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jomat 's review for:
The Librarian of Burned Books
by Brianna Labuskes
A story of three strong willed women whose lives come together. Viv the one who unwittingly orchestrates the reunion of Althea and Hannah. Althea had been sponsored by the Nazis as an up and coming author. She was naive and unaware of the deep,seated hatred and racism of Nazism. Hannah a German Jew who loathed the Nazis and all they stood for.
After meeting, Althea and Hannah form a friendship in which Althea learns the truth about her sponsors. The night she is with Hannah and they witness the burning of books which have been banned by the Nazis, her own disgust is unleashed and she stands up to the Nazi who has been her ‘keeper’ while in Germany. She and Hannah have a romantic night together but the next day she is captured by the Nazis for her insubordination.
Hannah’s brother who has been foremost in leading a revolution against the Nazi regime is also captured and Hannah feels Althea had betrayed him for her own freedom. Hannah’s love for Althea turns to hate and as soon as she can, Althea returns to her home in America.
Years later Viv is launching a campaign against a senator who is trying to close down a scheme whereby soldiers sent off to war are issued with books. Through her research for people who can speak out at a function she is organising to gain support, she meets Hannah and later on Althea, not knowing of the history between them.
The lives of these three women are intertwined and their love of books brings them together.
I had been unaware of the scheme, ASE, before reading this story and the senator’s desire to stop it was factual.
The ending of the book also brings focus on the ease with which a buffoon can gain leadership of a country, and how people’s apathy about not voting against bigotry can only spell disaster- something that is so relevant today.
After meeting, Althea and Hannah form a friendship in which Althea learns the truth about her sponsors. The night she is with Hannah and they witness the burning of books which have been banned by the Nazis, her own disgust is unleashed and she stands up to the Nazi who has been her ‘keeper’ while in Germany. She and Hannah have a romantic night together but the next day she is captured by the Nazis for her insubordination.
Hannah’s brother who has been foremost in leading a revolution against the Nazi regime is also captured and Hannah feels Althea had betrayed him for her own freedom. Hannah’s love for Althea turns to hate and as soon as she can, Althea returns to her home in America.
Years later Viv is launching a campaign against a senator who is trying to close down a scheme whereby soldiers sent off to war are issued with books. Through her research for people who can speak out at a function she is organising to gain support, she meets Hannah and later on Althea, not knowing of the history between them.
The lives of these three women are intertwined and their love of books brings them together.
I had been unaware of the scheme, ASE, before reading this story and the senator’s desire to stop it was factual.
The ending of the book also brings focus on the ease with which a buffoon can gain leadership of a country, and how people’s apathy about not voting against bigotry can only spell disaster- something that is so relevant today.