Yet another winning book from this author. It goes from past to present set during wartime to the present day .For anyone who likes to read wartime stories this is the one.
Great book from beginning to the end.

The atmosphere in this story comes across in waves. How frightening those times just prior to the war must have been. The not knowing who you could trust, with danger lurking everywhere, around the corner or even under your own roof - and that you may ultimately, find yourself fleeing all you’d ever known to find safety in an unknown country.
The characters in the story, fighting for their freedom, in what small way they could, faced losing that freedom - and it started with the public burning of literature.
I enjoyed the time jumps in the story from war time Berlin to present day America. They brought the past and present characters of the story together and revealed the story’s surprise conclusion.
As well as the fear of approaching war, there is also warmth, friendship and love to be found in this story and it’s certainly one to add to your reading list.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is a very slow read. You will be thinking yourself that you should maybe DNF it right up until the 200 page mark.
The story didn’t feel unique at all and the characters weren’t very likeable. They felt like caricatures of the people from the time period. Only without the spark that makes them individual, the story falls flat.
Unfortunately this book was not for me; although it may certainly resonate with some readers.
I received an ARC of this title; all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars - One of my favorite books of 2025 so far!

I love dual timeline stories, as well as those of this genre, so I was very excited to check out this book. It didn't disappoint!

Freya's storyline takes place in Berlin, 1933, and Maddie's is in NY, 2024. Each storyline is well-developed and engaging, and I love seeing how Wood pulled everything together. A lot of important topics are handled in a delicate manner while still getting their importance across to the reader. There is minor violence and foul language in Freya's story, but it's relevant in the historical context. Based on the title, I was expecting there to be a bit more about book banning than there was, but this is a well-researched novel about historical events that are important to remember. This book is a testament to how important books, and history, are.

Wood's writing style easily pulls the reader in. Characters are relatable and realistic, and the author makes the reader feel a part of history.

I haven't read anything by this author before, but I certainly look forward to reading future books.

A wonderful story which really impressed me as to the research Daisy must have looked into to write this compelling story. I enjoyed this so much and am now sad as I've finished it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Wow what a book. This book was everything. Fast Paced, atmospheric and I loved the characters. Thanks for chance to read it

Maybe I was in the wrong mood when I read this book but I found that it really dragged. The time period of history is very interesting but I just didn’t warm to any of the characters in either timeline but especially the modern one. I confess that I skimmed the modern time line and focused more on the prewar one, but even that was very slow and took ages before it got interesting.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for offering this ARC. What a great read! Just when I thought I’d read my last WW II historical fiction along comes this beautiful book. Filled with strong, bold characters and a plot based in historical fact it was a read well worth my time.

1930’s, Berlin. Freya’s mother Ingrid dies and she’s expected to give up her dreams of further study to look after her ungrateful father and brother. The economy in Germany is terrible, she takes in a border and gets a job working as a seamstress at nightclub to make ends meet.

The atmosphere in Germany is changing, with the rise of fascism and Adolf Hitler, Freya can't live with her family as they believe in the cause and leaves home. Action is taken against people with an un-German spirit and things are starting to be restricted and banned and including books and she hates the thought of them being destroyed.

2024, New York. Maddie works as a journalist, after a nasty social media attack about an article she wrote, she decides to visit her mum, brother Ben and grandfather in Los Angeles. Maddie’s grandpa's obsessed with Swedish death cleaning and sorting out his affairs and they hold conferences about what to do. While Maddie is helping him and she finds an old diary and becomes invested in discovering more about her great-grandmothers life and has no idea what she's going to uncover.

I received a copy of The Banned Books of Berlin from NetGalley and Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review. In her latest dual timeline narrative Daisy Wood explores what it was like to live in Berlin in the 1930’s, here you couldn’t think or believe differently to Hitler and his supporters, Jewish people and businesses were starting to be targeted and it was dangerous to retaliate or break the rules and did the main character Freya do this and if so what happened to her?

A well written and at times a heartbreaking story where the past and future are perfectly woven together and easy to follow and it explores topics such family and ties, the importance of classic books and wanting to save them, secrets and mystery, cyberbullying, plagiarism and theft.

Five stars from me and I highly recommend The Banned Books of Berlin and Daisy Wood's previous novels The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris and The Royal Librarian.

I love Daisy Wood's writing. I've read all of her books except for one (The Royal Librarian..but I do want to read that one as well.) All her books are so well researched. I was very excited when the publisher granted me an early copy. I was not disappointed!

It's a dual time line story. Freya's life is changing in 1930's Berlin. Her beloved mother has just died and she must take over her sewing business. It's not something she really enjoys. She loves the arts and writing in particular. She gets a job in a prestigious Berlin theatre and begins to sew the costumes and makes new friends. She's frustrated with her father and brother and leaves to live in the theatre. Times are changing in Germany and Hitler's regime is causing havoc for many people. Freya finds herself resisting the regime and doing things she never thought she'd have to do. In the present timeline Maddie is visiting her Grandfather in California. She's helping to cleanup his apartment and they find her Great-Grandmother's diary written in German. This puts Maddie on a quest to find out about her and her heritage. She will discover many things. I liked the twist at the end!

This book was a welcome change for me as it focused on pre WW II and Germany and when Hitler was fear mongering his own people. He was imposing curfews and trying to control freedom of speech through the banning and burning of books. Stories like this are still important today. This is a reminder to us all to never make these same mistakes again.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Avon Books UK for granting me access to this Advance Reader's Copy.

