Member Reviews

4.5 stars rounded up! The Last Bookshop in Prague was the first book that I had the pleasure of reading by Helen Parusel. I was impressed with her writing and the impeccable research she conducted in order to write this compelling historical fiction book. As the title of the book suggests, The Last Bookshop in Prague took place in the Czechoslovakian city of Prague and a lot of the story centered around a particular family owned and operated bookstore during the years of 1942-1945. The characters were well developed and some of them were actual people that existed. I really enjoyed the role that books played throughout The Last Bookshop of Prague.

Jana Hajek a twenty something strong and determined young woman who lived above the bookshop that her late mother had owned and ran and was now in her possession. She lived with her widowed father, a puppeteer by trade. Prague had changed so drastically since the Nazi invasion. Many bookstores were forced to close with the implementation of banned books by the Nazis but Jana was determined to keep her bookshop open. She welcomed children into her shop where she read to them at scheduled times to help them temporarily escape from all that was going on around them. Jana also organized a group for some of the children’s mothers. They read books of their choosing and then summarized them for the group and exchanged the books with each other. Jana developed close friendships with some of the women in the book exchange.

There was one young boy who frequented her shop almost daily. Jana learned that the shy young boy’s name was Michal and that he was Jewish. Michal almost always stayed at Jana’s bookshop as long as he could. One night Jana offered to walk Michal to his home when she realized how late it had gotten. Just as Jana and Michal were approaching Michal’s house they witnessed that the Nazis were rounding up many of the Jewish people that lived there. Michal’s mother was among those people that were being shoved onto the back of a truck. With her eyes, Michal’s mother implored Jana to hide Michal from the Germans. Michal didn’t understand where his mother was being taken to but he held hope that she would return soon. Jana took Michal back to the bookshop. Just as they made their way to the back of the shop, police officers stomped in looking for a young Jewish boy. Jana hid Michal under the sink in the tiny kitchen in the back of the bookshop. One of the officers searched there but informed the others that the boy was not there. Why had he done that? Clearly he must have seen Michal under the sink. There was something about that particular officer that made Jana feel like there was something special about him. Jana knew that she should ignore her attraction but she was having a hard time doing that. After the police left, Jana made a decision. Michal would stay with her and her father until Jana was able to locate one of his relatives. When that did not happen, Jana and her father decided that it was safer for Michal if Jana was able to smuggle Michal out of the city to her grandmother’s farm in the country. Jana went on to save two other Jewish children, both girls, who probably would have been transported to a camp and killed if Jana hadn’t taken the risk to save them.

In the meantime, Jana began working at Prague Castle as a part time cleaner. She had taken over the position that her best friend had held until her pregnancy got in the way. Prague Castle had been taken over by the SS and Nazis officials. Of all the Nazis that occupied the offices at Prague Castle, Reinhardt Heyrich was by far the most feared and the most evil. He was known as “The Butcher of Prague” for good reason. Jana, now part of the resistance, was deemed with the responsibility of keeping track of Heyrich’s arrival times at the Prague Castle and also how he arrived. Jana wasn’t sure why this information was important but she kept accurate records. In the privacy of the bookshop, Jana transposed the information she gathered using a code and hid them in homemade bookmarks. Jana’s lowly position at the castle allowed her to overhear vital information that was discussed in Reinhardt Heyrich’s office as well. One day, Jana had overheard Heyrich talking about “a final solution”. She wasn’t sure what it meant but she knew it had to be bad coming from Heyrich. Jana devised a system so that the resistance members would know when she had important information that couldn’t wait to be shared with them. It was conveyed by the way she arranged the bookmarks in the bookshop’s window. Jana’s diligent tracking of Heyrich’s arrival times at Prague Castle and other pertinent information that was gathered by other resistance members led to an assassination attempt on Reinhardt Heyrich by members of the resistance.

