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

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-11

Chapters 12-16

Chapter 17-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Historical Context: World War II London

The Last Bookshop in London is a historical fiction novel, and much of the plot revolves around the historical context of World War II. Madeline Martin’s research and allusions to important historical settings and events are crucial to the development of the novel.

The United Kingdom was on alert for the start of a new world war in the late 1930s, when Germany, their enemy in World War I (1914-1918) voted the Nazi party to power and began systematically invading smaller countries. The startling success of the Nazis put the world on edge and foreshadowed a formidable threat to European national identity. When England declared war on Germany, many older Brits remembered the pains and traumas of World War I, which was known at the time as the Great War.

World War II was very much a war fought in the skies. Fighter jet aviation developed considerably throughout the 20th century, and the showdown between the Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe embodied the new war technology. In 1940 and 1941, Germany enacted a bombing campaign against major English cities called the Blitz. Martin references these aerial clashes and the Blitz directly; Grace is an active participant in the war effort, as she patrols her neighborhood and assists with rebuilding and medical treatments during and after these air raids.

Ultimately, Germany’s efforts failed to destroy England’s war capacities. The lessons the British learned in World War I were used to preemptively protect their people, and England focused on quickly rebuilding its cities. Although Nazi aggression was terrifying and traumatic—as Martin describes throughout the text—the United Kingdom fought back and stayed resilient throughout the war.

One important transition Martin highlights in this novel is the transfer of power from Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain to Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Chamberlain was a popular politician when it came to domestic issues but was seen as weak and deferential to the Germans. For example, in 1938, Chamberlain signed the Munich Agreement, which appeased Germany by giving the Nazis a section of Czechoslovakia. His appeasement tactics were immediately seen as untenable at the start of the war. He was removed from office in a vote of no confidence and was replaced by military tactician Winston Churchill. Churchill was an experienced soldier, serving the British crown in wars in British India, the Anglo-Sudan War, the Boer War, and World War I. Churchill was outspoken about anti-fascism early on in the Nazi rise to power, proving that he didn’t underestimate Germany as an enemy to liberal democracy and to the United Kingdom, specifically. Churchill is now regarded as one of the most iconic Western figures of the 20th century.

Martin used primary and secondary sources to make her fictional narrative as authentically historical as possible. In her research to prepare for writing the novel, Martin studied photographs from the Blitz and first-hand accounts by the people who lived through World War II, collected by Mass-Observation (Martin, Madeline. Research for The Last Bookshop in London. 18 March 2022). Mass-Observation is an online archive that collects testimonials and important documents of modern British life. Martin also used books written by Julia Gardiner, a best-selling British historian, to make sure the facts of her novel were accurate. All dates, bombing sites, and statistics used in this novel are factual, leaving only the story of Grace and her friends and family as fiction.

Literary Context: Literary Allusions

Grace falls in love with literature, and the connection between reader and book is important to the novel’s themes and development of characters, symbols, and plot. The Last Bookshop in London is about war, resilience, and friendship, but it is also about books.

The first book to spark Grace’s love for literature is The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Published in 1844, The Count of Monte Cristo is pure adventure. The central character, Edmond Dantes, is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned. The narrative follows his adventures out of prison and into an aristocratic second chapter in which he avenges his reputation. It was, and remains to this day, one of the most popular books in the world. Grace finds the joy of escapism in this classic; it also becomes dear to her because her love interest, George, entrusts his own copy to her before he leaves for the war.

Another book Grace loves is Emma (1815) by Jane Austen. Emma is a romantic comedy about a young woman named Emma who egotistically plays the matchmaker in her social group, but she’s very bad at it. Emma learns how to understand people’s nuances and how to open herself up to romance. Jane Austen is one of the most celebrated authors in British literature, and Grace recommends Emma to women who are suffering in isolation and need a good laugh.

Allusions are made to Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, although Grace doesn’t read it. Mein Kampf is Adolf Hitler’s manifesto. It reveals Hitler’s journey to perceiving Germany’s poverty of economy and spirit as a result of World War I and the Jewish people. It outlines Hitler’s political and philosophical ideologies. Mein Kampf is still a bestseller today, mostly due to the curiosity people have about this influential and terrifying evil leader’s influence on the world. Mein Kampf was central to the Nazi party ideology. In Grace’s time period, one only has to read the manifesto, which is part autobiography, to see the dangers Hitler poses to liberal democracy.

Another book Grace reads in this novel is Middlemarch by George Eliot (the pen name of Mary Anne Evans). Middlemarch is a sweeping novel about love, disastrous marriages, mistakes, and the expectations of society. It follows many intersecting narratives and characters, highlighting the nuanced dynamics of human experience. Grace brings Middlemarch into the tube station bomb shelter with her, which piques the interest of some people sitting by her. She reads the book out loud for them, which engages these strangers in literature. These strangers later find Grace at Primrose Hill Books and become loyal patrons and best friends, thanks to Middlemarch.

Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford is another literary allusion made in this novel. Pigeon Pie is a satire about spy life. It makes fun of Germans as an enemy of the United Kingdom and comedically mocks institutions of justice, power, and individual beliefs. Pigeon Pie was published in May 1940 and directly addresses many of the conflicts that arise in World War II. In this novel, Pigeon Pie is seen as slightly controversial. While satire is social commentary, Pigeon Pie is also seen as a book that hits too close to home. Pigeon Pie is not escapism because it mocks the very events that Grace and her fellow readers are enduring. Nonetheless, Pigeon Pie is funny, entertaining, and a popular hit among the reading public.

Martin uses A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as a formative prop. A Christmas Carol follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish man who feels no generosity or compassion. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who teach him the importance of looking outward and helping others before it is too late for redemption. A Christmas Carol comes at the right time in Grace’s life. Grace encounters older people with bad attitudes, like Mrs. Nesbitt, a rival bookseller, and Mr. Evans, her seemingly unapproachable boss. But Mrs. Nesbitt and Mr. Evans have many layers to them, which Grace comes to see over time. Grace learns how to give compassion to people like Mrs. Nesbitt, and she forms a bond with Mr. Evans; in turn, Mrs. Nesbitt and Mr. Evans come out of their shells and become her allies.

Many of the novels Grace reads throughout The Last Bookshop in London are classics of British literature. British literature has influenced all of Western literature, and many genres still popular today were invented by British authors. Grace’s reading list is a testament to Britain’s relationship with literature, a relationship that—in this novel—helps British people endure hardships and traumas.