How can you not love a story where books are the hero? This was a fantastic historical fiction novel set during WWII. I have read many books set during this time period but this was definitely one of my favorites. Not only did I feel transported back to London during the blitz but I truly cared about what was going to happen to all three characters. What was even more incredible was that this story was based on real historical events. I love when an author can tie in fact with fiction in an action packed, emotional read.

Juliet, a deputy librarian who has to decide if she is going to stick by her deserter fiance or try to forge a new life. Sofie, a Jewish refugee from Germany who is trying to survive in London without her family and trying to make the best of a horrible domestic servant situation. Finally, Katie whose fiance is presumed dead in the war, finds herself in one of the worst positions a single girl can be in during this time period. These three women all have one thing in common, the underground library.

Jennifer Ryan is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction writers. I really enjoyed the Chilbury Ladies' Choir and this book was just as good, if not better. This story has all of the major elements that I look for in a book. Incredible characters, romance, action, intrigue, and a story that you are invested in. I also loved the message about people working together to make positive changes. A wonderful read!!!

Thank you to Random House for the chance to read this incredible ARC!

Set just before and during the first year of the Blitz in London, three women from very different backgrounds come together because of a library book club. Juliette is the deputy librarian who moves to London to escape her parents. Sophie is a German Jewish refugee on a domestic work Visa. And Katie works part time at the library while dreaming of starting college. As the Blitz continues the library is irreparably damaged and Juliette moves it underground in the tube (subway) station. As time goes on the underground library becomes a place where the whole community comes together to read and socialize. Tackling such issues as refugee hardship, the discrimination against women who don’t quite fit into the paternalistic views of society, the shunning of unmarried pregnant women, as well as military deserters and PTSD, it is a must read for historical fiction readers everywhere. An extensive authors note at the back tells the historical facts the novel is based on. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The amount of research Jennifer Ryan must do for all her historical fiction amazes me! She really creates the world for you which makes the story feel so real. I love all the little details she puts in, this time about library systems, underground shelters, and the paths Jews had to take to enter Britain from Germany and the surrounding countries. A heartwarming, multifaceted story, this one blew my mind.

The lives of a young librarian, a German Jewish refugee, and a pregnant teenager intersect in an impromptu underground subway tunnels library formed in Bethnal Green during the bombings of England in World War II. The power of friendship and the sisterhood of war help each woman find a new reason to hang on and find hope for a brighter future. This book is a great choice for book club discussions .

"The Underground Library" is Jennifer Ryan's best book yet. Ever since reading "Chilbury Ladies' Choir," I have been a fan of Ryan's books. Her stories are perfect for fans of Historical World War II fiction, and are similar to books like "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" in that while they depict the challenges and hardships of war, they also describe moments of solidarity and togetherness warped together with an interesting plot (and several love interests in this case!)

The Underground Library focuses on the stories of several main characters who are united in their love of and support for the local library, which is creatively moved underground after a bombing raid damages the library. The stories show the interconnected lives of the librarian trying to put troubling news behind her, a young assistant librarian about to go off to university as her boyfriend goes missing in Europe, a German Jewish woman who is working as a housekeeper for a very unpleasant man, and lovely retired sisters who live in the neighborhood.

One test of a good book is how you feel when it ends. I was sad when this book ended, as I wanted to continue reading more about the lives of the characters. Anyone who enjoys a good story about women's friendships, communities coming together or World War II fiction will enjoy "The Underground Library."

During the London Blitz, three women help to save the Bethnal Green Library after it is bombed, by moving surviving books to the nearby Underground station, where citizens also bunk nightly for safety. Thrilling!

When I was asked to review “Underground Library” by Jennifer Ryan, I did not hesitate as I love historical fiction and enjoyed her novel, “The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle.”

Here, we meet another group of women who are connected through the underground library. Juliet, a librarian, discovers the library she works at is not attracting many patrons and what better way to escape the horror of war but with a good book? She creates a reading group to attract interest. Katie and Sophia, each with their own battles, seek refuge in the library.

When the library is destroyed, Juliet sets up a library in the underground, where people often have to hide due to bomb threats. Juliet, Katie and Sophia bond over their love of books and understand the importance of not letting the enemy destroy the power of the reading.

Ryan does an awesome job in portraying of the struggles and angst of each of the three main characters while immersing the reader in a distinctive time in our world’s history.

