[ARC Review] The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin
Grace Bennett moved from the country to London in search of a more exciting life. And find it she did, as Britain soon declares war on Germany and Hitler's Third Reich. Soon her problems seem trivial compared to men being conscripted and mothers sending their children to live with strangers in the country. When the Blitz starts in London, volunteering as an ARP warden gives Grace a sense of purpose, a sense of helping the cause. But Grace soon discovers that helping people escape the war through books can be just as rewarding as helping douse fires.
Madeline Martin clearly knows the power of a good story; for readers, a book can be an escape, a form of therapy, a coping mechanism, and just plain entertainment, and books are all of those things and more in The Last Bookshop in London. Readers will fall in love with Grace, and whole-heartedly relate to how books changed not only her but her community. The Last Bookshop in London is a love story, an emotional and fulfilling love found while the world is in chaos.
Oftentimes, it's hard to put the love of reading into words, to capture what stories mean to the reader and just how important literature can be to a society. Madeline Miller beautifully puts into words that feeling of connection and belonging that comes from reading and anyone who loves reading will find a piece of themselves in Grace Bennett.
A huge thanks to Hanover Square Press and Netgalley for the chance to read The Last Bookshop in London ahead of its release date.
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