AUTHOR: Amy Lynn Green
DATE: 2022
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS: ****
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.
In The Blackout Book Club, it takes a while to get to know the diverse characters. Each carries secrets, regrets and/or guilt, and each one becomes recognizable as the story unfolds. For a time, their secrets keep them from true friendship, but as troubles intrude, they begin to bond.
I grew to love these characters, so different from one another yet alike in their hope for redemption and better tomorrows. Martina, the Italian immigrant with two adorable children, especially tugged at my heart. The dangers of living along the coast during WW2 became real to me, and I appreciated learning about the unique “Hooligan Navy.”
This story will stay with me for a long time, and The Blackout Book Club earns four stars. I received a copy of this book from Martin-Graf Communications and Baker Publishing Group.