20th century historical fiction

[CapnMurica]

Can anyone recommend anything to me? I like books about the war period and anytime really, so long as it's 20th century. Does that still count as historical fiction?

I've been enjoying some Chinese-American stuff lately, by Lisa See and Amy Tan. I'd like to try some other countries, don't mind which. But I like British stuff too!

What are your favourites?

Small Island by Andrea Levy is wonderful

I liked "Last train from Liguria" by CD Hickey

I've read Small Island - loved it. Have you seen the tv adaptation? I thought it was very well done.

Last Train looks promising, thanks

Diary of an Ordinary Woman by Margaret Forster - I loved this

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks 1st world war - a bit harrowing

If you like crime, Jaqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series set in the 20's and 30's

Ah, I soooo enjoyed The Glass House by Simon Mawer set in the Czech Republic www.tripfiction.com/the-glass-roomnovel-set-in-the-czech-republic/

and perhaps "News from Berlin" by Otto de Kat www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-in-berlin-and-berne-welcome-heart-europe/

Hope you find something you like!!

You could look at My Dear I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young. WW1 based; how the war impacts on different relationships and includes some interesting stuff about the early pioneers of plastic surgery. Don't be put off by the chick-lit appearance of the cover; it's much better than that.

Also That Summer by Andrew Greig, set around the time of the Battle of Britain. Again a mixture of interesting historical detail and a story about human relationships at a time when the future seemed uncertain.

'To Serve Them All My Days' by RF Delderfield is less recent but a thoroughly satisfying read. It's set between the wars.

'The Night Watch' by Sarah Waters. WW2

The Regeneration Trilogy, Pat Barker

I read Czardas by Diane Pearson years ago and thought it was good. It was based in Austria-Hungary at the time of the start of WW1.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

Another WW1 one - Strange Meeting by Susan Hill. I read it last year. It's quite short, but a well-written and thoughtful tale of the close friendship between two officers sent to the trenches.

Also, seconding My Dear I Wanted To Tell You. Most definitely not chick-lit (not even a hint of it). It's well-written, and quite upsetting in places. Fascinating coverage of the early work of plastic surgery which isn't an easy read. There is a sequel to it now, but which I haven't yet read.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Walters is v evocative and a real insight into an ordinary life- lots of walking and housework!

Wild Swans covers most of the 20th century in China.
The Return by Victoria Hislop set in 1930's Spain.

If you're up for YA, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein is absolutely brilliant. It's WW2.

I do agree about Small Island being very good. Also, yet another Sarah Waters, The Little Stranger.

I've read those Sarah Waters! I haven't read Night Watch yet, I just finished The Paying Guests. I'm still thinking about it a week later so I must have liked it, but it wasn't very likeable, iyswim? I didn't warm especially to the characters.

Have recently read Life After Life as well which I loved. My Dear I Wanted to Tell You - have it as an audio book! Might revisit it actually as I can't remember a lot about it.

All the others though....will definitely check them out, thank you all. I get myself in a bit of a frenzy reading something of a certain genre, have exhausted Terry Pratchett (RIP ) for the moment and am loving my historical fiction.

There's the Cazalet books, of course - I'm not a huge fan (only read the first one) but I know a lot of people like them, and there are five of them, so will keep you occupied for a while.

Agree about The Night Watch, Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy and Andrea Levy's wonderful Small Island.

I've recently read and enjoyed:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (set in 1946)
The Zig Zag Girl (detective story set in the post-war era)
War Crimes for the Home (modern day, but with flashbacks to the war)
My Dear I Wanted to Tell You (WW1)
The Crimson Rooms (1920s)

Ooh that Sarah Walter book sounds right up my street

I am just reading Suite Franchise which is very compelling - written at the time of the events in 1940-41 and the author later died in Auschwitz. It's a sweeping epic but also very telling of the people's beliefs.
I loved My Dear I Wanted To Tell You. My favourite book about WWI.

Oh - another one you might like. I guess you will know about the Kindertransport, set up by the Englishman Nicholas Winton, to rescue hundreds of Jewish children in Czechoslovakia by sending them on trains to Britain. Many never saw their families again, as their parents later perished in concentration camps.

This novel tells the story of a Czech family, their fears as the Nazis gain a hold on their country, and the decision they eventually reach to entrust their young son to an unknown family in Britain. The author's own family fled to Canada prior to WW2; it's not their story, but very much rooted in true accounts of children who escaped.

I loved The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters, though others in the book group didn't.

I'm reading 'Euphoria' by Lily King, loosely based on the life of an anthropologist in New Guinea. If you want a different kind of historical fiction.

The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass

C J Sansom has written two set in the 20th century, Winter in Madrid is Spanish Civil War, and Dominion is set in an alternate early 1950's, where Britain has surrendered in 1940 along with the French. I'm not always a fan of 'What If' alternate histories, as far too many of them are obvious wish fulfilment fantasies, but this one is very thoughtful and uses the opportunity to talk about the Cold War etc etc., and also about the ambivalent attitude of a great many British people towards some of the aspects of National Socialism that chimed in with their own views.

Fatherland (can't remember the author). Post-war Berlin: police detective working on an 'ordinary' murder. The twist is that Germany won the war. I don't generally care for murder mysteries/detective stories, but this one was different.

Eleni (again, can't remember the author) about a Greek family during the Greek civil war.

Papillon (I can never remember authors' names) about a French convict's struggle with a brutal prison system and his escape attempts. Set 1920s-1950s, IIRC.

Love in a Cold Climate (nope - what do you expect?!) and other books in this fairly short series. Quasi-autobiographical account of upper-crust life in a totally bonkers British family between about 1920-1950.

Not historical fiction, but you might like this one:
Coming to America (ermmm...a woman) two baby girls are adopted into comfortably-off, but very different, American families. The families meet accidentally and keep touch over the years. I loved this book.

Loads more great ideas thank you so much!

Have read Winter in Madrid (which showed my ignorance of Franco Spain) and enjoyed it. Will try Dominion - my dad loves the Shardlake series but they're top early for me.

I've read Fatherland too....I think. Actually, I think I read a teaser on Kindle so will get the full book.

And probably all of the others.

Highlandcoo -do you remember the name of the kindertransport book? I have no idea what The Crimson Room is about but it sounds intriguing!

Three books I've enjoyed recently:

All the light we cannot see - Anthony Doerr set in Germany/Paris/St Malo

The House on Paradise Street - Sofka Zinovieff - set in Athens

The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng -set in Penang/Malaya

They are all 2nd WW books and all very different but loved them all.