‘The Air Raid Book Club’ by Annie Lyons

“Once ‘in the blood’, it is often said, bookselling is a disease from which one never quite recovers.”

- From The Truth About Bookselling by Thomas Joy

An opening quote like this was sure to capture my attention and from the start, The Air Raid Book Club was akin to walking into a warm embrace of literary friends. Gertie Bingham’s bookseller character was always going to appeal and her bookshop setting along with her community cast provides all the essentials for fans of World War Two historical fiction. 

In 1938, widow Gertie opens her home to fifteen-year-old Hedy, a young Jewish refugee from Munich. As the skies darken and London braces for war, Gertie’s bookshop becomes a central hub to bring hope and strength in the face of adversity. 

Author Annie Lyons brings to life the simplicity of a community – an otherwise ordinariness at a time when London faced uncertainty, loss, risk and the scars from the bombing blitz. In amongst their daily lives, Gertie brings her love of literature to her circle and slowly their lives are made a little more hopeful through their book club in their unique settings. 

The tensions of worry and waiting through hours in an air raid shelter could be made more tolerable when gathered around their books – providing comfort and distraction to a world literally on fire. 

Interspersed with thoughtful literary quotes and references, The Air Raid Book Club is based on true events and gives us a circle of warm characters. 

ISBN 9781035401055