15% off
1
of
1
The American Boys
Brief Description
1942 in Wellington, and the war has never felt closer. Lorna's older brothers are overseas fighting for their lives, and as the war in the Pacific rages on, 20,000 American troops are sent to keep New Zealand safe. Few are happy about it—the locals want their...
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
Save 15% Off
Savings are calculated from our regular price of
$32.99
compared to the current price of
$28.00.
$2800
$3799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
On Sale
in
Father's Day Sale
until
7 Sep or
while stocks last
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
The American Boys
$2800
$3799
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Latest News
From Page to Panel: The Rise of Graphic Novel Adaptations
Discover why graphic novel adaptations are booming, from ‘Dune’ and ‘Sapiens’ to ‘Call Me by...
Why You Should Read Folk Horror!
If you're looking for a new read and haven't yet tried Folk Horror as a...
Movie Review on The End of Oak Street
Lizzy and Roopa are sharing their reviews of The End of Oak Street, a movie...
We Expanded Our Board Game Range…400+ New Games in Stock Now!
Board game week has arrived at Book Hero! 🎲 We’ve expanded our range, with 400...
What We Played: A Weekend Full of Board Games
What happens when you fill an entire weekend with board games? From family games with...
See more
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
1942 in Wellington, and the war has never felt closer. Lorna's older brothers are overseas fighting for their lives, and as the war in the Pacific rages on, 20,000 American troops are sent to keep New Zealand safe. Few are happy about it—the locals want their own boys back, and the Americans find their post at the end of the world strange and hostile. They do enjoy meeting the Kiwi girls, though, and when one of Lorna's friends drags her along on a double date, she befriends Stan, a Marine from Chicago.
Stan is handsome and kind; the golden boy of his family. While he is posted overseas, his unruly younger brother Alfie joins the Marines and ends up in Wellington as well. Lorna struggles to connect with Alfie like she did with Stan: Alfie infuriates her. Yet when he leaves to fight, she thinks of him often, which feels like a betrayal to both Stan and her brothers.
As Lorna, her family, and the American boys navigate life in wartime Wellington, the war itself is never far, and its consequences will find them no matter where they go.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781869718510
Publisher: Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 28 October 2025
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Moa Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Weight: 300g
Pages: 400
About the Author
In a former life, Olivia Spooner worked as a Community and Hospital Pharmacist in Auckland, Wellington, and London. As a health professional she met many people from all walks of life, and discovered that listening to a patient or caregiver's story is one of the most powerful medicines anyone can prescribe.
For the past fifteen years she has pursued her passion for writing alongside raising three children and running her own business. Luckily, as owner-operator of gorgeous independent bookstore, The Booklover, she's able to indulge in her love of books and reading, and still carve out time to write. She is the number one bestselling author of two historical fiction novels, The Girl from London and The Songbirds of Florence.Also by Olivia Spooner
View all-
18% offThe Girl from London
A page-turning, emotional story inspired by little known true events in WWII, this No. 1 bestselling novel is perfect for fans of Kelly Rimmer, Kristin Hannah, Kate Quinn and Natasha Lester. London, 1940. Ruth, a young schoolteacher, helps to evacuate children from war-torn England to Australia and New Zealand. On their dangerous voyage, Ruth forms a bond with troubled nine-year-old,...Paperback$2300Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
19% offThe Songbirds of Florence
A sweeping, captivating WWII story of enduring love and extraordinary bravery from the No. 1 bestselling author of The Girl from London. In 1942, a group of young women arrive in Cairo, Egypt. The Tuis, named after the beautiful New Zealand songbird, are the first women from their country to serve overseas. They are to provide respite and a touch...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pre-orderThe Flying Girls
A gripping drama from the #1 bestselling author, inspired by the pioneering female pilots who served with the Air Transport Auxiliary during World War II. Initially viewed with scepticism, these women became a crucial, high-skilled, and often unsung force that ferried 309,000 aircraft—from trainers to heavy bombers—from factories to Royal Air Force frontline bases, freeing up male combat pilots. The...Paperback$3799Unit price /UnavailableOut 3 Nov 2026Pre-order -
The Songbirds of Florence
A sweeping, captivating, inspiring WWII story from the No.1 bestselling author of The Girl from London. In 1942, a group of young women arrive in Cairo, Egypt. The Tuis, named after the beautiful New Zealand songbird, are the first women from their country to serve overseas. They are to provide respite and a touch of home to weary soldiers returning...PaperbackSold Out -
A Bumpy Year
