Fantastic! Often WW2 based historical fiction has very similar storylines, but this was creative and had me hooked from the beginning. I love the way we followed three women with very different lives and backgrounds as they navigate the difficulties of war and limited options for women. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have read previous books by this author and enjoyed them immensely so I was so excited to read her new book since I am a fan of this author and I especially like World War II historical fiction. This book centers on three young women , Juliet a librarian in a London library, Katie a library worker and aspiring college student, and Sofie a Jewish refugee from Germany. The main focus of this book is the location of the London library after it is damaged during an air raid, it was moved to the underground or the tubes, this was a somewhat controversial move , but it provided much relief and comfort to the many citizens who utilized the underground during the air raids. The story focuses on each woman individually and as a group working together to ensure the success of the library in an unusual location. I enjoyed this book immensely, the friendship between these young women, the love, caring, support was so strong and heartwarming. The book also had additional characters who added depth to this enjoyable read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, that shows the strength of the people who lived through these difficult days with courage, love, support , faith, and friendship.

I loved learning about the underground library! I am drawn to WWII British titles because I am enamored of the fortitude that the folks living through that time. The fact that books could bring a community together and help the people get through that awful time speaks to the power of books. I appreciated the references to the book burning that was happening in Germany and the importance of saving literature.

This book just sort of fell flat for me. The story follows three women (Juliet, Katie, and Sofie) in London during WWII and while the historical portions of the book are interesting - if a bit on the "history-lite side. And the predictability of the women's story lines did not improve the story. It was too much romance as well... predictable romance that I felt the story could have skipped and delved deeper into the women themselves.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books for the copy of the book.

Loved this story. Three strong, awesome women find their way into love, friendship and independence, by standing up for themselves, their families and friends. WWII, full of awful times, situations and persecution, yet the perseverance of small yet important steps toward making these terrible situations better, Do not miss this book, it is a heartfelt reminder and treasure. Definite addition to your TBR list.

The Underground Library was a very interesting story of London during WWII. It follows three women and how they are intertwined; Juliet, a new deputy librarian, Sofie, a Jewish refugee from Germany, and Katie, a young woman who is planning to start at the university. Juliet pivots and starts a library in the tunnels of the underground tube station after the library she is working at is bombed. The story follows the 3 women as they work together for the library and support each other. A wonderful read about women during WWII.

Jennifer Ryan has done it again - taking a lesser-known fact about World War II and England and bringing a story alive.

Juliet leaves her home to become the Deputy Librarian of the Bethnal Green Library, located in East London. Juliet brings a dying library back to life, offering activities and friendship to people in the neighborhood. Sofie's Jewish family in Germany realizes they are not safe and resolve to get Sofie to England where she works as a maid for an English family. She is treated badly. The library becomes her refuge. Katie is helping at the library over the summer, heading for university in the fall. Her boyfriend joins up to fight for England. Then Katie's life receives two major blows which have the potential to change the trajectory of her life. Juliet's fiance is a soldier and he has gone missing. When a bombing destroys much of the library, Juliet resolves to move many of the books to create the Underground Library. Her boss pooh-poohs the idea. Juliet, with the help of her library patrons, does it anyway.

We see Sofie's aloneness and her search for her family who she hopes will make it out of Germany. Katie, facing a life as a single mother, resolves to change society starting with her own family. And Juliet meets a longtime friend who gradually becomes more than a friend. These three women form the core of a group of women who come together to support each other and create their own families.

Juliet says, " Books help us to see inside someone else's world, empathize with people we've never met. And if there's one thing the world needs right now, it's the willingness to understand and connect." In this time of increasing censorship, this is the power of books, the ability of books to help us see and understand others.

I have now read two books by this author. “The wedding dress sewing circle” and this one. Both excellent stories. I love her writing style.

