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"A wonderful, heartwarming read." — Ruth Hogan, author of Keeper of Lost Things
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII.
London, 1938: The bookstore just doesn’t feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it’s time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie.
In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she can’t give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop.
When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from Winnie the Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people’s spirits, even in the most trying times.
But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds they’ve formed to see them through to brighter days.
Genre: Historical
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett comes a heartwarming story of found family, love, and making connections through books set against the bombing of London during WWII.
London, 1938: The bookstore just doesn’t feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her beloved husband Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared together, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it’s time to take her faithful old lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie.
In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. After a nudge from her dear friend Charles, Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie of herself at the same age, and shows her that she can’t give up just yet. With the terrible threat of war on the horizon, the world needs people like Gertie Bingham and her bookshop.
When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions of everything from Winnie the Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people’s spirits, even in the most trying times.
But even the best book can only provide a temporary escape, and as the tragic reality of the war hits home, the book club faces unimaginable losses. They will need all the strength of their stories and the bonds they’ve formed to see them through to brighter days.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"Annie Lyons has the rare gift of bringing an unfamiliar world alive in such a way that the reader drops right into the heart of the action....This is a book to be read and re-read - each time there will be something new to discover. It is a triumph of celebrating the touching but mundane happenings along with the more dramatic events of wartime." - Celia Anderson
"Annie Lyons has cleverly woven the horror and heartbreak of war with the resilience of human nature, the strength of love, and the importance of friends, and created a satisfying, funny, uplifting story that feels so authentic I longed to be in the village hall watching the Christmas revue! A fabulous story, perfect for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce. I adored it." - Kerry Barrett
"The Air Raid Book Club is a warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books. A diverse cast of characters are drawn together through Gertie and her bookshop, and in the face of all the fear and uncertainty that war brings they find strength in unity, and escape and solace in books. Annie writes her characters with humanity, humour and respect and their stories will stay with me for a very long time. A wonderful, heart-warming read." - Ruth Hogan
"Annie Lyons has cleverly woven the horror and heartbreak of war with the resilience of human nature, the strength of love, and the importance of friends, and created a satisfying, funny, uplifting story that feels so authentic I longed to be in the village hall watching the Christmas revue! A fabulous story, perfect for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce. I adored it." - Kerry Barrett
"The Air Raid Book Club is a warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books. A diverse cast of characters are drawn together through Gertie and her bookshop, and in the face of all the fear and uncertainty that war brings they find strength in unity, and escape and solace in books. Annie writes her characters with humanity, humour and respect and their stories will stay with me for a very long time. A wonderful, heart-warming read." - Ruth Hogan
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