Author: Madeline MartinSummary: August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London. Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war. ~amazon.com
Series: None
Publication Date: April 6, 2021
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Stories and books save us from many things, including war
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Review: Grace and her best friend, Viv move to London from the country when the things are on edge in the big city as war with Germany is inevitaable. They settle into live with Mrs. Waterford, Grace's mum's oldest friend and her son Colin but Grace needs a job. Mrs. Waterford gets her a job as a shop asssistant at a local bookstore, Primrose Hill, but Grace doesn't read and only wants to be there fora limited time so she can get a letter of refererce to join Viv at Harrod's.
Except, Grace ends up enjoying Mr. Evans and the bookshop. He even lets her make her mark on it by organizing it and placing advertisments for it. Granted they will never be the bigger bookstores but what Grace does is improve the store and it's sales. As the war rages on and the air raid/bombing of the city intesify, Grace finds bravery is volunteering to be a neighborhood watch dog from dusk until dawn to ensure that the blinds are closed and no lights glow for the planes to see. They are prepared for all kinds of situations and unfortunately are will need to use them as they try to save as many people as they can. While they stay in the tube stations overnight as shelter (I never knew this), Grace starts to read out loud to keep everyone's minds off the bombings. What she didn't expect is that it would transition to the shop and become one of the most popular events they have there. While books can't solve the war it can help them all escape for the times they are together.
I know that this is a ficitionalized WWII novel but I can't help but think that somewhere during those awful air raids someone was making a difference to someone else. It's the little acts of kindness or bravery that go along way not only in times of war but daily.
If you are a fan of Historical Fiction, then you won't want to miss The Last Bookshop in London.
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