The Librarian Spy written by Madaline Martin is another in a long line of historical novels being written about books, libraries and the Holocaust. Martin also wrote The Last Bookshop in London and The Keeper of Hidden Books both books about the role books and librarians played in World War II.

In this novel we meet two different women who lives were changed by World War II. Helene who as a young married woman moves with her husband to Lyon, France from Paris. There she is just a housewife as her husband tries to protect her from the horror of a war unfolding. When he does not come home one evening from work, after they argued in the morning, Helene does not know what to think. When she finds out her husband was a leader in the Resistance, she regrets the arguments they had before he left. Taking on a new persona, Helene becomes Elaine and starts to work for the Resistance. She is determined to make a difference in the war and help end the atrocities.

Meanwhile living a different kind of life, Ava Harper leaves her job at the Library of Congress in the Rare Books room to come to Lisbon, Portugal to help the United States uncover what is happening in Europe. She works reading the local newspapers and sending messages back to the US. A coded message catches her eye and she gets involved in trying to rescue a young Jewish mother and her child in their effort to escape to America. Ava also finds herself anxious to help the people who are being persecuted at personal risk to herself. She must be careful when she finds the man across the hall ahs been taken away by police. Then she is being followed and she realizes someone has been coming in her apartment looking throuogh her things. It is a race against time to help Sarah and Noah get on a ship to the US

Based on a composite of real people and real events of World War II, Martin has created characters who are living the lives experiences she imagines were happening in Portugal and France in 1943. This is a well researched novel that will leave you amazed by the bravery and caring of these characters.

This is my first book of the year and oh my goodness, it's fantastic. It languished in my TBR stack for far too long and I am so glad I finally picked it up. Libraries, books, and espionage. How can you resist that?

Ava is a librarian at the Library of Congress and is offered a chance to work in Lisbon with the military, gathering intelligence, which comes in the form of newspapers. The papers are read for information the allies can glean about the Germans.

Elaine is a member of the French Resistance, publishing forbidden resistance news. When her paper comes into Ava's possession, these two brave women ultimately connect through coded messages and a young Jewish family.

The dual stories in the same timeline worked well and I kept anticipating when they would merge. In the meantime, their individual stories were captivating.

The author does not shy away from the atrocities of war and what happened to those who resisted. I can't even imagine what it was like to have to live it. I also had no idea that Portugal was considered a neutral territory and that so many refugees found themselves there, waiting for transport to Britain and America.

The story is well written with beautifully descriptive prose. It features strong, resilient women who understand what is at stake with this war and lives that are affected. These women see a need and are driven to take action. The female resistance fighters working with Elaine are amazing. Nicole, Denise and Manon have their own reasons for resisting and they give no inch. Truly, the men and women who survived in Europe during the war were stellar and brave.

The author's note taught me so much about the librarians who worked in Portugal and the history there. Her research was meticulous and it shows in the writing.

This is a matter of it's me not the book. I have just read too many WWII books and even more resistance books lately. While the topic is important and valuable, I have found my tolerance for yet another WWII backdrop book is low. This book had all the promising factors of a good book with strong female leads, historical fiction and solid writing. But at the end of the day, I just didn't love it, because frankly, I've just read too much WWII. I wish this favorite backdrop for books would change.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the e-copy of this book.

This is a dual storyline WWII novel. It follows Ava who is an American in Lisbon, Portugal collecting newspapers and other materials to copy and send back to America to help track the war and provide possible intel. The other storyline follows Elaine in Leon, France who joins the resistance effort and helps with their newsletter. In some ways this felt like two completely different stories/books. Their storylines only overlap in the sense that Ava is receiving copies of the newsletters that Elaine is producing and, at one point, they both help a mother and son try to get to America. Since it felt like two separate stories, I wanted more from both. The Elaine story tries to create a villain in a specific Nazi, but he's really just mentioned by name as a ruthless man who tortures his prisoners. I wanted to have more experience with him to really see him as a threat in the story where I truly celebrated his demise. I wanted characters further developed to really connect with them and more insight into what the resistance was doing. As for the Ava story, aside from copying the newsletters, I didn't really feel like they were being spies. There is a small part about her with a British spy, but even that felt underdeveloped in terms of espionage. It almost felt more like a romantic interest rather than spy work. Each story could have been a book on its own, so I wanted a little bit more to raise the stakes in each story. It all worked on a whole and it created an interesting novel, but I found myself wanting a little bit more suspense, especially if we're dealing with spies and the resistance. Elaine's story had more suspense/threat than Ava's.

