The Underground Library

Get in the xigxag app
This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.
Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }}
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

Read by Fenella Woolgar, known for her role as Sister Hilda in BBC series Call the Midwife.

When the Blitz threatens the heart of a London neighbourhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to keep their community together in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Kitchen Front.

On the day Juliet Lansdown reports to work for the first time at Bethnal Green Library, it isn’t the bustling hub she’s been expecting. But, in the face of German attacks, she’s intent on making it a place where everyone feels safe and welcome.

Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, too, though she’s only there until she heads off to university in autumn. But, after the death of her sweetheart on the front line and some unexpected family strife, she’s more in need of support herself.

Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee without any family to lean on, finds comfort and friendship in
Bethnal Green’s rapidly growing literary scene and escapes to the library every chance she gets.
But, with her asylum in London tied to a domestic work visa issued by an unscrupulous employer, her position is vulnerable.

When bombs damage the library, Juliet can’t bear to give up on her safe haven of books, so she relocates the stacks to an underground station, where the city’s residents shelter nightly. The three women must work together to overcome their own troubles and keep the library - the beating heart of their community - open to all . . .

Critics Review

  • A delight! Jennifer Ryan cooks up a fresh take on the popularity of World War Two fiction and brings the battle into the heart of the wartime home. A charming blend of intriguing characters and a high-stakes cookery competition, served with the perfect amount of pathos and humour

    Hazel Gaynor, bestselling author of The Bird in the Bamboo Cage, on The Kitchen Front

  • What a dream of a book! Absolute perfection! Nostalgia, rivalry, friendship and fun – a real treat. Beautifully detailed – you will be right there with a cast of vivid characters, cooking their way to a new life

    Veronica Henry on The Kitchen Front

  • Delightful . . . it manages to be sad and funny, exciting and heartwarming, all at the same time. Quite an achievement

    Barbara Erskine on The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

  • Evocative, nostalgic and comforting with a wonderful story of female friendship. A delight

    Alex Brown, author of The Secret of Orchard Cottage, on The Kitchen Front

  • Delightful . . .

    People Magazine on The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir

  • The writing glows with emotional intelligence. This atmospheric debut, based on the author’s own family history, had me sniffing copiously

    Daily Mail on The Chilbury Ladies' Choir

More from the same

Author

Narrator

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.