"A Bookseller in Madrid" is my second novel by Mario Escobar, and like his first, it has deeply resonated with me. The author's distinctive writing style beautifully captures historical context and complex emotions, crafting relatable and multi-dimensional characters.

The story explores the experiences of Jews in Germany and Spain during the Civil War, skillfully blending historical events with personal narratives. Escobar not only recounts facts but also highlights the resilience and courage required to stand up for friendship, justice, and human rights in difficult times.

What I appreciate about Mario Escobar is his ability to tackle significant themes like war, political unrest, and the struggle for survival, while introducing a sense of hope and tolerance. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical fiction authors, and I look forward to his future works.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this remarkable novel.

Let me warn you: this review is purely subjective and may not be taken as objective truth.

Have you ever seen videos about expectation and reality during online shopping? Apparently it can be the same with the books. My expectation and the reality turned out to be two entirely different concepts, and I think that is the main issue, all the other troubles with the book experience stem from. Given the title and the description (at least the way I've read it) I expected the bookshop to be the key point in the plot. To be the safe haven. To be crucially important. However, it didn't feel that way. I heard more about the church, school, and the other places.

Another issue is that it feels like a history textbook. If we take some dialogues and put them next to a history textbook text, one will find it hard to figure out which was what. I wanted to live the historical events through the lives of characters, not through dry info-dumping.

For the first time in a while, I also had the complaints about audiobook narration. I'm not sure all the accents and different voices were necessary, the change between them wasn't smooth and sometimes painful to hear. That is not to shame the narrator — I think she put in her best — but to point out the thing that probably was part of the requirements but came out messy and seems unnecessary.

Thank you NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and the audio narrator for this book

It was at times, stressful, with the threat of WW2 and the civil war in Spain. And yet it was hopeful as Barbara, a bookseller, knew the importance of books in the world and how she strove to protect and revive it.  It is relevant too, as this reminds us of how important are books and access to books are - and how they are one of the first to be removed in times of historical changes in society and humanity.

A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar is a beautifully written and deeply moving historical novel. From the first chapter, Escobar immerses you in the sights, sounds, and emotions of a pivotal moment in history, bringing both the city and its characters vividly to life.

The story is rich with themes of courage, sacrifice, and the transformative power of books. Escobar’s meticulous attention to historical detail blends seamlessly with heartfelt storytelling, making this not only an engaging read but also a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

If you love historical fiction that captures both the heart and the mind, A Bookseller in Madrid is an absolute must-read.

Mario Escobar always captures me with his writing and I always enjoy reading his historical fiction books.
A Bookseller in Madrid did not disappoint and the story is emotionally compelling.

The narrator did an excellent job in making the story feel realistic and engaging.

With many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher Harper Muse Audiobooks for another amazing ARC.

A dark look at the Spanish Revolution that happened as the world was trying to recover from WWI an looking towards WWII. The world just watched at Spain tried to destroy itself.
Barbara Spiel uses the unrest in Germany as the Nazi party becomes more powerful, to move to Spain where she believes she will be safer. She has always dreamed of owning a bookstore and plans on importing and sharing with her Spanish neighbors German and French books. Along with her new husband, Barbara steps into a hot bed of the revolution, Madrid.
This is not an easy read. For those of us that love to learn from history, it is a powerful story. It will remind all readers about man's inhumanity to man. It is a very real book about what it is like to be on a losing side during a war. I have to admit, some of it was hard to listen to, but it made the story so believable and again, we need to learn from this, not just pretend it didn't happen.
Mario Escobar brings us stories of little known parts of history. How people were strong in the face of wrong. How people helped those that they might not agree with, but they were fellow humans and needed help. Escobar with his stories restores some of my hope for the survival of us humans.

I’m always drawn to stories about books and bookstores, so A Bookseller in Madrid was an easy pick for me. Set during the Spanish Civil War, it follows a young bookseller whose life is upended as history unfolds around her. I loved how Mario Escobar wove real events into the narrative without it ever feeling weighed down — it gave me a new perspective on a period I didn’t know as much about, and experiencing it through the eyes of someone surrounded by books made it even more compelling.
The pacing felt smooth, and the emotional moments landed without ever tipping into melodrama. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lauren Ezzo, whose performance was excellent — she captured the intensity of the historical moments and the more intimate, personal beats with equal skill.
If you’re drawn to historical fiction that celebrates the power of books — especially during turbulent times — this one is well worth adding to your list. It’s immersive, heartfelt, and left me thinking about the characters long after I finished.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen and review this audiobook.

Publication Date: July 1st, 2025

Barbara Spiel, a german young woman, moves to Madrid looking for a safe place far from Nazi Germany and willing to open her dream bookshop. Aside from finding book repositories and a husband, she finds a country facing changes due to political views. Leaders are taking sides, turning Spain into a mess leading to a civil war.

