As bombs rain down on Warsaw and Hitlers forces surround the city, childhood friends Marta and Janina join the war effort using one of the only weapons that still feel safe to them: literature, fighting to preserve their culture and community and finding hope in each other in order to survive.
"As bombs rain down on Warsaw and Hitler's forces surround the city, childhood friends Marta and Janina join the war effort using one of the only weapons that still feel safe to them: literature, fighting to preserve their culture and community and finding hope in each other in order to survive.
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A BookBub Pick for Best Historical Fiction of Summer 2023
A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitlers forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.
With the death count rising, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.
As Warsaw creeps closer toward liberation, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left: literature.
Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they are transported
with Madeline Martin's vivid and inspiring characters. Kelly Rimmer, author of The Warsaw Orphan
"Madeline Martin immerses us in the expertly rendered and fascinating worlds. Natasha Lester, author of The Riviera House
