First published 2021
Nancy Mitford stands amid the chaos of wartime London in 1942, her glittering social life in ruins. Her marriage has crumbled, her family has cut her funds, and she has abandoned her writing dreams. Her notorious sisters dominate the newspapers with their political scandals while Nancy struggles to rebuild her life. She takes over managing Heywood Hill bookshop when the owner leaves for military service. The shop thrives under her care, and she revives her spirits by hosting literary gatherings for her bohemian circle. A French officer arrives with an unexpected proposition, insisting Nancy possesses a story that must be told. Nancy faces a difficult choice between safety and truth, knowing that returning to writing could expose secrets that carry dangerous consequences. Decades later, researchers hunt through Heywood Hill for a missing manuscript Nancy wrote during the war, uncovering connections between past and present that nobody anticipated.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, books-about-books
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, secrets
Setting: London, Heywood Hill
Period: 1942
376 pages · Hardcover · Graydon House