Travel Back in Time with World War II Historical Fiction Books
World War II was a time of suffering, conflict, and endless heartbreak worldwide. Even now, almost 80 years after the formal surrender and atomic atrocities, it remains one of the most written-about time periods in both the worlds of fiction and non-fiction.
Fans of World War II historical fiction books can be found far and wide—including here at Novel! Discover a few of our favorite World War II books for when you’re looking for your next great read.
Common Themes in WWII Books
When you stop by our Rochester, Michigan, bookstore for a new book or a tasty sandwich, you can find the World War II book that tickles your fancy. Most WWII and Holocaust books are filled to the brim with these themes:
- Love
- Loss
- Sacrifice
- Resilience
- Good vs. evil
- Cost of war
- Understanding
Pick Up A Few of Our Favorite World War II Historical Fiction Books
World War II is a fascinating event to study, so it makes complete sense why people would be captivated by World War II historical fiction. The next time you’re choosing a title for a book club or searching for a thrilling read, check out one of our go-to World War II books:
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah’s popular World War II book, The Nightingale, tells the unseen and intimate part of the era: the women’s war. Taking place in German-occupied France, the story follows two sisters, Vianne and Isabelle, separated by years, ideals, and circumstances. As Isabelle joins the French Resistance to fight the enemy and Vianne settles for protecting her family under the country’s watchful eye, each sets off on their own dangerous path towards freedom. Heartbreaking, well-researched, and full of suspense, this World War II historical fiction book is the perfect reminder that the human spirit is resilient, even under the most oppressive conditions.
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Every good list of World War II books includes titles from all sides. In Lisa See’s Shanghai Girls, polar opposite sisters Pearl and May Chin are having the time of their lives in 1937, living with the financial freedom provided by their father’s successful rickshaw business. That is, until the day he admits he gambled away their wealth and, in order to repay his debts, he must sell them to California-born suitors in town to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their city, the two find themselves whisked away to LA, where they try to find love with their strange new husbands, bristle against Hollywood, and strive to embrace American life through discrimination, Communist witch hunts, and more.
The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmel
When the Germans invaded Champagne, France, in 1940, Inès and her new husband, Michel, the famed owner of the Champagne house Maison Chauveau, had no chance of a happy honeymoon—especially not when he decided to hide munitions for the Résistance. But with rumors flying about Jews being shipped away, the risk was even greater for Céline, the French-Jewish wife of the home’s chef de cave. As Céline decides to follow her heart and find happiness and Inès connects with a Nazi collaborator, the two risk the lives of everyone they love and the vineyard that brings them together.
Past and present collide in The Winemaker’s Wife when we meet Liv Kent, a recently divorced woman living in New York in 2019. When her eccentric French grandmother shows up, insisting they vacation in France, her ulterior motives become clear, and the tragic, decades-old story begins to unravel the closer they get to the caves of the Maison Chauveau. Learn how the two stories weave together on your favorite audiobook service, or bring it to book club!
Catch Up on Harmel’s Other World War II Books:
The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly
If you like easy beach reads and tense historical fiction, The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club is the best of both worlds. When 34-year-old Mari Starwood traveled to Martha’s Vineyard in 2016 to grieve her mother with nothing but the name of a famous and reclusive painter, Elizabeth Devereaux, she never could have predicted that hearing about the Smith sisters would prove her relationship to the island runs deeper than she ever knew.
In 1942, aspiring writer Cadence and war-obsessed Briar are tasked with holding their failing family farm together as the U.S. Army arrives on the island. As Briar spots German U-boats off the shore and Cadence finds herself falling for a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, decide to start a quickly successful book club, leading to a connection with a New York-based publisher who could make all her dreams come true. That is, until a mysterious man washes ashore, and rumors of a potential spy in their community run rampant.
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
When Nazis march into the city of Paris in 1939, Odile Souchet loses everything she holds dear, including her precious library. Alongside her fellow librarians, she joins the Resistance with the best weapons she can find: books. But when war eventually ends, it isn’t freedom she tastes—it’s the bitter note of unspeakable betrayal.
When Lily, a lonely teenager in small-town Montana in 1983, searches for adventure, she lands on her elderly neighbor. The more she uncovers about her neighbor’s strange past, the more she finds they have in common: including a dark secret from the past that connects them both! Charles’s popular World War II book, The Paris Library, celebrates the power of books and intergenerational friendship.
World War II Books for Kids:
There are plenty of World War II historical fiction books at the child and YA levels.
Introduce the genre to our littlest ones to pass along the interest and knowledge with the following:
- The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
- Allies by Alan Gratz
- Catherine’s War graphic novel written by Julia Billet and illustrated by Claire Fauvel
World War II books make up a large portion of the historical fiction genre—and we can see why! Stop by one of our events or shop online and fill your TBR today.