The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

World War II

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch

A July 2023 Read This Next! Book

I absolutely loved this book! Set in the Golden Age of Hollywood we follow Edie O’Dare, studio informant turned gossip columnist, as she sniffs out scandal and witnesses Hollywood close ranks around a repugnant but money-making star. The glittering glamour of late ’30s Hollywood is completely immersive, every character is fully formed and complex, and the writing is truly excellent. I cannot wait to shove this into the hands of customers this summer!

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch, (List Price: $28, Doubleday, 9780385549370, July 2023)

Reviewed by Chelsea Bauer, Union Avenue Books in Knoxville, Tennessee

Spotlight on: The Postcard by Anne Berest

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Anne Berest, photo credit Anne Berest

Before I wrote this book, I knew nothing about my ancestors. And while working on my family tree, I discovered a lot of things, a lot of some strange coincidences that I explain in the book. And I will not spoil it, but these coincidences are, for me, invisible transmissions. You see the things that your ancestors give to you and you don’t know. And this idea of invisible transmission is one of the main theme of my book. And I have read articles on cellular memory – you see, how our cells have a memory of the emotions. It’s a scientific way to explain that our ancestors still live within us and that we still communicate and connect with our ghosts. It seems that in my case and with my Jewish family, they are not totally dead. They were not totally murdered because something still live in me.―Anne Berest, Interview, NPR

The Postcard by Anne Berest

What booksellers are saying about The Postcard

  • This is absolutely the best WWII story I’ve read in a long time! Berest offers a fresh perspective on her family’s tragedy during the German occupation in France. Her personal journey is what makes this book so special. I learned new things and experienced an intimate view of what it felt like to be Jewish. It was overwhelming at times but the story has lingered in my thoughts long after I finished. A must read!
      ― Stephanie Crowe from Page & Palette in Fairhope, AL | Buy from Page & Palette

  • Brilliantly written and moving story of the holocaust, family and storytelling. I was truly hooked on Anne’s writing from the first sentence.
      ―Kelley Barnes from Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, NC | Buy from Page 158 Books

  • Epic, sweeping story about a family fractured by the horrors of WWII. Gripping from beginning to jaw dropping end! Literary historical fiction at its best. Perfect for fans of All The Light We Cannot See or We Were The Lucky Ones, but I promise you’ve never read anything like The Postcard.
      ―Jessica Nock from Main Street Books in Davidson, NC | Buy from Main Street Books

  • This magnificent novel captured me from page one and never let me go. Over the holidays, a family receives an old postcard with four names printed on the back: all of the names belonged to real relatives of the author who were murdered in Auschwitz. The author’s fictionalized search for the origins of the message (a tribute? a threat? a warning?) drives the urgent narrative. I have read a lot of novels and nonfiction about the Holocaust and also a great deal of fiction that features generational trauma and reflections on Jewish identity. I have never read anything that incorporates all of these elements so sensitively. Tina Kover’s translation from the French is invisible in the striking, seamless prose. Devastating. Original. Perfect.
      ―Kelly Justice from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

About Anne Berest

Anne Berest is the bestselling co-author of How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are (Doubleday, 2014) and the author of a novel based on the life of French writer Françoise Sagan. With her sister Claire, she is also the author of Gabriële, a critically acclaimed biography of her great-grandmother, Gabriële Buffet-Picabia, Marcel Duchamp’s lover and muse. She is the great-granddaughter of the painter Francis Picabia. For her work as a writer and prize-winning showrunner, she has been profiled in publications such as French Vogue and Haaretz newspaper. The recipient of numerous literary awards, The Postcard was a finalist for the Goncourt Prize and has been a long-selling bestseller in France.

Tina Kover‘s translations for Europa Editions include Antoine Compagnon’s A Summer with Montaigne and Négar Djavadi’s Disoriental, winner of the Albertine Prize and the Lambda Literary Award, and a finalist for both the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature and the PEN Translation Prize.