Pre-order now Pregnant. Single. Dating. It's going to be... a bumpy year! Trish Kirkpatrick never expected to find herself unmarried, pregnant... and not entirely sure who the baby's father is. With her ex, Pete, and her colleague, Elliot, in line for daddy duty while waiting on the DNA results, Trish finds her complicated world getting even more chaotic when a...PaperbackSold Out
More from Historical Fiction
View all-
The Parisian Chapter
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library and The Librarians of Rue de Picardie comes a charming and cinematic novel following a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter.'Stirring and rich with detail' New York Times...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Inferno
AD 60. Nero Claudius Caesar is Emperor. He is feared for his temper. He is known to be intoxicated by the power he wields. And why not? The Roman Empire stretches from the wilds of Britain to the deserts of Parthia. Nero is god of all he surveys. Yet dangerous traitors lie close at hand. Generals commanding legions. Senators whispering...Paperback$3100Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Circle of Days
From the master of epic fiction comes the deeply human story of one of the world's greatest mysteries: the building of Stonehenge. A FLINT MINER WITH A GIFT Seft, a talented flint miner, walks the Great Plain in the high summer heat, to witness the rituals that signal the start of a new year. He is there to trade his...Hardback$4499Elsewhere:$6000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Soldier's Daughter
The heart-stopping new blockbuster by the bestselling author of The Fallen Woman. Violet Nash has grown up in the shadows of her father Charlie's shattered dreams. It's been years since he walked away from the battlefields of France, a WWI hero but his heart in tatters, only to see it broken all over again in the worst way possible. In...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Girl with the Suitcase
The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author. London 1941 When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth, she realises their lives couldn't be more different. But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground, Mary's life is set to change forever. After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Lost Bookshop
Evie Woods' stunning new novel The Story Collector is available now. The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. ‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’ On a quiet street in...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$2500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
All the Diamonds in Paris
Kristin Harmel is firmly in the top echelon of WW2 storytellers - HEATHER MORRIS A master storyteller - SANTA MONTEFIORE The best at sweeping historical drama - KELLY HARMS A dazzling diamond of a novel - HAZEL GAYNOR * Paris, 1942: Anabel Martinet is a jewel thief, descended from a family that has spent centuries stealing from the unkind and...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
19% offThe Listeners
‘By turns a beautiful love story, a fascinating glimpse into the horrors of history and a haunting tale of loyalty and courage. A marvel of storytelling’ CHRIS WHITAKER, bestselling author of All the Colours of the Dark The Avallon Hotel offers unrivalled luxury in the wild Appalachian Mountains, its curative sweetwater washing away the troubles of high society. June 'Hoss'...Paperback$2900Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Song of Achilles
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a brilliantly crafted retelling of the ancient Greek epic of Achilles and Patroclus, transforming the classical myth into a profoundly moving love story. Set against the richly depicted backdrop of Greece during the heroically tumultuous age, the narrative follows Patroclus, an awkward and exiled young prince, who is taken to the court...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Buy to WinMythos
Mythos by Stephen Fry is a compelling retelling of the classic Greek myths, reimagined with a wit and elegance that only Fry can deliver. This volume transports the reader to a world where mortals intertwine with the divine, and the timeless tales unfold in a spellbinding narrative that captures the imagination. From the cosmogony—the birth of the cosmos—to the exploits...Paperback$2200Elsewhere:$3000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Four Winds
Kristin Hannah is a classic storyteller and The Four Winds sees her at the top of her game - Matt Haig Powerful and compelling - Delia Owens, number one international bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing A story of love, family, unbreakable bonds, bravery and hope. I loved this book so much! - Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The...Paperback$2000Elsewhere:$2499Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Lost Apothecary
Hidden in the depths of eighteenth-century London, a secret apothecary shop caters to an unusual kind of clientele. Women across the city whisper of a mysterious figure named Nella who sells well-disguised poisons to use against the oppressive men in their lives. But the apothecary's fate is jeopardised when her newest patron, a precocious twelve-year-old, makes a fatal mistake, sparking...Paperback$2500Elsewhere:$2799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
