Book picks similar to
Unspoken Words: A Story of the Holocaust by Shari J. Ryan
historical-fiction
historical
drama
arcs
Resistance
Anita Shreve - 1995
Now available in mass market paperback for the first time, this novel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author takes readers on an unforgettable journey into a harrowing world where forbidden passions have catastrophic consequences.
Code Name Madeleine: A Sufi Spy in Nazi-Occupied Paris
Arthur J. Magida - 2020
She did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazi violence and the German occupation of France, Noor joined the British Special Operations Executive and trained in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. She returned to Paris under an assumed identity immediately before the Germans mopped up the Allies’ largest communications network in France. For crucial months of the war, Noor was the only wireless operator there sending critical information to London, significantly aiding the success of the Allied landing on D-Day. Code-named Madeleine, she became a high-value target for the Gestapo. When she was eventually captured, Noor attempted two daring escapes before she was sent to Dachau and killed just months before the end of the war.Carefully distilled from dozens of interviews, newly discovered manuscripts, official documents, and personal letters, Code Name Madeleine is both a compelling, deeply researched history and a thrilling tribute to Noor Inayat Khan, whose courage and faith guided her through the most brutal regime in history.
Faded Sunset
Rachel Blaufeld - 2021
As far as I’m concerned, Tommy broke your vows when he hurt you. You deserve happiness, and I want you to get it soon. Grab all of it.” ~ my friend, Sheila Margaret Long’s world looks bright and shiny on the outside. Married to a successful attorney, she lives in a mini-mansion with her husband and their perfect daughter. No one would imagine how dim and dark her life really is. With a fractured heart and a broken body, she wonders how to break free.The day Margaret happens to meet Mick Grantham is serendipitous. With a huge appetite for success after rescuing his mom from a violent situation, he now feeds that hunger by rebuilding broken businesses, not people. Although Margaret has a vibrant personality, her fragile exterior brings out his compassion, drawing him into her world.It’s a dangerous situation, especially with Margaret’s outspoken daughter involved, who is wiser than her years. Someone is likely to get hurt, but Margaret and Mick’s attraction can’t be helped until changing circumstances force them to a halt. Not all happy endings are born easily, but those won through adversity are often the most satisfying.
The Zone of Interest
Martin Amis - 2014
This mirror didn't show you your reflection. It showed you your soul - it showed you who you really were. The wizard couldn't look at it without turning away. The king couldn't look at it. The courtiers couldn't look at it. A chestful of treasure was offered to anyone who could look at it for sixty seconds without turning away. And no one could.The Zone of Interest is a love story with a violently unromantic setting. Can love survive the mirror? Can we even meet each other's eye, after we have seen who we really are?In a novel powered by both wit and pathos, Martin Amis excavates the depths and contradictions of the human soul.
Love, Cass
Stephanie St. Klaire - 2019
Loosely based on true life events of Author Stephanie St. Klaire, Cass is a relatable story guaranteed to make you look at life through a different lens. In this emotionally charged roller coaster of events, Cass represents life in fiction as she achieves triumph over tragedy, even in death. Stephanie shares her inspirational tale of victory with symbolic representation as she says goodbye to the girl she once was...through Cass. As requested by Brother’s Keeper fans, here is the companion novel for Liam... There’s something they don’t tell you about fairy tales. Happily ever after isn’t promised. Happy forever? Now, that’s a thing… I met my Prince Charming right out of pigtails and just before that point where boys stop being icky, and they just smell bad. Before I knew it, we went from best friends growing up to a whirlwind romance full of dream come trues. We were planning a forever that every love-soaked romance novel tries to recreate. I was living the ultimate romantic love story – skipped the frog phase and went straight to full blown prince. My life was perfect - until it wasn’t... I’m dying. The fairy tale just changed a bit, didn’t it? I can’t leave until those left behind know how to live their happy forever…without me. I won’t get the forever with them, but they’ll get a forever with me. I’m Cassidy O’Reilly…and this is my story.
