Who wrote Millie Bobby Brown’s debut novel ‘Nineteen Steps’?

Best known for her role as Eleven in Netflix’s hit series, ‘Stranger Things’, Millie Bobby Brown has accumulated praise from fans and critics alike for work on the supernatural series as well as her roles in ‘Enola Holmes’, ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ and more.

As the actress tackled new adventures with her debut novel Nineteen Steps, she has begun to receive push back on it once fans became aware that the novel was ghost written.

What is ‘Nineteen Steps’ about?

Nineteen Steps is a historical fiction that tells the story of 18-year-old Nellie Morris during WWII. After an encounter with an American airman, a horrific incident occurs during an air raid which results in catastrophic consequences.

“Inspired by my Nanny Ruth, this book is very personal and close to my heart,” Brown said in a statement. “I grew up listening to stories about her time living through the war.

“I’m honored to keep her story alive,” she concluded.

Brown’s grandmother survived the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, which became the largest single loss of civilian life in the UK during WWII.

“I 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,” Editor Liz Stein said.

The novel was published by William Morrow and Company, an imprint to leading publishing house, HarperCollins.

Did she really write the book?

In short, no. Nineteen Steps was ghost-written by Kathleen McGurl, an author from Bournemouth, England with several best-selling titles under her belt. Millie’s family supplied the inspiration, and McGurl took that original story and put pen to paper as it were.

What is a ghost writer?

A ghostwriter is a person hired to write literary works that are credited to another person as the author. It is quite common, even perhaps normal, for celebrities, executives, and political figures to hire ghostwriters to either draft or edit their autobiographies and memoirs.

And in this sense, there is nothing untoward about it. These people are experts at their own field and writing, like any other profession, is a craft that takes decades of experience to master. It would be remarkable indeed if an individual was a brilliant scientist or economist and also a literary genius.

Where is the harm?

Many fans who feel upset with Brown are more upset with the way that she announced the news.

“I’m thrilled to be announcing my debut novel, Nineteen Steps, which will be publishing on 12th September 2023,” Brown wrote on Instagram last year. “Nineteen Steps is a historical novel about an amazing, courageous 18-year-old woman called Nellie Morris, who lives with her family in Bethnal Green, in London’s East End, while the second world war rages on around them.

“When a tragic accident occurs during an air raid one night, the consequences are catastrophic - and life will never be the same again for Nellie,” she continued.

“Writing Nineteen Steps has been a really special project for me,” Brown added.

She continued, “The story is inspired by true events and my own family history. I really hope you will find the true spirit of love and strength in Nineteen Steps, and I can’t wait to share it with you. It’s available to pre-order now.”

The revelation that Brown did not in fact write the story has rankled fans, although many who have actually read the book have defended it as a great read. After all, how many people claim to have “designed” or “built” their own homes, when in fact it was trained architects and construction companies who actually did the work?