Who doesn’t love a book about books. This is a slow burn but was very interesting. I loved the characters in the book. The elements of friendship was so good.

This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future!

Ms Thompson has done it again! As a fan of wartime historical fiction, I knew I was going to like this story, I didn't know I was going to love it!

A really lovely read, these types of stories never used to interest me, but the more I read the more I enjoy.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

As usual for Kate Thompson, this book did not disappoint. A wonderfully written, enjoyable novel that covered some important and fascinating parts of history. I loved how she brings the characters to life through her detailed descriptions. I highly recommend this book.

This book spoke to my heart as a librarian and I could tell the author had done a lot of research with librarians to get the full identity of the main librarian character.
The story was full and held lots of strings to its bow. I wasn't sure what the outcomes would be for the characters
Overall a feeling of warmth and belonging came from this book and reignited my love in all things books.

This heartwarming, emotional and inspirational novel, is set in London, during WW2, and is based on real events. In 1944, librarian Clara Button, has created the country’s only underground library, in East London. The library is built over the tracks of a disused tube station, at Bethnal Green, alongside the library there is a nursery, cafe, and a theatre. The secret community below ground thrives as the war continues above ground. The locals gather there for shelter, solace and to escape from the falling bombs. Clara maintains the library as the ‘beating heart of life underground’, along with her best friend and assistant, the glamorous Ruby Munroe. The women’s determination to stay strong against adversity is tested as the war drags on, along with the community they serve. Soon keeping loved ones alive becomes ever more important. This was a gripping story, made even more so as it’s based on real events. As the blurb states, it ‘remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war’. I was hooked throughout the story, both by the amazing characters, but also the setting, which was brought vividly to life by the authors descriptive narrative. I felt completely immersed in the storyline and engaged with the characters of East London. The added historical details made me feel transported to 1944, and the author has obviously done a lot of research, which comes across in the writing. A five star read!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to review.
This book is a fantastic exploration of life during wartime in Bethnal green. It cover multiple parallel story lines with a wide range of characters. Clara and Ruby are MCs to remember. I particularly enjoyed how topic such as war, domestic violence and grief were handled sentively yet realitsically. The writing was superb and I flew through the pages in a day. A must read.

An amazing, beautiful, unique WWII story. Clara has turned a disused tube station into so much more than a library, it is a vibrant community providing solace and structure for people. The fact that is is based on a true story blew me away.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson was an utter joy to read from start to finish. Set during World War Two and based on real events, and despite the awful nature as to why a library ended up in the Bethnal Green Underground Station and although war raged on around the characters, this book is full of love, hope, community spirit and friendship. It’s a warm hug of a book that will envelop you and reluctantly leave you go as you reach the final page. I could have read on and on so enraptured was I by the entire story and it’s safe to say I would class this as Kate Thompson’s best book to date. Her love for the subject matter emanates from the pages and it was evident such detailed research was undertaken in order to make this the best story it could possibly be.

This is a homage to books and to the remarkable people who made so many sacrifices during the war displaying such resilience, strength and courage in the most desperate of times. At the beginning there is a lovely, passionate and inspiring note from the author which highlighted the importance and need for libraries just as much now as they were needed during the war. At the start of every chapter there is a quote from different librarians and these make you really stop and think and you find yourself nodding along in agreement.

Clara Button is the branch librarian for a library with a difference. Following the bombing of Bethnal Green library in the first week of the Blitz, it relocated to Bethnal Green underground station. The tube station had been incomplete and subsequently turned into a shelter and literally became like an underground community with people living there permanently and even a theatre and café spring up alongside the library. I had previously read of an incident which occurred at the entrance to the tube station but never knew that a library and shelter had been set up there. The results of the aforementioned incident have a strong influence over how one of the characters acts and feels and this was dealt with very well. Clara has her best friend Ruby helping her as a fellow librarian.

Together they made an incredible duo. What one may have lacked in personality or ability the other made up for it. They were like ying and yang and when united could do incredible things and they did throughout the book. They were two of the most selfless characters I have ever read about. Each had their own personal traumas to deal with and although they didn’t ignore the suffering they were going through and how events had impacted on them personally, they often pushed their own issues aside and dedicated both their personal and working lives to helping the residents of the underground station. They did all this by sharing their love of books and this is what unites so many of the characters and aids them through the bad times. Even as the bombs fell they could be whisked away to a world of safety and escape to a different time and place and in doing so were afforded time to take their minds of the struggles of everyday life. Women were united through the book club set up by Clara and were given a voice at a time when men weren’t best pleased that women had stepped up and taken over their roles whilst so many were away fighting.

