Triumphant story of a young girl determined to help save not only books, but her friends and town during the ravages of war. Zofia is easy to root for as she experiences the atrocities that are forced upon her family and friends. The joy they find in keeping hidden books that were destined for destruction shines through as well as the heartbreak of losing everything, but willing to do all possible to keep going.. At times not an easy book to read, but well worth the time.

I love that this novel was based on the efforts of the Warsaw librarians during WW2. Martin meticulously researched for this novel and the details are rich.

Hitler was known for many horrible things, and I was aware of his reign stealing art, but I knew little about him getting rid of literature or books in Warsaw. Books should be preserved and I strongly feel we should not ban books. This is such a hot topic right now!

When a group form a book club their purpose is to read the banned books that Hitler did not want. I loved this novel so much as an educator as well as an avid reader. Sad to hear that over 15 million books were stolen or burned in Poland, but happy to know there were people trying to preserve them.

Martin always does her research and therefore her author notes are a MUST READ!

The Keeper of Hidden books is my first read by Madeline Martin. It was a little bit of a slower start. I was unsure if I was going to like it, but it then drew me in. This was a great read!

This was an amazing historical story. It was true to the time it was set in and was a great read. This would be one I would recommend and read again!

The Keeper of Hidden Books is fascinating, heartbreaking and one that you won't soon forget. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this author writes it perfectly.

Warsaw’s underground librarians during the Nazi occupation is a harrowing time as both younger and older people worked diligently to save banned books. I was on edge as they figured out a way to protect history under the noses of those trying equally hard to confiscate and destroy the reading material.
There is a strong unbreakable bond between Zofia and Janina, my heart broke for both girls as they face lifechanging circumstances and danger. I was so distraught when Janina, her family and countless others were forced into the newly formed ghetto. The cruelty was the point to punish the Jewish population as they were placed away from the rest of the population.

On a somewhat brighter note, the clandestine book club was delightful albeit dangerous. This novel is truly an emotional and memorable one. Please get a copy as soon as possible.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. Opinions are my own.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. With so many places currently banning books, this was very timely. Loved that it mentioned titles and added a few to my reading list.

I have to admit, I broke my personal ban on WWII books to read this one. And I might not regret it. Of course it was the books that drew me in, and they always do.

In Warsaw, Poland, the Germans surely can never take such an amazing and powerful city, until they do. As the Germans start dictating what books are allowed to be available for lending, the librarians and library employees bravely start hiding the banned books and declaring them lost before the Germans 'relocate' them, which of course actually means burning them. Even before the occupation, Zofia and her friends have been purposely reading books banned by Hitler, and they try to keep their secret book club going without being noticed by the enemy troops, who are now running their library.

I loved the friendship between the original book club members, and those they add when their common interest is keeping the library materials so they can thrive again once the Germans are gone. Of course Zofia and her best friend Janina will always be best friends, but Zofia knows that she has no concept of the injustices Janina experiences as being relocated and then forced to stay in the Jewish ghetto with her parents.

This book earned 4 out of 5 stars from me. I loved the different efforts by the close friend group and library employees to keep offering the escape that is reading for the citizens of Poland and even in the Jewish ghetto. The story wasn't just about Zofia and her work with the library, but the secret library branch that stayed open only to those who knew its secret, and Janina trying to share books in the ghetto. I'd recommend this book to not only those who enjoy WWII stories (who must be a lot of people, as it's a very popular genre), but also to those who appreciate the power of books.

Inspired by an actual hidden library in Warsaw, Poland during WWII, Madeline Martin writes a beautiful book about 2 friends who are dedicated to saving their community, friends, family and books. Books help keep people going through the dark days on war and so the girls hide books from the Nazis in order to save them. This is a book about courage in dark times and the importance of books in our culture.

