Stranger Things actress Millie Bobby Brown is set to have her first novel, Nineteen Steps, published by William Morrow, a HarperCollins imprint, this fall. The publishing house revealed the news today, describing the novel as an “epic story of love, loss, and secrets.”
Nineteen Steps follows the journey of 18-year-old Nellie Morris, who resides with her family in Bethnal Green during World War II. After a chance meeting with an American airman stationed nearby, a devastating event transpires during an air raid, resulting in catastrophic consequences. The novel is scheduled for publication on September 12.
Brown shared that the book holds a special place in her heart, as it is inspired by her Nanny Ruth. “I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I’m honored to keep her story alive,” she said. Brown’s grandmother was a survivor of the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, an event that led to the largest single loss of civilian life in the UK during World War II.
Liz Stein, the editor of Nineteen Steps, expressed her admiration for the novel, stating, “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.”