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Gabriella’s Year In Books

Gabriella’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Gabriella’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Gabriella Saab’s Followers (408)

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Gabriella Saab

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United States

Website

https://gabriellasaab.com/

Twitter

GabriellaSaab_

Genre

Historical Fiction, Fiction

Member Since

February 2021

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Gabriella Saab is an acclaimed author of historical fiction. Her first two novels, The Last Checkmate and Daughters of Victory, have been published in multiple languages and various countries. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown in Alabama. Connect with her online at gabriellasaab.com; Instagram: @gabriellasaab_; Facebook: @GabriellaSaabAuthor; X: @GabriellaSaab_

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Popular Answered Questions

Being a Lebanese/Russian woman, I couldn't skip your new book Daughters of Victory - it took my attention immediately. It would be nice to know more about your story with this book: what inspired you to write about Russian culture in those difficult times and why did you chose this country and culture exactly? Thank you in advance

Gabriella Saab Thank you so much! The inspiration for Daughters of Victory came about when I was researching my debut, The Last Checkmate, and I stumbled across a yo…moreThank you so much! The inspiration for Daughters of Victory came about when I was researching my debut, The Last Checkmate, and I stumbled across a young Soviet partisan named Zina Portnova, who joined the resistance during World War II. You can learn more about her in my historical note in Daughters of Victory (after you read the book - no spoilers!). She fascinated me and made me realize how little I knew about Russian history in general, aside from the usual topics discussed back in my days at school. I wanted to write a novel inspired by Portnova's life, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to educate myself further on Russian history during World War II and also on another fascinating time that I knew only the basics about: the Russian Revolution. I learned so much and came away with a much deeper appreciation for Russian history and culture, and I was so fortunate to have culturally authentic insights from friends and fellow authors who educated me further and were so willing to answer my questions and correct my mistakes (though if any remain, I apologize and those are totally on me ;) By developing this story, I hoped to bring more attention to these lesser-known aspects of history and to some of the real women who lived during these times and inspired my characters. And, as with all my books, I hope to encourage my readers to learn more for themselves.(less)

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What are the content warnings for THE LAST CHECKMATE?

Gabriella Saab THE LAST CHECKMATE is a work of adult fiction set during WWII, a dark and horrific time in history, and thus will not be suitable for all audiences an…moreTHE LAST CHECKMATE is a work of adult fiction set during WWII, a dark and horrific time in history, and thus will not be suitable for all audiences and will be disturbing. I attempted to portray this time as realistically and delicately as possible while being sensitive to readers. The following are mild but non-specific spoilers. Some contain more specific references but should not impact your reading experience. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

-strong language (in multiple languages)
-strong violence/gore
-on-the-page physical and psychological abuse/torture (one scene includes a strip search down to undergarments against a female minor)
-ableism, ageism, and sexism
-antisemitism and anti-Polonism (including racial/ethnic slurs)
-pro-Nazi rhetoric
-mild burns (cigarette burns inflicted for the purpose of torture)
-beatings, including floggings and severe scarring
-concentration/extermination camps
-forced nudity
-mention of rape/sexual assault/prostitution (not witnessed by the reader)
-one scene of sexual assault/attempted rape witnessed by the reader (rape of a female minor is intended but not carried out, and the scene is handled as delicately as possible)
-discussion of conception through rape (assault not witnessed by the reader)
-dehumanization
-tattooing for the purpose of incarceration/dehumanization
-murder (including children, though children's murders are not witnessed by the reader)
-gas chambers and crematoria (mentioned)
-corpses and mass murder
-starvation/emaciation
-smoking
-arson (mentioned but not witnessed by the reader)
-severe illness (typhus and mention of dysentery)
-hypothermia/freezing to death
-drinking/intoxication
-depression
-suicidal thoughts and actions
-severe PTSD(less)

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Combine Editions
Gabriella Saab’s books

Average rating: 4.12 · 6,338 ratings · 929 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Last Checkmate 4.18 avg rating — 5,410 ratings — published 2021 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Daughters of Victory 3.77 avg rating — 902 ratings — published 2023 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Star Society: A Historical Novel 4.31 avg rating — 26 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Survivors Guild 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Gabriella Saab's Blog

Newsletter and a Sneak Peek!

Hi friends! We're less than 4 months away from my next book, THE STAR SOCIETY, hitting shelves - which is so crazy! To celebrate, my publisher has generously released a sample of first THREE chapters, so I wanted to share them with you! Check those out here: https://substack.com/@gabriellasaab/p...

And, as you'll notice from that link, I've joined Substack, so if you'd like to follow along, I'd lov Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 19, 2025 10:21

Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. To create our...

Gabriella is Currently Reading

Gabriella Saab is currently reading

The Briar Club

by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Jul 11, 2024 09:08PM

Gabriella Saab is currently reading

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

by Ashley Winstead (Goodreads Author)

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May 30, 2024 08:29AM

Gabriella Saab is currently reading

Then She Was Gone

by Lisa Jewell (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 30, 2024 09:58PM

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Gabriella’s Recent Updates

Gabriella Saab wants to read The Survivors Guild: A Novel by Gabriella Saab (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11/20/25 update: Hi all! I can't wait to share THE SURVIVORS GUILD with you on 9/1/26! Add it to your shelves and stay tuned for updates! - Gabriella ...more
4 hours, 57 min ago · 3 likes · like · see review
Gabriella Saab and 4 other people liked Madeline Martin's review of The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru: "The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru is a spine-tingling gothic tale of family, a legacy of secrets, and the dangerous cost of unearthing the past through a forbidden séance. Gilmore conjures 1920s Paris and the Russian émigré community, delivering a haun" Read more of this review »
5 hours, 5 min ago · see review
Gabriella Saab and 1 other person liked Marina Scott's review of The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru: "Salnikova Gilmore's writing soars with this inventive, chilling feast of fortune-telling, seances, and deadly secrets, while dazzling readers with the unforgettable scenery and achingly beautiful prose. This thrilling story of murder, generational po" Read more of this review »
Nov 19, 2025 03:36PM · see review
Gabriella Saab and 3 other people liked Annissa Joy Armstrong's review of Wild Dark Shore:
Nov 16, 2025 05:59PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Gabriella Saab wants to read A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 03, 2025 11:53AM · like
Gabriella Saab rated a book it was amazing The Star Society: A Historical Novel by Gabriella Saab (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11/1/25 update 2: The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld (who is absolutely incredible!), and it's up on NetGalley for request! https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo... 11/1//25 update 1: Signed preorders are available through my local indie - ...more
Nov 01, 2025 11:01AM · 15 likes · like · see review
Gabriella Saab wants to read It Girl by Allison Pataki (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 09, 2025 04:41PM · like
Gabriella Saab wants to read The Hope Keeper: A Novel by Heather Webb (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 23, 2025 07:49AM · like
Gabriella Saab rated a book it was amazing The Star Society: A Historical Novel by Gabriella Saab (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11/1/25 update 2: The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld (who is absolutely incredible!), and it's up on NetGalley for request! https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo... 11/1//25 update 1: Signed preorders are available through my local indie - ...more
Sep 19, 2025 10:08AM · 15 likes · like · see review
Gabriella Saab wants to read Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2025 10:14AM · like

More of Gabriella's books…

Quotes by Gabriella Saab (?)

“History is the grand master, and only by studying his game can the pupil learn and improve.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: history

4 likes

“When she [Hania] produced a sedative and offered it to me, I shook my head in refusal. I wanted to allow myself to cry, to live fully in this moment, because as painful as it was, it meant my walls had come down in a way I hadn't permitted in a long time. The ache of love and loss pierced me to the core of my soul. And it reminded me that I was still human.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: pain, present-moment-living, walls-down

2 likes

“Before the war, I thanked God for things like my family, friends, and sunshine, but if something affected those blessings, I lamented my misfortune. I had the audacity to ask God why He let rain chase away my sunshine, as if a thunderstorm were the worst thing that could happen to a girl. But far worse things could happen to a girl: getting her entire family arrested, being interrogated by the Gestapo, having no power to present whatever lay ahead. All I had was rain, and I didn't know if the sunshine would ever return. So I'd find blessings amid the thunder and lightning.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: blessings, determination, perspectives-on-life

2 likes

See all Gabriella Saab's quotes »

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Gabriella’s Quotes

“History is the grand master, and only by studying his game can the pupil learn and improve.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: history

4 likes

“What is life after war? Returning to the lives we left is impossible, yet creating a life anew feels nearly as insurmountable. We live, fight, and survive while the memories--and the past--endure.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: life-after-war

2 likes

“Maybe we aren't meant to leave the past behind. Maybe we're meant to bring it with us so we can join others weighed down by the same burdens, and we can carry them together. Maybe that's how we find peace.

[Maria Florkowska]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: community, shared-sufferings, the-past

2 likes

“True freedom comes from bravery, strength, and goodness. The only one who can take those from you is you.

[Aleksander Florkowski]”
― Gabriella Saab, The Last Checkmate

tags: true-freedom

2 likes