World War 2, coming of age, a love of books, and a found family, THE UNDERGROUND LIBRARY has all the makings of the perfect historical fiction. Set in the early days of the blitz and centered around a few women's quest for independence anchored in their love of books, I loved that the novel was based on a real life library set up in the underground shelters. I appreciated the varied characters, their backgrounds, and the spotlight on the internment camps for some of the immigrants into the UK at that time.

I live for stories of humanity during those treacherous war years. This one tied to books, so I was enthralled. I loved the library aspects and the strong female leads. This was heartwarming, during a time that was very difficult. The book featured a couple different leads and I was invested in all of their stories. This was impeccably told and full of heart!

Jennifer Ryan’s best novel yet! While sensitive to the horrific backdrop of World War II and its many tragedies and hardships, The Underground Library is rich with well developed, relatable characters and multiple storylines that kept me compulsively flipping pages, and is at its core an ode to the power of books and community - especially the community of women who banded together to survive and care for one another. I loved it!

Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

Not the most well written fiction and each plot wrapped up much too tidily, but an engaging story based on actual events during the Blitz nonetheless.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

"The Underground Library" is more than just a fantastical adventure; it is also a story about the power of books and the importance of knowledge. Through Clara's journey, Ryan celebrates the transformative power of literature and the way it can open our minds to new ideas and perspectives. The plot is filled with twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the very end.
This was a very fast and interesting read, a must-read for any book-lover!

The Underground Library is a historical fiction book set in 1940 London. Three women from different backgrounds come together at a local library during World War II: Julia Lansdown is the new deputy librarian at the lovely Bethnal Green Library; Sofie Baumann is a young Jewish refugee who is facing anti-German prejudice and trying to locate her beloved family; Katie Upwood is grieving her fiancé, who is missing in battle, and dealing with a major life change.

I wanted to read this book because I have read all of Jennifer Ryan's books and loved every single one. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is one of my favorite books. I have it in both print and Kindle format because I want to always have it ready for a re-read!

Jennifer Ryan has written another lovely book set during wartime 1940's London. She does such a wonderful job at capturing the time and place, including, in this book, the nuances of library work during the war, as well as everyday concerns like food rationing. The Blitz is powerfully depicted here, as Londoners shelter during bomb raids in the Underground, and the magnificent Bethnal Green Library establishes a small library in the Underground for the duration.

I liked and cared about all three of the protagonists in this book. The author does a wonderful job at keeping the three characters very distinct and giving care to each of their stories.

This book is also a valentine to books and to the power of reading, with passages like this:

"But Mac was busy picking up the one on the top, The Metamorphosis. “The Nazis banned Kafka in Poland,” he said. “There’s something rather otherworldly about seeing it here, as if there is still hope, a place where all the books continue to exist, whether their authors are Jewish or, well, whoever they are.”

“I read that there’s a library in New York where they’re keeping a copy of every Jewish book banned by the Nazis to make sure there is at least one of each of them left in the world.” Dorothy handed him the book. “But perhaps you should read The Metamorphosis again, just in case. A book isn’t just a physical object; once you’ve read it, it becomes a thought, a story, a memory that is alive inside you forever. Whatever the Nazis take from us, they can’t take that.” (ebook location 4529)

I cannot recommend The Underground Library highly enough for anyone who loves historical fiction, and most especially for anyone who is interested in the World War II time period. This book is certain to be high on my favorites list for the year.

This is definitely a book for book lovers! I was getting a bit burned out on WW 2 historical fiction so it took me a bit longer to get through this one but once I was able to get the audiobook I sped through it. The audiobook is very well done and the story is a big ole love letter to the importance of books, libraries and resilient, resourceful women!

I loved all of the literature references and learning about the Bethnal Green Library that went underground and how important books and the library were in creating community and hope during the war.

It is my favorite book from Jennifer Ryan so far!

I was happy to receive the arc from Netgalley to read in exchange for my honest thoughts

The Underground Library was my first book by Jennifer Ryan. I am kind of picky with my WWII historical fiction because I think the genre has been done to death. However, I cannot resist a book about books! The Underground Library was a very mild WWII book with regards to how heavy or graphic the content was. It was a LOVELY book when it comes to how unifying and even life-giving books can be, even in the darkest of times.

This novel focuses on three storylines of three unique women. Juliet got the more traditional story of a plucky female librarian determined to prove her value to her community during this tumultuous time. Katie gets the "girl-in-trouble" storyline. And Sofie gets the storyline of a Jewish girl just trying to reunite with her family. All three of those stories were sweet, but none of them blew me away on their own. What I loved about the book was how those three women's stories connected through this wartime book club Juliet led in the underground tunnels of England during the air raids of WWII. I would recommend this book to those who like their Historical Fiction on the lighter side.

Jennifer Ryan has, again, written an exciting, educational, entertaining, and very meaningful book set during World War II in London.

It is set in Bethnel Green, and centers around three women: Juliet, the deputy librarian of the Bethnel Green Library; Katie, a library staff worker, getting ready to start college; and Sofie, who is a Jewish refugee from Germany, trying to stay safe until she can reunite with her family.

The story follows these three women as they each go through their own dramatic situations, and become special friends. They come together due to their commitment to the library. And after the library is bombed, Juliet decides to transfer the library down into the Bethnel Green Tube Station. There, it becomes especially important to the neighborhood as they cluster together for safety. During these times, books become a uniting device, where adults, and children alike, can check out and read books, join the library book club, and listen as Juliet reads nightly out of a book of classic literature.

Many traumatic events happen during this time of air raids and bombing in London, but the community of Bethnel Green remains solid. And when their library is threatened with closure, they band together to try to save it.