On a whole it was an enjoyable book. It was interesting to learn about the librarians' efforts to record materials and to learn about WWII Portugal. However, come the end, the novel on a whole was not overly memorable in a sea of WWII fiction. I would not dissuade someone from reading it - it was a good book - I'm just not rushing off to tell everyone about it.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A interesting take on civilian side-espionage during World War II with well-developed characters. Each have their own distinct voice and personality and the story is interesting, if similar to other WWII espionage tales of late.

4/5 ⭐️
Anything that has to do with World War 2 and the Holocaust are a automatic read for me. This was no exception. I really loved this story of these two women.

I love anything that deals with librarians and this book was great. Intrigue and suspense, it held me from the beginning to the end. Would definitely recommend

Be ready with tissues when you pick up this book. I’ve read many books about WWII and this one impacted me more than most. I felt the Resistance’s strength in its members and felt their losses. It was heartbreaking to read the terror and pain the people went through. The story is told by two woman who do not know each other but help each other in the best way. These woman are strong and determined to fight for what they believe in and I love stories that feature these type of characters. It is a must read story, especially if you like to read the WWII historical fiction genre. I cannot say enough good things about this book.

2.5 stars

I think the idea for the story was great and there were elements that I really enjoyed. But I felt like several things were just glossed over - Lukas, Daniel, etc. - and they really should have been a lot more significant to the story. All in all, it just read as quite scattered, and I wasn't a fan of jumping back and forth between the two women, I was much more interested in Ava's story.

Two storylines going on at the same time and while the reader has to wait a bit for them to collide, when it does, it is so good!

Ava was happy working at The Library of Congress when she was approached with an interesting job - to go abroad and work with the US military in intelligence. Elaine is living in occupied France and with recent happenings going on around her she decides to join the effort and work for a printing press trying to get the news from the Resistance out into the world.

I absolutely loved this book. I enjoy reading about this war, and while I know about the atrocities that happened, sometimes it is hard to read the hard truths of it all. SO I like these books where I can read and learn more about this war, but not quite enter into the depths of all that happened.

When there are two storylines, sometimes I lean towards one or the other, but not the case in this book. These women were in two different parts of the war doing two different things and I loved seeing both of them in the same book.

My second Madeline Martin historical fiction book and she is quickly becoming an author that I will immediately open and read!

Dangle a World War II set novel, written by a woman, with “librarian” in the title in front of me and you better believe I’ll grab it. Immediately. With both hands. I was so excited to read The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin not just because of those three things but also because I very much enjoyed her debut, The Last Bookshop of London (review here). It was a really interesting – and enjoyable – read!

Here’s the book’s description:
Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.


As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.
Truthfully, the use of “librarian” in the title is a wee bit misleading. Ava isn’t at the Library of Congress for very long and I didn’t get the sense that she was very bookish (and if I’m misremembering, my apologies to both Ava and Martin!). BUT librarians (and other library staff) do a lot of different things and her knowledge of certain materials would have been intriguing and helpful to the government during war (how did they find these people?).

I found switching between Ava’s story in Portugal and Elaine’s in France to be a bit…I don’t want to say annoying because I wasn’t frustrated. It was more…like I was reading two different stories. I was certain they’d connect at some point, but it took an awfully long time for the two women’s stories to come together. They were both interesting, don’t get me wrong. Each woman was doing really important work to help end the war and I enjoyed learning the little bits of information Martin shared. But there have just been a lot of historical fiction novels like this that are either dual timeline or dual narrative and sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. I have to wonder if it’s done because authors don’t think they have a robust enough story to focus on just one aspect or if publishers somehow think this is all historical fiction readers want.

I really didn’t know much about Portugal’s role in WWII before reading this novel. Essentially, they were neutral throughout most of the war – although it seems they were quite helpful to the Allied forces. They were also one of the last escape routes out of Europe for those trying to flee the dangers of war. I’m definitely interested in learning more about this part of WWII that is new to me.

