The Last Bookshop in London: A Novel of World War II

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-11

Chapters 12-16

Chapter 17-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapter 17-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 17 Summary

In lieu of flowers, George gifts Grace a new book for their date, Vanity Fair. He takes her out for a special dinner at the Ritz, where the food and the flowers don’t reflect the war raging outside. She and George talk about literature, but very little of his time as a pilot. He takes her home and says goodbye with a deep and meaningful kiss.

Viv, Grace, and Mrs. Weatherford enjoy a restricted but merry Christmas dinner. Mrs. Weatherford is visibly disappointed that Jimmy and his sister haven’t joined them. She’s even prepared some of Colin’s clothes to give to Jimmy. Viv returns to service shortly after, making the house feel lonelier. When they see Jimmy at Grace’s next reading, he explains that he and his sister ate at a center because they didn’t want to take Mrs. Weatherford’s rations. Mrs. Weatherford gifts Jimmy the clothes she put aside for him, as well as clothes for his sister that Viv made. Mrs. Weatherford decides to return to the WVS and focuses on helping children in orphanages.

An air raid begins early in the evening, and Grace helps Mr. Stokes douse the fires started by incendiary bombs. They work tirelessly to put out the fires and are asked to head over to Paternoster Row to help.

Chapter 18 Summary

Grace is distressed to see the scene at Paternoster Row, where fires from the bombs have consumed the bookstores and Simpkin Marshalls, the business that provides books to all the bookstores. Mr. Pritchard’s store is mostly spared, but Grace enters to evacuate him because she knows he, like many proud older people, don’t go to the bomb shelters during a raid. She finds him in the apartment above his store, crushed beneath furniture that overturned on him because of the blast of the bomb. Mr. Pritchard is dead, but she’s able to rescue the tabby cat. The bombs have destroyed the water supply, so the firefighters at the scene have no choice but to let the fires simmer down on their own.

Grace brings the tabby cat, named Tabby, to Mrs. Weatherford, who recognizes him as Colin’s last pet. Mrs. Weatherford takes Tabby in, happy to have this connection to Colin. Grace goes to work; on the way, Mrs. Nesbitt stops her and accuses her of not doing enough to save her shop from the fires. Grace doesn’t engage and heads to Primrose Hill Books, where she tells Mr. Evans about Mrs. Nesbitt and shares the sad news of Mr. Pritchard’s death. Mr. Evans encourages Grace to forgive Mrs. Nesbitt because her anger is a projection of her despair. Grace comes up with an idea to provide space in Primrose Hill Books for the booksellers of Paternoster Row to sell their remaining stock.

Chapter 19 Summary

Grace returns to Paternoster Row to offer Primrose Hill Books as a space for them to sell their books, though it’s clear there are no more books left in the burnt down stores. Next, she and Mrs. Weatherford go to Mrs. Nesbitt’s house. Grace gives her the same offer, and Mrs. Nesbitt is moved by this gesture of kindness. Mrs. Weatherford suggests that Mrs. Nesbitt can repay the gesture by volunteering to read to the children at the orphanages.

Grace receives a letter from Viv giving her the good news that Viv is being relocated to London for a special assignment. Grace’s plan for the bookstores works in two ways: it helps the other bookstores keep selling, and it prevents Primrose Hill Books from running out of stock. Mr. Evans warmly tells Grace that he’s learned a lot from her and is impressed by the way she’s saved lives and souls.

The grey and sleety weather of winter keeps the air bombings away. But a new problem arises as Grace notes that Mr. Evans seems unwell. One day, she finds him passed out on the floor, and she holds him while he dies. Grace mourns his death but honors the memory of his life by keeping the bookstore afloat and carrying on with the readings. She is approached by a solicitor who informs her that Mr. Evans has left his store and apartment to her. She is given the key to Mr. Evans’s safe, where he is keeping the Nazi-disposed books safe.

Chapter 20 Summary

Grace works hard at the bookstore and continues her shifts as ARP warden. People note that she is working herself ragged. Surprisingly, Mrs. Nesbitt reminds Grace that no amount of work will bring Mr. Evans back, and she volunteers as an assistant to Grace.

