The more that I read The Librarian of Burned Books, the more difficult it was to put down this novel. Brianna Labuskes creates a novel that recalls some of the most painful aspects of the multiple periods described in her novel. 1932/33, 1936/7, 1944 are years of turmoil and destruction, and Labuskes uses those years to her advantage in weaving together this complex web of history into the lives of fictional characters..

The Librarian of Burned Books is narrated by three women. Initially each woman, Althea, Hannah, and Vivian narrates a different time period, but by the end of the novel, all three women are able to tie together their separate stories. This final connection is so beautifully written, with elements of such emotional intensity, that I was in tears. I have not often read a piece of prose that is written with the beautiful intensity of poetry, but Labuskes achieves that beauty in The Librarian of Burned Books.

I spent a career teaching about the Holocaust and censorship, and so admittedly, I am biased about these topics, but for the first time since I retired, I find myself wishing for students with whom to discuss The Librarian of Burned Books. Luckily I am now the volunteer librarian at a Holocaust museum, and so I will be able to create opportunities to discuss and recommend The Librarian of Burned Books with student groups and other visitors.

I want to thank Labuskes and William Morrow for providing this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review. I will be recommending this novel for my book club and for the library. Historical fiction has a home in the Holocaust narrative. Thank you also to NetGalley for bringing this novel to my attention.

I don't know which angle drew me to the book the most..........the historic details of the past or the book censorship that sadly resonates with today's society. I was quickly caught up in the lives of three women who encountered censorship in either Nazi Germany or the United States during World War II.

Two of the women have a romantic relationship which is tested by the events they face and uncertain futures. All of the women will have their paths intersect in order to fight the good fight of intellectual freedom.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It folded in a variety of themes centered around the idea of the importance of setting a wide swath when you read; that is not simply reading just what you agree with or is typically a topic you enjoy, but reading widely so you are well informed about all points of view whether you agree with them or not. So censorship and it's dangers in a democratic society is a central theme as is the story of strong women who could easily have remained quiet and uninvolved and instead chose to channel their energy into important causes and to even put their well being on the line for principles greater than themselves. Another theme is that of not simply turning away from doing the right thing in the face of bigotry in all forms, especially when it leads to physical abuse and demonization of "the other." Gave me a lot to think about and it's parallels with today's state of American politics are all too obvious. Her prose is crisp and easy reading and I enjoyed the jumps back and forth in time, a format that not everyone loves but in this case was perfect for the story line.

A bit confusing initially but once the story unfolded, it was easy to follow. Contains the story of 2 young girls that are swept up in the horror of Nazi Germany - one through a writer’s visit from the US and the other a resistance member that lost her brother. The two are brought together again when a young girl is trying to change the laws about books being sent to troops.

I hate starting a review with "I hate," but let me be honest - I hate WWII fiction. Maybe it was forced too harshly on me throughout my years of Jewish education, maybe it just still hurts too much in my soul for me to find entertainment - my reason for reading fiction - in. I was hesitant to request and read this book. However the community I work as a librarian in is enamored with WWII books and they are the number one most requested books in my library. Netgalley recommended it to me because of the LGBTQ+ category, and I decided to give it a shot. This book absolutely floored me. It did often give me the gut-punch ache I experience with Holocaust books, but this book had me too deeply in its grip for me to care. I adored the story and the characters, and how the author wove them all together. While the sapphic romance was the bait this book used to hook me, I stayed for the thoughts and ideas, the characters who love books as much as I do. As a librarian, I cannot wait to share this book with my community and as a queer Jewish woman, I cannot wait to share this book with the people that I love.