The Air Raid Book Club

When Gertie Bingham and her husband, Harry, opened the Bingham Bookshop they did not envisage the impact that this venture would have on the local community. Set mainly during the Second World War, The Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons shows the importance of community for survival and the role that books might play in contributing to this sense of community.

When Gertie is first asked by a friend if she will provide a home for a Jewish refugee from Germany she refuses. Gertie is still grieving over the death of Harry and is considering selling the bookshop. She does not need another responsibility. But then she changes her mind and Hedy becomes an important part of her life. 

The experiences of Gertie and her neighbours during the horrors of The Blitz and the subsequent raids cause Gertie and her friends to look for a distraction and, for them, the obvious answer is books. The monthly book club which had been a feature of the shop was transferred to the air raid shelter during times of danger. Discussing books they had read helped those in the shelter to become lost in another world for a short time before they had to face the danger caused by the German bombs.

The novel also focuses on the experiences of refugees such as Hedy whose families remain in occupied countries and also of loved ones fighting overseas in the armed forces. What is happening to them? Will they ever see them again?

The Air Raid Book Club is another welcome addition to recent novels on the experiences of families during war.