The Mayfair Bookshop

A Novel of Nancy Mitford and the Pursuit of Happiness

By: Eliza Knight

Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

One of Hasty Booklist's Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Novels!

USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight brings together a brilliant dual-narrative story about Nancy Mitford—one of 1930s London’s hottest socialites, authors, and a member of the scandalous Mitford Sisters—and a modern American desperate for change, connected through time by a little London bookshop.

“An absolute must-read!”—Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author The Last Bookshop in London

1938: She was one of the six sparkling Mitford sisters, known for her stinging quips, stylish dress, and bright green eyes. But Nancy Mitford’s seemingly dazzling life was really one of turmoil: with a perpetually unfaithful and broke husband, two Nazi sympathizer sisters, and her hopes of motherhood dashed forever. With war imminent, Nancy finds respite by taking a job at the Heywood Hill Bookshop in Mayfair, hoping to make ends meet, and discovers a new life.

Present Day: When book curator Lucy St. Clair lands a gig working at Heywood Hill she can’t get on the plane fast enough. Not only can she start the healing process from the loss of her mother, it’s a dream come true to set foot in the legendary store. Doubly exciting: she brings with her a first edition of Nancy’s work, one with a somewhat mysterious inscription from the author. Soon, she discovers her life and Nancy’s are intertwined, and it all comes back to the little London bookshop—a place that changes the lives of two women from different eras in the most surprising ways.

©2022 Eliza Knight (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Lovely

A lovely story about a lovely woman
along with her friends and family going through their lives during wartime London. History nicely tucked into each chapter gave a flavor of a “true story” experience.

Brilliantly done

I love this book as a portrait of and tribute to Nancy Mitford. She has quite a story and this was a clever way to tell it. The frankness of jr is refreshing and it left me wanting to know more of her. I do wish that more time had been spent on her later years, which also had significant events for her. I’ll be learning more in my own!

Just wow.

Going into this book, I didn't know anything about the Mitford family other than what I'd heard about Unity. The author did a great job putting us in Nancy's perspective and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her and seeing how the family dynamics played out, while learning more about how the elite and everyday people in Great Britain reacted to their struggles during World War II.

I also enjoyed how the two storylines blended together. And I totally would have wanted to be one of the "Bright YoungThings."

Perfectly Voices, Upliftingly Fun

Despite knowing that Nancy Mitford was a charming wit, I didn’t expect this book to be so refreshingly uplifting. Kudos to the author for achieving this, especially while writing during our darkest of times.

This book is such a worthy exploration of searching for happiness despite everything—I want to give it to ALL my friends. And the narrator’s voice perfectly captured Nancy’s tongue-in-cheek ways. Definitely worthwhile.

So engrossing, I couldn't stop listening!

In "The Mayfair Bookshop", Eliza Knight weaves a delightful story based on the life of British aristocrat, socialite and writer, Nancy Mitford and a fictional book curator, Lucy Saint Clair, a devout Mitford fan who is distantly related to Nancy's ex fiance. Lucy accepts a temporary position at Heywood Hill, the bookshop in London where Nancy worked as a staff member for several years. Lucy brings a stack of Nancy's letters with her to London, determined to uncover the secret behind a mysterious inscription in one of her favorite Mitford novels from her own home library, but she'll only be at Heywood Hill for three weeks - Is it to much to believe that she can solve the mystery in such a short time?

All the places and most of the people in the story were, in fact, real individuals, which greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the audiobook. Knight's thorough research into the lives of Nancy and her family members and friends, and the places where they lived, worked, and played is evident in the structure and depth of the book. I can honestly say that it's been one of my favorite reads of the year so far - encouraging me to learn about the Mitford family for myself.

Excellent story!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned a lot. I’m looking for another book on the Mitfords. What an interesting family!

A story I will always remember.

I was swept away on this beautiful journey of 3 wonderful women. A story that has reminded me of the importance of “The Pursuit of Happiness” just when I need it.

Wonderful!

Always love reading about Nancy Mitford! Great parallel story lines! Enjoyable and a lovely read!

Charmed

Love love love. Had forgotten how much I enjoyed the Mitford clan in the past. Don’t miss it if you share the same memories

Such a lovely story

Characters you get to know. Just a lovely read. I felt as though I was living through the war, experiencing Nancy’s world and relationships. A real pleasure