When times get tough, that’s when you find out who is in your corner and sometimes they are not the people you would expect, but often they’re the ones you need.
That is message behind Amy Lynn Green’s The Blackout Book Club as it tells a story of friendship and wartime in a small town.
Overview
Genre: Historical Fiction
In the sleepy coastal town of Derby, Maine World War II feels a little too close to home.
It’s 1942 and the U.S. has just entered the war. Thousands of men are leaving to go fight far away. One of these men is Avis Montgomery’s brother.
Anthony, Avis’s brother, is the head librarian of The Cavendish Association Library. But when he enlists, he makes Avis promise to take over as librarian.
While Avis has never loved books the way Anthony does, she commits to keeping the library running while he’s gone. But when the owner decides to shut down the library to turn it into a nursery for the children of war workers, Avis makes up a book club to keeps doors open.
Though this book club may have started on a whim, it becomes a place of hope and belonging for the community.
My Thoughts
This book made smile, a lot. I found myself cheering the characters on as they worked to make the best out a bad situation.
Which leads me to the friendships in this book. The women in this book are a wonderful representation of what good friendships should look like. They stuck with each other no matter what, even if it was inconvenient or difficult.
I think my favorite part of The Black Out Book Club was the book club notes. Each note was infused with personality. And more than once, I laughed out loud.
While this story didn’t take place in the middle of the action like many other World War II novels, Green still managed to capture the reality of life in a time of war. There were some historical elements that I already knew about, such as blackout drills, others like the Hooligan Navy were brand new to me.
There was so much heart in this book. Every page made me fall more in love with it.
Final Thoughts And Rating
I love when I pick up a book and get wrapped up in it. This is a perfect fall read if you enjoy history, wonderful female friendships, and stories that burst with hope.
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Would I Recommend This Book: Yes!
Great book review!
I haven’t read a WWII historical fiction set in the US, but this sounds like an inspiring one. Might try it sometime. Thanks for this review!
Adding this to my TBR list!
Sounds like an interesting book! I might have to try reading it sometime. Thank you for sharing