The best World War II novels so far in 2023

STARRED REVIEW

June 26, 2023

The best World War II novels so far in 2023

Outside of the Regency, perhaps no other era in world history has a stronger pull in fiction than World War II. These are our favorite WWII-era novels so far in 2023.

Share this Article:

Return to Valetto

With Return to Valetto, Dominic Smith doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but he doesn’t need to: He is a master of his trade who has executed ...

The Midnight News

Jo Baker’s plot grows more and more tense, even wild, with few hints as to how things will play out—whether a serial killer is on ...

Good Night, Irene

As Luis Alberto Urrea reminds us, few things bring as much reassurance as people in wartime who understand the true meaning of valor.

Once We Were Home

Fans of Jennifer Rosner’s award-winning debut novel, The Yellow Bird Sings—about a Jewish mother and daughter hiding in Poland during World War II—will be pleased ...

Beyond That, the Sea

Debut novelist Laura Spence-Ash’s masterful character development enlivens the story of the Thompson and Gregory families and all of the love and tension between them.