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Bunk beds in the tunnels at Bethnal Green underground station: Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives Goodreads е постигнала изключително висок рейтинг! Ако някой не може да си представи какво може да направи една война с човешката природа; до какво може да доведе липсата на човечност у Хомо Сапиенс и как четенето на книги от децата ни може да спре възможността им сами да мислят и преценяват света - нека прочете The Little Wartime Library. Деца са бъдещето ни ! А библиотеките и училищата са мястото, където ще го направят светло! За да не позволяват някой да мисли вместо тях и да ги обрича с изкривени коментари на действителността!
When war was over, I missed life underground, and even now when I go to Bethnal Green and see the tube sign, I feel a warmth spread over my chest. To others, it’s a transport network; to me, it was my home.” Libraries in converted shops, in village halls, in mobile vans, are common enough. But libraries in Tube shelters are something new under the sun,” Stanley wrote with pride. This book made me so angry. Angry at the closed minds and attitudes against women, reading and children. Mr Pinkerton-Smythe is just one example of the judgmental and wrong attitudes that abound. Sadly, it is not only the men either. Some of the women’s blinkered attitudes are just as bad. The other thing that made me my blood boil is the horror that is war and the lives lost. And the blind eye turned to the abuse dished out to women on a regular basis by their husbands.Captivating and remarkable, it reminds us that stories soothe and help us make sense of the chaos in our lives."— The Toronto Star I loved the book’s structure as the Prologue and Epilogue act like bookends to the main narrative. A story that thrums with vibrancy Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this exceptional novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Contrary to popular belief, during the Second World War, not all shelterers slept in an amorphous huddle on a dirty Underground platform. The history of World War Two is full of surprises, mostly tales of unspeakable deprivation, sacrifice and bloodshed, but just occasionally, magic.
Romance sat alongside literary classics, children’s books, poetry and plays. Treasure Island, The Secret Garden and many other classics, including Enid Blyton, nourished young minds and helped children to escape the nightmares above. A library is the only place you can go—from cradle to grave—that is free, safe, democratic and no one will try to flog you anything. You don’t have to part with a penny to travel the world. It’s the heartbeat of a community, offering precious resources to people in need. It’s a place just to be, to dream and to escape—with books. And what’s more precious than that? So, here’s to all library workers. We need you.” Clara and Ruby run the underground library after the overground library was bombed, There is a whole community living in the Underground Station and the library helps foster the community spirit. They try to encourage children into storytime sessions and get books out to the women working long hours.There's an assumption - an unfair one - that if you work in a library, you are a cardigan-wearing introvert. Bethnal Green Library, where my novel is set, is one hundred years old this year, so I set myself the goal of interviewing one hundred library workers. From post-war librarians, to feminist and activist librarians, school librarians to Britain's oldest library reading volunteer, qualified and unqualified, all share one thing in common, a passionate belief in the power of books and reading to change lives. Clara and Ruby are brilliant women – it feels wrong to call them characters as they are so real. They embody true feminist courage and strength. Sometimes it only takes a glance at the title to know that herein lies a soulmatch book. Library love, WWII London underground community, and the resourceful spirit of a pair of women librarians and the community of the Bethnal Green underground tugged at my heart and left only satisfaction in their wake. Amongst the plethora of WW2 stories, The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson is a shining beacon of factual truth, authenticity and beautifully written fiction.
Although the scene is set in a horrifying time of war, and the story is heart-breaking at times, the overall message speaks to the collective power of community and its vital importance! The author’s note at the end was as enjoyable as the novel! This is essential reading for bibliophiles around the world. Clara must fight some adversity and people who are against what she is trying to do, as the war drags on Clara’s strength is tested many times over but she never gives up, with the Germans dropping their new bombs many people from the underground are affected and there are many tears shed. Clara meets ambulance worker Billy Clark when he jumps in and helps her when needed most, and Clara is a widow and soon she is seeing her heart open to Billy but he holds a secret that will cause problems. Based on real life events, Kate Thompson has penned a beautifully written fictional story, which oozes strength and courage, resilience, resistance, and defiance. And the mainstay at the heart of this story is Clara Button. It is heart warming,at times upsetting,very real,emotive and poignant,makes you think again of how people lived and coped through those awful harrowing timesWhat an inspirational story that really speaks to the importance of community, friendship, and libraries! This ode to libraries and WWII era books and librarians introduces a community of people brought together by war and needed the isle of calm the library gave them when up against terrors like refugees from the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands and the bombings on the home front while a nation is in a desperate war. Based on the real existence of the Bethnal Green underground community, the historical authenticity and historical mile markers- like the Bethnal Green tube disaster, Jersey, and other devastation- settled over the story as added layers letting the character-driven plot action and colorful, complex characters shine in the forefront. With a cast of colourful East Enders the novel is a deep dive into an unrecognisable time and place. Running throughout the story is an emphasis on reading for pleasure and as entertainment and escapism to take one away from the harsh realities of the wider world. Clara soon finds herself at odds with the posh library committee manager when he implies she would be doing a better service to keep her patrons away from romance and point them towards more educational fare. This is the first of many battles that Clara and Ruby have with their snooty boss, Mr Pinkerton-Smythe, who has the temerity to dismiss Clara as “just a Children’s librarian” and soon find himself on the wrong side of half of Bethnal Green! Chapters alternate between focusing on Clara and Ruby and, as two very different but quite complex characters, this works well and keeps the story moving along at a pace. Although both women find themselves with male admirers it’s far from plain sailing with turmoil aplenty along the way, and not just in their love lives.
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