Mainly set in neutral Portugal during 1942-1944. Maria is a German Portuguese librarian from New York City who was sent to microfilm materials from Axis countries for the Allies. She meets Tiago a Portuguese book seller who is helping Jews through his family's pipeline from his grandparent vineyard in France to his parents' vineyard in Portugal. Maria is willing to do anything to help her country and ends up being a double spy. Both are doing dangerous work and live with the threat of imprisonment or death. You have to keep reading to see if the war will end soon enough that they can survive the dangers. I enjoyed learning about historical events that aren't as well known.

It is unusual to find two books of recent publication with such similar themes.. Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin is also about a librarian who goes to WWII Lisbon to gather materials useful to American intelligence. This novel has the heroine in more potential danger to herself and U.S. war efforts. It also goes into more detail about refugees seeking transport to America. I would recommend both. Thanks to #NetGalley and #TheBookSpy for an advanced digital copy.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t read a ton of historical fiction but I do enjoy the genre from time to time. This was a really interesting novel set during World War II that focused on librarians sent to gather documents during the war. I liked the fact that this book told a story based on an aspect of the war effort that I would have never imagined. I am so glad that I decided to pick up this wonderful story.

Maria was a great character and I loved her determination and willingness to risk everything for what she believed in. Maria was determined to become a part of the group under the Office of Strategic Services as soon as her male college is recruited. While there is no policy against women being a part of the group, there are obstacles that make it difficult for a woman to actually get a spot. Maria had to get creative to get noticed. She proved to be a stand-out in the field once she finally made it to Portugal to do the work.

I also really liked Tiago who did what he could to help the Jewish refugees flee to safety even at his own risk. He was a bookseller in Portugal who also helps Jewish people hoping to leave the country gain the papers that they will need. Along with his co-worker, he has provided passports and visas to countless individuals. Tiago’s and Maria’s paths cross as she is looking for books to microfilm and they soon form a closer connection. They both find themselves in a tremendous amount of danger and I wasn’t sure how things would work out for them.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others. I found this to be an incredibly interesting story with fantastic characters. I was surprised by just how much each character risked to achieve their goal. I would definitely read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books.

I enjoy reading historical fiction about the women who contributed to war efforts and the impact they made, and this book was no exception.

Maria Alves was inspired by her photojournalist parents to stand up for what was right. And Tiago Soares had the role models, not only of his parents, but his grandparents as they all helped Jews escape Nazi Germany to safety.

While Maria and Tiago both have separate missions to accomplish, they quickly recognize the good each other was doing and to come to one another's aid.

An inspiring novel of self-sacrifice and courage in the face of evil.

Thank you to Alan Hlad, Kensingon Books, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

A very original, well plotted, and compelling mix of different genre set during WWII. Librarians as spies, all the secret powers of librarians used to support the war effort.
I was moved, rooted for the characters, and couldn't put this book down.
Well researched and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Parabéns Alan Hlad! THE BOOK SPY pushes all the buttons for me. Fast-paced, correct use of Portuguese (impressed with your correct use of “saudades” which has special meanings for me), good research, engaging characters…….Maria is an amazing protagonist charging into the Astor mansion to speak with William “Wild Bill” Donavan, have amazing confidence to be undercover in Portugal, and courage to become a spy without having had training.

The author really knows how to write vivid scenes including the crash of the Pan Am Yankee Clipper, Peniche Prison where Tiago is sent, the wedding of Gretl Braun…..
I really enjoyed the Author Notes of how Hlad researched and crafted this story. My one wish is that there was an epilogue (maybe fifteen years later) that lets the reader see what happened to the characters. My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Twenty-seven-year-old Maria Alves is happy working as an archivist at the New York Public Library in 1942...until she learns that the government is recruiting microfilm specialists to work overseas for the Interdepartmental Committee for the Acquisition of Foreign Publications (IDC). Fueled by her mother's untimely death while working as a photojournalist covering the Spanish Civil War, Maria resolves to earn a spot on the IDC, despite the fact that she does not meet their qualifications. Maria is a tenacious woman, determined to honor her mother's memory by fighting fascism, so, when she cannot secure a spot in the conventional way, she contrives a plan that will get her past the gatekeeper and all the way to the man in charge. While Maria is in Portugal searching for and filming Nazi propaganda, she meets and falls in love with twenty-eight-year-old Tiago Soares, who has dedicated his life to helping Jewish refugees escape Europe. She and Tiago are both dogged in their pursuits, bravely risking their lives to fight against fascism.

