By Kerry Chaput
I love an epic WWII story as much as the next reader, but sometimes I crave a little something different. WWII books have dominated the historical fiction shelf for years, but I’m happy to see that changing.
I’ve pondered on why there is such focus on this particular time in history. There’s the obvious: atrocities that nearly decimated populations led by an elected official who convinced educated, sophisticated people to turn evil. Then there’s the underlying issue: publishing houses decide which historical periods are “marketable.”
As a lifelong history nerd, I can’t understand only wanting to discuss history that sells. It’s history. It’s all relevant and interesting, in my opinion. I dislike the idea that one part of history should be discussed more than others. I’ve committed myself to searching the bookshelves at my local bookstores to find interesting stories that teach me something about another time and place.
I admit, some of my favorite books are set in WWII. Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale, Kristin Harmel’s The Forest of Vanishing Stars, and Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See. These stories kept me up late into the night reading and crying (in the case of The Nightingale, sobbing is a more apt description). But to fully appreciate history in all it’s complexity, I believe we need to expand this genre for more diversity.
Here are some wonderful reads that will transport you back in time to somewhere other than 1940s Europe:
