A NATIONAL BESTSELLER—for fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz!
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 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.
“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
Don't miss Madeline Martin's next heartwarming historical novel, The Booklover's Library!
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“An original, compelling, and memorable read from start to finish. Exceptionally well written with distinctive characters and unexpected plot twists and a dramatic conclusion.”
— Midwest Book Review
“Martin captures the fear that so many families must have felt as friends and neighbors disappeared and there was no way to know who might be next…Highly recommended.”
— Historical Novels SocietyBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Madeline Martin is a USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty different languages.
Saskia Maarleveld is an experienced voice-over actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Raised in New Zealand and France, she is highly skilled with accents and dialects, and many of her books have been narrated entirely in accents other than her own. In addition to audiobooks, her voice can be heard in animation, video games, and commercials.