Books like All the Light We Cannot See

In Nazi Germany, a young girl falls in love with books and words. From stealing books from book burnings to the mayor's wife's library, Liesel's love affair with literature blooms with the help of her foster father. But when her family hides a Jew in their basement, the danger intensifies. Markus Zusak's superbly crafted writing tells a timeless story of love and loss in a tumultuous era.

Follow the courageous journey of a young lieutenant, Louis Zamperini, whose plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. With thousands of miles of open ocean ahead of him, Zamperini faces a harrowing test of endurance, battling thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and even sharks. Based on a true story, this captivating young adult edition of a #1 New York Times bestseller is beautifully illustrated with over 100 photos and features an exclusive interview with Zamperini himself. Discover the courage and fortitude it takes to overcome even the most insurmountable obstacles in Unbroken.

Surviving the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Lale Sokolov is tasked with tattooing his fellow prisoners with their identification numbers. Witnessing atrocities and acts of compassion, Lale risks his life to provide food for his fellow prisoners. When he meets a young woman named Gita, Lale vows to survive and marry her. The Tattooist of Auschwitz is a vivid and hopeful re-creation of one man's endurance and love during the Holocaust.

Set in World War II Paris, this thrilling debut novel follows gifted architect Lucien Bernard as he accepts a commission to design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man. Outwitting the Nazis occupying the city is a challenge he can't resist. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes personal for Lucien. The Paris Architect is a gripping story about what we owe each other and how far we'll go to make things right, written by an architect whose knowledge imbues every page.

Explore the possibility of living multiple lives, with a chance to make things right. Follow Ursula Todd's unusual journey as she dies and is reborn repeatedly in different ways. With the looming threat of a world war, can Ursula change the future and save the world? Discover the power of infinite lives and the weight of the decisions that come with them in this thought-provoking novel.

A powerful historical fiction novel set in WWII Poland, The Things We Cannot Say follows Alina Dziak as she navigates life under Nazi occupation, and the devastating impact it has on her small village and family. Interweaving between past and present, the story explores the lifelong consequences of buried secrets and the importance of finding the courage to speak the truth. Kelly Rimmer's poignant and finely crafted narrative is an unshakable reminder of the dangers of silence in the face of injustice.

A family of Jews in Poland tries to maintain their normal lives in the face of the growing shadow of war. As Europe is caught up in the horrors of WWII, the family is separated and forced to flee to different corners of the world. Using ingenuity and inner strength, the Kurcs must rely on hope to persevere and reunite. We Were the Lucky Ones is a powerful tribute to the triumph of love and hope against all odds.

Set during the Nazis’ brutal siege of Leningrad, two cellmates are given an impossible task – to secure a dozen eggs for a powerful Soviet colonel’s daughter’s wedding cake. Lev and Kolya journey through the dire lawlessness of Leningrad and enemy lines to find the impossible. An intimate coming-of-age story with an utterly contemporary feel for men, City of Thieves is a gripping, cinematic World War II adventure.

A coming-of-age story set in New Bremen, Minnesota in 1961, Ordinary Grace follows thirteen-year-old Frank Drum as he navigates a summer filled with tragedy and loss. When unexpected death strikes his family, Frank is forced to mature quickly and face adult themes like adultery, betrayal, and secrets. The novel is told from Frank's perspective forty years later and explores themes of wisdom and grace in the face of tragedy.

Transported from 1945 to 1743 Scotland, a former combat nurse named Claire Randall navigates a dangerous new world torn by war and raids. Amid lairds and spies, she finds a love so intense it tears at her loyalty and heart, forcing her to choose between two lives and two men.

This novel explores the unexpected friendship between a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and a troubled teenage girl on the cusp of "aging out" of the child welfare system. As she helps the elderly woman sort through her possessions and memories, the girl discovers parallels to her own life, both as an outsider being raised by strangers and as someone with unanswered questions about the past. Orphan Train is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.