January 1942 marks the beginning of Avis Montgomery’s term as librarian of the town library, pressed into service by her brother, who is heading off to war. How could she say no when he makes her promise to take care of the place he loves so much? From the central point of The Cavendish Association Library, the four main characters radiate out, each story well developed individually, then beautifully brought back together in a central interweaving plot. The Blackout Book Club, which begins as a last-ditch attempt to save the library her brother loves so much, comes to mean so much more to all of them.
The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green is sure to join the ranks of much-loved WWII historical fiction. Green, however, gives us so much more than the story of a town and its people struggling to survive the big issues that war brings. Instead, she sits us down at the kitchen tables and makes us privy to the hushed bedroom conversations, showing us that amidst the headlines, people were still dealing with normal problems, made more complicated through the lens of wartime. It is a tribute to the belief that books, friends, and a caring librarian can get you through the toughest of times!