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–Synopsis–

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 drawn curtains that she finds on her arrival are 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.

–Review–

*TRIGGER WARNINGS!:*
Due to fact this book covers how WWII looked and felt in London, you can expect some death and high stressful moments while reading. Particularly when Germany’s blitz on London really takes off, the psychological warfare of being bombed is very real and apparent throughout the book. There are also some instances of misogyny and racism thrown in here, but not to an overwhelming degree.

Madeline Martin does such a great job at turning such a dark facet of human history into a beautiful story of inspiration and hope. Through this single-pov story, you truly feel as though you have been transported back in time to the late 1930’s, early 1940’s of London as the world begins grappling with the horrendous actions of Hitler and the nazi party. Having grown up being taught of WWII every year in school, I felt as though I knew enough of the war, but this book proved that there are still so much more to learn about the events that changed the world as we knew it.

The story is set in London, mainly back and forth from Ms. Weatherford’s house where the main characters are staying, and the bookshop that Grace gets hired onto. The city as a whole brings me back to the earlier 20th century. I love the lack of modern technology in books, as it feels like a treasure from the past. The bookstore in particular, felt like a building that could very well be standing today as some sort of modernized bookstore, library or museum even. When the war was becoming more and more apparent, it was crazy to imagine how there could be anti-aircraft machinery just chilling outside in the road, awaiting its turn to seek vengeance. Or those balloons they would put out in the air; in the hopes it would deter air raids from above. It truly was a whole new world that was created in response to the war.

Another interesting aspect to the community as a whole, was how people’s attitudes towards the war evolved throughout the story. Due to the initial slow going, people began using terms such as “the bore war” to showcase their lack of taking the war efforts seriously. People were questioning the validity of the reports and assuming they were safe because of course Hitler would not ever bomb Britian. That is until the children were sent to the countryside. That is until the rationings started becoming more stringent and the bombs started falling. The people’s opinions changed really fast once the first of the devastation was felt and seen. Needless, to say, London was decimated in the blitz, which I think was clearly experienced in this book. The political side of things was mentioned at times, but it does not go into too much detail. Winston Churchill was mentioned obviously, as well as the minister before him that did not take the war seriously himself. Hitler and the nazis were mentioned as well as hinting at what was going on with the Jews. For this book though, the main perspective is of London, with very little information of what is going on outside.

Grace and Viv are the two main female characters who move to London in order to find their own ways in life. Before the war was ramping up, both ladies were trying to find their own places of work to begin to carve out their new lives. I truly felt for both of these women since they escaped a sort of bleak existence in their hometowns, just to arrive in the big city right as WWII was starting. Just as they were starting to feel comfortable, the bombings start, turning every plan on its head. Even with the adversities stacking, both women remained hopeful and determined throughout the book. At one point Viv and Grace both enlist and volunteer in the war efforts. With Viv being sent off, Grace is still running the bookshop in tandem with her nightly shifts of patrolling the streets and assisting with air raid cleanup and rescue. It is at the bookshop, where Grace begins reading to the customers, where the theme of hope truly comes from. You see, during war, people are always looking for an excuse to lower their guard and show happiness for something for a change. In this book, the love and enjoyment of a great story is that doorway, allowing a few precious moments to forget about the horrors and atrocities of war. People were even getting down to the bomb shelters earlier, to wait to hear Grace read aloud to everyone. The bookshop played its role as a safe space really beautifully in this book.

There is a bit of a romance plot in this book, however I am not going to focus on it in this review since it is such a small detail in the grand scheme of things. I will say, the gentleman who plays the main male love interest, George was the one who originally got Grace into reading books herself, so he did play an integral role in the plot as a whole. Their relationship was very wholesome and a bit stressful at times since George does get enlisted pretty early on himself.

One of the other main characters, Ms. Weatherford was one of my favorites. I am not going to spoil anything, but she has been through the wringer in life, starting since the first World War. She has a few rough patches in this book she seemingly becomes a slave to her grief; however, she eventually begins seeing the lighter sides of life, even amongst the dark smoke-filled skies. She has the most character development in this book in my opinion which is why I felt like mentioning her specifically in this review.

All in all, if you have a hankering for a great historical fiction book about WWII and how that looked for people who were basically sharing a border with the Germans, you may enjoy this book a lot. Again, I feel like Madeline Martin did a great job at keeping the darker details hidden, while still not making light of the situation. This book is great for those who find themselves interested and curious in the war but maybe cannot stomach ‘Schindler’s List’ or ‘The Boy in the Striped Pajamas’, the more emotionally heavy and dark media of World War II.

-About the Author-

Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.

She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), two incredibly spoiled cats and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves research and travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

Check out her website for book club visits, reader guides for her historical fiction, upcoming events, book news and more: https://madelinemartin.com