The British Booksellers - by Kristy Cambron (Paperback)

About the Book

Based on real accounts of Britain's Land Girls and the Forgotten Blitz, The British Booksellers highlights the courageous choices we must make to live, love, and---in the face of all that tests us---fight for what matters most.

Book Synopsis

Inspired by real accounts of the Forgotten Blitz bombings, The British Booksellers highlights the courage of those whose lives were forever changed by war--and the stories that bind us in the fight for what matters most.

A tenant farmer's son had no business daring to dream of a future with an earl's daughter, but that couldn't keep Amos Darby from his secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington...until the reality of the Great War sobered youthful dreams. Now decades later, he bears the brutal scars of battles fought in the trenches and their futures that were stolen away. His return home doesn't come with tender reunions, but with the hollow fulfillment of opening a bookshop on his own and retreating as a recluse within its walls.

When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart had chosen another long ago, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband's declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop--Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter. And Amos is nothing more than the rival bookseller across the lane.

As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father's legacy. So when an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they've worked so hard to preserve, mother and daughter prepare to fight back. But with devastation wrought by the Luftwaffe's local blitz terrorizing the skies, battling bookshops--and lost loves, Amos and Charlotte--must put aside their differences and fight together to help Coventry survive.

From deep in the trenches of the Great War to the storied English countryside and the devastating Coventry Blitz of World War II, The British Booksellers explores the unbreakable bonds that unite us through love, loss, and the enduring solace that can be found between the pages of a book.

• Split timeline: WWI and WWII
• Stand-alone novel
• Book length: 118,000 words
• Includes discussion questions for book clubs

Review Quotes

'Christy Award--winner Cambron's latest is set during the years prior to and during WWI and WWII . . . Cambron presents a psychologically rich and historically vivid inspirational story of courage, sacrifice, and people coming together to preserve their community.'--Booklist

'In this delightful historical romance, with nods to the movie You've Got Mail, readers will be put through the emotional spectrum, all the while rooting for the mismatched couple: now middle-aged and battle scarred, but not without hope for true love.'--Library Journal starred review

'In this memorable blend of romance and WWII history, Cambron (THE PARIS DRESSMAKER) chronicles the devastation of the Coventry blitz and its impact on two budding couples . . . Cambron brings a great deal of authenticity to her rendering of Coventry's 'Forgotten Blitz' (which took place almost 100 miles from London), as the tumult and trauma of wartime make class disparity and past misunderstandings wash away, leaving only authentic emotion. Readers won't be able to turn the pages fast enough.'--Publishers Weekly starred review

'From page one, the dynamic, endearing characters in The British Booksellers stole my heart. Kristy Cambron is an assured storyteller, weaving together dual periods and complex family structures with ease. Fans of Downton Abbey will adore The British Booksellers.'--Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of Sisters of Night and Fog

'Kristy Cambron has long delighted readers with her richly textured tales of epic historical episodes and the intimate, intricate workings of the human heart. In her latest work, THE BRITISH BOOKSELLERS, Cambron delivers yet again, with her powerful punch of assiduous research and skillful, lush storytelling. Sweeping across generations and both World Wars, this is a luminous ode to the soul's deep and indelible yearning for love, hope, and truth.'--Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of FINDING MARGARET FULLER

'Set in the English countryside and spanning two wars, Kristy Cambron's latest, The British Booksellers, is a beautiful and enlightening novel that captures the lost love and youthful dreams of two unlikely soul mates, Charlotte and Amos. Full of longing and sprinkled with literary gems, I was completely swept away with this enchanting tale.'--Nicola Harrison, author of Hotel Laguna

'With pitch-perfect prose and impeccable research, Kristy Cambron brings to life the Forgotten Blitz bombings of World War II--and shines a light on the ways in which we find hope in even the darkest moments. A testament to bravery, loss, and the power story has to unite us, The British Booksellers will steal readers' hearts. This stunning novel is a poignant reminder of the indomitable nature of the human spirit and the enduring power of true love. Five huge stars!'--Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Summer of Songbirds