‘A splendid warm-hearted novel’ – Rachel Hore
London, 1944.
Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above.
Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.
Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.
London, 1944.
Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above.
Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.
Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.
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Reviews
A captivating tale about the power of libraries and how they connect us . . . Meticulously researched, readers will be entranced by this fascinating slice of history
A heartwarming story of how friendship and the written word sustain us in the toughest times. Based on a little-known true story, Kate Thompson's meticulous research and love of libraries shine through. Perfect for fans of Dear Mrs. Bird.
I was totally immersed in The Little Wartime Library. Kate has such a talent for bringing history to vivid life. Utterly transporting, vivid and fresh.
Books help win the day in this splendid warm-hearted novel of wartime resilience and romance, based on a true story
Remarkable . . . Heartbreaking and inspiring, this brilliantly researched book also captures the essence of the story through its evocative words and thoughtfully written characters
A perfect wartime tale of hope against the odds
A compulsive read . . . enthralling
Libraries create writers! And here's a book as wrapped up in libraries as it could be . . .
Fascinating and heartwarming
The almost furtive joy of being able to borrow books to read for free, and the emotional liberation and adventure this ability confers, suffuses every chapter of this novel. Thompson's research is full of love and levity, showing how reading provides succour and sustenance even in the darkest of times
An ode to books, libraries and the resilience of women. Uplifting and heartwarming. The strength of the human spirit shines through
A fascinating forgotten underground library
Riveting
Remarkable
My best book of the year. I loved the feeling this book gave me. The fact that this community, this love of books realty did exist and really did make a difference, was a wonderful thing to discover
Warm and uplifting historical fiction, all made to feel so real because of the historical details seamlessly woven into the story
This is just the story we need right now - a tale of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to keep hope alive and to give a community adrift in wartime a sense of home. The Bethnal Green underground library might be the beating heart of the book's subterranean village, but Clara is the soul of this novel. She's the kind of character you cheer for, cry for, and dream for. Kate Thompson's passion, meticulous research and brilliant storytelling make The Little Wartime Library an utter delight to read
Such a heart-warming story of camaraderie
A powerful, earth-shattering read
The Little Wartime Library was such an immensely heartwarming read. I laughed and cried through the entire thing, completely enraptured. People who love books about books must read this gem!
Captivating and remarkable, it reminds us that stories soothe and help us make sense of the chaos in our lives
Gripping, emotional and uplifting