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

Product Information

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!) 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 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. The funny thing was that Grace had no love of books, but that was the only job she could find since war was about to break out. She had to deal with the grumpy shop owner, but she made the best of the situation.

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. As the women are alone, Grace learns the beauty of books and how they can take you to another place and keep the story with you. 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. 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.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. The Last Bookshop in London is a wonderful story of friendship, loss and love, and Martin cleverly balances the hardships and heartbreak of wartime London, while at the same time creating an uplifting read. This is the type of story that will have you close to tears one moment, and then somehow smiling the next. An absolutely delightful read.” 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. Even though Percival Evans, the man for whom Grace worked, claimed he did not need Grace’s help in his bookstore, Grace began cleaning and organizing the store as a way to be useful. Evans demonstrated his appreciation for Grace’s work when he discouraged a fellow shop owner trying to lure Grace into working for him. Then, Evans also raised Grace’s salary. He showed interest in her well-being when she agreed to have tea with George Anderson by telling her George was a good man. He warned her not to rush and marry before the war started.

I really liked Grace Bennett, the protagonist! This particular "girl works in a bookshop/library - girl saves said bookshop/library" trope actually worked for me! After being gifted a book, Grace goes from being a non-reader to voraciously reading during her spare time. She also begins to share her love of particular books as she holds read-alouds during air raids and also during peaceful times at the bookshop. How can a reader like me not feel a kinship to Grace?

Customer reviews

Madeline Martin lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), one incredibly spoiled cat 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 giggling over cat videos. She also loves to travel and attributes her love of history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany. 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.”

Grace found a job in a bookstore....how fun to arrive in London and to work in a bookshop. Viv worked as a sales clerk at Harrod’s. Viv learns that she can’t work at Harrod’s when she knows other women are doing things for their country. 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. Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance. As bombings became more frequent, Grace began reading to a group of people who took cover in the Farringdon Station air-raid shelter. The stories distracted them from the devastation taking place outside. One day a man from the group told Grace she had saved his life. Instead of going to the Marble Arch Station, closer to the area where he was working, he walked to Farringdon because he wanted to hear more of the story. The Marble Arch Station had been hit by a bomb. Many of the people inside were killed. Even on the days when there were no afternoon air raids, the people began meeting at the bookstore to hear Grace read.The following version of the novel was used to create this study guide: Martin, Madeline. The Last Bookshop. Hanover Square Press, April 6, 2021. Kindle. Therefore, I looked forward to hearing about her work life at Primrose Hill Bookshop, her volunteer work as an Air Raid Precautions (ARP) warden, and her personal life with her friends, her acquaintances, and her budding love interest. It is a must read because of the bookshop setting, London, and the endearing characters. The characters are just so heartwarming and genuine. Martin writing is seamless and engaging. She writes a simple story, yet it conveys a powerful message. I have to say I loved all the characters in this story. Miss Bennett though is a standout, in her own mind, a timid introvert, she doesn't realise the massive impact she has on those around her, through her actions and compassion for others. 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.

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 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. 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. Inspiration as an author can come in many forms. It can be an event that once happened or a person you know or have read about, it can even be an experience you yourself have had that manifests itself into a scene for your next book. All it takes is a grain of sand caught in the folds of your brain to work itself into a gleaming pearl.I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”