Its a biography – Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimmons – she was an absolute legend. At one point she was the Gestapo’s most wanted with a capture reward of 5 million francs. Incredible book.
The Bomb Girls by Daisy Styles. Lovely story all about women who came together in a munitions factory in WW2. Obviously centres on the munitions factory but several other women’s roles involved too.
Judith Kerr wrote a terrific book for young people called “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit”. Her dad was a journalist in Germany and he was hunted for speaking out against Hitler so the family escaped, first to France and then to England. There are two sequels about her life in London during the war that are also great.
True story but not in book form. Paradise Road about nurses who left Singapore when invaded, then in Japanese prisoner of war camp. They created a human “voice orchestra” in the camp. Stars Meryl Streep or Glenn Close – sorry can’t keep those two straight. It is an incredible film!
@Nancy I didn’t think it was wonderfully written but the compelling story overcomes any defects in style. When I was a child, one of our neighbors was in the same group of women POW’s (though not a member of the choir) and many of the stories reminded me of stories she had told.
I think I did research on it and the Choir continued in San Francisco. I know I have read other books about WW II nurses that didn’t get medals or compensation. Until way after the war.
Three Came Home (biography of American woman imprisoned by Japanese with her son; husband imprisoned separately), A Town Like Alice (fiction of women marched around the Malay peninsula), the Bletchley Girls (true story behind the tv show), Helmets & Lipstick (true story about first US nurses sent into combat).
Izzy’s War by Isla Dewar, about Land Girls working in the Forestry side of things. Also Another Time, Another Place by Jessie Kesson about Italian POWs in Aberdeenshire
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale if you haven’t already read it
On recommendations from this club I bought it yesterday . Just finished The Land Girls by Roland Moore.
The lilac girls
Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Fawkes
Ooh and Nightwatch by Sara Waters
The Alice network.
A train in winter
Dear Mrs Bird
Coming home
Island in the East
The Women in the Castle, The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir. Also look up the biography of Sophie Scholl.
The lilac girls
The alice network
The Night Watch – Sarah Waters
The Nightingale.
This one is great!!!
The Literary Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society x
Sarah Waters …. tittle ….. The Night Watch….. a fab read and one I wish I could read for the first time ….. xxxx
All But My Life..Gerda weissman Klein..
Karolinas twins by ronald Balson
Its a biography – Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimmons – she was an absolute legend. At one point she was the Gestapo’s most wanted with a capture reward of 5 million francs. Incredible book.
Awesome book
Anything by Katie Flynn. They are based around ww2
Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks
Dear Mrs Bird
Shelter by Sarah Franklin – it’s about a WW2 lumberjill (Women’s Timber Corps) in the Forest of Dean.
The seven year dress
The Nightingale
Fantastic read
All her books are wonderful
Small island by Andrea levy
Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by @Rachel
The Poppy girls by Margaret Dickinson
Life After Life – Kate Atkinson
The nightingale
The All Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion, Fannie Flagg.
I was going to suggest that one too, but I had to look up the title because I didn’t want to get all those words out of order! Haha
The Alice network!!
A Woman In Berlin by Anonymous. Both the book and the movie are excellent. Unlike any other story in this genre that I have ever read.
The Bomb Girls by Daisy Styles. Lovely story all about women who came together in a munitions factory in WW2. Obviously centres on the munitions factory but several other women’s roles involved too.
The dressmaker of dachau is really good! By Mary chamberlain I think x
The Betrayal by Kate Furnival
The Siege by Helen Dunmore is an excellent read (about the Siege of Leningrad)
A Life in Secrets: Vera Atkins by Sarah Helm
Wives of war by Soraya lane x
Beneath A Scarlett Sky
The Alice Network and The Lilac Girls
The Alice Network is my favorite
Nightingale x
Jackdaws by Ken Follet
Judith Kerr wrote a terrific book for young people called “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit”. Her dad was a journalist in Germany and he was hunted for speaking out against Hitler so the family escaped, first to France and then to England. There are two sequels about her life in London during the war that are also great.
Currently reading the women of the castle setvin world war 2 x
Very good book
Me too! Here are some of my most favorite.
Set in WW2?
@Keira pre world war 2 . It is part of a 3 part series.
