Author: Madeline Martin
Publication Information: Hanover Square Press. 2023. 416 pages.
ISBN: 1335005773 / 978-1335005779
Rating: ★★★
Book Source: I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.
Opening Sentence: "Sofia Nowak sat back on her calves in the warm summer grass while her friend Janina clumsily wound a bandage around her head."
Favorite Quote: "The world also needs to remember to never take for granted what has been gifted to us through the sacrifice of others: the right to an education and learning, the power and luxury of freedom, and the beauty to appreciate the routine of simple, everyday life."
Much has been written about the World Wars and books - individual and group efforts to preserve and protect books and the comfort and solace books provided to people in dire circumstances. Madeline Martin herself has written about the topic before. This story brings the history of World War II and books and those who found comfort in and sought to preserve books in Warsaw, Poland.
The history, the love of books, and the idea of a strong female protagonist all made me choose to read this book.
The point in history is the onset of the Nazi occupation of Warsaw and the creation of the ghettos to segregate communities. This is not an aspect of World War II history I have read much about. I would have loved to see this side of the story explored more. There is a hint, but it is not pursued. "The entire time I was reading it, I couldn't help but imagine having my own time machine... But I wouldn't go as far into the future as the Time Traveller, not would I go as far back. I would have gone just a few months. Maybe even a year, to see if the world could be altered with one small change."
The love of books - reading and writing them - rings through as you might expect. "Books are the perfect conduit to convey a message to the world. It could be an idea that blossoms into a way of life. It could be a new theory for mankind to explore. It could be a journey of life that few have trod. When you have something to tell, it will simply burst from you and you won't be able to stop it."
The main characters are two young women. Zofia and Janina two school girls who are best friends. Janina is Jewish; Zofia is not. It has never mattered before, but, to much of the world, now it does. They find themselves united in their love of books and libraries. They find themselves on opposite sides of the ghetto borders. Their "Anti-Hitler Book Club" progresses into a courageous effort to protect friends and books.
Because so many books have been written about this history, including books by the author, the book leads to an automatic comparison. This one unfortunately suffers by comparison. I find myself thinking again and again that I have already read this story. I have not, but this one does not stand out and stand apart from the others. This story in and of itself is not memorable, which is a shame because the history needs to be remembered.
Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.
No comments:
Post a Comment