The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Published by Harlequin Audio on August 1, 2023
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 416
Length: 10 hrs and 53 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: 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 Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, 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.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

The Keeper of Hidden Books is a beautiful, beautiful story. I love Madeline Martin’s WW2 novels because she does such a good job of presenting difficult subject matter in a very tender and reverent manner. She makes you fall in love with the characters, and highlights the good, heroic people who fearlessly fight to protect their people and the things that matter most to them. Zovia is an amazing character. Her loyalty to her loved ones, her bravery to fight, and her fearlessness to push back were inspiring. Her love for her best friend, Janina was palpable. One can only dream of having such a strong friendship like this. Janina was also inspiring. I can’t think of her without feeling a little sad, but also amazed. When I think of all the supporting characters, I can only come up with adjectives like “fierce”, “brave”, “fearless”, and “loyal” to describe them. To think that there are people in this world and in this world’s history that are like these two girls and the members of their community makes me hopeful that there is still so much good here even when the majority of news headlines continually remind us of the people who only seek to cause pain.

The holes in my world history education have left me unaware of the depth of what Poland went through during this time. I knew the German invasion and occupation of Poland ushered in WW2, but I had never learned the details I learned in and because of this book. I am grateful to The Keeper of Hidden Books for inspiring me to go research more and learn. Isn’t that what a good historical fiction novel does? I was heartbroken to learn of the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, which was essentially an overcrowded prison riddled with disease and pain. I was horrified to learn of the round-ups, where Nazis came and randomly took people away, never to be seen again. The only indication of where they went were little notes of goodbye fluttering in the breeze that Zovia gathered from the ground and delivered to the families of those who were taken. I was so sad to learn that the Soviet Union sent soldiers to Poland that people thought were there to help them defeat the Nazis, only to discover that they were actually waiting to take Poland for themselves. Poland went through Hell. Heartbreak after heartbreak, for years. And if you were a Jewish person living in Poland, you had even more reason to live in constant fear. My heart hurt reading about all of this. And yet, the hope was there. They never lost hope, and risked their lives to preserve their culture for the hopeful future that they never looked away from. It was inspiring and humbling to read about, and I always come away from WW2 fiction in awe of the people who lived through it. And those who gave their lives trying to stop it.

I loved the strong focus on books and the power of reading in this book. That’s another reason why I really enjoy Madeline Martin’s books. She tends to zero in on how literature has helped so many through hard times, and I love that. I thought the anti-Hitler book club was such an interesting part of the story, and really loved sitting in on the secret discussions the characters had about the books Hitler banned. I loved the strong friendships they formed through reading these books together. The power of books and reading is endless, and the hope that books bring in the darkest of times never ceases to tug at my heartstrings. Books have gotten me through so many “wars” in my own life.

All in all, I really enjoyed The Keeper of Hidden Books, even though it’s one of the more somber and grim WW2 novels I’ve read lately. The hope is there, but the heartbreak I felt caused me to have to step away from the genre for a little while. It’s important to learn of dark events in history, so I am very glad I read this. The writing was stunning, and I was inspired by these characters and their stories. It was also very hard to read at times, though, so I recommend taking it slow and taking care of yourself. Read another book while you’re reading this one so you can switch for a little while to lighten your heart. I highly recommend the audio! Saskia Maarleveld is my favorite narrator of books in this genre. Her soothing voice and amazing accents are a treat for the ears. I can’t wait to see what Madeline Martin writes next!