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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThese are my top 10 World War II (referred to as WW2 from here on out) fiction books:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The Tattooist of Auschwitz<\/a><\/em> by Heather Morris. When prisoners entered Nazi concentration camps, they were made to feel as sub-human as possible, and one way this was accomplished was by giving everyone a number instead of using names. These numbers were tattooed on their arms. The Tattooist of Auschwitz<\/em> tells of Lale Sokolov, a Jew forced into this position by the Nazis. In an environment devoid of any compassion, Lale uses his position to accept bribes to help keep fellow prisoners alive. And even in dire circumstances, Lale manages to find love.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Child of Auschwitz<\/a><\/em> by Lily Graham. Eva and Sofie meet as bunk-mates in Auschwitz, each separated from the people they love most. Their friendship sustains them in their darkest time and gives them the hope they need as they try to survive Auschwitz.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Rose Code<\/a><\/em> by Kate Quinn. One perspective I love reading about in WW2 books is how women joined the cause. This book shines a light on women code-breakers in England and their efforts to aid the Allies. After the war is over, the three main characters are reunited to unearth a spy that remains in their midst.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Lilac Girls<\/a><\/em> by Martha Hall Kelly. This story is told from three vastly different perspectives. Caroline Ferriday is a socialite in New York working with the French consulate; Kasia Kuzmerick is a teenager in Poland who finds herself working for the Resistance; Herta Oberheuser is a German doctor with the Nazi regime who is assigned to a concentration camp. This book delves into the \u201cRavensbr\u00fcck Rabbits,\u201d and reveals many of the lesser-known cruelties that prisoners endured.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- All the Light We Cannot See<\/a><\/em> by Anthony Doerr. Marie-Laure is a blind girl who flees Paris with her father. Her father worked at a museum among some of the most valuable jewels \u2013 jewels the Nazis would like to add to the Reich\u2019s collection. Werner is a solder in the Nazi army, and he was recruited because of his expertise with radios. Both Marie and Werner were deeply impacted by a radio program in their childhood, and the radio draws them together in unexpected ways in war-torn Saint-Malo.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Nightingale<\/a><\/em> by Kristin Hannah. This book was my introduction to author Kristin Hannah, and it did not disappoint. This story is about two sisters in Nazi-occupied France. As war destroys their country, Vianne fights to protect her family at home, while Isabelle joins the Resistance. Both face impossible choices in a story of love, sacrifice, and survival.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Paris Architect<\/em> <\/a>by Charles Belfoure. This is a story that stuck with me long after I finished reading it. Lucien Bernard is an architect in Paris during WW2, marked initially by his apathy for the Jewish struggle in Nazi-occupied France. He is offered a large amount of money if he will design a hiding place for a Jewish man. The book chronicles his change of heart and his commitment to help, regardless of the outcome.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- We Must Be Brave<\/a><\/em> by Frances Liardet. England was bombed multiple times during WW2, and oftentimes residents would leave the populated cities and go to the country where it was perceived as safer. Ellen Parr is newly married and finds a little girl alone on a bus that just arrived from the city. Though not a mother herself, Ellen becomes attached to the girl. Set across decades, the story explores love, loss, and bravery in letting go.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- We Were the Lucky Ones<\/a><\/em> by Georgia Hunter. This story focuses on a Jewish family in Poland in 1939 as the threat of war and Jewish persecution is on the rise. As the Holocaust spreads across Europe, each family member fights to survive \u2014 enduring ghettos, labor camps, and exile \u2014 determined to reunite against all odds. It\u2019s based on the true story of the author\u2019s family.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society<\/a><\/em> by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This title is a mouthful and hard to remember, but the story is charming and entertaining. This is a story told through post-WW2 letters between author Juliet Ashton and the people of Guernsey, who formed a secret book club during the German occupation. Through their stories, Juliet finds friendship, love, and inspiration.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
P.S. Many of these WWII Historical Fiction Books have also been made into movies or TV shows. I have watched All the Light We Cannot See<\/em> and We Were the Lucky Ones<\/em>, and both were excellent. Here’s how you can watch them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- The Tattooist of Auschwitz \u2013 Peacock<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- All the Light We Cannot See \u2013 Netflix<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Nightingale \u2013 TBD (Kristin Hannah just released a teaser this week)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- We Were the Lucky Ones \u2013 Hulu<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society \u2013 Netflix<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Which of these WWII fiction books have you read\u2014or watched? Let me know your favorites in the comments!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I love history. I seriously considered making it my major in college, but I thought the only career options to choose from were history teacher or museum curator, and neither of those appealed to me. So, while it was not my major in college, it\u2019s still a major interest in my life (Ha, see what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85,191],"tags":[202,196,198,199,200,192,204,194,197,193,195,201,203,205],"class_list":["post-252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-of-books","category-historical-fiction","tag-anna-barrows","tag-anthony-doerr","tag-charles-belfoure","tag-frances-liadet","tag-georgia-hunter","tag-heather-morris","tag-historical-fiction","tag-kate-quinn","tag-kristin-hannah","tag-lily-graham","tag-martha-hall-kelly","tag-mary-ann-shaffer","tag-new-york-times-bestseller","tag-world-war-ii"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=252"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions\/264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/readersgottaread.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- The Child of Auschwitz<\/a><\/em> by Lily Graham. Eva and Sofie meet as bunk-mates in Auschwitz, each separated from the people they love most. Their friendship sustains them in their darkest time and gives them the hope they need as they try to survive Auschwitz.<\/li>\n\n\n\n