Nineteen steps: a novel

It's 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack. In the Bethnal Green neighborhood of the East End, Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her. Three years into the war, she's grateful to hold onto remnants of normalcy. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, 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. The consequences are catastrophic. As the secrets and truth about that night are revealed, Nellie's world is torn apart. But even when it seems all hope is lost, Nellie finds that, against all odds, love and happiness can triumph.