Nineteen steps

First Title Value for Searching:

Nineteen steps

Personal Author:

Brown, Millie Bobby, 2004-

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

304 pages ; 24 cm

Genre:

Historical fiction.

Summary:

It's 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack. In the Bethnal Green neighborhood of the East End, Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her. Three years into the war, she's grateful to hold onto remnants of normalcy. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world. Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening. The consequences are catastrophic. As the secrets and truth about that night are revealed, Nellie's world is torn apart. But even when it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.

Subject Term:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Fiction

Bombings -- Fiction.

Airmen -- Fiction.

Americans -- England -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction

Interpersonal attraction -- Fiction.

Secrecy -- Fiction.

Additional Credits:

McGurl, Kathleen

Publication Info:

New York : William Morrow, [2023]

Subject:

World War, 1939-1945 -- Fiction

Bombings -- Fiction.

Airmen -- Fiction.

Americans -- England -- Fiction.

Man-woman relationships -- Fiction

Interpersonal attraction -- Fiction.

Secrecy -- Fiction.

London (England) -- Fiction

Historical fiction.

Bomb attacks

Terrorist bombings

Air force personnel

Yankees

Attraction, Interpersonal

Concealment

SAILS ISBN:

9780063335776

Available:

Library	Shelf Number	Shelf Location	Status
Searching... Mansfield Public Library	FIC BROWN	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Bridgewater Public Library	BROWN, M.	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dartmouth - North	FIC BRO	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dartmouth - Southworth	FIC BRO	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dighton Public Library	BRO	NEW BOOK SHELF	Searching... Unknown
Searching... East Bridgewater Public Library	BROWN, M. 2023	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fall River Main	FIC BRO	Stacks	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Fiske Public Library	BROWN	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Foxboro - Boyden Library	FIC BROWN	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Hanson Public Library	BROWN	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Holmes Public Library	BRO	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Lakeville Public Library	FIC BRO	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Bookmobile	FIC BROWN	BOOKMOBILE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Francis J. Lawler Branch	FIC BROWN	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Free Public Library	FIC BROWN	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... New Bedford Wilks Branch	FIC BROWN	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Norton Public Library	FIC BRO	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Pembroke Public Library	FIC BROWN, M.	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Plainville Public Library	F BROWN, M.	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Rehoboth - Blanding Free PL	FIC BROWN, M.	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Seekonk Public Library	FIC BROWN	NEW FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Somerset Public Library	BROWN MILLIE BOBBY	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Taunton Public Library	BROWN, MILLIE BOBBY	1ST FLOOR STACKS	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Wareham Free Library	F BROWN,M	FICTION	Searching... Unknown
Searching... West Bridgewater PL	FIC BROWN, MILLIE BOBBY	FICTION	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

The New York Times bestseller from iconic Emmy-nominated actress and producer MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: Nineteen Steps

"My inner history-loving teenage geek clapped her hands in ecstasy at the thought of a historical novel penned by Enola Holmes, and she wasn't disappointed!"--Kate Quinn

Love blooms in the darkest days...

It's 1942, and air raid sirens continue to wail around London. Eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.

After a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world. Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, tearing Nellie's world apart. But just when it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.

Nineteen Steps is a deeply affecting, mesmerizing page-turner inspired by the author's family history. An epic story of longing, loss, and secrets, Millie Bobby Brown's propulsive debut introduces an unforgettable, brave young woman and boldly portrays the strength in the power of love.

"Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart. I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I'm honored to keep her story alive."--Millie Bobby Brown

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Stranger Things star Brown sets her emotionally layered debut in 1942 East London, where 18-year-old protagonist Nellie works as an assistant to the mayor of Bethnal Green and struggles to keep her tight-knit family and friends safe during nighttime bombing raids by the Nazis. Through her municipal work, Nellie possesses secret knowledge that the 19 steps at the entrance of a nearby Underground station (one that serves as an air raid shelter) would pose a series of safety hazards if met with a large crowd (lack of handrails, proper lighting, cement reinforcement, and more). When a panic at the station prompts a devastating accident, the catastrophe proves intensely personal for Nellie. The memorable cast comprises Nellie's parents and siblings, her best friends (one of whom holds romantic feelings for her), and a dashing love interest--an American pilot named Ray. Brown's narrative, which is based on real events, effectively balances the danger and deprivations of war in a city under siege with the joys of family, friends, and romance. This highly charged historical romance offers intimate insight into WWII London and the challenges of overcoming loss. Agent: Alyssa Reuben, WME. (Sept.)

Kirkus Review

A tale of love, war, and tragedy in 1940s London. Brown's debut is touted as being inspired by events that affected her own family, but just about anyone who has seen a movie about World War II could probably have written a similar novel; the story and tropes are all too familiar. Set in the Bethnal Green neighborhood of London, the story follows young Nellie Morris, who works for the mayor's office. Nellie, who lives with her parents, brother George, and adored little sister Flo, navigates wartime scarcities and endures the frequent air raids with as much grace as she can muster with German bombers screaming overhead. She does have fun hanging out with her childhood friends Babs and Billy, the latter of whom is not-so-secretly in love with her. But when the sirens howl, laughter is forgotten as the whole neighborhood flees to the Underground station to wait out the bombs. The tedium and terror are interrupted when Nellie meets Ray Fleming, a handsome American airman, who tells her tales of his native Michigan, and suddenly her hopes and dreams for the future blossom. But a shocking tragedy upends their romance, and Nellie must confront hard questions of civil and personal responsibility. Brown is best known for playing the telekinetic Eleven on Netflix's hit series Stranger Things, and her fans are likely to reach with excitement and hopeful generosity for this coming-of-age story. But it is inexpertly written, its major tragic scene confusing and poorly described, and the characters never transcend the paper-thin clichés with which they were constructed (plucky young woman; handsome Yank; asthmatic, nobly suffering friend). Though it seems likely to be a hit, the novel lacks the depth to elicit real emotion. Poorly drawn characters and clichés abound in this familiar story of WWII. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Inspired by her own family's experiences during the Second World War, actor Brown's debut novel, co-authored by McGurl, is centered on the tragic 1943 Bethnal Green air-raid shelter incident that left 173 men, women, and children crushed to death on a darkened stairway--the single greatest loss of civilian life in Great Britain during WWII. While war rages in their East End neighborhood, 18-year-old Nellie Morris and her tightly knit family make the most of rationing, blackouts, and almost nightly trips to the air-raid shelter, supporting one another and their neighbors during the darkest times. Nellie falls in love with an American airman, but tragedy intervenes, and she seeks comfort in the arms of a family friend. Soon, she is faced with an unexpected choice, and her path to love and happiness is anything but smooth. Heartfelt and warm, with quietly heroic characters that embody the innocence of first love and wartime patriotism, Brown's debut is sure to be popular among readers who enjoy novels that bring lesser-known notable events from the past to life.