Aurelie is living with her American born mother at the Paris Ritz during World War I, but Aurelie is French nobility on her father’s side and feels out-of-place in her mother’s world of poets and academics. Through a little bit of trickery and more than a little bit of stubbornness, Aurelie finds herself back at her father’s ancestral estate, and on the wrong side of the front lines. As the Germans move in and begin requisitioning everything from the estate, Aurelie realises she has met one of the German officers before – at one of her mother’s debutante events. While they are on different sides of the war, they grow to see just how much they have in common. But this is wartime, and betrayal seems far more likely than a happy ending.

Daisy was raised by her free-spirited Grandmother in the Paris Ritz, but it is now 1942 and she is married to a French diplomat who is working for the German occupiers. Through her grandmother’s insistence, Daisy begins to help the resistance at great risk to her family and herself.  She and the skilled English forger that she begins working with develop deep feelings for each other, but when Daisy is forced to confront dark secrets from her family’s past, she is not left with many choices of what to do next.

Babs is a young widow in the 1960s’.  She married her childhood sweetheart, Kit, after he returned from World War II, where he spent time in a German camp. When he came home he had no desire to talk about those days and Babs, afraid of causing him more pain, does not ask for information. She even hides a letter that comes for him from a mysterious woman called “La Fleur.” But shortly after Kit’s death, Babs receives a letter from an American man named Drew whose father also fought in World War II and is now in extremely poor health. His father worked with the resistance and was supposed to meet La Fleur, but when she did not show, Drew’s father was branded a traitor. Drew wants Babs to help him uncover the secrets behind La Fleur and clear his father’s name. So they decide to meet in Paris. At the Ritz Hotel.

All three stories are beautifully told, and the book takes you back and forth between the stories so that they all unravel together. With this storytelling style, sometimes the reader is left wishing for more of one story or skipping ahead to get back to what is going on in one particular timeline, but NEVER in this book!  All three tales are so uniquely told and fascinating that I never even thought of skipping ahead to get back to one particular woman’s story.  I loved every minute of each woman’s adventure.

Just walking through a bookstore, I don’t think I would ever have picked this book up. I might even have rolled my eyes a little and thought, “ugh…another romance about war time.”  But I would have missed out on something incredible! It makes me sad to think I might have missed out on this beautifully written, heart breaking, touching, fulfilling, magnificent book. I am so excited to read more from Team W!

All The Ways We Said Goodbye is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up All The Ways We Said Goodbye? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960’s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz Hotel.

The heiress…
The Resistance fighter…
The widow…
Three women whose fates are joined by one splendid hotel.

France, 1914. As war breaks out, Aurelie becomes trapped on the wrong side of the front with her father, Comte Sigismund de Courcelles. When the Germans move into their family’s ancestral estate, using it as their headquarters, Aurelie discovers she knows the German Major’s aide de camp, Maximillian Von Sternberg.  She and the dashing young officer first met during Aurelie’s debutante days in Paris.  Despite their conflicting loyalties, Aurelie and Max’s friendship soon deepens into love, but betrayal will shatter them both, driving Aurelie back to Paris and the Ritz – the home of her estranged American heiress mother, with unexpected consequences.

France, 1942.  Raised by her indomitable, free-spirited American grandmother in the glamorous Hotel Ritz, Marguerite “Daisy” Villon remains in Paris with her daughter and husband, a Nazi collaborator, after France falls to Hitler.  At first reluctant to put herself and her family at risk to assist her grandmother’s Resistance efforts, Daisy agrees to act as a courier for a skilled English forger known only as Legrand, who creates identity papers for Resistance members and Jewish refugees.  But as Daisy is drawn even deeper into Legrand’s underground network, committing increasingly audacious acts of resistance for the sake of the country – and the man – she holds dear, she uncovers a devastating secret…one that will force her to commit the ultimate betrayal, and to confront at last the shocking circumstances of her own family history.

