(advanced copy obtained through NetGalley)
Publication Date: January 16, 2024
Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction, British Literature, Mystery
Themes: Family Secrets, Espionage, Cold War, 1960’s London
# Official Synopsis
>Two courageous women. One astonishing secret. A world on the brink of war.
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>London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, passes her time working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out of the monotony. Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her, a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage.
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>France, 1942: Nineteen-year-old Anya Moreau was dropped behind enemy lines to aid the resistance, sending messages back home to London via wireless transmitter. When she was cruelly betrayed, evidence of her legacy and the truth of her actions were buried by wartime injustices.
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>As Celia learns more about Anya—and her unexpected connection to the undercover agent—she becomes increasingly aware of furious efforts, both past and present, to protect state secrets. With her newly formed romance taking a surprising turn and the world on the verge of nuclear annihilation, Celia must risk everything she holds dear, in the name of justice.
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>Propulsive and illuminating, The London Bookshop Affair is a gripping story of secrets and love, inspired by true events and figures of the Cold War.
# My Review
The London Bookshop Affair is an intriguing story of a young woman uncovering long-hidden family secrets while trying to find a place in a world threatened by the potential of nuclear war. This book was well-researched, but I sometimes felt over-detailed on the political aspects. I would have enjoyed more insight into the spy aspect of this story and less of a historical walkthrough of the Cold War.
Throughout this story, Celia deals with a vast upheaval of life and identity. While the world around her is in a panic over the potential of nuclear war, her personal life is sent sideways when she finds out a long-kept family secret. At times, Celia can come off as a silly girl full of self-pity – who says she is thinking for herself and wants to see change in the world but defaults to parroting the old-school dogma and mentalities her parents try to drill into her. In actuality – Celia represents the transitional part of every person’s life when you’re trying to decide who you are and whether you want to become the person your parents want you to be or choose your path.
Jeannie’s character is strong and independent. Her sense of self-identity and courage makes sense once you learn her backstory. A feminist influence for the changing times, Jeannie’s ‘radical’ thoughts and actions contrast against Celia’s more subdued thoughts and actions. Considering the time difference between the two women’s storylines, Celia seems to be going along with the changing times, while Jeannie actively fights for change and breaking stigmas.
The London Bookshop Affair takes the reader through love, betrayal, espionage, social and political transformation, and fear.
by GloomyBratz