I am so excited to be taking part in the Random Things blog tour for The Little Wartime Library today. I received a copy of this book as part of the tour.
It’s 1944 and in East London Librarian Clara Button has created an underground library in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. There is a secret community under the ground with a nursery, cafe, theatre and miles of bunk beds fleeing the horror of the bombs above.
Clara and her glamorous best friend Ruby try to keep everyone’s morale high. They set up reading groups, children’s story time and try to help those most in need. However, not everyone is happy that a woman could be so successful and many want to see Clara removed from her position at the library.
I was fascinated by this book and that it was based on true events and there had actually been an underground library at Bethnal Green tube station. At the end of the book, there are some pictures of how it really looked during the Second World War.
This is a fantastic book that is absolutely heart breaking in parts. Above all though, it shows the true grit and community spirit of those in East London during the war.
I highly recommend this for fans of historical fiction and especially for anyone who enjoys books set in WWII.
4 stars