France, 1964.  For Barbara “Babs” Langford, her husband, Kit, was the love of her life.  Yet the marriage was haunted by a mysterious woman known only as La Fleur.  On Kit’s death, American lawyer Andrew “Drew” Bowdoin appears at her door.  Hired to find a Resistance fighter turned traitor known as “La Fleur,” the investigation has led to Kit Langford.  Curious to known more about the enigmatic La Fleur, Babs joins Drew in the search, a journey of discovery that takes them to Paris and the Ritz – and to unexpected places of the heart…

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People often read as a way of escaping reality, mundane normality, or disorderly situations. A book is a magical teleportation device. Each individual book is a dimension waiting to be visited—a different place to travel and a different mind to travel in. Historical fiction, especially, allows the readers to wander through time and space at the turn of every page. Keeping that in mind, here are some travel destinations to visit without ever packing your suitcase.

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Saint-Malo, France

Saint-Malo, a seaport in northwestern France is on the English Channel and the estuary of Rance River, and it is named after Malo, a Welsh monk who sought sanctuary on the island. The prospering town was bombed and destroyed in WWII and All The Light We Cannot See takes place mainly in this town described beautifully by our blind protagonist, Marie-Laure. Her love for the sandy beaches of Saint-Malo will make you feel like you’re standing right there with her as she learns to navigate life in the beautiful city of Saint-Malo.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Hollywood, California

Hollywood, the fantastical world of the brightest stars holding the spotlight of the world. Lying in the northwestern part of downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood has earned its spot as a legendary place in the cinema industry all over the globe. This novel follows the dramatic life of one of the biggest stars in the industry as she unveils all her dirty laundry so get ready to explore Hollywood with Evelyn Hugo as she fights to get to the top.

Heart of Lies by M.L. Malcolm
Shanghai, China

Shanghai is an internationally famous city renowned for its economy, trade, and culture. The city is located on the coast of the East China Sea between the mouth of the Yangtze River and the bay of Hongzhou. Before Shanghai became the way it is now, the city was a major base for commercial imperialism by countries of the West. Silent Lies paints a perfect picture of imperialized Shanghai including the city’s economic prospects and even its social viewpoints. The lawless city of the east is a dangerous place to be, but if you have the right guide you might see things you never want to unsee.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Paris, France

Paris, home of the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame cathedral, is no vacation place in this book. During WWII, citizens of Paris learn to live under Nazi control of their beautiful city. Although not your ideal vacation place, Paris at this time was the center of rebellion.

Do you have any historical fiction recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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This story gives the reader a taste of everything, and sheds light on controversial topics. There are discussions on poverty, the war between Republicans and Nationalists, the lost children of Francoism, and more. Major topics collide in The Fountains of Silence in a way that make you question why this era in history hasn’t already been widely written about in modern historical fiction.

At the heart of Sepetys’ latest masterpiece, there’s the budding love story between Daniel and Ana. Witnessing these two young people try to come together is both heart-wrenching and hopeful. Firstly, we have Daniel, the son of a Texan oil tycoon. His mother encourages him to speak Spanish in their home, and to celebrate their heritage. So, when the prospect of a family holiday to Madrid emerges, Daniel is excited. Yet what he doesn’t expect is the political turmoil and consequences of the civil war, still evident after many years. Armed with his camera and the urge to learn the truth, Daniel is set to uncover some heavy realities.

And then there is Ana. A smart young woman who has learnt the hard way not to trust anyone but her family, Ana has ambitions to further herself within her workplace at the Hilton Hotel. Yet someone is blackmailing her, and a friendship with a hotel guest could prove fatal for herself and her family, who rely upon her pay checks to stay off the streets.

The deliberate comparisons drawn between Daniel and Ana serve to broach multiple conversations within The Fountains of Silence, something which Sepetys utilises to full advantage. By drawing these comparisons, the author highlights culture as a main topic of the storyline, and portrays the anxieties faced when someone attempts to bridge cultures. This is seen below in a conversation between Daniel and his mother:

‘“It’s difficult to navigate two cultures,” she once told him. “I feel like a bookmark wedged between chapters.”’

Along with her expert characterisation, Sepetys’ writing style also packs a punch. Her short, rapid fire chapters cut right to the bone, and her sentences zing with meaning. Here is an author that knows how to keep her reader interested, and how to keep them up at night just to finish the next sentence, the next page, or the next chapter. Peppered with factual historical inserts between chapters, The Fountains of Silence is just the right mix of history and fiction.

