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

Product Information

Readers will hear of the London bombings which I didn’t know were so often and so devastating, but for the most part bookworms will not want to miss THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON. Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction, WW11, London, Books About Books, “might also be a love story”

From the bookish goodness, to the rich details of life in London during the bombings and the goings on in Grace’s life. We have a slow-burn side of romance, but the primary focus is Grace, the bookshop and her impact of the surrounding community during these dark and difficult times. I Wish: I found myself wishing that the author would have included letter excerpts between Grace and George. It was mentioned that they exchanged letters and built a relationship…readers like me would have appreciated a glimpse! Letter excerpts would have added even more enjoyment for me. Inspired by real events, this heart-warming story is a delight to read. Depicting quiet triumph or tragedy, and the universal need of us all to find friendship, hope and a place where we can make a difference. This is a story that will leave the reader with a few tears, but still a feeling of warmth.Author Madeline Martin plausibly injected various components of life in London during WWII within this story. Although I remember a former teacher colleague recalling, how as a child in England during the war, that she had to carry a gas mask to school and that vegetables were to be grown instead of lawns and flowers, I did learn more about the children's evacuations, Anderson (Andy) bomb shelters, household preparations for possible bombings, air raids, anti-gas ointment, Christmas celebrations, victory gardens, and the BBC radio competition called "The Kitchen Front". Some of these references reminded me of some books on my WTR list (e.g. The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen and The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan!) It’s 1939 and with the threat of an impending war with Hilter, Grace Bennett and her best friend Viv, set out to London to live in the home of her late mother’s best friend. Without a letter of referral from her Uncle, Mrs. Weatherford secures her a position at the Primrose Hill Book Store with its owner the, curmudgeonMr. Evans.

Grace and Viv left their small home town of Drayton and moved to London to get away from an uncle and overbearing parents. They had no idea things would get as bad as they did. Further inspiration can also be drawn on experience. While this might be an unexpected contribution, I genuinely feel like having written over 30 romance novels helped me with the emotion behind The Last Bookshop in London . With romance novels, the intent is to grant people the experience of reliving the thrill of falling in love over and over again. In writing my historical fiction, I implemented that skill to show Grace falling in love with reading. It’s my hope that readers experience falling in love with books all over again through her eyes and recall that wonderful, magical feeling. But the dark clouds of war that have been looming on the horizon much longer than anyone wants to admit turn into a full blown storm of German bombs, just as Grace gets her feet under her in London. A London that is now on fire. Bomb damage from St. Paul’s towards Paternoster Row August 1939: London is dismal under the weight of impending war with Germany as Hitler’s forces continue to sweep across Europe. Into this uncertain maelstrom steps Grace Bennett, young and ready for a fresh start in the bustling city streets she’s always dreamed of - and miles away from her troubled past in the countryside. During WWII, however, when the Nazis bombed London for seven months straight during the Blitz, Paternoster Row received a direct hit. Countless bombs and incendiaries rained down on the publishing district and reduced it to rubble and ash with a fire that took days to fully extinguish.The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin drew me in with its World War 11 time period and bookshop setting in London. Rich, captivating and well written Madeline Martin pulled me into the story and endeared me to these characters. This engaging mix of books, romance, and war is not without tragedy, but the unapologetically uplifting ending will find booklovers wiping away a tear or two." I've read a lot of historical fiction novels which base themselves around WWII, but I think that this is the first time I've read a story totally from the perspective of a civilian. Someone non-military, not a doctor, not a nurse, not as someone working in the resistance movement. Grace Bennett is a young woman who has travelled to London in the hope of a better life. But Grace has something in common with a lot of people in these novels - she has resilience; she's brave, she's generous and, she's supportive.

In The Last Bookshop in London, a historical fiction novel by Madeline Martin, Grace Bennett arrived in London feeling as if she were a failure after her mother’s death and uncle’s rejection. She feared she would not be able to find a job because her uncle had even refused to write her a letter of recommendation for the years she had worked for him. With the help of her mother’s friend, Mrs. Weatherford, Grace found a job working for a curmudgeonly old man in a bookshop. Though Grace feared she would fail at this job, she came to love books and reading. Moreover, she used reading to inspire her neighbors during the dark days of the war. An amusing, suspenseful, and uplifting historical with heart-warming motifs that have never felt more topical or vital."

Customer reviews

This novel is a pretty short historical fiction, but it takes you on an emotional roller coaster. The characters are charming and endearing. The main character Grace is very likable, but doesn’t really have any flaws. The novel has calamities, but it doesn’t have much conflict in the plot. During times of crisis, who can deny the comfort of books and reading? Deftly written, and testament to survival in a challenging time, this book is a soothing and reassuring read." This book would definitely be good for a reluctant reader because Grace shares how she turned from a non-reader to one who can’t stop reading and recommending and turning others into readers and book lovers. Grace’s Primrose Books may not have actually been the “Last Bookshop in London” even in the story. But Paternoster Row, the center of the British publishing industry, was destroyed during the Blitz as described herein, taking most of London’s bookstores along with it. August 1939 London, England, Grace Bennett and her best friend, Viv, have just stepped off the train which has pulled into Farringdon Station. Collecting their suitcases, each one stuffed to the point of bursting, they headed off to their new lodgings only a two-minute walk away.

The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II by Madeline Martin provides a look inside London during the Blitz by German bombers and the impact on the local population. 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. This was an utterly charming read, and I was definitely charmed by it. I’m saying that in spite of, just yesterday, claiming that I seemed to be suffering from a bit of WW2 historical fiction fatigue. It appears that that book just wasn’t the right book, where The Last Bookshop in London definitely was.

Reading is going somewhere without ever taking a train or ship, an unveiling of new incredible worlds. It’s living a life you weren’t born into and a chance to see something colored by someone else’s perspective. It’s learning without having to face consequences of failures, and how best to succeed.” The heroine of The Last Bookshop in London is Grace Bennett. She moves to London with her best friend, Viv, in 1939 prior to the start of the war. The two women live with Grace’s late mother’s best friend, Mrs. Weatherford, and her son, Colin. While Grace had worked tirelessly in her Uncle’s shop in the country, he refuses to give her the necessary letter of recommendation to obtain a department store position. Based upon Mrs. Weatherford’s insistence with the owner, Grace gets a job for six months at Primrose Hill Books. While Grace is not a reader, she dedicates herself to cleaning up and organizing the messy store in hopes of getting the much-needed letter of recommendation so she can go work with Viv at Harrods. The Last Bookshop in London is an irresistible tale which showcases the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighborhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest.” As far as characters go, I received most of my inspiration from the Mass Observation . This was an initiative funded by the men who came up with the concept where hundreds of people were paid to record their daily life in journals and diaries before, during and after the war. It was a truly unique opportunity to have an inside look into the lifestyle of the time as well as how the daily bombings affected the overall mindset. With aspirations of working at a department store, Grace never imagined she’d wind up employed at Primrose Hill, an offbeat bookshop nestled in the heart of the city - after all, she’s never been much of a reader. Overwhelmed with organizing the cluttered store, she doesn’t have time to read the books she sells. But when one is gifted to her, what starts as an obligation becomes a passion that draws her into the incredible world of literature.