The Circus Train

 Theo Papadopoulos is one of the greatest illusionists in the world, and the biggest act in the World of Wonder's circus. His daughter however, has never quite found her place on the circus train as they travel through Europe. Lena had polio when she was a child, and because of it, she has lost all movement from the waist down. In a world full of theatrical artists, Lena feels like an inconvenience. When Lena finds a thief in the kitchens, she not only discovers a new friend, but a strength within herself that she never knew she had. However, the new boy is Jewish, and if the Nazi's discover that fact, all of their lives could be in danger. 

    'The Circus Train', by Amita Parikh, is the story of war, hope, family, friendship, and the survival instinct that every human being carries within themselves. Set during WWII, it shows a different perspective of the war that you may have never seen before. The character development is fantastic. The writing is eloquent. The plot is addictive. 

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

 Henry is living in China town in Seattle during the second world war. His parents are so proud of him because he was accepted into the white school, but his classmates bully him mercilessly. When a Japanese girl name Keiko starts attending the school, they quickly become friends. Henry knows that his parents would never approve of this friendship, his father is highly prejudice against the Japanese, but Henry can't help falling in love with this smart, quirky, and kind girl. She is the sun within his dark world. That all changes after the attack on Pearl Harbor however. It seems like the entire country fears anyone with ties to Japan, and eventually Keiko and her family are rounded up and sent to a Japanese internment camp. Henry is devastated to lose his friend and is terrified of what will happen to her. He has no idea if he will ever see her again, but he hopes that they will be able to keep their promise to find each other after the war. 

'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet', by Jamie Ford, is a heart warming story of two young people fighting against prejudice to keep their young budding romance alive. It explores the injustice of the WWII Japanese internment camps and brings to light one of the darker moments in American history. The complexities of this wonderful novel are well thought out and very well written. It immerses you into it's beautiful story that may make you shed a tear or two or a ton. The plot held me captivated and curious until the very end. This is definitely a must read for everyone. 

The Lost Wife

Before WWII breaks out, Lenka is an art student living in Prague. She falls in love with a man named Josef, and they quickly marry. Then, just as the war tears the world apart, it also separates these two lovers. Lenka is lead to believe that Josef has died on a ship. Josef believes that Lenka died in the concentration camp that she was sent to. Each one carries on with life after the war with a broken heart. Then, decades later, they unexpectedly meet one another again. 'The Lost Wife' by Alyson Richman, is a novel about first love, human endurance, and the tragedies that wars leave in their wake. 

This novel is a beautiful, tragic love story. You find yourself mourning the lives that could have been lived if only a few moments in time had happened differently. You can feel the characters heartache, their resilience, and their undying hope for a better future. And once again, like so many novels I have read before, you experience the dreadful events that took place within the awful concentration camps of WWII. This book brought forth so many emotions within me, and any book that can do that, is definitely worth reading again and again. 

The Nightingale

Vianne and Isabelle are two sisters who are complete opposites. Vianne is a wife and mother living in the quiet village of Carriveau. Isabelle is a rebellious 18 year old living in Paris. When WWII begins, Vianne has to send her husband off to war. When the Nazi's occupy France Vianne is forced to share her home with a Nazi commander. Vianne has to make one difficult choice after another to attain her one and only goal; keep herself and her daughter alive, which is extremely difficult when her every move is being watched by the enemy.

While Isabelle is forced is evacuate Paris while the Germans bomb the city, she falls deeply in love with Gaetan, a Frenchman who believes they can win the war by fighting the Germans within their occupied country. When Gatean abandons Isabelle, she rashly throws herself into the French rebellion, where one wrong move could get her killed. 

'The Nightingale', by Kristin Hannah, taught me so much about what life was like living in occupied France. While most of the men who went off to war end up in P.O.W. camps, the women that were left behind had no money, no protection, not enough food, and very little hope. They were also women with true grit and a strong will to survive. Each women was left to quietly fight the Nazis in their own way, truly helping in the war effort. 

A Night Divided

Okay, so I must admit, I hardly knew anything about The Berlin Wall. I remember learning about the fall of it in school, but I honestly had no idea how affected the German people were by the wall. I kind of felt like an idiot reading this book. How did I not know more about this? I studied WWII extensively in school, I've read a ton of WWII historical fiction books, but somehow, in all of that, I never knew the devastating facts about how this wall tore a country apart. This novel was so eye opening for me. This is exactly why I love historical fiction so much. It gives me a chance to really FEEL history, to be a part of it, even for just a moment. This book was not only just educational, it was thrilling! I was on the edge of my seat reading it. I got so nervous for the characters. I cheered them on. I cried with them. I fell in love with them. This was a beautifully written story of endurance, healing, hope, and the powerful bond of family.

.   .   .   .   .   .   .

One morning Greta woke up to find that her world had completely changed overnight. While her father and brother went to the West side of Germany trying to find work, the Berlin Wall was erected, splitting up Gerta's family. Her mother and brother were imprisoned with her in East Berlin, ruled by the Soviets. Her father and brother were helpless on the other side of a wall that Greta got in trouble for by just looking at it for too long. Walking to school one day, Gerta spots her father pantomiming something to her from across the no mans land. After she receives a drawing from her father she puts the clues together and realizes that her father wants her and her brother to dig a tunnel under the wall to freedom. Getting caught would mean her instant death and cause horrible problems for her loved ones left behind, but if she doesn't try then her family might never be together again. She knows she must at least attempt it, but does she have enough courage to constantly lie to those who are close to her? This book will keep you up late into the night to find out.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows is the story of a young author, Juliet Ashton, who is searching for a topic for her next book. When a man from Guernsey Island writes to her telling her that he found her name in an old book, they begin writing letters to one another. Eventually she learns that he is a member of a book club that was created as an alibi given to the Germans that were occupying their island. Juliet becomes fascinated by the eccentric members of the book club and begins a correspondence with all of them. She ends up visiting the island and learns about the toll WWII had on their lives.

This book was beautiful. Beautiful words. Beautiful characters. Beautiful story. You can't help but fall in love with the quirky characters and the lives they live on their small island. It's one of the most heartwarming books during the WWII era that I have ever read. It's a tale of friendship, courage, hope, and the power that books bring to our lives. Books matter.