is the island's librarian, and she has a passion for reading and books. She struggles to keep the library going in the face of Nazi censorship. Her best friend, Bea Rose, is a postal employee who is horrified to discover that some of her neighbors are sending letters to the Nazis who are controlling the island, tattling on other islanders even though these letters will put lives at jeopardy. Both women also have personal struggles - one, with a fiancé who dies tragically, and the other with a love interest who is in hiding from the authorities.

I wanted to read The Wartime Book Club because I love historical fiction, and especially novels set during the 1940's. I had never read about Jersey during WWII, so I was very interested in this setting.

This is a well written book that delves not only into wartime lives, but also into the dangers of censorship. Each chapter begins with a glimpse of a book that was banned during WWII. For instance:

"The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel—these were just a few tales to come out of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm in 1812. The Allies banned the tales in Germany after the fall of the Nazis, who glorified Little Red Riding Hood into a symbol of the German people saved from the Jewish wolf." (eBook location 4083).

Grace's struggles to keep the library going no matter what, to disseminate books to readers on the island, and to quietly fight censorship by hiding censored books for secret book loans were inspiring. The personal battles that both Bea and Grace faced (including extreme violence related to the Nazi occupation) were difficult to read at times.

This was a sensitively told story with two strong female protagonists and a glimpse of another time and place that is rarely seen in historical novels. I recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone with an interest in the 1940's.

I made it 27% into this one and just...didn't care. The writing was fine (I've loved Thompson before) but the characters weren't intriguing me and I kind of felt like I was reading the same old WWII novel I've read many, many times before. (And I LOVE WWII novels.) I think I'm also not loving all the HF books that are trying to draw parallels between book banning by Nazi Germany and book banning happening now, especially in the US. I know there are similarities but it just isn't working for me.

Quick and Dirty
-WWII historical fiction
-dual POV
-intense friendship story
-small tight-knit community

What Worked
When I heard that Kate Thompson had written a new book, I nearly screamed; that’s how much I loved her last, The Little Wartime Library. It was a personal favorite last year and a great example of homefront fiction, one of my favorite subgenres of WWII novels. Picking up The Wartime Book Club was like slipping on a favorite pair of jeans. I instantly fell in love with the characters and setting. She has a way of drawing you into the lives of her characters, sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings. Once again, we have a beautiful homefront story about two British best friends whose lives are torn apart by the war; this time, however, they live in occupied Britain. Yup, you heard right. Several of the British Chanel Islands were occupied by the Nazis for much of WWII. The hardships Thompson describes in this book are not as stark as other occupation stories, but they are impactful, nonetheless. Imagine neighbors turning on neighbors in hopes of food, breaking bonds that run generations back. The small island community is ripped apart, and the two best friends, Grace and Bea, are doing what they can to hold it together. Like her last book, this one is for book lovers, with reading being at the heart of what soothes the souls of many of the islanders. I loved getting lost in this story and think most WWII novel lovers will, too.

What Didn’t Work
Nothing. I adored everything about this one, from the tense encounters with Nazis to the beautiful love stories (both romantic and familial). Sometimes, it’s slow, but you’re so caught up in the drama you barely notice.

It’s amazing how so many of my 5 🌟books start off with me not liking them!! This books was intense right from the beginning and I had a deep dislike for one of the main characters. I was physically annoyed with her. The fact that the author could draw that much emotion out of me in the first 17% of the book told me all I needed to know and I continued. This is not your average WWII historical fiction. It is a story of bravery, courage, friendship and love. It will simultaneously lift you up and break your heart.
In the end, I was rooting for that same main character I so deeply disliked in the beginning and that is the mark of an amazing book and author.

WOW! A 5 Star Plus! Hats off to the exquisite writing and research by Kate Thompson. This will definitely be a top favourite of the year for me!

I enjoyed Kate Thompson's last book, "The Little Wartime Library" (and loved the quick mention of those characters in this book) but I loved this one even more!