Mrs. Weatherford asks Grace’s opinion about her adopting Jimmy and Sarah. Mrs. Weatherford has grown close to Jimmy and Sarah over the last few weeks. Grace is thrilled at the idea of the two kids living with them, as they brighten Mrs. Weatherford’s sense of purpose.

The weather clears up, so people start sleeping in bomb shelters again. One night, they’re hit with a bomb raid that seems worse than ever before. When they’re finally released from the shelter, they see a scene of near-total destruction. Luckily, Mrs. Weatherford’s house has been spared. However, Primrose Hill Books has been blown out: not totally destroyed, but enough to be inoperable. Grace tries to salvage what books she can and is grateful that the safe is unscarred. In the safe, Grace finds the letter of recommendation Mr. Evans once wrote for her. She is in despair over letting him down and feels as though she’s lost her purpose in life.

Chapter 21 Summary

Mr. Stokes is the first to arrive to help Grace. Soon, many Primrose Hill Books customers arrive to help Grace sort through the wreckage. They beg her for a reading, so she reads a few chapters from Jane Eyre. They all mourn the idea of the loss of Primrose Hill Books but promise to help Grace revive the store.

When Grace wakes up the next morning, she rushes to the bookstore. She is shocked to find it washed and patched up. The many customers who have habitually come to her readings have reconstructed the store as much as they could and reorganized the books, all overnight. They each step forward to give a testimonial to how the bookstore, books, and Grace saved their lives and souls. Jack reveals a new sign for the store: The Last Bookshop in London.

Epilogue Summary: “June 1945”

By 1945, Grace has renamed the bookshop Evans & Bennett, and Jimmy works as her cheerful assistant. Bombings have continued in London, but never as bad as the Blitz of 1940. The store has not only survived but thrived. The war has ended: Viv is released from service, but she’s found so much purpose in her role that she’s disappointed she’s no longer part of the military. George surprises Grace at the bookshop. They embrace and he gives her a copy of The Great Gatsby.

Chapter 17-Epilogue Analysis

In the final chapters of The Last Bookshop in London, Martin emphasizes that The Power of Storytelling extends beyond escapism. Books are not just for entertainment; they also bring people together. Grace demonstrates this when she sets up space in her own bookshop for the businesses destroyed during a particularly devastating air raid. For Grace, bookselling is not just about money or capitalist competition. She genuinely cares about the bookselling community. Grace sees the value in making sure that a city has several pathways for people to find literature. Her gesture is one of kindness and comradery, and it serves the purpose of bringing people together in tragic times.

This kindness is reflected when Primrose Hill Books is nearly destroyed in turn. Grace feels an acute pain at this moment. It is not just the physical store itself that means a lot to Grace, but all that it represents. Primrose Hill Books is a pocket of happiness in an otherwise very cruel and unpredictable world. Grace is nearly defeated by this challenge, but the community she’s built comes together to reciprocate her generosity. Overnight, readers rebuild the store as best as they can, surprising Grace with a store that is fully functional, if a little damaged. This emphasizes that community is important to human survival: In rebuilding the bookstore so quickly, Grace is saved from falling into hopelessness and despair. The rebuilding of the damaged bookstore is also an example of Resilience in the Face of Terror. In rebuilding a store as symbolic as a bookshop, which holds a plethora of different ideas and hides books that have been banned and confiscated by Nazis, Grace’s friends also fight back against the Nazis in their own way. They prove that they will not be defeated, that they will rise from the ashes of destruction every time.

No community is perfect; Martin demonstrates inner conflict in Grace’s interactions with Mrs. Nesbitt. Mrs. Nesbitt is mean to Grace and picks on her as a way of dealing with her own hurt. Mrs. Nesbitt is older, alone, and struggling with her business while bombs go off around her. Although her behavior is unfair, Grace learns to understand that Mrs. Nesbitt is lashing out from pain and a lack of control. Grace embodies the meaning of her name by extending grace to Mrs. Nesbitt and forgiving her. In doing so, Grace is also able to let go of her own frustrations, which helps her grow and mature. By giving up her negative feelings about Mrs. Nesbitt, Grace makes herself a new ally and friend. It takes them some time to build that relationship, but ultimately Grace and Mrs. Nesbitt both learn how to come together and support one another. Martin shows their development when Mrs. Nesbitt expresses worry for Grace and begins to help her out. The shift in dynamics between Mrs. Nesbitt and Grace shows that there’s always the possibility for redemption.

