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The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II

Written by Madeline Martin Review by Valerie Adolph

This novel set in London covers the full period of the Second World War. Young Grace Bennett has escaped a miserable home life in a small village with her friend Viv. Together they expect London to be their ideal of an exciting and glamorous new home.

Outgoing Viv soon finds a job at Harrod’s, but quieter Grace only finds a temporary job in a musty overstocked bookshop whose crusty owner does not appreciate her help. Grace proves herself useful despite the owner’s crotchetiness and remains in the job throughout the struggles of a city under siege from frequent bombings.

Sustaining her throughout is the memory of a young man she met briefly at the bookshop, but who left to join the RAF. The well-maintained tension in the story comes from the constant fear of loss – of many foodstuffs, landmarks, jobs and homes, light on a dark night and, worst of all, the loss of loved ones.

Grace struggles to keep the bookshop going despite the danger of bombing and, despite her fears for the young man in the RAF, becomes the strength of her neighborhood with her storytelling and her readings from the classics of literature. The author offers the benefit of extremely thorough research, beautifully disguised in a well-paced story. This novel has the feel-good warmth of virtue overcoming evil, with well-intentioned people doing their best to survive and help others throughout the horrors of war.

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#BookReview The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin @MadelineMMartin @HTPBooks @Bookclubbish #HTPBooks #TheLastBookshopinLondon #MadelineMartin #Bookclubbish

Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

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.

Poignant, affecting, and beautifully written!

The Last Bookshop in London is an engaging, moving tale set during WWII that follows Grace Bennett, a young woman who heads to London in the fall of 1939 in the hopes of a better life and a glamourous career only to find herself employed in a dusty bookshop and war being declared.

The writing is seamless and smooth. The characters are brave, resilient, and supportive. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, family, heartbreak, friendship, self-discovery, community, determination, tragedy, survival, and love.

As some of you may already know, I’m originally from Coventry, a city heavily bombed during the war. And as my dad was born in 1937, I grew up hearing how a bomb exploded in his backyard 30 ft from the house, leaving a crater two garden widths wide, and how he would count the number of new houses missing each morning on his way to school. But as that generation ages and memories start to fade, these stories are so important in reminding us how much novels helped and continue to help people cope with devastating circumstances and unimaginable losses, as well as how the strength, courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of that generation enabled us the lives we lead today. I loved The Last Bookshop in London , and I hope everyone who enjoys historical fiction picks this one up.

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

Thank you to Madeline Martin & HTP Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Madeline Martin

Madeline Martin is a USA Today bestselling author of historical romance and historical fiction novels with strong heroines and tons of high-action plot twists! Her books have finaled in the Holt Medallion award and National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

She lives in sunny Florida with Mr. Awesome (a man who truly deserves such a great name) and two wonderfully magical girls, known collectively as “the minions.”

She enjoys working out (really to support my love of Nutella and wine), travelling and doing fun kid-like things with the minions.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.