Conflict is another tool well utilised in this novel. Sepetys carefully weaves alternating points of view together in such a way that creates a near complete image of this time in history. By doing so, the dark secrets of Franco’s dictatorship are uncovered in such a way that leave the reader both shocked and intrigued. There’s never a lull in the story, which just goes to show how well conflict is managed and utilised throughout the novel.

So, should you pick up this book? Yes! A heart-filled story set in a dark time in history, The Fountains of Silence is a worthy addition to modern historical fiction. It will have you both cheering and crying for your favourite characters, all while questioning how wrongs from this time in history were able to be committed, with the lost children of Francoism being one such topic that hit the hardest in this novel. Informative and hopeful, this story will stay with you long after you’ve consumed it. A must read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

The Fountains of Silence is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up The Fountains of Silence? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

A haunting and romantic novel set in post-war Spain by Carnegie Medal winning author of Salt to the Sea.

Madrid, 1957. Tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming guise of sunshine and wine while Spanish citizens are gripped by a dark secret.

Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, hopes to connect with the country of his mother’s birth through the lens of his camera. Photography -and fate – introduce him to Ana, a hotel maid, whose family is suffering under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco.

Daniel and Ana’s lives and hearts collide as they unite to uncover the hidden darkness within the city – a darkness that could engulf them all…

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history’s darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love and the hidden violence of silence.

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A simpler way of looking at historical fiction as a genre could simply be that it can include real dates and places (basically, facts found in records and history books), but the things that happen ‘behind closed doors’ are subject to the author’s creativity and understanding of the story.

If you’ve never picked up this genre before, you’re in luck! Here are five ‘must read’ historical fiction novels to get you started. There’s something for everyone on this list, from ancient Greece to medieval England; from the cold shores of northern Iceland to the not-so-distant events of World War II. Let’s get started . . .

The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

Beginning in 1543, this novel follows Kateryn Parr, the sixth wife of King Henry VIII of England. The novel explores the achievements of Kateryn as Queen of England while also addressing her precarious station – married to a notorious wife killer, she must find her way in a court full of traps and betrayers. The Taming of the Queen also expresses one woman’s love for learning and knowledge in a time when such a thing was dangerous.

Note: While this novel is part of the Tudor Court series, it is possible to read it without having read the other books.

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe (translated by Lilit Thwaites)

Set in 1944, The Librarian of Auschwitz details the life of those living in Auschwitz’s family camp during World War II. The novel follows fourteen-year-old Dita Kraus, a real-life prisoner of Auschwitz, who was responsible for the makeshift library located in Block 31. Based on real-life people and events, this novel is about finding hope even in the darkest of times, and the value and importance of stories. This novel is beautifully written with passages that will stay with the reader long after the book is finished – definitely a must-read for those who wish for an insight into this time in history.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

An incredible debut novel from Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles is set within the Age of Heroes and recounts the events of the Trojan War. Narrated by Patroclus, this novel reimagines his relationship with Achilles, and follows their triumphs and defeats throughout the ten-year war. It’s a story full of spiteful gods, love, heartache, duty, the lure of immortal fame, and much, much more. This book would suit fans of Greek mythology, but beware: it will break your heart.

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Another incredible debut, this time from Australian author Hannah Kent, Burial Rites tells the story of Agnes Magnusdottir, a woman condemned to death for her alleged association in a brutal double murder. This novel is based upon a true story about a woman surrounded by suspicion, and is set upon the cold backdrop of northern Iceland in 1829. Told through multiple perspectives, Burial Rites pieces together the events of that fateful night and will keep the audience guessing right until its dark and twisted ending.

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

In this novel, Geraldine Brooks depicts the fictional life of one woman living in the very real event of the plague year. Set in 1666, it follows Anna, a survivor in a town which has made the noble decision to close itself off from neighbouring villages in order to keep the plague contained within its own borders. Year of Wonders explores the breakdown of humanity and the struggle to survive the last widespread attack of the bubonic plague, while also including the pull of illicit love and the heartbreak of being one of the few remaining survivors.

And there you have it – five must read historical fiction novels for those who have either just discovered the genre, or are a returning reader. Historical fiction is a fantastic way to get readers interested in particular points in history, and can be a great tool to encourage further reading on a subject.

What do you think? Should historical fiction be utilised as a tool in understanding our past, or does it contaminate the original story too much? Tell us in the comments below!

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