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

When Grace arrives at Primrose Hill Books for the first time, she is surprised by the store’s aesthetic disarray. The paint job is cracked and dark, the windows are dingy, and the books inside are dusty. Grace introduces herself to Mr. Evans, who is rude and shoos her away, claiming he isn’t looking for an employee. Grace returns to Mrs. Weatherford’s house dejected. Mrs. Weatherford leaves to have a word with Mr. Evans, and Viv takes Grace out for a walk. Viv has a job interview at Harrods, an important department store, thanks to her recommendation letter and Colin’s connections there.

Viv and Grace stroll around and note the signs of impending war, such as the taped and boarded up windows. Viv brings Grace to Harrods, where they admire the silk scarves, the architecture of the building, and the baby elephant in the Pet Kingdom where Colin works. Viv wants Grace to work at Harrods with her and offers to forge a letter of recommendation for her, but Grace feels too bad about lying.

Viv and Grace go to Hyde Park next, expecting a beatific green area with women strolling in fine clothes. Instead, they find “trenches gouged into the soil like open wounds, or—worse still—the massive guns” (28-29). Grace reminds Viv that she doesn’t have to live in London; Viv could return to Drayton, which is in the countryside and therefore safer for war. Viv refuses because despite the dangers of a city during a time of war, Viv has always dreamed of getting away from Drayton, which she finds boring.

When they return home, Mrs. Weatherford is waiting to reveal that she has spoken to Mr. Evans, and he has agreed to hire Grace. Grace is thrilled because even though the bookshop and Mr. Evans are not to her liking, she needs a job and can work for him for a few months just for her letter of recommendation. Mrs. Weatherford explains that the bookshop is called Primrose Hill Books even though it isn’t located on Primrose Hill because Primrose Hill is where Mr. Evans met his wife, reading the same book.

Grace arrives at Primrose Hill Books for her first day of work. Mr. Evans is still cantankerous and tells Grace that she can do whatever she wants in the store, he doesn’t care. She decides to start dusting and cleaning the store, and observes Mr. Evans when his customers come in. Mr. Evans leaves to grab a coffee, leaving Grace alone with customers whom she doesn’t know how to help because she doesn’t know where to find the books they’re looking for. While trying to help a woman locate a book, a handsome well-tailored man offers help. The man, George Anderson, has been a customer of the shop since childhood, so he knows it well. He recommends that Grace read The Count of Monte Cristo.

Grace hurries home after work, eager to hear about Viv’s interview with Harrods. She finds Mrs. Weatherford and Viv listening intently to the radio about the news of a fleet mobilization. London is evacuating children whose parents register for them to be moved to the countryside for safety.

The city starts to prepare for a war that has not yet been declared. Grace notices barrage balloons in the sky. At home, everyone is preparing for the government-mandated blackout. Grace is moved by the long lines of children waiting to be evacuated.

At work, Mr. Evans dismisses Grace early. He doesn’t have anything to blackout the windows of the shop, and they don’t have many customers because of all the tension around preparation. Grace offers to make Mr. Evans some blackout curtains. She helped transform her uncle’s shop into a thriving business, and wonders how she can do the same for Mr. Evans during a stressful time. She’s confident that she can find a way to make the shop more appealing for people, because in times of stress, people need entertainment and escapism.

Mrs. Weatherford comes home with tote bags full of sugar, tea, and flour. She knows that rationing is inevitable, so she’s stocking up, just like Mrs. Nesbitt. She explains to Grace that Mrs. Nesbitt owns Nesbitt’s Fine Books, a successful bookstore chain. Colin returns home from work, thrilled that a new baby cheetah has joined the little zoo in Harrods. When he takes a can of tuna to feed his cat, Mrs. Weatherford reminds him that when war comes, they won’t have extra resources for his animals.

On the radio, they hear the news that Germany has started invading Poland. Because of an alliance between France, Poland, and England, it is certain that England will have to come to Poland’s defense, joining the war. Viv returns home from her job at Harrods and helps Grace make blackout curtains for Mr. Evans. The purpose of the curtains is to keep a home or store completely dark to avoid the attention of potential air bombs. It feels even more important than before to make them.

Grace brings Mr. Evans the blackout curtains. She sets up the bookstore window with a display of the most beautiful book covers, though she doesn’t know anything about the books. An older man named Mr. Pritchard comes into the store to chat with Mr. Evans. He also owns a bookstore and complains about the vermin his store gets because it’s close to the River Thames. Grace suggests that Mr. Pritchard ask Mrs. Weatherford if he can have her cat to help keep the pest problem under control. Grace organizes the many piles of books on the floor of the store onto shelves. She stays past her shift hours, even though the blackout has already started. Mr. Evans insists that she take the next day off. Grace makes her way back home in the absolute darkness of the city; in a blackout, car lights and streetlights can’t be turned on either.

Grace’s plans to use her day off to visit Nesbitt’s Fine Books is called off when Britain formally declares war on Germany. The news arrives at 11:15am. Although everyone was expecting this, the news hits hard. Grace recalls all of the stories she’s heard from older people about the horrors of the Great War and fears for this next war.

The alarm of an air raid sounds. Mrs. Weatherford instructs everyone to fill the tubs with water, open the windows, turn off the gas, and find the gas masks. They all complete their tasks then head to the Andy, a makeshift bomb shelter that’s been built in the backyard. Mrs. Weatherford is calm because she’s already been through real bombings in London and knows what to expect and how to prepare. While they wait in the bomb shelter, Mrs. Weatherford tells them stories about the Great War. There are horrifying stories, such as the strict rationing, the men who died at war, and the close calls with bombs, but there are also hope-filled stories, such as how women were able to go to work, which helped get them the right to vote. The air raid alarm ends.

The next day, at work, Grace finds new piles of books littering the floor. As Grace attempts to make order out of the piles, George Anderson enters the store. He helps her start organizing books by genre. George admires Grace’s desire to make Primrose Hill Books a more successful shop but warns her against making it too commercial and getting rid of its charm. Grace wants to know more about what engages readers, so she asks George what he likes best about reading. He tells her that reading is about exploring new worlds, new perspectives, and filling the void within the reader. Grace is moved by his passion for books. George asks Grace out for tea, which she happily accepts. After George has left, Mr. Evans tells her that George is a good man and an engineer, so he will most likely be spared from conscription. Mr. Evans dismisses her from her shift early, and she resolves to go see the more successful bookstores on Paternoster Row.