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The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry

A May 2023 Read This Next! Title

What if a book, written from an imagined childhood story, could unlock mysteries of the past and reunite lost loved ones? That’s precisely what happens in The Secret Book of Flora Lea, and Henry lets it all unfold with expert storytelling. This is a beautiful tale of the powers of stories and love. I loved how this book highlights the use of stories to provide comfort in chaos and create bonds that transcend distance and time. I fell deeply in love with Whisperwood and the characters of this lovely novel. This book is one that, upon finishing it, you close it gently, hold it close to your heart, wipe your tears, and smile before you set it down.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry, (List Price: 28.99, Atria Books, 9781668011836, May 2023)

Reviewed by Jess Depew, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

What an amazing book that weaves historical events based on true story with beautiful fictional characters. This read was both heartbreaking and beautifully triumphant at times. The resilient Librarians Clara Button and Ruby Monroe faced sexism, Bureaucracy , domestic issues and the heartbreak of war while continuing to champion their communities right to access books regardless of age, gender ,and class. It really spotlights how books provide an escape, a safe place and hope in even the darkest of times.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson, (List Price: $16.99, Forever, 9781538724217, February 2023)

Reviewed by Ali Waller, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa

If you love family epics told across sweeping history, The Night Travelers will engage you from page one. It tells a particular piece of the Holocaust story not often heard, of the small group of Jews who managed to find safety after leaving Germany in the I’ll-fated St. Louis. Four generation of women struggle to understand both their origins and the loving sacrifice made to ensure their survival. Each woman struggles with decisions they should not be asked to make. The story has just the right number of twists to keep you reading.

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa (List Price: $27.99, Atria Books, 9781501187988, January 2023)

Reviewed by Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn

This story of three women shines a light on the existence of Nazi breeding programs during the WW2 era. These maternity homes facilitated the births of thousands of “true German babies” to help repopulate and rebuild the “new Germany.” I had never heard of this! Gundi, Hilde and Irma each had their own reasons for being involved as they were, and for making the risky decisions that would change the path they were on. Engaging, enlightening and well written!

Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn, (List Price: $27.99, Sourcebooks Landmark, 9781728250748, October 2022)

Reviewed by Cathy Graham, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

Spotlight on: The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel

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Emma Seckel, photo credit Megan Shaefer

The first part of The Wild Hunt that came to me was the setting; the second was the sluagh. I was living in Scotland at the time and knew I wanted to try to capture the feeling I had there, the landscape and the history and — yes — the weather. I was interested in the way that story, myth and legend shaped communities. I started researching Scottish folklore, and found the myth of the sluagh, creatures that are said to carry the souls of the dead. I started playing with the legend, and the earliest seeds of The Wild Hunt started to grow.” –Emma Seckel, Interview, All Arts

 

The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel

What booksellers are saying about The Wild Hunt

  • Spooky, speculative fun…so atmospheric (and full of dread) that I couldn’t pull myself away. Perfect for lovers of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. ―Maggie Robe from Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    Buy from Flyleaf Books

  • An excellent mix of fantasy and historical fiction. The Wild Hunt is a book that grabs you from the beginning and still doesn’t let go at the end. On this small island that Leigh has lived ever since she was born, minus the last few years, they are dealing with the ramifications of World War II along with their own Celtic legend that has always been there. Seckel does an amazing job of telling the story of love and loss, and that through compassion things can change. Just a little compassion goes a long way and sometimes what you give you get back tenfold!
      ―Mandy Harris from Angel Wings Bookstore in Stem, North Carolina
    Buy from Angel Wings Bookstore

  • I am always mesmerized by any tale featuring the mythology and lore of Ireland, Scotland and all points in that direction. The slaugh has arrived in Scotland. According to Celtic legend they are bands of crows known to carry the souls of the dead and they inhabit the island of Kate’s birth. Kate returns from city life back to this isolated island and is faced with disturbing events that she must deal with. Mysterious and provocative, I got lost in this story and couldn’t put it down. Tantalizing tale!  ―Stephanie Crowe from Page & Palette in Fairhope, Alabama
    Buy from Page & Palette

About Emma Seckel

Emma Seckelis an award-winning writer and photographer living in Vancouver, Canada.

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Early Light by Osamu Dazai

These three stories make an important addition to the canon of Dazai translated into English (still too slight!) The title story is classic Dazai autofiction about the effects of Allied firebombing in Imperial Japanese cities. "Villon’s Wife" is an exquisite piece, with all the charm of Japanese folk tales and the perversity of modernity, that echoes Dazai’s classic "No Longer Human." "One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," however, is the jewel; for readers in English, this may be the first inkling of the author’s sense of humor. Altogether a stunning collection, and a great introduction to one of the masters of 20th century existential literature.

