Bookshops and World War II historical fiction? I'm pretty sure Madeline Martin's latest novel was written just for me. The Last Bookshop in London delighted me while allowing me to learn through reading what it would have been like to live through the Blitz.
Here's the book's description:
London, autumn 1940: the Blitz has only just begun when Grace Bennett arrives in London to find the city she’s spent a lifetime dreaming about now cast in the clouds of war, and all of her plans unraveling at the seams. After accepting a job at a charming bookshop nestled in the heart of the city, a haven for literary-minded locals, she feels like a fish out of water – she’s never been much of a reader, after all.As I've read books set during the World Wars during the last year, I've been struck a few times at the similarities between war time and this current global pandemic. It puts things into perspective a bit, too, especially as Martin wrote about the Blitz. Night after night, for months, bombs were dropped on London by the Germans. Blackout curtains were a must and there were fines if even a speck of light could be seen from outside. I've read about this time before but I hadn't really thought about what it would have been like outside at night if there wasn't a single light on. Martin wrote an especially poignant scene as Grace stays too late at work and has to make her way home after dark, in the rain, and could not even identify her own front door. Imagine how frightening that would be. The beginning of the war, when this book was set, saw the posters "Keep Calm and Carry On" begin to sprout up around England and that mentality shines through in this novel. Londoners were terrified - they were sending their children away to the country and having to go to shelters or Tube stations every night to stay safe from bombs - but they carried on. They could emerge every morning and find their house or business (or both) destroyed. And yet, they carried on. Seems the least I can do right now is stay home as much as possible and avoid getting together with friends and family whom I miss dearly.
As the bombs rain down on the city night after night, a devastating air raid leaves London’s literary center in ruins, and the libraries and shops of Paternoster Row are destroyed in a firestorm. But against all odds, one bookshop miraculously survives. Through blackouts and air raids, Grace continues staffing the shop, discovering a newfound comfort in the power of words and storytelling to unite her community in ways she never imagined, a power that triumphs even the darkest nights of war-torn London.
I was so thrilled when I read that Grace would be getting a shop assistant position at a little bookshop in London. I was less thrilled when I realized she wasn't much of a reader. She had no idea the joy she was in for! She quickly learns the magic of reading thanks to a handsome shop patron. George tells her to read The Count of Monte Cristo and Grace's life is never the same. She inhales novels and works on advertising for the shop to promote books to give other Londoners the magic of escaping into a good read. Partway through reading I began to wish I had written down all the titles Grace reads and recommends. Austen makes a few appearances, as does Charles Dickens. She reads Middlemarch and is gifted Vanity Fair. Martin does such a wonderful job of capturing what it means to be a reader and how important books and stories can be during times of hardship.
Grace was a lovely main character. She was young without being annoyingly naive. She had a big heart and my own hurt for her as she saw friends help the war effort and all she was doing was helping out in a dusty old bookshop. She was scared and I'm sure I would have felt the same in her position. She does step up, as I think most of us would, and she volunteers as an ARP (Air Raid Precautions) warden which saw her out during the bombings three nights (and eventually five nights) a week. She narrowly missed bombs and saw horrifying sights. Through it all she supported her friends and made the bookshop thrive. You couldn't help but be in awe of her strength even when you see her faltering due to sheer exhaustion. She didn't give up even when that would have been the easiest option. You'll love her and will root for a Happily Ever After for her and all of the other characters, even though you know the scars of war will impact them long past VE Day.
I didn't want to stop reading The Last Bookshop in London. Madeline Martin's novel was a joy to read, even as I mourned for and with the characters as they went through the horrors of war. If you're a book lover and a fan of historical fiction, this novel is a must read for you.
About the author
Madeline Martin is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical romance novels filled with twists and turns, adventure, steamy romance, empowered heroines and the men who are strong enough to love them.
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*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Hanover Square Press. in exchange for a review for the purpose of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*
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