The Keeper of Hidden Books - Madeline Martin
Zofia and her best friend Janina take comfort in books, their bookclub, and take great pride in their jobs at the library.
As the Nazi's occupy Warsaw, their world is turned upside down.
Janina and her family are forced into the ghetto, and Zofia finds herself wanting to do her part. As the Nazi's take over every aspect of their life, and Hitler's list of banned books come out, Zofia and her co-workers are desperate to find a way to save the books and Zofia becomes an integral part of that. She saves whatever she can, hiding them away, and lending them to those in need.
As her country fights for their freedom, Zofia joins the fight to help save her friends, her family, and her beloved books.
I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction that is based during World War II. This one resonated with me because of Zofia's determination to preserve what history she could through saving the books, and the need to protect her friends and family. She was a character that showed resilience and strength and I genuinely enjoyed her journey. If you're on the hunt for a book that will open your eyes to some history, while giving you a story that will tug at your heart strings, The Keeper of Hidden Books is it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5! This one came out August 1st. Make sure you grab your copy!
Thank you Netgalley for the amazing ARC!

4.25 stars

"There was a power in literature. Brilliant and undeniable. Books inspired free thought and empathy, an overall understanding and acceptance of everyone. In the pages of books that were burned and banned and ripped apart for pulping, Zofia had found herself. These were the parts of her that were human and strong and loving, parts that understood the lives she had never led."

Madeline Martin's "The Keeper of Hidden Books" tells the story of Warsaw's librarians during the German occupation of Poland in WWII. While not actually following the lives of real people, the characters were based off of real historical figures and their efforts in the fight for Poland's freedom.

Our main girl, Zofia, (beautiful name, by the way) was 17-year-old Polish girl when the Nazis invaded in 1938. Her and her best friend, Janina, both began working at Warsaw's libraries after an incident at school involving Janina being Jewish and all. I really appreciated the deeper meaning that Martin wove throughout every aspect of this story, and the value of education was one of them. Without school, Zofia began to attend a secret, underground school which began her journey in the book-smuggling business.

Along with the other members of Zofia and Janina's "Anti-Hitler Book Club" (renamed Bandit Book Club for obvious reasons), Zofia began smuggling banned books out of Warsaw's libraries to save them from destruction. Each day, more and more books were banned and thrown into the fire to prevent the spread of the ideas found inside, sparking this underground movement. The people of Warsaw found comfort and meaning in books and they were a powerful force in the spread of ideas. Once Janina was sent off to the ghetto with her family, Zofia began to take greater action by joining Poland's Gray Ranks and smuggling Jews out of the ghettos into safe houses and later fighting in the underground army for Poland's independence.

This book was so fascinating to me because there were so many modern-world parallels and I think that a lot of people can resonate with Zofia because of the value she finds in literature. In a world of so much WWII fiction (which I love), this was a really original and necessary story told with such beautiful and emotional writing.

The only thing that was a bit off for me was the pacing. Sometimes, there would be abrupt and extreme time jumps (the highest being 16 months) which I thought could have been smoothed out some. I understand why there needed to be these big jumps in order to incorporate the main points of the story, but they were a little harsh at times. I also thought that the beginning was a little slow but I was gripped by the 30% mark.

The Keeper of Hidden Books was such a good read and I would absolutely recommend to anyone who is a fan of WWII fiction. Especially in the context of our world today, Madeline Martin's message is necesary and urgent. 4.25 stars.

I love historical fiction and I love books (obviously!) so I knew I had to read this book. I also really enjoy reading stories about people that were heroes in different ways during the war. Martin wrote a beautiful story about resilience and strength in a time that should have crumbled most.

The story follows Zofia as she literally grows up as the war is kicking off, almost forced into being an adult. She becomes this fierce protector of books and all things good. I love Zofia's personality in this. I cannot necessarily relate because I've never even come close to being in a situation like her, but I can relate to her fierceness and her ability to just set aside her feelings and do a job that needs done no matter how scared she is. She takes life by the horns and just does what needs done. I find her personality refreshing and this story to be so hopeful as you watch her do the things she does and just survive.

Martin has written a beautiful story that shows us the side of the war we don't usually see much of. I love reading about unsung heroes and the little things that people did that made a huge difference. That is such a strong message for that time. I will definitely be checking out more from Martin in the future.

