by Madeline Martin
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Genre: Historical Fiction
Number of pages: 432
ISBN: 9781335000392
Format: Paperback, Hardcover, eBook (Kindle, Kobo, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Spotify, B&N)
Publication date: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Type: Novel, Standalone
Thank you to Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin. I receive no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.
I loved The Last Bookshop in London so much I am thrilled to be able to review her newest book! Thank you!!!
Please note: I received this e-ARC right before my open-heart surgery, so it took a while for me to get this review ready due to my recovery. However, it does not at all reduce my enthusiasm for this title.
Blurb
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of the books that bring them together.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job to provide for herself and her beloved daughter, Olivia. But with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her.
When the threat of war becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In her daughter’s absence, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, as well as the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing, and her work forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
The Positive Points
Ah! The beginning is so poignant and heart wrenching. I love the literary comparison to describe the characters and what's happening. It already puts us right into major elements of this book: love and family tied with a bow of literature.
I’ve got to say, Emma’s father's love for her is resounding and touching. It reminds me of my own mother and her sacrifices and kindnesses for me. The fact that Emma lost everything she knew and loved is touching and I can relate after having lost my grandparents due to natural causes, and the rest of the family because of stupid drama. At least I got my mom, my aunt and my cousin. It's hard, Emma, I know. What a hard but striking beginning.
Also, the vocabulary is respectful of the times with "bob" for "shillings" and “chemist" for pharmacist. And as always with a Madeline Martin book, all the feels. The FEELS, I’m telling you. I cherish her books because of the historical accuracy, their ambiance, and mostly, the feels—and The Booklover’s Library is no exception to that. You can never go wrong with a Madeline Martin book!
The story revolves around Emma, a single mother, who wants to protect her daughter from the oncoming war while also providing for them both by working at the Booklover’s Library. We get to experience her ups and downs, and the hard decisions she has to make.
For example, what a heart-wrenching decision to make for a mother: to send your child away with strangers for an unknown period of time or keep her with you and put her in harm's way. A nightmare. But that’s exactly what Emma has to decide. I still have goosebumps as I remember a few of the scenes, wow.
I particularly loved how Emma pulled her daughter closer into her arms, wishing deeply and feeling as though love could be enough to shield Olivia from all harm, including the war’s.
Such a beautiful way to put it and so genuine. It’s really like that, when you hug someone or keep them close to you, and you want the best for them and feel that your love ought to be enough to protect them! So touching, I can’t get over that part of the book. It resounded to my core.
On another topic, I really like the friendships between the women at the Booklover’s Library. There is one that is sweet and easy and profound and the other one is more difficult, which really shows the range of getting to know people and befriending them.
Moreover, there is always a little something happening… a hinder, a setback or an issue. It’s small, and at other times it can be big, but there is always a new obstacle or event even if small. It’s interesting and it keeps the tale going.
Also, I love that we have subplots with all the characters in Emma’s surroundings. They don’t feel like furniture (which is a rare thing in novels!), but like real people she interacts and lives with. We get to learn about them as Emma does, and it’s heart-warming. Like Mrs Pickering, the landlady; Mr Sanderson, a mysterious and gruffy tenant; Margaret, her kind friend at work… it makes the story a living, breathing book. And I love it there!
There is a glorious uplifting surprise too! I won’t spoil it for you, but I was in a wild emotional state a few days before my second open-heart surgery in October and here came the surprise from The Last Bookshop in London, a novel I just adored and devoured from the library! (I swear I talked—and still do—so much about it my entourage knows it well, haha!) It made me so genuinely happy I forgot about my troubles for a little while. I was meeting with old friends, ok? That was the feeling. And it was wholesome.
I remember very well that my eyes were wet with emotions (lovely feeling in my chest) at the end of the book. If that’s not telling, I don’t know what will.
Honestly, The Booklover’s Library should be retitled: A mother’s love. It’s the true underlying current of this story.
The Negative Points
Alas, there are two downsides to this book (if you’re like me), yet they encompass strengths of their own when you look closely. Unfortunately, it’s rather slow (at 28% of the read and we were still not in the war…). Nonetheless, I think it shows the depth of the characters notably, Emma the main character, and how she behaves and deals with loss and grief, and her job as well as the people around her. Just when I think it’s getting boring there is a little something happening I mentioned earlier, and there we go again into the story!
As I mentioned previously, the war doesn’t happen until later on (after a good 50% of the book), so don’t expect it to like I did. It will slow down your reading experience and seem boring when it’s not; it’s just a different pace to really encompass the life of Emma, her daughter, and her neighbours, and the impact of the stress and the decisions to make in the face of the oncoming war.
When you’re not aware of this, the story does seem way too slow; otherwise, it’s a really good read set at a different pace that serves to show other aspects of the war that are not often deeply tackled in books.
In Conclusion
I give The Booklover’s Library an emotional rating of 4.5 stars out of 5! It took me a long while to get the subtle plotline so I found it to be a bit long. However, it’s also an emotional, cozy, and heart-warming read! I highly recommend it to people who love a character-driven story with a lot of emotions and coziness and being left with a fuzziness in their heart.
If you want to learn more about the author, Madeline Martin, you can head over to her website. She also has an Instagram account. You can also follow her Author Page on Goodreads. Don't forget to add The Booklover's Library to your cart, your bookshelves, or your wishlist!
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