I have enjoyed Madeline Martin’s books and The Keeper of Hidden Books is no exception. So well researched. I learned so much about Poland in WWII. I also love her characters and their growth throughout the novel.

This is a beautiful,well written and thought provoking book about the trials and ravages of war. I really appreciated the attention to detail and historic accuracy. The scenes and characters were vivid. It was easy to put myself in their places and it drew me into the book. I was so happy that Zofia was finally able to return to the Warsaw that she loved and that her best friend was saved. It was truly a testament to the strength and resilience of people as well as the power of friendship.

I was gifted an advanced review copy from NetGalley. Normally, I love books that involve a love of books, but this one I just found so hard to get into. The beginning was about putting out fires, jobs and air raids. While I enjoy historical fiction generally this story was just so slow and I’m not invested in any of the characters. I am 35% of the way through the book and they’re still not rescuing books or really doing anything of excitement. More and more characters Keep getting killed and captured, and there isn’t a love of any of the characters yet, So I gave up on this book after about a third of the way. The concept sounded nice, but the character & story development for me was lacking. I didn’t feel the girls friendship. I didn’t feel family dynamics. I wasn’t sad when characters were lost.

This book is set in Poland during WWII. It is a realistic depiction of events during the war, how the daily lives of citizens were changed. The difficulties people had in surviving. The will to never give up and at the same time put their own lives in danger helping others. The author brings the characters to life for the reader and the events around them are realistically depicted. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

This unassuming little gem is based on the real-life heroic efforts of Warsaw’s librarians during WW2.

The author reminds readers that although Hitler may have stolen many things from many people, there were those in Warsaw who were determined that Hitler wouldn’t steal their love of reading, their books, or their freedom to read whatever book they wished. By spotlighting these people, those that fought for literature, Martin shows us (1) their resilience and bravery in fighting to preserve history and (2) the power of the written word.

You’ll read about a diverse group of young people who form a book club for the sole purpose of reading books that have been banned by Hitler. Their tenacity will astound you and your heartstrings will be pulled when you read about the hardships they endured and the fight they put up to sustain this little group. You’ll be reminded that resistance comes in many forms and those of us, throughout history, who love books have always found a way to preserve literature so that we humans have something to look forward to in desperate times. There may have been 15M books destroyed or stolen from Poland, but for every one of them, someone was fighting to save and preserve them. Their fight was eyeopening.

I Googled the list of banned books and discovered that I’d read All Quiet On The Western Front for Grade Nine English class. I remember at the time that our teacher defended his choice, telling us and our parents that we’d thank him some day. I’m not sure where you are Mr. Ryan, but THANK YOU.

I was most interested in the ingenuity of the people in the Ghetto and in the Polish Underground in making sure that literature was preserved. Author Madeline Martin has honoured their efforts with this spectacular piece of historical fiction.

This is definitely one to grace your night tables, historical fiction lovers!

I was gifted this copy by Harlequin Trade Publishing, Hanover Square Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The Keeper of the Hidden Books was the story of Warsaw at the beginning of the German occupation in World War Two and how it impacted a Christian girl, her family, her Jewish friends and the books they loved to read. Zofia, the main character, goes to great lengths to save and preserve the stories she loves from the harsh book bans that the Natzis enforced. What a relevant theme for today! Ms. Martin wrote a beautiful book that will touch the hearts of all who read it.

I was given a free advance copy by Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced copy of The Keeper of Hidden Books. I loved this compelling story of people coming together during a most difficult time in the history, World War 2. Historical fiction is my favorite genre and this book has become one of my favorites. I was drawn in from the beginning, and it kept my attention to the very end. Madeleine Martin's extensive research shines in every aspect of this novel.
The main characters are lovers of books and do their best, even in times of peril, to bring books to those who have lost everything. They understand how important a little distraction can be for those having to face many atrocities.
During the Nazi take over of Poland, lilbrarians take it upon themselves. to save and hide books that Hitler had.demanded be destroyed.. These same brave women join the resistance to help their Jewish family and friends sent to the ghetto.
This is a beautifully written novel about love, friendship, resilience, bravery , and the importantance of books. I gave this story 4 stars and highly recommend to all lovers of books!