Clara was such a fabulous character whose love of books shone through all her actions and the endless work she did at the library. She was the force that united everybody and I despised the way her new boss Mr Pinkerton treated her. I think he was very much of the old school that women should be seen and not heard and rather their place was at home. Clara was the complete anthesis to him and as her home life wasn’t that great for various reasons and guilt and the burden of keeping something secret weighed on her I think she channelled all her energies into the library wanting to do good for people who had so little. Clara is human, compassionate and intelligent and never judges anyone no matter what background they come from or story she may have. The library is her life and she brightens the days of everyone who walks through its doors. She is full of energy and vision and is resolute and strong in her objectives for the library.

Ruby is a character full of guts and guile and Clara’s right hand women. She is fiercely independent and I loved how her story turned out. I wouldn’t have expected such greatness from her when I first read about her but it shows women can go to do remarkable things. Her family struggles were highlighted in a realistic way but I wish she had been a bit more forceful earlier on which would have saved an awful lot pain and anger. But I suppose she had to bide her time and respect the wishes of the person involved.

I loved the addition of the Tube Rats - a group of young children who call the station their home and got up to all sorts of mischief. Sparrow and Tubby were the two most memorable boys from the gang and I enjoyed how Clara worked her magic on Sparrow. She could see he had plenty of ability if given the chance and she embraced him into the little family unit she was creating within the library. As for Marie and Beatty, two sisters who fled from Guernsey, I could guess fairly on what was going on with the pair and I was surprised neither Clara nor Ruby twigged things much sooner than they did. I loved the chapters towards the end of the book set in Guernsey. The little titbit we got made me think oh I’d love if the author would set a future book there detailing life on the island during the war. There was a character connected to the two sisters whose story I would have loved to have read much more about. I know this wasn’t the book for it but my suggestion above would cover this and I would be first in line to read it.

As previously mentioned Clara and Ruby are the two stand out main characters but there are so many supporting characters that were relevant and I wanted to know lots and lots about them. Mrs Chumbley, the deputy shelter manager, Mr Pepper who has lost his beloved wife and needs a place where he feels wanted and valued. Billy, the ambulance driver who adds a surprising twist to the overall story, is a conscientious objector but yet through his work he is helping so many. As himself and Clara grow closer will there be happiness for the pair or will secrets prove to hard to overcome? There are too many other characters to mention but suffice to say they all add value to the story and deserve their place and only help to create such a wonderful community feeling which will stay with you long after you have finished this brilliant book.

If you love books based on the war but at the same time are becoming slightly jaded with reading of the same stories rehashed in different ways then The Little Wartime Library is the book for you. It is beautifully crafted with such a wide range of memorable characters that make this book increasingly difficult to put down the further you read. You will lose all sense of time and place and travel with Clara and Ruby to their underground library which is a community hub for those who need support, comfort and the world of books to take their minds off the troubles and strife that the endless war brings.

The importance of friendship, uniting through books and being there for one another in good times and bad are all highlighted and make you stop and think about how many courageous and worthwhile deeds were carried out by so many when the worst of times befell the world. This is a book to readily lose yourself in and when you reach the final word you will be glad to have learnt so much about the time and have met so many wonderful characters. Not to mention you will want to read many of the books mentioned throughout if you have not done so already. This is a story well told that deserves to reach a wide audience, I loved every minute of it and would highly recommend it.

Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this book. It was a really absorbing, gripping read that manages to be both heart warming and heart breaking.

Firstly, as regular members of my blog will know, I absolutely love books set in the Second World War especially if learn about something new. I had never heard of the underground library or the wonderful underground community that existed in Bethnal Green during the war. I was absolutely enthralled by the author’s fabulous descriptions which were so vivid that I felt like I was actually there experiencing everything alongside the characters.

There are some truly fantastic characters in this book some of whom I absolutely loved and others who I loved to hate. I really loved the two main characters Ruby and Clara, especially as they had such a passion for reading. It was really heartwarming to see them engaging so many different people in reading and encouraging them to read whatever they wanted. There was some great supporting characters too and through them the reader learns more about the war and social attitudes towards women at the time, some of which made my blood boil.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone! I read this book in two days as I just couldn’t put it down as I has to find out what was happening next. I thought it was very clever how the author managed to include so many different parts of the war into the book without it seeming forced or too much and I loved learning more about the Channel Islands, silent bombs and the East End during the blitz. I was very sad when the community and the library had to close at the end of the war as everything started going back to normal. I found I really missed it and am keeping this book in my keep forever shelf so I can return to it soon.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Hodder for my copy of this book. I highly recommend this book!

