Madeline Martin – Page 2 – Flippin' Pages Book Reviews

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Release Date: September 10, 2024

Life has never been easy for single mothers and their children, but late summer of 1939 was especially hard for young widow Emma Taylor and her daughter Olivia. With England on the brink of joining WWII, Emma is doing her best to provide for her child, but with her meager savings running low and prices rising, she is beginning to feel desperate. She would willingly work, but with a marriage bar prohibiting married women and widows with children from working most jobs, she is having a hard time finding a job that will enable her to earn a living, but still care for her daughter. Her luck seems to take a turn for the better when she happens to be in the right place at the right time – in this case, the café in Boot’s the Chemist store. She overhears a librarian resigning her position as she is to be married, and she takes the opportunity to ask about a position and is hired to work in the Boot’s Booklover’s Library – a Lending Library. But with war looming, even having a job, might not be enough to keep her daughter safe, decisions will have to be made about Olivia’s future, decisions that no parent wants to make. Keep your child close and potentially in harm’s way or send them away to live with strangers and hopefully away from air raids?

This story is a heartwarming and at times heartbreaking story of not only a woman struggling to keep her tiny family together during the war but rediscovering her own love of books and sharing that love with her daughter and the patrons of the lending library and maybe even finding a happy ending for herself. The story takes place at the start of England’s involvement in the war and gives the reader a glimpse of life in Nottingham during the terror of the blitz, as well as Emma’s volunteer efforts and her relationship with her young daughter, her friends, coworkers and library patrons. In addition to a fantastic story, fans of Ms. Martin’s novel, The Last Bookshop in London, will be delighted when Emma is sent to London and happens upon Primrose Hill Books and meets Grace and Mr. Evans. If you enjoy well-researched, emotional Homefront WWII fiction with relatable characters and literary references, then look no further, you have found your next read!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin

Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone Title

Release Date: August 1, 2023

The summer of 1939 in Warsaw, Poland found best friends Zofia and Janina perfecting their first aid skills with the girl guides and preparing for a war that they didn’t believe would ever come to Warsaw. But the war did come and with it came pain, horror, and the loss of their freedoms, starting with the books they were allowed to read. They endured the occupation, believing they would be saved by the Allies, but as time passes, the hope of rescue begins to wane. But rather than lay down and comply, the indomitable spirit of the Polish people is ignited, and they fight back – in any way they can.

For their part, Zofia and Janina who are working at the main Library, covertly start a book club choosing books that have been banned. Later as the list of books expands and their rights are reduced, the girls along with several friends, begin to hide banned books in an effort to save their culture from being erased by the Nazis.

Sadly, Janina is fired from the library because she is Jewish, and then things get worse as Zofia and Janina are separated when Janina’s family is relegated to the ghetto. But they both continue to defy Hitler, and each continues to save books and train with the underground. For a very short time, they are occasionally able to secretly exchange letters, but then even that is taken from them, and it will be years before they learn of the fate of the other.

During their time apart, the war escalates, and the true horror begins, yet through it all, Zofia doesn’t stop hiding books or trying to make a difference. Her losses will be enormous, and her faith will be tested, but she will never stop fighting to liberate Poland and reclaim the independence her forefathers died to give her.

I usually exclusively read historical romance, but this author used to be a historical romance author and is such a gifted writer, that I happily make an exception to read whatever she writes. And to my surprise, this book did end up being a love story, maybe not in the traditional sense, but it is about the love of country, the love of friends, the love of family, and the love of books. This book is amazing, the writing, the research, the intermingling of true historical events with fictional events and characters is all spot on. It is a book that will make you think about all the things you might be taking for granted, and it will leave you in awe of the Polish people as well as give you a new respect for all the men and women who fought against Hitler and the Axis powers. I highly recommend this book but be prepared for an emotional read and keep the tissues handy.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

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