Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

The past is not just about memories. Whether the memories are good or bad, we can gain something from them—lessons people can keep in mind as they journey through life. That is what history is all about, which is why, at times, it is essential to look back now and then to both learn and appreciate life as it was back then. One way to do that is through books, such as our recommended novel set in World War II.

A story of life and love during WWII, “Letters from World War II” is a book by Barbara Jane Hannon. The book centers around the lives of George and Dorothy Hannon, a couple who were separated by the war, as George was a Navigator on a B-17 flying bombing mission over Germany. The couple met in 1933 in Cedar Rapids when they were young, two Iowa teenagers who were separated for four years when they studied college and soon re-connected at a mutual friend’s wedding in 1940.

Bringing Light in the Darkest of Times

Dark times soon entered the lives of every family, and George and Dorothy Hannon were no exception. World War II suddenly intervened in every person’s life, disrupting what was once peaceful into one where everyone would wake up fearing what was to come. George and Dorothy found comfort in exchanging letters written during WWII to each other through mail, telegrams, and other forms of war documents, which is why Barbara became inspired to share her parents’ stories with the world.

George and Dorothy are the only two people who have had countless lives affected by the war. Everyone deserves to be heard, so we recommend them to avid book lovers like us who prefer reading books on History and Romance. With that said, here are our top recommendations for written works that involve romance in history:

Photo by RDNE Stock project

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer

Juliet Ashton is a writer who is looking for her next book subject. What Juliet does not expect is that she will find it in a letter from a man she has never met before, a native of the island of Guernsey who saw her name written inside a book written by Charles Lamb. As they continue to exchange letters, Juliet grows more drawn into this man’s world and realizes what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. Written with warmth and humor through a series of letters, Mary Ann Shaffer’s book celebrates the written word in all its guises.

The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman, #1)

by Paullina Simons

Tatiana and Dasha are sisters who share the same bed. They live in a small house with only one room with their brother and their parents. Living a brutal and impoverished life, the life that they had grown used to would soon be shattered on June 22, 1941, when Hitler invaded Russia. Tatiana would meet a brash young man named Alexander. Despite bombs falling and the city under siege, Tatiana and Alexander grow inexorably drawn to one another. Sadly, their love could tear Tatiana’s family apart, where the couples are pitted against the tide of history.

The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah

Vianne Mauriac does not believe that the Nazis will invade France, but that is precisely what France does, coming in droves of marching soldiers coming from everywhere in caravans of trucks, tanks, and even planes. Isabelle, Vianne’s sister, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old searching for her purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While Parisians march on into the unknown terrors of war, Isabelle meets Gaetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young ones can. When Gaetan betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back.

Atonement

by Ian McEwan   

A symphonic novel of love and war, “Atonement” begins on a hot summer day in 1935, when thirteen-year-old Briony Tallis sees with his own eyes the flirtation between her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, the son of a servant. Briony still has yet to grasp adult motives completely, and her precocious imagination brings about a crime that will change all of their lives and follow through the chaos of World War II.

As mentioned earlier, the books are mostly historical fiction with romantic themes. There are so many more out there just waiting to be read. We highly encourage every book lover out there to continue to do what they love to do so that stories such as the ones above are brought into the light, raising awareness of how much of an impact World War II has had on our lives up until now. Together, let’s discover WWII love stories like “Letters from World War II” a recommended novel set in World War II and continue sharing them with the world!