“A salute to the power of books and of friendship!”–SARAH SUNDIN, bestselling and award-winning author of Until Leaves Fall in Paris
“The Blackout Book Club is an engaging story that illustrates the power of books to unite and encourage us in trying times. . . . A wonderful read.”–LYNN AUSTIN, author of Long Way Home
In 1942, 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 have more in common 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.
Includes a book club discussion guide and The Blackout Book Club book list
About Amy Lynn Green
Amy Lynn Green is a lifelong lover of books, history, and library cards. She worked in publishing for six years before writing her first historical fiction novel. She and her husband live in Minnesota, where she teaches virtual classes on marketing at writer’s conferences, engages with book clubs, and regularly encourages established and aspiring authors in their publication journeys. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram (@amygreenbooks), or sign up for her newsletter at amygreenbooks.com to get quarterly emails filled with bookish fun.
I am a reader. Always have been. I’ve loved reading since I knew what reading was. And I treasure books. Here, in this story, books are integral to the story. Amy Lynn Green sets the stage with her plot, taking place in the early months of World War II in a small town in Maine.
Avis Montgomery starts a book club as a way to help women take their minds off their troubles during this dreary time, with black outs and U boats off the coast. The women who are a part of the club are very different, but they bind together with the books and the challenges facing them during this war. Green digs deep and brings out this period of history very well. I love plopping myself down right into the middle of the book I’m reading and it’s easy when you read a well-done book.
My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.
Print length
384 pages
Language
English
Publisher
Bethany House Publishers
Publication date
November 15, 2022
https://www.amazon.com/Blackout-Book-Club-Lynn-Green/dp/0764239562/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BVS029OLZBBN&keywords=the+blackout+book+club&qid=1668348990&sprefix=the+blackout+book+c%2Caps%2C477&sr=8-1
Simply Susan 
Excellent review, Susan!
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