Historical Fiction Set In the 1940s

Based on the true story of the author’s family, this novel follows the Kurc family, Polish Jews whose lives are turned upside down by the Nazi invasion of Poland during World War II. Spanning multiple continents, We Were the Lucky Ones traces the family’s journey as they are scattered across the globe, facing unimaginable hardships in concentration camps, labor camps, and through daring escapes. Despite the atrocities surrounding them, the Kurcs hold onto their love for one another, clinging to the hope of being reunited. The novel is a testament to survival, resilience, and the strength of familial bonds during one of the darkest periods in history.

This sweeping historical novel is set in the late 1930s and 1940s and follows Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student who moves to Paris to study. As Europe hurtles toward war, Andras finds himself entangled in political and personal dilemmas, including a passionate love affair with a mysterious older woman. When the war erupts, Andras is forced to return to Hungary, where he is conscripted into a Jewish labor battalion, enduring the horrors of war. Orringer’s novel combines rich historical detail with personal stories of love, ambition, and survival, exploring how individuals endure the chaos of war and persecution.

The Night Watch tells the story of four Londoners as they live through the air raids and blacked-out streets of World War II. Throughout the course of the novel their lives, and those of their friends and lovers, connect in tragedy, stunning surprise and exquisite turns, only to change irreversibly in the shadow of a grand historical event.

This novel is a spare yet powerful account of a Japanese-American family’s experience during World War II. Set in the wake of the U.S. government’s decision to forcibly relocate and intern Japanese Americans, the novel focuses on an unnamed family in California. The story alternates perspectives between the mother, father, son, and daughter, capturing the profound emotional toll of their internment. The novel explores themes of loss, identity, and racial injustice, shedding light on a painful and often overlooked chapter of American history.

In the Time of the Butterflies is a historical novel set in the Dominican Republic during the oppressive regime of dictator Rafael Trujillo. The story follows the lives of the Mirabal sisters — Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and María Teresa — who become involved in the underground resistance against Trujillo’s brutal government. The novel is inspired by the real-life Mirabal sisters, who are celebrated as national heroines in the Dominican Republic for their courage and sacrifice. The novel spans several years, detailing the sisters’ journeys from innocent youth to determined activists. Their lives intertwine with the larger political landscape, illustrating how ordinary citizens can become agents of change. The sisters form a secret group called the “Butterflies,” symbolizing their desire for freedom and transformation.

This powerful debut novel traces the diverging fates of two half-sisters, Effia and Esi, born in 18th-century Ghana. Effia marries a British colonizer and lives in luxury, while Esi is sold into slavery and shipped to America. Each chapter of the novel follows one of their descendants, spanning over 300 years of history from the Gold Coast to the plantations of the American South, through the Civil War, and into the Harlem Renaissance. Homegoing explores the profound and lasting impact of slavery on individuals, families, and societies, touching on themes of racial injustice, identity, and generational trauma.

During the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1940s, Hana, a young female diver, works to create a life of independence for herself. That is until the day Hana saves her younger sister from a Japanese soldier and is herself captured and transported to Manchuria. Over sixty years later, Hana’s sister Emi is still grappling with the sacrifice her sister made for her and must make a decision to confront her past and discover peace. Suspenseful, hopeful, and ultimately redemptive, White Chrysanthemum tells a story of two sisters whose love for each other is strong enough to triumph over the grim evils of war.

Set during the last years of World War II in Italy, A Thread of Grace tells the story of Italian citizens who risk their lives to protect Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. The novel follows several interconnected characters, including a teenage Jewish girl escaping from France, an Italian resistance fighter, and a German doctor haunted by his involvement in Nazi atrocities. Russell’s deeply researched novel sheds light on a little-known aspect of the war, focusing on the bravery and humanity of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Themes of sacrifice, redemption, and survival run through the narrative.

Based on the true story of Nancy Wake, an Australian-born British spy who became one of the most effective leaders of the French Resistance during World War II, Code Name Hélène brings to life her incredible wartime exploits. Told through a dual timeline, the novel alternates between Nancy’s pre-war life, when she worked as a journalist in Europe, and her later experiences as a Resistance fighter and spy. Known for her courage, strategic brilliance, and fierceness in battle, Nancy becomes a legend in the fight against the Nazis.

The Book Thief is set in Nazi Germany during World War II and tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who is sent to live with foster parents after her mother can no longer care for her. As the war intensifies, Liesel finds comfort in stealing books and reading them to herself and others, including a Jewish man named Max, whom her foster parents hide in their basement. The Book Thief is celebrated for its unique narrative style, blending historical fiction with a philosophical meditation on life, death, and the power of stories. It offers readers a poignant and intimate portrayal of life in Nazi Germany, focusing on the ordinary people who found themselves caught in extraordinary circumstances.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical anti-war novel that follows Billy Pilgrim, an optometrist who becomes “unstuck in time,” experiencing his life nonlinearly as he navigates key moments, including his capture during World War II and the horrific firebombing of Dresden. The narrative blends Billy’s past, present, and future, as well as his abduction by aliens called Tralfamadorians, who teach him that all moments exist simultaneously, challenging notions of free will and acceptance of suffering. Through dark humor and a fragmented structure, Vonnegut critiques the absurdity of war and explores themes of trauma, memory, and the inevitability of death, establishing the novel as a landmark work in modern American literature.

As London emerges from the shadow of World War II, writer Juliet Ashton begins a correspondence with a book club named The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on the island of Guernsey. As Juliet continues to exchange letters with this group she learns more about life during German occupation, the eccentric world of each member of the group, and their love of literature. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison’s powerful debut novel, published in 1970, that addresses themes of race, beauty, and societal standards through the tragic story of a young African American girl named Pecola Breedlove. Set in post-World War II America, specifically in the racially charged atmosphere of 1940s Ohio, the novel explores the devastating impact of internalized racism and the quest for identity in a society that values whiteness above all. Morrison’s lyrical prose and deep emotional insight invite readers to confront uncomfortable truths about identity and the consequences of societal norms. The novel remains a vital work in American literature, illuminating the ongoing struggles with race, beauty, and belonging.