Inspiration for The Last Bookshop In London

Inspiration as an author can come in many forms. It can be an event that once happened or a person you know or have read about, it can even be an experience you yourself have had that manifests itself into a scene for your next book. All it takes is a grain of sand caught in the folds of your brain to work itself into a gleaming pearl.

I had many inspirations when writing my recently released New York Times bestselling historical fiction, The Last Bookshop in London. But then, it’s so easy to draw ideas from history with its powerful impact and incredible stories. 

The event which really began to spin the idea for my story was the bombing of Paternoster Row. This particular area of London is known for its history in the book trade that dates back to the 17th century when the area was wiped out by the Great Fire of London. The book publishing industry rose from the ashes like a literary phoenix and publishers and booksellers continued to flock to Paternoster Row.

During WWII, however, when the Nazis bombed London for seven months straight during the Blitz, Paternoster Row received a direct hit. Countless bombs and incendiaries rained down on the publishing district and reduced it to rubble and ash with a fire that took days to fully extinguish.

This attack resulted in the destruction of over 5 million books. It was a heartbreaking loss made all the more devastating in light of the paper ration which prevented more books from being printed to replace the ones that were lost. As a book lover, this struck me in the heart. But through incredible loss can come the greatest hope and that inspired the bookshop where I had Grace work for Mr. Evans. 

As far as characters go, I received most of my inspiration from the Mass Observation. This was an initiative funded by the men who came up with the concept where hundreds of people were paid to record their daily life in journals and diaries before, during and after the war. It was a truly unique opportunity to have an inside look into the lifestyle of the time as well as how the daily bombings affected the overall mindset.

But in reading those detailed accounts, characters began to take shape in my mind. The naysayer who always had an opinion (like Mr. Pritchard), the woman who unexpectedly finds purpose in her war efforts (like Viv) and then there is Colin’s character who is an especially dear one to me. 

He came to me after one entry I read where a mother lamented over her son who was being conscripted into the military and was scheduled to depart the following day. She observed his gentleness with the family dog (one he had saved, cared for and kept as a boy) and went on to bemoan how tender-souled men are not meant for war. It was a heartbreaking observation and one I wanted to push forefront in my story. I wanted to highlight those men forced into war when their spirits were never meant for battle. 

Further inspiration can also be drawn on experience. While this might be an unexpected contribution, I genuinely feel like having written over 30 romance novels helped me with the emotion behind The Last Bookshop in London. With romance novels, the intent is to grant people the experience of reliving the thrill of falling in love over and over again. In writing my historical fiction, I implemented that skill to show Grace falling in love with reading. It’s my hope that readers experience falling in love with books all over again through her eyes and recall that wonderful, magical feeling. 

As with many aspects of my life, I also drew on being a lifelong reader. I wanted this book to be a celebration of reading and so I reveled in all the aspects I love about reading. The countless times I stayed up way too late one-last-chaptering myself into dawn, how my thoughts dreamily float toward the book I’m reading at any given moment through the day, the way reading simultaneously offers a quiet moment while also opening the doors to the most amazing adventures and also the insight it gives us into how other people live and think.

I am a reader at my core and believe that aspect of myself is always humming away in the background of my mind, not only in the books I write, but in the way I live. 

As I was writing The Last Bookshop in London, I came across a surprising bit of inspiration that I wasn’t expecting. Relatability. While admittedly being bombed for seven months straight is not the same as a pandemic, there were still aspects that granted me an inside perspective I don’t believe I would have otherwise had. Not only external things like the frustration of hoarding and sacrificing comfort for safety, but powerful, intangible things like the fear for loved ones’ safety and the soul-deep wish that life could once more be back to normal. 

In truth, inspiration is ubiquitous. It can come from a line in a song, in the way a stranger rubs their fingers together unconsciously, in a recollection from your past or a hope for your future. Everything we’ve ever experienced is what makes us who we are as people, and every one of those experiences is what helps an author create every book they’ve written and will ever write. I think that is what makes books so unique, like a fingerprint, except this is the imprint of an author’s mind on ideas that will never cease to be inspired. 

—

Madeline Martin is a New York Times and International Bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance.

She lives in sunny Florida with her two daughters (known collectively as the minions), one incredibly spoiled cat and a man so wonderful he’s been dubbed Mr. Awesome. She is a die-hard history lover who will happily lose herself in research any day. When she’s not writing, researching or ‘moming’, you can find her spending time with her family at Disney or sneaking a couple spoonfuls of Nutella while laughing over cat videos. She also loves to travel, attributing her fascination with history to having spent most of her childhood as an Army brat in Germany.

Find out more about her on her website http://www.madelinemartin.com/books/

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/MadelineMMartin

THE LAST BOOKSHOP IN LONDON

“An irresistible tale which showcases the transformative power of literacy, reminding us of the hope and sanctuary our neighborhood bookstores offer during the perilous trials of war and unrest.”

—KIM MICHELE RICHARDSON, author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.

“A gorgeously written story of love, friendship, and survival set against the backdrop of WWII-era London.”

—JILLIAN CANTOR, author of In Another Time and Half Life

“A love letter to the power of books to unite us, to hold the world together when it’s falling apart around our ears. This fresh take on what London endured during WWII should catapult Madeline Martin to the top tier of historical fiction novelists.”

—KAREN ROBARDS, author of The Black Swan of Paris
BUY HERE

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing