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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way.
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The internationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world.
Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare book store that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:
Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiance was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances - most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.
Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.
Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.
As they interact with various literary figures of the time - Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others - these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.
Review:
I really enjoyed Natalie Jenner's previous novel, The Jane Austin Society. It was about the people in a small village in England, trying to save the home where the legendary author Jane Austin lived. Now, Jenner's new novel, Bloomsbury Girls, focuses on some of the same characters, specifically young Evie Stone, living and trying for success in post-war London. And even though Evie is in the big city, she still manages to surround herself with a group of fascinating people who all work at a struggling bookstore.
The two other main female characters, Vivien and Grace are also struggling to find their place in the world. They are both smart, capable and stifled by the societal norms of the times. Women must always defer to the men in the shop (and in life), even though Vivien, Grace, and Evie, are much more capable than their male counterparts. It's infuriating. I loved that all three women work towards the same conclusion that they are worthy, and can take charge of their lives.
We also get to see other characters from The Jane Austin Society such as the famous American actress Mimi Henderson, and Sotheby's auctioneer Yardley Sinclair. There are also interactions with historical characters of the era such as Samuel Beckett. This is really fun and add to the richness of the story.
With the London setting, themes of women emerging as a force in society, and the delightful characters Bloomsbury Girls is another winning historical novel from Natalie Jenner. I highly recommend it.
What I Liked:
Setting:
In the years after WWII London was still a city trying to get back on it's feet. There were food shortages, and people were under-employed. As the novel begins, people are just starting to have extra money for items such as books. So Bloomsbury Books should be doing well, but it isn't. With dozens of rules created decades ago the business is still stuck in the past. Many of the rules are good ones, such as the customer is always right, and the salespeople should give the customer space to browse without intrusion. But other rules are ridiculous. The rule for having events only be at night might seem fine. But this leave housewives, who need to be home in the evenings to cook for their families, out of the mix. There is an inherent bias towards discounting female novelists and customers that is really detrimental to book sales.
Themes:
The storylines of the book all involve the theme of women being denied their due. All three women are smart and capable. But it's the insecurities of the men in the story that's the real issue. These men are desperately trying to remain in control of day to day decisions at the business and (in the case of Grace's husband) in the home. I felt that it was actually a manifestation of the trauma that they acquired during the war. What is more emasculating than seeing people you love killed, and the cities you've known all your life destroyed by something you have no power to influence? But the way they do this is by keeping females "in their place" rather than recognizing that women were the unsung heroes of the war.
Characters:
Vivien knows what books are worth stocking, but every time she suggest a female author she is shot down. She also is in competition with her male co-worker Alex. Both are aspiring authors and share an attraction to each other. But Alex only sees her as an angry woman, not as a whole person.
Grace has a family at home, but is working at a job because her husband has injuries from serving in the War. He resents this and cuts her down at every opportunity. Grace feels tremendous guilt for this. She has a hard time seeing how terrible her marriage is until she starts to spend time with the shop's owner, an Earl. She never dreams that one of the aristocracy can see her as anything other than an employee. But through their friendship, she can see that she and her children are being treated terribly by her husband.
Evie Stone, the young servant from the first book, is gifted intellectually, but doesn't understand the social cues that prevent her from getting more prominent jobs in academia. Although she is one of the most qualified people in her field, she doesn't figure out (until it's too late) that a woman will not have the same opportunities as a man. But she is determined to create her own opportunities.
Story:
The story follows the Vivien, Grace, and Evie as they find ways to break out of the mens control. Vivien starts to find female mentors for her writing. Grace begins to see her self-worth. But it's Evie who has the long plan in the works. She finds something while researching at Cambridge that could be of vast historical significance. The book she's looking for may be at the bookstore. But there are others looking for the book, as well. For someone like Evie, who is a rule follower, it's might be morally challenging to bend such rules to get what she wants.
I loved Bloomsbury Girls. The story was so satisfying and entertaining. I truly hope it finds as much success as The Jane Austin Society. If you want to pick up a copy, consider doing so at your favorite independent bookstore, please. They always need and appreciate the support.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: May 17th, 2022
Author: Natalie Jenner
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Genre: Historical Fiction
Page Length: 370 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: This is everything I love about historical fiction! I love that it carried on from the author's previous book, The Jane Austin Society, with some of the same characters that I cheered on in that book. This was a lot of fun, and I highly recommend it.
