The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson

My sewing friends and fans of historical fiction will love this one - a novel based on the real-life women who sewed the gown worn by England's future Queen Elizabeth when she married in 1947.

Two women, survivors of the recent wars, become friends over their embroidery frame working in the London fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Because of their skill, the friends are chosen to work on a very special, ultra-secret dress. Their stories are contrasted with a modern Canadian woman seeking information about her recently deceased grandmother, who bequeathed her some unexplained samples of exquisite lace embroidery.

The book is very, very well done. I was captivated by the historical fiction sections, with these brave women who had survived so much. Also, there's so much of the story that's true and it's possible to lose yourself for hours researching the real fashion houses of Europe and royal sartorial history.

Jazz Owls by Margarita Engle

A novel told in verse, this story bounces between multiple Los Angeles civilians during World War II who deal with shortages, soldiers, and working for the war.

Two teen girls who have dropped out of school work at the cannery during the day and dance with the soldiers in the evenings. Their younger brother acts as "chaperone" as he continues in school and seaches for his own place in the world. Their parents worry about all four of their children - the three here, plus an older son enlisted and deployed. Through their eyes, we learn about the real-life race riots between soldiers and Mexican-Americans.

It's a quick read - I read it in an evening. I'd heard good things about the book, which is why I picked it up, and I didn't realize it was poetry until it arrived. Each chapter is a different voice, and each is just a page or two. The changing viewpoints offer an interesting perspective on a complex subject - a true historical event that I didn't know about before. 

It would be a good youth discussion title. The kids in the story are younger than you'd think, dealing with very adult problems and concerns, due to the escalating tensions of wartime. And the racism they encounter would be an interesting comparison for modern discrimination.

An Irish Doctor in Love and At Sea by Patrick Taylor

I'm ten books into this series, but this one is my favorite in a while. 

While we revisit some of the same old haunts, in this book we get our first real look at the wartime love story of young Dr. Fingal O'Reilly and his nurse Diedre. We learn a lot about why the old doctor sometimes acts the way he does, and also that it may still be possible for personal growth.

There's a lot of the war in this book, and I didn't mind it at all. I always think it's interesting to get a non-American view of the European action, and the HMS Warspite sees some action that keeps the doctor hopping.

In the modern story arc, brother Lars gets a job that seems to be leaning into a fresh angle for future books, and there's a new Donald Donnelly dog scheme (and as they would say, it's a real corker!). Barry spends most of the book lurking darkly about the periphery, stewing about his absent fiance.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

In this wartime New York novel, a girl's life intersects repeatedly with that of a gangster nightclub owner.

Anna Kerrigan first encounters Dexter Stiles as a child, with her father Eddie in one of his shady business meetings. Year later - with Eddie long gone - Anna has become a Navy yard worker and encounters Dexter again in one of his clubs. It's a captivating story of a woman forced to grow up early and her desire to work outside the bounds of what "girls" were allowed to do.

But the story isn't just Anna's - it's told in turns by Dexter, Eddie, and Anna. Therefore, you get the backstory of how crime pays, how shady deals happen, and what motivates each of the men. You also get a couple perspectives on the Kerrigan family, who are anchored by Anna's adored and severely disabled sister. Interestingly, the audiobook is a multi-cast recording with three narrators.

The ending was maybe a little too neatly tied for my taste, but overall I enjoyed the book immensely. It's always interesting to ponder the lives of women in the past and the struggles they faced, especially those offered a bit of unusual freedom during the wars.

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

A boy and his mother flee the Carribean at the start of World War II, but their boat is hit by German submarines. Phillip ends up injured and afloat with an elderly black man - the start of their survival adventure.

This 1969 children's book was recommended to me by a former librarian who cited it as a forgotten favorite. I read online it has been criticized as racist - and while there are spots of racism, they're included to show how Phillip grows and learns. How the experience allows him to overcome perceived differences and learn what even his mother didn't know.

The book moves quickly - despite the fact it covers quite a bit of time, it's only 140 pages. To keep kids interested and engaged it's dramatic but doesn't dwell overlong on the machinations of life marooned on the island. I found it interesting and well told. 

The Mountain by Paul Yoon

Six short stories make up this small collection, a pocket-sized bit of literature: A homeless woman goes to work in a camera factory. A nurse steals morphine from her patients. A woman discovers a plane crash and the pilot's body. A hotel maid wanders away for a day's adventure.

I read until the end, but I can't say I necessarily enjoyed this one. The stories are all very dark, mostly sad, and without much resolution. I don't usually mind that much, but I really wanted there to be something here that shone a light of hope, in the end.