Mr. Evans’s death is unexpected. Unlike Colin, who was a victim of wartime violence, Mr. Evans dies from a health condition. Grace holds him while he dies, and Martin describes the “light” in his eyes going out. This imagery helps emphasize how special Mr. Evan was. Mr. Evans, as characterized through Grace’s perspective, has developed throughout the novel from a gruff, unfriendly man to a father figure to Grace. Grace mourns and misses his presence, a testament to how much he influenced her. In his death, it is made clear that Mr. Evans influenced other people as well. Mr. Evans lives on through his bookshop, which was a representation of himself: Old and disorganized, but full of love and passion. All the people who love Primrose Hill Books and consider the shop as part of their home keep Mr. Evans in their hearts as well. He has created a legacy that gets to live on through Grace.

Mr. Evans’s death brings about an interesting twist in Grace’s life as she inherits his bookstore and upstairs apartment. Now, Grace has assets and a permanent home. Just a few months before, she had been at the mercy of kind people like Mrs. Weatherford, but now she owns property and a thriving business. Mr. Evans’s death frees Grace from her vulnerability as a single woman with no real family to rely on. This shows that Mr. Evans was thinking about Grace and trying to help her, emphasizing their tight bond. This also means that Grace gets to keep nurturing Mr. Evans’s passion for books, a passion that she now shares. The bookshop can continue to serve Mr. Evans’s neighborhood and larger community. Mr. Evans’s trust in Grace builds the theme of Female Empowerment and Leadership: In taking over Primrose Hill Books, Grace is accepting that Mr. Evans trusted her to ensure the ongoing success of his business without eradicating its soul.

The temporary sign put up on Primrose Hill Books after the bombing reads “The Last Bookshop in London,” which is where Martin gets her title from. The sign is a poignant reminder that other bookshops have fallen to bombs and fires, but they all live on in Primrose Hill Books. Martin was inspired by real life events: Several bookshops were actually destroyed during World War II. Photographs of the Blitz include people sadly pouring through the wreckages of bookshops and libraries, paper fluttering around entire destroyed collections. Martin describes these real-life photographs with fictional details and characters to highlight the terror of the Blitz. In addition to the tragic loss of life, the war destroyed countless livelihoods. Martin uses Mr. Evans’s safe to represent resilience: Though Primrose Hill Books, like many real-life bookshops and libraries, is destroyed, the rescued books in the safe remain intact. This shows that knowledge and freedom cannot be permanently eradicated.

The Epilogue brings the reader to the end of the war, providing conclusions and resolutions. On May 8, 1945, Churchill announced VE Day—Victory in Europe Day. This day is the formal ending of World War II in England. Unlike most people during World War II, Grace has a happy ending. The war is over, her bookstore has not only survived but thrived, and her best friend and lover have both survived and returned to London. Grace’s conclusion is the beginning of a love story. She has long thought of George, and the end of the war allows them to finally pursue a true relationship. The Power of Storytelling brought them together, and it’s clear that they are still bound by a shared love of reading when George presents her with a new book. Viv, meanwhile, has found a life’s purpose in the military; she is disappointed at being discharged, as it proves that British society has a long way to go in the fight for gender equality. However, she cheers herself up by looking toward the future.

These reunions in the Epilogue imply that just as people need community to get through war, so do people need community to rebuild after. Mrs. Weatherford has found a way to move on from Colin’s death and honor her role as Colin’s mother by adopting Jimmy and Sarah. Though Colin’s death has left a permanent scar on her heart, Mrs. Weatherford has overcome her despair to care for children who need her. The adoption emphasizes how people create new kinds of families out of necessity and hardship. Grace has developed similarly: She is forever changed by the great losses in her life, but she is committed to moving forward. She renames Primrose Hill Books to Evans & Bennett after Mr. Evans and herself. This rebranding highlights that Primrose Hill Books, like London, is starting a new chapter of life.