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The Last Bookshop in London
The Last Bookshop in London
Author: Madeline Martin
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. — August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed o...  more »
ISBN-13: 9781335284808
ISBN-10: 133528480X
Publication Date: 4/6/2021
Pages: 304
Edition: Original
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 43

4 stars, based on 43 ratings
Publisher: Hanover Square Press
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 34
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

dizz avatar reviewed The Last Bookshop in London on + 625 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I found this book disappointing. It does not have the "flavor" of the WW2 era, nor does it have a British feel to it. It was shelved in amidst the adult fiction, but it is written at a YA level. I know it's getting hard to speak with people who lived during that era, or knew it from their parents, but it just sounds too modern. At no point did I feel that these characters were real individuals living in 1939. As a love story, it's on the tepid side.

I would recommend it for middle school kids, to whom WW2 is a totally unknown era, as it would give them some orientation to what life was like then, but for adults there are much better current authors for this period - Kate Quinn being one. Or read some British authors who lived in that time - Daphne DuMaurier, Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham.
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reviewed The Last Bookshop in London on + 23 more book reviews
I loved this book. Discriptions of the book store, the blitz, characters, etc. is excellent. It's a clean book (no sexual innuendos now surprises out of the blue). I wanted to always continue reading to read "the rest of the story." I highly recommend it!
justreadingabook avatar reviewed The Last Bookshop in London on + 1711 more book reviews
This is a nice easy read, has some of the flavor of WWll without being overly graphic.
Two friends come to London from the country at the very start of the war and each takes a different path to due their part in helping to defeat the Nazis.

Sweet and predicable storyline that takes you through the start of the war and into the lives of people trying to survive and enjoy what they can during this horrendous time.

You will get a "feel" for the rationing, the Blitz, the loss and destruction that occurred.
A good easy read.
goddessani avatar reviewed The Last Bookshop in London on + 268 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book a lot. Having grown up in London, it reminded me of "stories" told to me by others who had lived through the Blitz. Some stories were only a sentence long, as the horror was still fresh in minds, no matter how much time had passed.

The part about St Paul's Cathedral still standing moved me to near tears. I could picture it so clearly.

This book touches on, but doesn't dwell on, the shortages, or the waste but, most importantly, does celebrate the fortitude and resilience of the British people.


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