It's beautifully written, and the characters are heartbreakingly real. Just very, very sad.

Sabotage

by Neal Bascomb

One of the oft-forgotten stories of WWII is that of the people who resisted Nazi occupation within their homelands. While Norway was able to remain neutral in the first world war, scientific discoveries made that country uniquely attractive to Hitler's regime.

This book details the ways in which Norwegians worked to prevent the Nazi's from gaining access to one of the most crucial components of their scientific process to become the first nation with an atomic bomb. The Vemork hydroelectric power station was capable of producing heavy water, an element determined to make such a weapon possible. Hitler's team of scientists encouraged use of the plant and so it became a target for the resistance.

In a country without its own military, civilians became spies and warriors. This book chronicles the ways one group of men worked to overcome the highly trained military that had overtaken their homeland. These individuals survived treacherous winter conditions, crossed the sea to be trained with British soldiers, and outrun soldiers on a massive manhunt. They become spies and saboteurs in hopes of preventing their homeland from having any part in one of the most devastating atrocities ever committed by man.

I was riveted by this story and pictured some of the mentioned locations clearly. I gasped aloud when towns where mentioned where my ancestors once lived. I cheered for each victory the locals managed and when they were able to provide compassionate care for wounded and starving resistance fighters. Since reading this title, I've purchased it as a gift, and recommended it to history buffs and everyone I know with Norwegian heritage.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

An alternative to the epic, sweeping historical World War II sagas, this award-winning literary novel makes history much smaller and very personal - as seen through the perspective of a blind French girl and an orphaned German boy.

When you understand that no one is completely good and no one is completely bad - that life is much more nuanced and impacted by perspective - it's easier to see that WWII wasn't simply the Evil Nazis versus the Free World.

Werner's early aptitude for science and math are his salvation from working the coal mines that entombed his father. The conformity and cruelty of his instructors and schoolmates in the elite Nazi Wehrmacht school are tough for the boy to handle, yet he doesn't dare to rebel and destroy his chance for a future.

Marie-Laure goes blind as a young child, and her locksmith father finds fabulous ways to empower his daughter to independence. When they're forced to flee Paris upon invasion, the pair settle with her mentally fragile great-uncle in a towering house on the coast in Saint-Malo.

Many have been critical of the super-short chapters and constantly switching perspectives and timeframes, but I thought it allowed the book to move briskly without my attention flagging. It's not a book that's tied up in a neat bow at the end - some things remain a mystery - again, much like real life.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and understand why it won both the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Also, it made me want to read Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea!

Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family by Constance Novis and Helen Fester

Books by the Dorling Kindersley (DK) company are always rich with photos and illustration with text broken into digestible bits - and this book is a stellar example of the style they do so well. It's a coffee table style book with 250 pages packed with information and vivid photography.

I learned a ton about European history and even more about the 20th-century monarchs and world events; I was fascinated with the progression of the monarchy from Queen Victoria to the current Queen Elizabeth and into the future with the line of succession.

I also liked that scandal isn't swept under the rug - it's mentioned, but not dwelt upon. The modern royals have endured a lot of media scrutiny through infidelities, divorces, youthful indiscretions, and momentary lapse of judgement and those are presented without judgement.

I spent a lot of time hopping away from the book and online to learn more about someone or something. It's re-fired an interest in history and a desire to read more.

I had this book checked out so long the library's automated system started threatening me with the replacement cost of $54 if I didn't return it. It's a phenomenal book, but certainly a lot to wade through.

The war that saved my life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Audio version read by Jayne Entwistle

Think of all the atrocities you've heard from WWII.  Now imagine someone whose life actually improved because of that war.  Seems a little far-fetched, doesn't it?

Ada has been scorned by her mother since the day of her birth.  For ten years, she's never left their one-room apartment in London.  Still, she's a smart young lady, and knows she must evacuate when the other children do.  Her daring move to leave the city with her younger brother leads her to Kent and a woman named Susan.

For the first time in her life, she's seen as more than a child with a twisted foot. Suddenly, Ada and Jamie are part of a community.  There are many things to learn, including how to ride a pony, and watch for German spies. While Jamie is young enough to still love unconditionally, Ada and Susan both must learn lessons of love and trust. These things allow Ada to believe in herself even more than she did while hidden away in London.

Can Ada see her self-worth even through the shroud of shame that cloaked her for a decade? Can this makeshift family endure the tragedies of war and the constant wonder about Ada and James returning to their cruel mother?

