Tag Archives: World War 1939-1945

All the Broken Places by John Boyne

21 Friday Apr 2023

Posted by in 20th century, Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Ever since the author wrote his bestseller, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas he knew he would one day write the story about his older sister, Gretel.  I could not put this book down – it’s the best I have read in ages!

“When is a monster’s child culpable? Guilt and complicity are multifaceted. John Boyne is a maestro of historical fiction. You can’t prepare yourself for the magnitude and emotional impact of this powerful novel.”—John Irving, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The World According to Garp

“Clear your calendar. Get All the Broken Places and just don’t make any plans, other than to read and read and read.”—Washington Blade

“A powerful novel about secrets and atonement after Auschwitz… All the Broken Places is a defence of literature’s need to shine a light on the darkest aspects of human nature; and it does so with a novelist’s skill, precision and power.”—The Guardian

“What an incredible feat of storytelling. All the Broken Places is a stark confrontation of evil, an examination of guilt and deflection, and an old-fashioned page-turner. John treads the finest of narrative lines with skill and grace and proves himself yet again to be among the world’s greatest storytellers.” —Donal Ryan, #1 international bestselling author of The Queen of Dirt Island and Strange Flowers

Find this book large print

Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins

02 Wednesday Nov 2022

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

A New Yorker Best Book of 2022

Fifteen years after the publication of Evidence of Things Unseen, National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist Marianne Wiggins returns with a novel destined to be an American classic..(Amazon). I never wanted this book to end.  I just kept slowing down to forestall the inevitable.  A stunner.

“A changing American landscape is beautifully portrayed in PROPERTIES OF THIRST, a moving and gripping new novel by Marianne Wiggins.  At the start of World War II, while Japanese families are relocated to Manzanar, the Rhodes family, who live on a ranch near the camp are equally uprooted by memories and circumstances.  What follows is a rich and powerful portrayal of love, loss, and the enduring strength of family.  A novel to be read and savored.”—Gail Tsukiyama, bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai’s Garden

“A sweeping, cinematic story of love and family set against the dramatic backdrop of World War II and the American West…. What makes the novel soar is the way Wiggins can evoke landscapes both interior and exterior, especially the expansive valley that has come to exemplify America’s best qualities—and its worst. This majestic novel will satisfy those thirsting for an epic saga of love, family, and the complexities of the American way.”—Kirkus *Starred Review* 

“Wiggins manages to capture a big swath of mid-century America by placing a blue-blooded family into a desert inland complete with adobe haciendas, desert blooms, and Hollywood movie sets, while throughout, the Rhodes hold out hope for Stryker’s survival. Wiggins’s masterpiece is one for the ages.”–Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review*

“[a] grand novel of principled and creative individuals caught in the vise of history… Loss, desire, moral dilemmas, reflection, and zesty dialogue with the do-good energy of Frank Capra films generate a WWII home front tale of profound and far-ranging inquiry and imagination, scintillating humor, intrepid romance, and conscience.”—Booklist *Starred Review*

“Masterful…. Readers won’t be able to look away. Wiggins’ characters are raw and honest… [her] writing, which can be fragmented or polished depending on the page, opens up microscopic universes and sprawling landscapes alike. It’s a joy to read.”—Bookpage *Starred Review*

Find this book large print audio cd’s

The Nazis Knew My Name: A Remarkable Story of Survival and Courage in Auschwitz by Magda Hellinger and Maya Lee

06 Saturday Aug 2022

Posted by in 20th century, Biography, History, Non-fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Having heard this author on NPR describing an excerpt from the book where her mother slapped a prisoner and yanked her off a wagon – what was criticized as harsh – but , there and then, actually saved that prisoner’s life as well as hundreds of other prisoners’ lives. I was intrigued to discover how she herself managed to survive having been one of the first Jews to be sent to Auschwitz.