“The Keeper of Hidden Books” is a historical fiction book by Madeline Martin. Two young women, Zofia and Janina, finishing school when Germany invaded Poland. They both were members of a book group, wanting to read books banned by Hitler. They end up working with librarians in Poland to help hide books from the Germans, both ones important to Poland history and also on Hitler’s banned books list. As the war progresses, the two young women are separated; Zofia continues working at the library but also joins the resistance movement and Janina is relocated to the Jewish ghetto and organizes a secret book lending program. It’s obvious that Ms. Martin did a lot of historical research into this period of time - and the situations surrounding these women. A moving story.

Madeline Martin does it again. I loved The Last Bookshop in London and this one is very similar, except more harrowing. This one follows the Jews in Warsaw and their efforts at maintaining some of their culture. Adding this to my list of WWII recommended books.

Madeline Martin does a great job in creating a historical element, I loved that it was a great concept and the idea of an underground library. It worked in the WWII novel. I really felt for the characters and it felt like it belonged in this world.

Madeline Martin's newest historical fiction adds to the growing catalog of WWII fiction as well as the collection of books about books and reading with this significant look at the citizens of Warsaw, Poland who saved books from destruction by the Nazis. Her previous book, The Last Bookshop of London, is similar in many ways, but this seems so much more serious (if possible) due to the conditions in Warsaw and in the Warsaw ghetto. The book discussion group in this novel are the characters at the center of this book, and their reflections on the books they read are powerful and touching and may inspire readers to go back and find these classics. Terrific historical research turned into a compelling novel that is not romanticized in any way.

Imagine if reading your favorite book were a crime punishable by death. Sounds ridiculous, but under Nazi occupation during WWII this was a scenario many citizens of occupied nations faced. At a time when book bans are increasing in the United States, The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin explores the impact of book bans on culture and the adversity people will endure to fight back against oppression.

Set in Warsaw, Poland during WWII, The Keeper of Hidden Books follows the lives of two young women, Zofia and Janina, their family, and friends, as Germany invades their country, takes control, and installs a new government. Prior to the Nazi invasion, Zofia and Janina were two young women finishing their last year of secondary school and trying to figure out what they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. They both cherished reading and formed a small book club they dubbed the anti-Hitler book club to read all the books that were being banned under Hitler’s regime. Zofia thought of this as an act of resistance. Once Germany invades Poland and takes control of the government, the book bans came to their own country and that simple act of resistance became punishable by death. Their lives were turned upside down, not only by the book bans, but by the sheer brutality of the German forces against the Poles and Jewish populations. Still, they continue their book club in secret and bring in a few of their other school friends. When Zofia and Janina are forced to leave school, they begin working at the main library. They assist the long-time librarians in hiding books on the banned list for safe keeping until the war is over. Little did they know, the war would last four years, the number of books on the banned list would expand exponentially, and their battles would grow increasingly dangerous.

Zofia and Janina are separated when Janina’s family is relocated to live in the Jewish ghetto. Once the walls of the ghetto are sealed off, communication becomes nearly impossible and extremely dangerous. Janina organizes a secret book lending program within the ghetto while having to fight for her life daily. When conditions in the ghetto deteriorate to a hellish existence, she joins with the Jewish resistance to fight back against the Nazi guards. Zofia continues her work in the library and joins the Polish resistance to fight back against occupation. Both girls face seemingly insurmountable odds, experience deep loss and personal injury, and still find the will to continue fighting against oppression.

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a timely lesson on tyranny, the things and people we often take for granted, and the extraordinary resolve of individuals to fight for what they believe in at the risk of great personal danger. Martin’s novel highlights the importance of literature in our culture and the legacy of knowledge it provides. I found the setting of Warsaw, Poland to be a refreshing choice and one I have not read about a great deal in historical fiction. I truly appreciate the historical lessons in this book and how precisely the fiction followed the research. Martin does a beautiful job seemlessly incorporating real people and events within her fiction. I’ve known about the Nazi book bans since grade school, but I have never really stopped to think about the people that fought against those bans to preserve history.

If you are a book lover and fan of history and historical fiction, I highly recommend this novel.

My sincere thanks to Madeline Martin, Hanover Square Press, and NetGalley for a free review copy of this book.

This is a beautifully written story about women in Warsaw Poland during the most difficult times in their lives. Hitler has banned many books and a young girl and her friends form a club to read and preserve as many books as possible, because most of the books in their possession were classics with only one copy left All this while one of the club members is a Jewish girl who is banished to the ghetto. Our protagonist! Zofia, has experience working in a library so she is capped with saving the books and also saving people’s lives as well. The books were very important at that time.

