3 new historical fiction novels to whisk you away to WWII era
Among the many joys of reading, the greatest is its power to absorb the reader so effortlessly and completely that it entrances us. Entrancement is more than simply providing a short-lived escape, it's the ability to induce effortless concentration, wipe out any distractions, and make us lose awareness of time and place. It alters our state of consciousness, much akin to dreaming, entering a hypnotic state or being lost in thought.
When I finish one great book and decide what to read next, there isn’t necessarily a rhyme or reason to what I choose. Yet, toward the start of fall, I feel pressure not to waste precious time on a book that doesn’t induce the kind of entrancement I am looking for. For many readers, it may be a variety of genres that will achieve this level of absorption and engagement. For me, works of historical fiction seem to accomplish this more readily. Below, you will find three wonderful novels in this genre that may do this for you.
The Glass Chateau, by Stephen P. Kiernan
This powerful story follows a group of individuals desperately seeking healing and redemption in the months immediately following World War II. The main character, Asher, is a resistance fighter who killed 20 Germans and watched as his wife and young daughter were killed before his eyes. Like many survivors, rage, grief and self-incrimination are his constant companion as he wanders through the French countryside.
Asher arrives at le Chateau Guerin exhausted and seeking a bed and sustenance. Instead, he finds an atelier housing people as damaged as himself. Despite their varied backgrounds, they live together and slowly learn to soothe themselves, remove violence from their hearts, and heal their suffering. Their work involves turning sand into stained glass windows for the bombed-out cathedrals in France.
Asher decides to hide his Judaism from the devout Catholic owners of the atelier, hoping they will not dispel him. As Asher’s talents grow, he helps create splendid cathedral windows. But will he finally find the peace and self-forgiveness he needs most of all?
Why Read it? This expertly woven, beautifully written novel is set against the turmoil of post-World War II France and is inspired by the life and work of artist Marc Chagall. It is an immensely captivating work of historical fiction and will touch any reader who has experienced love, loss, tragedy, and the struggle to find hope.
The Paris Daughter, by Kristin Harmel
In 1939 Paris, Elise and Juliette, two young mothers who are both United States citizens married to French men, accidentally meet in the Bois de Boulogne. Little do they realize that war will soon put their friendship to the supreme test.
When Elise’s husband, a well-known Parisian artist, is killed by the Nazis for participation in a communist group, she suddenly discovers she is in grave danger herself. Forced to make a horrible choice, Elise begs Juliette to care for her 2-year-old daughter, Matilde, as she escapes the city.
Juliette finds herself deeply content as she cares for both Matilde and her same-age daughter, Lucy, and her two young sons. Yet, tragedy strikes, and a bomb kills some of Juliette’s beloved family and reduces her home and family-run bookshop to rubble. With nothing left for her in Paris, she travels back to the U.S. to begin to pick up the pieces of her life.
As the war ends, Elise eagerly returns to Paris desperate to reunite with her daughter but discovers that Juliette has vanished from Paris. Tormented by not knowing what happened in the bombing, Elise goes to New York to find Juliette and finally learn what happened to her daughter.
Why Read It? This stunning, emotion-packed, and captivating work of historical fiction is not just another WWII novel. It is a powerful, unforgettable exploration of motherhood, sacrifice, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.
The Beach at Summerly, by Beatriz Williams
With the close of World War II and the return of soldiers, the wealthy Peabody family, including their two surviving sons, move back to summer on Winthrop Island. The Peabodys are a wealthy Boston family that owns a mansion there that has long been looked after by Emilia Winthrop’s father. As children, Emilia played each summer with the handsome Peabody brothers, especially young Shep Peabody, oblivious to the class differences between them. Now at age 20, something much deeper is brewing between them. When the boys' aunt, Olive Peabody, arrives from England, young Emilia begins babysitting for her and is completely enthralled by her worldliness, sophistication and tales of wartime England.
Flash forward to 1954 and Emilia, now a professor at Wellesley College, reflects on that fateful summer when she became heavily involved with Olive Peabody and inadvertently caught in a web of international espionage that dramatically altered the course of her life.
Why Read It? Part mystery, part romance, this richly crafted and highly immersive novel is inspired by actual episodes from the Cold War era. This not-to-be missed story also celebrates the courage and tenacity of a young woman.
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Book Smart is a monthly column by Nancy Harris, of Scituate, a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New WWII historical fiction reads for September 2023