“For too long, the stories of people like Magda, who were forced to make unthinkable choices, have remained untold. Unsentimental and filled with detail of her courageous dealings with notorious Nazis this is an important book that provides a rare insight into everyday life in the hellish structure of concentration camps. This thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Holocaust.” —Ariana Neumann, New York Times bestselling author of When Time Stopped

“[A] compelling and seamless portrait of a young woman who managed to sur­vive and save others through cunning bravery and compassionate leadership… an extraordinary portrait of one woman who fought for others in the midst of unimaginable horror.” —BookPage (starred review)

“Hellinger has written an important perspective of the Holocaust, of a kind that we rarely see. A standout memoir that will draw the interest of readers of World War II history and women’s memoirs or biographies.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Magda’s own words, completed by her daughter’s copious research, create an unputdownable account of resilience and the power of compassion.” —Booklist

Find this book large print audio cd’s

Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II by Daniel James Brown

18 Friday Feb 2022

Posted by in 20th century, action, History, Non-fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat, Brown has done it again.

“Daniel James Brown brings to life the gripping true story of Japanese Americans whose steely heroism fought Nazism abroad and racism at home.  Bound by Japanese values of filial piety, giri (social obligation) and gaman (endurance) and forged in the crucible of brutal combat, the soldiers served the very country that locked their families in American concentration camps for no crime other than looking like the enemy while camp resisters fought for justice denied.”—Lori L. Matsukawa, News anchor, KING TV, Seattle

“Facing the Mountain is more than just the story of a group of young men whose valor helped save a country that spurned them, it’s a fascinating, expertly written look at selfless heroes who emerged from one of the darkest periods of American history — soldiers the likes of which this country may never see again.”—NPR.org

“Daniel James Brown has a way of wrapping himself around a big and complicated subject with such subtlety and grace that we don’t at first realize how fast the pages are turning, or how much fascinating material we’ve absorbed. In Facing the Mountain, all the skills of this master storyteller are once again on display, as he surely leads us to the emotional heart of a fraught and sprawling World War II story most of us knew nothing about.” —Hampton Sides, NYT bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground

“Masterly… An epic story of four Japanese-American families and their sons who volunteered for military service and displayed uncommon heroism and grit to serve their country… propulsive and gripping read… it’s a page-turner—a testament to Mr. Brown’s storytelling gifts.”—Wall Street Journal

Find this book large print audio cd’s playaway

Our Darkest Night: a novel of Italy and the Second World War by Jennifer Robson

13 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

I have read many novels about World War II, but few that cover the Italian Resistance. In Our Darkest Night, a Jewish woman escapes Venice to live with a family in the countryside and hide from authorities by posing as the wife of a young farmer. This book is gripping historical fiction as well as a love story.

“Robson shines with this stellar WWII story. The brutal reality and atrocities of war are on full view with devastating clarity. Expert characterizations and perfect pacing are rounded out by lyrical prose … This will break readers’ hearts.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A powerful, emotional, and unflinching story of love, sacrifice, and resilience during one of history’s darkest moments, Jennifer Robson’s Our Darkest Night is historical fiction at its finest. Robson’s

beautiful prose evokes a visceral reaction as she creates memorable, extraordinary characters in a richly detailed setting that comes alive for the reader.”  — Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author 

“Jennifer Robson pens a tale of devastating simplicity and poignant sweetness, superbly grounded in the horrors of fascist Italy. A Jewish medical student escapes deportation by trading her native Venice for rural farm life, posing as the Catholic wife of a priest-in-training turned resistance fighter–but at what cost to her faith, her unwitting new family, and the man she is coming to love?”  — Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Huntress

Find this book large print audio cd’s

Code Name Hélène: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon

19 Friday Mar 2021

Posted by in Biographical fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This engaging work of historical fiction is based on the real life figure of Nancy Wake. Raised in Australia, she works as a freelance journalist in Europe during the 1930s and falls in love with a French man. As the country enters World War II, Nancy is drawn into the French Resistance, where she uses her intelligence, strength, and wit to go on several dangerous missions. Nancy Wake — who went by many code names besides Hélène — lived an incredible life, reflected in this page-turner.

“Fascinating”
—NEW YORK POST “REQUIRED READING”

“A spellbinding work of historical fiction. . . [and] one of the most sensual romance novels you’ve ever read. . . She is real, this really did happen is the mantra you may find yourself repeating, in awe of every page.”—BOOKPAGE, *STARRED*

“Magnificent. . . Lawhon carries us into the heart of the French resistance [and] into the mind of a badass heroine with uncanny instincts who takes on the Nazis and men’s arrogant sexism with uncommon bravado. . . Even long after the last page is turned, this astonishing story of Wake’s accomplishments will hold readers in its grip.”—BOOKLIST, *STARRED*

“Readers will be transfixed by the story of a woman who should be a household name.”–LIBRARY JOURNAL *STARRED*

Find this book large print

Atonement by Ian McEwan

07 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

An imaginative 13-year old girl sets off a serious chain of events after she witnesses an interaction between her older sister and a young man. Set in England before and during World War II, this is a beautifully written novel about stories, perception, and memory.

