This is a delightful story of community in wartime, love and loss, and resilience. Based on a true story, Kate Thompson ни вкарва в лондонското метро, което след ужасяващите бомбардировки над Лондон се превръща в приют на бездомни, уплашени и бягащи от несигурността хора. Всъщност става дума за Бетнал Грийн - недовършена спирка на централната линия на метрото, свързваща Майл Енд с Ливърпул стрийт стейшън. Който познава добре столицата на Великобритания, може би ще разбере за какво става дума. И там, 78 фута под земята, хората намират единственото място, където не се чуват бомбите, взривовете и воят на сирените. Създават своето тайно село и се превръщат в сплотена общност, опитваща се да оцелее. В тази станция се открива приют с тройни легла за 5000 човека, театър за представления, кафене, медицински пункт със сестри и лекари, зала за танци с роял. И с библиотека. Която е биещотото сърце на хората, решили да не оставят войната да им отнеме човешките нужди. The Little Wartime Library was a haven for people. It did so much more than hand out books. It helped children to learn to read, to come to terms with loss of family to help those living in the underground to bear the long hard years that war brought to their homes and cities. I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Random Things Tours. Kate Thompson is unafraid to present difficult issues like domestic abuse, loss, guilt and mental health problems. Yet they never make the story maudlin or depressing.

Sagas such as this book are not my usual genre of reading. I often find them quite twee and get a bit bored. However I was keen to read this book as I had recently been researching about the underground library and what life was like for those underground in East London during the blitz. I really enjoyed it and will definitely try some of the author’s other work. Author Kate Thompson’s 5-star historical fiction focuses on the pioneering efforts of two women who effectively transformed the lives of wartime Londoners. When you close a library, bad things start to happen in the neighbourhood where the library used to be. The library is the glue that holds a community together and you only miss it after it has gone. " Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is an inspiring and heart-wrenching story of life on the homefront, and of the strength of courage required to fight for what you believe in. Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a book that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.This novel is a must for anyone who likes books set in this era and would like a glimpse into the lives and resilience of ordinary people in this harrowing time.

I love the two women who run the underground library and how resilient they are and I love most of the other characters as well. I love the world building and how much research the author does include in the book as well.History isn’t about dates and battlefields, leaders, and royalty. It’s about ordinary people getting on with the business of living, in spite of such unforgiving odds. And somehow in the process always managing to hold hard to hope. Although the scene is set in a horrifying time of war, and the story is heart-breaking at times, the overall message speaks to the collective power of community and its vital importance! During the war, the facilities were amazing down the Tube; it had everything you needed. There was even a mobile hairdresser, who used to come down the tunnels doing people’s hair out in rags before bed so they woke up with nice curly hair. Terrific! I’ve become rather jaded by book titles containing the word ‘little’ but here it is incredibly apt.

The narrations were split between Clara and Ruby. Clara stands up to injustice – particularly when it comes to lending out what have been deemed ‘restricted’ books. The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson is a heart-warming tale of friendship and resilience in tough times during the war in 1944. This story is based on true events.The Little Wartime Library is fast paced and exciting. There are moments of terrible suffering through the impact of war, balanced by light-hearted banter and humour. One of the things I loved about this book, was the author’s exploration of what “one” person can achieve when faced with hardship. As the war dragged on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits, when it ‘seems’ it might have come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive. London, 1944: Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While war ravages the city above her, Clara has risked everything she holds dear to turn the Bethnal Green tube station into the country’s only underground library. Down here, a secret community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theater—offering shelter, solace, and escape from the bombs that fall upon their city.