The Booklover's Library
Historical Fiction, WWII fiction, YA, Teen
Hanover Square Press
September 10, 2024
Kindle, Paperback, Library Binding, Audiobook
432
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
“I do enjoy reading it myself,” Olivia said. “It’s like my brain drinking in something good, like warm chocolate milk.”
Set in the early years of WWII England, The Booklover’s Library perfectly captures the daily joys and struggles of Emma Taylor, a widow and mother to her timid daughter, Olivia. This beautifully written book takes the historically accurate experiences of women and children of the time and weaves it into a story about books and their ability to bring people together and impart a sense of joy and hope when reality seems so dark. Madeline Martin has written a story that is so much more than a fictional account of a widely written about time period; her story brings to life the real life experiences of the time while affirming the timeless truths about family, friends, and the joy that comes from reading.
One of the things I enjoy about reading historical fiction is the independant search it sends me on to either find or expand on the historical facts in the story. Having traveled to the UK multiple times I was familiar with the Boots drug store but had no idea that it had a lending library at one time. It was just one of many small revelations about day to day life in this time period that Madeline deftly wove throughout the book. Another major componenet of the story was the policy to send the children from the cities out to sponsors in rural areas. This was never an easy decision for parents and was not without its abuses. Madeline uses Emma and her daughter, Olivia’s experiences to present this occurances in an unbiased way that allowed me to wrestle with my own thoughts on how I would have handled being in that situation. I love a book that challenges me to contemplate things even after I’ve put the story down for the day.
“She always admired readers who ventured outside of their natural genres. Those were often the people who had the greatest empathy, the most understanding of others around them, and the broadest appreciation for the world.”
The Booklover’s Library is also full of so many wonderful nuggets of wisdom to ponder! “Emma’s father had been right – every person just needed the right book to make them into a reader.” Madeline Martin has written characters that live out these revelations in profound ways. Emma’s backstory as a child whose father died saving her from their bookstore’s fire and her journey back into the world of books and reading was inspirational to someone who loves books. Her relationship with her daughter as a single mother and the struggles their situation opened them to resulted in Emma having to open herself to other people which made her life richer and fuller because of it. These side stories became the icing on the cake of an already great novel. So, even if you are not regularly a historical fiction reader, I highly encourage you to read The Booklover’s Library as it will enrich your reading journey.
Fiction that brings history to life
Tanya’s love for books has been a lifelong passion that she likes sharing with others. Reading is also the thing that relaxes her after a day of juggling the many responsibilities that come with being being wife to an amazing man, mother to four great kids spread around the world, business manager, and farm hand on their place in southwest Missouri; home to Akaushi cattle and a menagerie of pygmy goats, horses, chickens, dogs and cats.