I found the book to be well-written, fast-paced and historically accurate. I enjoyed learning about the librarians who left their comfortable lives to support the Allies, working tirelessly to provide information crucial to the war effort. I strongly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys WWII history, a strong female lead, a love story, or just a story of human resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

“The Book Spy” by Alan Hlad.
This is my second time reading a book set during World War Two. I really loved that we got to live the story, set during a war, from a point of view of a woman. Also I really enjoyed that we got two Point of views chapters: Maria in America and Tiago in Portugal.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the Nazi and Jewish refugees topic is a little sensitive for me.
To finish I would definitely recommend the book to my friends!

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad was a most compelling and engaging book about aspects of World War II that I had known about. Over the years, I have read all of the books that Alan Hlad has written. His books always focus on little known aspects that occurred during World War II, have strong female protagonists, are well written and impeccably researched. I was so excited when I saw that he had written a new book. Even though I had previously read about how librarians had been used to help the war effort during World War II, Alan Hlad included so much more about their roles during the war and other significant information that occurred in the neutral countries where the librarians were involved in his book, The Book Spy. Author, Alan Hlad, shared in his author’s notes, that he based the female librarian protagonist, Maria Alves, on two incredibly brave and determined individuals. I was drawn into this fast paced, well plotted and factually based novel immediately. It was hard to stop reading and harder still to stop thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it.

Maria Alves was the only daughter of immigrant photojournalist parents. Her mother had been born in Germany and her father in Portugal. When Maria was a young girl, she often accompanied her parents on their assignments. Maria got to travel, live in foreign countries if only temporarily when her parents were working and learn several languages. When Maria was in college, her mother had died. Maria’s mother and father were in Madrid during The Spanish Civil War and her mother was killed by crossfire. Her father caught her mother as she fell to her death. Both Maria and her father were devastated by her death. As a result, Maria’s father no longer traveled to Europe for assignments. He and Maria shared an apartment in Newark, New Jersey. Maria’s father accepted local freelance assignments now.

After Maria graduated from college, she secured the position of head of the microfilm department at The New York City Public Library. Maria enjoyed her work but she had hopes and aspirations of doing more. One of her roles was to train new recruits. Her patience and vast knowledge and experience helped her to do this exceedingly well. Maria had trained Roy who was now her assistant. Roy was married and had children, where Maria was single and still living at home with her supportive and caring father. Despite the differences in their lives, Maria and Roy had a good working relationship.