Early Light by Osamu Dazai, (List Price: $17.95, New Directions, 9780811231985, August 2022)

Reviewed by Conor Hultman, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi

The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani

Adriana Trigiani’s The Good Left Undone transports you through both time and place, moving effortlessly through four generations of the Cabrelli family and from country to country during one of Europe’s most trying times. It not only impresses the importance of family and the love we share with those we choose, but the importance of the stories and heirlooms that are passed down from one generation to the next.

The Good Left Undone by Adriana Trigiani, (List Price: $28, Dutton, 9780593183328, April 2022)

Reviewed by Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia

Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft

Quite simply one of the most beautiful books I’ve read all year. Historical fiction with well-drawn heroines and interesting love stories aren’t uncommon. What makes this book absolutely sing is the care and attention given to all the relationships in this book. The mother who has lost her child and the child who has lost his family; women forging deep, meaningful friendships that are treated with the same importance as the romantic entanglements; and perhaps even better, everyone grows. In a field cluttered with WWII era novels this book rises about the field with its unusual setting and lovely relationships, but also with the author’s distinct voice and prose.

Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft (List Price: $27.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250274762,  March 2022)

Reviewed by Traci Harris, The Book House, Mableton, Georgia

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

A young girl is kidnapped from her German parents before the rise of the Nazis and is raised in the forest to protect her from becoming a Nazi. But even an attempt to shield her from her inevitable future is futile and she becomes enmeshed in Jewish refugees’ lives and becomes important to their survival. But interaction with others has its consequences and takes Yona on a complicated journey of finding herself and learning who she really is. The ending was poetic and left me wanting to understand more. As a side note, Kristin did a great job of explaining the historical background that inspired the book. Hands down, a different spin on the human condition and experiences during the Holocaust.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel, (List Price: 28, Gallery Books, 9781982158934, 2021-07-06)

Reviewed by Lauren Zimmerman, Writers Block Bookstore in Winter Park, Florida

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel

The Forest of Vanishing Stars is about a young girl kidnapped from her wealthy German parents and raised in the forests of Eastern Europe. From her earliest years, she is taught to survive in the woods. When her captor dies, she is alone until she comes upon a group of Jewish people fleeing from the Nazis. She decides to do whatever she can to protect them until a family secret threatens everything. Atmospheric with hints of fairy tale, The Forest of Vanishing Stars is a stand out in WWII Historical Fiction 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel, (List Price: 28, Gallery Books, 9781982158934, July 2021)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, NC

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

Well, this was beyond lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed this story with it’s loveable cast of characters and the SIDE LOVE STORY. How refreshing that the love story, though present and beautiful, was mentioned, I think, about five times? Even so, I’m still swooning over George. SWOONING. Booksellers will adore this novel of a reader discovering her passion for books. Readers will love this novel for the tender descriptions of loving a book. And I love this novel for it’s honest, harsh descriptions of life during war. The losses great and small (which are often the ones that discourage most.) I can’t wait to shove this book into the hands of my customers. I cannot wait!

The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (List Price: $16.99, Hanover Square Press, 9781335284808, 4/6/2021)

Reviewed by Annie Childress, E. Shaver, bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

You know those books that you start reading and Cannot. Put. Down?? This is definitely one. With so many WWII books out there, Kate Quinn manages to put a fresh spin on the war with The Rose Code and makes you feel like you’re reading something new. The writing is amazing, the characters relatable, and the story fast-paced, heartbreaking, jubilant, and redemptive all at the same time. This historical fiction about the codebreakers of Bletchley Park will be one of your favorite reads of 2021.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (List Price: $17.99, William Morrow Paperbacks, 9780062943477, 3/9/2021)

Reviewed by Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop in Midlothian, Virginia

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

We have always known that librarians are heroes, and this book is based on the true story of the amazing women working at the American Library in Paris, as they join the Resistance after World War II breaks out. On a different timeline, a teenage girl interviews her older neighbor, who is one of the French librarians, and discovers her bravery… but also her complicated past.

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles (List Price: $28, Atria Books, 9781982134198, 2/9/2021)

Reviewed by Anne Peck, Righton Books in St. Simons Island, South Carolina

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