The three main characters’ stories are compelling and heartwarming, and keep a constant thread running through this book. These ladies must each learn what is best for themselves and for those that they love most.

This is a wonderful book that kept my attention throughout. I highly recommend it!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jennifer Ryan, and Random House Ballantine Books for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC. I do love a book about books. Historical fiction based on the true story of the bombing of Bethnal Green Library in the London Blitz. All the characters, mainly women, were very well developed and I enjoyed the progression of their lives. It did come together very neatly in the end...not sure real life would have played out that way but a very enjoyable read. Recommend!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan.
I loved Ms Ryan's previous book The Kitchen Front so I was eager to read her latest historical fiction.
The story takes place primarily in London during World War II, and revolves around three women, each facing different wartime struggles: Juliet, the librarian determined to keep morale up with the power of books; Katie, dealing with rumors that her soldier boyfriend is a deserter; and Sofie, a Jewish refugee struggling to find out news of the family she left behind.
Despite being set in wartime, this was an uplifting story of the power of helping others - highly recommend.

The power of libraries to connect people has never been more evident than in Jennifer Ryan’s latest novel, The Underground Library. The story features three, bright, strong-willed women and a cast of supporting characters who find themselves in London during the Blitz. The one thing they all have in common is their love of books and the public library. It’s quite impressive how Jennifer Ryan has incorporated so many firsthand accounts of the period into the book. I felt transported to the underground shelters along with Juliet, Sofie, and Katie and enjoyed the list of Classics they were reading as part of their Underground Library Book Club! I would love to know how the characters fare after the war and wonder if Ryan is considering a sequel.

This is not the first book I have read set during WWII at the Bethnal Green shelter tunnels, but it was still interesting to me. I liked it because the story is told through three interesting characters: Juliet and Katie, who work at the library and Sofie, a young Jewish refugee. Adding Sofie to the storyline added an interesting layer to the story.

I appreciate the Author’s Note section that goes in depth into the background research, which I’m sure was extensive. I need to add the London Transport Museum to my list of places to visit if I am ever back in London.

This WWII story focuses on a group of women in London during the war who come together from different classes to save their beloved public library, and help one another out during the Blitz. There's a lot of bonding and supportiveness and most of the main characters get a happily-ever-after ending. A few things bothered me throughout the book, including a lot of homonym errors, the fact that the author seems to have deliberately excluded Bethnal Green's large Jewish population, making it hard for one Jewish character to find help and community, and the author's treatment of the POW camps, describing being interred as going on a vacation. I suppose some readers might be able to overlook these issues and focus on the relationships and romances of the book, but I couldn't.

Objectively, The Underground Library is a great story of resilience and the power of community during dark times. I connected easily with the characters and became invested in their heartbreak and in their triumphs. Book lovers and fans of WWII historical fiction will enjoy this story.

Personally, my biggest hurdle with this book is that it seems so similar to other WWII books I’ve read recently. The WWII historical fiction market is always a bit saturated, but in the past year or so I’ve noticed an influx of books related to libraries and bookstores during the war. And I’m a librarian so I should love this! But I think I’m ready for some new stories to be told.

Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Just when I think I've read every possible angle on WWII, this wonderful story comes up on NetGalley. How can I resist? What's better than a book about books? A story about books...underground. So yes, geek out with me here for a minute, and enjoy librarians creating a sense of community in the most adverse circumstances imaginable. (I especially recommend to fans of AJ Pearce's Emmy Lake Chronicles). While the drama may not be as tense or gripping as you might think, the lovely story and the delightful characters are cause enough for compelling reading.

I believe this is the second book I’ve read by Jennifer Ryan, the first being The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle. I enjoyed both books ver much!

The author has certainly done her research into happenings during the Second World War, and has a knack for telling delightful stories that happened despite the war going on. This book focuses on the London Blitz and the moving of the Bethnal Green library branch into the nearby tube station after the building was bombed. She populates the story with lovable characters and the friendships that develop, not to mention love stories. She does a marvelous job of wrapping things up in the end.

I received this book from the publisher via net galley in exchange for an honest review. Four stars!i

Thank you Penguin Random House for the ARC of The Underground Library. There are a lot of WW2 novels written but I appreciate the new angles and stories that need to be told.

Author Jennifer Ryan brings the focus to the London Blitz and the Bethnal Green library moving down into the underground. The historical facts are interesting but it did feel like many other “cozy/quaint” WW2 novels. I wish the writing was stronger; I noticed a few character reactions repeat in the same paragraph “she said under her breath, she balled her fists” etc. I don’t mind the phrasing but they were so frequent and close together it took me out of the story.

This book was a wonderful book about three very different young women whose lives intertwine during WWII. At the beginning the women are dependent on others in their lives . The story takes you through as these characters grow , change and become independent . They meet through the love of books and actually bring an entire town together because of a library . You learn about their different experiences during the war. Each chapter is told from the view of a character . I enjoyed this book very much .

**Thank you to Random House for this free digital review copy.**

The Underground Library was an engaging novel about London during the Blitz, based on true stories of the men and women who kept the city going while it was getting bombed by the Nazis nightly. The bravery they showed and resilience to stay positive in such terrible conditions was incredible to read about. It's hard to imagine living in a time when it became normal to sleep in the subway tunnels while your home was getting bombed above. But that's exactly what this novel explored, and I truly enjoyed every storyline this novel followed: from Sofie escaping Berlin and all that she's put through once she reaches London to Katie's unplanned pregnancy and her determination not to lose the last piece of her love that she has. Juliet's ambition to help create community through the library is beautiful, and it makes her inability to see Victor's true motives so frustrating. While perhaps a bit cheesy, I was so happy with how everyone got a happy ending, even in the midst of the war.