I absolutely loved this story!! I love stories of strong women seeing injustices in the world and doing something about it!!

Wow - just an incredible story about the power of books during WWII. The characters in this story were inspiring in the way they resisted the Nazis. One person can make a difference as long as they are brave, strong and persistent.

The characters in this story loved and treasured books. During WWII in Poland people were just trying to stay alive and avoid the Nazis.. Yet these wonderful characters worked hard and risked their lives hiding and caring for books. Then to top it off, they shared books with people that were desperate to escape into a great book when times were so hard. What heroes!!!

I really enjoyed the history of Poland and the details about Warsaw. I did not realize that the Germans did not like Polish people in general. I learned so much about the Warsaw ghetto that I did not know. It is heartbreaking to think about all of the hardships of the Polish people. Hitler destroyed books, art, historical artifacts but not these brave and strong people.

I enjoyed the story line of the book. It is always interesting to me to read books from different perspectives. This one being from someone who may not have done big things with the resistance, but did things to help with the daily lives of those she loved and what they cared for. One thing that frustrated me while reading this book was the typographical errors the use of wrong names and lots of misspelling and seemingly missing words throughout the text.

Historical fiction readers you will love this book.

Set in Poland during the uprising and the eventually fall of German control in Warsaw, the book follows Zofia as she struggles with loosing her home, her friends, and her family. Her only reprieve being her job at the local library.

Zofia is tasked with trying to save Polish texts and other books that have been banned by the Nazi's and are being destroyed. This story was wonderful. Very colorful and showed that one character can have many internal struggles going on while also having external ones. Zofia struggles with the loss of her friend Maria, the capture and isolation of her friend Janina in the Jewish ghetto, loosing her father and her brother to the Nazi's, the German rule of her library, joining the retaliation effort to save others, and a potentially budding romance with Darek.

Honestly I cannot say enough good things about this book. It was wonderful and I love how the author did not stray away from difficult topics and was not afraid to lose characters to the war.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review (I received this book after the publication date)

4.5 stars rounded up-

This book really displayed the power of books which I think is relevant (unfortunately) even today! The story was action-packed and inspirational. The author threaded real people and experiences throughout the story which I appreciated it.

My only critique is that often the main characters Zofia and Janina felt more like teenagers in their actions and speaking.... I often forgot they were supposed to be 18-22 throughout the book.

Wow, another incredible historical fiction novel. And let's be serious, when it includes saving books, it is automatically a winner. A touching, heartbreaking and heartwarming book. The characters were real - struggling, brave and strong. Loyal and determined. Their experiences were horrific, but someone they rose above and managed to find strength and love. A must read for any book lover and fan of historical fiction - specifically related to WWII.

Zofia and Janina are best friends, who love books, in Warsaw at the time of the Nazi occupation. When Hitler threatens both the books and life of her friend, Zofia finds herself fighting to save them both. Putting herself and her family in danger.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

This is an absolutely fascinating and informative read. Each book on the Holocaust and the Nazi occupation shows a different slant and this book is no different. Set in Warsaw, Sept 1, 1939, it is the story of what happened to Poland’s people, libraries and books during the Nazi era. The main characters who were life long friends ..one Jewish and one not….. went to any lengths for each other. It is also the story of the Polish Home Army uprising towards the end of the war and the tragic yet additional loses the Polish people endured. The Polish people were proud of their heritage, their history, their art and culture and worked tirelessly to rebuild Warsaw after the war. A truly heartwarming story.

Both inspiring and heart wrenching, an excellent WWII novel with libraries and their power to help people through the worst of times, this time in Poland.

Another great reminder of the importance of resistance in times of great evil and the power of books to help people cope during difficult times.

I loved this story of a young Polish librarian helping to protect and hide books during WWII and bring them to residents of Warsaw and the ghettos, even going so far as to find books in Yiddish for the children.

Great on audio narrated by the supremely Saskia Maarleveld and perfect for fans of authors like Pam Jenoff and Kelly Rimmer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!