TBR Challenge: Kate Thompson - The Little Wartime Library

London, 1944.
Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London Clara has created the country's only underground library, built over the tracks in the disused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here a secret community thrives: with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café and a theatre offering shelter, solace and escape from the bombs that fall above.
Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war drags on, the women's determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.
Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a gripping and heart-wrenching page-turner that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war.

Comment: It seems incredible but it's already mid January! I've signed up for another TBR Challenge, hosted by Wendy the SuperLibrarian, and that means it's time for the first post. The theme for this month is "New Year, whos dis?" and I've followed one of Wendy's suggestions of possible ways to go and picked a new author to me.

In this WWII related story, we meet Clare Button and Ruby Monroe, two librarians in London, who are keeping up with the Bethnal Green library, now in the tube station, since so many buildings were affected by the blitz. Clare has thought of this idea because in time of crises, people deserve to have something to look for and something to distract them from issues they cannot solve. Things seem to go smoothly and there are plenty of patrons who cherish the library as much as they do but, of course, there are always some who think differently. At a time where war and civilian rights are as much a concern as is if people will survive another day, can the librarians be a beacon of hope as they intended?

This story is my first attempt at the author's work, after another of her titles caught my attention. While investigating, this one also intrigued me and since it was more easily available to me, this is the one I've started with. It's a story set in London, between 1944 and 1945, with two more chapters - the first and the last - in contemporary times, specifically during the pandemic, told from a certain character's POV to contextualize.

The meaty part of the book, let's say, is set during the war and is focused on two characters, whose POV we alternate between, Clara and Ruby. They are both in their early 20s if I got that right, and they live in London during a time no one was really safe. Their story is mainly focused on their work as librarians and all that was necessary for them to do their work while dealing with a new boss, who aimed for tradition and rigidity in how things had to be done, while they both dealt with personal issues.

I would not say this was the most emotional story set during WWII I've read, but in part this might have happened because of the author's style. The story is fictional but based on real events - the author included fascinating notes at the end, which were, in reality, more interesting than the actual fictional story (I didn't even felt like I had to google anything) - and the author's energy and dedication to do her research justice does shine. Perhaps, in a way, a bit too much, because there were moments it felt the goal was more about the end result and not the real evolution of the characters...

I say this because while having the protagonists' POV makes many things more personal, it also means their views are limited and partial to what is happening. There were scenes or moments I wish we had a third person narrative instead. I did like that a lot of the story is closely linked to where they were, what was happening, and their librarian job. There is a lot on woman's rights (and the lack of) and what should be considered a "good library", what it should symbolize and the actual role a librarian had and still has to patrons and to those who need the library for more than just checking out books. I love libraries and I still visit my local one, despite being able to now afford more books than when I was a child of course, and several passages/situations were heartfelt.

Clara is a slightly more central character than Ruby, it felt and I liked her and what she symbolized for librarians and women. She is a sweet woman who feels her library is more than her duty and I was rooting for her while she faced the man who could jeopardize all her efforts. In terms of personal life, she is a young widow and her mother and mother in law seem to be antagonists to her, both in behavior and in views of the world. Clare finds someone she can love again, and a hint at romance was great, but... perhaps because it was not the goal, the romance felt a little...under done.

Ruby is an extrovert who loves her job and the apparent freedom given to women with the men away and the loosening up of the society "rules" when other issues are more urgent. Her family life is complicated and her mother is in an abusive relationship. Ruby also finds a man who will be there for her, thus another romance to consider. As I've said, the author put so much (good) use to the historical context that this element was really secondary execution wise. I mean, the romance of both Ruby and Clare matters to them, and is heavily linked with other important elements in the story but it's not quite there... some might argue that yes, it's not the main one, but if it's there anyway...

With a story set during WWII it's not a surprise there are some negative, sad, unfair, tragic situations included and of course the feelings associated with those scenes make for an emotional read. Still, to me, some things didn't really impact me the way I assume they are meant to because some passages seemed a bit too predictable for this type of story. I also didn't like some transitions between scenes, for instance when we are told about a certain characters' death, I think that in the attempt to match it as faithfully as possible to the real life event it was based on, made the writing detached. It might be only my impression, of course.

This is a story to appreciate, yes, but more mostly to allow the reader to think and to imagine scenarios in which real people had to have a role in those real situations and how, perhaps, it might have been. I'd say that the issue why this wasn't a better grade for me is the fictionalized parts. Sometimes, historical fiction is a little less thrilling because the writing is almost too close to something academic and I think in these books, the perfect balance between good research and the use of facts with a fictional and/or romantic side is very hard to achieve. Therefore, I've liked this book but it was't perfect to me. I will still read the other one I wanted, though, to compare at least.

Grade: 7/10