Last winter I read The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin. While I enjoyed the story, I felt that the writing was a bit cheesy. And given that she has written some romance novels, I wasn’t surprised. When I was finished, Audible recommended The Librarian Spy as a follow-up, also by Madeline Martin. I was intrigued but not ready for another less than stellar novel. When Audible offered it on a sale, I decided to purchase it for a rainy day. That rainy day came this past week while I was recovering from walking pneumonia. I was pleasantly surprised by how good this historical novel is!
I intend to re-read The Last Bookshop in London in the next few weeks and review it. (Update: I did review The Last Bookshop in London, here.) In fact I started it last night as a chaser to The Librarian Spy. Maybe I will like it better this time? What I know is that The Librarian Spy was excellent. And I am eager to get it in the hands of my teen girl readers at the library.
Ava is an American librarian in the rare books room at the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C. in 1941. A smart, resourceful, polyglot, she is recruited by the IDC, a special government agency working in Lisbon, to secure information about the enemy through their magazines and newspapers. In Portugal, Ava works alongside other allies in covert operations to secure information and send it home to the decoders in the United States. Ava also volunteers with a relief group who are supporting Jewish refugees from German-occupied Europe.
While Ava is eating pastries and drinking coffee in neutral Portugal, Elaine (real name Helen) is saving her ration scraps for her imprisoned husband in Lyon. When Joseph was arrested by the Gestapo, Helen had no idea that her husband was a key member of the French resistance group, the Maquis. Joseph’s arrest meant that Helen needed to change identities and go underground. Despite her husband’s insistence that she not join the resistance, Elaine becomes a courier for the underground newspaper, Combat. Within months of joining resistance, Elaine is recruited to work as a typesetter for Combat and help man the printing press.
The novel switches between Lyon and Lisbon almost every other chapter. Each world is beautifully drawn making the transition between the two appropriately jarring. The prosperity and ease of living in Lisbon is in stark contrast with the poverty and danger of Lyon. Both characters are likable and believable. And, of course, the stories intersect when Elaine hides a message in Combat asking for assistance to get a Jewish mother and son out of France. Naturally, it is Ava who catches the hidden message and takes action. But, it works together in such a way that it does not feel too contrived and gives both women something meaningful to work for.
This story is obviously written for adults, but it is suitable for teen readers. The historical note at the end of the book details how much of this story was inspired by true events, and that helps us appreciate the gravity of the setting. Life in Lyon was brutal and, while we are spared the graphic details, we do read several chilling accounts of German torture and the depravity of their prisons. Sadly we do read the report of the suicide of one minor character. And, while in a German trap, a primary character begs her friend to shoot her so she will not be taken alive by the Gestapo. Another character’s body turns up on the shoreline with obvious signs of grotesque torture. The reality of the occupation is on full display, but the description is measured and as gentle as possible.
The story ends very well. There is some light romance, but it is far from central to the storyline and does not play out as we might expect. The inclusion was thoughtful and interesting.
I sincerely enjoyed this novel and have a new appreciation for the writing of Madeline Martin. I will report back once I have re-read The Last Bookshop in London.