This book packs a punch. It is set in Warsaw, Poland during WWII. It is full of hope, heartbreak, determination, love and everything in between. I loved the characters. They are so complex and full of life. This book reminds us all of the importance of literature in our lives. Two of my favorite quotes from the book are:
"Good books were like amazing sunsets or awe inspiring landscapes, better enjoyed with someone else. "
"There was power in literature. Brilliant and undeniable."
I would highly recommend this book.

I love reading historical fiction, especially when based on real people and events. Madeline Martin has written a wonderful story that has relatable characters and a story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It is also apparent that Martin has researched her material well. Thanks #NetGalley

Rated 4.5 ⭐️

"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."

Wow.... this book gives you such a strong sense of the power of friendship and Books. This book brought tears to my eyes for an unexpected reason. This reason, the way people feel so strongly about what Books, novels, and stories can do for a person. The way the author has put those feelings into words on these pages completely touched my heart and it was like my thoughts and feelings were written on these pages way more beautifully than I could ever put into words myself.

I have no idea why anyone could put Books on a ban list. There are so many books of so many topics, if it's not for you just pass by it, but let others who would enjoy them read them. It's not for you to judge.

"The dire importance of their Bandit Book Club struck her anew. And why Hitler so feared the books he banned. There was power in literature. Brilliant and undeniable. Books inspired free thought and empathy, an overall understanding and acceptance of everyone."..... Powerful

The friendship between Zofia and Janina is so precious and heart-warming. I loved this. Even with budding romance happening for both of them at some point in the book and all the tragedies and loss, they still focused on their love and respect for each other, and their love of books. Never letting their differences tear them apart. True Soulmates.

Thank you to Netgalley, Madeline Martin and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a free Ebook copy of The Keeper of Hidden Books. This review is 100% my own opinion.

4.5⭐

Meticulously researched and beautifully penned, The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin is a remarkable work of historical fiction. Set in Warsaw, Poland between 1939 and 1945, the story is presented from the first-person –perspective of Zofia Nowak, a young girl, a year away from completing her secondary education in 1939 as she lives through the German occupation of Poland. This a story of friendship, loyalty, sacrifice, survival and the power of literature in fostering hope and inspiring courage and selflessness in difficult times.

Zofia’s world revolves around her family, her best friend Janina and her love for books. As WWII rages on, she and her friends start a book club they refer to as the “anti-Hitler” book club (later christened “The Bandit Book Club”) where they read and discuss books that have been banned by the Nazi regime. Zofia and Janina also volunteer at the Warsaw library – a place that becomes a sanctuary for those who lose their home due to the devastation in the aftermath of the bombings and those who find solace in the pages of a book. Zofia’s older brother leaves in the middle of the night to fight in the war, her father is arrested and she and her mother lose their home. Zofia bears witness to the horrors of war – air raids and destruction of their beloved city, persecution of Jews and banning, confiscation and destruction of books not approved by the regime. When Janina and her family along with other Jewish families are moved into a Jewish ghetto and the Nazis begin to take over the libraries and reading rooms around the city, Zofia and her friends take it upon themselves to help as many people as they can, save books from being pulped and develop an underground library system, finding ways for readers to access the books they want.

The narrative continues through WWII as the situation in Poland worsens and Zofia and her friends take on a larger role in the Resistance. With elegant prose, compelling characters and masterful storytelling, the author skillfully combines fact and fiction to give us a heart-wrenching, informative and incredibly moving story. I enjoyed the literary references and emotions these books evoke in the hearts and minds of young readers. The brilliantly penned Author’s Note not only provides the historical context for the story but also gives us a glimpse into the real people, resistance movements and the true events that inspired this novel including Intelligenzaktion and genocide, The Polish Underground State and Home Army, the Warsaw Uprising and the people who risked their lives to save the books they loved.

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I knew that this book would be emotional due to the treatment of the Polish people in general and the Jewish population specifically. The friendship between Zofia, Janina and, briefly Maria, really shows how people stuck together to help each other survive. The relationship nation Zofia and her mother was an example of the opposite. It was painful to read. However, their resilience was also wonderful to read about.

But this was an extremely hard book to read because it also seems to reflect the current censorship of books that are being banned across the United States. The descriptions of the books being removed from the libraries and book store to be destroyed was so realistic I felt like I was there. So much knowledge lost forever. We cannot allow that to happen again.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. My review is voluntary and honest. I highly recommend this book. Just keep tissue handy.

