I loved this book so much that I am going to read it again! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The story plot is about 2 Jewish sisters who flee from Germany, one goes to London with a visa to work as a domestic worker. But if she were caught by the Nazis, she would be imprisoned. She manages to get there but suffers mistreatment from an employer who doesn't pay her and steals her only possession, a gold bracelet. With nothing left, she steals a ring from him but is accused and arrested. She is only saved by the library staff. She manages to overcome many difficulties and in the end, she succeeds in bringing her sister who fled to Portugal and obtained a visa there. With the help of the library staff, she brings her sister and her husband with a work visa to London.

Another character is a Polish man who becomes her friend and ends up staying with her, but his story is about Poland being invaded by the Nazis. He fled Poland and is searching for his brother who also fled at a different time.

The central character, Juliet, is a person from London who works as a deputy at the city library. She creates a reading group that meets on Saturdays. Due to bombings, the local community has to take shelter in the underground of the main station. She then starts reading to the people who spend the night at the station. The library is bombed, and with the help of the community, she manages to salvage what remains of the library in the underground. Despite all the difficulties, she manages to convince the authorities not to close it down.

I am not going to spoil the ending but all the different stories are intertwined by the love and cooperation of everyone. Her love for books and the library is truly captivating."

Jennifer Ryan has written another winner with her new historical fiction novel, “ The Underground Library”. Similar to her previous novels “The Chilbury Ladies Choir” and “The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle”, we are introduced to a wide cast characters in WWII London, focusing on Sofie, Juliet, and Katie. All three are struggling with difficult challenges in their lives, and they find a community of support in each other and in their local library, the Bethnal Green Library. And as London undergoes the terrors of the Blitz, soon Bethnal Green Library and our characters face more changes! The 3 main characters and supporting cast are all so well drawn and immensely relatable; you find yourself rooting for each one in turn. Highly recommend! Perfect for historical fiction lovers, particularly Anglophiles and those with a special interest in WWII. Many thanks to NetGalley for the e-reader advance copy! #TheUndergroundLibrary #NetGalley

I enjoyed the premise of this book but I don’t think historical fiction is for me. I would love to try another story by this author that might be a little more engaging for my background.

I received a free e-ARC of this book through Netgalley.
I love historical fiction books and anything about libraries so I was very interested to read this one. It lived up to the hype. It kept my attention with plenty of action. It is well written and the characters are lovely.

The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan is one of those feel good books that help you get through the tough days. London during the blitz was a frightening place to be. The loss of lives, the devastation of homes and buildings along with food rationing and the lack of everyday necessities made life miserable as well as difficult. Jennifer Ryan captures the harsh realities along with the amazing strength of spirit ordinary people showed. Definitely read this book.

This is the third book I've read by Jennifer Ryan. I thoroughly enjoyed "The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle" and "The Kitchen Front". The author has certainly done her research about daily life in WW II war torn London which I found fascinating. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of "The Underground Library"

This story revolves around several main characters, Sophie, a Jewish refugee, Katie, a young woman who plans to go to university, and Juliet, a newly-hired deputy librarian. When the Bethnal Green library is bombed, Juliet oversees the transfer of books to the London underground which fills up every evening while London is being bombed by the Nazis. Each of these three women were dealing with their own grief and challenges but what they had in common was their love of reading and books. The characters were believable and truly unique. The book dealt with serious issues relating not only the war but societal issues at the time. The author addresses these issues in an informative way that doesn't leave you too depressed. I really appreciate this clean read and although I don't read romance novels, it seemed completely natural within the distinct storylines.

I look forward to reading more by this author.

I have read and enjoyed all of Jennifer Ryan’s previous books, so I was elated when I was offered an ARC of her latest novel, “The Underground Library,” to review. Although her novels are about Britain during World War II, all of her books are infused with feelings of hope and community. Her latest novel followed this same theme.

“The Underground Library” focuses on three primary protagonists each of whom is struggling with their own private griefs and challenges. Juliette escaped from oppressive parents in rural England to work as a deputy librarian at the library in Bethnal Green. Here she faces a misogynistic Head Librarian who resists changes, such as introducing book clubs, hoping instead that the library would close so he could move to another position. Katie works at the library before her entrance into college, but she soon discovers she is pregnant with her missing fiancé’s baby. Sofie is a German Jewish refugee on a work visa working as a domestic servant for a man who treats her abominably.

They all come together in a book club Juliette starts at the Bethnal Green library, then unite forces to move the books to the Bethnal Green underground station after the main building is hit during an air raid. The library soon unites the entire community as they seek solace and friendship during the nightly bombings. The fellowship, friendship and camaraderie found at the library gives each of the characters strength they didn’t know they possessed, which allows them to overcome each of their obstacles. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction that enjoy feel good stories of community and friendship overcoming adversity.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing me an ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Review Underground Library
This is not the first book by Jennifer Ryan that I have read. I enjoyed The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle, and now enjoyed The Underground Library. I appreciate that the author included notes at the end describing which aspects of this story came from actual occurrences during the war.
It was an easy story to follow. I liked that the 3 main women were so distinctive that I did not have any trouble keeping straight which character she was describing. I appreciate that the language was kept clean, and though describing some relationships there was not unnecessary graphic details of the romances. I like a clean story and I like history better than romance. The author kept the romance just the way I like it, more emphasis on the character development. I liked the secondary characters as well. I really liked the older sisters that were so supportive and caring. There was a balance of mean characters to go with the ones that I found myself cheering for.
I love books, so any story about a library and specific mention of characters from those novels catch my interest.
The ending was slightly predictable, but by then I cared enough about the characters it did not matter much. I look forward to whatever Jennifer Ryan does next. My Thanks to #Net Galley, #BallentineBooks, and the author #Jennifer Ryan for an opportunity to read a digital ARC copy.
This novel will be available on March 12, 2024

Jennifer Ryan has become one of my favorite authors, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest book, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. The Underground Library is another winner. It has wonderful characters and readers learn about their life-changing friendships and romances during the Blitz. As always, the book is very atmospheric of the war years, covering diverse issues from the life of Jewish refugees in England to soldiers with PTSD, life in air raid shelters and volunteer war work. It is also a love letter to libraries and their importance to their communities. I loved the book and couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the author's next book.

This book was simply extraordinary. I can't possibly do it justice in this review although I'll try. The setting is the East End of London during the first year of the Blitz. So many aspects of the community responding to the war as well as societal issues are covered. Through Juliet's new position as Deputy LIbrarian of Bethnal Green Library, we see the restrictions and limitations of a patriarchal society. With Sofie, we experience the desperation and powerlessness of political refugees. Katie shows us how communities stigmatize unmarried mothers, leaving them with few options in their lives. But then, we see how women of all ages come together to support each other, creating families where they are needed, and forming unbreakable bonds.

Most of all, this is an homage to the power of books; to inform, challenge, and comfort us. It's a celebration of the community library, where all have easy access to the joy of reading. Although this story is set in the shadow of Nazi Germany with its book burnings and book banning, it feels more current than ever with the same kinds of censorship happening again. When Juliet is trying to save the Underground Library she 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 is the willingness to understand and connect." I adored this book, every single character came to life for me. I cheered their accomplishments and I wept at their losses. This is a must-read for all book lovers and one that I will reread many times.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for fulfilling my "wish" by allowing me to read the digital ARC. All opinions and the review are my own.

In a London neighborhood under threat, three brave young women are driven to tap into their unstoppable spirit to save the beloved library that holds the soul of their community. Drawing inspiration from true events, this enchanting book tells a touching story of strength and unwavering resolve. This captivating novel narrates a heartwarming tale of resilience and unwavering determination.