08 Mar Kathy’s Book List for Novels on Women in World War II

As a reader and author, I am fascinated by the stories of strong and independent women who challenge the gender norms and barriers of their time. The World War II era is rife with fiction about such women. And as it happens, I’m researching World War II for my next novel, A Piece of My Heart, a continuation of the Barton Family Series. It follows the main character, Hattie Barton Robinson, as she copes with love, loss and upheaval brought about by war.

I’ve had a field day with my reading, because there is nothing I love more than fiction based on historical events, wrapped around a good story, especially if the main character is a strong and independent woman.

I’m including a list of some of the novels I’ve read so far, and will continue to add to them as my research continues.

Beantown Girls by Jane Healy

Homefront Girls by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan

The Cigar Factory by Michele Moore

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff

For additional reading on strong and independent women, see the Barton Family Series by Katherine P. Stillerman.