One day, Roy came to the library and announced to Maria that he had been accepted as one of the librarians recruited by The Interdepartmental Committee for the Acquisition of Foreign Publications or the IDC. The IDC was Colonel William “Wild Bill” Donovan’s ingenious idea. It was approved by President Roosevelt just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The premise of its mission was to train librarians that had worked with microfilm and send them to neutral countries like Portugal, Sweden and Spain to photograph books by foreign authors that the Nazis were burning. These librarians were also encouraged to obtain, photograph and turn into microfilm, any information that might prove crucial to the war. Roy was to be trained at The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. and then be sent to one of the neutral countries. Maria was happy for Roy but a little jealous as well. She would have given anything to be accepted into this program as well. Fredrick Kilgour had been assigned to head this project. Over the next several weeks, Maria made numerous phone calls to Mr. Kilgour’s office and wrote several letters to him that outlined her education and experience with microfilm but to no avail. Mr. Kilgour was only taking candidates that had graduated from Ivy League schools and almost all of them were male. Maria was not ready to give up, though. When she learned from a newspaper article that Colonel Donovan was going to be in New York and that he was going to speak at the home of Vincent Astor, one of the wealthiest men in New York City, she began to cultivate a plan. Maria’s plan got her inside the Astor home and in front of Colonel Donovan. Although the way it all went down was not how Maria had envisioned it, the results were exactly what she had hoped for. Maria received a phone call from Fredrick Kilgour himself the very next day. She was to report to the Library of Congress for training. Roy was surprised but happy to see Maria when she arrived. As experienced as Maria was in handling microfilm, her training was grueling and quite competitive. Roy, her former assistant, and his partner Pilar, helped Maria get used to the equipment that was being used and the routines. Men had the upper hand in this program so women had to work twice as hard to prove their capabilities. Maria watched as more and more men were sent to the neutral countries as she was overlooked despite being more proficient than most of the men that had been chosen. Finally, Maria was given her assignment. She was to fly to Lisbon, Portugal on Pan Am’s Yankee Clipper.

Flying on Pan Am’s Yankee Clipper was Maria’s first flight on an airplane. When she had traveled with her parents as young girl, they had always traveled by boat. Maria was nervous and yet excited. All the passengers on board The Yankee Clipper were part of the war effort. There were journalists and entertainers. The government had spared no expense or detail. The plane was equipped with sleeping accommodations, changing rooms and anything the passengers could possibly want. Marie was lucky enough to have a window seat so she was able to see the views from her window as they flew. She had gotten friendly with the male journalist sitting next to her over the course of the trip and offered to change seats with him for the last part of the flight so he could peer out the window and she could get some sleep. As the plane was making its descent, something very wrong started to happen. The plane crashed into Lisbon’s Tagus River. Twenty-four of the thirty-nine passengers that were on board Pan Am’s Yankee Clipper died. Maria was injured but she survived. Her first few days in Lisbon were spent in a hospital. Maria’s hip was dislocated and she needed many stitches on a bad cut on her back. She later learned that the man that was sitting next to her did not survive the crash. Maria was so shaken from the crash. Besides her physical casualties, she was haunted by dreams about the crash for quite a while. Mr. Kilgour wanted Maria to return to the States but Maria insisted on staying in Lisbon. She was determined to do her job.

As soon as Maria was able to walk with the help of a pair of crutches, she started visiting book stores. One of her first visits was to a bookstore owned by a man named Tiago Soares. His shop contained mostly poetry but Maria browsed the shelves and found some pertinent books. When Tiago introduced himself to Maria and asked if he could help her find something in particular, Maria explained that she was an American working for The Library of Congress and trying to find books that were being either banned or burnt by the Nazis. During one of Maria’s visits to Tiago’s shop, she discovered a copy of A Secret Directory of German Manufacturers. Maria knew that the information in this book would prove to be valuable to the war effort and gathering information about Germany’s military capabilities. All the information that Maria found was photographed and converted into microfilm before it was sent to Britain by plane. That way it took up very little space and added little weight to the aircraft.

Maria soon discovered that Tiago had a mission of his own as well. Tiago was aiding Jewish refugees by helping them escape from Europe. Lisbon became known as the “last gate out of Europe “ during World War II. The refugees that made their way to Lisbon tried to secure passage on a ship going to the United States, Canada or Latin America. Tiago’s grandparents in Bordeaux, France and his parents in Portugal had helped set up an escape route for Jews to escape persecution. Both his grandparents in Bordeaux and his parents In Portugal owned wineries that had many caves that were perfect for hiding escaping Jews. They had established safe houses with local churches along the route as well. The escapees made their way to Bordeaux to Tiago’s grandparents winery, then to his parent’s winery and finally to Lisbon where Tiago helped forge passports and visas for them and raise enough money for their passages. Tiago was very worried about his grandparent’s safety. His grandmother was Jewish and France was occupied by the Nazis. Although both Tiago and his parents tried to persuade them to leave France, they refused to leave when there were still Jews that needed their help. Tiago decided to travel to Bordeaux himself to try and persuade them to leave. As Tiago got closer to his grandparent’s winery he learned that they were rounded up and taken away to a work camp in Poland. Tiago had been too late. He was so devastated as were his parents when he told him about it.