This story brings us to London during WW-ll, when the city is being struck by bombs every night.
The three major women are:
Juliet Lansdown, the new deputy Librarian at the Bethnal Green Library.
Katie Upwood, happy to be working at the library until she leaves in the Fall for the university.
Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee who has escaped from her home town on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably .
These three women come together over their love of books, when the library is bombed in an overnight raid and they see a way that they can keep books in peoples lives, especially during these hard times.
Most people near them congregated at night during the bombings in the Bethnal green subway station.
They found a way to bring books underground and create this well needed library and even a school.
Each one on these characters has an amazing story to tell, and between them and the wonderful people around them, you will read an amazing story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for a copy of this book.

I love reading books that introduce me to historical moments I'm not familiar with. Once again Jennifer Ryan does not disappoint! Set in Bethnal Green, London through the last five months of 1940, this fictional novel introduces us to the societal and cultural changes brought about by World War II and the London Blitz.

When Juliet Lansdown arrives in London for her new position as Deputy Librarian, she's determined to prove herself and engage the community. As bombs fall and lives are changed, Juliet, with others, begins to carry library books into the unfinished Bethnal Green Underground shelter. As author Jennifer Ryan explores love, loss, and the harsh realities of wartime Britain, her cast of strong female characters, show us that libraries can influence perceptions, broaden minds, and bond together people of all backgrounds.

A very pleasant, interesting read, without being too predictable. The author crams a great deal of life's experiences into five short months, before wrapping it up with a satisfyingly feel-good ending.

What an amazing, heartwarming book. The book is a historical fiction based on a true story of the binging of the bethnal green library during WWII.
The book follows three protagonists, Katie a local to the area, whose boyfriend goes to war, and she finds out she is pregnant with his child. Rendering her an unmarried mother.
Sophie is a Jewish refugee who gets a visa to London as a housemaid, and her search for her sister who she left behind.
And finally, Juliet the new deputy librarian whose fiancée abandoned his post in the war, and her fight to keep the library open through the war.
During the book, the library is bombed, and Juliet decides it would be most beneficial to move whatever books can be saved underground. This opens up the library to a wider audience who is sheltering in place during the bookings.
The book is quite phenomenal, and really makes you wish you had a community like they do!. Highly recommend the read!

I was utterly thrilled when I received an email notification that I was approved for an ARC copy of this book, for free, in exchange for my honest review, and it absolutely did not disappoint. This was the easiest 5 star rating I have ever given. The timing, with everything going on surrounding Gaza and Israel could not have been better to lend some perspective to how people in these areas could be living. It is set in WWII London and centers around a young Jewish girl, named Sofie, and connects a host of colorful characters together one story at a time. The Underground Library is a tale of survival, friendship, love, and community with a beautiful cast of characters you will fall in love with. You will laugh, you will cry, you will celebrate alongside each of them. Do not sleep on this one! From page one, I was drawn in completely and devoured every word in a day! Now, I am off to pre-order a physical copy to re-read over and over again.

A huge thank you to Random House Ballantine Books, Jennifer Ryan and NetGalley for the opportunity to read such a profound work of art!

I loved this book. I loved the easy friendships between all of the females.
Sofie's story was one of heartbreak with a great twist at the end.
Katie was head over heels in love and tried to buck the trend of culture and norms.
Juliet, what a firecracker! I loved her spunk and ingenuity.

The book is broken up into stories from the three ladies mentioned above.
Its a tale of love, loss, and trying to grow while a war is on.

I was hooked from page one. This is a fast paced book and one that I will treasure.

Based on true events.

I loved Ryan's previous WWII fiction so I was super excited to read her newest, which seemed extra tailor made for me--not just WWII historical fiction, but also libraries/librarians! As with her other stories we have a cast of women who are keeping calm and carrying on while England is at war. This takes place in London during the Blitz, when people sought shelter each night in the Underground. (I appreciated the author's note at the end which told more about the community that came about in the Underground during that time.) I found it really interesting to read about that daily life and how people came together and kept life going underground.
While I did find some of the dialogue and speeches about the power of books and libraries a bit over the top (and I'm a librarian so totally believe in those things) and not the way people would speak in real life, I didn't really mind because it all served the purpose of creating this warm story. The romances are sweet and wholesome and most of the characters seem to have an awful lot of good luck. I don't think anything is going to top Chilbury Ladies' Choir or Spies of Schilling Lane, but this was still enjoyable.

