Historical Fictionistas discussion

Theme: April 6, 1917 - Following a vote by Congress approving a declaration of war, the U.S. entered World War I in Europe.

Nominate a book set during WWI.

Please link to and/or include title and author.
One nomination per person.

Nominations will close Friday, February 21st and then I'll open the poll.

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Flanders by Patricia Anthony

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Translated by A.W. Wheen

Sandy from Alaska wrote: "All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Translated by A.W. Wheen"

If this one wins, I'm definitely going to listen to the audio version. It's read by Frank Muller who is one of my favorite readers. :)

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

I've been meaning to re-read this one. I really enjoyed it when I read it the first time: A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot

The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières

The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally

The Last Summer by Judith Kinghorn The Last Summer

Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders

Unravelled by M K Tod: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Rebekah wrote: "Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders"

Rebekah, self-nominations are not permitted. You're welcome to sign up for the Featured Author group read in the next round, which will start March 1.

Oh, we have to do A Farewell to Arms. Classic Hemingway. I've been meaning to re-read this one for years.

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

I'd like to nominate Undergroundby June Hutton This is one of my favourite novels and it begins, with a bang, in WWI in Europe. June is a wonderful author and her novel has received a lot of praise.

Sandy from Alaska wrote: "All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque Translated by A.W. Wheen"

I second that. Read it so long ago, it would be like a new read to me. Just remember that it was a good read :)

Rilla of Inglesideby L.M. Montgomery. This story of "Anne of Green Gables" daughter set in WWI is apparently the only Canadian novel from the period that is written from the point of view of the women who stayed home. Even though some would call it sentimental, I can still re-read it and cry at the same places. It's a classic, like Anne of Green Gables itself.

Carol, unfortunately Rilla wouldn't count as it was contemporary at the time it was written, not HF. Plus it's #8 in the series.

Would you like to nominate something else?

Becky wrote: "Carol, unfortunately Rilla wouldn't count as it was contemporary at the time it was written, not HF. Plus it's #8 in the series.

Would you like to nominate something else?"

Oops - sorry about that. I should have read the requirements! I'll think of something else. Thanks!

] No Graves As Yet by Anne Perry

"Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the Dolphins", by Bryant Rollins. If you have a special place in your heart for Sojourner Truth and her life commitment to social justice, you will love the story of Vera Pilgrim. Vera's story parallel's Sojourner's. Magical realism. Historical fiction. African American culture and life. A rich read.

Becky wrote: "Theme: April 6, 1917 - Following a vote by Congress approving a declaration of war, the U.S. entered World War I in Europe.

Nominate a book set during WWI.

Please link to and/or include title an..."

Sebastian

I would like to nominate SEBASTIAN by Christoph Fischer.

Bryant wrote: ""Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the Dolphins", by Bryant Rollins. If you have a special place in your heart for Sojourner Truth and her life commitment to social justice, you will love the story of..."

Sojourner Truth is World War I?

I nominate Fall of Giants by Ken Fillet as well

sorry "Follet" lol

Parade's End by Ford Maddox Ford is a great book, and was recently made into a good HBO miniseries with the dashing Benedict Cumberbatch.

I'm wondering if it qualifies. The comment that Rilla of Ingleside was not historical because it was contemporary at the time it was written confused me. There was no objection to All Quiet on the Western Front, which was written within a decade or so of the war. Parade's End was published around the same time.

Bryant wrote: ""Vera Pilgrim and the Ritual of the Dolphins", by Bryant Rollins. If you have a special place in your heart for Sojourner Truth and her life commitment to social justice, you will love the story of..."

Bryant, I just stated that self-nomination is not permitted.

The Wars by Timothy Findlay

I nominate by Ken Follett, although I would be happy to read All Quiet on the Western Front and I love the Maisie Dobbs book.

I'm with Suzy - those are exactly the books I would nominate!

I nominate the Thin Red Line by James Jones. Way better than The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

Isn't The Thin Red Line about Guadalcanal, and not World War I?

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

A Farewell to Arms

I almost hope it doesn't win the vote because the premise is so disturbing and horrific. I really want to read it, but I think a lot of people would be upset by it. However, the only other WWI historical novel I can think of off the top of my head is a trilogy and I really don't like nominating series books for monthly reads.

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

It's one of my dad's favorite novels, and I really want to read it!

I agree with all the Fall of Giants by Ken Follett nominations

Along with my above nomination I would also be happy to read Fall of Giants ( it has been on my list for a long time!) or All Quiet on the Western Front.

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Isn't The Thin Red Line about Guadalcanal, and not World War I?"

I'll have to remember to put on my reading glasses. If it's the Great War, I give the laurel to "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves. The utter disillusion put an end to "for King and Country," the cry that had helped create the greatest colonial empire in history.

Hannah wrote: "Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

It's one of my dad's favorite novels, and I really want to read it!"

Count on a week to ten days of depression.

A Farewell To Arms

The First of July: A Novel / Elizabeth Speller Battle of Somme

Does it need to be entirely set during WWI?

If not, Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole (two-thirds WWI and one-third WWII).

A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin

The Yanks Are Starving: A Novel of the Bonus Army
Glen Craney's THE YANKS ARE STARVING sizzles. Read classics all you want, but Glen's Historical Fiction brings to life a time when WWI vets got shafted by their own gov't - a cautionary tale that still applies today.

I nominate "No Graves As Yet". It is the first in Anne Perry's 5 book series about WWI from the British POV. Although it is part of a series, this book and each of the other books in the series can stand alone. Most people who read #1 will be likely to keep going. This is the book that began my on-going love of WWI fiction.

Three choices:
'The Flambards' trilogy by K.M. Peyton
'No Graves as Yet' by Anne Perry
or
'Maisie Dobbs' although the first book does not occur during WWI but is set after it but deals with the problems caused by it.

Everyone, as a reminder: You get ONE nomination for a single HF book set in or to do with WWI. The nomination must contain title and author (preferably linked).

Seconds and 'votes' in this thread are not counted - every book that meets the nomination criteria will go into the poll to be voted on. If it doesn't meet the criteria, it won't be included in the poll.

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Shelley wrote: "I'm wondering if it qualifies. The comment that Rilla of Ingleside was not historical because it was contemporary at the time it was written confused me. There was no objection to All Quiet on the Western Front, which was written within a decade or so of the war. Parade's End was published around the same time. "

Shelley, that's a good point. We generally require books to be set at least 50 years in the past from when they are written. I looked at All Quiet and saw a publish date of 1987, but didn't notice that wasn't the original publish date. (I've never read it, so I'm not familiar with it.)

So, as a decision, I will allow contemporary-when-written WWI books.

Rilla of Ingleside still wouldn't qualify though, since it's the last book in the series. (Sorry, Carol.)

I have No Graves as Yet on my TBR list along with A Duty to the Dead. I would also like to read The Absolutist. <- my recommendation

I thought The Wars was very good and also The Stone Carvers.

(Edited to mark my recommended group read book).