My enormous thanks to Ben McClusky at Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of 33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen. I’m delighted that this wonderful novel is my latest My Weekly online review.
It’s taken a little later than hoped to share the review due to staff restructuring.
Published by Bloomsbury on 11th March 2025, 33 Place Brugmann is available for purchase through the publisher links here.
33 Place Brugmann
Charlotte Sauvin has always seen the world differently. At home on 33 Place Brugmann, in the heart of Brussels, her father and her closest friends and neighbours – the Raphaëls from the fourth floor, and Masha from the fifth – have ensured her secret is safe. But when the Nazis invade Belgium, and Masha and the Raphaëls disappear, Charlotte must navigate her new world alone.
Over the border and across the sea, in occupied Paris and battered Blitz London, Masha and the Raphaels are reinventing themselves – as refugees, nurses, soldiers, heroes. Though scattered far and wide, they dream of only one place, one home: 33 Place Brugmann.
But back at Place Brugmann, Charlotte feels impending danger closing in. Who can she trust in this world – where everyone is watching, and everyone is harbouring their own secrets? As the months pass, and the shadow of war darkens, Charlotte and her neighbours must face what – and who – truly matters to them most – and summon the courage to fight for more than just survival.
With soaring imagination and profound intimacy, 33 Place Brugmann is a captivating and devastating celebration of the power of love, courage and art in times of great threat.
My Review of 33 Place Brugmann
My full review of 33 Place Brugmann can be found on the My Weekly website here.
However, here I can say that 33 Place Brugmann is a beautifully written, profound and moving historical novel that speaks right to the heart of humanity. It’s one of my books of the year and I genuinely believe everyone should read it!
Do visit My Weekly to read my full review here.
About Alice Austen
Alice Austen is an award-winning screenwriter, producer and playwright. While studying law at Harvard, she also worked under Seamus Heaney in the university’s creative writing department. Austen co-founded the Harvard Human Rights Journal and was the first American to receive a fellowship to the European Court of Human Rights. She has been awarded a Royal Court Residency, and her work has been honoured with an Independent Spirit Award and nominated for a Joseph Jefferson Award and a Terrence McNally Award. Austen is working on a new film, originated by Alfonso Cuarón. 33 Place Brugmann is her debut novel.
For further information, visit Alice’s website and find her on Instagram.
English (US) · 