Dedicated: The Last Bookshop in London (Review by Erin Woodward)

There really are so many great books that use World War II as a back drop. It was an incredibly difficult time for so many people providing rich characters making life and death decisions. The Last Book Shop in London is no exception. This story follows Grace Bennett and her best friend Viv who move to London in 1939 right before the start of the war. Ideally Grace would have found herself among the gloves and lace of Harrods but instead finds herself in a dusty book shop in London’s Primrose Hill sorting through the stacks of books she’ll never read. Enter George, a handsome customer who lends Grace his copy of The Count of Monte Cristo before heading to the front. The book ignites in Grace what many of us bookworms know too well, a love for the written word and helps her turn the store around. This book is not only an epic historical novel but it’s a tribute to those that lived in London during the Blitz, so many stayed behind to protect their beloved city and often held down more than one job. Grace herself volunteers as a ARP (Air Raid Precautions) warden where she earns a heartfelt reputation for reading aloud underground during Air Raids. If you love historical fiction I can’t urge you enough to pick up a copy of this book, this is a book that will undoubtably keep you up late!