Hello! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl)! This week is a freebie week, and I was thinking that I’ve read a lot of books about World War II lately. It seems like there are a lot of Victorian Era books, and then historical novels jump right to World War II. Fascism is defined in the dictionary, but briefly, it’s when the government controls nearly every aspect of your life. I think it’s good to know about what fascism was like so we can recognize it around us. Sometimes it feels like there are forces trying to push us in that direction. So I figured for this freebie, I’d compile some books where people live under fascism. These are historical books, not books with made up fascist worlds (although there are plenty of them).
Defying Hitler is Sebastian Hafner’s unfinished memoir. He starts by talking about living as a boy through World War I, then he talks about life under the Weimar Republic, and finally, being forced to attend one of Hitler’s patriotic camps (which was something like a cross between a pep-rally and an indoctrination session). Hafner never bought into it, but reading his memoir, I could see how some otherwise good people might have gotten sucked into it.
I recently finished reading All the Light We Cannot See, which focused on two teenagers who lived through World War II and eventually had a chance meeting. It was so well-written, but also details lives under fascism: Marie-Laure, who is a blind girl whose town is occupied by the Germans, and Werner Pfennig, whose goal in life is to become a scientist, but who ends up in the German military instead.
Germany wasn’t the only place that experienced a little bit of fascism. This Light Between Us is the story of an American boy of Japanese descent and his Jewish pen pal. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that life under the Japanese internment camps was like living in a fascist country.
I haven’t said much about My Real Name is Hanna recently, but I had the opportunity to read it a while ago and I thought it was good. Hanna is a Jewish girl who lived in Ukraine, but had to flee when the Germans occupied the region.
Spain had its period of fascim as well. The Fountains of Silence is the story of an American who travels to fascist Spain and realizes that things are definitely not like they are in the US.
Like Defying Hitler, In the Garden of Beasts talks about life under the early years of Hitler (before he became the mass-murdering warmonger). This story is mostly from the point of view of the family of an ambassador from America though.
I wasn’t a huge fan of The House of One Thousand Eyes, but if we’re talking about books where people live under fascism, this is another good example. Lena lives in East Germany while it was still under Soviet control. It was a place where you didn’t want to be subversive if you didn’t want to get into trouble. I don’t know about a lot of books about fascism in East Germany, so I decided to include it here.
The Last Year of the War is the story of two American girls: one with German parents, the other with Japanese parents. Both end up in an internment camp together and become friends. It is told from the perspective of the girl of German descent when she’s an old lady. This is a book that you’ll want the tissues for if you decide to read it.
Although the Soviet Union was economically communist, they were also a fascist country. Why else were so many people sent to Siberia? In Cilka’s Journey, Cilka is a Jew who is convicted (unjustly) of aiding the Germans during World War II. After surviving the concentration camps, she is sent to a prison in Siberia.
Fascism still seems to be going on today in places. Father of Lions talks about one man’s quest to save the Mosul Zoo in the middle of a war. But it wasn’t just the war that this book talks about. Our main character has to deal with a “government” that tells him and his family how they have to dress, how to wear their hair, what they can own, what they can read, etc.
So that’s 10! What did you talk about this week? Next week, we’re going to talk about books with colors in the titles.
Very interesting list. I’ve only read All the Light We Cannot See from your list but loved that one.
Here is my TTT: https://ichlese.blog/2020/07/28/top-ten-tuesday-my-favorite-seasonal-book-movie-sustenance-pairings/.
I was a little disappointing by one of the sad things that happened at the end of the war… but I think most of the books on this list have their fair share of tragedy.
Great list! I enjoyed the way The Book Thief illustrated life under fascism–there’s so much WW2 fiction out there, but it’s rare to find a novel that takes place in Nazi Germany itself. I’d also really like to read The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck, which follows a woman whose husband was a member of the German Resistance!
Jess @ Jessticulates recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday | Books with non-human narrators
I haven’t read The Book Thief, but I really should someday!
All the Light We Cannot See is one of my all time faves, I love historical fiction.
Here’s my TTT https://readwithstefani.com/10-books-i-want-to-read-by-the-end-of-2020/
I love history in general; it’s awesome how historical fiction brings history to life.
This is such a timely topic. I’m saving this list for future reference.
My TTT .
Lydia recently posted…Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Character Names in a Book I Can’t Pronounce
Glad to hear that! I hope you like these if you read any of them.
I tried The Fountains of Silence, but I couldn’t really get into it which was a real shame because I’ve enjoyed her other books. Have you read Between Shades of Gray? It’s brilliant!
Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #274
I haven’t. This was my first Ruta Sepetys book. It sounds like that book would be perfect on this list though!
These books are so fascinating and I bet you could come up with 10 more. I’m intrigued by most, but Father of Lions is one I’ll be looking into.
Here’s my TTT post.
Natalie recently posted…The Last Ten Books I Added to my TBR
I hope you like it. I probably wouldn’t be able to come up with 10 more that I’ve read in the last couple years, but I know there are plenty out there that I haven’t read!
Excellent post this week. I need to pick up In the Garden of Beasts stat.
Lauren @ Always Me
I hope you like it! In the Garden of Beasts and Defying Hitler were two of my inspirations for my NaNo2019 book, although it needs a major overhaul because I didn’t plan it out ahead of time.
I’ve added all of these books to my TBR. Nice job.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.
Astilbe recently posted…Through the Lens by Adriana Kraft – Spotlight and Giveaway
🙂 Glad to be able to enable your book addiction, LOL.
I really want to read The Fountains of Silence. I’ve heard such good things about it.
I liked it. I think it’s the only book I’ve read set in Franco’s Spain.
This looks like a nice mix of books on a very important topic. I’ve heard good things about All the Light.
Greg recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday
I need to write a review on it. You’d think there’s only so many stories that can be told about World War II, but there are five on this list set during the war (and a couple set right before or after) and they’re all completely different.
I have All The Light We Cannot See on my TBR, I keep hearing such amazing things about it. Need to make time for it.
Bree @1girl2manybooks recently posted…Top 10 Tuesday 28th July
I loved All the Light We Cannot See. It managed to put into perspective something I could never fully comprehend.
Leah recently posted…The Six of Crows Book Tag
I love historical fiction, so thanks for this list! I now have a bunch of books I need to look up.
Aj @ Read All The Things! recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books Of 2020 (So Far)
Great choice this week! I’ve read and enjoyed The Last Year of the War, and All the Light We Cannot See is waiting on my tbr shelf. I recently finished Paris Never Leaves You, which is set during the war. I was pleasantly surprised by it!
Dedra @ A Book Wanderer recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday: My Unfinished Series