Publisher: 3rd August 2022 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA
Pages: 400 pages
Genre: historical fiction, World War II
My Rating: 5 cups
Synopsis:
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.
My Thoughts
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin is an emotional World War II historical fiction story featuring two young women, one American and one French. These two women come to understand the power of the written word especially during a period of world history where life seemed intrinsically out of control.
‘The written word held such importance to her through the years. Books had been her solace in a world turned upside down, a connection to characters when she was utterly alone …. In the war, they had given her insight, understanding, and appreciation.’
Madeline was inspired by, firstly, the history of America’s library of spies in neutral Lisbon. The reader is introduced to Ava, who worked at the Library of Congress but was transferred to Lisbon because of her language skills and where she was to serve as a spy. Secondly, we meet Elaine in Lyon, who is helping the French Resistance by working with the printing press and distributing factual accounts of the war through an underground newspaper. These women connect through a coded message sent out through the printed pamphlets.
The Author’s Note at the end of the book is very informative and shows the amount of research undertaken. It’s so rewarding to delve into the history behind the fiction. This is the first time I have read about Lisbon during WWII and the role librarians played in gathering information. I had never read anything about Portugal during the war and I was fascinated by this perspective.
For readers who love historical fiction set during this period, The Librarian Spy is a great addition. A tale full of drama, secrets and suspense, intrigue and history that proved riveting reading. This is a story where the reader will experience the full range of emotions, with some events requiring a tissue box to be close at hand. A truly profound story.
‘There was nothing Ava Harper loved more than the smell of old books. The musty scent of aging paper and stale ink took one on a journey … These were tomes once cradled in the spread palms of forefathers, pored over by scholars … In those fragrant, yellowed pages were stories of the past and eternal knowledge.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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