鈥淣ineteen Steps鈥� by Millie Bobby Brown (William Morrow)
The actor who plays Eleven on 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� wrote a romance novel! That鈥檒l be the headline for too much coverage of 鈥淣ineteen Steps,鈥� so let鈥檚 set that aside and consider the debut book from Millie Bobby Brown on its own merits.
It鈥檚 a love story set in London, spanning the wartime years of 1942-1945. Nellie is the protagonist, an 18-year-old young woman who works as a secretary for the mayor of Bethnal Green, in the city鈥檚 East End. She lives with her mother, father, brother and little sister, and next door to her best friend Babs, whose brother, Billy, is besotted with Nellie after a childhood spent together.
In the wake of the Blitz, Germany continues to selectively bomb England, forcing Nellie and the rest of Bethnal Green鈥檚 citizens into an underground air raid shelter many nights. That鈥檚 where those foreboding titular steps come in: Every time they descend to the shelter, Nellie 鈥渃ounted them like usual. Nineteen, turn right and seven more.鈥�
Spoiler fans can stop at this point and Google the 鈥淏ethnal Green steps,鈥� but what鈥檚 the fun in that? Brown dedicates the book to her grandmother (鈥淣anny Ruth, who told me this story鈥�), but the book is being marketed as fiction, with all the usual disclaimers about how any 鈥渞eferences to real people, events, etc鈥�. are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously.鈥�
The story starts to sing when Nellie meets Ray, a U.S. Air Force pilot stationed nearby. The prose describing their first kiss fits the moon-eyed mood as the young couple falls hopelessly in love. 鈥淚f ever she had to pick a moment she鈥檇 want to last for eternity, she thought, this would be the one she鈥檇 choose,鈥� writes Brown.
Honestly, most readers could predict the rest of the plot at this point. The love triangle involving Nellie, Billy and Ray, plays a central role, and, of course, what happens on those steps, but the book is really about making your way when consumed by grief. And in that aspect it succeeds, painting a brave portrait of Nellie and her family and friends as they struggle to survive and find happiness in a world gone mad.
Time will tell if Brown has more stories in her, but her late, beloved grandmother would assuredly be proud of this first effort.
Rob Merrill, The Associated Press