My thanks to the author, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

Perfection. Three women in a very turbulent time just trying to survive war. This writer has the gift of making you feel like you are right there next to them while they are running to shelters while the air raid sirens are going off. These women are all book lovers and risk so much to bring stories to a community that needs to escape into a book world. The beautiful friendships, the sad betrayals and book burning all add up to a story that had me copying down many lines in my book journal. Just so timely as we are watching horrible events unfold once again. Well done.

Another triumph by Jennifer Ryan. This a story that is heart-rending and heartwarming. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. Each character's plot line was interesting and engaging. Overall, this story left me feeling uplifted, which was especially important at this time of so much chaos in the world.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Ballentine for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion. I literally could not stop reading this book. This book centers around Sofie, a german Jewish young woman; Katie, an employee at the library; and Juliet, a deputy librarian. The book starts off as all three women are about to embark into a new world: Sofie, moving to London to be a housemaid on a workers visa, Katie, about to start college, and Juliet, a new job in London, away from the shame of her fiance deserting at the front lines. The women meet and instantly are friends. The book has many twists and turns and although the ending of the book was far before the end of WW2, I hope for happy endings for each of the characters. Very well created characters and a great supporting cast.

5 stars - review from an ARC copy provided by the publisher.

For fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I’ve read all of Ryan’s books but this is my favorite.

This isn’t the first or even second book I’ve read this year centered around libraries and books during World War II-it’s the fourth. Yet this slice of history felt fresh as I found myself transported to the streets and tunnels of Bethnal Green. I instantly felt apart of the community of women.

Juliet. Sofie and Kate are from different backgrounds, countries and cultures brought together by the love of the written word.. These three young women are at the mercy of war but still manage to take charge of their futures and bring together a community.

The book has friendship, romance, drama, and of course many odes to books and libraries. Reading is often a solitary task yet books and libraries have the power to unite people.

With a Jennifer Ryan novel I know that I am always in for a treat! I can sit in my chair, knowing that I will soon be immersed in wonderful writing that will draw me in until I exist only in these pages. I have enjoyed all her books immensely, but I think this one might be her best yet! There is everything for a historical fiction fan and WWII genre enthusiast to love here: excellent historical accuracy, dialogue is perfect and fits the time of the setting, three lovely women who are all on different life journeys yet meet through the power of books. I loved every second of it and will definitely be placing a paper copy on my 'keepers' shelf! HIGHLY recommended!

Inspired by real-life events, this story tugs at the heart during WWII when communities all over London had to find shelters to escape the destruction from bombs. It’s told by three characters who found each other through the love of books.

Sofie was 19 years old when she nervously travelled from Berlin to London by train leaving her Jewish family behind. The British Embassy only allowed Germans a visa if they had a job. Sofie was hired as a servant for Ernest Wainwright who was grumpy, strict, and non-forgiving. He treated her horribly and threatened to send her back to Germany if she didn’t keep up with his demands.

Juliet was 26 years old and unmarried. She was happily engaged to Victor, a writer, but he left to fight in the war and she hadn't heard from him. It was unclear if he would be returning. In the meantime, she was charmed by one of her school friends, Sebastian.

Katie was only 18 years old when her boyfriend was now fighting on the front lines. Word was sent that he was missing in action. She didn't want to believe this to be true. She was smart and had plans to attend the university. Yet, something happened which stopped her.

All of these women were connected through an underground library. Juliet was hired in the beginning as a Deputy Librarian and Katie was working as an assistant. Sofie dropped by when she could to get maps and be with friends. When times became brutal with the bombs, people stayed overnight in the underground station.

Juliet set up an underground library with help from two older sisters and a few others which was enthusiastically appreciated. She started to read books to a handful of people and later to a crowd. Yet, problems came up that needed to be solved.

The characters make this book undeniably wonderful. There was so much love and support with each other sorting through dreadful situations. The war changed everyone making them more aware of the burdens placed in front of them. They depended on each other to survive. It’s very well written and highly satisfying.

My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of March 12, 2024.

