Millie Bobby Brownâs debut novel is inspired by grandmaâs âvery personalâ WWII story

Actor Millie Bobby Brown is about to be a published author.
Her debut novel, the historical fiction âNineteen Steps,â will be published Sept. 13, HarperCollins announced Friday. The book is inspired by the real-life experiences of Brownâs grandmother, who survived the Bethnal Green tube disaster in 1943, one of the greatest losses of civilian life in the U.K. during World War II.
âInspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart,â the âStranger Thingsâ and âEnola Holmesâ star said in a statement. âI grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war. Iâm honored to keep her story alive.â
âStranger Things 4â star Millie Bobby Brown told Allure that sheâs taking online classes at Purdue University and is studying human services.
The book is set in wartime Bethnal Green, an East London neighborhood, and focuses on 18-year-old Nellie Morris, an assistant at the mayorâs office who is struggling to find normalcy amid the ongoing conflict, according to HarperCollins.
Nellie meets and falls in love with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, and begins to look forward to a new life with the soldier, beyond her neighborhood. However, her dreams are interrupted by a tragedy during an air raid.
The actual tragedy took place inside an underground train station at Bethnal Green in 1943, according to the neighborhoodâs website. As people rushed into the station for shelter from an oncoming air raid, a woman carrying her baby slipped and fell near the bottom of the stairs, setting off a domino effect of people. Many became trapped amid a pile of bodies and suffocated in the narrow structure. In all, 173 people died, 62 of them children, most from asphyxiation.
âI have been dealing with that ... forever,â said Millie Bobby Brown of her experience of being sexualized while starring in Netflixâs âStranger Things.â
The bookâs editor, Liz Stein, called âNineteen Stepsâ both âheart-warming and heart-breaking.â
âI 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,â Stein said in a statement.
Brown is preparing to film the fifth and final season of the Netflix series âStranger Things,â which she has starred in as Eleven since 2016. Writers of the show recently denied rumors that Brown had rejected a $12-million offer to play Eleven in a âStranger Thingsâ spin-off show.
TikTok star Hunter Echo, 21, has been accused of engaging in predatory behavior toward 17-year-old âStranger Thingsâ star Millie Bobby Brown.
âYeah thereâs nothing in this article that is true,â the writers room tweeted Wednesday. âDonât know why we have to keep debunking this rumor but get those clicks you guys!!â
In a recent interview with Parade, Brown said she and others in the âStranger Thingsâ cast are âready to be able to say goodbye to those roles and thank them and be grateful for the time that Iâve had with them.â
She added that sheâs âready to move on to new projects and new roles to fulfill.â And writing a book is just one of her offscreen career aspirations.
âWestworldâsâ Evan Rachel Wood was quick to point out âStranger Thingsâ star Millie Bobby Brownâs young age after Paris Hilton called Brown âhotâ on Instagram.
Brown, who is in her first year of college, taking online courses toward a human-services degree at Purdue University, also told Parade she wants to direct and produce films. She made her producing debut with the 2020 Netflix film âEnola Holmesâ and directed a Samsung commercial last year.
But she also wants to check her privilege in pursuing her goals.
âYou know, there are many young women like me that are in film school studying directing and Iâm really aware that I have the privilege of being able to take control of the narratives that I want to put out in the world, so I definitely want to work my way to that point of success,â Brown said.
âI just want to do it in the right way that feels right to me, and be super aware that there are other young women that also deserve that opportunity.â
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