The Lost Book of Bonn: A Novel by Brianna Labuskes

(Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

Brianna Labuskes’ debut historical novel, The Librarian of Burned Books, was released to great success last year—translated into over a dozen languages and published globally. Her newest novel, THE LOST BOOK OF BONN (William Morrow Trade Paperback; on-sale: March 19), continues her literary-themed historical fiction hot streak. Leveraging her decade of experience as a journalist, Brianna’s meticulous research and riveting wordsmithing makes THE LOST BOOK OF BONN an immersive step back in time while still resonating with current events like book banning, protests and uprisings, cultural restitution, and more.

Germany, 1946: Emmy Clarke is a librarian not a soldier. But that doesn’t stop the Library of Congress from sending her overseas to Germany to help the Monuments Men retrieve and catalog precious literature that was plundered by the Nazis. The Offenbach Archival Depot and its work may get less attention than returning art to its rightful owners, but for Emmy, who sees the personalized messages on the inside of the books and the notes in margins of pages, it feels just as important.

On Emmy’s first day at work, she finds a poetry collection by Rainer Maria Rilke, and on the title page is a handwritten dedication: “To Annelise, my brave Edelweiss Pirate.” Emmy is instantly intrigued by the story behind the dedication and becomes determined to figure out what happened.

The hunt for the rightful owner of the book leads Emmy to two sisters, a horrific betrayal, and an extraordinary protest against the Nazis that was held in Berlin at the height of the war. Nearly a decade earlier, hundreds of brave women gathered in the streets after their Jewish husbands were detained by the Gestapo. Through freezing rain and RAF bombings, the women faced down certain death and did what so few others dared to do under the Third Reich. They said no.

Emmy grapples with her own ghosts as she begins to wonder if she’s just chasing two more. What she finds instead is a powerful story of love, forgiveness, and courage that brings light to even the darkest of postwar days.

THE LOST BOOK OF BONN is an intricate depiction of the importance of books during wartime as well as an evocative example of the power of women-led social & political change(fitting as publication coincides with Women’s History Month).The novel encapsulates the resilience and strength of women in the face of great adversity and highlights history’s forgotten heroines along with their overlooked contributions—ripples of which are still felt today! Masterfully crafted, THE LOST BOOK OF BONN is the very best of what historical fiction aims to be.

my thoughts:

Wow! What a magnificent book! The Lost Book of Bonn by Brianna Labuskes is historical fiction at its very best. The writing is excellent. The characters are unforgettable. Their story is unputdownable. This is one book you won't want to miss out on - it's a must-read for everyone! Make sure to get your hands on a copy ASAP!

So, what is this awesome book about? History. WWII to be exact. We get the before, during, and after via three women: two sisters (Annelise and Christina) and the librarian (Emmy) who seeks out their story. Emmy's in Germany helping the Monuments Men return books to their rightful owners when she comes across a poetry collection with an inscription that catches her attention. She soon finds herself on a mission to find out what happened to the owner of the book. And, so we learn about each sister and what happened when they both chose to follow very different paths - Hitler Youth Group and Edelweiss Pirates (a rebellious group) - in a brutal and devastating war. Along the way, Emmy finds herself reflecting on her own choices. And, that is all I will share about this amazing story. You just have to read it for yourself to experience it. This book is riveting and thought-provoking. Definitely makes you want to read more about WWII and women's roles during that time period. Such a great book!

I would happily recommend The Lost Book of Bonn to fans of Labuskes and to anyone looking for their next great read - you are going to fall in deep with this one!

Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with a copy of this book!