One night Maria, Roy and Pilar decided to go for dinner in Estoril and then to the casino. Roy and Pilar went off to try their luck at gambling. Maria decided to wander around by herself and just observe everything. By chance, Maria met Lars Steiger at the roulette table. He was quite a bit older than Maria but he engaged her in conversation. She learned that he was a widower, a Swiss banker and must have been quite wealthy the way he gambled. With Maria’s help and luck, Lars was quite successful at the roulette wheel that night. Maria’s choice of numbers, color and odd or even choices were extraordinarily good. Lars won very big that night and insisted that Maria take half of the winnings. At first she was reluctant but eventually she accepted. Maria planned to give her winnings to Tiago, who she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about. She hoped that this money could help another refugee escape. Before Maria left to meet up with Roy and Pilar again, Lars gave her his business card.

Maria had no intentions of ever seeing Lars again but when she received a visit from another operative and was asked if she had met a man named Lars Steiger, she was put on guard. The conversation that followed was very intriguing and scary. That was when Maria agreed to become a double agent. Maria was asked to feed false information to the Nazis through Lars and to learn as much about Lars as she could. As Maria and Lars forged a contrived friendship, Maria laid the groundwork to make Lars believe that she was a Nazi sympathizer, as he was himself. Maria made Lars believe that she had a network of spies that revealed Allied intelligence back to her. Lars and Maria devised a plan where Maria would report all her findings about Allied intelligence to a German intelligence officer. After the information was received and verified, Maria would be generously compensated for her work. In this way, Maria helped the Allied forces launch Operation Fortitude. The Allied forces sent Maria false information about the location and times of the invasion of France and Maria passed it onto the Germans.

During this time, Maria also learned about Wolfram or tungsten ore. Portugal was one of the few countries that produced Wolfram in large quantities. Tungsten was needed by the Nazis to make hard steel that was necessary in building tanks and making shells for military weapons. Having an abundance of tungsten and agreeing to sell it to the Nazis was enough for Portugal’s dictator, Salazar, to make a pact with the Nazis for neutrality during the war. As Maria got to know Lars, she discovered that he was prospering from the sale of tungsten as well. In addition, Lars was helping the Nazis launder gold retrieved from Jews. Maria discovered the hard way, when Lars deceived her, that Lars was highly infiltrated in the Nazi Party and their most powerful leaders. Maria was leading a very dangerous life. Would her efforts as a double agent help Operation Fortitude succeed? Would Maria’s role as a spy that fed misinformation to Hitler be believed? Would Operation Fortitude prove to be a complete surprise to the Nazis and allow the allied forces to defeat Hitler and the Nazis? What would become of Maria and Tiago? How would Maria handle the dangers was to encounter?

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad was an engrossing historical fiction novel based on the heroism of several people who actually lived. I enjoyed how Alan Hlad combined just the right amount of facts with fiction to make his book so compelling to read. Maria, Tiago and Rosa were my favorite characters. Maria was determined, brave, intelligent, confident, resourceful, independent and not afraid of taking risks or breaking rules. Tiago was selfless, determined, shy, intelligent, eager to help, and very brave. I loved the romance and love that Maria and Tiago shared. In my opinion, it only enhanced the story. Rosa was motherly, extremely intelligent, deceptive, loyal, trustworthy and a good friend. I really enjoyed reading The Book Spy by Alan Hlad and recommend it very highly. I can’t wait until Alan Hlad writes his next book. Publication was yesterday, January 24, 2023.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing for allowing me to read The Book Spy by Alan Hlad through Netgalley in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

I'm a huge fan of the author, who's written another compelling histfic novel, this time set primarily in Portugal during WWII. The heroes are librarians with microfilm expertise, sent by America into foreign countries to capture material on the enemy. One gutsy young librarian, Maria, even becomes an OSS spy, risking everything to help defeat the Nazis.

