I finished reading ‘The Last Bookshop in London’ by Madeline Martin today and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Set in WW2 London, Grace Bennett, the main character is a great vehicle through which to view a perspective of London that I had not before.  

 This book begins before England was forced into the war with Germany.  Grace and her friend, Viv, move to London from the country.  They are excited to experience the glitz, glamor, and romance of the big city in the ’30s.  Since Grace does not have a letter of recommendation that is needed to get a job as a shop girl at Harrods’s with Viv. Instead, her landlady, Mrs. Weatherford, finds a six-month position for Grace in an old dusty bookstore to earn a letter.

Primrose Hill Books store gives our protagonist an introduction to the magic of books. Grace, who had previously only read what she needed to for school, looks at the books as just objects to be dusted, organized, and sold.  After being given a book from George, a frequent and handsome customer of the book shop, she knows she should read it to be better at her job and because she is intrigued by George. But she still does not until one night after the London bombings have begun. She finally picks up the gifted book and begins to read it, the book is the ‘The Count of Monte Christo’.  Grace comes to learn, what we as readers already know, that books are magical doors that transport us to new worlds.

We are given a glimpse into how Grace and the people who lived in London during the Blitz endured terrifying nightly attacks on London survived.  Viv joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, Mrs. Weatherford, Viv, and Grace’s landlady joined the Women’s Voluntary Service and Grace became an ARP Warden (Air Raid Precautions).  The services that these volunteers performed were dangerous, heroic, and save many lives.  Through Grace’s experiences, we get to witness some of the trauma of the air raids but also the resilience of the British people.

While working as an ARP Warden at night, Grace continues her literary education by day working in the book store.  One night during an air raid, Grace is reading in the shelter and a woman asks about the book she is reading.  And as the bombs are dropping overhead, her fellow shelter inhabitants, intrigued, ask her to read the book aloud.  Because of Grace’s growing passion for books, more and more people in her community start coming to listen to the stories she is reading. There are so many ways books and storytelling can change and save lives. 

Madeline Martin has written a wonderful book that gives the readers a glimpse into a time and community in history.  She has created a story that is quite moving and I shed a few tears several times throughout the book.  This book encapsulates many things that I love; WW2 History, London, old bookshops, good characters, themes of compassion and community, and how books and stories are a vital part of life.

I give this book 🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼!