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.

The Tin Drum

by Gunter Grass

Publication year 1959

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Regret, War, Family, Memory

Tags Magical Realism, Historical Fiction, Military & War, Trauma & Abuse, German Literature, Classic Fiction

The Tin Drum is a 1959 novel by German author Gunther Grass. In the novel, a man named Oskar tells the story of his life, particularly focusing on his experiences during World War II. The novel employs satire, absurdism, magical realism, and allegory to wrestle with the pain and trauma of life under Nazi rule. The Tin Drum was adapted into an Oscar-winning film in 1979 and has been hailed as a landmark in literary... Read The Tin Drum Summary

The Titan's Curse

by Rick Riordan

Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Hate & Anger, Appearance & Reality

Tags Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Mythology, Ancient Greece, Relationships, Arts & Culture, Military & War, American Literature, Children`s Literature

The Titan’s Curse (2007) is the third installment in Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, following The Lightning Thief (2005) and The Sea of Monsters (2006) and preceding The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008) and The Last Olympian (2009). The series centers around the adventures of Percy Jackson, a boy who is the son of the Greek god of the sea Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally Jackson. Percy learns that he... Read The Titan's Curse Summary

The Trojan War: A New History

by Barry Strauss

Publication year 2006

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Marriage

Tags European History, Military & War, Classical Period, World History, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Recorded in Homer’s epic poems, which are widely considered seminal in the canon of western literature, the Trojan War continues to enjoy mythic status within contemporary culture over two millennia later. In the light of new archaeological evidence, Barry Strauss re-examines the most fabled war in history in his 2006 text The Trojan War: A New History. Strauss returns to the era when the war actually took place, some 500 years before Homer, and examines... Read The Trojan War: A New History Summary

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel

by Louise Murphy

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Memory

Tags Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History, Fairy Tale & Folklore

Louise Murphy’s The True Story of Hansel and Gretel is a work of historical fiction originally published in 2003. Loosely based upon the classic fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, the novel reimagines Hansel and Gretel’s story as a World War II narrative. The San Francisco Chronicle selected it as a “Best Book of the Year,” and it received a starred review from Kirkus. This guide references the 2003 paperback edition.Plot SummaryIt is the winter... Read The True Story of Hansel and Gretel Summary

The Tsar of Love and Techno

by Anthony Marra

Publication year 2015

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Russian Literature, Military & War, Modern Classic Fiction, World History

In the follow-up to his award-winning novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, American writer Anthony Marra released The Tsar of Love and Techno (2015), a collection of interconnected short stories. Shifting from first to third person narration across various characters’ perspectives in different time periods, The stories begin in Communist Russia in the 1930s and end in modern Russia the 2010s, connecting the characters to their descendants and ancestors. Marra weaves together a tapestry whose common... Read The Tsar of Love and Techno Summary

The Upstairs Room

by Johanna Reiss

Publication year 1972

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Hope, Mental Health, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Death, Family, Friendship, Siblings, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Beauty, Equality, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Life-Inspired Fiction, Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Children`s Literature, Jewish Literature, Military & War, World History

The Upstairs Room (1972) is a novel based on the experiences of author Johanna Reiss as a Jewish girl during World War II. The novel follows protagonist Annie de Leeuw and her sister Sini as they hide from the Nazis during the German occupation of Holland. Annie’s story, which is told from her first-person perspective, celebrates human resilience and compassion while exploring themes concerning the loss of childhood innocence, the sacrifices people make during wartime... Read The Upstairs Room Summary

The War I Finally Won

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Fear, Love, Mothers

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

The War I Finally Won is a work of historical fiction written by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley. The novel is intended for middle grade readers. It was published in 2017, and has won numerous awards, including qualifying for the New York Times Best Seller list, winning the California Young Reader’s Medal, and being named one of the Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books of the Year. The War I Finally Won is a sequel to Bradley’s highly... Read The War I Finally Won Summary

The War Prayer

by Mark Twain

Publication year 1905

Genre Short Story, Fiction

Themes War, Religion & Spirituality, Nation

Tags Classic Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, American Literature, Education, Education, Military & War, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics & Government

... Read The War Prayer Summary

The Wars

by Timothy Findley

Publication year 1977

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, War

Tags Military & War, Education, Education, World History, Historical Fiction, Canadian Literature, World War I, Classic Fiction

The Wars by Timothy Findley is a 1977 novel about Robert Ross, a young Canadian officer who enlists in the military and fights in the First World War. The novel uses first, second, and third person narrative points of view. By switching between the different perspectives, the novel gives the reader the sense that they are a historian searching through archives, looking at photographs, and interviewing people from Robert’s life. The book is an example... Read The Wars Summary

The Warsaw Orphan

by Kelly Rimmer

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Gender Identity, Race, Coming of Age, Self Discovery, Nation, War, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags World War II, Military & War, Historical Fiction, European History

... Read The Warsaw Orphan Summary

The War That Saved My Life

by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Gender Identity, Disability, Family

Tags Disability, Children`s Literature, Historical Fiction, World War II, Military & War, World History

The War That Saved My Life is a work of historical fiction by bestselling author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. The novel is intended for middle-grade readers and was published in 2015. It has won several awards, including the Newbery Honor for being among the most distinguished American children’s book of its year. The Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly listed the book as among the best children’s books in 2015, and it won 14 state book... Read The War That Saved My Life Summary

The Weight of All Things

by Sandra Benitez

Publication year 2000

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, Education, Education, Latin American Literature, Military & War, Arts & Culture, Modern Classic Fiction, Classic Fiction

The Weight of All Things, written by esteemed American author Sandra Benitez, is a lyrical novel portraying the effects of the civil war in El Salvador during the 1980s. This war between conservatives and communists is portrayed through the eyes of a child; detailing the brutality of both sides and showcasing the futility of war. Written in the third person omniscient style, the events of a brutal war are depicted with graphic detail, yet the... Read The Weight of All Things Summary

The Wind Knows My Name

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Apathy, Shame & Pride, Family, Justice, Equality, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Politics & Government, Immigration

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Social Class, World History, History of the Americas, US History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

... Read The Wind Knows My Name Summary