Hlad's spare style propels the gripping story, his keen character development adds depth and warmth, and his deft research makes THE BOOK SPY sing with authenticity. A winner!

In 1941 William Donovan suggested the use of librarians to acquire enemy books and periodicals to be microfilmed and analyzed for intelligence. The program was approved by the president and librarians were stationed in neutral countries to develop contacts and find bookstores that could provide the materials. Maria Alves worked for the New York Public Library. She had traveled with her parents, who were photojournalists, and was fluent in several languages. Originally rejected, she crashed an event at the Astor’s home to meet Donovan, who was impressed by her planning and persistence. After training she was sent to Lisbon where she met Tiago, a bookseller with secrets of his own.

When the Germans occupied France Tiago’s grandparents in Bordeaux aided Jewish refugees in their escape. The escape line passed through the vineyards of Tiago’s parents in Portugal and ended at his bookshop, where he and his assistant Rosa forged documents for them and used the proceeds from his sales to smuggle them to safety. While Tiago and Maria must keep their secrets from each other, they still form feelings for each other. When Maria meets a Swiss banker with connections to high level Germans she is called to take on the role of a double agent, putting her life in danger..

Alan Hlad’s The Book Spy is an emotional look at the plight of the refugees in WWII. As Tiago fights to save as many as he can, there are still thousands who live on the streets in fear of being sent back to face the Germans. It is also a look at the librarians who provided intelligence to help win the war. He incorporates actual events and historical figures, such as Operation Fortitude, the preparation for D-Day. Filled with memorable characters and heartbreaking scenes, this is a story that will stay with you long after the last page. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this book for my review.

Reading The Book Spy was very educational. So many events I had no knowledge of. A ton of research that Hlad did is evident. The Book Spy is a fictional story but has many intriguing historical events woven into it and numerous historical figures make appearances. Intriguing read as Maria finds herself being a spy. She wasn’t afraid to break rules and strike out on her own. Highly recommend.

First, I must start off by giving homage to the author, Alan Hlad, before talking about his new release, The Book Spy. There are often readers who want to know how much of a book is fact and how much fiction. My husband always asks me, after every movie we watch, “Was that a real story?” While I don’t know why that matters so much to him, most of the time, it does not matter much to me. A story is a story, and, with all the other planets in the universes, the aspect of multiverses, just everything, anything could have happened to anyone, thus, any story could be everyone’s, even if in a small way. And, what true story is ever really the whole truth, for that matter? When I read about Hall's process, in writing his books, that he takes real to life events and individuals, and uses them as major inspiration for what he creates, I liked the fact that he took true things and made them his own.

After all, that’s what I think most people do with everything in life, look at things, remember them and tell them as they remember them. One of the experiences the main character in the book, Maria has, when her plane crashes on the way to Portugal. Well, Hlad had taken a real life crash of the Yankee Clipper in Lisbon’s Tagus River on February 22, 1943, and put her in it. But, the reason why the writer used the little known crash was for a reason (there may have been many). To honor those who passed away in a harrowing incident that is now long forgotten. Even if we honor life in that way, honor those that died with the mention of them, in a fictional book, I feel that has genuine gratitude for their life, and a lot of class. As the time and work it takes to work situations like that into a story point can be consuming or even, derailing. However, the author took the long past event and worked it into the story with grace and ease.

