Memorial Day Reads

Our selection of Memorial Day Reads highlights the voices of writers with experience serving in the military or living through conflict. Exploring the concepts of war and peace, these selections expound on the nature of conflict and its impacts on the people affected by it.

Jubilee

by Margaret Walker

Publication year 1966

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, African American Literature, Military & War, Southern Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Margaret Walker’s 1966 novel, Jubilee, is based on the story of Walker’s maternal great-grandmother, Margaret Duggans Ware Brown. The historical fiction novel is sometimes described as a corollary to Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind—the epic story of a strong Southern woman who lives during the antebellum period, the Civil War, and Reconstruction; though, the Southern woman in this story is black, and her strength comes from having endured the withering degradation of slavery.Plot SummaryJubilee... Read Jubilee Summary

Judith

by Anonymous

Publication year 975

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes War, Gender Identity, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Military & War, Religion & Spirituality, Inspirational, Gender & Feminism, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read Judith Summary

July's People

by Nadine Gordimer

Publication year 1981

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Conflict, Fear, Guilt, Memory, Regret, Race, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Race & Racism, Military & War, African Literature

July’s People, a 1981 dystopian novel by South African author Nadine Gordimer, imagines the aftermath of a bloody uprising that topples South Africa’s notorious, white-ruled apartheid regime. Her novel, which follows a white family’s desperate flight from Johannesburg, traces the complex interdependencies of white and Black South Africans, revealing the insidiousness of the regime’s racial disparities and mindsets, even among liberal, well-meaning white people. Through the lens of this hypothetical future, Gordimer’s novel explores racial... Read July's People Summary

Killing Lincoln

by Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard

Publication year 2011

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Tags Crime & Law, US History, Military & War, World History, Biography, Politics & Government

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever is a popular nonfiction historical narrative recounting the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The book was written in September 2011 by New York Times bestselling author and controversial conservative talk show host Bill O’Reilly, former anchor of The O’Reilly Factor. The book is also authored by New York Times bestselling author Martin Dugard, whose book Into Africa: The Epic Adventures of Stanley and Livingstone has been... Read Killing Lincoln Summary

Killing Patton

by Bill O'Reilly, Martin Dugard

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes War, Power & Greed

Tags Military & War, European History, World History, US History, World War II, Biography

Killing Patton is a 2014 historical nonfiction work by American authors and journalists Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. It explores the final months of World War II in Europe from an American perspective—specifically the role iconic General George S. Patton played in securing eventual Allied victory. The book also explores Patton’s death after a motor vehicle accident, floating the conspiracy theory that this death was no accident. Investigating the motives of Stalin, Eisenhower, and others... Read Killing Patton Summary

Lavinia

by Ursula K. Le Guin

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Grief, Hate & Anger, Love, Memory, Regret, Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Animals, Appearance & Reality, Place, Daughters & Sons, Family, Fathers, Marriage, Mothers, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Religion & Spirituality, Trust & Doubt

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mythology, Military & War, Italian Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

... Read Lavinia Summary

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun

by Wess Roberts

Publication year 1987

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Wins & Losses, Perseverance, Teamwork, Nation, War, Politics & Government

Tags Business & Economics, World History, Leadership, Creative Nonfiction, Self-Improvement, Military & War, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun is a self-improvement and business leadership book by Wess Roberts, who was a human resources manager at Fireman’s Fund Insurance when he published the book in 1989. Using the historical figure of Attila the Hun as his mouthpiece, Roberts outlines his management style and approach to business. This guide refers to Attila’s “persona” when quoting words that Roberts imagines Attila might have said. In the introduction, Roberts discusses Attila... Read Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun Summary

Left for Dead

by Pete Nelson

Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Justice, Safety & Danger

Tags US History, Military & War, World War II, Education, Education, World History, Action & Adventure, Biography

Left for Dead is a work of military nonfiction for young adults by Pete Nelson. It tells the true story of what happened to the men whose ship, the USS Indianapolis, sank during World War II in July 1945. Hunter Scott, who wrote an introduction for the book, studied the incident for a school history fair project and became determined to discover the truth about what happened. Dismayed by the miscarriage of justice surrounding the... Read Left for Dead Summary

Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed

by Philip Paul Hallie

Publication year 1994

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness, Race, Death, Community, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags World War II, Military & War, French Literature, World History, Philosophy, Philosophy, Religion & Spirituality

... Read Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed Summary

Letters from Cuba

by Ruth Behar

Publication year 2020

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Perseverance, Race, Self Discovery, Immigration, Friendship

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Latin American Literature, Jewish Literature, Race & Racism, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

... Read Letters from Cuba Summary

Letters from Rifka

by Karen Hesse

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Family, Immigration

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, European History, World War I, Children`s Literature, Russian Literature, Jewish Literature, Education, Education, World War II, World History

Karen Hesse’s young adult historical novel Letters from Rifka (1992) takes place between 1919 and 1920 and follows a young Jewish girl, Rifka, and her family as they escape persecution in Russia and begin a new life in America. The novel takes the form of letters Rifka writes, but cannot send, to her cousin in Russia, composed in the blank spaces of a volume of poetry by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The work thus combines... Read Letters from Rifka Summary

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy

by Karen Abbott

Publication year 2014

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, Gender Identity

Tags Women`s Studies, Military & War, World History, Biography, American Civil War, Gender & Feminism, US History, History of the Americas

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War is the third book by New York Times best-selling author Karen Abbott. Though Abbott has recently changed her publishing name to Abbott Kahler, because Liar Temptress, Soldier, Spy is still printed and published as authored by Karen Abbott, this guide will refer to the author by that name. Abbott often writes about American women’s history, focusing on overlooked stories, accomplishments, and contributions of women... Read Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy Summary

Life After Life

by Kate Atkinson

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief, Love, Family, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, World War II, Science Fiction, Military & War, World History

Life After Life is a work of adult historical fiction written by acclaimed British author Kate Atkinson and published in 2013. Atkinson’s debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year prize and her subsequent novels have all been international bestsellers, including the mystery series featuring Jackson Brodie, which has been adapted to a BBC show. Other works by this author include Case Histories, A God in Ruins, and... Read Life After Life Summary

Lifeboat 12

by Susan Hood

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Coming of Age, Environment

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Action & Adventure, Children`s Literature, Military & War, World History

... Read Lifeboat 12 Summary