The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
The Keeper of Hidden Books
by Madeline Martin
The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
was published on 23rd September 2023 by Hanover Square/ Harper360 .
My thanks to the author and the publisher for sending me a copy to review and to
Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.
Synopsis
This is a heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by the NYT bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London. It is 1939, and nothing could prepare Marta and Janina for the Nazi occupation of their homes and families in Warsaw. Friends since childhood, the two women couldn’t be more different – Marta is Polish and a stubborn, practical planner; Janina is half-Jewish with fanciful ideas of war and heroism. But as the bombs rain down on Warsaw and Hitler’s forces surround the city, a series of tragedies spur them to action. Both avid readers, they find ways to join the war efforts using one of the only weapons that still feel safe to them: literature. While Marta and her father become active in the underground and work to salvage books in danger of being destroyed, Janina aids a secret library in the ghetto, lending and delivering books to orphans. As the round ups and executions intensify, these books become a life preserver for members of their community. But the closer Warsaw gets to liberation, the more dangerous it becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. Through the destruction and death raging around them, Marta and Janina must fight to preserve their culture and community, finding hope in each other in order to survive.
My Review
This is such a powerful and hard book to read in so many ways. Like many of you reading this review, the thought that such atrocities could be committed against human beings by other human beings fills me with anger and disgust. Madeline Martin creates a historical reference to what life was like in Warsaw under the occupation of the Nazis, and also later during communism.
The horrors that Zofia and her friends and family witness and face are unimaginable. However, with all that is going on they find the wherewithal to save, and hide, books that the Germans were hell bent on destroying; and act that most of us will find incredibly hard to comprehend. I do appreciate though that this pails into insignificance when put against the atrocities they committed against other people.
The descriptive writing within the story is beautifully and powerfully written by Madeline, and her use of language creates the images within your head as to what life was like during this horrendous period in Poland's history. She shines a beacon on the importance and steadfastness of friendship throughout and how it was this that got so many people through these dark times.
Even though this is a harrowing story in many respects, it is told in such a way that outlines exactly what is happening and the revulsion that is felt on many levels whilst guiding you through the events to the lives beyond.
For me this was an extremely powerful and emotive book from which I have taken away a lot and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone to read.
About the Author
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDelete