It’s 1940 and the Blitz rages, but life goes on in the heart of London’s East End.
Charity has spent her life keeping her family together – raising her younger brothers, running the family boarding house on West India Dock Road, and now shielding her fragile parents from the relentless bombardment outside their door.
When her teenage brother runs away to enlist, she faces a battle she never expected – one that could tear her family apart. But help comes from an unexpected new arrival…
Across the road, Divya, a young Indian woman with a gift for cooking, has found a happy home among the dockside community.
But as she feeds the neighbourhood at her bustling curry house, she secretly yearns for news of the man she loves, who is fighting for their freedom. Will she see him again?
As the bombs fall and the East End burns, the residents of West India Dock Road must rely on each other like never before. In a world shattered by war, friendships will be tested, love will be lost and found, and courage will be discovered in the most surprising places.
Wartime Comes to West India Dock Road by Renita D’Silva is published on 23 July, 2025.
There are over 180 books published this year in our round-up of historical fiction to look forward to. You might find your next favourite novel there!
