The Forgotten Chapter

Blaze Collection

by Pam Jenoff, Elizabeth Knowelden (Narrator)

Out of the chaos and uncertainty of war, a shy young bookseller comes into her own in a short story of unexpected love, daring, and empowering courage by New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.

It’s 1943 in London. Paige Miller, an ordinary shopgirl at the fabled department store Selfridges, falls for Danny, an American GI who comes by the books counter at the same time every day. As she slowly lets him into her heart, Paige realizes that Danny is keeping a secret. One that could change the course of the war—and both their lives.

Pam Jenoff’s The Forgotten Chapter is part of Blaze, a collection of short stories about incendiary women across the decades who dare to defy convention. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Listening length: 1 hour, 7 minutes

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Historical, Romance, World War II

Audible Audio

First published February 22, 2024

About the author

Pam is the author of several novels, including her most recent The Woman With The Blue Star, as well as The Lost Girls of Paris and The Orphan's Tale, both instant New York Times bestsellers. Pam was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England. Upon receiving her master’s in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.

Following her work at the Pentagon, Jenoff moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Jenoff developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.

Having left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school at the University of Pennsylvania, Jenoff practiced law at a large firm and in-house for several years. She now teaches law school at Rutgers.

Reviews

[Vivian Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️ Wow! This was so good for such a short story! I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was really heartbreaking but also kind of sweet too. I actually wish it was longer! 🥺💔

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Sweet

Some books draw you in and never let go. This was the story of a young lady alone in life meeting a young man. They met in London during the war. He was an American soldier and she worked in a nice department store. Very easy read. I really loved it, ending and all.

[Alina · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of seven short stories in the Blaze collection from Amazon, about women who dare to defy convention, some of them historical female pioneers. The stories are not related and can be read in any order.

A young British bookseller meets an American during WWII and and finds out that he hides something. Nice, easy to read, but also quite easy to forget for me.

[Amanda (BookLoverAmanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one, it makes me want to pick up more by this author. Historical fiction short story and you know when you want more to a short story that it's a good one indeed! Pam packed so much in these short pages of history and romance! Set in 1943 London, Paige Miller, a worker at the fabled department store Selfridges falls in love with Danny, an american soldier who comes by the books counter every day to see her. As they fall in love, she finds out he holds a secret that could change the course of the war and their lives. We see how Paige's decisions impact history in that moment - this had some sad moments but was also very impactful so I want to read more by Pam for sure!

*There was one closed door - fade to black scene here but nothing was not described.

[~:The N:~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and (so-so) sweet.

[Taury · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Forgotten Chapter by Pam Jenoff. Lovely novella from The Blaze collection exclusively available for free on Audible.

[🩶 April • A.M. Flynn • 🩶 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great short story!

[micky :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just knew it would end like that & it was sad :( they kinda just glossed over the main part of the story, I wish there was more explanation on the SIGSALY, but that’s just my inner history-buff

[Keisha | A Book Like You · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to read more Pam Jenoff. I need to read more historical fiction. And I need you to read this short story. 😭💕

[Erin Ogilvie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn’t shock me I loved this one , as I love JENOFF!!

I wanted more of this story , a lot more! A great World War II short story.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story about a girl who works in the Selfridges book store and falls in love during WW 2. Decent story. I like the narrator.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...this short story was wonderful.

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Paige touched the ring on her finger and whispered, “I do,” as the elevator doors closed, eclipsing her from view."

NO TENÍAN EL DERECHO DE ROMPER MI CORAZÓN.

Amo los libros de ficción histórica y THE FORGOTTEN CHAPTER, me recuerda lo mucho que pienso en el género literario.

Paige y Danny, ay...Es un final tan agridulce, pero creo que es tan real.
Además, todo lo de Paige en la actualidad me hizo recordar a la película del TITANIC.

Es un libro donde a la protagonista ya anciana le llega una caja con un anillo de compromiso, entonces ella le cuenta a su hija LA HISTORIA.

Fue lindo leerlo, y estoy segura que leeré más a Pam Jenoff.

[Amanda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if a bit far fetched, short story...

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehh, it was alright but so rushed. I know that the point of the series is to have short reads but none of the others that I have read so far felt like they had pacing issues like this.

[Chris (thebookaholic) Padgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a short story it is not surprising that the reader is left feeling a desire for more. There are some familiar themes, and in a way it was a little lacking for me. A first love that no one in her family ever heard about. Being invited into highly secretive work without much resistance, validation or training seemed improbable. The sudden arrival of a precious expression of love later in life is not really explained even though it is wonderfully convenient. I liked the story and would be interested in a full telling of the tale, but it was only a chapter we were invited into after all so I’ll take what I got and be grateful.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sigsaly was set-up in the basement of the Selfridges department store in London. Paige is a young woman working in the bookshop of the department store when she meets Danny. Danny is a young, American military GI who is part of the communications program between Churchill and Roosevelt. They fall in love and then tragedy strikes.
Nice story that comes full circle with the return of the engagement ring that was lost. I enjoyed this so much.

[Silvie Klokgieter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Londen, 1943. Paige Miller, een verlegen winkelbediende bij het beroemde warenhuis Selfridges, wordt verliefd op Danny, een Amerikaanse soldaat die elke dag om dezelfde tijd bij de boekenafdeling langskomt.

Ze valt als een blok voor hem, maar ontdekt dan dat Danny een geheim heeft. Een geheim dat het verloop van de oorlog - en het leven van Paige en Danny - voorgoed zou kunnen veranderen...

Ook dit korte verhaal kwam ik tegen op @storytel en aangezien ik al meer verhalen van Pam Jenoff had gelezen, wilde ik deze natuurlijk ook even meepikken!

Je leest over Paige Miller. Ze is werkzaam in een warenhuis en dagelijks komt er een knappe man op de boekenafdeling op bezoek. Paige valt als een blok voor hem en ze komt dan ook in contact met deze man. Hij blijkt Danny te heten en hij is een Amerikaanse soldaat.

Maar na een tijdje merk je dat Danny iets verbergt en Paige wil weten wat dat precies is. Hier ga ik natuurlijk niets over vertellen, maar het verhaal is, ondanks dat het kort is, wel meeslepend en zielig. Je voelt ook hier weer de dreiging en de verschrikkelijke sfeer van de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Helaas kreeg ik ook deze keer niet een diepgaande connectie met de hoofdpersonages en dat vind ik altijd jammer aan de kortere verhalen. Alles gaat dan ook in sneltempo...

Toch blijft ook nu Pam een hele fijne schrijfstijl houden. Ze weet goed de situatie van de Tweede Wereldoorlog op papier te zetten en ik ga zeker meer boeken van deze auteur lezen. Ze is een echte aanrader als je van oorlogsverhalen houdt.

Beoordeling: 3,0 ⭐️

[Lekha reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a heartwarming story and the ending made me cry. I think such short stories collections are a good way to learn about an authors’ work whose novels you haven’t explored yet.  

I loved this author’s writing and I am hoping to explore more books. She has packed so much emotion in such a short story of historical romance book. Love stories blooming in time of war always make me happy. Highly recommended!

[Basic B's Guide · Rating 4 out of 5]

FREE for Amazon Prime Members and part of the Amazon Short Story Collection -Blaze.

Best-selling author of The Orphan's Tale and Lost Girls of Paris - both 5 star reads from me.

Recommend listening!

[Tina (A Novel Time With Tina) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Forgotten Chapter was a wonderful short story from Pam Jenoff! I have not read a book of hers yet, but I found this short story interesting in how much history and romance she was able to pack into what amounted to 37 pages. I had not heard of the department store of the encryption machine stored in its basement, so I found myself googling to learn more information. Always a great sign of a good book, something that has you wanting to learn more.

[itsallaboutbooksandmacarons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short film is a heartfelt and beautifully human story. Its tenderness shines through every scene, capturing emotions in such a genuine and relatable way. The characters feel real, the storytelling is understated yet powerful, and the whole piece leaves you with a sense of connection and warmth. It's the kind of story that lingers with you, reminding us of the simple, profound beauty of being human.

[Angieleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pam Jenoff’s The Forgotten Chapter is part of Blaze, a collection of short stories about incendiary women across the decades who dare to defy convention. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

What a lovely, if somewhat sad, short story this was about two people who find each other during WWII. I would love to read more about Paige's extraordinary life.

This is my favorite book of the collection so far.

[Ann Caroprese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brave woman saves war effort communication device

A young woman who had no family meets an American GI. They are just friends and he is secretive about his work. They start a whirlwind Romance be because he is shipping out in the morning . A tragedy in the form of a bomb strikes and she must find a way to ensure that her fiance's secret work continues. Strong woman series
M

[Carla · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this short story and was looking forward to reading it. The topics of World War II and bookstores will always catch my attention and interest. Unfortunately, the story was overly formulaic and a bit hokey. The main character is named Paige and she works in a bookstore (eye roll)!

[MiMi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh this one was so sad!!

The story starts off with our main FMC receiving a package from her daughter. In the package is something near and dear to her heart that she lost decades ago. This leads to her telling her daughter the story of how this special item came to be hers in the first place.
Picture the beginning story of titanic and how it all started.
So good

[Haley Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good resistance story during the war! Young lady in London falls in love with an American who tragically is killed in an air raid but she ends up saving the important SIGSALY machine! The machine helped get messages to and from the Allies during the war.

[Alayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best of the Blaze collection so far. Maybe I’m a sucker for a love story, but this one was lovely and tragic. I especially loved that she was able to share it with her daughter so many years later.

[Dirty Dayna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this its a bristish woman who falls in love with an American and loses her first love and finds a new future in her story . i needed more of the history explained to really help sell it for me.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this one! I would have loved to have seen a will novel with these characters. I truly believe come into our lives for a reason. Touching!