The Collector of Burned Books
By Roseanna M. White
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Series: None
Rated: 5
Obtain: Borrow or buy
Back of the Book: “Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.
For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she’d hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.
Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party—he is a professor, one who’s done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France’s libraries, he’s forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn’t want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.”

Impressions: I was distracted when I started this book but was soon pulled into this engaging story of deception and intrigue. Looking through the lens of a German who did not agree with the Nazi propaganda but was proud of his heritage was new and interesting. It was astonishing to see how ignorance and the allowance for it enabled so much destruction. I can’t help but look at the world as it is now and wonder if we’ve not jumped to the opposite extreme. Facts are no longer while freedom of speech has created an unattended culture of misinformation. It feels like the world today is just as confusing as it was then. The story, per the nature of this genre, ends with good feelings however I felt that it was too idealistic for the enemy it was representing. It was still a good story and an enjoyable read. I feel like the ending was just too easy.

Quotes: “’ If we do not help each other, who will?’”

“ ’This is how He gives us the strength to withstand evil- through each other.’” -Who stands with you? Who we surround ourselves with matters.

“When society deliberately cultivated ignorance, they paid the price. Refuse to read anything that might be distasteful, and one soon lacked the ability to understand it.’”

“ ’Because words form the foundation of society. Ideas create culture. Control them, and you can control...everything.’” - Words become thoughts, become beliefs, become our actions.

“Read novels, because they will put you in someone else’s skin. Read poetry, because it will give wings to your to your soul. Read science, because it will show you what’s possible. Read politics, because it will teach you how strongly people care about their fellow men are treated, wherever they stand on what the best way is.’”

“’ You’re strong enough to be offended and then try to understand why. You’re strong enough to grand that someone can be different and still be worthy of dignity.’”

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here.

4 ⭐️

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me this advanced reader copy. The author was new to me but the title immediately had my attention.

My favorite genre of books are historical fiction so I was hoping this was close to that. Quickly into the book I realized it’s more of a historical romance book but I was still excited to read it. It took me to about the middle of the book to get totally invested and once I did, I finished it that day. That’s when I was really able to get into each character and truly care for their outcomes.

I enjoyed this and recommend this for lovers of historical fiction, romance, war stories, and forbidden love. It was a much different take on anything I’ve read thus far.

Some of my favorite lines:

📚 Books didn’t burn. Books ignited. They lit the burning in others. Not with paper and match. With ideas. But then, that was their very argument.
📚 When a people stopped entertaining opposing ideas, when they condemned the different as evil, then it was a short step from closed-minded to violently oppressive.
📚 “Trouble and I are old friends. When she doesn’t come to call often enough, I go out and seek her. Such an interesting companion, after all.”
📚 …anything could become normal, given enough time.

Set in Paris during WW2, this book takes us into the lives of those who loved reading, learning, and thinking, even when it was not always safe to do so. The book started out a little slow for me, but about a third of the way through it really picked up. I was emotionally invested in the lives of the main characters and their experiences-- their determination, love, faith, grace, and steadiness shone through.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

This emotional historical fiction about Christian, a German professor with secrets to hide who is sent to Paris to deal with Parisian libraries and banned books, and Corinne a university professor who is balancing keeping her job with spending time with the banned books and the secrets gathered within their pages, is a story of love and loss, family and friendship and the power of words and books in the darkest of times.

This is my first book by Roseanna M White but it certainly won't be the last!
I've read a few books now about the banned books so I was pleased to be able to read this one.
Roseanna has captured the 'feel' of the time perfectly.
I could imagine myself right there alongside Corinne as she went about her business. Her fiery nature, unwillingness to back down from a fight and standing up for what's right resonated with me.
Christian is such a beautiful character. I felt so strongly for him, despairing at his torment but equally revelling in his joy.
No spoilers but I absolutely loved the romance element.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.

“Books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never die.”

President Roosevelt encouraged Americans with the above quote, reminding them that ignited books lit a burning in others and the ideas burned bright within open hearts and minds. It sums up this book.

This book will give you an opportunity to pause and be thankful for the freedoms you experience; the freedom to listen, think, and feel. In a world that seems to thrive on conformity, Roseanna M. White wants readers to consider that true freedom means extending to others the right to hold opinions contrary to our own. One only has to spend 60 seconds scrolling social media before realizing that we haven’t progressed much since the book burnings in the 1930s - we constantly fail to grant others the right to disagree.

White’s novel is set over seven months in 1940 Paris and explores the power of words; what they represent in a free society and how they are often the first to be threatened when freedom is at risk.

She introduces readers to Corinne Bastien, a determined, free-thinking linguistics professor at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Corinne lives next door to the German Library of Burned Books and is connected to their contents by secrets. She forms an unlikely friendship with Sonderfuhrer Christian Bauer who has been sent by Germany to relocate France's libraries. He’s concerned that the library next door to Corinne contains verboten books and he is set on destroying them - stripping Paris of its literary heritage. When they meet, sparks fly and they must question if it’s more important to follow through with policy or risk it all and place the importance on people instead.

This book is a great one to start a new year; it contains an optimistic hope that we can one day live in a world where hate doesn’t reside and that we can learn to love despite our differences, continuing to grow, think, and thrive in a safe space.

