Underground libraries and clandestine book clubs! New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London, Madeline Martin, gets up close to history and tells us why she keeps a magnifying glass in her desk drawer.

Send us Fan MailMadeline Martin is not only a New York Times bestselling historical fiction author, she is frank, funny and oh so eloquent about the craft of writing and research. She has written over 30 romance novels and three historical fiction novels. In this lively and eye-opening episode she tells us why 4am starts are essential and some amazing tricks and tips for researching historical fiction – including why every writer needs a magnifying glass in their pocket. Her most recent novel is the spellbinding, Keeper of Hidden Books.A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families—and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left—literature.Thank you to our media partner: Family History Zone – a website covering archives, history and genealogy.  Please check then out at www.familyhistory.zone and consider signing up for their free weekly newsletter.