The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II

“There was a mustiness in the air, mingled with a scent reminiscent of wet wool. Layers of dust on the shelves indicated most of the stock had not been touched in some time, and piles of books on the scuffed wooden floors lent it all a sense of disarray.”

This description of Primrose Hill Books characterizes the bookstore as untidy and absurdly disorganized. What Grace sees as a chaotic layout is also part of the store’s charm. It reflects Mr. Evans’s persona as a book lover and not a business owner pandering to marketability. This quote shows that there is a lot of potential for Primrose Hill Books and foreshadows that Grace’s eye for good business can combine with Mr. Evans’s quiet passion.

“But London was not the gem they had anticipated. Her sparkle had been dulled by the effects of an oncoming war, glued together with scrim tape and apprehension. Her shine was masked behind walls of sandbags and her soul unearthed to make way for shelters and trenches.”

Moving to the big city is often a rite of passage for young people. The city represents new opportunities and is often presented as glamorous and exciting. However, Viv and Grace have moved to London at a time when this beautiful and vibrant city is preparing for siege. Rather than characterize London by its architecture and cultural scene, Madeline Martin reveals that the impending war has already changed the aesthetic of London. This change in the physical space of London will mirror a profound change in its people as they join World War II.

“Of course, there were fewer patrons at Primrose Hill Books, and the ones remaining perched on tightly strung nerves. But books served a purpose. Distractions were always needed. Most certainly in times of strife.”

This quote establishes The Power of Storytelling as a major theme. Primrose Hill Books is a struggling business: Not many people are buying books, and those that do typically buy their books at shinier big-name bookstores. Grace sees a challenge in her new job: to make Primrose Hill Books a financial success. But beyond the merits of saving the business, there is also the value books have beyond money. Books have the power to transcend lived experience and provide comfort and escape, which is invaluable during wartime. Though she is not yet a reader, Grace understands this early on.

“Reading is […] going somewhere without ever taking a train or ship, an unveiling of new, incredible worlds. It’s living a life you weren’t born into and a chance to see everything colored by someone else’s perspective. It’s learning without having to face consequences of failures, and how best to succeed. […] I think within all of us, there is a void, a gap waiting to be filled by something. For me, that something is books and all their proffered experiences.”

In this quote, George passionately explains The Power of Storytelling. This quote emphasizes Martin’s message about the value of literature. Reading allows for new worlds to open and new perspectives to change the human consciousness. Literature reflects and challenges the human experience. George’s enthusiastic description adds depth to the later reveal that people died to save books from the Nazis, who were intent on suppressing diverse ideas.

“Thoughts of such courage filled her mind as she crawled into the brass bed that night and pulled the quilt over her shoulders amid the blackness of the room. Compared to such heroism, she was little more than a coward.”

Grace feels inadequate as she considers the men willingly going to war. She worries that she lacks courage. Grace’s self-conscious shame is partly born out of feeling useless. She respects their Resilience in the Face of Terror and does not yet understand the significance of her own role within the community. Grace does come to support the war effort in her own way: In addition to supporting the ARP, she learns how to provide comfort and support through her love of books.

“She didn’t leave from that spot for the remainder of the day, as if she could still see him walking away, continuing to bid him farewell. Only days before, the war had been a true bore—a buildup to nothing. Yet now, its reality struck them where it caused the most hurt. Already the sacrifice had been great. Yet it was only the start of so much more to come.”

This poignant moment shows the depth of pain Mrs. Weatherford has when she says goodbye to Colin. She stays at the window, already mourning her son. This moment is the first time in which Grace feels directly punished by the war. War is unpredictable and can leave people feeling unmoored: something that seems so distant until, abruptly, it is an unavoidable reality. Grace notes that Colin’s departure marks the true beginning of wartime effects within their community.

“Word after word, page after page, she was pulled deeper into a place she had never experienced and walked in the footsteps of a person she’d never been.”

As Grace discovers The Power of Storytelling, she goes from not being a reader at all to being entranced by literature. She learns how books can be transformative and finds more empathy by learning about other lives and other stories. This allows her to form stronger bonds with the fellow readers in her community and enables her to properly support Primrose Hill Books, as she now understands what draws customers in.

“She liked how customers could easily find their books in the newly organized store, she enjoyed the book jackets and how creative some publishers were with their designs. She even relished the dusty scent that lingered in the shop no matter how often she cleaned, and had come to appreciate Mr. Evans, dry humor and all.”