This book was such a great mixture of WW2 historical fiction and love of books!
Set in Poland just as Germany takes over, this book follows Zofia and Janina, both who do everything in their power to fight in the resistance. Zofia also works for a library and part of her job is to destroy the books banned by Hitler. Instead of doing this completely, she saves duplicates in a hidden library for safekeeping, so these books won’t be lost forever.
As always during wartime, there is so much loss. But this book leaves you with hope as well.

I loved, loved, loved The Keeper of the Hidden Books by Madeline Martin. It’s the story of two friends, Zofia and Janina, who live in Warsaw, Poland. The Nazi occupation finds them split apart. Zofia is working at the library while Janina’s family is forced to move into the Jewish Ghetto. As the Germans try to crush the Polish people, the girls fight back with books while undergoing suffering in their own families. I appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Keeper of Hidden Books is an amazing story of truly heroic women during WWII during the fall of, and Nazi occupation of, Warsaw, Poland. This historical novel, based on real people's experiences, introduces us to a number of characters whom we grow to care about as we read their thoughts about what is happening to themselves, their loved ones, their city, and their country. The actions they take to protect and care for each other as well as their communities are inspiring and show enormous amounts of courage during desperate times. Even as a book lover, and former library employee, I never thought about what happened to libraries during World War II. From book banning, book burning, to bombs falling, we see the danger to the core of Polish culture under Hitler's reign and what happened to their libraries. I'm thankful for The Keeper of Hidden Books for opening my eyes to this part of history and to the real heroes who saved books at the risk of losing their own lives. Beyond the emphasis of books and libraries we also get a very realistic picture of everday Poles, their Jewish citizens, and the determined members of the Polish resistance and what they lived though during those years.

Another win from Madeline Martin. The story chronicles Warsaw in World War II and the emergence of an underground library. Zofia and Janina are friends in Warsaw during Hitler's invasion; traditionally, Zofia has always relied on books and Janina when times were hard for her. In the wake of Hitler's troops destroying the city, Zofia decides she needs to save books. She also works to save her friend from Hitler's regime, as well. Throughout all the terrible things happening during Hitler's occupation, the two women continue to remain strong in friendship and in their readerly pursuits.

This book was ripe with tons of research (but then again, this author always does a ton of research for her books), and I appreciated that a lot. A lot of work went into the book, and it is definitely recommended for its interesting storyline and end work product. If you like historical fiction (great details on the Polish culture) that somehow weaves in contemporary issues (book banning), you'll love this and I guarantee be persuaded to pick up more from the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin is a thrilling novel set during World War II. In Nazi-occupied Warsaw, Zofia discovers that books are in need of saving. After destruction from the war, she strives to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage. They hide them away and start a book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

Martin does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of bravery and courage during World War II. The Keeper of Hidden Books had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

The Germans invaded Warsaw - something no one thought would happen.

No one was safe, and neither were the books.

Zofia and her family were safe until her father, a physician, was arrested for just being there.

Zofia worked in the library where they were ordered to take all the books off the shelves that the Germans deemed inappropriate.

Zofia wanted to do something to resist and found a group called The Gray Ranks, an underground resistance group of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, that worked with the Polish Underground.

Zofia had previously belonged to the Girl Guides so it was a difficult but easy decision to join.

Besides joining this resistance group, Zofia helped hide books from the new German librarian who had taken over for the librarian who was fired.

She did have to worry about not letting her Jewish friend Janina found out about the group because if she were arrested, it would be bad if she knew about the group.

We follow Zofia and Janina as they and the citizens of Poland live under the German occupation.

Zofia is a character you will love. She saves books and people.

Another marvelously researched gem by Madeleine Martin focusing on the love of books, enduring hardships, friendship, and family.

Be sure to read the author’s notes.

