I've wanted to read a Jennifer Ryan novel since I added her debut The Chilbury Ladies' Choir (and her subsequent books) to my TBR shelves. I'm happy The Underground Library was her first book I read.
This World War II story set in London during the Blitz is told from the points of view of three young women working in London's East End:
- Juliet, a librarian newly transferred to London and the Bethnal Green Library
- Katie, a library employee who plans to attend university in the fall
- Sofie, a Jewish refugee who fled Germany alone
Through them, Ms. Ryan describes everyday life before and during the midnight bombing raids when thousands of citizens sheltered in an underground train station. After the library was badly damaged, the books and shelves were relocated to the shelter as an important resource for its nightly residents. None of the women's lives unfold as they expect, and society's conventions of the time impact their options and choices.
The plot has a relatively large cast of characters that I was able to track since most were well formed and memorable, even the "villains." I appreciated the themes of intergenerational friendship and found family, two of my favorites. The variety in the main characters' backgrounds provided a three-dimensional perspective of this time in history.
I was first introduced to the actual history of the Bethnal Green Library in the underground tube station by reading the 2023 novel The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. Each author has her own storytelling style, but I found they complimented each other to give a full picture of this wartime phenomenon.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book. I enjoy Ms. Ryan's writing style and am eager to read her backlist titles.
This World War II story set in London during the Blitz is told from the points of view of three young women working in London's East End:
- Juliet, a librarian newly transferred to London and the Bethnal Green Library
- Katie, a library employee who plans to attend university in the fall
- Sofie, a Jewish refugee who fled Germany alone
Through them, Ms. Ryan describes everyday life before and during the midnight bombing raids when thousands of citizens sheltered in an underground train station. After the library was badly damaged, the books and shelves were relocated to the shelter as an important resource for its nightly residents. None of the women's lives unfold as they expect, and society's conventions of the time impact their options and choices.
The plot has a relatively large cast of characters that I was able to track since most were well formed and memorable, even the "villains." I appreciated the themes of intergenerational friendship and found family, two of my favorites. The variety in the main characters' backgrounds provided a three-dimensional perspective of this time in history.
I was first introduced to the actual history of the Bethnal Green Library in the underground tube station by reading the 2023 novel The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. Each author has her own storytelling style, but I found they complimented each other to give a full picture of this wartime phenomenon.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book. I enjoy Ms. Ryan's writing style and am eager to read her backlist titles.
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