#TheBlackoutBookClub #NetGalley
I am always drawn to books about books so was eager to read this novel. It offers characters that one will enjoy meeting, a WWII setting in Maine and lots of books. As a bonus, the list of titles that the book club read is included at the end of the novel.
Readers get to know a number of characters (and those who surround them). There is Avis who takes over the private library in her small town when her brother goes to war. She feels that she is floundering. There is also Ginny who has come to do factory work while hoping to save her family home elsewhere in Maine. She is an outspoken sort. Martina is of Italian heritage and therefore sometimes looked at with suspicion. She has come to Maine to work and to escape her abusive husband. Louise is the patron of the library. Her backstory indicates a romance during an earlier war.
These are just some of the characters who join the hastily formed book club. Avis began this without fully thinking in her desperation to save the library.
One of the fun aspects of this book is reading the minutes of each meeting. I also looked forward to seeing what title would be the next book club selection. The club started with Mrs. Miniver, a WWII story and progressed from there.
I enjoyed this somewhat leisurely paced novel. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.
This title was published in November 2022
Some other book related titles to try:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
The Mayfair Bookshop
The Library Spy
The Librarian of Saint Malo
The Printed Word Bookshop
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 