The little wartime library by Kate Thompson

Most definitely an ode to libraries, librarians and book lovers, this historical novel tells of the amazing little underground library established on the disused Bethnal Green train line during the London Blitz. A whole community was established in the bomb shelter, with rows of bunk beds, a cafe, a theatre, and of course the library. Thompson’s heroine, Clara Button, is the librarian, having retrieved books from the bombed out local library and establishing a thriving library service underground, one that inspires a love of books, and a shared community spirit.

Clara and her staunch friend Ruby take advantage of the new freedoms offered women with the men away at war, and step into the roles of librarians come caretakers and social workers. They are the heart of the community; the library is a place of conviviality and education, particularly for lost and lonely children. Both women are grieving, Clara for her husband killed at war, and Ruby for her sister suffocated in a desperate crush of people during the bombing. But the library gives them a purpose that helps them to overcome the past.

There is the inevitable romance, for each, and an amusing cast of stereotypical minor characters that include Clara’s heartless mother and mother-in-law, the sturdy shelter manager Mrs Chumbley, gentle bereaved Mr Pepper, and the officious library manager Mr Pinkerton-Smythe,  all of whom add to the drama, for life does not run smoothly in the underground library.

Each chapter begins with a quote about libraries or love of books, a rich source of quotations gathered by Thompson in her research for the book, all useful material for a ‘Save our libraries’ campaign. Thompson is enthusiastic in her support for libraries, particularly in difficult times, during the war, and now with the Covid pandemic.

For an interview with the author, see the Bethnal Green London site.

Themes: Libraries, London Blitz, Homefront, Women in war, Romance.

Helen Eddy