Just finished this book. Shed some tears. But also found a lot of comfort and meaningful bits to it.
This book is set during World War II in London, about a young woman named Grace who works in a bookshop without any love for books nor reading when she first started.
It takes us on a journey of war-torn London, and the hardships and heartaches brought on by the effects of war. The story of Grace’s life unfolds and we watch her life changing as she begins to read.
What I love most about this book is the simple message that books could save souls, even in the darkest of times. Which makes me think of the situation we are in, with dark clouds of the prolonged pandemic and fear of the virus looming over us.
I relate to this book a lot, perhaps because I do feel that books are an important form of healthy “escape” to give us some respite from whatever life throws at us. And, I am trying to encourage people to pick up books to read and find comfort in it. So it all fits in for me.
This book has intensified my intention (for now) of one day reading the classics that have been featured throughout the book. I don’t read many of those but am beginning to feel curious about why they are so loved.
Now I’ll go check out this author a little more. She’s a romance author and it’s not really my genre, but this historical fiction is right up my alley. Her next historical fiction will only be out next year. Something I would look forward to. In the meantime, maybe I’ll check out one of her romance books and see how it fairs for me, since I enjoy the way she writes.