by Kate Thompson
I’m sure so many of us in this space share in an affinity, a near kinship even, for public libraries. This book is a testament to such a love.
Based on a remarkable true WWII story, Clara Button has put all her love and energy into building an underground library over unused tube tracks after the Bethnal Green Library was destroyed in the Blitz. While above ground fear and chaos dominate, underneath a community has been built as an escape, though that escape is never completely safe from the threats of those who do not wish to see it thrive.
“The solution was reading. On a shelf somewhere there was a book whose pages offered escape and emancipation.”
The Little Wartime Library, p. 108
While Clara clearly is the main protagonist of this story we also get the perspective of her best friend and assistant, Ruby. Ruby is sometimes known as Ruby Red Lips and provides a more outgoing and lively foil to Clara’s subdued character. The pair’s friendship is a constant strength regardless of the hardships they face. Their support for one another amidst such immense loss and suffering is a wonderful illustration of the hope that must be found in difficult and dark times.
Despite being a wartime tale, misogyny is one of the primary villains. Some of the unsupportive supporting characters were taken to the extreme, including Clara’s mother and mother-in-law, and her ultra-chauvinistic boss, Mr. Pinkerton-Smythe. They would all love nothing more than to see the library crumble. While Pinkerton-Smythe is truly evil and infuriating, her mother and in-law are equally maddening. The undervaluing expectations of women at this time are made very clear through their ideals. Perhaps they reflect the desperation of this age but I found myself internally raging anytime they appeared on the page. (Edit: that rhyme was unintentional lol.)
As such, an underlying theme of this novel is feminism. Here we see two young women learning to give themselves grace and better understand their potential in order to reach it. Together they have built an underground world where people feel safe. They are the heartbeat of a chosen family from all kinds of backgrounds that have found solace in the depths of London.
Structurally, this novel was quite dialogue-heavy. With alternating narratives between Clara and Ruby, they interact with many, many characters and while they weren’t difficult to keep track of, they do talk aaa lot. This was quite a long novel that I think could have been cut down a tad as there were a ton of storylines crammed in, from threats to the library, new romances, the tube rats, abusive husbands, book clubs, runaway wives, and the war itself.
But this was a lovely example of the difference a library can make to a community—in fact, how it can not only support but build a community. Libraries truly are for everyone and to this day represent a safe space that empowers no matter what is going on in the world or in someone’s personal life. The message was ultimately uplifting, exactly as any library-centric story should be.
“She read because right now it was the only thing that made any sense.”
The Little Wartime Library, p. 317
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