The Air Raid Book Club

LONDON, 1938: The bookstore just doesn't feel the same to Gertie Bingham ever since the death of her husband, Harry. Bingham Books was a dream they shared, and without Harry, Gertie wonders if it's time to take her faithful old Lab, Hemingway, and retire to the seaside. But fate has other plans for Gertie. In Germany, Hitler is on the rise, and Jewish families are making the heart-wrenching decision to send their children away from the growing turmoil. Gertie decides to take in one of these refugees, a headstrong teenage girl named Hedy. Willful and fearless, Hedy reminds Gertie herself at the same age, and shows Gertie that she can't give up just yet. When the Blitz begins and bombs whistle overhead, Gertie and Hedy come up with the idea to start an air raid book club. Together with neighbors and bookstore customers, they hold lively discussions about everything from Winnie-the-Pooh to Wuthering Heights. After all, a good book can do wonders to bolster people's spirits, even in the most trying times.