Together: A Journey for Survival
Ann Arnold - 2016
Married to the man of her dreams, mother to two beautiful children, and a member of one of the most respected families in town; she had it all. The year was 1939, and the world was about to change. In a heartbreaking instant, she had to trade her life of security, family, and simple pleasures--for one of unspeakable loneliness, hardship, and danger. Nothing more than hunted prey, she relied on her inner strength and indomitable will to keep her children alive. But would it be enough? How far would she have to go, and did she have the resolve to get there? One thing she knew for sure ...she and her children would live or die one way …. TOGETHER. Manek was six years old when his world began to collapse. At first, his young eyes failed to see it, but reality came quickly into focus, when his loving gentle mother was forced to beat him in order to save his life. That is when he realized the Nazis wanted to kill him. Suddenly thrust into a new role as man of the house, would he be able to help keep his family safe? Was he strong enough to protect them? He knew only one thing ... they would survive if they could stay …TOGETHER. In Together: A Journey for Survival, Ann Arnold shares her family's journey through Poland's countryside as a war of nations thunders around them. The story displays the magnificent strength of a mother's love and the incredible courage of good people during the worst of times. "An important work. Ann Arnold's effort to both tell their tale of her family's survival during the Holocaust while being a part of encouraging the next generation to embrace tolerance is inspiring." -Michael Cohen, The Simon Wiesenthal Center "A fascinating story that takes a reader inside an already wounded family toiling through horrific difficulty in the pursuit of life itself. .. it forces readers to ask themselves if they could endure a struggle or whether they might support another person in a life or death battle. This angle makes the book valuable for teachers to use and beneficial for students to read at the high school level.” -Lawrence M. Glaser, N.J. Commission on Holocaust Education “Incredible Story” –Northern Valley Press "Arnold’s perspective is colored not only by those non-Jews who saved her father’s family but also by her experience visiting Brzostek as an adult." –New Jersey Jewish News
The Secret of the Nightingale Palace
Dana Sachs - 2013
A demanding woman with a sharp tongue and a devotion to fashion and etiquette, Goldie has not softened in the five years since she and her granddaughter last spoke. Now she wants Anna to drive her to San Francisco to return a collection of exquisite Japanese art to a long-lost friend.Hours of sitting behind the wheel of Goldie's Rolls-Royce soften Anna's attitude toward her grandmother, and as the miles pass, old hurts begin to heal. Yet no matter how close they become, Goldie harbors painful secrets about her youthful days in 1940s San Francisco that she cannot share. But if she truly wants to help her granddaughter find happiness again, she must eventually confront the truths of her life.Moving back and forth across time and told in the voices of both Anna and Goldie, The Secret of the Nightingale Palace is a searing portrait of family, betrayal, sacrifice, and forgiveness—and a testament to the enduring power of love.
Hunter's Baby
Alexis Abbott - 2018
I can’t forget the youthful squeals of pleasure as she panted out my name. I can’t forget how she made me feel like a hero instead of dangerous man.My sweet, innocent Blossom.Then she was taken from me.Anger fuelled me, and I became even more deadly.Years have passed, and I’ve moved on with my work.Keeping the world safer by killing those who seek to harm the innocent.A vigilante.But instead of finding her, she’s found me.And with her comes a child with my blood pumping through her veins.Just one more deadly game. Then she’ll be mine.Then we’ll be a family.This novel is a full length romantic suspense novel with no cliffhangers. Explicit language. Safe from cheating.
Faking It
Rebecca Smith - 2020
If we have a date night then I’m always asleep before it’s halfway through and honestly, if I had to choose, I’d rather have a hot bath and read my book than engage in any other nocturnal activity.2. If we do actually have you-know-what then it’s not unheard of for my mind to wander… and I’m not talking about sexy things – I’m talking about what food there is in the fridge and when the car is due for its next service.3. I am struggling to write about anything that could be classed as even a little bit sexually adventurous which is a problem when I’m supposed to be an erotica writer and I am speaking at Sex Con in exactly one month.With a book to publicise, Hannah has no choice but trade her M&S cardis for S&M parties, and become her writing alter-ego. What could possibly go wrong…
Lightning Down: A World War II Story of Survival
Tom Clavin - 2021
Soon, he would join almost 170 other Allied airmen as prisoners in Buchenwald, one of the most notorious and deadly of Nazi concentration camps. Tom Clavin's Lightning Down tells this largely untold and riveting true story.Moser was just twenty-two years old, a farm boy from Washington State who fell in love with flying. During the War he realized his dream of piloting a P-38 Lightning, one of the most effective weapons the Army Air Corps had against the powerful German Luftwaffe. But on that hot August morning he had to bail out of his damaged, burning plane. Captured immediately, Moser’s journey into hell began.Moser and his courageous comrades from England, Canada, New Zealand, and elsewhere endured the most horrific conditions during their imprisonment... until the day the orders were issued by Hitler himself to execute them. Only a most desperate plan would save them.The page-turning momentum of Lightning Down is like that of a thriller, but the stories of imprisoned and brutalized airmen are true and told in unforgettable detail, led by the distinctly American voice of Joe Moser, who prays every day to be reunited with his family.Lightning Down is a can’t-put-it-down inspiring saga of brave men confronting great evil and great odds against survival.
