Last year I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society. A USA Today and #1 national bestseller, this delightful novel was more than worthy of a follow-up. I'm thrilled to report that Natalie and St. Martin's Press are now revealing the cover art and some delectable details about the sequel, Bloomsbury Girls. Below you'll find the full cover, as well as some tantalizing information on what is to come. It looks like the upcoming publishing date is May 17, 2022, just in time to include in your next summer vacation's literary tote bag. I hope they are able to employ Richard Armitage once again for the audio book version as well. What a great listen! Add this title to your TBR list today!
“One bookshop. Fifty-one rules. Three women who break them all.”
The Internationally Bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society returns with a compelling and heartwarming story of post-war London, a century-old bookstore, and three women determined to find their way in a fast-changing world.
Bloomsbury Books is an old-fashioned new and rare bookstore that has persisted and resisted change for a hundred years, run by men and guided by the general manager's unbreakable fifty-one rules. But in 1950, the world is changing, especially the world of books and publishing, and at Bloomsbury Books, the girls in the shop have plans:
Vivien Lowry: Single since her aristocratic fiancé was killed in action during World War II, the brilliant and stylish Vivien has a long list of grievances - most of them well justified and the biggest of which is Alec McDonough, the Head of Fiction.
Grace Perkins: Married with two sons, she's been working to support the family following her husband's breakdown in the aftermath of the war. Torn between duty to her family and dreams of her own.
Evie Stone: In the first class of female students from Cambridge permitted to earn a degree, Evie was denied an academic position in favor of her less accomplished male rival. Now she's working at Bloomsbury Books while she plans to remake her own future.
As they interact with various literary figures of the time - Daphne Du Maurier, Ellen Doubleday, Sonia Blair (widow of George Orwell), Samuel Beckett, Peggy Guggenheim, and others - these three women with their complex web of relationships, goals and dreams are all working to plot out a future that is richer and more rewarding than anything society will allow.
QUOTES FROM AUTHOR NATALIE JENNER
“I never intended for Evie Stone to be a major character in my debut novel, let alone inspire my second one, Bloomsbury Girls. But as time went on, I found I could not leave her behind in Chawton with the other society members. And then one day I rewatched a favourite movie, 84 Charing Cross Road, and I remember thinking, there's a whole other story in here still to be told, of an upstairs-downstairs motley crew of booksellers, and right away the figures came to life.”
“As with The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls features multiple characters and storylines revolving around one very charming location: this time, the quintessential Dickensian-type bookshop.”
“If The Jane Austen Society was the book I wrote when I was coming out of sadness, Bloomsbury Girls was written when I was very happy, and I hope it provides a little cheer to readers during this difficult time.
And now for the big reveal: the cover of Bloomsbury Girls!
AUTHOR BIO
Natalie Jenner is the author of two books, the instant international bestseller THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY and BLOOMSBURY GIRLS. A Goodreads Choice Award finalist for best debut novel and historical fiction, THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, a career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.
Gahh Laura, thank you for this kind and thoughtful post - so honoured to have my writing shared with your audience. I literally can't wait for you to read it! Stay well!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Natalie, and congrats on the new book! Looking forward to making it a summer read for 2022!
DeleteThanks for participating in the cover reveal, Laura. I really like the improved book reveal graphic. I am hiring you to do my artwork in the future!!!
ReplyDeleteAww! Thanks LA! I wanted to “gussy up” the graphic for our fun event. Looking forward to this one!
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