The novel covers the Spanish Civil War and the situation in Europe during the 1930s and WWII and it portrays the book banning, the threats and deaths the Spanish population suffered by the Francois army and the control by checas

Reading about war is always sad and makes me connect it to the situation in the present. All wars are full of violence and chaos, and how sad it is to think about the same nation divided and people fighting against people of the same kind. This kind of novel made me think about innocent people living in countries at war trying to survive.

I enjoyed learning about El Palacio de la novela and other bookish places in Madrid during the 1930s, and it was interesting to learn about the Spanish Civil War. One impactful moment that struck me was to learn about a bomb that killed so many children. Tough events are hard to read, but I think the author made great work presenting accurate historical information in this realistic novel.

There are some words in Spanish, and the narrator did a good job. It's very noticeable that it isn't her first language, but still, it was easy to understand, and she was able to transmit a lot of feelings with her voice.

Thank you, Harper Muse Audiobooks, for the advanced audiobook.

First I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for allowing me to get an ALC of this book to give my honest opinion.

I recently started getting into historical fiction, and I was really excited to listen to this book. The setting and premise had so much potential, post-Civil War Spain, in the midst of WW2, a bookstore, hidden manuscripts… it all sounded like something I’d absolutely love.

While I did enjoy learning more about that period in history, I found myself wanting more depth from the characters and their relationships. The story moved quickly, which kept me engaged, but it also meant some emotional moments didn’t fully land for me. I liked the themes of resistance and the power of literature, but overall, I didn’t connect as much as I hoped I would.

Still, it was an interesting glimpse into a time and place I don’t often read about, and I appreciated the historical details woven throughout. If you’re a fan of historical fiction with a literary twist, this might be worth checking out!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2⭐️

The audiobook version of this story was fantastic. The narrator was exceptional and enhanced my experience with the story.

Thank you, Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley, for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.

Whenever this author releases a new book, I eagerly anticipate it. This is my first time listening to an audiobook by them, as I typically read on e-books. Like many other books, this one didn’t disappoint at all. Historical fiction is always my favorite genre, and this one offered a fresh perspective. I had no idea that war had reached Madrid, which made me even more intrigued by reading. It’s fascinating how much we learn from books. Reading this book reminded me of the challenges faced by authors and readers during war times. Barbra, the protagonist, is a remarkable woman who left her home in Berlin to open a bookstore in Madrid, seeking refuge from the war. However, her German heritage made her a target, and she was forced to confront her past and reconnect with her friend. Barbra’s strength and determination shine through as she perseveres despite the obstacles. The epilogue, which reveals that the entire story is based on a true event, deepens the emotional impact of the book. It’s a poignant reminder of the hardships endured during war. I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and the author for providing me with the opportunity to read this incredible book. It’s currently available, and I highly recommend it, as well as his other books.

Set in 1934 Madrid during Spain’s Second Republic, this historical novel follows Barbara Spiel, a German bookseller fleeing the rise of Nazism. With a deep love for literature and a desire to build something meaningful, Barbara sets out to open a bookshop in the heart of Spain; a sanctuary for young idealists and free thinkers.

Narrator Lauren Ezzo brings the story to life with gusto. A seasoned voice artist with many audiobooks under her belt, she takes creative risks here with a range of accents and vocal tones. Some may feel a little on the nose, but given the wide cast of characters and the emotional demands of the narrative, it’s an impressive balancing act. Ezzo juggles it all with mastery; an absolutely stellar performance.

What struck me most is how this story resonates with our present. Despite the specific historical setting, A Bookseller in Madrid echoes the same struggles we face today: rising authoritarianism, censorship, forced migration, and the fragility of peace. It’s hard not to draw parallels between the lead-up to the Second World War and our current era of global instability. With over fifty armed conflicts now raging worldwide and more than ninety countries involved directly or indirectly, it can feel like humanity is condemned to repeat itself—a Sisyphus curse that never lifts.

The novel underscores a fundamental truth: life is political. Barbara’s dream of establishing a bookshop and bringing more German titles to Spanish readers is noble, yet she’s warned she may face censorship or struggle to find an audience. Books are being banned left, right, and centre; a sobering reminder of what’s at stake when ideas are suppressed.

Barbara’s journey from Germany to Spain and out of it into France feels hauntingly familiar. The issues she faces—immigration, austerity, education, birth rates, climate anxiety, over tourism, class and generational divides is still shaping our world, if not more so today. The novel holds up a mirror to our time, asking us to think, reflect, and act.

Originally published in Spanish as La librera de Madrid in the summer of 2024, A Bookseller in Madrid is compelling, heartfelt, and rich with historical depth. It’s a novel, and an audiobook, that I hope reaches readers in as many countries as possible. This is the kind of historical fiction that reminds us why our stories matter.

Thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks and Netgalley for the advance listening copy

I dnfed this book at 35%
I Just could not get into it. I think a lot of People Will love it though.

I really wanted to like this book. I picked it up because I know very little about Franco's rise to power, and I prefer to get a feel for a historical period via fiction before diving into nonfiction for further information. In this particular case, I think I might have been better off going straight to a history book because the fictional aspects of the story felt forced while the facts were much more intriguing.