As Greek as It Gets
Sue Roberts - 2020
From her dead-end job to her straight-up-dead houseplants, her life hasn’t exactly turned out how she imagined, so she can’t wait to start some wedding planning. But the intimate affair she imagined soon grows wildly out of control, along with Alice’s doubts. Just as things reach breaking point between the couple, Alice’s best friend whisks her away for an escape to a sun-kissed Greek island. Sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and a cocktail – or three – and Alice soon finds herself letting loose and relaxing into the Greek way of life. When she visits a gorgeous village nestled in the hilltops overlooking the sea, and meets a friendly local woman with a very special business – and a very handsome son – Alice is surprised by how drawn she feels to these people and this life. As the sun sets on her Greek holiday, Alice knows she has some big decisions to make. Will finding herself mean losing the life she had planned? Or could it be the start of something else entirely? A feel-good read perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella. Readers adore Sue Roberts’ escapist reads: ‘I absolutely LOVED, no make that ADORED reading it… I was hooked… I stayed up reading the book until the early hours of the morning.’ Ginger Book Geek, 5 stars ‘Oh my God!!!!… I really loved this book… so good and sweet that it is very hard to leave behind.’ The Nerdy Bookarazzi ‘Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside… Had all of Sue Roberts’ usual banter and warmth… A perfect summer read.’ The Cosiest Corner ‘Fantastic! Stayed up late to finish it. Great summer read.’ Netgalley Reviewer, 5 stars ‘So delightfully funny that I found myself laughing out loud… A lovely heart-warming romantic comedy… Would definitely recommend.’ Stardust Book Reviews ‘A laugh-out-loud, feel-good, amazing book… One of my top reads of the year.’ Odyssey Across the Shelves ‘This book was bursting with everything I love… so many laugh-out-loud moments! So let’s recap: gorgeous setting✔️ delightful characters✔️ strong friendships✔️ sweet romance✔️ tremendous laughs✔️ glorious food✔️’ Audio Killed the Bookmark ‘Fun, friendship and a Mediterranean setting… I read this in a couple of days as I found I couldn’t put it down.’ Goodreads Reviewer ‘I was enraptured every step of the way… The perfect pick-me-up to bring on those summer vibes.’ Stacy Is Reading ‘Will warm your heart… Perfect for getting you in a summery mood.
The Mistress of Auschwitz
Terrance D. Williamson - 2019
While experiencing all the horrors of the holocaust, Eleonore turns to friendship for survival. Through companionship with another female prisoner, Eleonore must decide if she has the courage to join the resistance movement which is planning the overthrow of their wicked oppressors. Matters are only complicated when Eleonore unwittingly attracts the attention of the Commandant and she is forced to decide between her own comfort or her principles.
Day After Night
Anita Diamant - 2009
There about 270 men and women await their future and try to recover from their past. Diamant with infinite compassion and understanding tells the stories of the women gathered in this place. Shayndel is a Polish Zionist who fought the Germans with a band of partisans. Leonie is a Parisian beauty. Tedi is Dutch a strapping blond who wants only to forget. Zorah survived Auschwitz. Haunted by unspeakable memories and too many losses to bear these young women along with a stunning cast of supporting characters who work in or pass through Atlit begin to find salvation in the bonds of friendship and shared experience as they confront the challenge of re-creating themselves and discovering a way to live again.
Fragments of Isabella: A Memoir of Auschwitz
Isabella Leitner - 1978
Her recollections make a sparse and searing book, fragments of remembered feelings and occurrences that evoke perhaps better than most works something unfathomable.
Daughter of the Reich
Louise Fein - 2020
But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.Realizing she is taking a huge risk—but unable to resist the intense attraction she has for Walter—she embarks on a secret love affair with him. Together, they dream about when the war will be over and plan for their future. But as the rising tide of anti-Semitism threatens to engulf them, Hetty and Walter will be forced to take extreme measures.Will the steady march of dark forces destroy Hetty’s universe—or can love ultimately triumph…?Propulsive, deeply affecting, and inspired by the author’s family history, Daughter of the Reich is a mesmerizing page-turner filled with vivid characters and a meticulously researched portrait of Nazi Germany. In this riveting story of passion, courage and morality, Louise Fein introduces a bold young woman determined to tread the treacherous path of survival and freedom, showing readers the strength in the power of love and reminding us that the past must never be forgotten.