The Underground Library follows a group of neighbors in London during the Blitz. The book follows the point of view of 3 main protagonists. Juliet has come to London to work as an assistant in a library. Her fiancé, Victor, has gone missing in the war, presumed to have deserted. She finds herself re-acquainted with a man from back home who is working in the War Department. Katie, and assistant at the library, finds herself “in the family way” and the father of her baby has been killed in action. She must face the ramifications from her family as they want her to hide her pregnancy. Sofie, a German Jew, has made it to London on a work visa. Through a series of events, she is able to rid herself of her mean boss and move onto better job and living situation. In the midst of the Blitz, the Bethnal Green Library is bombed. The library goes “underground” along with the residents of London, to the subway tunnels. As the bombing progresses, the women of the underground library form a family unit, helping each other, and their patrons through the trying situation.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The Underground Library via NetGalley.

Posted to Goodreads.

The Underground Library is another solid entry from Jennifer Ryan depicting life in London during WWII. Overall, the book is engaging and what seems like a fairly realistic view of life during such troublesome times. But I did not enjoy this book or the characters as much as The Kitchen Front. Also, although the horrors of wartime and the rationing, and the parents missing their children all rang true...the happy endings for each of the main characters did not. I did enjoy the information at the end of the book explaining which facts were indeed true and which were taken with some creative license. Thanks NetGalley for the review copy.

This is a very interesting story. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it more interesting to me. So many of the books about the Nazis and WWII are very sad and “heavy”. Often I don’t feel like immediately starting a new book for a few days because the stories of the atrocities are horrible. This book is different. Yes, it takes place in the 1940s and yes, it’s about the war. But Juliet and her new friends are able to keep going living. It is a very interesting book and I will recommend it and I will read another book from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this novel that tells the fictionalized story of the underground library in London during WW2. Ryan weaves together the stories of 3 women during the Blitz and how they form a support system for the people of the underground library, I loved the historical details of the novel and learned some new things! I would highly recommend this book to historical fiction reader!

It was a good book and really enjoyed it all and rooted for this couple to make it. Love it all. read it today you will not be disappointed. they had me at the title of Underground library.

Genre: Historical/Women's Fiction
Publisher: Random House
Pub. Date: March 12, 2024

Mini-Review
"The Underground Library" is a historical fiction novel based on real events. The novel centers on three young women who play a key role in saving the Bethnal Green Library from bomb damage in London during WWII. They achieve this by relocating the library's remaining volumes to the neighboring underground station, where locals sleep every night for protection as the Blitz encircles them. Although I enjoyed this book, I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't just read three other WWII historical fiction novels.
The below link is from https://bibliobloggityboo.com/author/bibliobloggityboo/. It describes her mother as one of the actual women involved.
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Bethnal-Green-Tube-Disaster/.

The story of "The Underground Library" is engaging: During the Blitz, a London library takes its operations to a Tube station where hundreds, if not thousands, of people shelter each night from the German bombs. But it's let down by the writing. This is a book where, after telling us about a stampede that resulted in people being trampled to death, the author feels the need to tell us that it was "tragic." Gee, you don't think we could have reached that conclusion on our own? It's also a book rife with fortuitous coincidences and happy endings, pretty much all of which I'd predicted within the first several chapters. And while the book tells us, repeatedly, that times were tough and people were worn down by fear and uncertainty, the Blitz and a brief stay in an Isle of Man internment camp for German refugees come across at times as jolly fun, not to mention a splendid opportunity for making friends and meeting ideal romantic partners. That said, I did appreciate details of daily life during that time (whale-meat pie!), and a few scenes were surprisingly moving. I just wish more of the book revealed such depth.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.