First published 2024
Juliet Lansdown arrives at Bethnal Green Library as the new deputy librarian, only to discover the once-thriving institution has lost its spark. She sets out to revive it while proving to her male supervisors that a woman can run the place, even as her own past threatens her position. Katie Upwood works at the library before heading to university, but when her boyfriend dies in combat and family troubles mount, she finds herself keeping a dangerous secret with nowhere to turn. Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee working as a maid for a cruel employer, escapes to the library whenever possible, seeking friendship and help locating her sister still trapped in occupied Europe. When German bombs destroy the library building, Juliet moves the entire collection into the Underground station where Londoners shelter each night. The three women must overcome personal crises and community tragedy to preserve the books that keep their neighborhood's spirit alive.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Bethnal Green, Europe, London, United Kingdom
Period: 20th Century, 21st Century
368 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books
Content warnings: death, war