Reviewed by Kristin
Nellie Morris is a young woman growing up in the East End of
London during World War II. Her little sister Flo barely remembers life before
the war, and pre-teen George is also being forced to grow up quickly. Despite
the hardships, the three siblings and their parents are grateful to be
together. Nellie works as an assistant to the council mayor, taking shorthand
and typing letters efficiently.
One day, Nellie meets a handsome American airman, Ray Fleming.
Predictable? Yes, somewhat. But it’s a compelling story that takes Nellie and
her family and friends through quite a bit of heartbreak. Nellie and Ray are
swept up in a whirlwind romance until a disaster wrenches them apart.
I found myself guessing whether the story would unfold as I
expected. In many cases, yes, the foreshadowing brought forth plot twists that
were not entirely a surprise. Yet I continued reading, caught up by the
enjoyment of the characters and wanting to find out how and if they would make
it through the war.
I also wondered if the writing was somewhat simplistic due to
the young age of Millie Bobby Brown, a British actress known for her role as
Eleven in Stranger Things and as
Enola Holmes in, you guessed it, Enola
Holmes and Enola Holmes 2. Brown
is only 21 years old now, making her a teenager when she wrote this debut
novel, admittedly “with” Kathleen McGurl.
In some ways, the book wrapped itself up a little too tidily.
While the characters suffered many losses, they still found love and happiness.
I still cared what happened to them, and even cried a few tears at their pain.
The novel was inspired by events experienced by Brown’s own grandmother, her
Nanny Ruth. For those who like wartime fiction and clean coming-of-age
romances, I would definitely recommend Nineteen Steps.
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