This book appealed to me on two fronts – firstly it’s a WWII novel, which I’ve been seeking out lately, and secondly it’s about librarians, and you all know how I feel about libraries, librarians and books. I’m always in if any of those are in the blurb! I had no idea what to expect from this actual plot though, as it’s a new one on me. It’s the story of Ava, a librarian for the Library of Congress, who is recruited to go to Lisbon to assist in looking for important information in periodicals such as newspapers and magazines. I had no idea this was a thing, and I knew nothing about Portugal’s involvement (or lack thereof) in the war.
Lisbon is, on paper, neutral territory. As such, it seems not to be experiencing the same horrible situation as the rest of Europe. Food is readily available, there’s relative freedom of movement, there are people from different backgrounds all able to exist in Lisbon. But as Ava learns very quickly, there is a lot going on just below the surface, and all the luxuries enjoyed by those with means are very much tenuous and dependant on what happens next in the rest of Europe – something everyone is aware of, and which affects decisions and interactions on down through the social strata.
There are nazi sympathizers holding high society dinners, others watching and gathering information on anyone who may be of use. And then there are the refugees, the very many lucky refugees (many of them Jewish) who have escaped persecution only to find themselves in a sort of purgatory. They have made it out of occupied territory, but are unable to make it any farther. Passage out of Portugal to one of the allied territories – particularly the USA – is nearly impossible to get, difficult as it is to acquire the proper paperwork and then secure one of the few places on a ship.
Meanwhile in rural France, Elaine is working with the resistance helping to run the printing press that disseminates news amongst the resistance, including coded messages asking for help getting those who are in danger out of the country. She lives a life full of loss, danger, and traumatic encounters with the German forces. She becomes determined to help a mother and son make their way out of France, putting her own safety and the safety of her network on the line in the process. She’s already in incredible danger because the Germans are looking for the printing press and its operators, and should they be discovered the consequences will be dire. They live one day at a time, never knowing if they’ll make it through the next, but determined not to give up their important work, no matter how difficult it gets.
While Elaine deals with overt threats and known dangers on a daily basis, helping others as and when she can, and dealing with the pain of losing people around her, Ava finds herself caught up in a dangerous situation while being watched on the one side by some of the very people who would threaten the lives of the family who she has taken under her wing and promised to help make it to America. The two women, though in very different places and circumstances, are connected through those printed words Elaine sends out and Ava reads. Both are doing everything they can to help those around them, particularly the most vulnerable, make it through the war and bring it to an end.
This wasn’t the most emotional book I’ve read set during WWII, but it did have its moments. Some of it didn’t quite fit together and felt a little forced or implausible, but only here and there. I will say that, while I enjoyed learning a bit about Portugal’s situation during this time in history – I’d never read or heard anything about it – the part of the story that had me much more invested was Elaine’s story. Ava’s was important, but being removed from the worst of the conflict and being a somewhat naïve and inexperienced character, Ava was a little harder for me to connect with. Not the best WWII book I’ve read lately, but still worth the time, and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
A moving novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II.
Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence.
Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them.
As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war. – Goodreads
Book Title: The Librarian Spy
Author: Madeline Martin
Series: No
Edition: Audiobook (Libby)
Published By: Hanover Square Press
Released: July 26, 2022
Genre: Fiction, WWII, Historical, War, Espionage
Pages: 400
Date Read: February 14-15, 2025
Rating: 7/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.00/5 (25,684 ratings)