The Last Bookshop in Prague by Helen Parusel was both heartbreaking and uplifting. I found it quite thought provoking and engaging throughout. The Last Bookshop in Prague portrayed what the Czech people experienced on a day to day basis during the Nazi occupation. I had not been aware of the Prague uprising nor the Lidice and Lezaky massacres before reading this book. Those massacres were examples of the pure evil that permeated throughout the Nazi regime. I really admired Jana’s courage, determination and dedication to the resistance and her beloved country. She was strong, intelligent and brave. I also admired Jana’s grandmother for her selfless dedication to the Jewish children in her care. She took the three children into her home, showed them love and cared for them despite the risk she faced if they were ever discovered. There was a strong element of romance mixed in as well. The Last Bookshop In Prague focused on the themes of survival, hope, loss, family, friendships, resilience, war, risks, love and the power of books. I really enjoyed reading The Last Bookshop in Prague and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for allowing me to read The Last Bookshop in Prague by Helen Parusel through Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A suspenseful historical novel set during world war 2 in Prague. Jana joins the resistance to help with doing whatever she can to get the German’s out of her city. There’s a fascist police captain who hangs around Jana’s book store and Jana isn’t sure what he wants. Lovers of historical wartime fiction will really enjoy this read. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

✨️ I loved this book. It's a passionate and very emotional read. Jana is a brave and kind hearted girl, I loved her. The romance between her and Andrej, is adorable. The The struggles people faced, the cruelty of Germans and the strength through which everyone fought for freedom is written brilliantly and emotionally. I can feel myself there with, Jana. There are several other admirable characters, who put themselves at risk to help others and fight against injustice. Expertly researched about the war time in Prague, the resistance, the casualties in Lidice Massacre and much more. Excellent read and highly recommended.
Thanks a lot to @Netgalley , the author and the publisher for the eARC.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am an avid fan of World War II historical fiction, that being said, with each book that I have read I have gained immeasurable insight into what people endured during this awful time. The story of Jana , a young woman trying to run a bookstore , living with her widowed father was an insightful, inspirational read. Jana’s ultimate involvement with the resistance was admirable, courageous, and very scary. Jana and the other characters in this book were well written, there was good character development, the story flowed in a very well organized way, you could tell that the author truly researched the subject matter, I would highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

Such a great book. A story that should never stop being told! This book made me sad and joyful all at the same time.

Was this review helpful?

Jana lives with her father in Prague at the start of WWII after the Germans occupied her precious city. She runs the bookshop that her late mother owned and does her best to keep it running during a difficult time when the Germans banned books. She takes on a part-time job working at the castle and ends up working for the local resistance.


I enjoyed this story and learned more about what it was like during the occupation of Prague. I can’t imagine what it would have been like during that time constantly on the edge, not knowing what would happen next. The author did a great job with Jana’s inner turmoil, as she longed for a sense of normalcy during those crazy times. This is the second story I’ve read by the author and I’m looking forward to reading more by her.


Thanks to @rachelsrandomresources, @boldwoodbooks, @netgalley and the author for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

This was a moving story. It is the story of a girl with a book shop during the Nazi occupation of Prague during World War 2. It tells of the lives of everyday people, the Jewish people of the Czech nation, members of the resistance, and mixes in true stories of what happened in and around Prague. You are transported to the time of Hydrich, the Butcher of Prague, a bookstore, and the lives of the people around the events of the Nazi occupation. Sprinkled in is romance during war, and how people lived and loved.

I have not read much about Prague in WW2 in the past, and the story had all of the emotions. I giggled at times, but I could feel the fear, worry, the sense of wrong and right that the people experienced. They way the author tied in real events to what the characters felt and saw, it just changed how the story felt. I learned about the plight of not just the German and the Jewish people, but of the Czech people. The fear of who you can trust, if you are just being complicit, or if you are fighting back against oppression.

I recommend this story not just because I adore stories of romance, but the history was great too. I love how one can tell a story of love, and teach others about history at the same time. I am now ready to learn more of this area of the world during not just WW2, but before and after. I am inspired by the story of people who fought back, and even those who were afraid, and just tried to live their lives. Thanks for this story, and I am excited to read and learn more.

Was this review helpful?

Books about books and bookshops are the absolute best aren't they?

The Last Bookshop in Prague is the first I've read by Parusel and it was such a wonderful read, I would highly recommend it to all book lovers!

I loved Jana, she was such a strong, resilient character and her tenacity in such a dark time was such a selfless, courageous act. Community is everything in the face of adversity.

The story is powerful, the people such an inspiration and it's guaranteed to leave you an emotional mess.

Was this review helpful?

