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The Librarian Spy is a thoughtful WWII spy novel inspired by the true history of America’s little-known “library spies.” I enjoyed learning the fascinating ways books, newspapers, and printed materials were gathered, analyzed, and transformed into intelligence during the war.
The story follows two women on parallel paths. Ava, a librarian at the Library of Congress, is recruited by the U.S. military and sent to neutral-but-dangerous Lisbon, where she works undercover collecting and microfilming enemy publications. Across the ocean, Elaine joins the French Resistance through a clandestine printing press, fully aware the Nazis are hunting both the press and those who run it. Their stories connect through coded messages and shared risk, adding tension and emotional resonance.
Martin’s research is clearly a strength, particularly in her portrayal of the Interdepartmental Committee for the Acquisition of Foreign Publications and the shadowy wartime world of Lisbon. The settings in both Lisbon and occupied France feel convincing and well drawn.
A few moments feel slightly overexplained, though the strength of the story and its historical foundation easily carry the book.
This is an engaging and informative read that stands apart from more familiar WWII narratives, reminding us that in wartime, information can be just as powerful—and dangerous—as weapons.
** Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for a comp of this eBook. The opinions are my own.