The debut novel from global star Millie Bobby Brown.
Love blooms in the darkest days…
Despite the raging war, spirited 18-year-old Nellie Morris lives a quiet life in the tight-knit East End community of Bethnal Green. Her family and friends all tease that she will marry air raid warden Billy, the boy next door who’s always been sweet on her.
The arrival of Ray, a handsome American airman stationed nearby, causes Nellie to question everything she thought she knew about her future.
Nellie’s new-found happiness is short-lived when a tragic accident occurs during an air raid. Even the closest family can’t escape the devastation of war, and as the secrets and truth about that fateful night become clear, they threaten to tear Nellie – and those dearest to her – apart.
Nineteen Steps might be the most anticipated debut of the year, authored by mega-celebrity Millie Bobby Brown. At just 19, Brown is a household name with a wildly successful acting career, having shot to fame after her acclaimed portrayal of Eleven in the critically acclaimed Netflix series, Stranger Things. A historical novel is perhaps not the most expected move for a budding actress, but a remarkable piece of family history compelled Brown to take the leap.
Nineteen Steps is inspired by the real-life experiences of Brown’s grandmother, who survived the Bethnal Green tube station disaster as a girl in 1943. The horrific event is believed to have caused the largest loss of civilian life in the UK during WWII, but for years it was shrouded in mystery and silence. Shining a light on this highly traumatic event in what is sure to be a global bestseller, Brown has undertaken this important and overdue work to finally give it the recognition its victims and survivors deserve.
While this tragic event and its wartime context might make for necessarily harrowing reading, the book is not a grisly read overall. Rather, the historical context forms the background for what is primarily a sweeping, universal love story. While romantic love is at the book’s core, love in all its guises – platonic love, familial love, and even self-love – features strongly.
The book revolves around the delightfully spirited Nellie – a wonderfully resilient and inspiring protagonist, who is no doubt imbued with Brown’s love and reverence for her own grandmother. Reading about Nellie’s youth, so disrupted and warped by war, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel with the disrupted youth that so many experienced during our recent global pandemic – Brown included. I wonder if this affinity with Nellie’s coming-of-age is perhaps what lends it such an earnest and authentic voice. Perhaps it was also an influencing factor in Brown’s decision to ground this narrative so firmly in an overarching belief in community and love.
This is an epic recount of an under-represented tragedy, and of the life, love, community and hope that nonetheless flourished around it. A novel that balances the very darkest shade with the brightest light, Nineteen Steps is ultimately a story about survival, the remarkable resilience of the human spirit, and the enduring power of love.
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