The Book Spy is a World War II story exactly as the title says, Martha, the main character, is a librarian who recruits herself with panache for the newly formed U.S. government unit that goes overseas and microfilms war documents for the Library of Congress (papers, mostly, but books and what they could get their hands on). She is sent to Portugal, who claims to be neutral about their status during the war, despite what Martha will find out. From the moment readers learn of how Martha will get herself into the unit, for without a PhD she cannot apply, we know that this woman is going to get a lot of work done, but also, possibly get herself in a lot of trouble.

But, if there is anyone who will complete the tenets the unit sets out, while going above and beyond them, it will definitely be this librarian. And, even the crash she is in, mentioned above, that takes most of the lives of the passengers, Martha is not slowed down. Though she is asked to come home, when she declines, the director has learned already, Martha is not one to take direction but make her own way, hoping to help end this terrible war. And, since the program was birthed by the maverick William “Wild Bill” Donovan, Martha is very much respected for her “unique courage” (a political way to state her behavior). Martha is definitely a memorable and spirited heroine, and I will remember long after reading the book.

The story is shared with Tiago, the owner of a bookshop in Portugal. Part of an underground network to help Jews get out of Europe to America, he is constantly bothered by the PVDE, part of the police force, and must keep all he does a secret. Plus, there is a past he hides from his own country that, if found out, could put him in prison for the rest of his life (at the very least).
When the pair meet, they both find that the other is someone that they could spend the rest of their life with, and a romance blossoms. But, before it can bloom, the two remind themselves that they owe themselves to their cause, before all else. Both are determined to help end the war and, until then, help those in it, in danger, get out. But, will they both survive until the end, especially when Martha meets a Swiss banker, Lars, who is helping Germany buy wolfram from the Portuguese government?

Being a neutral country, the Allies would look unkind if this information was divulged. But, when Lars asks Martha to spy on her own country, Martha goes from taking photos of documents to passing false information right to the Nazi party, something that could, if she is found out, end her life. But, what is one life worth when so many are at stake?

This was my first time reading Alan Hlad, who has written several other books all revolving around United States history and World War II. As I felt that this was a unique topic, the fact that librarians were sent overseas, all sent carrying magazines (to trade) that could get them killed, doing a job that could get them killed, I looked into some of the other books and topics Hlad covers. They are all like this, books about instances during the Second World War which no other author has covered, unique but very much a part of recorded history. And, the manner in which Hlad presents his stories, using fact to write fiction, keeping and honoring instances readers would probably never know about, I find dear to my heart and something I would love to read more on.

So, as I go back and read more of this “new-to-me” author, I wait for the future and the next creative story Alan Hlad twists, hoping he once again honors the memory of those in the past, bringing a good read to the future. Something Hlad is now known to do.

Above, on Goodreads, below, published to Feb. print edition column, Tea Time With A Good Book, Feb. edition, to come out. Available in Colliwood Observer and Euclid Observer editions for the month.

One of the best books released last month, Mr. Breakfast, by Jonathan Carroll, drew me into the world of Graham Patterson, a failing comedian who finds himself in a tattoo parlor, the one he picks, giving him the ability to switch between two other versions of his life. In the end, Patterson must make the choice of the life he wants, of the three. But, with the success he finally sees achieved in his own life, the life of love he could have had with the woman that got away and, well, one as a tiny brained lizard (read the book to answer that), things are harder than it may seem, when it comes to picking Patterson’s forever after. And, when it comes to the choice, things happen so fast as to never really have one at all.

Alan Hlad, master of World War II, releases The Book Spy this month. Keeping with past form, using historical record to develop characters, situations, and experiences, keeps this book as close to what might have happened, presenting readers with a story that is vividly mastered. In the book Maria, a member of the U.S. 's newly formed microfilm preservation unit, travels to Portugal, a neutral country, to preserve war literature. There she meets Tiago, one of the booksellers and a man who, like her, is fighting Nazism. After the two fall in love they realize that the war must first be resolved before they can be together as they both have their own individual part to play. But, will they both survive, so dangerous the fire they play with?

