【 THE LIBRARIAN SPY 】

Genre: Historical Fiction
Audience: Adult
Author: Madeline Martin
Published: July 2022
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Pages: 300 (paperback)

This was a brilliant and emotional historical fiction novel. Having read The Last Bookshop in London I had reasonably high expectations for this one, and I was not disappointed.

As always, my favourite thing about a historical fiction novel set during WWII is when I learn something new about the war. And I’ve never read anything set in Portugal – quite frankly, I had no idea it was neutral in WWII, either. And for someone who is so fascinated in this era of history (and even studied it), that feels like a huge thing for me to somehow not know. There is honestly an endless number of things to learn about this war.

This is a dual POV, with one character (American) who is transferred to Lisbon to help with intelligence gathering, and a second (French) who is based in Lyon, France, trying to survive during the Nazi occupation.

The stakes are high for both characters, but I loved how real Martin made both feel. You come to really care for each woman and I also loved the way their stories intersected – it could otherwise have been two very random and separate stories. I was so desperate for them to know the impact their actions had and how much they helped people, and it’s almost frustrating, as the reader, knowing the other half of the story, as it were, from the other POV, all the while the other character has no idea if what they’re doing has made a difference/been successful.

I found myself deeply engaged with the setting, too, particularly Lisbon. I’ve never been to Portugal, at the time of reading this book, but it’s seriously piqued my interest. There were historical tidbits I learnt, tips and info about making Portuguese Tarts that I’ve squirrelled away, and just generally it has somehow made me fall in love with a city I’ve never seen. Lisbon has catapulted to the top of my list of cities I need to visit now.

This book has certainly solidified Martin as a must-read historical fiction author for me, and I’m very much so looking forward to reading her most recent release next!

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Title: The Librarian Spy
Author: Madeline Martin
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new 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 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.