I was gifted this copy by Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

A well-written story! In fact, I was a little stressed out while reading this book! I wasn't sure what was going to happen with those Nazis!!! The main characters are great. The story focuses on the books banned by the Germans in WWII, which is something I have not read a lot about.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance e-copy of the book! All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

After writing quite a few historical novels taking place during World War I, White has written one now that is set during World War II – specifically in Paris as the Nazis are trying to control people’s thoughts and ideas by outlawing books (and the people who write them) that disagree with Nazi ideology. Although the things that happen to the characters are frustrating and upsetting, I really enjoyed this book. White excels in illuminating the conflicts of choosing policies over people, of trying to burn books so the words cannot ignite people’s minds, and of justice vs mercy. I highly recommend this book that kept me on the edge of my seat.

“I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." #CollectorofBurnedBooks #NetGalley

Corrine Bastien lives in the building next to the library of books that Germany has the books consigned to be burned by Hitler. Christian Bauer has been sent by Goebbels to oversee the library and secure the books that are missing from the shelves. While Christian does not adhere to Hitler's beliefs, he is still somewhat a person to be feared in Corrine's eyes.
Roseanna M White has cobbled together a group of characters who add small sparks of life here and there, but the book still falls a bit flat for me. The plot moved a bit too slowly for me and it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that the pacing finally hit its mark. Some of the characters were easy to dislike--maybe, even hate. Some of the characters were so very likable, and some were just space fillers while others were there just to bully people around. Corrine did develop depth throughout the book, which I appreciated. Christian had a heart from the beginning but didn't show it until later on in the book.

This wasn't my favorite book but it did give a glimpse into life in Paris under German rule during World War II. This is something we need to be reminded of so that we don't repeat history. Four Stars.

Tyndale House provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Roseanna M. White delivers again. I read her last book, An Honorable Deception, earlier this fall, and it became one of my favourite books of all time. The Collector of Burned Books was a wonderful story of hope, triumph and bookish delight. I love books, writing, librarys, and the name Christian, so a book with ALL those things!? Vunderbar!

I loved Corinne and Christian. Their very human approach to life was well done, and Christian's story was so, so good. His backstory tugged at my heartstrings. I love a good book-loving professor, and I also like seeing the reality that not all Nazis believed Hitler's lies.

Corinne was a very interesting character as well. I loved the depth of spiritual growth portrayed in this novel. Overall, I thought it was a great story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely love historical fiction books but unfortunately I really did not enjoy this book. I found the plot weak and couldn’t engage with any of the characters.

This is historical fiction set in France during WW II. I had a hard time getting involved in the story but about a third of the way in it captured my interest. It is about a professor from Germany sent by Nazi Germany to Paris where he develops a relationship with a female literary professor. I did enjoy it although it was not my favorite of this authors books. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Set during WWII, this story shows the war from the perspective of intellectuals from both sides, the Allies and the Resistance.

The recollections of hope in the face of atrocity are well written and thought provoking.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in return for my honest review.

This novel sweeps away the reader to the days when WW2 was just getting real for French denizens. History buffs - especially WW2 researchers such as yours truly have read from multiple sources about how Nazi Germany did their best to propagate their fascist ideologies into their expansionist exploits abroad.

This story literally puts you in that realm and shows the war through the lens of intellectuals from both sides of the coin - the Axis as well as the Allies and the Resistance. The author beautifully weaves her narrative using the most exquisite prose, and her attention to detail is fantastic! Imagining the proceedings of the story was easy, as we borrowed images from our recollection of so many great movies made about that timeline. I often found myself putting the book down for a moment just to savor some brilliant parallels the author draws in many scenes. Many of these are so thought-provoking that one wonders why we let such a catastrophic event happen in the first place.

The stories of strife yet hope, desolation yet tenacity, and sanity in the face of atrocity are the stronghold of The Collector of Burned Books. I often found myself getting transported in color to black and white as I remembered similar scenes from movies like The Train (1964), The Imitation Game (2014), and All the Light We Cannot See (2023).

There were just some parts that I found challenging. Often there is a dialog that has sometimes three full sentences of a back story before the character's response. Despite adding value to the conversation, I felt it caused more distraction and made me exasperated a couple of times, to be honest.

Roseanna M. White provides suspense and heart-pounding thriller moments throughout the book that left me gasping about what might happen next. Often just a subtle hint about the consequences of getting caught by the Nazis. I loved that aspect of her narration because we all know about the ghastly past and the fact that the author avoided the gore just showed how deftly she steers clear of reminding us about the horrors of war & leaves it to our imagination to build the tension.

Thank you, NetGalley for allowing me to preview the book. I can't wait for it to be released and follow other readers' reviews & opinions for it.

THE COLLECTOR OF BURNED BOOKS by ROSEANNA M WHITE is a beautifully written WW11 novel which takes place in Paris from the start of the Nazis’ occupation. It is a book about ideas and words, restoration, unconditional love, forgiveness and family relationships. There is also an impossible romance………..
The characters are well portrayed as they show great courage in standing against the destruction of freedom of thought and try to save, not only the books written by enemies of the Reich, but also some of the writers, mostly Jewish, who escaped Germany and whose lives are now threatened in Paris.
Corinne Bastien is a feisty woman, a professor at the Sorbonne who feels strongly about the arrival of Christian Bauer in his Nazi uniform who has been ordered by Goebbels to sort through the Paris libraries, including The Library of The Burned Books in which she has a special interest, destroying all those deemed dangerous by the Reich. Christian was chosen for this task because he is a professor from the Berlin university as well as being in charge of the university library. Drawn to each other by their love of books and thrown together by Christian’s mandatory search for missing library books in her flat, they gradually uncover each other’s secrets……..
This is a book that I could not put down and will not forget in a hurry! It is an excellent and inspirational read and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale Hoise Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.