The Librarian Spy was one of those books that I had a great time reading but isn’t the best novel in the historical fiction genre. I expected a little better from Madeline Martin and this book doesn’t hold up to a scrutinizing review but I was entertained from start to finish and I’ll for sure be reading whatever Martin writes next.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, HarperCollins Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

3.75 stars, rounded to 4.

This historical fiction novel is set during WWII. Ava, a Library of Congress librarian, accepts a contract position overseas in neutral Portugal working for the US military, where her job is to obtain daily papers and put pertinent information on microfiche. Simultaneously, in occupied France, Elaine has begun work with the resistance after her husband Joseph goes missing. These stories alternate and eventually intersect. The author is very adept at bringing each of these character’s stories and experiences to life. There is mystery, suspense, and very difficult things to read about as the Nazis do their best to advance their objectives. I ultimately enjoyed this story and would recommend to anyone who wants a glimpse into what it must have been like with the rationing, the fear of capture, and the way lives and societies can change during war. These strong women are great characters. There were times where I felt the writing veered into a history lesson, but it’s a minor quibble.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press, Netgalley, and Cindy at Thoughts From a Page. This novel was the June early reads for the Thoughts From a Page Patreon group, and I received an advance reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was such an excellent read, I am only sorry it took me so long to get to it! This story, told from the perspectives of two women, sucked me right in and held on to the very end. I am always so awed by the grit and resilience of people who live through war, and this story really brings that to the forefront. This is a story about love and sacrifice, and the lengths people will go to in order to protect those they love. I won't forget it, and I'd love to read more from this author.

The Librarian Spy is a novel that alternates between Lisbon and France in World War II and is told with two alternating narrators, Elaine and Ava.

The two women find themselves connected through coded secret messages in publications to aid the resistance.

The Librarian Spy is a powerful and ultimately a hopeful story. The characters are well developed and I felt their belief and passion in the pages of this book. The love of books and reading Ava felt was very present and really came through when reading this novel.

Many historical fiction novels have a “current timeline” that has some connection to the historical one. However, although The Librarian Spy has two plotlines, they both occur at the same time in 1943. That sounds confusing but it’s not. What is the significance of each woman’s story and how do they relate to each other? The author takes great care to build the plot lines independently but with enough action in each to further draw in the reader. Ava’s is more intriguing due to her eventual position and duties. But Elaine’s is more compelling due to the urgency of her work. It’s difficult to say that one enjoys reading about dark periods in history, but this book kept me up at night, as I was eager to find out the fates of both women. For more details, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press.

Madeline Martin once again takes you back in time and lets you walk in someone’s shoes. One of the two POV in this book takes you to neutral Lisbon, Portugal with a librarian. Every scene felt authentic and exciting. The themes about the power of communication and the role women played in resistance were exciting in new ways. The narrator Saskia Maarleveld delivered both POV with stunning clarity. She embodied these characters and transports the listener with her commitment to each personality.

This novel is not your typical summer read, but if you would like to be immersed in a story with two strong women during WWII then this is a great one to pick up. The story unfolds with dual narrators: Ava, a librarian at the library of Congress who is asked to join a special government group and go to Lisbon to work for a covert operation, and Elaine, a French resistance fighter.

I did not know much about Portugal during WWII and hadn't realized that they remained neutral. Martin does a wonderful job of immersing the reader in 1940s Lyon and Lisbon, her attention to detail was so interesting to read. Because Portugal was neutral those sections were a little lighter and easier to read than the very tough situation that Elaine lived as a resistance fighter.

Overall this was a compelling, at times tough read about two strong women.

I really enjoyed the characters and introduction to an aspect of the war I had never considered, but overall, the pace of this novel didn't really hold my interest as I would have hoped. The narration for the audiobook was excellent, however.

I found all of the characters to be so fascinating and heartfelt and I wish I could have connected to the plot just a little bit more.

Thanks to HTP for a copy of The Librarian Spy.

Two things I love -- historical fiction and spies. I didn't know much about these librarian spies during WWII but I found this book fascinating to learn more about these remarkable women!

Helene wants to work for the resistance for her war torn country of France. When her husband disappears she discovers he is a major force within the resistance giving paperwork to Jews trying to escape the Germans. She discovers he has been captured by the Nazi's and gets a new identity to help him escape. The story of Ava an American in Portugal blends in with Helene's story. There are a lot of novels similar to this published. It is heart wrenching and sad that the world lived through this era.