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Any suggestions on historical fiction especially WWII stories?

I love reading historical fiction especially WWII stories. Any suggestions?

Tina #recommend #historical fiction

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88 Answers

Alli

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

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Rosemarie

It’s memoir, not fiction but . . . Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search For Meaning.

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Kris

We Were The Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter

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Bonnie

Secrets for a charmed life.

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Tildah

The Storyteller – Jodi Piccoult

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Sandra

The series that starts with Churchill’s Secretary. Rhys Bowen also has a light mystery series called Her Royal Spyness set during that period. The British Library and Poisoned Pen Press are republishing a bunch of Golden Age mystery fiction a lot set in that time period.

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Sean

The nightingale
All quiet on the water front (Ww1)
The book thief
Alone in Berlin
The boy in the striped pyjamas

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TinaQuestion author

Great suggestions! I’ve read 2 of them. The Nightingale is on my list.

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Sean

memoirs of a geisha too , it’s got a little bit of the WW in it too but it’s based in Japan rather be than Germany or British etc

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TinaQuestion author

@Sean read it & loved it! I couldn’t put it down.

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Sean

@Tina me too, it’s one of my favourites

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Sean

@Tina me too, it’s one of my favourites

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Missy

All the light we cannot see

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TinaQuestion author

Read it! Great book.

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Debra

Jacqueline Winspear’s Masie Dobbs series and Susan MacNeal’s Maggie Hope series.

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Komet

Saw Jackie Winspear speak about her latest Maisie Dobbs novel last week (April 3, 2018).

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Debra

@Komet I just finished it yesterday … wonderful, as always!

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Nikki

Code Name Verity

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Steve

Loved it!

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Rebecca

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys – reading it now and loving it! (My 8th grader read it for school and loved it)

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Anne

I just finished The Life of Objects about an hour ago. It is really good
A young Irish girl goes to live with wealthy Germans just before the war and stays with them throughout. It is written like a memoir and might be considered “flat” like reporting but I found it fascinating. It got better and better as it went on.

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Amy

Code name verity, salt to sea, goodnight from London, everyone brave is forgiven, the Paris spy, a bridge across the ocean, a woman in Berlin, the nazi officers wife, the rape of Nanking, lilac girls, the Alice network, the orphans tale, all the light we cannot see, Sarah’s key, atonement, letters from home, girl in the blue coat, from sand and ash, stolen journey, the book thief, the boy in the striped pajamas, the Alice network, winter in Madrid, in farleigh field, eye of the needle, night. Got these recommendations from another post.

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TinaQuestion author

Sarah’s Key is one of my absolute favorites! Lilac Girls was really good too.

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Mary

Wow..Eye of the Needle! Great book! When I saw the movie the island was exactly as I imagined it while reading! Blast from the past!

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Carolyn

Great list!

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Sherlynn

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

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Anne

The Women in the Castle is another good one.

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Crystal

The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman, Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay, Songs of the Night series by Jack Cavanaugh, Rosey Corner series by Ann Gabhart, The Ring by Danielle Steel.

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JV

The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Diary of a Young Girl

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TinaQuestion author

Read all of those! Thank you.

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Kim

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. It is non-fiction but reads with more intensity and emotion than any novel I’ve read. ❤❤❤

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Crystal

just got it last month. look forward to reading it next january for WWII month

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Kim

@Crystal it is truly one of the best books I’ve ever read of any genre. I hope you love it too.

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Judy

Who is the author? I can’t find a book by this name. Help!

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Kim

@Judy Check out this book on Goodreads: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8664353-unbroken

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Amy

Wow. Lots to read
Thanks all.

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Judy

The Tulip Eaters is excellent!

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Crystal

I just looked this up. now it is on my must find and read list

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Aubrey

The Book Thief, All the Light We Cannot See

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Matthew

Anything by Len Deighton. (No relation)

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Marla

The Book Thief

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Caitlyn

The nightingale and lilac girls are on my list of faves!

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Leigh

Playing with fire by Tess Gerritsen!

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Maureen

Sophie’s Choice, All the Light We Cannot See. The Nightingale.

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Mary

Under the scarlet sky
The Alice Network

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Mary

These were good reads from that list:
Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, The Nazi Officers Wife, Lilac Girls, The Alice Network, The Orphans Tale, Sarah’s Key, The Book Thief, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Eye of the Needle.

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Miri

Check out this book on Goodreads: A Pledge of Silence https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23744300-a-pledge-of-silence

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Miri

Lilac girls, The book theif, From sand to ash, The Undesirables and Room on Rue Amelie were also really good.

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Karen

Herman Wouk’s books.

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Sharron

Evelyn Anthony write several books about Ww11.
Stranger at the Gates
The Rendevous

The Cold War
The Tamarind Seed
The Doll House

These books were fantastic. She is an English writer.

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Saima

The Mother by Maxim Gorky

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Jennifer

Winds of War and War and Rememberance

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Hincu

The best I’ve read are The gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Cemetery of forgotten books series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (even though the action takes place immediately after WWII, at least in the first book; the next books turn back in time depending on certain characters’ stories).

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Gwen

Following I love wwll stories/books

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Kristina

Me too! But I prefer 1500-1900 historical fiction ???

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Mary

Check out The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17345258

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Kim

This one was good!

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Leslie

Winds of War and War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk.

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Luca

Hilary Mantel is my favorite author for historical fiction

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Mary

Unbroken by Laura Hillibrand. Completely wonder book.

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TinaQuestion author

Great book!

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Kim

YES!

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Sergio

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark @Amber.

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Carol

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky. I’ve just started it and am enjoying it so far 🙂 C x

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Diana

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

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Kristina

Hear hear ??‍♀️

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Julie

The One Man is great.

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Savita

Commenting to follow comments. Hist Fic is my favourite genre and I’m always on the lookout for suggestions.

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Komet

THE CRUEL SEA by Nicholas Monsarrat. One of the BEST novels I’ve ever read. Full stop.

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Lisa

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

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Catherine

The Bakers Secret

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Komet

WINTER ON THE MERSEY by Annie Groves. “Kitty, on active service as a WREN (Women’s Royal Naval Service), has been transferred from London back to her native Merseyside in 1944. There she meets up again with Frank Feeny, the officer who has always had a place in her heart. Britain is on the verge of victory. But will Kitty embrace the future and learn to love again?”

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Meghan

Couldn’t put “All the Light We Cannot See” down – 500+ pages, read it in 2 days.

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Kim

I’m reading it now but it will take more than two days with those pesky work distractions and the kids. ? I’m glad you loved it!

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Meghan

@Kim I stayed up until like 3a each night! I used to do that all the time when I was younger, it’s so fun [and exhausting!] to do that every once in a while.

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Chrystal

Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris.

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Kim

@Meghan I like to do that when there’s no school. I wouldn’t be able to work. My principal boss-lady would frown upon that. ? zzzz ? zzzz Summer’s coming!

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Michael

“Fools and Mortals” by Bernard Cornwell or any of his books.

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Janet

Jacquline Windspear

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Denise

All the Light We Cannot See, The Lilac Girls, The Nightingale

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TinaQuestion author

Loved the Lilac Girls! Read All the Light. Just waitlisted The Nightingale at my local library. Thank you.

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TinaQuestion author

Thank you!!

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Erin

The Zion Covenant Series by Bodie Thoene! Amazing!! The first one is called Vienna Prelude.

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Frances

Suite Francaise- terrific

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Subhadip

The Nightingale by Kristine Hannah.

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Donna

Just finished Farleigh Field good easy read

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Rosalie

The Sixth Lamentation.

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Stephanie

Books by Leon Uris

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