Reviews

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

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traveldanie's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

maggiementions's review against another edition

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5.0

Clara is head librarian at London’s only underground library in the midst of World War II. After he husband dies the library is all the young widower has left. With the help of her best friend and assistant librarian Ruby, the library has become a refuge for many in the underground community. Even with so much support Clara is constantly having to fight sexism, gender norms, unhappy husbands and unexpected attacks. If you are needing a book with the message to keep going and not give up hope, this is the book for you. This book deals with issues of mental and physical abuse, rape, and alcoholism so it does not shy away from the reality of war. But it also has many bright and happy moments, balancing the sad and frustrating moments with happiness and joy. This is a must read for any historical fiction fan!

kmmk21's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

hiltzmoore's review against another edition

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2.0

Not my style. Technically it’s historical fiction and I suppose the author did quite a lot of research on the subject, but the actual fiction part was frankly awful, mass market love story fluff. The characters were very much caricatures of villains and protagonists, and I was not a fan of all the plot lines tying up with a pretty “women need husbands and children to be happy” bow. Not what I expected from such a highly rated book in this genre.