She took him in when no one else would. She didn’t expect to fall in love…

London, 1939. When Finley offers her spare room to refugee Sebastien, she sees relief in his haunted eyes. Forced to flee the hatred in Germany, Sebastien has been desperately lonely in his adopted country. Finley lost her father in the last war and feels a stab of empathy for the pain of this thin stranger, separated from his loved ones, far away from home.

At first, Finley and Sebastien are like ships in the night, exchanging bashful goodnights in the corridor. But Finley quickly realises that Sebastien is too terrified to sleep, plagued by thoughts of his smiling little sister being snatched by soldiers. As the London sky darkens with enemy planes, he slowly opens up to her over cups of cocoa in the kitchen.

Every time Sebastien speaks to Finley, she finds herself inching closer to him, and soon love begins to grow. But when he tells her he wants to join the English army, to fight the people who have forced his family to face such horror, she must work hard to crush the devastation in her heart. She knows if she were in his shoes, she would do the same thing, and she must be brave too. She will stay in London, waiting for Sebastien, and helping other refugees like him.

As the bombs rain down, and the London streets empty, she knows she faces grave dangers. But she can’t hide away while the man she loves risks his life. She needs to do anything she can to defeat the enemy they all share. But the last war cost Finley so much. What will this one take?

A completely life-affirming and tear-jerking read about facing the darkness and despair of war together and allowing the light to creep in. Fans of The Nightingale and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society will fall in love with The Only Light in London.

Review:

Heartwarming, immersive, and uplifting!

The Only Light in London is a rich, moving tale set in London during WWII that takes you into the lives of Prudence Finley, a resilient, kindhearted aspiring actress and Jewish journalist Sebastien Raphael as they do whatever they can to entertain, protect, fight, and survive the war.

The prose is eloquent and expressive. The characters are brave, tormented, and determined. And the plot is a touching tale about life, loss, separation, desperation, tragedy, survival, love, community, and the power of friendship.

Overall, The Only Light in London is another well-written, tender, compelling tale by Graham that does a wonderful job of reminding us just how much hope and joy can be reaped from the little things in life and maybe even more importantly having a place to call home.

This novel is available now.

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