Between playing Eleven in Stranger Things and fronting the Enola Holmes movies on Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown has become a proper Hollywood star. And she’s multi-talented, showing signs of talent as a musician (still no albums, though). This year, she tries her hand at writing a book with Nineteen Steps, a novel inspired by her own family history.
Described as an “epic story of love, loss and secrets,” Brown says the novel is inspired by the life of her grandmother. “Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart,” she said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. I’m honored to keep her story alive.”
Brown grandmother Ruth survived the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, regarded as one of the worst civilian disasters of the Second World War; it resulted in 173 deaths, including 62 children. The novel is set during this period and follows 18-year-old Nellie Morris. In the official synopsis from William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins), Nellie meets an American airman and finds herself obsessed with the idea of traveling the world with him.
"Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a broader world. Just when Nellie begins to embrace an exciting new life with Ray, 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."
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown releasing novel Nineteen Steps
Brown shared her hopes for the novel in a statement: “I really hope you will find the true spirit of love and strength in Nineteen Steps and I can’t wait to share it with you.” Watch her full message here:
Nineteen Steps releases on September 12, 2023. This is proving a busy year for Millie Bobby Brown, who will return to begin filming the final season of Stranger Things in the summer!
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