In the past few years, I’ve started to read more and more historical fiction, especially about the first and second world wars. It was not intentional at first. But now it is.
Traditionally, I’ve always leaned a bit more toward contemporary settings, looking to find some of my own experiences mirrored in the novels I read. But slowly, through recommendations or gifts, a number of historical fiction novels have entered my reading sphere. Many are set during the second world war, or in the years before or after, times of great uncertainty and unprecedented change. The books I read tend not to be about the front lines or battlegrounds or tactics (at least not as the main focus), but rather about the home front. They're often about fear and dread and worry. They're about the loss of security, and the inability to predict what the future will hold for themselves or their families.
They're about compassion and the fight for justice and the relationships that keep us whole.
They're about people.
I wish I could still claim that I do not see myself in these characters. But as the world has become increasingly more unstable, these characters have become clearer and clearer in my mind's eye. I feel their knobs of worry digging into my own chest, hear comparable words of worry echo around my own kitchen table. Part of me is tempted to push away from it all, hide from the fear. And sometimes, when things get to be too much, I do just that. But more often, I seek out these stories of the past. I look for solace in connecting with characters set in other times of uncertainty. Mostly, I find kinship in the human spirit, the place where goodness and empathy and generosity exist - and even flourish - despite all the bad.
It's in those characters that I find hope.
I will likely never write historical fiction myself, but I am so grateful for the talented writers who do. The research and dedication required to create characters and situations that have historical accuracy, resonate the parts of humanity that cross historical landscapes, and even reflect elements of current society, is an incredible feat. Putting myself in the hearts and minds of these characters and imagining myself in their shoes, is so very valuable to me. Understanding what makes us the same across time is just as important as understanding what makes us different.
Listed below are some recently read historical fiction books set in the early-mid twentieth century that touch on either the first or second world wars. In every one, I felt a connection to the human experience in ways that brought an understanding and a light to the parts of us that have helped us endure, and have the capacity to make us better. The link will take you to the Goodreads page with a description of the novel.
Note: I have also read a number of memoirs and creative-non-fiction that have touched on these times and themes as well, however the following list is focused on fiction only.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
Rilla of Ingelside by Lucy Maude Montgomery
Christmas With the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
If you have any suggestions of books that speak to you in the same way, please reach out through email, in the comments section of the website, or through social media. I'd love to add them to my list of 50 Books for 50 Years Challenge!
E-book Updates:
Thank you to everyone for your love and support with the E-book release of Righting My World. I've just recently set up an author Goodreads profile, so this link will take you to there. If you have a chance to post a review and follow me, I'd love your additional support! And if you'd still like to purchase it, you can find the links on my homepage!
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50 Books for 50 Years:
My reading challenge is still going strong. If you haven't had a chance to follow on social media, here are a few highlights:
READ IN JANUARY:
4 books read
- Atomweight by Emi Sasagawa
- The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood
- Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
- The Home Front: A Pairie Woman's Story by Dr. Lynn Mitchell-Pedersen.
*All 4 books are reviewed on Goodreads.
*Atomweight is also reviewed in more depth in the Book Corner.
COMING UP IN FEBRUARY:
- This Has Nothing to do With You by Lauren Carter
- Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
- The Circle by Katherena Vermette
- The 50-Word Stories of 2024 by Vine Leaves Press
Happy reading everyone!
