World War Ii Books For Your Book Club

This list is a suggestion of World War II books suitable for book clubs. It’s a mix of fiction and nonfiction, and aims to consider some perspectives that are less well known. I’ve added possible book club questions for each one to help get the conversation going. There are so many books about World War II that nobody could read them all in a lifetime — and not all books are equal in this space. Following author John Boyne’s tweeted assertion that there are now too many books with ‘Auschwitz’ in the title, the Auschwitz Museum responded to him, noting their work to expose inaccuracies in literature about the Holocaust — and adding that Boyne’s own book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas “should be avoided by anyone who studies or teaches about the history of the Holocaust.” When the book was published, Boyne was much lauded and celebrated, and the story was adapted into a successful film. In time, perhaps some of the books on this list will also be reevaluated and reconsidered in light of increased research and enhanced awareness of harmful tropes — but for now, I hope this list is a good place to start.