In the early 1940s, Gracianna Lasaga, a young girl from the mountains, sets her sights on reaching America. However, soon Gracianna is entangled in world War II and Nazi occupied Paris. Soon Gracianna finds a way to fight against the occupiers while also trying to achieve her dream and help her sister.
A Journal of the Plague Years by Daniel Defoe is a fictional book about the Great Plague of London in 1665. The book was published in 1722 (57 years after the event) and was meant as a warning because they thought that plague in Marseilles would cross the channel into England
Billy Boyle finds himself answering a personal request from his old friend Sergeant Jackson who is now part of the all-African American 617th Tank Destroyers
About: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is a fictional book first published in 1869. The work is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature. The copy I read was translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude. 1350 pages Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; New edition ISBN: 0199232768 My rating for War & Peace – 5 Great price on this book in paper or electronic format More books by Leo Tolstoy Thoughts: It took me a while to read War & Peace by Leo Tolstoy, not only for the obvious reason (1,024 pages) but also because I read it in spurts, between reading other books. If you didn’t read War & Peace you should, not only is it full with studies of the human condition, but also full of wisdom which is still relevant to this day. I felt that I learned a lot from reading this book, not only about history, but also about culture and human intelligence. It’s too bad that if Tolstoy would have lived today, War & Peace wouldn’t even have been published. It’s not popular, too long and too tiresome – they would say. But this is real literature, with validity and…
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is a fictional book first published in 1869. The work is regarded as one of the most important works of world literature. The copy I read was translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude.
Article first published as Book Review: My Mother’s Secret by J.L. Witterick on Blogcritics. About: My Mother’s Secret : Based on a True Holocaust Story by J.L. Witterick is a fictionalized account of an actual woman who hid 15 Jews (and a German soldier) in her small house, located in a small Polish town, during the Nazi invasion of World War II. While the lines in the book between fact and fiction are blurred, it is still a fascinating read. 208 pages Publisher: iUniverse (March 25, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1475962576 My rating for My Mother’s Secret – 5 Buy this book from Amazon.com More Recommended World War II books on Man of la BookStore Thoughts: My Mother’s Secret by J.L. Witterick (website | Facebook)tells the story of Franciszka Halamajowa and her daughter Helena, two women with enough guts and street smarts to last several lifetimes. While the subject might sound depressing, this book (which targets towards the lower end of the YA crowd) is an uplifting testament to the acts of one woman and her family. The book is told in a very sparring manner (and hence a very quick read), the author writes in a matter-of-fact manner using short sentences, paragraphs…
Tolstoy lays off the aristocracy in this part and concentrates more on the “war” part of the novel. In the novel, is in real life, the lines between good and bad are very murky and usually depends on which line you’re standing on.
About: Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer is a historical fiction book taking place in Denmark during World War II. The book is well researched and an enthralling read. 335 pages Publisher: Abingdon Press Language: English ISBN-10: 1426701926 My rating for Wildflowers of Terezin — 5 Buy this book in paper or in electronic format* More Books by Robert Elmer More Recommended World War II books on Man of la BookStore Thoughts: Wildflowers of Terezin by Robert Elmer (website) was an interesting read. I originally got this book due to my great interest in World War II and was delighted to find out that it takes place in Denmark because I have yet to read any WWII stories from that region. The book held my interest throughout, part history, part fiction and part religious it manages to show the best and worst of men and women when life deals them a losing hand. I have heard many books, both fiction and non-fiction about the Jews of World War II, and in comparison their treatment wasn’t as bad as the rest of Europe – but that is of course speaking as someone living in a free country 50 years later who never had to drop everything and flee for his life. Upon finishing…
About: House of Rocamora by Donald Michael Platt is a historical fiction book taking place in Amsterdam. This is a sequel to the well received Rocamaora: Man of Masks which I wrote about last month. 346 pages Publisher: Raven’s Wing Books (November 19, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1618070916 My rating for House of Rocamora — 5 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Donald Michael Platt Thoughts: House of Rocamora by Donald Michael Platt (website) might not be as exciting as its predecessor (meaning there is no castle intrigue or daring escapes from under the Inquisition’s nose) however the account of the daily life of Isaac (previously Vicente de Rocamora) is just as an engrossing read. The book creates a vivid picture of the Jewish community in Amsterdam. It was very interesting to read how the Jews lived and interacted with each other and the Dutch people at the time. The protagonist has become Jewish but not an observant Jew and the community somewhat resents him for that, add that to the fact that he was a priest and even considered for the post of head of the Spanish Inquisition and you can understand their mistrust. This is an excellent companion to Rocamora: Man of Masks, however…
About: Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden is a historical fiction story following the young man who will eventually become Genghis Kahn. This is the first book of a series which at the time of the writing of this post numbers five novels known collectively is the Conqueror series. 416 pages Publisher: Bantam (July 13, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 038534421X My rating for Genghis — 4 Buy this book in paper or electronic format* More Books by Conn Iggulden Thoughts: I had waited a long time to read Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden (website | Facebook), I bought it for my nook while it was on sale one day and it simply resided there until I had a chance to read it (there are many other books suffering the same fate). Once I got started though, the book was difficult to put down. Mr. Iggulden weaves a good story with fascinating historical detail while keeping up the drama in the story. As brutal as life was in the plains of Mongolia, Genghis manages to mix brilliance with violence, respect with strength and understands the necessities of survival in a community. Unlike other Mongol leaders, Genghis Kahn understood the importance of the tribes uniting, both for security…
