We have updated our Privacy Policy Please take a moment to review it. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the terms of our updated Privacy Policy.
The Air Raid Book Club
On sale
11th July 2023
Price: £20
‘Touching and heartwarming . . . get those tissues ready’ – Jill Mansell
‘A warm and tender tale about the power of books’ – Ruth Hogan
As the bombs began to fall, the book club kept their hopes alive…
London, 1938. Bookseller Gertie Bingham is facing difficult times, having just lost her beloved husband, Harry, and with a lingering sadness at never having been able to have a child of her own. Struggling to face running the bookshop she and Harry opened together, Gertie is preparing to sell up and move away when she is asked if she would be willing to take in a young Jewish refugee from Germany. Gertie is unsure and when sullen teenager Hedy Fischer arrives, Gertie fears she has nothing left to give the troubled girl.
But when the German bombers come and the lights go out over London, Gertie and Hedy realise that joining forces will make them stronger, and that books have the power to bring young and old together and unite a community in need in its darkest hour…
Readers adore The Air Raid Book Club:
‘I loved this . . . a sweet and nourishing ode to books that historical fiction fans will love’ – Kate Thompson
‘A charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books’ – Clare Chambers
‘Tender, touching and utterly heart-warming’ – Sarah Steele
‘A wonderful story of strong female friendship and found family . . . I absolutely adored it’ – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
‘Beautiful and moving in a way that we need right now’ – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
‘A beautiful depiction of a community striving to survive together‘ – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
‘A gentle, heartwarming read’ – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Real reader review
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
A warm and tender tale about the power and healing of friendship and community and the magic of books . . . Annie writes her characters with humanity, humour and respect and their stories will stay with me for a very long time. A wonderful, heart-warming read
Full of heart . . . Annie Lyons has cleverly woven the horror and heartbreak of war with the resilience of human nature, the strength of love, and the importance of friends . . . satisfying, funny, uplifting . . . A fabulous story, perfect for fans of Lissa Evans and AJ Pearce. I adored it.
Annie Lyons has the rare gift of bringing an unfamiliar world alive in such a way that the reader drops right into the heart of the action . . . This is a book to be read and re-read - each time there will be something new to discover . . . a triumph
If you're looking for a warm and nostalgic read, The Air Raid Book Club will definitely be your cup of tea. This story of love, bravery and found family is heart-wrenching and utterly charming. I sobbed my way through the final chapters.
This story of grief, community, friendship and the restorative power of books, is charming, witty and thoroughly absorbing from first page to last. Gertie is the very best of heroines: feisty and compassionate. I adored following her and Lyons' cast of colourfully drawn characters through the desperate landscape of the Second World War to the swooping joy of an ending which left tears rolling down my face. This book is exactly what we need right now to remind us that, with kindness, love and compassion for our fellow man, there is always light beyond the darkness
I devoured it . . . and was caught up in the world of Gertie and Hedy and the Book Club in WW2, turning the pages to find out more . . . a beautifully written story and a book full of heart.
A tender, touching and utterly heart-warming tale, set against the horrors of the Blitz. Readers will adore Gertie and Hedy
A charming, uplifting story of resourceful women and the healing power of books
Immersive and thought-provoking . . . Through the agony of grief and the darkness of war, Annie weaves persistent hope . . . a triumphant success!
I loved this . . . a sweet and nourishing ode to books that historical fiction fans will love
The Air Raid Book Club is a total gem of a book - it completely swept me away
I loved The Air Raid Book Club . . . Gertie and Hedy are wonderful characters and their intertwined stories are just so touching and heartwarming. What a beautiful novel this is. And as for that ending . . . get those tissues ready