Books Are Worth Protecting

While on vacation last month I read Madeline Martin’s newest work of historical fiction, The Keeper of Hidden Books, and it got me thinking about WHY books are worth saving and protecting. The story, set during World War II in Nazi-invaded Warsaw, centers around a young woman (Zofia) who finds a welcome distraction in her job as a librarian. Through her job she is able to hide books on the Nazis’ banned book lists, thereby saving copies of books that in some cases become the last one’s in all of Poland. She also works with an underground resistance group to help Jews escape from the ghetto and avoid concentration camps (including her best friend Janina and Janina’s mother). Martin draws this beautiful parallel throughout the book between the work Zofia does saving the books and what she does in saving people. And one of the amazing things about the book is that, while Zofia is a completely made up character, a huge portion of what happens in the book is based on real life events. There were multiple instances in the book where I found myself going this isn’t actually realistic, there’s no way this could have happened; then I got to the author’s note at the end and was shocked to realize that those very things were based on real events! I find it incredible to think about the courageous men and women who risked their lives to save books during this time period, and I think there’s a few lessons we can learn from them that can help see us through dark times in our own lives.

1. Books allow us to fight back against a culture gone wrong. If you’re a Christian reading this blog, I’m guessing there’s a lot in our current culture you dislike. As a Christian parent in 2023 I find myself sometimes questioning how to raise kids in a world where they are told gender is a myth, religion is fake, and “to follow their heart above all else.” But I think if we are being truthful this isn’t a new issue; the circumstances may look different, but Christian parents have been fighting this battle literally since the beginning of time. Of course, our first defense should always be God’s Word. But I think we would also be remiss to ignore the value of good literature. Note that I’m not referring to the agenda-driven children’s books that often flock the shelves at my local Christian bookstore. I’m so thankful for the presence of our town’s bookstore, and my family has found many great resources there, but I’m also often shocked and saddened to see some of the things that pass as “children’s literature" in the Christian world. A book that is written with the agenda of convincing our kids that liberalism is evil or that attacks the gender question in a way that leaves our kids feeling hatred towards homosexuals are not the kind of books I want my kids reading. These books, 9 times out of 10, are made up of terrible writing (because you can’t write a good story if you are consumed with your personal agenda), and they don’t work to convince kids of the things they’re trying to. Or perhaps I should say they convince kids for the wrong reasons? That tangent aside, my point is to read REAL literature (remember we are looking for books that qualify as good, true, and beautiful) to read with our kids. Books like the Chronicles of Narnia or the Hiding Place hold a lot more power to point our kids to Christ and to teach them the truths of Scripture than any agenda-filled book is going to. These books, with God’s Word as our foundation, can prepare our kids to face the difficult questions of our current culture.

2. Books preserve the wisdom of past generations for future ones. It is the fault of every generation to think that their generation finally has all the answers (and let’s not forget that our generations did it, too). But when we turn to books from the past, we learn of a history that we will only see repeat itself. As I’ve read lots of World War II fiction the past year, I’ve noticed that everyone thought there could never be another war like the first World War… until the second war began. In The Keeper of Hidden Books, Zofia forms an anti-Hitler book club with fellow librarian friends and they read books on Hitler’s banned list. When they read All Quiet On the Western Front she suddenly finds herself fully grasping the brutality of war. Her perspective of everything, even the Nazis, changes. The books they read also help her better understand her difficult relationship with her mother and help her reflect on how her people can move forward past the horrors they’ve experienced. We can’t learn from the past if we don’t stop and read about it.

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Books give us purpose in dark seasons. Through books we find courage in suffering and a reminder to live for others. Books point us to the Author and Perfecter of our faith, the One who is the Word. Books tear down walls of bitterness and open new paths for joy. I don’t know what hard season you’re in right now, but may I suggest what has seen me through very difficult and dark times in my own life? Go to the Book of all books, God’s Word; ground yourself in it, pray through it, read it, study it, live it. Then find a GOOD book, the kind that would have been on Hitler’s list, and read it; let the lessons it contains soak into your heart so you can go and live them out.