15 Captivating WWII Novels — These Historical Fiction Reads Will Transport You

In this WWII epic, American librarian Emmy Clarke is sent to Germany to help catalogue the books the Nazis seized during the war. But on her first day of work, Emmy finds a poetry collection by Rainer Maria Rilke and is determined to discover who wrote the heartfelt dedication inside. What transpires next is a battle of strength and heart.

Intrigue and action meld in the fourth installment of Ashley Weaver’s Electra McDonnell series. In WWII London, Ellie McDonnell, who works in a spy ring, hears about a robbery in London and reaches out to the handsome, aloof Major Ramsey in the British government. The two soon realize the burglaries are tied to spies in Lisbon. Now, Ellie and Ramsey have to face enemy agents and their own simmering mutual attraction.

Inspired by an incredible true story, this captivating saga takes readers back to 1941 Paris. During WWII, Elodie Mitchell is a journalist who is invited to a show in Paris. While there, she’s mistaken for the show’s star, Josephine Baker. She’s whisked backstage and discovers a secret resistance movement. She soon gains the people’s trust and goes undercover to gather intel for them. A rich wartime epic about love, courage and bravery. 

Vanessa Chan’s The Storm We Made is a spellbinding story brimming with illuminating moments — from the horrors of WWII to the unending love of family. The plot follows Cecily Alcantara, a mother who was also an unlikely spy for Japanese forces during WWII. Ten years prior, a chance meeting with General Fuijwara lured her into a life of espionage. Now, she’ll do anything to save her family. This captivating story shines a light on the dangers of war and the lengths to which we’ll go to save the ones we cherish. 

In the latest novel by beloved author Karen Kingsbury, readers are taken back to 1941 during WWII. When Irvel Holland’s boyfriend, Sam, is drafted, he leaves for the war. While he’s gone, chemistry builds between Irvel and Sam’s younger brother, Hank. Then, Irvel is hired by the military as a spy. The rule: She can tell no one. With Irvel caught between two brothers thousands of miles apart, can true love find a way?

Readers are transported to 1944 in this captivating saga, as Judy Washington is recruited to join the Women’s Army Corps. She meets Stacy, Bernadette and Mary Alyce, and they are soon transferred to England — as the only unit of Black women to serve overseas in WWII — to sort mail. But when Mary Alyce discovers a backlogged letter addressed to Judy that will upend her life, they all learn the power of friendship.

In this sparkling love story Jill Santopolo transports us to 1946 Genoa, Italy. In the post-WWII world, Vincenzo and Giovanna fall deeply in love at age 21. Then a shift in political power and family differences force them apart. In modern-day New York, Luca and Cassandra are crazy for each other. But when they ask their grandparents to pose for a painting, the past and present collide.

This enchanting tale first takes readers to 1939 France at the dawn of WWII. Anne Guichard, the Louvre’s archivist, is looking for her missing brother, while also working to keep the Louvre’s art collection­ — most notably the Mona Lisa — from the Nazis. Rewind to 1479, when Leonardo da Vinci himself is commissioned to paint Lisa Gherardini. A rich story of art, war, history and two women separated by 500 years.

This rich, riveting page-turner by New York Times bestselling author Adriana Trigiani follows Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch. She is facing the end of her life and wants the truth about her mother Domenica’s love stories with her friend, Silvio, and sea captain John Lawrie McVicars on the brink of WWII. As Matelda and her daughter, Anina, search for answers, three generations are brought together through revelations and redemption.

From the bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series comes a stirring standalone novel inspired by a real-life mom and daughter duo who go undercover during the early days of WWII. When Veronica Grace and her mother, Violet, move to Los Angeles, Veronica takes a job, only to realize it’s for German Nazi propagandists. They are soon introduced to an anti-Nazi spymaster, but as they receive news of Pearl Harbor, the Grace women learn what it means to have courage in the face of fear.

This lush, fantastical novel transports readers back to 1939 London. Hazel and Flora must evacuate their village during WWII. To distract themselves from reality, the young girls create a fairy tale about a secret, magical land called Whisperwood. Then one day, Flora disappears. Twenty years later, Hazel finds a book in a rare bookstore written about their secret land. A beautiful tale of healing past hurts.

This #1 New York Times bestselling novel — now set to be a major motion picture — paints a powerful portrait of love and strength in the midst of war. In a sleepy French hamlet, Vianne must say goodbye to her husband as he heads for the front and to her sister, who will join the resistance. Vianne never believed the Nazis would invade France, but here they are, requisitioning her home as she tries to save herself and her daughter from the perils of war. A haunting and rich tale that celebrates the strength of the human spirit.

This best-selling beautifully written novel takes place in a walled French city, where a blind girl named Marie-Laure lives hidden from the war. In Germany, an orphan boy named Werner reluctantly uses his knowledge of radios to help Hitler track the resistance. Neither knows the other exists, but converging over the paths change their lives forever.

Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this plot follows three girls: Caroline Ferriday, a New York City socialite whose life is transformed by Hitler’s invasion of France; Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager who finds herself the endangered messenger of an anti-Nazi resistance movement; and Herta Oberheuser, a young German doctor trying to find her place in the male-dominated medical field. What follows is a battle of friendship, courage and hope.

This breathtaking tale follows three women as they try to prove themselves after they answer the call to decipher enemy codes — a cryptanalyst job held by more than 10,000 women during the war. Inspired by true events, this story is filled with bravery and powerful women.