The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan is a book that is mildly sad and heartbreaking but also immensely inspiring and uplifting. It tells the story of three different young women and their interactions with a library at the height of WWII. Juliet has just been hired as a deputy head librarian for the Bethnal Green branch of the London Public library and seems determined to foster and encourage a love and respect for reading in the community. Katie is a recent graduate passing time working at the library while waiting for university to start when she gets some interesting news, her boyfriend has just been declared dead on the front but she is pregnant with his child. Sofia is a German Jewish refugee working in London on a work visa and struggling to find information about her family. Brought together by the library the three women work together during these perilous times even when the worst seems to happen and the library is hit by a bomb. Refusing to close the library, the community, led by Juliet, takes the library stacks and moves into the London underground and becomes nocturnal for those who shelter there overnight.
This book was inspiring because it shows just how dedicated people are to the idea of freedom of access to information and learning and books. I don’t know about you but that actually means a lot to me in the modern era of book banning in my country. The idea that this story is loosely based on true events even more so. I say loosely because the Bethnal Green library really did move underground during the war but the people in the book were fictional. The dedication this shows is just mind blowing to me as it doesn’t seem like something you see much of. In terms of the actual story it was very well written and you can tell that the author did a lot of research and probably has a genuine love of books. From what I saw, most of the information was pretty accurate though there were a few instances where some minor literature trivia was inaccurate. For most readers it probably would not be noticeable or interfere with the story. The characters were just as incredible as each one faced different and unique struggles that while common for the time were still handled with great care and empathy. None of it felt forced and their stories definitely felt realistic for the time period as did the reactions of those around them. The book as a whole ended up feeling heartfelt and earnest in all of the best ways and showed an incredibly accurate portrayal of what life was probably like for people in similar situations during the war. Outside of the minor trivia facts being wrong I greatly enjoyed this book and would probably read it again in the future. I am happy giving it four out of five stars.
This is a great example of historical fiction though it is loosely based on real events so if you like that kind of work you should consider this one. It would also hold appeal for people who like books set during WWII as well considering the setting. The book is aimed at adults but it could potentially be read by older teens and young adults but no one younger than about fifteen. It does deal with some potentially unsettling or disturbing content such as a young unwed mother and the bombing of London so if that might bother you be careful when reading. There wasn’t really any other problematic content present so it should be fine otherwise. I hope you will consider trying this one and if you do consider sharing your thoughts in the comments.