The story is well written with descriptions that show human resilience and how desperately the need to save the books from the nazi regime.became. The story slowed down some midway but picked up again.

5 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

The Keeper of Hidden Books tells the story of a young woman who is living during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw, Poland in World War II. Beautifully written, this book has a powerful message of love and survival in a truly horrific time in Poland’s history. I couldn’t put it down. The author spins a sweeping tale that carried me away for hours.“The world also needs to remember to never take for granted what has been gifted to us through the sacrifice of others: the right to an education and learning, the power and luxury of freedom, and the beauty to appreciate the routine of simple, everyday life. I have died a thousand deaths, but that did not define me. Instead, I lived a thousand lives and it is for that reason that I now have told our story.”

A gripping tale of strength and resilience the citizens of Warsaw Polish and Jewish alike show when Hitler invades Poland and Warsaw in particular. While Hitler is busy taking away their freedoms and banning and stealing books; Zofia and Janina two best friends share a deep love of books and along with a few other friends they find a way to fight for and save many of the books that Hitler has banned . This book takes you into the heart of Warsaw amid the struggles of the Jewish people to just survive from one day to the next and their fight to regain their freedom from persecution and hate. Madeline Martin is an amazing author who's extensive research for this book literally allows me to immerse myself so far into the book that it feels like I'm there with these characters seeing, hearing ,feeling and basically living among them during their day to day struggle to survive. I could not put this book down and when I did I was not able to for long. I highly recommend this book. I read an Advanced copy and am Voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book gives a look at how life was in Poland during World War II. The topics of the Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising are in many books, but this story is unique because it highlights the librarians in Warsaw and how they attempted to save books as quickly as they were being banned and destroyed.

I received a free copy of The Keeper of Hidden Books from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book tells the story of how Polish librarians did their best to save Polish literature when Germany invaded Warsaw. Zofia and Zanina leave school to go work at the main library when Germany invaded Poland. This is their story.

The Keeper of Hidden of Books
Madeline Martin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Zofia has always found comfort in books and her best friend Janina during times of hardship. But no one, and I mean no one, could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw, and I'll be honest, I shudder just trying to imagine that. As bombs rain down and Hitler's forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds out that books are what need to be saved now.

The death count rises, and Zofia jumps into action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can by hiding them away and even becoming part of a clandestine book club. Even when her best friend Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto neither of them forget their love of books.

But as Warsaw creeps ever closer toward being liberated, the more dangerous it will become for the women and their families. Sadly, escape is not possible for everyone. Zofia must fight with everything she has to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

Wow, just wow, I almost don't know what to say, but then again, the words always come to me eventually. Madeline Martin writes a hauntingly beautiful book that will have your emotions running high. There were times when I cringed, there were times I wanted to scream, and there were definitely times I wanted to cry. To think that these brave souls did whatever they could to not only save their books but their friends, loved ones, and fellow countrymen just blows my mind. The strength that these women had was incredible. I'm not sure if I could be that strong. They loved, they lost, but they kept on going and in the end, it all paid off.
Ms. Martin, you are truly an inspiration to be able to put yourself in these women's shoes and write a book like this. I tip my hat to you as this is one of the best books I have ever read.

WW2, Poland, library, life-changes, invasion, clandestine-operations, family, friendship, famous-author, books, book-burning, destruction, grief, grieving, cultural-exploration, cultural-heritage, culture-of-fear, jews, literature, bravery*****

Like Ukraine in 2022, bombs fell on disbelieving people in a major city heralding the onset of war. In Poland it was Warsaw and the enemy targeted certain segments of the population, but everyone suffered. Some books were also targeted, but so many more were destroyed as collateral damage. It was as if the Germans wanted to eradicate an entire culture. But motivated women and teens thwarted those efforts with their own type of underground resistance. An excellent fictional study of the resilience of booklovers in a time of real horror as seen through the eyes of a few.
Caveat: my Polish relatives emigrated to the US at the turn of the twentieth century.
I requested and received an EARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press via NetGalley. Thank you

The Keeper of Hidden Books
By Madeleine Martin
Pub Date: August 1, 2023
Hanover Square Press
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
* Historical Fiction
* Books about Books
I was drawn to this book because it is in my favorite genre! I was not disappointed.
Zofia’s effort to do whatever she could to save books showed extreme bravery and inspiration.
This is a stunning story for book lovers! I recommend it highly ands it reminds us that reading matters!
5 stars