The titular bookseller is Barbara, a young woman who wants to move from Germany to Spain to open a bookstore selling French and German books to the Spaniards there. She does this by moving in with a friend and teaching at a school in Madrid while researching how and where to set up her shop. She gets engaged, then married, then opens her store as chaos descends. The whole plot felt like it was presented as "and then this happened to me, and then another thing happened to me, and then this horrible thing happened to me, and then that happened. to me." Much of it felt anticlimactic despite the seemingly high stakes, in part because it was told in first person.

On the plus side, the descriptions of setting, the explanations of political maneuvering, and all the historical bits were fascinating. Also, the narrator did a really nice job juggling so many different voices and accents.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publishers, for the opportunity to listen to this book.

It was alright—nothing great. A Bookseller in Madrid had the potential to be powerful given the setting, but it ended up feeling quite unidimensional. The characters could’ve used more depth, and the story didn’t quite leave a lasting impression. Still, an easy read for those interested in historical fiction.

https://www.goodreadsA Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar tells the story of Barbara Spiel, who flees her country to open a book store in Madrid, Spain. In the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, and under the eye of the Stalinist Chekas, Francoist Fascists, and the German Gestapo, Barbara fights to keep her bookstore open in these unsure times.

For Historical Fiction lovers, Escobar weaves in the historical elements with ease while keeping the reader thoroughly engaged. The narration by Lauren Ezzo was excellently done and keeps the reader engaged throughout. Because of this narration, I was able to complete this book in one day.

Thankyou, Harper Muse Audiobooks, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and read the eARC.

Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Jul 01 2025

#HarperMuseAudiobooks
#HarperCollins
#HarperMuse
#ABooksellerinMadrid
#MarioEscobar
#LaurenEzzo
#HistoricalFiction
#yarisbooknook
#NetGalley.com/review/show/7714624045

I was looking forward to reading The Bookseller in Madrid as it explored a genre of historical fiction not often explored in mainstream historical fiction—the Spanish Civil War. Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me. While the Spanish civil war was a bloody and tumultuous part of Spanish history, I felt that the book failed to capture any sort of emotion or imagery of this period of history. I felt that the story was more a historical listing of the names of political parties, leaders, dates and government with a few characters thrown in to try and tell a story. At times, it read like a poorly written fictional spy story as the protagonist was bombarded by multiple members of every faction of the war to spy for them within moments of one another. And yet, despite this seemingly important part of the story, it also just felt like another sub-story that felt very underdeveloped. Any parts where any “action” was about to happen ended quickly with a swift resolution and barely any tension. I actually paused at one point to see if this book was classified as a young adult novel, because it read like YA fiction multiple times throughout the story.
The story bounced around from event to event without creating connection to the characters and their lives. As a result, I didn’t feel invested in the characters or their lives. The story didn’t feel believable, despite being based on a tumultuous period of actual history, and it also didn’t evoke any sort of emotion or feelings in me as I read it, despite knowing that this was a tragic and violent period of Spanish history.

The narrator of the audio production was pleasant to listen to during the narration of the story, however, her multiple shifts into accents or gender roles of the characters were unbelievable or inaccurate.

Despite being disappointed in this book, I did enjoy a reoccurring theme that was discussed—the fact that books can be and have been used as weapons in society. Books open doors to critical thinking and can be used as an ideological influence responsible for shaping thoughts of a society. Reading is often considered a method of resistance, and I appreciate that theme in this story.

I'm a huge lover of historical fiction, but I believe this is the first time I've read anything historical based in Spain. That's one of the main reasons I chose this book - to learn something new. Mario Escobar did a wonderful job weaving this story together, and I enjoyed listening to the narrator's flawless accents. The first half of the story kept my attention more than the last half, especially the last couple of chapters, which felt rushed, in my opinion. Overall, though, I really enjoyed A Bookseller in Madrid, and I would recommend it to everyone.

This book was amazing such an eye opener on how Spain dealt with the war and the effects on one women trying to make it in Spain with her bookshop

A Bookseller in Madrid tells the story of the struggles of a privileged couple - Barbara, the daughter of a former Berlin Socialist ,who was living in exile, who falls in love with a Spanish politician, and moves to Madrid, where they marry and have a son. Barbara fulfills her lifelong dream of owning a bookshop while her husband finds himself on the wrong side of the struggle with the impending invasion by Franco's troops. The first part of the novel is interesting and paced well; the second part rushes by so quickly that the struggles the couple endure before and while trying to flee the country, do not seem nearly harrowing enough. Regrettably, the main characters, especially Barbara, who narrates the story, were not particularly likable or sympathetic. I enjoyed Lauren Ezzo's narration when she read Barbara's narrative, but I found it jarring to hear Barbara's voice with a German accent. Ezzo's ability to distinguish among Polish, German, French, and Spanish accents was admirable but diverting. All in all, A Bookseller in Madrid fell short for me. Other readers may find it more satisfying.