Published in the UK April 10, 2025

This story begins in Berlin in the 1930s just as people are beginning to realise that their life is changing. But it isn’t just the world view that is changing, Freya’s life is changing too following the death of her mother and the expectation that she must go out into the world and get a job and do as she is told. But Freya is a hero who can't just stand by she wants to preserve and hide books which are banned which is a risky business. Paralleled with this is the life of Maddy in the 21st century in New York where she is experiencing hate crime following an article she has written on social media. There begins the dual timeline with the rise of the Nazis in Berlin and the resulting death of the Weimar Republic paralleled to the 21st century in what is supposed to be the freest country in the world!
Daisy is a master of her art, juggling both timelines to untangle this mighty story of bravery and courage and love. Loved it a lot.
Thanks to Daisy Wood, Netgalley and Avon Books for the ARC.

I have read all of Daisy Woods’ books, so I was really pleased to be offered a copy of her latest one, The Banned Books of Berlin.
The story is a dual time line, Maddie and her family in present day Portland, Freya and her friends and family in Nazi Germany in the 1930s.
Hitler is just coming to power, the Stormtroopers are everywhere, life wasn’t safe for anyone who didn’t toe the line. Freya’s father and brother became ardent Nazi supporters and a Nazi was even a lodger in their house. Freya was not a Nazi supporter. Maddie lives in America and her grandfather decided to clear out his belongings as he wanted to declutter his house in anticipation of his death at some stage in the future. And so the story enfolds. This was a great read and I enjoyed the story as well as learning some new historical facts. I would like to thank NetGalley
, Daisy Wood and the publishers, Avon Books for an arc of this enjoyable book.

The Banned Books of Berlin by Daisy Wood is a captivating novel!
A well written story that was so hard to put down.
I loved everything about this novel!
Mesmerizing!

The Banned Books of Berlin is a dual narrative/dual timeline novel set in 1930s Berlin as Hitler rises to power and modern day West Coast USA.
It is the type of historical fiction that is really engaging because both stories are compelling and each of the main characters in their stories are relatable. There is Freya, a young woman who has lost her mother as she approaches adulthood in Berlin when the story begins, and Maddie, recovering from both professional and personal burnout in Portland, while her family is in LA.
Their stories intertwine as Maddie visits her Gramps and helps him with his 'Death Cleaning', making links between Maddie as a professional writer and journalist, and Freya, who begins to write as a vehicle to express her feelings as the Nazis take over Berlin.

Overall, a really interesting concept and historical setting for a book. I've read lots of historical fiction set in the WW2 years but not a lot in pre-war Germany so it was great to get this perspective. I've not read this author before either but I would definitely read something of hers in the future.
4/5 from me - many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank NetGalley and Daisy Wood for giving me the chance to read this amazing ARC.

The Banned Books of Berlin takes you through the tragic beginnings of the Nazi takeover of Germany. Freya is a young determined woman with the strength and courage all women should look up to. She fights for what she believes and desperately tries to make a difference for her country. But anyone who knows history knows how that ends.

Fast forward almost a century later and we find Maddie, an aspiring journalist with troubles following her online. She goes back home to visit and stumbles upon an amazing journey through her family history that reveals unbelievable secrets. What a twist of events that was to read at the end!

My love for history, my German heritage, and all the ‘banned’ authors in the world, I was immediately drawn to reading this book. I’m a collector of old books that are deemed too controversial in today’s society, and believe that history and old stories should be read over and over. For if we ban books, we ban the history, and if we ban history we will never learn.

This book also made me want to speak to my grandmother, who was born and raised in Germany right in the middle of the war. I wonder what life was like for her after the war and growing up. Maybe one day I’ll hear her story as Maddie heard Freya’s.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this eCopy to review

I just finished The Banned Books of Berlin, and it was a compelling and emotional read. Daisy Wood masterfully intertwines two timelines—Berlin in 1933 and present-day New York—creating a gripping historical fiction novel that explores resistance, courage, and the power of literature.

In 1933, Freya watches in horror as the Nazi regime rises, burning books and silencing voices. She faces a difficult choice: remain a bystander or risk everything to protect knowledge and lives. Meanwhile, in present-day New York, Maddie stumbles upon a pre-war German diary among her grandfather’s belongings. As she delves into its secrets, she embarks on a journey to uncover Freya’s story and the impact she had on the world.

Wood’s writing is immersive, bringing Berlin’s tense atmosphere to life while also capturing Maddie’s modern-day discoveries. The novel beautifully highlights the importance of books and the resilience of those who fight for truth.

The Banned Books of Berlin is a rich historical novel that is poignant and inspiring, reminding us of the enduring power of literature.

I absolutely loved this book by Daisy Wood..The historical research was second to none and really brought it home to the reader what a terribje time it was for people who were subjected to the nazi regime and all that went with it.
I didn't know that much about the banning of books in Berlin and what distress thar brought to people.

I liked the dual timeline and how Maddie and her family were involved in looking into Freya's past.

Daisy is a brilliant writer and I highly recommend this book.

A wonderful book about bravery and courage to stand up to what is right.

Freya lived in Berlin just as Hitler was coming to power she did not believe in what he stood up for. She lives with her Father and her brother who believe in the values of Hitler. We see what happens to Freya over the years as she left a diary and her Great Granddaughter Maddie discovers this and she starts to research what happened to her over the years how she ended up in America. Maddie has had her own problems and takes a break from her job.

I really enjoyed the book and it was certainly a different perspective from the usual book about what happened pre War. I really thought Freya and Maddie were strong characters.

The book was well written and it flowed perfectly from one era to another.

Would recommend the book.

A wonderful dual timeline novel set in early 1930s Berlin and modern-day Los Angeles. I loved seeing how these two stories came together! I’ve read many novels set in WWII Germany, but I feel that this was a new perspective. The focus on books was really interesting, and Daisy Wood is a genius at telling stories from the past that are relevant and fascinating. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.