This book was given to be by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

A vivid description of Poland and particularly Warsaw from the time of Nazi occupation during WWII. It is the dedication and lover of books that enabled people to momentarily escape into a beloved book or secretly reading banned books as dictated by the Nazis. Yes, you will need tissues to finish this book and ponder the implications found in this historical fiction. Books that were secretly hidden in forgotten warehouse; personal libraries, whether a huge collection or a well-worn single copy; and books carried in suitcases and distributed in the ghetto. Young people fighting the Nazis if only to create disturbances or actual combat for several months to finish the occupation and restore the flag of Poland. The author, Madeline Martin, truly had her writing style centered on the plight of Poland. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trades Publishing for an ARC; the review is my honest opinion.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving. With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.
Another powerful read from the author, the research is amazing, the characters are so well portrayed & the pace is good. It’s moving, it's poignant, it’s emotional & I highly recommend it as once started I found it extremely hard to put down
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Prepare to be transported back to a time in history that was horrific for so many. But with the losses, there was also those who worked with their lives to save history and brought their own special successes.

Fiction and history meet in the form of Zofia who is determined to save books that are being banned by the Nazi occupation. But she also saves more than literature..

A story of heartbreak but also the strong human perseverance that will leave a lasting impression you will not soon forget!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5735810935?type=review#rating_634065151

Happy PUB Day

The Keeper of Hidden Books is an extraordinary novel that remarks the resistance and friendship of the brave librarians of Warsaw.
The story took place in WWII Poland and portraits the loyalty and pride of the Polish culture. Very captivating since the first chapters, full of beautiful descriptions and lovable characters.

An enchanted novel that all book lovers should come to know.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

So I absolutely loved this story but I need to be honest, there were WAY to many spelling errors and basic formatting issues. At first I figured it was some issue with the copy being transcribed over to Kindle but there were just so many issues, even with the layout of paragraphs that it made transitions that should have easily flown from one thought to the next became very disjointed and impacted my ability to get lost in the story. Since this is more of a basic editing issue and not the fault of the story I will exclude this portion of my review from my Goodreads review with the hope that the Kindle editions will be corrected. Below is my edit as will be published on Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely love that the main hero of this story is books and their power to not only educate, but also to heal and transform. Even in the midst of absolute nightmares turned reality, they still have the ability to transport us, even if only for a few fleeting moments. To follow the heroism of Zofia and Janina was truly inspiring and made me question if I could be as brave as they were. Even though this is mostly fiction, the fight the Polish people brought against the Nazis is probably the most awe inspiring of the entire war. Thank you Madeline Martin for using this book to educate us a bit more on this part of history. I will never forget this story

I loved this book so much! Madeline Martin is so good at creating her worlds and characters no matter what the genre is, and this one was no exception. From the beautifully written, page turning story to the loveable and brave characters like Zofia I couldn't put the story down. I can't wait to read more of them!

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto. But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

I really enjoyed this books. The author is a great writer and researches her topic. As a lover of books myself and a retired librarian, I am always drawn to books about books. The author describes the situation in Warsaw so well that you feel like you are there. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I recommend it to anyone who loves books and history.

From cover to cover, The Keeper of Hidden Books will keep you drawn into the lives of two young polish women during WWII and their determination to save not only each other from the perils of war but also the books that provided hope during dark times.

Zofia and Janina have been best friends since they were girls. Their love of reading is one of their strongest bonds but as the Nazis come to power, they find more and more books being ripped from shelves and destroyed because they go against the views of the Reich. They create their own book club dedicated to reading those books banned by Hitler and even work at a library. As things escalate, Janina’s Jewish heritage separates the girls and Zofia not only works hard to hide and save those precious books but also Janina. The bonds of friendship and the hope that a good book can bring sees so many Poles through the war.

This is such a beautiful story and i know it will stay with me for quite some time. A bookworm will definitely love knowing that so much was done to protect the literature and culture of Poland despite the Nazi invasion. The selfless acts of Polish citizens to save their fellow countrymen is so admirable and it’s so important that these stories are told

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and the amazing Madeline Martin for an early copy of this must read novel of historical fiction! It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year!

The Keeper of Hidden Books tells the story of Polish girls Zofia and her best friend Janina, who is Jewish. The friends are both readers who enjoy volunteering at the Warsaw Library but when the Nazis invade Poland at the beginning of WWII, things change, especially once Zofia's doctor father is killed and Janina and her family must relocate to the Warsaw Ghetto with the other Jews. Zofia is hired by the library and helps the other brave librarians to hide away the books that the Nazis have planned to destroy. This story is about the resilience and strength of the Polish people when faced with the brutality of their German occupiers and oppressors. It was incredibly sad at times but uplifting. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.