“Brilliant. . . . McEwan could be the most psychologically astute writer working today, our era’s Jane Austen.” —Esquire

“Enthralling. . . . With psychological insight and a command of sensual and historical detail, Mr. McEwan creates an absorbing fictional world.” —The Wall Street Journal

“His most complete and passionate book to date.” —The New York Times Book Review

Find this book          large print             audio cd’s            dvd          playaway

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

21 Friday Sep 2018

Posted by in Fiction, Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Named One of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, Esquire, Vogue, The Washington Post, The Guardian, USA TODAY, Time • A New York Times Notable Book

“A magnificent achievement, at once a suspenseful noir intrigue and a transporting work of lyrical beauty and emotional heft” (The Boston Globe), “Egan’s first foray into historical fiction makes you forget you’re reading historical fiction at all” (Elle).  Experience Anna Kerrigan’s world as the first woman diver at the Brooklyn Naval Yard just after Pearl Harbor and her search for her missing father that weaves in and out of a world of gangsters, sailors, bankers, and union men.

“Egan’s propulsive, surprising, ravishing, and revelatory saga, a covertly profound page-turner that will transport and transform every reader, casts us all as divers in the deep, searching for answers, hope, and ascension.”—Booklist (starred review)

“This large, ambitious novel shows Egan at the top of her game. Anna is a true feminist heroine, and her grit and tenacity will make readers root for her.”—Library Journal (starred review) 

“Tremendously assured and rich, moving from depictions of violence and crime to deep tenderness. The book’s emotional power once again demonstrates Egan’s extraordinary gifts.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Find this book         large print                audio cd’s                  playaway

Crooked Heart by Lissa Evans

25 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by in England, Fiction, Historical Fiction, London

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a funny World War II book before, until this one. Noel is a 10-year old orphan assigned to live with Vera, a single mother living outside London. Noel is very smart, Vera is very desperate to earn money, and together they make an unlikely duo. This book has a lot of humor, great characters, and just the right amount of emotion.

“I try not to say, ‘If there’s one novel you should read this summer..’ but Crooked Heart tempts me to say it.” (Scott Simon, NPR)

“Crooked Heart explores the Blitz during World War II from two utterly inventive perspectives…. A charming, slanted counterpoint to Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.” (Library Journal, starred review)

“In ‘Crooked Heart,’ Lissa Evans’s absorbing and atmospheric comic novel, another quietly heroic orphan joins the canon….This is a wonderfully old-fashioned Dickensian novel, with satisfying plot twists….Both darkly funny and deeply touching….It’s a crooked journey, straight to the heart.” (New York Times Book Review)

“The most purely charming read of the summer…. The novel’s heart may be crooked, but it is completely in the right place. And if wanting a happy ending for this offbeat pair is wrong, I can’t imagine a reader on earth who would want to be right.” (Christian Science Monitor)

Find this book              large print              playaway

The Paris Architect: a Novel by Charles Belfoure

11 Tuesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Historical Fiction

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

9781402294150_p0_v3_s118x184

The author himself is an architect. He has chosen a time in history – Vichy France, 1942 – where his main character, the gifted Lucien Bernard, will be put to the test.  Desperate for income, Lucien says yes to the Germans for the opportunity of his career to design a building despite it being a munitions factory. But then, his wealthy French benefactor asks him to risk his life to design invisible spaces to hide Jews. The architect’s decisions alter his very being.  An extra plus: an interview with the author as well as a Reading Group Guide are included.

“A beautiful and elegant account of an ordinary man’s unexpected and reluctant descent into heroism during the second world war.” –Malcolm Gladwell

A thrilling debut novel of World War II Paris, from an author who’s been called “an up and coming Ken Follett.” (Booklist)

Find this book           large print              audio cd’s