On the eve of the Nazi occupation, in the heart of Brussels, life for the residents of 33 Place Brugmann is about to change forever.

Charlotte Sauvin, an art student raised by her beloved architect father in apartment 4L, knows all the details of the building and its people: how light falls on wood floors and voices echo off the marble staircase, the distinct knock of her dear friend, Julian Raphaël, the son of the art dealer’s family across the hall. Then the Raphaëls disappear, leaving everything behind but their priceless art collection, which has simply vanished.

All else that’s familiar fractures when whispers of German occupation become reality, and the lives of the residents grow increasingly intertwined. Charlotte’s godmother Masha, a beautiful seamstress living upstairs, deepens her risky affair with a wartime compatriot of Colonel Warlemont in 3L—a man far more calculating than his neighbors believe. When a Nazi functionary with an interest in the Raphaëls moves into the building, knowing who can and cannot be trusted becomes a matter of life and death.

In the face of their perilous new reality, every member of this accidental community will discover they are not the person they believed themself to be. When confronted with a cruel choice—submit to the regime or risk their lives to save one another—each learns the truth about what, and who, matters to them the most.

A propulsive and exquisitely written tour de force, 33 Place Brugmann champions the restorative power of love, courage, and art in times of great threat.

Praise for 33 Place Brugmann:

A Winter/Spring 2025 Indies Introduce Pick

“As the threat of Nazi occupation looms over the residents of an apartment building in Brussels, the sudden disappearance of the Raphaëls, the Jewish family in 4R, sows distrust and fear among neighbors . . . Austen ably shifts viewpoints by chapter, allowing for multiple perspectives on characters whose stories weave together as they endure the war’s progression.”—Washington Post, “10 Noteworthy Books for March”

“Astonishingly accomplished . . . Though the story contains its share of heartbreak, it’s the most fun we’ve had reading about World War II in years.”—Marion Winik, Oprah Daily

“The title of Alice Austen’s 33 Place Brugmann points us to the address of an apartment building in a prosperous Brussels neighborhood, a district full of Parisian-style mansions, quiet parks and elegant boutiques . . . The building and its community would stand as a model of bourgeois stability were it not for the time period: It is August 1939, and the outbreak of war is about to throw the country into chaos . . . Austen’s nimble debut follows this group’s fortunes through the Nazi invasion and occupation of Belgium . . . The elegant Brussels building becomes a poignant microcosm of wartime alliances and betrayals.”—Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal

“Through an arresting symphony of the residents’ voices, debut novelist Austen carves a special place in the much-surveyed landscape of Holocaust fiction, especially in her homage to the importance of art. Equally remarkable is her ability to bestow attention on each of the many characters while still driving the plot forward . . . In a powerfully well-written novel, the most chilling thought is subtly said, ‘What is thinkable is also possible.’”—Poornima Apt, Booklist (starred review)

“An impressive display of Austen’s storytelling skill . . . unfurling an unusually colorful and intelligent, poignant and rich World War II novel, a special treat for the many fans of that genre . . . As the novel rotates among its plethora of first-person narrators, each with a distinctive voice, from the wry and cultured Sauvin to the horrible busybody Miss Hobert in 3R, the issue of how to live in terrible times is explored with insight, compassion and steeliness . . . Crème de la WWII novel.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) 

“Kaleidoscopic . . . Both epic in scope and intimate.”—Publishers Weekly

“Engrossing . . . With eloquent and tense wartime suspense, the novel 33 Place Brugmann is an intricate character study about individuality and communal connection.”—Meg Nola, Foreword Reviews

“For all the trials these characters endure, the novel celebrates human resilience, the capacity for life-affirming action despite death’s shadow being cast on every home, even the ‘fortress’ of 33 Place Brugmann. Some residents scurry for safety, but others, following Charlotte’s example, learn the beauty of risking oneself to protect others. Readers who enjoyed Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow will find a similar sensibility at work here: an accidental crew of misfits, thrown together by the horrors of war, finding a camaraderie that makes life worth protecting.”—Sean Kinch, Chapter 16

“Powerful . . . an extraordinary book of secrets, betrayal and courage.”—David Herman, Jewish Chronicle

“The world of 33 Place Brugmann is spacious and intricately connected, filled with both horror and brilliant light. Alice Austen uses her considerable gifts to remind us that the past and the present are more connected than we wish to believe, and that vigilance, loyalty and art hold the key to survival. This is a beautiful and deeply engaging novel.”—Ann Patchett, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“Delicate and devastating. disruptive and beautiful, 33 Place Brugmann follows the intertwined lives of the residents of one building in Brussels during Nazi occupation – both within their individual apartments, and also as they try to make their way in the rapidly changing and diminishing outside world. Not only am I filled with admiration for the skill and ambition of this book, I also adored it. It’s a celebration of love, art and human decency when everything is reduced to the basics. It’s bursting with ideas and imagery, it finds courage and love amidst the ruins, and I read with my heart in my mouth.”—Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

“33 Place Brugmann is set in the turmoil of the Nazi occupation of Belgium. Austen’s device of using one apartment building, its memorable tenants, and their individual transformations is brilliant. A compelling and beautiful read.” —Abraham Verghese, New York Times bestselling author of The Covenant of Water

“In 33 Place Brugmann, a seemingly ordinary apartment building in the heart of Brussels becomes a microcosm of a world on the brink of war. Through multiple perspectives, Alice Austen weaves an extraordinary tapestry of lives intertwined by fate, fear, and resilience as Europe teeters on the edge of chaos in 1939. Offering a fresh perspective on a much-written-about era, this profoundly moving novel demonstrates the power of storytelling to illuminate the darkest corners of history.” —Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

“A richly textured, finely written, deeply thoughtful novel that resonates in the mind. A hugely impressive debut.”—William Boyd, author of Gabriel’s Moon 

Reading Group Guide

Written by Je Banach for 33 Place Brugmann.

1. Who are some of the narrators of the novel and why do you think the author chose to tell the story from multiple points of view rather than any singular one? How do each of the inhabitants of 33 Place Brugmann offer unique insights into the lives of their family members, friends, and neighbors? Are they reliable? Alternatively, how well do the narrators seem to know themselves?

2. Consider the novel’s main setting. How does the apartment building allow the author to explore themes of community and interconnectedness while also revealing cultural prejudices and the horror of the times? How are imagery and place used to evoke a sense of history and the passage of time?

3. Many of the characters spend time musing on philosophical subjects and lines of inquiry. Would you say that philosophy is ultimately presented as something useful or superfluous? What do you make of the epigraph from Wittgenstein that opens the novel: “What is thinkable is also possible”? Does it inform the story? If so, how?

4. Consider how the novel explores perspective and ways of seeing. What makes Charlotte’s point of view unique? How do the other characters respond to her difference in perception? Leo observes, “if we are all seeing and understanding everything differently, how could there not be wars?” (37). How are the characters united or otherwise divided by their unique ways of seeing?

5. “Mrs. Raphaël firmly banned all German products, be they music or food or language . . . And what did Mr. Raphaël do with his collection of Wagner recordings in the wake of this pronouncement? I never learn,” Charlotte says (6). The question of whether art should remain separate from the artist is a timely one. Would you say that it is right or “good” to boycott art because of the behavior or culture of its creator? Or should art still be appreciated even if its creator/culture has acted in a problematic way?