Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Emma Taylor thought she would never work in a bookshop again after the disastrous fire that took her father's life and turned the Tower Bookshop into a heap of ashes. But the Booklover's Library is an unexpected oasis of calm in the back of a chemist's shop, and the fact that Emma even got the job is surprising; most stores in 1940s England don't hire married women. But Miss Bainbridge remembers Emma's father and his bookstore fondly. She allows Emma to go by Miss Taylor so as not to raise suspicion. As a young widow, Emma dearly needs the salary to keep her and her young daughter afloat. But as news of the brutal war in Europe starts creeping closer to home, even the peace of the Booklover's Library becomes compromised. Martin (The Keeper of Hidden Books, 2023) infuses The Booklover's Library with an array of historical details, highlighting the strength and courage needed from every citizen in a wartime effort. The novel is a feast for the senses—the sound of air-raid sirens, the taste of rationed butter, the smell of freshly brewed tea—and is sure to appeal to fans of Anne Leigh Parrish, Jan Karon, and Patricia Harman.