Obvious Answer

Library Blitz #6

by Courtenay Burden

How far are you willing to go—to protect a book you don’t even like?
Rationing, saving, making do and mending have long since become the everyday normal of Nora’s world. But when the chairman of the library board comes up with a project that reaches one step further, Nora finds herself trapped between conflicting claims.
Salvaging wastepaper is one thing.
Salvaging library books is another.
But unless she can come up with a different answer, any book that hasn’t been used in the last two years is destined to be turned into shell containers or cartridge wads.
Is Nora right that the London of 1941 needs her forgotten books more than ever before? Can she and Frank possibly come up with a way to save them, even if she is? And could the answer to one final question be more obvious than either of them imagines?
If you love WWII fiction, heartwarming characters, inspirational lessons, and a tiny thread of squeaky-clean romance, then Library Blitz is the newest series you don’t want to miss!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, World War II, War

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2025

About the author

Courtenay Burden is a Victorian fanatic and author of historical fiction. She loves working with yarn, playing the occasional game of chess, devouring history, and discovering new ways to cook the humble potato. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her sketching, reading anything published more than a century ago, or attempting to sing alto with growing confidence. You can connect with her at www.sawpublishing.com or on Instagram @courtenayburden.

Reviews

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. So what's funny is, I'm a volunteer at my local library now, and I just wrote a research paper and presentation that touched on censorship and the value of libraries, so I'm even more than usually atune to the value of books themselves. Needless to say, the topic/message of this story absolutely thrilled me.

And of course I adored the story. Frank is absolutely delightful and amazing and everything along those lines. The twist was so unexpected but SO PERFECT. (Also, somehow I had it in my head that he and Nora were cousins, but it turns out I just read All Right too fast...). So yes, I'm in love and I cannot wait for the next instalment.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful episode/story in this series. But I want to know what that girl thought of the book she took home to read! And the lady too. It had me chuckling.
As always, I enjoyed the history part in the back just as I did in all the others.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely installment in this WW2 short story series about Nora, a wartime librarian, and Frank, her local patrol sweetheart. In this one Nora faces the pressure to contribute precious books out of her library to the war effort during the push for recycled paper. Ouch!

I especially loved the ending though. :)