World War II

This carefully curated selection of titles examines the history, politics, and social impacts of World War II and its indelible mark on the world. The Collection highlights global perspectives through historical fiction, memoirs and biographies, and nonfiction titles that discuss topics including the Holocaust, the atomic bombings of Japan, and the effects of conflict.

Publication year 1979

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes War, Masculinity

Tags Historical Fiction, Western, Relationships, World War II, American Literature, World History, Romance, Classic Fiction

Legends of the Fall is a collection of three novellas by Jim Harrison, including “Revenge,” “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” and the titular novella, “Legends of the Fall.” First published in 1979 by Collins, Legends of the Fall remains one of Harrison’s most highly regarded works. Harrison wrote across a range of genres such as fiction, poetry, essay, and film and was the recipient of several awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship. His work... Read Legends of the Fall Summary

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

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

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

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

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

Publication year 2005

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Family

Tags Children`s Literature, European History, World War II, Military & War, World History, Biography

Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project is a work of creative nonfiction written by Jack Mayer and originally published in 2010. The book tells two overlapping stories. One is about Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who helped save 2,500 Jewish children in Warsaw from the Nazis during World War II. The other is about three high school girls—Liz Cambers, Megan Stewart, and Sabrina Coons. In 1999, the girls, with the help of... Read Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Summary

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Forgiveness

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

Lilac Girls is a historical fiction novel by Martha Hall Kelly. Published in 2016, Kelly’s debut novel is inspired by the true story of New York City activist and socialite Caroline Ferriday. Kelly was also inspired by the true story of the Ravensbrück Rabbits, a group of Polish women who were victims of torturous medical experiments during the Second World War. The novel explores the themes of hope, sacrifice, and forgiveness in the face of... Read Lilac Girls Summary

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Race, Hate & Anger, Community

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, World War II, Modern Classic Fiction

Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

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

Written by Tod Olson and published in 2016, Lost in the Pacific, 1942 is a fictionalized account of the true story of soldiers lost at sea during World War II. The text begins with a Prologue describing a plane crash that strands the soldiers in the Pacific Ocean. The B-17 transport plane’s pilot, Captain Bill Cherry, plans to land at Canton Island to refuel. However, due to a faulty navigational antenna and a problem with... Read Lost in the Pacific 1942 Summary

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Mothers, Social Class, War

Tags Historical Fiction, Life-Inspired Fiction, Poverty, World War I, Russian Literature, World War II, Military & War, World History

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Race, Mental Health, War, Beauty, Music

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Mythology, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, Grief & Death, World History, Love & Sexuality, Military & War, Music, Race & Racism, Trauma & Abuse, World War I, World War II, Fantasy

Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Tags World War II, Historical Fiction, World History

Manhattan Beach is a 2017 novel by American writer Jennifer Egan. Born in Chicago and raised in San Francisco, Egan, now a New Yorker, did much of her research for the novel at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Using oral histories, photographs, and other supporting documents, she reconstructed the vibrant world of the wartime Brooklyn Naval Yard and Coney Island. The novel won the 2018 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, was long-listed for the... Read Manhattan Beach Summary

Publication year 1946

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Religion & Spirituality

Tags Holocaust, Religion & Spirituality, World War II, Philosophy, Philosophy, Psychology, Psychology, Biography, Self-Improvement

Man’s Search for Meaning (1946) is a memoir and work of nonfiction concerned with psychotherapy. The author, Viktor Frankl, was born in 1905 and later became a psychiatrist in Vienna—an occupation that for some time protected him despite the fact that he was Jewish. When he was offered the opportunity to obtain a visa and escape to America, he chose to stay in Nazi-occupied Austria to be near his aging parents. Inevitably, he and his family were... Read Man's Search for Meaning Summary

Publication year 1986

Genre Graphic Novel/Book, Nonfiction

Themes Friendship, Family, Fate

Tags World History, World War II, Holocaust, European History, Postmodernism, Military & War, Biography

Maus by Art Spiegelman was the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize. It originally ran in Spiegelman’s Raw magazine between 1980 and 1991 before receiving mainstream attention as two collected volumes, Maus I in 1986 and Maus II in 1991. This guide is based on the 1996 complete edition. This historic memoir interlaces two narratives, one of Spiegelman’s Jewish father as he survives World War II Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp, and... Read Maus Summary

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel, Fiction

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

Milkweed is a young adult historical fiction novel by Jerry Spinelli. Published in 2003, Milkweed won the 2004 Golden Kite Award and 2003 Carolyn W. Field Award in fiction. The novel follows a young, unnamed boy’s life in Warsaw, Poland, during the Holocaust. Orphaned at a young age, the unnamed protagonist runs wild in the streets of Warsaw, stealing bread from unsuspecting passersby. The boy identifies himself as “Stopthief,” but he remembers almost nothing about... Read Milkweed Summary