The London Bookshop Affair A Novel of the Cold War

Louise Fein

eBook - 2024

A new historical drama from Daughter of the Reich bestselling author Louise Fein, about a London bookshop involved in an espionage network, set against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, perfect for fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. In nuclear war, there can be no winners. London, 1962: The world is teetering on the brink of nuclear war but daily life must go on. Celia Duchesne longs for a career, but with no means or qualifications, spends her days working at a dusty bookshop. The day a handsome American enters the shop, she thinks she might have found her way out. Just as the excitement of a budding relationship engulfs her, a devastating secret draws her into the murky world of espionage. France, 1942: Nineteen-year-old Anya M...oreau 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. 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. 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. "Louise Fein's Daughter of the Reich is so real-a beautifully written and emotional wrenching journey into World War II tumult and tragedy. Amazingly, this novel is both sweeping and intimate. Although the book brings history to life, its dynamic characters present a timely truth we should all grasp and embrace: We must stand up against those who preach hate." - Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen's Secret "I adored this book because not only is it beautifully written, it also tells a familiar story from a very unfamiliar perspective: that of a naïve German teenager caught up in the rise of Nazism ,and her gradual realization of the inhumanity driven by Aryan fanaticism. Louise Fein's characters help us understand how so many people were taken in by Nazi propaganda, and the terrible, heartbreaking dilemmas they faced trying to protect the people they loved. This is historical fiction at its absolute best." - Liz Trenow, New York Times bestselling author of The Forgotten Seamstress, on Daughter of the Reich "Revelatory and harrowing with touches of grace…the characterizations are well done, with the lovers and Hetty's relationship with her beloved brother particularly well rendered. An extraordinary debut novel. Bravo!" - Historical Novel Society on Daughter of the Reich "Fein fashions an affecting historical novel by weaving together themes of eugenics, epilepsy, PTSD, and the crash of 1929…. A good choice for readers who enjoy 20th-century historical fiction, Fein's novel is well researched…. The classism and racism fundamental to eugenics come through clearly, as do the heartbreaking consequences of a child's serious illness." - Library Journal on The Hidden Child "The Hidden Child is a heart-wrenching depiction of a golden couple in the 1920s when their perfect life is turned on its axis and shows the lengths a mother will go to when forced to protect her daughter from her ambitious husband and his twisted beliefs at a time when women's voices were not heard. Shocking, emotive, and compelling, but ultimately a story of hope. I loved it." - Deborah Carr, USA Today bestselling author of The Poppy Field, on The Hidden Child "An addictive, heart-filled, crucial read for our times-reminding us why it's so imperative never to forget history and providing a cautionary tale about what will happen if we do."... more