Books cannot always be sweet and pleasant to read. They shouldn’t even be. Imagine a war-themed novel being enjoyable to read. It simply isn’t right.
War-themed stories should be raw and poignant, conveying emotions that will break your heart. These books should force you to contemplate and place images in your mind that will haunt you for days. Long after you have read the last chapter.
However, we must admit that it is good to read books portraying that awful man-made horror. These books serve as a reminder of the price of our freedom. Freedom that we often take for granted.
The Second World War is one of the most terrible chapters of humanity. Crimes, tortures, murders, the struggle to survive… Every possible unimaginable horror gathered in that period of time that must not be forgotten.
But the Second World War is still an inexhaustible source and inspiration for a vast number of artists, poets, and writers. Undoubtedly, a huge number of WWII books that portray this painful history with their words can be seen in libraries. I believe many of these stories are heartbreaking and unforgettable.
But from my reading experience, I would like to single out these five WWII books that have simply left me speechless.
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
This WWII book tells the story about a young baker Sage Singer, who has had a difficult childhood and teenage years. She is an orphan, whose life is filled with visible and invisible scars.
She befriends an old man who is well-liked in the community, and one day he asks her to kill him. Sage is shocked and firmly refuses him, but the old man begins to tell her his story…
A story that is somehow connected to her. The old man was once a young Nazzi soldier, and Sage’s grandma was on the other side. A young Jewish girl, guilty only of being a Jew, yet punished severely for that… How will this story end?
Three stories intertwine in this amazing novel that will leave you up late at night with many questions in your mind. One of the most heart-wrenching WWII books I have ever read.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
A true masterpiece! One of the best WWII books. That’s how I would describe this book. A book that will awaken many feelings while reading it. Anger, hatred, revolt, sadness, admiration, and sometimes a tear or two. Emotions that will change with every turned page. And sadness that will surpass everything, Sadness for all those people who were condemned for being slightly different.
However, the most pronounced feeling for me was admiration. One can only admire the courage to find a way to survive. Courage to dream of a better tomorrow and love, while all around you is horror and destruction.
This book is wonderful and I have no words to do it justice.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Although I didn’t have that strong feeling of excitement while reading the beginning, the last few chapters changed the feeling I had about this book. Somehow it reminded me of another book dealing with the same subject and similar storyline. But I was wrong. With each subsequent page turned, the story of Vianne and Isabel fascinated me more and more.
This WWII book is truly excellent, with a gripping story and likable characters, containing all those elements of a novel set in late 1939 and 1945, with all the horrors on humanity during the second world war. Moreover, the narration was really good (honestly I didn’t like the way of writing), but everything else was perfect. I highly recommend it!
Beneath a Starless Sky by Tessa Harris
Youthful hopes and dreams are shattered by the cruelty of war. A young talented ballerina as the main character takes you through her story from Munich to Hollywood and back. She is trying to succeed, trying to survive, and save her loved ones. A truly courageous young lady who will amaze you with her persistence and endurance.
A great story for anyone who likes a little piece of history and a compelling story…
On the Wings of Hope by Ella Zeiss
Victims of war are not only those on the front lines… Those in the background, regardless of which side they belong to are victims just as well. Normal people who didn’t choose the war. No one asked them for an opinion. They were simply plunged into that horrible fate that neither of them wanted, hoped for, nor could do anything to change it.
Two families are torn apart by cruelty. Young people stripped for everything they once called theirs. Desire to survive as hope slowly leaves their souls is their everyday occurrence. The struggle to survive is present, but the chances are getting weaker and weaker…
This is a heartbreaking WWII book that will shake you up and make you cry. The sufferings are so vividly portrayed that long after the last lines are finished, you still cannot forget the images that will remain engraved in your mind.
Do you also like to read stories that depict periods of humanity that are tragic and heartbreaking?
What is your favorite book?
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Loved Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. So we’ll written I felt I was in the story itself!