The best historical novels featuring a relationship between characters on opposing sides of WWII

Terrie Todd Author Of Rose Among Thornes
By Terrie Todd

Who am I?

I’m a Canadian author and I set my novels here. When I first attempted to write a book, I chose historical fiction because I thought it would be easier to get my characters into trouble—without cell phones and other modern conveniences to bail them out. I wasn’t wrong. However, the research involved with writing good historical fiction soon gave me a whole new appreciation for the genre and I was hooked. I find the WWII era far enough in the past to provide historical insight into humanity’s many weaknesses and strengths, yet near enough to make it relatable. I’ve been thrilled with the feedback on my faith-based stories.

I wrote...

Rose Among Thornes

By Terrie Todd

Book cover of Rose Among Thornes

What is my book about?

When forced by her government to leave her beloved home in Vancouver and move to the Canadian prairies to work on the Thornes’ sugar beet farm, budding pianist Rose Onishi’s dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. When Rusty Thorne joins the Canadian Army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war or surviving the war only to encounter the Japanese on his own doorstep. Can Rose and Rusty overcome betrayal and open their hearts? Or will the truth destroy the fragile bond their letters created?

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

The Books I Picked & Why

All the Light We Cannot See

By Anthony Doerr

Book cover of All the Light We Cannot See

Why this book?

Similar to my own book, this book explores a relationship between two people on different sides of the war. Marie-Laure is a blind girl living in Nazi-occupied Paris and must live with a reclusive great-uncle in a tall house by the sea, guarding a valuable gemstone. Meanwhile, a German orphan named Werner is forced into the Hitler Youth, where his talent with radios is discovered, plunging him into service across enemy lines. I could not put this book down as the characters’ journeys collided in a heart-wrenching story of love, devotion, and compassion.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

The Nightingale

By Kristin Hannah

Book cover of The Nightingale

Why this book?

I’ve only published one split-time novel to date, but it remains my most popular. If you adore split-time as well, you’ll love how Kristin Hannah keeps the contemporary portions of The Nightingale a mystery throughout, as you wonder which of the two sisters remains to receive recognition for her contribution during WWII. I loved the contrast between Isabelle and Vianne—one bold and wild, the other cautious and responsible—but both prove themselves irrefutably courageous in the face of impossible odds. Though technically on the same side of the war, their approach to it could not be more different. The story provided a unique and eye-opening glimpse into the horrors faced by average French citizens during the occupation by the Nazis. 

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Snow on the Tulips

By Liz Tolsma

Book cover of Snow on the Tulips

Why this book?

I love how Tolsma sets up a very believable story of a Dutch war widow who ends up harboring a wounded Resistance worker. Although saving him means risking everything and although liberation is within sight, Cornelia’s faith won’t allow her to turn the man out. Fearing their story will end before it even begins, she must make an impossible choice between relative safety for her brother and herself, or joining Gerrit in the Resistance. I learned so much about what the Dutch went through during WWII.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Come from Away

By Genevieve Graham

Book cover of Come from Away

Why this book?

Obviously, I love that this book is set in Canada, like all my own novels. A little-known story coming out of Nova Scotia involves Nazi sailors leaving their U-Boat one evening, on a bet, to attend a small-town dance without their identity being discovered. Graham has artfully taken this possibility on its ultimate “what-if?” journey. What if one of those sailors didn’t make it back to his submarine before it blew up, killing everyone aboard? What if he found a deserted trapper’s cabin to hole up in? What if he met a young Canadian woman whose three brothers were serving overseas? Isn’t it a tantalizing setup? Graham totally delivers in this page-turner.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

All We Left Behind

By Danielle R. Graham

Book cover of All We Left Behind

Why this book?

Of all my choices, this book is the most like mine in that it involves a Japanese-Canadian family removed from their home in British Columbia and forced into an internment camp during WWII. Hayden and Chidori are in love. But after the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Chidori and her family are seen as the enemy. Longing more than anything to help them, Hayden joins the Royal Canadian Air Force believing it’s the swiftest way to bring the war to an end. Thoughts of Chidori are all that keep him alive. You’ll learn so much history as you absorb this story and cheer for its valiant characters.

When you buy a book we may earn a small commission.

Closely Related Book Lists

The best books on power and the powerless

Kara Cooney Author Of When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt Kara Cooney

The best biographies that show how grit transforms people’s lives

Vladimir Alexandrov Author Of To Break Russia's Chains: Boris Savinkov and His Wars Against the Tsar and the Bolsheviks Vladimir Alexandrov

The best books illuminating innovative women whose stories overcame silencing

Linda Lawrence Hunt Author Of Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America Linda Lawrence Hunt

The best fantasy novels with themes on animals, nature and the environment

David Clement-Davies Author Of Scream of the White Bear David Clement-Davies

Distantly Related Book Lists

The best fantasy novels about forests

Thoraiya Dyer Author Of Crossroads of Canopy Thoraiya Dyer

The best fantasies masquerading as literature

P.K. Silverson Author Of The Fairy's Tale P.K. Silverson

The best books to help understand the causes and implications of climate change

Howard J. Herzog Author Of Carbon Capture Howard J. Herzog

The best sci-fi books that would make great movies

Tom Julian Author Of Timberwolf Tom Julian