Historical fiction novels are set in the past and depict the social expectations and conventions, the settings, and the day to day life of that period. Real historical figures often play a part in these novels, whether as main characters or part of the background of the times. Creating these fictional novels allows the author and the reader to see the past through the eyes of those who lived it, putting a human face on past tragedies, triumphs, and misunderstandings.

Today, December 8, is the 79^th anniversary of the United States’ entry into World War II. These are just a few of the digital titles you can find on www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org. If you need assistance using ebooks or digital audiobooks, contact the Informationist, Veronica Craig, at hwinfo@homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

The Dressmaker’s War by Mary Chamberlain

1939. Ada Vaughan is a young working-class woman with an unusual skill for dressmaking who dreams of opening her own atelier. Taken prisoner by the Germans, Ada does everything she can to survive. In the bleak horror of wartime Germany, Ada’s skill for creating beauty and glamour is the one thing that keeps her safe. But after the war, attempting to rebuild her life in London, Ada finds that no one is interested in the messy truths of what happened to women like her. And though Ada thought she had left the war behind, her past eventually comes to light, with devastating consequences. Check out the ebook or digital audiobook, or reserve a print copy.

A Hero of France by Alan Furst

1941. The City of Light is dark and silent at night. But in Paris and in the farmhouses, barns, and churches of the French countryside, small groups of ordinary men and women are determined to take down the occupying forces of Adolf Hitler. Mathieu, a leader of the French Resistance, leads one such cell, helping downed British airmen escape back to England. Check out the ebook or reserve a book-on-CD or print copy.

The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson

When the men of a remote Hungarian village go off to war in 1916, the women left behind realize their lives are much better without them. Suddenly, they are not being beaten; they have time for friendships; they even find romance with the injured Italian soldiers staying just outside of town.

For Sari, an intelligent girl who’s always been an outcast—her fellow villagers suspect her of being a witch because of her medical knowledge—it’s the first time in her life she’s had friends. When the men return at war’s end, the freedom Sari and the others have enjoyed is suddenly snatched from them, and they realize they need to do whatever it takes to get it back. Sari puts her medical knowledge to use to make that happen—but as events spiral out of control, her attempt to take matters into her own hands may mean her problems are only beginning, in this remarkable novel inspired by real events. Check out the ebook or reserve a print copy.

Never Surrender by Michael Dobbs

The battle begins on Friday, May 10, 1940, when Hitler launches a devastating attack that within days will overrun France, Holland and Belgium and bring Britain to its knees at Dunkirk. This novel examines Churchill’s courage and defiance and his ability to lead a nation during three of the most crucial weeks in its history. Without the physical forces necessary to stave off German attack, Churchill uses the force of words to stand in Hitler’s way, to show that no accords will be made. Check out the ebook.

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian-Jewish architecture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he promised to deliver. But when he falls into a complicated relationship with the letter’s recipient, he becomes privy to a secret that will alter the course of his—and his family’s—history. From the small Hungarian town of Konyár to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the despair of Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in labor camps, The Invisible Bridge tells the story of a family shattered and remade in history’s darkest hour. Check out the ebook or digital audiobook, or reserve a print or book-on-CD copy.

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

August, 1943: Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his affair with his uncle’s young wife two years earlier. His life, in a brutal Japanese POW camp on the Thai-Burma Death Railway, is a daily struggle to save the men under his command. Until he receives a letter that will change him forever.

A savagely beautiful novel about the many forms of good and evil, of truth and transcendence, as one man comes of age, prospers, only to discover all that he has lost. Check out the ebook or digital audiobook.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict

Her beauty almost certainly saved her from the rising Nazi party and led to marriage with an Austrian arms dealer. Underestimated in everything else, she overheard the Third Reich’s plans while at her husband’s side, understanding more than anyone would guess. She devised a plan to flee, and the whirlwind escape landed her in Hollywood. She became Hedy Lamarr, screen star.

But she kept a secret more shocking than her heritage or her marriage: she was a scientist. And she had an idea that might help the country fight the Nazis…if anyone would listen to her.

This powerful novel is based on the incredible true story of the glamour icon and scientist whose groundbreaking invention revolutionized modern communication. Check out the ebook or reserve a print copy.

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Descriptive text in this blog post was originally written by the publishers and can be found in full under each title at www.jclc.org.