The women of the castle! About 3 German widows who’s husbands were resistors. Set mostly after the war, how they have to go on.
Nightingale, The Alice Newtork and Lilac Girls. All really good reads
Nightingale.
The Choice by Dr Edith Eger
The Nightingale, Salt to the Sea, Between Shades of Grey.
The Chilbury Ladies Choir
Suite Francais. The author did not live to see her book published. She died in Auschwitz.
f
Shelter by Sarah Franklin
F
Everyone Brave is Forgiven – Chris Cleave
I just finished the nightingale by Kristin hannah….. amazing!!!!
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Great book!
The Alice Network
All the light we cannot see
Lilac girls, the women in the castle.
F
F
The knightingale
Daughters Of The Night Sky by Aimee K Runyan about female Russian pilots
F
The Alice Network by K Quinn….
City of Women
The Kommadant’s Girl
Yes, everything by Pam Jenoff.
@Priscille YESSsss!!
She is so easy to read!
Margaret Dickinson is fantastic. Shes wrote one called Buffer Girls and a great one called Clippie Girls which is very good xx
Code Name Verity
F??
The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie @Wiseman
The Tuscan Child
Following thread
Nightingale
Canary Girls, Lilac Girls, The Women who Smashed Codes. The Alice Network.
This book is about women between the world wars. I loved it! https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2018/08/13/fly-girls-soaring-tale-how-early-female-aviators-won-skies-amelia-earhart/958397002/
Non-fiction
Following !
Lilac girls
For my daughter in France by Stephanie and Barbara Keating
In Farleigh Field great book quick read
Non fiction. The Nazi Officer’s Wife by Beers.
The Hiding Place
Following
Following x
There are several books written by Diney Costello.
Alice Network. The Nightingale. The Book Thief.
Alice network
I just read White Rose, Black Forest by Eion Dempsey and I loved it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35989362-white-rose-black-forest
Daughters of Mars
The Nightingale
True story but not in book form. Paradise Road about nurses who left Singapore when invaded, then in Japanese prisoner of war camp. They created a human “voice orchestra” in the camp. Stars Meryl Streep or Glenn Close – sorry can’t keep those two straight. It is an incredible film!
The book is Song of Survival by Helen Colijn
@Betsy Thank you the author sounds familiar.
@Nancy I didn’t think it was wonderfully written but the compelling story overcomes any defects in style. When I was a child, one of our neighbors was in the same group of women POW’s (though not a member of the choir) and many of the stories reminded me of stories she had told.
I think I did research on it and the Choir continued in San Francisco. I know I have read other books about WW II nurses that didn’t get medals or compensation. Until way after the war.
@Nancy The book does briefly cover the San Francisco (actually Palo Alto) years.
So I must have read it after seeing the movie.
The book theif
The Nightingale, Karolina’s Twins, The Alice Network, The Lilac Girls, Sarah’s Key
Alice network
City of women!
The Hiding Place
From a different perspective…The Girl Who Wrote in Silk.
Lilac girls
the storyteller
Zookeepers wife
Letters to the Lost. Very emotional read.
Three Came Home (biography of American woman imprisoned by Japanese with her son; husband imprisoned separately), A Town Like Alice (fiction of women marched around the Malay peninsula), the Bletchley Girls (true story behind the tv show), Helmets & Lipstick (true story about first US nurses sent into combat).
Alice Network (more WWI, but covers both)
can’t remember if it was WW2 or WW1 but one of my favourite war time reads is Cherish the dream by Jodi Thomas. Just love it 🙂
The Alice Network and Lilac Girls. I loved them both
Between shades of gray
Oh yes. That one is very good too
Izzy’s War by Isla Dewar, about Land Girls working in the Forestry side of things. Also Another Time, Another Place by Jessie Kesson about Italian POWs in Aberdeenshire
I am loving all the books that are being posted. I cant wait to have a reading fest on some of these !
Land Girls the book was good. So was Future Homemakers of America by Lauri Graham. Set in England during WWII air force wives.
Following this.
Definitely try the Alice network. Covers mostly World War I and a bit World War II
Following as well. I’m in historical mood!!
I really enjoyed Hearts of Resistance by Soraya Lane. It’s about British and French women working undercover in the French Resistance.