Book Review of
The Royal Librarian

Author: Daisy Wood

Genre(s): WWII

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Book Summary:

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood is a historical fiction book that was published in 2024.

The Royal Librarian is a dual-timeline book. It is set in 1940s England and present-day Philadelphia.

Sophie Klein escaped the Nazis and is placed working in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. To protect the princesses, she must sacrifice her new life.

In present-day Philadelphia, Lacey Jones discovers a secret about her grandmother after finding a mysterious letter that is stamped with Windsor Castle on it.

Lynn's Review

The Royal Librarian by Daisy Wood is a dual-timeline book. It is set in WWII England at Windsor Castle and present-day Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The present-day time period is COVID. It is after the lockdowns, but it is still a worry.

I really enjoyed the WWII setting at Windsor Castle. Sophie lost her parents to the horrors of Hitler and WWII. Her sister was sent to America, and she escaped to England after a job was found for her as a librarian at Windsor Castle.

I had never really thought about how many people it takes to take care of the royal library. And in this book, library means more than books. They are also in charge of historical artifacts, letters, etc. I found that part of the book very interesting.

I also liked how the author wove a spy story into the book.

The present-day timeline is the one I struggled with. I enjoyed how the author depicted Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, but I struggled to connect with the characters in the modern-day story. It just felt unrealistic to me.

I was also disappointed that there were no author’s notes at the end of the book. At least in the Kindle version, there weren’t. I always appreciate detailed author’s notes in historical fiction because it helps you know what it fact and what is fiction. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been author’s notes to explain the research and story better.

After reading some of the reviews on Amazon, I think I am in the minority on this. This book has great reviews on Amazon.