REVIEW: The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin: Emma Taylor is almost at her wit’s ends. She is a widow and has no real means to support herself and her daughter. It’s almost impossible to find a job since most won’t hire a woman who’s a widow and/or has a child. She finally gets a job with a lending library called the Booklover’s Library thanks to a kind employer. The library is part of a store that also houses a chemist with makeup and other items.

Emma’s training goes well and she comes to know many of the patrons. There is an upper level subscription group who get special privileges since they pay more. The British aren’t too concerned about the war Hitler has started in Europe to begin with. When bombing in England starts, the situation gets dire and scary. There are shelters at various areas of Nottingham, but Emma worries that her daughter Olivia may be in too much danger. She decides to send her to the country where it seems safer. Even then, there is a monthly fee for a family to take in your child. After Emma sees the conditions that Olivia has to live in she decides to bring her home.

The two of them are lucky to have support from the neighbors where they live. Mrs. Pickering is their landlady and often helps look after Olivia when Emma is working. Mr. Sanderson is an older man who lives above them. He seems a bit grumpy at times, but he has a kind, protective heart and is very helpful.
Mixed in with the trauma of war and its consequences, the author lifts up a slowly evolving romance between Emma and Charles Fisk. Charles is a firefighter who has been through a lot, but is still basically optimistic.

The author’s notes at the end of the novel are well worth reading. She explains the history behind the story and how she only had to make a small fictional tweak. I have read Madeline Martin’s other historical novels. I always learn new things while being engaged in a well written book. Thanks to my local indie bookstore, I will be able to meet Ms. Martin in November. I look forward to hearing her speak about this book and upcoming ones.

Book Info:

Publication: September 3, 2024 | Hanover Square Press |

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.