The Librarian Spy

**A NATIONAL BESTSELLER** “Readers will be on the edge of their seats…. A brilliant tale of resistance, courage and ultimately hope.” –Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America’s library spies of World War II. Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them. As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war. “Uplifting, inspiring and suspenseful, this is one to savor!” –Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Riviera House “Madeline Martin is a fantastic author. The Librarian Spy is a stunning tour de force of historical fiction.” –Karen Robards, author of The Black Swan of Paris Don't miss Madeline Martin's newest historical novel, The Keeper of Hidden Books! Also by Madeline Martin: The Last Bookshop in London The Keeper of Hidden Books

Perfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Marie Benedict, and Pam Jenoff and inspired by true stories of the heroic librarian spies of WWII, the new book from the internationally bestselling author of Churchill’s Secret Messenger transports readers from the New York Public Library to Portugal’s city of espionage in a thrilling, riveting tale. An American librarian. A Portuguese bookseller. A mission to change the tide of the war. 1942: With the war’s outcome hanging in the balance, President Roosevelt sends an unlikely new taskforce on a unique mission. They are librarians and microfilm specialists trained in espionage, working with a special branch of the Office of Strategic Services and deployed to neutral cities throughout Europe. By acquiring and scouring Axis newspapers, books, technical manuals, and periodicals, the librarians can gather information about troop location, weaponry, and military plans. Maria Alves, a microfilm expert working at the New York Public Library, is dispatched to Lisbon, where she meticulously photographs publications and sends the film to London to be analyzed. Working in tandem with Tiago Soares, a Portuguese bookstore owner on a precarious mission of his own—providing Jewish refugees with forged passports and visas—Maria acquires vital information, including a directory of arms factories in Germany. But as she and Tiago grow closer, any future together is jeopardized when Maria’s superiors ask her to pose as a double agent, feeding misinformation to Lars Steiger, a wealthy Swiss banker and Nazi sympathizer who launders Hitler’s gold. Gaining Lars’ trust will bring Maria into the very heart of the Fuhrer’s inner circle. And it will provide her with a chance to help steer the course of war, if she is willing to take risks as great as the possible rewards . . . “A must-read, especially for fans of Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code.”— firstCLUE, Starred Review

1942: With the war's outcome hanging in the balance, President Roosevelt sends an unlikely new taskforce on a unique mission. They are librarians and microfilm specialists trained in espionage, working with a special branch of the Office of Strategic Services and deployed to neutral cities throughout Europe. By acquiring and scouring Axis newspapers, books, technical manuals, and periodicals, the librarians can gather information about troop location, weaponry, and military plans.

In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy declared that the State Department was a haven for communists and traitors. Among famous targets, like Alger Hiss, the senator also named librarian Mary Jane Keeney and her husband Philip, who had been called before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee to account for friendships with suspected communists, memberships in communist fronts, and authorship of articles that had been published in leftist periodicals. Conservative journalists and politicians had seized the occasion to denounce the pair as communist sympathizers and spies for the Soviet Union. If the accusations were true, the Keeneys had provided the Soviets with classified information about American defense and economic policies that could alter the balance of power between those rival nations. If false, the Keeneys had been shamefully wronged by their own government, for the accusations tumbled them into grief and poverty. In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy declared that the State Department was a haven for communists and traitors. Among famous targets, like Alger Hiss, the senator also named librarian Mary Jane Keeney and her husband Philip, who had been called before The House UnAmerican Activities Committee to account for friendships with suspected communists, memberships in communist fronts, and authorship of articles that had been published in leftist periodicals. Conservative journalists and politicians had seized the occasion to denounce the pair as communist sympathizers and spies for the Soviet Union. If the accusations were true, the Keeneys had provided the Soviets with classified information about American defense and economic policies that could alter the balance of power between those rival nations. If false, the Keeneys had been shamefully wronged by their own government, for the accusations tumbled them into grief and poverty. This book draws on a wide range of archival materials, especialy FBI files, interviews, and extensive reading from secondary sources to tell the story of Philip Olin Keeney and his wife Mary Jane, who became part of the famed Silvermaster Spy Ring in the 1940s. It paints a picture of two ordinary people who took an extraordinary path in life and, while they were never charged and tried as spies, were punished through blacklisting. It also reaveals the means by which the FBI investigated suspected spies through black bag jobs, phone tapping, and mail interceptions. Spies compromise national security by stealing secrets, but secrets can be defined to suit individual political designs and ambitions. Philip and Mary Jane Keeney constantly tested the boundaries of free access to information - to the point of risking disloyalty to their country - but the American government responded in a manner that risked its democratic foundations.

Shelve under: Libraries, Spies, Falling in Love, London. Adventure-hungry Quinn Ellington solves mundane mysteries for library patrons while indulging her taste for intrigue with her favorite spy novels. But her latest research project entangles her in a mission to decode the whereabouts of a weapons cache from a priceless work of art before arms dealers beat her to it. Her adventure is filled with fast cars, stolen treasures, international intrigue, and a budding romance with suave, handsome “insurance” agent James Lockwood. Daring rescues and intense covert flirting ensue.

The mixture of serious topics, tongue-in-cheek items, and outright silliness provides something to please everyone familiar with libraries, making a fun read and a wonderful gift.

Alex Renault and his brother Michael spend much of their early years of childhood in the Middle East, SE Asia and Australia with their diplomatic parents. Alex’s parents finally decide to make Adelaide, South Australia, their permanent living abode, but not before the parents depart once again on a mysterious mission overseas. Alex’s father declares to his children this will be the parents final and last. From then on, many events take twists and turns with a macabre discovery of a dead body of a young man and woman on Adelaide’s River Torrens. Terrorists bombing occur in this sedate city, Alex’s girlfriend Linda is targeted, the storyline thickens with more twists and turns, it becomes worse when Alex is told of news that knocks him for a six by his detective friend James. It will open many readers’ eyes to adjoin the world of realism and nonfiction in deciding which is what, as some dates and places described are so familiar, but totally Fiction indeed.

Public libraries must offer relevant, exciting, and stimulating learning centers that appeal to kids. This book is a step-by-step guide for creating affordable and effective educational programs for children and youth by focusing on one simple concept: play. With the standards of education rising every year and current technology making all types of information widely available to anyone with an Internet connection, libraries need to stay relevant by constantly evolving. One important way to strengthen a public library's identity as an irreplaceable resource is to make it an exciting and stimulating learning center that appeals to children and youth. This book demonstrates how to transform the informal setting of a public library into a place where "play" in the guise of game-based learning becomes a natural and exciting process for children and young students. It also shows readers how to incorporate existing programs such as the makerspace, storytime, and book clubs to play to their strengths; more effectively utilize the tools and resources they have; and transform their libraries. The first two chapters explain why learning through play and exploration isn't only for early childhood development, identifies the key differences between free play and structured play, and addresses why libraries are the perfect setting for learning. Next, the author draws on her experience in children's librarianship and as a children's book author to describe methods to listen to (and understand) children, manage organized chaos, and gain the children's trust. Additional chapters explain how to write weekly or daily lesson plans, how to brainstorm supporting activities to reinforce concepts being taught, and how to infuse STEM and literacy objectives into daily lessons. The book closes with suggestions on marketing and promotion, ways to support the classroom, and strategies that will "keep 'em coming back" and build an enthusiastic customer base.