Having recently read another novel about the library in the Underground tube station in World War II (The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson), I was equal parts intrigued and concerned about reading another novel on the topic so soon. However, these books are quite different and deal with different time periods so there’s no mixing up of characters or similar fictional events.

The story centres on three women with each chapter focusing on one of them. Juliet is the new deputy librarian at Bethnal Green library and finds opposition to opening the library up to the locals. Sofie has escaped Germany as a Jewish refugee, but her new life as a maid isn’t what she expected. Katie, planning to go university after a summer helping at the library, finds that life has other plans for her. Set in the early days of World War II, the women find that London changes rapidly with the onset of the Blitz. Supported by a number of characters, both good and bad, each woman will find a way of standing up to what is holding them back and become stronger as a result.

Although the library is a central part of the setting for the novel, not all of the plot is directly about it, allowing for other aspects of the war to be explored. The effects of war on soldiers and the first responders are explored through multiple characters with some particularly frank scenes at bomb sites. Restrictions placed on women and social norms are also tested, as are the treatment of refugees. It also touches on domestic violence and Britain’s class system, although these are not explored in depth. For the most part, it’s a light, enjoyable novel that provides a good story with clear ‘good’ and ‘bad’ characters. The elderly sisters provide some insight into what has changed for women and the male characters in charge of the library demonstrate the minority role that they felt women played in life. The ending is very positive, perhaps too much for some in the middle of a war but hey, it’s fiction.

The story is quite different to The Little Wartime Library, which takes place later in the war after the library has moved underground and after the Bethnal Green tube disaster. That story has two main characters with a fast plot where everything seems to happen. In contrast, The Underground Library moves more slowly and seems ‘quieter’. The story starts before the library is bombed, and is somewhat less focused on the library with Sofie and Katie’s stories taking place outside of the library. Juliet is also less of an exciting character, always trying to be proper compared to the fiery tempers of Clara and Ruby. The characters overall seemed a bit flat rather than leaping from the page. This story also takes a few liberties with the history at the time. Bethnal Green is a working Tube station in the book and there is a fictitious disaster in the tunnels that occurred in another Tube station in real life. There are also a few factual errors as well as grammatical errors (e.g. sight vs site) which distracted from my enjoyment and should have been picked up in proofreading. Occasionally, the English characters sounded American using language that didn’t quite fit in my opinion. It’s a nice story, but it’s not particularly memorable.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com ( )

I loved this. Jennifer Ryan is a wonderful author. Wonderful look at England during the war. I appreciate seeing characters grow and change. I'm also happy to have an author I can turn to for escape knowing that things will turn out okay. A light read, but with good depth of character. ( )

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This book has all the good things: A book about a library. About people who love books. Saving books during the London Blitz. People who come together around this makeshift underground library and form a community despite the dangers of war. Of course I wanted to read this one! And it checked all the boxes – heartwarming, friendships, historical fiction, books and book lovers, a bit of romance, and based on actual events.

Many of the characters were endearing, engaging, and resourceful. Main plot, sub plots, and all threads tied up happily at the end. A satisfying, well-researched read that left me more knowledgeable about this time period and wartime in London. And I appreciated how the characters expressed their love of books throughout the novel.

I enjoyed and agreed with so many comments of the characters expressing their thoughts about books and libraries and their importance in their lives. Here are a few quotes:
“To Juliet, a library was more than just a repository for books. It was a spiritual and intellectual adventure, a place to delve into the rich treasure trove of life.” She explains to a friend: “To me books are like old friends, telling us great truths, holding our hands through the difficulties, showing us light and joy at the end of every tunnel. Sometimes all I need is to see my battered copy of Pride and Prejudice to know that the characters are there inside me, warming my spirit, telling me to live life on my own terms, comforting me that everything will be all right in the end. Books are the only thing that keep me going, a kind of home inside my heart.”

I loved the way author Jennifer Ryan was able to show how the books, and the underground library, had created a community during this extremely stressful and dangerous time. Friendships and romances were formed, families were reunited, and people developed courage and strength – all from the books and the library.

