Summary: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a novel set in Nazi Germany, narrated by Death. The story follows Liesel Meminger, a young girl sent to live with foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, during World War II. Despite the grim backdrop, Liesel finds solace in stealing books and sharing them with her neighbors and the Jewish man hidden in her basement. The novel explores themes of the power of words, the impact of human connections, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Do not miss the gripping historical fiction novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid! This novel contains the protagonist of a Hollywood film star, Evelyn Hugo. Aging and isolated, at the age seventy-nine, Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to give an interview, disclosing the full truth about her scandalous yet seemingly glamorous life. However, the catch is that Evelyn will only give her interview to Monique Grant, an unknown journalist who is not exactly at the top of the pyramid.
Set during World War II, All the Light We Cannot See focuses on the lives of Marie-Laure LeBlanc and Werner Pfennig. Marie-Laure is a young girl from France who becomes blind early in her childhood. Werner is a boy in Germany who, raising his little sister, finds interest in radios after an encounter with one early in life. When Marie and Werner become older teenagers, World War II is on the brink. Marie-Laure’s father leaves and leaves his daughter with her uncle, Etienne.
It was not a town where gossip stayed put but a town where gossip spread faster than wildfire. “It was not a house where secrets could be kept easily” but a house where very few could be trusted and ”he [Johanas Vermeer] had decided to trust [Griet].” A humble and modest girl, Griet, only 16 years old, is sent to the famous painter Johannes Vermeer’s home to serve as their faithful maid. Her father, a former master tile painter, was blinded by a factory accident and her younger brother Frans is sent off to an apprenticeship.
The Killing Code is a novel written by Ellie Marney. This book is based in World War II in Washington DC. Kit Sutherland has just witnessed the death of her mistress and suddenly gets recruited as a codebreaker in Arlington Hall. Kit has to assume the rule of her old boss, and hide her real identity, things prove more challenging when Kit witnesses the murder of a government girl. Kit is joined by Moya, who is a supervisor in her department, a fellow codebreaker Dottie and Violet, who’s friend had also been murdered.
A Separate Peace is an amazing book with a great story. Knowles captures the world of an elite New England boarding school and an interesting summer during World War Two when a tragic accident changes the lives of friends Gene and Phineas. The setting and themes of adolescence and rivalry are very impactful, although, I felt the pacing of the plot slows down a bit too much in parts. The final section of the book also left me wishing for a bit more closure.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan is about a young girl named Esperanza who lives a wealthy life in Mexico in the 1930s. All goes downhill after her father’s murder. Esperanza and her family flee to California with no money or supplies in hand. They manage to find agricultural work that pays very little. Esperanza is forced to adapt to all these changes and difficulties occurring in her life.
This work by Shakespeare is a historical drama. As such, it depicts the events prior to, leading up to, and after the murder of the historical figure Julius Caesar. The play explains the role of authoritative power, selfish interest, and conflicting thoughts on the war of mankind. Caesar himself wanted to be the almighty leader of the Roman Empire but was killed by individuals who predicted tyranny if such was to come to fruition.
The Hired Girl is a delicate story of family, faith, and love. Janet has a secret, she isn't really Janet, she really is Joan. The family she works for doesn’t know this. The family she works for also doesn’t know that she isn’t 18 like she told them, but she is actually 14. One thing that they do know as truth; when they found her, she was a scared girl on the streets who had just run away from home. She was in desperate need of a home.
During WWII 8-year-old Bruno and his family had to move to a new house, and his father had to relocate for work. Bruno was bored with the new house and he missed his friends. Bruno noticed a “farm” as he called it, while looking out of his window. Bruno was always exploring new things. He was told not to explore in the backyard but he wanted to explore the “farm”. He met a boy named Shmuel. Shmuel is a Jew in a camp but Bruno doesn’t fully understand what that means. The story gets more intense and surprising as you watch.