Essentially about a friendship and the hardships of war. This story is about the German occupation of the Channel Islands in the British Isles and focuses on the island of Jersey. Grace and Bea are the best of friends and live in Jersey and the Germans have just taken occupation of the country. Grace is a librarian and Bea is a postmistress. It follows their friendship and lives throughout the war. Grace begins to hide banned books and distributes them to local islanders while Bea begins to intercept letters from local spies "snitching" on the Islanders to the Germans.

This story is captivating from the very first page all the way to the last. It's filled with pain and loss but also hopes and dreams. The author's notes are a must read! There is a lot of extra research and information provided and my favourite part was finding out that some of the characters were real life people.

If you are a wartime historical fiction fan this one is not to be missed!!

In this fantastic historical fiction novel, readers travel to the occupied Channel Islands, specifically the island of Jersey, where librarian Grace and her best friend Bea live. With the Germans occupying their town and taking control over everything, the two friends do their best to subvert the occupation by supporting downed pilots and diverting mail, warning people of surprise inspections and passing around banned books. When Grace’s brother and Bea’s fiance Jimmy dies trying to escape the island, Grace begins a book club and an illicit relationship with Red, an American pilot stranded on Jersey. As the war and occupation continue, the Nazis begin to crack down on Jersey, bringing Grace, Bea, and their friends into the crossfire, forcing them to make difficult choices. Inspired by real experiences of British citizens in the Channel Islands living under German occupation in World War II, Thompson brings lives of the occupied and of captured resistors to life in this incredibly detailed and emotional novel. Balancing the perspectives of two different characters over the novel, Thompson gives both Grace and Bea equal page time and places their stories parallel to each other and makes them of equal importance in this excellent World War II historical fiction novel.

This book was not for me. I could not get into it. It took a long time for me to finish this title. So therefore I cannot recommend

This book had a Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society vibe about it. I loved reading about ways best friends Grace and Bea and others on the island worked together to defy the Germans that occupied their small island. The descriptions of the Germans’ abuse were at times very gruesome and brutal to read. However, the characters felt like dear friends and I found myself tearing up at times of tender moments. The book mentions several banned books by the Germans and why they found it offensive which I found quite interesting. The book also contains discussion questions at the end which is helpful for book groups.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kate Thompson has done it again with another touching, beautiful, realistic historical romance. This story is set in a once close, neighborly community but the WW2 German occupation wrecks havoc on the communities people.

The island towns librarian, Grace is directed to destroy books by the Nazis but elects to secretly hide them instead. She and her best friend want to fight back against the Nazis and create the Wartime Book Club which brings the Islanders together, providing an escape from their current situation.

Eventually their resistance to the occupation becomes more risky as tensions turn violent and they must face the consequences of their actions of opposition.

Based on a true story, the Wartime Book Club is an impactful, meaningful, and frankly daring story of what 1 or 2 people can do to aid their community during the war as well as for generations to come.

World War II. Books. The Channel Islands.

What else could we ask for? Kate Thompson delivered a wonderfully crafted story of family, love, betrayal and hope. The character development made me feel as though I were talking to friends. I especially loved how this book didn't end when the occupation ended. I loved learning more about what happened after for those key characters. This should go on every historical fiction readers list!

🤗Thank you so much @readforeverpub for the gifted ARC!

📖Title: The Wartime Book Club
✍️Author: Kate Thompson
📅Pub date: April 9, 2024

📖This book truly was deep and layered and beautiful from start to finish!

📚I feel like a broken record saying that I don't read much historical fiction and then recommending historical fiction picks left and right! There are a SELECT few historical fiction authors that I trust to never bore me (which is my biggest issue with HF) and they are : Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn and Kate Thompson is now officially on that list after I've loved two of her books 📚❤️

📖This was so much more than just another war story. There was romance, family drama, book drama (!!!), war struggles, deep themes of friendship, etc. etc.

📚It was told in dual perspective from friends Beau, the local post woman who has a mind of her own, and Grace who runs the library! I loved both of their voices and characters equally!