The Last Bookshop in Prague by Helen Parusel - #blogtour #bookreview

The bookshop was Jana's refuge. Here she could shut herself away from reality and choose to enter any world she chose. Adventure, travel or romance was just a book away...

***

Was she incredibly brave or incredibly stupid? Neither. Just a bookshop girl doing what she could against her country’s oppressors.

The banned books club was only the beginning; a place for the women of Prague to come together and share the tales the Germans wanted to silence.

For bookshop owner, Jana, doing the right thing was never a question. So when opportunity comes to help the resistance, she offers herself – and her bookshop. Using her window displays as covert signals and hiding secret codes in book marks, she’ll do all in her power to help.

But the arrival of two people in her bookshop will change everything: a young Jewish boy with nowhere else to turn, and a fascist police captain Jana can’t read at all. In a time where secrets are currency and stories can be fatal, will she know who to trust?

***

Today is publication day for this book and I could not have been more excited to have received an early readers copy of this as part of the blog tour.

I loved the author's previous books, The Austrian Bride and A Mother's War. You can read my reviews by clicking on the titles. All three books are set during World War Two and the author has clearly researched this period very well. 

This particular book is set in Prague during the Nazi occupation, and it was impossible to not feel heartbreak for the suffering that the Czech people endured. This book brings those very people realistically to life on the page.

The main character, Jana was excellently portrayed. She was brave, courageous and compassionate. All whilst doing her best to live life as normally as possible in a city that was barely recognisable to its pre-occupation state. She begins by playing a small part in helping the Czech Resistance and aiding the escape of Jewish children before recognising the effects this has on those that she loves.

It was perfectly paced and allowed the reader to become very well acquainted with both the characters and their situation. I enjoyed the romance element of the story, and the juxtaposition within the character of Captain Kovar was well handled.

Although the book covers a devastating time for the people of Prague, it was ultimately an uplifting book which is full of hope for the future.

I was gripped by this book from the first page.  Who amongst us readers can not identify with the opening paragraph italicised above?  This is historical fiction at its best, and I heartily recommend it. 

ISBN:  978 1837515516 

Publisher:  Boldwood Books

Formats:  e-book, audio, hardback and paperback (currently available on Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  384 (paperback)

About the Author:

Helen Parusel is a historical novelist, having been a teacher and a clothes buyer for M&S. She currently lives in Hamburg.

(ARC and media courtesy of Rachel's Random Resources)

(all opinions are my own)