Library of Forbidden Books: A Novel

An inspiring story about the power of books and the indomitable ideas inside them as inspired by the true events of the Berlin book burnings during World War II.

Berlin, 1930s. Helene Nathan, one of Germany's first female librarians, finds herself caught in the rising tide of censorship and cultural devastation. As Nazi-led book burnings sweep across the nation, Helene quietly decides to fight against the erasure of knowledge and secretly rescue the forbidden and beloved books, thus risking her life to safeguard the voices trying to be silenced.

Under the ever-watchful eyes of the Gestapo, Helene and a small group of close friends build a secret library to preserve works by exiled and persecuted authors. They smuggle banned books, hide them in unlikely places, and even memorize passages to keep their ideas alive. But as danger steadily closes in, Helene faces an impossible choice: protecting her library and the intellectual heritage it represents . . . or saving the people she loves most, including the man she loves.

Library of Forbidden Books is more than a historical novel: it's a gripping reminder of the power of resistance, courage, and story in the darkest times.

© 2026 Thomas Nelson (Audiobook): 9781400355846

Release date

Audiobook: 1 September 2026