A really good read. This story was set during world war two and things were getting bad in Prague but Jana who runs the bookshop puts herself and her family in danger when she joins the resistance. A heartbreaking story but very well researched and the characters were beautifully written it tells stories of friendships, love and loss and it's very moving and sometimes hard to read what the people went through.I love Prague and could visualise all the places I have been which added to my love of the novel.

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.


I am a fan of historical fiction, which is part of the typical fantasy genre that I follow. This is such a moving and compelling story. We follow Jana, who works in her mother’s bookshop. Her mother, who is now long gone, previously owned the bookshop. This was a time during WWII when the Nazis ran their propaganda all over the place, and many books were banned. Jana held on to the books in the book collection that was banned. She helps the resistance during this time and even helps 3 Jewish kids. She also takes a job at a Prague castle as a cleaner part time to keep tabs on the high-ranking officer. Jana’s character is so caring and bold to make these moves, especially at a time like this. I can only imagine the type of risks she’s taking to help out. This book will pull on all your heartstrings. This is the first book I am reading written by this author, and I am not disappointed at all. I also thought that I knew about WWII during this time period, but I also learned a lot more. There was a lot of research placed on this era and location that I did not know about. I’ve always known a great deal, but it’s what you’ve managed to learn in school. I didn’t know several small details about the reign of Reinhard Heydrich. Not only that, but I ended up looking him up and doing some research of my own. It’s so interesting to learn more about the past. I thought I knew so much, but it seems like I did not! This was a great read, and I am glad that I got to enjoy it.

Was this review helpful?

This historical novel had really good writing and I felt had a lot of information about the setting and time period, so I felt it was well researched by the author also.

Although not my usual read I found it had a nice flow and I was able to enjoy this one.

Was this review helpful?

A story that inspires and is encouraging.
Jana struggles to live under the oppressive German occupation while clandestinely undermining it all sandwiched within her beloved bookshop and love of words.
It’s a good story about books, love, loss, endurance, and strength.
There’s also a happy ending which is heartfelt because so many didn’t get ton after WWII.

Was this review helpful?

Once again, I made the decision to read a book covering a subject that I find to be triggering. That said, it’s important to face one’s fears and so I bravely turned the pages. Set in what was her mother’s bookshop, we meet Jana who wants to continue to bring comfort to her friends despite the ever-oppressing Nazi occupation of Prague.
With gentle skill, we gradually learned more about Jana’s character, and she developed before my eyes, helping me to develop a keen affinity with her strong moral compass and determined kindness. However, her bravery was on a wholly different scale. The stories of the resistance fighters always capture my imagination, and this was no different. I felt genuine fear as the jeopardy mounted.
The described relationships between Jana and her bookshop friends brought a poignancy to the story that served to remind me that this may be a work of fiction but has firm foundations in the real experiences of those who lived during the many Nazi occupations. It was that awareness that saw me gripped and reaching for the tissue box.
It was clearly in Jana’s genetics to be involved in the fight for freedom, as we saw her father and grandmother selflessly assist with the cause. The repercussions of this would be a lasting reminder to her father. Avoiding the risk of including spoilers, I will allude to the blossoming romance that develops from an unlikely source. Sensitively handled and positioned with the necessary reminders of the backdrop of danger, it was quite beautiful.
This book will stay with me for some time, and I can highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

A book demonstrating the resilience and ingenuity of a young woman to help the resistance in time of war . The bookshop provides the perfect medium to discreetly pass on important messsges.

Was this review helpful?

This review is being posted as part of the The Last Bookshop in Prague blog tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources.

The Last Bookshop in Prague is the latest compelling Second World War historical fiction novel from author Helen Parusel. This powerful story explores themes of bravery, survival, fighting for what’s right and the power of books, set against the backdrop of Nazi-occupied Prague in the final three years of the war.

Helen Parusel has quickly become one of my standout authors within the genre, with both of her previous novels being definite five star reads and some of my favourites of the past couple of years, so I had high hopes for The Last Bookshop in Prague and it certainly did not disappoint. The narrative is fast-paced, maintained by short and snappy chapters which will grip readers from cover to cover, just like it did me.

As usual with Helen Parusel’s books, the history was impeccably researched. This book covers some really interesting aspects of Second World War history which I haven’t seen featured within historical fiction before (despite considering myself very well-read within the genre), including the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich and the events that followed including the Nazi manhunt for the assailants and the horrific Lidice and Ležáky massacres. The final chapters of the book also feature the Prague uprising, which again I’ve not seen covered in other historical fiction so it was fantastic to learn about it through Jana’s eyes.

