An impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European Front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn't be more different--a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker. At first, the struggles of the home front are all the club members have in common, but over time, the books they choose become more than an escape from the hardships of life and the fear of the U-boat battles that rage just past their shores. As the women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger, they find they share more in common with each other than they think. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.
I highly enjoyed the fact that out of the first four members of the Blackout Book Club, only one person really likes books. Avis is just trying to keep the library open for the sake of her brother (and only reads magazines if she can help it), Louise attends out of a sense of obligation as reluctant library owner (not that Louise dislikes all books, just anything fictional outside of Wooster & Jeeves), and Ginny mostly wants the free food. Only Martina, the single-parent-working-mother immigrant, legitimately loves reading. And the only person mentioned to love Pride & Prejudice is Louise's crotchety, deceased father. I just really appreciate how the love of books is turned on its head in this story. And yet it still is a celebration of books, be it mystery, nonfiction, comedy, poetry, or even picture books. And the stories within the books help them process life better: Martina uses one of the books to help explain the truth to her children about their father, while another book forces Louise to confront her buried past.
I do love learning new facts through historical fiction. Of course, I've heard all about the blackouts in Britain to protect against air raids. But I'd had no idea that the blackouts on the East Coast were not so much for safety of the cities, but rather for the ships that were illuminated by the lights on shore and thus easy targets for the German subs.
I generally prefer books with only one or two main characters (as opposed to four), but I can see how a book about the strength of community is more powerful from multiple viewpoints. The minutes from the meetings were my favorite parts.
Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.
