The War Librarian, (Paperback)

A read that will grab you and not let go, a time split read, 1918 and 1976, two generations apart! We go to France during the Great War, with a realistic view of how our men were treated when injured! Then we are with the first women to enter Annapolis, the US Naval Academy , and a lot of the men are not happy with the situation! It takes awhile to weave the two stories together, but the author does a great job, making the characters come to life, and then melding them together. We are soon caring about these strong women, but surprises, some not good, are ahead, and we are there to witness how this all turns out! I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher G. P. Putman

If you love historical fiction, then this is a must read! A great story of two women who lived in two different time periods, but had many parallels and were connected by Kathleen's grandmother, Nina. A wonderful story of heartache, resiliency, and determination. I absolutely loved this book! A dual timeline story that follows Emmaline, a war librarian, who served in WWl and Kathleen who is accepted into the Navel Academy's first female class of 1980 in Annapolis, Maryland. Kathleen follows the footsteps of her Dad who fought in WWII and Korean War and her grandmother who served in WWl. Her Dad did not come home from the Korean War and when she was young, her mother left to be a travel writer, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Both Emmaline and Kathleen have had loss of their parents, which pushed them both into military careers. Emmaline was a trailblazer not only for women, but for soldiers. She helped them escape through books by reading to them or supplying them with books during the war. Emmaline has to navigate the male dominated world, will it catch up to her and she be accused of having documents that could go against the military? Kathleen was determined to be a trailblazer for future women Plebes, so they wouldn't have to endure the abuse and discrimination she went through. She wanted future generations of women to have equal treatment and rights at the Naval Academy. When Kathleen is accused of a military crime, will she be able to prove her innocence? Will this end her career? This book is great for book clubs as it will spark many great discussions such as importance of books to war times to women's rights to race relations to burning of banned books to discrimination to mental health to survival, etc. What did it take for women in their time to be successful and was this even possible?

The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong is a dual timeline historical novel featuring courageous women. We get to meet Emmaline Balakin who went from working in the Dead Letter Office to a librarian in an army camp in France in 1918. Kathleen Carre is admitted as one of the first women into the United States Naval Academy in 1976. Each woman will face obstacles as they enter areas dominated and run by men. I thought the author beautifully wove the two storylines together. The book contains good writing with realistic characters. I enjoyed getting to know Emmaline, Kathleen, and Nellie (Emmaline's friend in France). We get to see what life was like for them. It was especially difficult for Kathleen who was not wanted by the male cadets or the people who ran the school. Prejudice, banned books (censorship), secrets, lost love, courage, and bullying are the themes in The War Librarian. It was interesting learning about the Library War Service who was responsible for getting books to servicemen training in camps and those overseas. At first blush, it would seem that the two storylines would be worlds apart. As the story progresses, we get to see the similarity. The twist was something I saw coming, but I enjoyed seeing how it played out. I do want to let readers know there is bullying, mild foul language, and an intimate situation. If you are someone who has been bullied, you might find it hard to read one of the scenes. I was shocked at what the female recruits were subjected to at the academy. That they were expected to carry a purse and wear three-inch heels was idiotic. I understand they are training soldiers, but I do not know how recruits put up with the demanding routine, the yelling, and all the rules (some of them are ridiculous). The War Librarian is an emotional story with a special ending. The War Librarian is a captivating tale that historical fiction lovers will enjoy.