The Painted Kiss by Elizabeth Hickey

In this lush, full historical novel we get a peek inside the art world in Vienna before World War II, as seen through the eyes of Emilie Floge, haute couture fashion designer and companion to famed artist Gustav Klimt. 

Emilie and Gustav meet when she's a girl, and she eventually became a beneficiary of his estate and guardian for his legacy. Between those times, it's well known they were friends and even family (another Floge daughter married Klimt's brother), but the full story of their relationship isn't told - which is where author Elizabeth Hickey set her book's narrative.

The story is told through the small, intimate conversations between two people - their thoughts, emotions, and conversations that aren't part of the historical record. She's given the pair a difficult, complex relationship that's neither friendship nor love but much more and also sometimes less. The story shifts back and forth from Emilie's wartime exile in Attersee and her reminiscence of Vienna and the heyday of the Secession movement.

I loved this book and since all the artists are real, it persuaded me to do some fantastic art history research to see the art they're discussing. Emilie is a strong and independent character, and I was fascinated to learn which parts of the book were really factual. Excellent!

An Irish Doctor In Peace and At War by Patrick Taylor

In this, the 9th book in the Irish Country series, the "modern" storyline about Ballybucklebo's residents takes more of a backseat to Dr. Fingal O'Reilly's reminiscence about his WWII service.

Young Fingal serves as a medical officer aboard the HMS Warspite, stationed out of Alexadria, Egypt. He's pining for his fiance back in Ireland, Diedre, who will become his wife at their next opportunity.

While we've come to love the much older version of Dr. O'Reilly as a wizened, experienced man, this book offers a wonderful look at his younger, more naive self, experiencing the world at large. He tries new food! Women pay attention to him! Bombs are dropped!

The 1960s storyline is less dramatic: babies are born, small problems are solved, and Barry's fiance meets his ex-girlfriend.

I adore this series, and even though it's getting more "warsy" than I would usually enjoy, it is very interesting to get some non-American perspectives on Hitler and the Nazi campaign in Europe. I sometimes get bored with ship and gun schematics, but as always the novel's appeal truly boils down to the people Fingal meets.

And as always, audiobook reader John Keating brings them all to vivid life with his characterizations.

Port Chicago 50

by Steve Sheinkin, Audiobook Read by Dominic Hoffman

This is an oft-forgotten story of WWII.  Sheinkin tells it in a heartbreaking manner with this children's book.  In fact, I had not heard the story at all before the book became a sensation in educational discussion lists. 

During WWII, black servicemen were still segregated from their white peers.  At Port Chicago in San Francisco, those lines were strictly drawn.  Only the black men loaded bombs.  All the officers were white.  After a horrendous explosion killing more than 300 men, several black sailors became afraid of returning to duty. 

Initially, more than two hundred of them refused unless the conditions surrounding their work improved.  When told the punishment for mutiny was death, all but 50 agreed to go back to work.

This book chronicles the trial and controversy that followed.

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel and Bret Witter

Largely forgotten by history, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives officers of World War II's Allied Forces worked to make sure important cultural relics were not destroyed during fighting, coordinated proper repairs where necessary, and helped track down and reclaim paintings, sculptures, important papers, and other objects of note stolen by Nazi officers all over Europe.

This amazing book recently served as inspiration for a movie starting George Clooney, and our library book club has chosen to read it for discussion later this fall. (We'll also be spinning several other adult-programming events in conjunction with the discussion.)  I cannot wait for the conversation. What an astounding book!

Edsel follows a handful of MFAA officers from the group's haphazard organization through the war and into their vital post-war restitutions work. We learn a bit about these "monuments men" and what drives them - why each was uniquely qualified for their mission, and how it the war affected their later careers.

I have to additionally note that I listened to the audiobook of this one and the narrator, Jeremy Davidson, was stunning. He did character voices, accents, dramatizations ... it's hard to believe it was just one guy, reading all of this so, so well.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Tidal debris deposits a baggie containing a heck of a story, right at the feet of a beach-combing stymied writer.

The bag's contents include artifacts and journals: an early-2000's Japanese schoolgirl's troubles, her 104-year-old great-grandmother's zen teachings, her depressed father's woe, and a dramatic WWII kamikazi story told two ways. Those many, many stories are layered and twisted into the threads of the novelist's life and longing in a small Canadian outlier island as she explores her find.

Many times while I was listening to this book, I suspected I'm not deep enough to really get all that was going on in subtext and philosophy. But none-the-less, I enjoyed the story immensely.

