It’s time for another Friday Reads post and this week I’m featuring the historical romance The Last Bookshop in Prague by Helen Parusel. Isn’t the cover gorgeous? Grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy and let’s find out a bit more about the book.
Blurb
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?
A heart-wrenching and powerful story of courage, tenacity and love. Fans of Suzanne Goldring, Mandy Robotham and Debbie Rix will devour this unforgettable novel.
Buy Link: Amazon
Some Nice Reviews
‘A wonderful story with the healing power of books at its heart, this inspiring and compelling novel kept me turning the pages late into the night. Steeped in fascinating historical detail, and packed with compassion, I didn’t want The Last Bookshop in Prague to end.’ Kate Storey
This was an excellent read. It’s a well researched novel centred around the occupation of Prague in WW2 by the Nazis. It relates the assassination of Heydrich and the consequent razing of Lidice as a form of retribution from the Nazis. Heydrich of course was one of the architects of the final solution and the atrocity in Lidice is little known compared to other awful events in that conflict. The climax focuses on the liberation of Prague in 1945, again events that pass underneath the radar easily. There is much more to the story than that and although at times I found it emotive, I would recommend this to anyone with a historical interest in WW2. R.M. Evans
I love reading this genre and this book didn’t disappoint. Jana works in and owns the bookshop in Prague but as WW2 enters she has to make many adjustments as the orders on banned books comes into force. As she meets others in the bookshop who does she trust and can Andrej be trusted. Plenty of characters good and bad but ones you can engage with. Thanks to Helen and her publisher. SLR
I enjoyed reading this book. Jana is a bookseller in Prague and to ensure she had enough to live on, also works at the Nazi headquarters which is near to her.
Then, she enlists in the Resistance, and we read about how she does her bit to make changes to the war effort.
The story was well researched and beautifully written, it had some disturbing events which were delicately handled.
I highly recommend this book. Meena
Here are Helen’s other two books:
About Helen
Author bio
I come from London but now live in Hamburg, Germany with my husband, daughter and rescue dog. Over the last twenty years I have taught English to students ranging in age from three to ninety-years-old! Many of the war time stories I heard further inspired my love of Historical Fiction. I’m particularly drawn to the lesser known stories. My debut novel, A Mother’s War, highlights the Lebensborn program in occupied Norway, and was chosen as a finalist for The Romantic Novelist Association Debut award, 2024.
I have ancestors from Austria and spent my summer holidays there as a child who inspired my second novel, The Austrian Bride. The story is set in 1938 as Europe teeters on the brink of WW2. My third novel, The Last Bookshop in Prague, is set against the backdrop of true events that had dramatic repercussions in the course of the war
I have always loved reading and writing, and now finally have the time to devote to my writing.
You can read more about Helen’s books here:
Karen King 