The Grafton Public Library presents…

“We Can Do It”

World War II in Fiction and Non-Fiction

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Book	Author	Dewey Number	Description
The Baker’s Secret	Kiernan, Stephen	FIC KIE	While Europe awaits liberation from Hitler’s troops, one small Normandy village is held together by the resourcefulness of a 22-year-old woman with a talent for baguettes.
Schindler’s List	Keneally, Thomas	FIC KEN	Keneally won the Booker prize for this well-known title, later made into a movie.
Suite Francaise	Nemirovsky, Irene	FIC NEM	A valuable window into the past, and the human psyche.. The remaining three sections were never written, for the already established Russo-French-Jewish author died at Auschwitz in 1942.
Atonement	McEwan, Ian	FIC MCE	Not a war novel per se, but very evocative of the time before and after WWII—and a masterful novel. Also made into a movie.
Stones From the River	Hegi, Ursula	FIC HEG	The town itself is a microcosm of German history as the main character, Trudi, records its response to the economically distressed 1920's, the rise of Hitler, the growing anti-Semitism, and the postwar years when everyone wants to forget or deny their Nazi past.
The Invisible Bridge	Orringer, Julie	FIC ORR	A richly detailed debut novel from prizewinning short-story writer Orringer, unfolding from a little-explored area of the Holocaust.
Life After Life	Atkinson, Kate	FIC ATK	If you could travel back in time and kill Hitler, would you? Of course you would. But this is not the only possible future for the main character in this unusual book. For those who can really pay attention. J
The Postmistress	Blake, Sarah	FIC BLA	Three women on the eve of America’s involvement in World War II consider the volatile nature of truth in the face of tragedy. Iris James is postmistress for the town of Franklin on the tip of Cape Cod. Everyone’s secrets pass through her hands.
Those Who Save Us	Blum, Jenna	FIC BLU	An emotionally estranged mother and daughter are reconciled when the daughter learns the truth about her German mother’s actions in WWII.
All the Light We Cannot See	Doerr, Anthony	FIC DOE	Doerr presents two intricate stories, both of which take place during World War II; late in the novel, inevitably, they intersect. He captures the sights and sounds of wartime and focuses on the innate goodness of his major characters.
When the Emperor Was Divine	Otsuka, Julie	FIC OTS	A carefully researched little novel, about the US internment of Japanese citizens during WWII that’s perfect down to the tiniest detail.
Hiroshima	Hersey, John	940.54 HER	“Hailed by press and public as ""the best reporting of this war"", , this is an artistic achievement as well as a threat to this still unsettled world”—from a review published in 1946.
Prague Winter	Albright, Madeleine	943.712 ALB	Former Secretary of State’s account of her experiences during and after WWII.
The Rape of Nanking	Chang, Iris	951.04	An account of the Japanese massacres in what was Nanking, China, “the forgotten Holocaust of World War II”.
Operation Mincemeat	Macintyre, Ben	940.548 MAC	The exciting story of the ingenious British ruse that distracted the Nazis from the Allied Sicilian invasion.
Ship of Ghosts	Hornfischer, James	940.542 HOR	A forgotten chapter of heroism, brutality and survival from the opening days of World War II. A compelling saga of the famous ship.
Elephant Company	Croke, Vicki Constantine	940.542 CRO	“my love of elephants made me apprehensive to review a book about their role in World War II. But as soon as I began to read I realized that not only was my heart safe, but that this book is about far more than just the war, or even elephants. This is the story of friendship, loyalty and breathtaking bravery that transcends species.”—from NY Times review
The Perfect Horse	Letts, Elizabeth	940.542 LET	A singular spotlight on the concerted World War II effort to save Lipizzaner stallions. The author’s elegant narrative conveys how the love for these amazing creatures transcends national animosities.
The Zookeeper’s Wife	Ackerman, Diane	940.531 ACK	After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antoninia Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from Nazi racism by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages.
Flags of Our Fathers	Bradley, James	92 BRA	In this unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.
D-Day	Ambrose, Stephen	940.54 AMB	A splendid, moving, and authoritative account of the most decisive day of WW II.
The Guns at Last Light	Atkinson, Rick	940.54 ATK	An outstanding work of popular history, in the spirit of William Manchester and Bruce Catton.
Citizens of London	Olson, Lynne	940.532	A nuanced history that captures the intensity of life in a period when victory was not a foregone conclusion.
Avenue of Spies	Kershaw, Alex	940.534 KER	The saga of a well-situated American doctor and his Swiss-born wife caught up in Resistance activity in occupied Paris. A tenderly engaging saga of solid research and emotional connection.
Ghost Soldiers	Sides, Hampton	940.54 SID	An extraordinary tale of bravery under fire and the will to endure-an exceptionally valuable addition to the popular literature surrounding WWII.