Reviews with content warning for Suicide - The Little Wartime Library

Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

12 reviews

daisyslibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

"People without books are like houses without windows"

I could say so much about this book and even that wouldn't be enough to describe how this book made me feel and what wonderful meaning this story carries.

This book is based on true events from the Second World War and is about a wonderful underground community in a subway shaft in London and a library that has given so many people endless comfort in difficult times. We are guided through the story by fictional characters like Clara and Ruby, who work in the library and are so much more than just librarians for those people, they are also social workers, teachers, doctors, heroines but above all friends. The two protagonists are such strong and impressive personalities who also have their own burdens to bear and that makes them so authentic and approachable. I have grown very fond of them.

The supporting characters who find refuge in this library are also so tangible and their stories all touched me deeply. I especially took the children, who are also affectionately called "tunnel rats", to my heart and this book often moved me to tears and tore me apart inside.

Of course, some of the characters also drove me mad because they are dripping with misogyny and unfortunately that was also quite authentic because women had even less say at that time and were only seen as weak and irrational.

This book is a declaration of love for books and libraries and their importance in times of crisis and I can only recommend it.

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dogmomthc's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

bookish_ghost_girl's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

Historical fiction is something that I enjoy reading frequently and this fit right in. Especially since history was a subject that I enjoyed learning in school and is still something that I enjoy today. With this story, I learned about a part of WW II history that I hadn't really heard much about. While the characters are fictional, I liked that the underground library and the shelter it was in were real.

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amberlfaris's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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moodreadswithmoe's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Things I liked:
- Found family trope and the cast of characters were easy to connect with.
- Multiple POV
- The examination of grief and it's crossover/resonance to today.
- The bookish theme was spot of and carried throughout very well
- The authors note and bookclub discussion on extended context of the wartime library the book was based on.

Things that were a miss for me:
- Past/present setting and the ending was 'wrapped up' in a bow.
- Multiple relationship tropes to follow.
- The time period & language (this is always a miss for me and part of why historical fiction is not usually my go-to.
- Predictability of plot

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harmonygracie's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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utopiastateofmind's review against another edition

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4.0

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

The Little Wartime Library is a book that moved me on a variety of levels. Firstly, the sexism Clara and the women in this book have to endure is heart wrenching. This historical fiction book takes us back to a time - or maybe not even so far - when the sexism against women's literary taste and their 'expected behavior' was incredibly conservative. Conversations about what they should be reading and what 'bad ideas' they were reading about in books - like emancipation, agency, and pleasure.

My blood was boiling on an almost daily basis as Clara fought not only for women's right to reading, but also to the education of children. Additionally, the literary elitism and classicism from the antagonists in the book was another source of rage. How clearly it tried to use books or the access to books against the poor. To not see the ability of reading for transformation, dreams, and ambition all the way to pleasure, enjoyment, and escapism.

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