I read lots of historical fiction and this is probably my favourite out of them all. Based on actual events The Little Wartime Library is a beautifully written, well researched heartwarming story of community spirit, resilience, strength and BOOKS!

Clara and Ruby were such amazing characters, selfless, real and their passion to keep the library alive in the depths of the underground amazing!

I liked the little touch of having librarians comments inbetween the chapters. I also took the time to read the authors notes at the beginning where she talks of her love and passion for books.

Absolutely adored this book and would highly recommend to anyone who loves books.

Many thanks to Random Things Tours for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Clara and Ruby were too unforgettable characters who brought a pinch of magic to this wonderful story. Widowed in the war, Clara has dedicated her life to working as a librarian. Her mother and former mother-in-law hated her choice of work and made their opinions known. Viewed as a mere woman by Mr Pinkerton-Smythe, the chair of the library committee, she was solely responsible for rescuing the books from the war-ravaged library and opening up over the tracks at the unfinished Bethnal Green Tube Station. Down in the gloomy depths, a whole community had developed, and it offered temporary sanctuary to all manner of people. There was even a theatre, a hairdresser, a café and, of course, the library.
Ruby had witnessed the terrible events which saw her sister crushed to death on the station’s steps and was haunted by flashbacks and survivor’s guilt. Her trademark red lipstick and willingness to offer herself to any soldier had gained her a reputation, but she couldn’t seem to care less.
The stars of the book are the library users themselves; children left with little access to education. Scared women being bullied by their husbands. Widows and widowers, looking for some company. There were many positive stories which resulted from having access to the library. My imagination was captured by three characters: Sparrow, Marie, and Beatty. Their stories were filled with the kind of heartbreak that is so often associated with the victims of war, they saw and endured more than anyone should ever have to.
The way that Kate Thompson brings this story to life is incredible. I could almost taste the soot from the tunnels and feel the claustrophobia from being stuck underground. There are some difficult elements to this book as the realities of war are not the stuff of fairy tales. There are stark reminders of how far women have come in their fight for equality and how truly appalling some women’s lives actually were. Despite the desperate theme, this is a truly uplifting story. There is strength in surviving and Clara and Ruby add a dash of colour to a very dark time.
I can highly recommend this terrific book. It is based on a true story and did bring me to tears, but at its heart, this is a story of love, hope and survival. One of my books of the year!

I like to read books based in the war but this was very different. Its based on an underground library that was set up for people to use while the war raged above them. .
It gives a different angle and it was a lovely change of story. Clara and Ruby were the invisible heroines of the war who kept childrens love and reading alive and helped them survive emotionally through the horrors of war.
I actually wept for them as I came to the end of the book.
Recommended for those who like historical fiction

As a library worker this book pushed all my buttons! The quotes from library workers at the beginning of each chapter were a lovely touch. The story itself is a a good one full of strong women. Reading this novel showing true community spirit has made me realise how important the work I do is and reinforced how important our service will be in the coming year.

What a gorgeous read. If you love books, you’ll be sucked into the story. Also really interesting as based on true life. Definitely recommend this book

3.5

What a truly heartbreaking read this book was. There were so many tragic incidents in this book. Clara was such an admirable character. I loved her. All the lives she touched and the people she helped, just amazing. Ruby was amazing too. Two very string women in a time where the future was so uncertain and scary.

The East End is where my family lived until 1939, and where my uncle went back after the war. So Bethnal Green is an area I am familiar with and am glad my family moved out of before the time setting of this story. I was born after the war so have no memories of this time, but am grateful to be reminded of it.
So much of this novel is based on truth and facts but a novelist can write skeins of light and joy and give life to these bare facts.
Libraries are a joy and a boon to the child who reads. I read voraciously and like the children in this story my family didn't buy books. They couldn't afford them, so the library gave me a world of imagination and learning through books and reading, that has never left me. Shame on the Councils closing them down!
This book left me emotional, heartbroken for those who died in body or spirit from wartime tribulation. In love with libraries and librarians again. The quotes from librarians are great but I am not sure they fitted the chapters they headed up.
This is a book I highly recommend to all, and PS were the adventures of Amber really published in 1944? I loved that series when I was younger and read it voraciously!

I loved the premise of this story - not sure that it fully lived up to its promise but it was an easy entertaining read.