In an example of Female Empowerment and Leadership, Grace has transformed Primrose Hill Books while maintaining its charm. She’s come up with strategies that allow customers to access literature, making reading equitable and engaging. She is proud of her accomplishments because she finds satisfaction in seeing how customers can enjoy the bookstore she has also come to love. Additionally, she and Mr. Evans have become friends. Mr. Evans is softened by Grace and has come to trust her with leading the charge in the renovation of his bookstore, while Grace now finds Mr. Evans’s personality unique and interesting.

“Where they burn books, they will ultimately burn people as well.”

Mr. Evans’s warning foreshadows the horrors to come: The Nazi party does burn people in their massive concentration camps. This comparison also emphasizes the importance of books and the Power of Storytelling. Books are not just stacks of paper: They carry ideas and thoughts that can cause controversy. Books are dangerous because they teach people new perspectives and new ideas. Books are a symbol for the diversity of human thought and they represent the freedom that the Nazis tried to suppress.

“But that lovely May was a mirage, a pretty, fragile shell waiting to shatter the reality of their world. Hitler’s troops had torn through France and were poised on the opposite side of the Channel. Britain was next.”

Martin creates a juxtaposition between the beautiful weather of May and the terrifying developments of war. Hitler’s invasion of France is an escalation of Germany’s victories. If France, a major world power, can fall to Germany, Londoners worry that Britain can as well. This quote foreshadows the escalation of German violence against the United Kingdom, which will soon directly impact Grace and her neighborhood.

“The enormity of his loss gaped like a chasm inside her. Anger and sorrow and helplessness, all overwhelmed her. Colin shouldn’t have died in such a manner. He was too extraordinary to merely be one of the 30,000 lost.”

Colin’s death represents the personal tragedy that comes with war. The statistics of war fatalities do not accurately convey the pain of individual loss. Though Colin died a violent, frightening death, his sacrifice will be lost in the number “30,000” except for among his loved ones. Mrs. Weatherford is particularly devastated by Colin’s death; without her son, she loses a sense of purpose in life.

“You can’t save the world, but keep trying in any small way you can. […] It doesn’t matter how you fight, but that you never, never stop.”

Mr. Evans encourages Grace to believe that she is doing something for the war, even if she is not at the forefront of the fight. Grace serves her country by keeping voices alive, honoring marginalized voices, and bringing comfort to the many customers who are deprived of lightness, love, and happiness in a time of war. Grace demonstrates Resilience in the Face of Terror in her work at the bookshop and helps others find the strength to do the same, which emphasizes Martin’s message: That everyone has a role during times of strife, and they are all equally significant.

“Deeper still was the profound understanding for mankind as she lived in the minds of the characters. Over time, she had found such perspectives made her a more patient person, more accepting of others. If everyone had such an appreciation for their fellow man, perhaps things such as war would not exist.”

Reading teaches Grace how to be patient with people. Her empathy builds with each novel that she reads. This empathy comes in handy, especially during a time of war. People are at their most heightened levels of stress and grief, and it can be difficult to be patient amid chaos. Martin suggests here that this empathy, which is developed through exposure to diverse viewpoints in stories, could do wonders to promote world peace.

“It was the first time since the start of the Blitz, as the papers termed the interminable onslaught by Germany, that she’d been able to set it all aside. She didn’t once think about the bombs, or the destruction they caused, or how no matter how hard she worked, she could never make the world right. She was alive. She was young. And she was having fun. This was what life in London was supposed to be for her and Viv—a celebration of youth and happiness and everything she’d set aside for far too long.”

Grace is a young woman whose youth is sacrificed to World War II. Despite the chaos, she tries to find normalcy wherever she can, a callback to her arrival in London in the early chapters. In this quote, Martin highlights Resilience in the Face of Terror as Grace does her best to find joy. This form of escapism is necessary as it reminds people like Grace and Viv that they are still alive and that they have a future to live and hope for. In living, just for one night, the kind of life they had dreamed of in London, Grace helps fight the Nazis in another way: by proving that her hope and resilience can’t be extinguished.

“During the first Great Fire, the cathedral continued to stand for three days before finally falling. It had been rebuilt and still stood now. But it was so much more than simply a building. It was a place of worship, of succor for lost souls. It was a symbol that in the middle of hell, good had still prevailed.”

