Behind The Book The Booklovers Library With Madeline Martin

Back in the summer, I finished reading an early copy of The Booklovers Library by Madeline Martin. It’s so surreal knowing that two years ago in 2022 I did one of my early Q&As with Madeline and last year I did a Behind The Book with Madeline discussing The Keeper of Hidden Books. This Behind The Book will discuss her new release The Booklovers Library. 

Q: Madeline, for those who haven’t read the novel, would you please give a brief description of The Booklovers Library? 

A: This is a heartwarming home front read set in 1939 in Nottingham, England. The heartbreak of sending her daughter away at the onset of war is more than widow Emma Taylor can bear, though her new job at the Booklover’s Library keeps her busy with disappearing books and a quirky slew of regulars. This is a book for book lovers, featuring classic readers, endearing characters, a mother-daughter bond, and an adorable little dog named Tubby (who stays safe). And for fans of The Last Bookshop in London, there’s a cameo from some of those characters you loved. 

Q: You mentioned that Boots Booklovers Library was indeed a real library. How did you come across this library and what made you want to turn it into a story? What made you have the setting take place during World War II with Operation Pied Piper?

A: It’s hard to remember specifically which article where I first heard about the original Booklover’s Library as I’m always reading articles on history. I was intrigued by how the women who worked there had such long engagements because they did not want to give up their jobs to get married (this was during the marriage bar). I also loved the name of the lending library – how could I not? I knew writing a book about the children’s evacuation was going to be a little heavier and the Booklover’s Library created the perfect setting to offer lightness and comfort – not only for my characters, but also for readers.

Q: You mentioned that while The Booklovers Library no longer exists, you had the opportunity to visit Bromley House Library in Nottingham England on your research trip. It sounds so exciting! What was that experience like? How long did it take you to research & write The Booklovers Library? 

A: Correct, almost all lending libraries are non-existent now. However, there is one in Nottingham, called Bromley House, that is still running and has been in operation since 1816 in a townhouse that dates to 1752. It’s really an amazing place with so many rooms, it’s easy to get lost in the four-story building and a beautiful spiral staircase in the main room. 

Research for The Booklover’s Library took about eight months, including the two-week trip to Nottingham and London. 

Q: You also mentioned that the character of Olivia, Emma’s daughter, has qualities from both of your teenage daughters. Would it be fair to say that the character of Emma is based off you?

A: My girls are teenagers now, but I used how they were when they were ages seven to nine to model Olivia’s character after. I used a lot of their little quirks and how their personalities were then, which endeared Olivia to me so much. Emma has parts of her that are like me – in fact, all my protagonists do – but Emma is also created from the thoughts and experiences of a lot of first-hand accounts that I read in my research.

Q: What important lessons do you hope readers learn after reading The Booklovers Library?

A: I want people to understand that parents who sent their children away during the evacuation in England during WWII did not do so lightly, that it was an incredibly difficult thing to do. I also want people to appreciate what single parents go through – not only the difficulty, but also the judgment, and maybe offer a bit more grace sometimes. And – as with all my books – I hope people come away feeling a connection with books and reading and appreciation for what books and book communities can do to help us through some of our darkest times.