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Love in the Blitz: The Long-Lost Letters of a Brilliant Young Woman to Her Beloved on the Front Audiobook
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Publisher Description
On July 17th 1939, Eileen Alexander, a bright young woman recently graduated from Girton College, Cambridge, begins a brilliant correspondence with fellow Cambridge student Gershon Ellenbogen that lasts five years and spans many hundreds of letters.
But as Eileen and Gershon’s relationship flourishes from friendship and admiration into passion and love, the tensions between Germany, Russia, and the rest of Europe reach a crescendo. When war is declared, Gershon heads for Cairo and Eileen forgoes her studies to work in the Air Ministry.
As cinematic as Atonement, written with the intimacy of the Neapolitan quartet, Love in the Blitz is an extraordinary glimpse of life in London during World War II and an illuminating portrait of an ordinary young woman trying to carve a place for herself in a time of uncertainty. As the Luftwaffe begins its bombardment of England, Eileen, like her fellow Britons, carries on while her loved ones are called up to fight, some never to return home.
Written over the course of the conflict, Eileen’s letters provide a vivid and personal glimpse of this historic era. Yet throughout the turmoil and bloodshed, one thing remains constant: her beloved Gershon, who remains a source of strength and support, even after he, too, joins the fighting. Though his letters have been lost to time, the bolstering force of his love for Eileen is illuminated in her responses to him.
Equal parts heartrending and heartwarming, Love in the Blitz is a timeless romance and a deeply personal story of life and resilience amid the violence and terror of war.
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“Alexander’s adoration for Gershon shines through in every letter, and so do her observations…about life in London leading up and during to World War II.”
— Library Journal (starred review)
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“An immense literary discovery, but what they are above all is superbly entertaining.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London) -
“It’s a memoir of hope and resilience, as much as of love.”
— The Times (London) -
“A unique and vivid account of both love and war.”
— Jewish Journal -
“Allows the reader to contemplate the blunt reality of what life was actually like.”
— The Guardian (London) -
“This remarkable treasure trove of letters gives a unique insight into home-front life and romance.”
— Daily Mail (London) -
“Remarkable…Any reader with an interest in cultural history or a love of romance will find this a book to savor.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Alexander responded to the onset of World War II with humor and intellect, both of which shine through in this collection of letters to her paramour.”
— BookPage (starred review)
Awards
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A BookPage Top Pick of the Month
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A New York Times Book Review pick of Best Books Now in Paperback
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About Eileen Alexander
Eileen Alexander (1917-1986) was born in Cairo and grew up in a cosmopolitan Jewish family before moving to Cambridge as a student. She graduated from Girton College, Cambridge, with a first-class degree in English in 1939 and worked during World War II for the civil service in the Air Ministry. She went on to be a teacher, writer, and translator, including translating some of Georges Simenon’s works.