Each chapter of The Underground Library focuses on one of the three main characters. Juliet leaves home to become a deputy librarian of the Bethnal Green Library. Because most men are fighting at the front of WWII in London, women are needed to take jobs usually held by men. Sofie is a Jewish refugee who obtains a visa and comes to Bethnal Green as a housemaid, leaving her sister and father. Katie is a clerk at the library and is thrilled that another woman, Juliet, is there. These three women’s paths cross and they learn that you don’t have to be blood related to become family. After the Blitz, the library is destroyed. The women decide they will transfer as many books as possible to the underground station so those that are sheltered will be able to obtain books. As the war continues, things change for each woman, some good, some not. But they learn that the underground library and the books are not only to read, but they’re to bring people together and heal their hearts.

Jennifer Ryan is my go to author when I want to read a historical novel. Her books, based on actual events that took place during WWII, mostly feature women on the home front coping with the effects of rationing, working outside the home, German bombing, fear about their loved ones and often the deaths of these loved ones. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of her novels. The Underground Library is no exception and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me.
This novel is the story of what happened when the bombing of London caused much of daily life to move underground. To escape the nightly bombing many Londoners carried their belongings deep below ground to the tube stations to sleep. When a neighborhood library is bombed a young assistant librarian moves books into an underground passageway and sets up a library complete with story time and a primary school. Other characters are introduced and we follow along with their wartime struggles and the help they provide to this library community. Honestly, you don’t want this story to end. The characters are so likable and real.

I knew I would enjoy this! I’m always amazed when I read about the WW2 London blitz…the strength, determination and spirit of the citizens was amazing. What a nightmare that must have been, and yet they carried on.
Once again Jennifer Ryan introduces us to a group of characters who are brought together by circumstance. They bond through the Bethnal Green Library book club, and grow stronger through each trial with the support of their new friends. It’s definitely a feel-good story.
I was surprised to read in the author’s notes at the end that the Bethnal Green Library was indeed bombed and moved to the underground train tunnel. Who knew?
Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley for the advanced reader copy for review.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan

368 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books, Ballantine Books
Release Date: March 12, 2024

Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II, Great Britain

Sophie is a refugee from Berlin. She has a work visa as a maid to Mr. Wainwright. If she loses her position in the household, she loses her visa. He is a demanding and stern man. When she breaks an ornament, he takes her mother’s gold bracelet. She steals a ring and pawns in to get information of her family.

Juliet is the new deputy librarian. She was engaged to Victor who disappeared and believed to be a deserter. She begins making changes to the library like adding a book club and a children’s reading time. She volunteers her time as an ambulance driver.

Katie is a teenager preparing to go to university. She works with Juliet at the library. She learns her lover, Christopher, is missing and believed dead. Now she finds herself pregnant. Her mother’s plan is to pretend to be pregnant and pass the baby off as her own.

The book is fast paced, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. The story is set in the same time as the Wedding Dress Sewing Circle also written by this author. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy this book.

WWII, the setting the London Blitz. Told through the eyes of three protagonists, we read as Juliet Lansdown, Katie Upwood ,and Sofie Baumann tell their story of London and the Bethnal Green Library. Juliet who becomes the first Deputy Librarian struggles to breathe life back into the library, through the blitz with its falling bombs and the men who doggedly do not want Juliet or any women running it. Katie Upwood works at the library, but has a secret in her life, one that threatens not only how her family perceives her, but how society does. Sofie Baumann a German refugee who made her way to London with a visa as a servant. Alone and leaving her family behind in Germany, she is working as a housemaid for a man who treats her contemptuously. For her, the only respite she has is visiting the library whenever she gets the chance, where she makes some friends. Bethnal Green Library was the glue that held the community together in times of crisis, whatever would they do without it?

These characters are fleshed out and well developed. The research impeccable and the writing with each chapter draws you in. Through Jennifer Ryan this book comes alive in its telling. Bringing the war and the blitz back to reality, it's so much more than a saga of historical fiction. The censorship and banning of books...appalling and deplorable. We are facing that now! For myself and those who love reading as well as those authors who "set pen to paper" it is offensive, disgusting.

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading Jennifer Ryan's historical fiction. This is a WWII story of a very mixed group of people living near the Bethnal Green tube station who bring the library into the station, creating a community in the underground as they spend their nights during the Blitz. I loved the variety of characters and the historical picture the author paints. While the horrors of the war are clear and devastating, the story has enough optimism and happy surprises that I didn't feel too heavy reading it (which I always appreciate).

This is a very lovely book that had a great cadence to the read. I loved following the stories of the women and how they provided comfort, all in their own way, during a very stressful time for their country. I love the fact that they knew books provided comfort and brought the library to the people. Superb book!!
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in advance.