Grace turns to the rich history of her country to find hope for her future. This quote alludes to the Great Fire of 1666, in which a fire started in the King’s bakery turned into a massive conflagration that destroyed much of the old Roman City wall and destroyed the medieval city of London. Just as London rebuilt itself then, so will London rebuild after the Blitz. Grace takes comfort in the resilience of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is especially meaningful to her British identity.

“But it was true how anger could be used to mask hurt, especially when hurt was such a very vulnerable emotion.”

The ripple effect of war is that the psyche of the individual is challenged on a daily basis by instability, fear, and horror. Massive loss of human life and disruptions of what is normal and joyful make people hurt, which causes them to lash out. Mrs. Nesbitt lashes out at Grace because she has no control over such a stressful, terrifying reality. Though Mrs. Nesbitt initially irritates Grace, Grace comes to understand that Mrs. Nesbitt’s anger is a cover for her pain, which makes it easier for her to forgive Mrs. Nesbitt.

“She thought about that conversation through the day as she worked. It made her reevaluate even her own uncle. Ugliness in a person was not born, but created. Perhaps he had endured a hardship that had made him so cruel. Suddenly she regarded him in a different light. Not with anger, but compassion. And with the knowledge that his mistreatment had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with him.”

As Grace’s empathy continues to grow, she learns to let go of her resentments from the past. War and stories have taught her to consider other people’s mindsets and what traumas they may have experienced. Grace shows character growth by putting the past behind her and recognizing that all people are deserving of compassion. She takes the blame off of herself, which frees her from any lingering shame and resentment.

“‘Look what your compassion has done.’ He indicated the shelves of books designated for other stores. ‘You give every part of yourself to help others. Not just with what you do with the ARP. But here, with the other booksellers, with the people you read to. Out there, you save lives. In here, you save souls.’”

Mr. Evans reveals the depths of Grace’s heroism. She is not just a bookseller, but a life-giver. She literally saves lives with the ARP, but she also saves the souls of beleaguered people through her advocacy for books and bookshops as community spaces. This reveals Grace’s character development from a young woman uncertain of her role in the war, self-conscious that she isn’t doing enough, to a young woman who exhibits courage on multiple levels.

“The weather had been horrendous with heavy fog, intermittent snow and ice, but little sun to be seen. The people of Britain had come to love that abhorrent weather and the reprieve it promised from bombers.”

England is well-known for its dreary weather. The climate of rainy, foggy London is a major motif in literature that is set in London. Here, Martin subverts the characteristic portrayal of London’s climate: While rain and fog often portray a grim, moody, or mysterious setting, Martin paints such weather in a positive light. The climate of London protects Londoners from bombs due to low visibility from the sky. What is often taken for granted in times of peace becomes a blessing in times of war.

“That light in Mr. Evans’s eyes, the one that shone with intelligence, kindness and dry humor—that light that had been so bright and so alive—went out.”

Mr. Evans’s death is unexpected and tragic. Grace and Mr. Evans have grown close and have supported one another through the horrors of war, and Grace mourns as she holds him through his final moments. The loss of light from his eyes represents his death, as well as the darkness that Grace is plunged into with the loss of his companionship.

“But she was British. What’s more, she was a Londoner, baptized as such by the firestorm of war, by bombings and incendiaries.”

Martin’s novel highlights the British identity as gritty and undefeatable. The World War II slogan of “keep calm and carry on” is embodied by Grace in the aftermath of Mr. Evans’s death, as she displays Resilience in the Face of Terror. The war continues to rage around her, and Mr. Evans has entrusted his legacy to her: She cannot let him down. Though she was born and raised in the countryside, she has proven herself worthy of the identity of a Londoner, a person whose strength has been challenged but not defeated.

“Books are what have brought us together. A love of the stories within, the adventures they take us on, their glorious distraction in a time of strife. And a reminder that we always have hope.”

Grace celebrates the community she has built at Primrose Hill Books and describes The Power of Storytelling. Books are important not only for the escapism they provide but for the ways in which they connect people. Books have provided them with hope, but so does the community of readers Grace has built. Martin’s novel is itself a celebration of books as a crucial extension of the human experience.

“She smiled through her tears, opened her book and began to read, bringing them all along with her to a world where there were no bombs. There might be loss, and sometimes there may be fear, but there was also courage to face such challenges.”

Despite the formidable sorrows, traumas, and challenges that Grace and her community of readers have faced, they turn to reading to see them through heartbreak. By keeping her public readings consistent, Grace embodies the fortitude and resilience of the British people. Through Grace’s readings, her community can enjoy brief stints of imaginary peace, from which they draw the strength to endure reality.