The Paris Library is historical fiction based on the true story of the American Library in Paris, which managed to remain open during the German occupation in World War II. The main character is young librarian Odile Souchet who, along with her coworkers, defies the occupiers in the best way she can – primarily by smuggling books to the library’s Jewish subscribers, who were recently banned from entering the building.
Continue readingCategory Archives: WWII Fiction
Audio Book Review: All the Broken Places by John Boyne, Narrated by Kristin Atherton
All the Broken Places is a gripping historical fiction novel that tells the story of Gretel Fernsby, whose father oversaw one of the Nazi’s worst concentration camps during World War II. Gretel’s brother was Bruno, one of the main characters in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin, Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld
The Last Bookshop in London is a historical fiction novel set in London during the German blitzkrieg of World War II. The story explores how the power of a good book can temporarily soothe anxiety during a crisis and transport readers away from dangerous realities. The novel also has strong themes of love, relationships, duty, human decency, and perseverance. Continue reading
29 Top-rated World War II Novels for Fans of Historical Fiction
There’s a good reason World War II fiction is such a popular book genre. The war was a classic case of good versus evil, with both heroic and haunting moments to read and write about. Continue reading
Book Review: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Life After Life explores the concept of reincarnation and how simple decisions can fundamentally alter the course of one’s life. Although I mostly liked it, the story got bogged down in the middle and ended ambiguously. Continue reading
Book Review: The Secret of Santa Vittoria by Robert Crichton
The Secret of Santa Vittoria takes place in a small village in the mountains of Italy during WWII. It is a brilliant commentary about human nature, relying on deadpan and sometimes dark humor to cover topics like love, honor, power, community dynamics and prejudices. Robert Crichton cleverly weaves a parable that pits Italian peasants against German soldiers in a cat and mouse game involving the wine that serves as the lifeblood of the little village. Continue reading
Book Review: The Tuscan Child, by Rhys Bowen
In The Tuscan Child, Joanna Langley is distraught when her estranged father dies. Regretting that she didn’t know him better, she travels to the Tuscany region of Italy to find out more about what happened to him when he was shot down in the area during World War II. But someone wants the secrets of the past to stay buried. Continue reading
Book Review: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
World War II Italy is the setting for Beneath a Scarlet Sky, an engrossing novel based on the wartime experiences of teenager Pino Lella. Although it’s based on actual events, it reads like a thriller that has a lot of suspense and a lot of heart. Continue reading
“The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir”, by Jennifer Ryan
Set in England during WWII, “The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir” focuses on the war’s impact on a small group of women as told through fictitious journal entries and letters to family and friends. Continue reading
Book Review: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
The Secret Keeper is a really well-written and cleverly structured mystery that spans a couple of generations in Great Britain. Great characters and a hard to predict ending make it a top notch read! Continue reading
