Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown will release her debut novel this September. Titled ‘Nineteen Steps’ and inspired by her family history, the novel is described as “a moving tale of longing, loss and secrets, and the lengths that we will go to fight for love.”
“Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart. I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I’m honored to keep her story alive,” Millie said in a statement.
Brown’s grandmother Ruth survived the 1943 Bethnal Green tube disaster, an incident responsible for one of the greatest losses of civilian life in the UK during World War II.
‘Nineteen Steps’ is a “historical novel about an amazing, courageous 18-year-old woman called Nellie Morris, who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, in London’s East End, while the second world war rages on around them,” Millie described. Nillie meets and falls in love with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, and starts to think of a new life beyond her neighborhood, until “a terrible incident occurs during an air raid one evening, and the consequences are catastrophic. As the truth about that night is revealed, Nellie’s world is torn apart. When it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph,” as you can read on one of the synopsis.
Editor Liz Stein described the book as a “tender, inspiring story about female resilience and the human spirit.” She added “Both heart-warming and heart-breaking, it’s a novel that portrays the strength and courage we find in family, friendship, and community. I was incredibly moved by the haunting, true tragedy at the core of the novel and enchanted by the unforgettable portrait of love in the time of war.”
The novel will be published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, on September 12th. Pre-order is now available at HarperCollins.co.uk.