Out of this fire comes Olga Tymofiyeva with Just City. In this enlightened first book from the writer, Nathan, when asked to be a tester of the VR game designed by his grandmother, Just City, finds himself questioning almost everything about his life when his “veil of ignorance” is lifted. As Nathan journeys on, to his future, he finds himself searching for answers to things that we all should question at some point, beginning to build a belief structure he can be proud of. Truly a story for young and old alike, Just City will help all become a better person themselves, when they ask the same questions about their own life, lift their own “veil of ignorance”. If even, just by reading it.

Find more books @: http://www.goodreads.com/jeneanevanderhoof

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad follows an American Librarian recruited by the OSS to collect Axis information overseas. Mr. Hlad is published author known for his historical novels.

Maria Alves works for the New York Public Library as a microfilm expert. Due to her foresight, and cunning, she was recruited to work with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and sent to Portugal to collect published information about the Axis.

In Lisbon, Portugal, she finds a friendly bookstore owner, Tiago, who helps her on her mission. Soon, Maria finds herself serving as a double agent, feeding misinformation to a Swiss banker and Nazi financie

As I read this novel, I thought the story sounded especially familiar. When I read the author’s notes afterward, my suspicion was confirmed. Many aspects of the story incorporate the real-life contribution of Juan Pujol, also knows as “Garbo” who was one of the most prolific double agent of World War II.

The strength of the book is its characters. Ordinary people do extraordinary things, which they know will make their lives difficult. Their morals, however, take precedence over their comfort, and often safety.

One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was because of my love for “books on books”, this one is not one of those despite the title, and in fairness, it is not marketed that way either. Even though Maria Alves, the protagonist, is a librarian and is sent on a mission to collect books, manuals, and other literature to help the allies it is just a vehicle for characters’ growth and interaction.
It works very well.

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad is an easy book to read and could be finished fairly quickly. The story is interesting, the characters realistic, and even though a lot is happening, I never thought it was confusing.

The research was very good, even though there are many liberties taken since the protagonists never existed. It is highly recommended to take a few moments and read the author’s historical notes at the end of the book for clarification or expand one’s knowledge.

It’s 1942 and the U.S. has entered World War II following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. President Roosevelt has signed off creating a new committee - the Interdepartmental Committee for the Acquisition of Foreign Publications or IDC, whose purpose is to collect enemy newspapers, books, and periodicals for America’s war agencies. The IDC is to be staffed by librarians who will be deployed to neutral countries such as Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, acquire these materials and suss out information about enemy weaponry, plans, etc., microfilm the details, and send the images back to the U.S. Maria Alves is one of these librarians sent to Lisbon, Portugal. There she meets Tiago Soares, a bookstore owner who is on his own mission - helping Jewish refugees by forging passports and visas. Maria is smart, gutsy, and patriotic, and when the occasion arises, becomes a double agent posing as a spy for Germany feeding misleading information about one of the most significant Allied operations. This historical fiction was inspired by the true story of Juan Pujol Garcia (code name Garbo) a Spanish spy who worked as a double agent for Britain and Germany during World War II. His allegiance was to Britain and he provided false information to the Germans about the timing and location of Operation Fortitude - the Allied invasion of Normandy. I enjoyed the book. It had a good pacing and I appreciated that the author wove historical facts into the book as events in the book and stayed true to the timing. I hate it when author’s move real event timing in historical fiction just to suit their plots. I did feel that pieces fell into place a bit too conveniently, especially the Maria-Lars connection, but there’s always that willing suspension of disbelief to call upon. It didn’t detract too much from my enjoyment of the book though. Overall a good investment of time experiencing the life of a librarian in the U.S., becoming a double agent in beautiful Lisbon and having to take side trips to Austria and Germany! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I like historical fiction, but sometimes I get tired of the WWII books that read so similar. This book is about WWII but it is not like anything else I’ve read before. I’ll admit I had no idea about the librarians using microfiche technology to try to save books as the Nazis were burning them. This book had a little bit of it all: romance, history, adventure. Maria is determined to be deployed with the group of librarians going to neutral counties in Europe to microfiche enemy newspapers and books. She isn’t deterred when the leader of the program ignores her interest since she doesn’t have an Ivy League education (despite being fluent in 6 languages and an expert with microfiche. Maria is my favorite kind of narrator, full of moxie and she gets to go to Lisbon but the mission is more than she ever could have expected. Tiago is a half Jewish bookseller in Lisbon who secretly helps refugees escape to America. This book was beautiful.