This audiobook is read by the author - and there's an interesting note at the end. Ozeki explains that the book includes graphs, footnotes and other marginalia that doesn't translate well to the audio format, so you may wish to find a copy of the book to see what you missed. Additionally, though, she explains that audio listeners get a richer, deeper portrayal of the book's characters as she gets to add inflection, tone, and characterization through her dramatic reading. Much like the book itself, many different interpretations of the same text. Up is down - down is up.

Rose Under Fire

by Elizabeth Wein

The sequel to Code Name Verity is an equally compelling, wrenching account of World War II.  This time the prisoner we get to know is in a concentration camp.  As tough as it seemed Verity's battles were, Rose experiences and sees even worse.  Although this is a work of fiction, Wein has managed to continue the pleas of so many of the victims: "Tell the world."  This is only a sliver of insight into what happened to so very many people.

Rose is a young ferry pilot from the USA. By the standards of that war, she should never have been flying within range of the enemy.  Upon finding herself a prisoner of war, she follows instructions from the one English speaker she meets in order to be treated as humanely as possible.  As expected, translations, and huge masses of individuals simply create havoc which change her circumstances exponentially. 

Throughout her horrific explanations, the reader sees glimpses of hope.  Rose's memories of home, her boyfriend, and her primarily up-to-date account of the war give other prisoners something to cling to.  The sense of community and family many of them create give Rose opportunities to find strength when her own suffering threatens to overwhelm. 

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole

A literary who-done-it that sweeps across two world wars, this novel in letter format encompasses both a transcontinental pen-pal relationship during the first World War and a young woman's journey of self-discovery during WWII.

We know right away these two stories are connected; early on it's clear that the end of the first war story is going to illuminate the beginning of the second - and the getting there is truly the good part.

These are wonderful letters, the kind we don't write any more: back then friendships and entire relationships were sustained on paper and moved only at the speed of postage. And Brockmole does an amazing job fleshing out these characters into completely realized people only through their correspondence.

Book clubs will love this one as much as they did the similarly structured The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. But it's not a simple knock-off; this book stands on its own merit as an exciting read with fantastic storytelling.

Beyond Courage

by Doreen Rappaport

Audio version.  A well researched look at some of the stories of the Jewish Holocaust.  The most haunting part of this tale is that every short story is true.  The reader will find himself/herself cheering alongside the members of the resistance as they devise each technique to outwit those in power.    Some stories may be familiar to adult readers, but many will also be new.  The juvenile audience will have an opportunity to imagine life separated from loved ones, often with the knowledge of imminent death.  The suffering endured by so many is chilling.  Alternatively, the courage and will to fight for the lives of others is empowering.  Many of the stories are short, so that they could easily be cherry picked for addition to a classroom setting.

Note: This is written for grades 5 and up.  Teen readers would enjoy combining this with the fiction title, Code Name: Verity by Elizabeth Wein for another perspective of the war.

Code Name: Verity

by Elizabeth Wein

Female pilots are rarely the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions WWII.  In reality, many did have the important task of ferrying new and/or damaged planes from airfield to airfield.  Thanks to those oft-forgotten women, Wein created Maddie, a young woman with an aptitude for mechanics.  Get to know Maddie through the eyes of her friend, a female spy.  This friend is a prisoner of war with an engaging story to tell.  Throughout much of the book, I couldn't help but wonder how much was really the cover story.  By the end you will know.  If you are a tenderheart, you will be blubbing your way to the finale.

Note: This title ties in well with the nonfiction title, Beyond Courage by Doreen Rappaport.

Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak

Based on a true story, this kids' novel relates the friendship between a platoon of Polish soldiers during World War II and a young brown bear they rescue and raise.

While at heart it's a cute animal story, this book's not for younger readers - the depictions of war are toned down, but they're still true to life. In one scene the soldiers open up about the horrors they've seen: boys blown to smithereens right before them, boots with the leg still in them, etc. It's appropriate, but still gory. Our library's copy is cataloged in the preteen section for middle school readers.

Voytek the bear wreaks havok on their camps, but also protects the soldiers from invaders. He's a mascot for the group, but also helps load ammunitions and supplies with the transport team. And for a group of men far from home and separated from all they love, he growing bear is a heart-warming friend and companion.

I enjoyed the balanced depiction of the hardships of war and the friendship and camaraderie of the group. The zoo they accumulate through their travels (in addition to the bear, there's a monkey, dogs, and a parrot) seems unlikely and unruly - but really did happen. How they managed to get away with it is amazing.