The librarian of burned books A novel

In 1943 New York City, Vivian coordinates the Armed Services Edition (ASE) program that sends books to soldiers, and she knows how vital it is because of the many letters she receives, including one from her husband shortly before he died in battle. In 1932 Berlin, Althea, having left her sheltered life in Maine, joins a cultural program for writers organized by the Nazis, who don't seem all that dangerous at first. In 1936 Paris, Hannah works at the Library of Burned Books, haunted by memories from Berlin, desperate for news about her detained brother, and bitter about a betrayal by the young American author she thought she could trust. When the ASE program is threatened by partisan legislation, Vivian knows that the only way to fight a powerful senator is with the stories of women who've witnessed book burnings in Germany. As Labuskes weaves the women's perspectives together, she not only highlights the pain of censorship, suppression, and dehumanization but also issues a stark reminder that history repeats itself. At the same time, she plants seeds of hope in her characters' refusal to let the stories that should bring us together be silenced and their ability to let love conquer despair.