The Book Spy
Alan Hlad
January 24, 2023

Hlad’s beginning of The Book Spy leads us into the development of a task force under President Roosevelt. It would hire certain librarian’s to use their talents with a new use of film to capture what European countries were publishing about the war and its growth in their homeland. After further training the committee members were placed in cities throughout the continent to study and film articles printed. His story behind the information he provides the reader is that of three of the constituents who are a strategic part of the US military operations.
This novel is unique and exceptionally well written. The history behind its tale is one those of us who have studied World War II are well aware of. The magic behind his words is giving us the tactical use of microfilm and microfiche as a tactical weapon of defense for the allies.
The Book Spy will be published on January 24, 2023 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. I am appreciative of their allowing me to read and review Alan Hlad’s latest work via NetGalley. After reading his astounding new novel I am overwhelmed. It was an excellent read however it gave me new insight into the information that I learned as a page/desk aide while working for my hometown library. When helping with research I was trained to use and assist patrons to use microfilm and microfiche. It was an enormous benefit as I went on to college and used the film for my own research.
Hlad’s story was excellent and non-stop suspense in what the trio of characters developed on their journey. It’s a novel that should not be missed, historical fiction at its best!

Thus was a fun historical fiction. From books that deal with war to dealing with jews in a war. This book always keeps you guessing what will happen next. This book was approved by netgalley and the publisher for me to read and review.

I have read many WW2 historical fictions. This is the first one that I have read that follows agents sent to microfilm important documents during the war. I was not aware of this part of history before so I really enjoyed learning about it. I especially appreciated the author's note at the end of the novel that gives more details in actual people and events that took place in the book. A historical fiction that makes me research these factual events automatically makes it a winner for me.

Another aspect I liked in Hlad's book is the fade-to-black romance. There are two scenes of sexual content, one fade-to-black and another of unwanted sexual advances. Both were not graphic. I liked that they added to the story and didn't make me need to skip scenes. It is also a novel that highlights the atrocities of the war in a realistic way but does not lean too much into gore, which is difficult for some readers to continue reading. The last component that added a star was the wonderful use of suspense. There were parts that I desperately did not want to put my phone down for. This was delightful! The reason I took off one star was I felt the pacing between novels would have flowed more smoothly. It felt a bit fragmented at times, but it wasn't enough to DNF.

Overall, this novel was very interesting and had great suspenseful moments. The history I learned from it was valuable and new to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WW2 settings, clean romances, suspenseful plot lines, and war spy novels.

The Book Spy by Alan Hlad. Pub Date: January 24, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. When I was approved for this novel, I was so excited because I have read other books by this author and really enjoyed them. Based on true stories of librarian spies during WWII, this novel paints the picture of heroic people who risked their lives for a higher cause. Disguised as archivists collecting and storing information that may be "lost" during the war, librarians are actually looking for information on military position, troops and weapons. From the New York Public Library to a bookstore in Portugal, the reader is taken on a journey of courage, love, resilience, sacrifice and family. I absolutely loved this novel and appreciated a fresh perspective in the WWII historical fiction genre. I highly recommend this novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-arc in exchange for this honest review. #netgalley #thebookspy