My Rating: 4.5
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: July 26, 2022
Author: Madeline Martin
Similar To
The Librarian Spy Blurb
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.
Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.
As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war.
The Librarian Spy Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
I’m a little bit of a World War II nerd, and I believe I am not alone in this considering the plethora of options in the genre. Given that, I read a lot of books about World War II. This is the first book I have read about Lisbon, Portugal during the war and the resistance efforts using newspapers. I don’t know how I have missed such a wealth of information, but I’m so glad to have started with The Librarian Spy .
Like a lot of these novels, The Librarian Spy is absolutely heart breaking. What I loved about the story Madeline Martin told was her distinct honesty. She did not flinch away from the atrocities of war. She allowed the narrative flow to build but also didn’t exaggerate descriptions simply for shock value. She really respected the lives and deaths of the victims of Hitler with her poignant words.
Conclusion
The Librarian Spy is a superb example of the power of historical fiction.
*Special thanks to Madeline Martin and Hanover Square Press for providing a copy of The Librarian Spy in exchange for an honest review.
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