War

From the Trojan War to World War II to the Iraq War, history has been shaped by humanity's tragic capacity to wage war. In this thematic collection, we have gathered fiction and nonfiction texts that investigate both the lessons and the senselessness crystallized in the aftermath of military conflict.

The Door

by Magda Szabó

Publication year 1987

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Guilt, Love, Memory, Death, The Past, Place, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Classic Fiction

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The Dovekeepers

by Alice Hoffman

Publication year 2011

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Femininity, War, Fate, Religion & Spirituality, Safety & Danger

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, Gender & Feminism, Magical Realism, Jewish Literature, Grief & Death, World History

The Dovekeepers (2011) is a historical fiction novel by Alice Hoffman, set in ancient Israel in 70-73 CE. Infused with magical realism, the book is a dramatized feminist retelling of the Siege of Masada, an event in which 960 Jews resisted the onslaught of Roman forces for nine months. The siege took place in the rugged mountain fortress of Masada and left only seven survivors: two women and five children. In Hoffman’s telling, the narrative... Read The Dovekeepers Summary

The Eights

by Joanna Miller

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Perseverance, Grief, Femininity, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Education, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Gender & Feminism

Joanna Miller’s debut historical fiction novel, The Eights (2025), is set at Oxford University in 1920, beginning on the historic day that women are first permitted to matriculate and become full members of the university. New students Beatrice, Marianne, Dora, and Otto are assigned rooms on the same corridor. They form a tight-knit friendship group known as “the Eights.” As they navigate their first year, they contend with institutional hostility, restrictive rules, and the lingering... Read The Eights Summary

The Elite

by Kiera Cass

Publication year 2013

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Forgiveness, Hope, Love, Regret, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Marriage, Self Discovery, Social Class, Globalization, Politics & Government, War, Justice, Literature

Tags Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction

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The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje

Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Memory, The Past, Race, Community, Grief

Tags Historical Fiction, Military & War, World History, Classic Fiction, Romance, World War II

The English Patient (1992) is a historical romance novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. The novel explores the relationships between four dissimilar people living in an abandoned Italian monastery at the end of World War II. The eponymous English patient—actually a Hungarian count burned beyond recognition—tells Canadian nurse Hana the story of his forbidden romance with British amateur cartographer Katharine Clifton as their small team attempted, several years earlier, to map North African deserts. Using... Read The English Patient Summary

The Faith of Beasts

by James S. A. Corey

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, War

Tags Science Fiction

The Faith of Beasts (2026) is a science-fiction novel by James S. A. Corey, the pseudonym for the writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. It is the second book in the Captive’s War series, following The Mercy of Gods (2024). From the authors of the best-selling and Hugo Award-winning series The Expanse (the first book of which is Leviathan Wakes [2011]), this space opera continues the story of humanity’s subjugation under a vast, alien... Read The Faith of Beasts Summary

The Fifth Of March

by Ann Rinaldi

Publication year 1993

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Conflict, Hate & Anger, Love, Revenge, Gender Identity, Coming of Age, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Colonialism, Community, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice

Tags Historical Fiction, Children`s Literature, American Revolution

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The Fighting Ground

by Avi

Publication year 1984

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes War, Coming of Age, Justice

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

The Fighting Ground, a novel by children’s writer Avi, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who runs away from home to join the American Revolution. The book gives a minute-by-minute account of one day in the boy’s life and the hard lessons he learns about war. First published in 1984, the novel won several honors, including the Scott O’Dell Award, but it was also challenged or banned in some school districts for its use... Read The Fighting Ground Summary

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

by Mitch Albom

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Death, Religion & Spirituality, Aging, Fate, Friendship, Forgiveness, Memory, Childhood & Youth, The Past, Family, Hate & Anger, Love, War, Grief, Marriage, Fathers, Nostalgia, Hope, Mothers

Tags Inspirational, Magical Realism, Religion & Spirituality, Grief & Death, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Philosophy, Philosophy, Classic Fiction

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a novel by best-selling writer Mitch Albom. Published in 2003, it sold more than 10 million copies and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the story was adapted into a made-for-television movie starring Jon Voight. In 2018, Albom penned a follow-up called The Next Person You Meet in Heaven. The novel follows the story of Eddie, a man who believes his life was... Read The Five People You Meet In Heaven Summary