The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

My thoughts:

The Keeper of Hidden Books is fascinating, heartbreaking and one that you wont soon forget. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this author writes it perfectly.

Warsaw’s underground librarians during the Nazi occupation is a harrowing time as both younger and older people worked diligently to save banned books.  I was on edge as they figured out a way to protect history under the noses of those trying equally hard to confiscate and destroy the reading material.

There is a strong unbreakable bond between Zofia and Janina, my heart broke for both girls as they face lifechanging circumstances and danger.  I was so distraught when Janina, her family and countless others were forced into the newly formed ghetto.  The cruelty was the point to punish the Jewish population as they were placed away from the rest of the population.

On a somewhat brighter note, the clandestine book club was delightful albeit dangerous. This novel is truly an emotional and memorable one.  Please get a copy as soon as possible.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. Opinions are my own.