The Underground Library
Jennifer Ryan’s new novel returns to the familiar ground of World War II London during the Blitz. Juliet Lansdown, a young woman eager to leave her small village and establish her independence, accepts a position as deputy-head librarian at the central library in Bethnal Green. Katie Upwood is working at the front desk part-time before continuing on to university. Sofie Baumann is a German-Jewish refugee working a menial job in service, and hoping her sister can escape Berlin and join her. Lonely and without family support, she heads to the library to seek help finding information about her family as the war closes in.
Sharing a love of literature and education, Juliet makes the acquaintance of some eclectic library regulars, who give her much-needed assistance when the building is bombed, and Juliet pushes forward with the idea of setting up a temporary library underground, where hundreds of London’s citizens take shelter to escape the bombing. The young women’s lives are not without heartache: Sofie is sent to an internment camp on the Isle of Man, Katie mourns her boyfriend who is missing overseas, and a young man Juliet had thought to be AWOL turns up on the scene, asking her to return home to village life and marry him.
Ryan’s heartwarming novel has some lovely romantic elements but primarily showcases the community spirit and camaraderie of the London population during the worst of the bombing. Juliet plays a significant leadership role in keeping the underground library running, planning reading sessions to entertain people and keeping hope alive. Always central is the love of books and their importance as an escape from the horrors of war. This uplifting and inspirational story is perfect for readers looking for heroic home front World War II novels with connections to actual events.
