The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

October 8, 2021

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

Grace Bennett and her bestie Viv move to London just before the start of World War II. While Viv gets a job at Harrod's, Grace doesn't have the necessary letter of recommendation. She gets a job at a musty old London bookstore with the understanding that if she works there for six months, the owner will give her the required letter. Although Grace isn't a reader, she sets to work cleaning and reorganizing the shop and is soon sucked into the spell of books, with the help of a patron named George. During the Blitz, Grace volunteers as an air raid warden, a job that many feel is unsuitable for a woman, and becomes known for reading aloud in the local tube station during air raids. When a bomb hits the street where the bookshop is located, the community comes together to save the store.

Based on a true story, this is a feel-good novel about World War II and the "keep calm and carry on" attitude of Londoners during the Blitz. The plot is predictable w giveith the expected romance, but that's okay. It gives a look at life during the Blitz without getting too graphic.

London tube station being used as an air raid shelter during World War II