After I began reading “The Underground Library” I noticed this novel’s premise of Bethnal Green Library being bombed and relocating to the nearby underground tube station was the same as "The Little Wartime Library" by Kate Thompson but with a different fictional deputy librarian and a new cast of readers and volunteers. They’re each great novels, different enough that they complement one another, and you’ll be glad you read them both! ( )

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Juliet, Kate and Sophie are brought together during the war. Juliet as a deputy librarian but is finding pushback from the head librarian on all the changes she wants to implement. Kate loves working at the library before leaving for college but is holding a secret that could change everything for herself and family. Sophie is a Jewish refugee sent to England on a work visa, working for an abusive man and trying to locate her family left behind. These women are brought together by their love of books and find the family they always needed, in the midst of bombings.

A different take on the WWII story showing the resilience of those forced to remain behind and what they need to do on a daily basis to get thru. The characters were likable, each with their own issues but showing the human spirit of wanting to help others in the midst of their own issues. I knew of the bombings throughout England, but never realized people were sent underground nightly to sleep. I also didn’t realize about the work visas for refugees at the beginning of the war. We find out how far these women would go to save a beloved library torn apart by bombs while trying to help the war effort and each other. This in turn, helps the town get thru scary times. Book delves into the class struggle, women being treated as second class citizens and what the townspeople were doing to help the war effort. Enjoyable book, well written and researched.

Thanks to Ballantine Corp. and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion. ( )

“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. 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.”

Set WWII London, The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan revolves around three women whose lives intersect during the London Blitz. Elegant prose, well-thought-out characters and a consistently paced and fluid narrative make for an engaging read.

After her fiancée goes missing in Dunkirk, twenty-six-year-old Juliet Lansdown moves to London, where she finds employment at Bethnal Green Library as Deputy Librarian. She approaches her new position with eagerness and undertakes several initiatives to engage the community. In London, she also meets an old acquaintance from her village who encourages her to volunteer for the war effort in London. Eighteen-year-old library assistant Katie Upwood’s plans to attend university in the fall are upended after an unexpected development leaves her with no choice but to wait for her boyfriend to return from the front. But when tragedy strikes, she has no one to turn to but the friends she has made in the library. The library also provides nineteen-year-old Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee from Berlin who fled Nazi occupation under a work visa, a place to enjoy the books she loves among people who offer her kindness and friendship. Employed as a maid in the house of a vile widower, she is desperate to find out what happened to the family members whom she had to leave behind. After the library is bombed during the London Blitz, Juliet takes the initiative to relocate the surviving books into the Bethnal Green Underground Station – a mammoth task in itself compounded by her immediate boss’ resistance to the idea. But Julia and her friend succeed in their plans and Underground Library becomes a refuge from death and devastation all around, The narrative follows these three women and their friends as they rally around one another, lending support, kindness, a sense of community and friendship in one another’s time of need.

“Books give us so many things…..They give us a world to imagine, a cozy corner to lull us to sleep on a hard cold stone floor. They give us facts and figures to guide us, a knitting pattern or a recipe to help us with the rations, a map of the world or a history of Europe, the poets from the last war, and the news of this war, too. They give us joy, hope, 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.”

The narrative is shared from the perspectives of the three protagonists . The author has skillfully woven the different threads of this novel into a cohesive narrative. I was invested in the storylines of all three main characters and enjoyed the insights into life in the Bethnal Ground Underground community. It’s always rewarding to read about how books and the love for reading can bring people together. The novel touches upon several interesting aspects of WII such as how women contributed to the war effort back home, the British policy for internment of Jewish refugees and the psychological impact of war on those returning from the front. Given the three distinct storylines, there was a lot to cover in terms of each of the character's personal experiences during those difficult times. However, I would have enjoyed the story more had less emphasis been given to the romantic relationships of the characters and more time been devoted to the historical aspects. The ending is a bit too neatly tied up, but I respect the author’s choice to end the story on a positive note.

“But life isn’t always about choosing the plot. It’s about plunging in or plugging on, becoming submerged in your own story, having the courage to dip your head beneath the surface.”

The informative Author’s Note detailing the people, places and events that inspired this novel definitely enriched the overall reading experience.

3.75⭐️

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. was published on March 12, 2024.

Note: This novel is the second work of historical fiction featuring the Bethnal Green Underground Library that I’ve read , the first being Kate Thompson’s The Little Wartime Library which I would definitely recommend to fans of WWII historical fiction. ( )