The Underground Library

by Jennifer Ryan

“To me, books are like old friends, telling us great truths, holding our hands through the difficulties, showing us light and joy at the end of every tunnel.”

“I do love to read,” Sofie said. “Books are the only thing that keep me going, a kind of home inside my heart.”

A book isn’t just a physical object; once you’ve read it, it becomes a thought, a story, a memory that is alive inside you forever.

“Books give us so many things.” She paused, looking at the councilors. “They

give us a world to imagine, a cozy corner to lull us to sleep on a hard cold stone floor. They give us facts and figures to guide us, a knitting pattern or a recipe to help us with the rations, a map of the world or a history of Europe, the poets from the last war, and the news of this war, too. They give us joy, hope, and inspiration. They help us to see inside someone else’s world, empathize with people we’ve never met—and if there is one thing the world needs right now, it is the willingness to understand and connect.”

“Libraries aren’t only about books; they’re about people. They’re about human life, how books can mend hearts, comfort wounds, and inspire us. But most of all, books can bring people together. Their ideas and thoughts make us realize that we are not alone, that we are all connected.”