At the heart of this story is really strong female characters, lead by Jana who was a fantastic protagonist. She was really emotionally intelligent and had brilliant character development throughout the novel into someone who was even more courageous and confident. I loved her relationships with both her dad and her grandmother (who was a strong female character in herself and a brilliant role model for Jana) and the roles they both played in the story. There are also strong female supporting characters in Jana’s friends, her fellow resistance fighter Nela, the women she helps throughout the story and the young characters of Yveta and Maddie. The male characters were brilliantly written too, including the primary Nazi antagonists who made my skin crawl every time they appeared.

There’s also a lovely historical romance element to the story which was a great addition that I really enjoyed. I think that Helen Parusel completely nailed the blend of having this romantic element whilst not letting it take away from the hard-hitting nature of the rest of the plot.

I loved the setting of the bookshop and the role books continuously played throughout the story, bringing people together in even the darkest of times. The story explores banned books, a topic it’s ridiculous is still so relevant in the 21st century, and I loved that quotes from different banned books were used as passcodes between resistance members, a detail I can’t believe I didn’t initially spot!

Overall, The Last Bookshop in Prague is yet another incredibly powerful novel from Helen Parusel, further cementing her as one of my favourite historical fiction authors of all time. This is a must-read for fans of the genre or anyone who wants to venture into the wonderful world of Second World War historical fiction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk

*Thank you to Helen Parusel, Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

Jana lives in Nazi occupied Prague, above their beloved bookstore but it’s not necessarily a safe haven with the amount of publications banned by the hostel occupiers. Jana takes on work in the Nazi headquarters to make ends meet, and then she bravely joins the resistance
Jana, her Grandmother, Father and friends are all lovely, lively characters.
This brilliantly written book brings to life the occupation and rebellion of the people of Czechoslovakia.

Was this review helpful?

With a title that features a bookshop and a second world war setting, I knew that this was a book that I would be interested in reading. Set in Prague in the early days of the war, it tells the story of Jana, a young woman who runs a bookshop and lives above it with her father who is a puppeteer who carves his own puppets. Jana does her best to keep a love of reading ever present in her store and through that, to boost the morale of women and children who frequented the store even when she was forced to feature German books prominently while hiding books that the Germans have banned. One day, Jana is inadvertantly pulled into resistance when she hides a young boy in a small place in her store. When the Germans send people in to the store to search, one local policeman calls the all clear even the Jana is sure he knew the boy was there.

Thus begins her career as a resistant, but much more is to come throughout the novel. There were a few times I felt that Jana acted rashly and without due care, but luck seemed to be on her side. Is the local policeman someone she can trust or not? All will become clear as you read this story.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #BoldwoodBooks and the author for allowing me to read an advance reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

From the same author of The Austrian Bride, which I heartily recommend, comes another brilliant novel about the courage shown by ordinary citizens during WWII. And, of course, ordinary here takes the meaning of extraordinary.

Jana, a bookshop owner, suddenly finds herself involved in the activities of the Czechoslovak resistance during the Nazi occupation of the country. With the boundaries between friends and potential informants blurred, she doesn’t know who she can or can’t trust, but what she does know is that inaction is not an option.

Heartbreaking and inspiring, this novel is extremely evocative and the author made Prague come to life right in front of my eyes, just like she did with Linz in her previous novel.

I look forward to reading what comes next!

Was this review helpful?

Historical fiction fans, it's time to armchair travel back in time to Prague during WWII. Jana's bookshop serves as a haven for booklovers and remains the last bookstore that sells Czech novels. Due to the occupation, books are being banned that don't fit the regime.

To protect her people, Jana joins the resistance adding children, Jewish families and serving as a messenger decoding notes. Will she be able to tell the resisters from the supporters or find herself at risk? This compelling read transports readers to Prague and having visited the fairytale city, the attractions are shown in a new light. Realizing the horrors the Czech people faced during the occupation is enlightening and reinforces that we can't let this horror happen again.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the early edition of #TheLastBookshopinPrague in exchange for an honest review. The banning of books and travesties of war hauntingly echoes current events.

Was this review helpful?

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?