Books like 'The Custodian of Paradise'
Readers who enjoyed The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnston also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical 20th century historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2
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The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratings“We must die standing up for something.”“And what are we standing up for?”“The most important thing there is. Freedom.”Millions of people walked through Auschwitz’s gates, but she was the first woman who escaped. This powerful novel tells the inspiring true story of Mala Zimetbaum, whose heroism will never be forgotten, and whose fate altered the course of history…Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive... -
![The Postcard by Anne Berest]()
The Postcard by Anne Berest
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAnne Berest’s luminous, moving, and unforgettable new novel The Postcard is the most acclaimed and beloved French book in recent years... -
![The Girls in the Attic by Marius Gabriel]()
The Girls in the Attic by Marius Gabriel
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe bestselling author of The Designer presents a sweeping story of blind faith, family allegiance and how love makes one man question everything he thought he knew.Max Wolff is a committed soldier of the Reich. So when he is sent home wounded, only to discover that his mother is sheltering two young Jewish women in their home, he is outraged... -
![War Clouds Over Blackberry Farm by Rosie Clarke]()
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![The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt]()
The Edelweiss Sisters by Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratings1938, Salzburg. A powerful story of hope, forbidden love, and incredible courage, about three sisters who will risk everything—even their own lives—as part of the resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Austria.Johanna, Birgit and Lotte Eder have always lived quiet lives, working in their father’s clockmaking shop and helping their mother in the house... -
![The Mistress of Auschwitz by Terrance D. Williamson]()
The Mistress of Auschwitz by Terrance D. Williamson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBased on the harrowing life of Eleonore Hodys, The Mistress of Auschwitz follows the true story of a political prisoner detained in the notorious concentration camp. While experiencing all the horrors of the holocaust, Eleonore turns to friendship for survival... -
![London Calling by Helen Carey]()
London Calling by Helen Carey
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA poignant, warm-hearted and engaging saga of south London's women during the Second World War. It will take more than Hitler's Luftwaffe to break the spirit of the residents of Lavender Road. If courage, resilience and a shared sense of humour could win wars, the conflict would already be over. It's not all harmony, though... -
![The Orphan's Mother by Marion Kummerow]()
The Orphan's Mother by Marion Kummerow
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings1945, the German-Polish border: With Nazis on one side and Soviet forces approaching on the other, a mother and her little boy are torn apart, and so begins an unforgettable tale of courage, heartbreak and motherhood in wartime.“If you ever get lost, Jacob, you need to stay where you are and wait, because I’ll come looking for you. And I’ll always find you... -
![Emilia: The Darkest Days in History of Nazi Germany Through a Woman's Eyes by Ellie Midwood]()
Emilia: The Darkest Days in History of Nazi Germany Through a Woman's Eyes by Ellie Midwood
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSilver Medal Winner of the International Book Award contest Readers' Favorite in the Historical Fiction category (2017) This story is dedicated to all the victims of sexual slavery in German concentration camps, who had to endure inhumane suffering under the Nazi regime... -
![The Child of Auschwitz by Lily Graham]()
The Child of Auschwitz by Lily Graham
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratings‘She touched the photograph in its gilt frame that was always on her desk, of a young, thin woman with very short hair and a baby in her arms. She had one last story to tell. Theirs. And it began in hell on earth.’ It is 1942 and Eva Adami has boarded a train to Auschwitz...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2 20th-century audiobook book female-mc fiction -
![The Girls in Blue by Fenella J. Miller]()
The Girls in Blue by Fenella J. Miller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsJane Hadley has nothing to lose when she runs away to join the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. Whatever faces her in war-torn London can't be any worse than staying at home with her abusive father...The city is nothing like she could have imagined, but she's soon on the move, travelling from base to base for her top-secret training...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction romance historical fiction war coming-of-age -
![The Child On Platform One by Gill Thompson]()
The Child On Platform One by Gill Thompson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsInspired by the real-life escape of thousands of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe on the Kindertransport trains to London, the new novel from the author of The Oceans Between Us Gill Thompson. For readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris, The Choice Edith Eger and Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly. Prague 1939. Young mother Eva has a secret from her past... -
![On a Wing and a Prayer by Helen Carey]()
On a Wing and a Prayer by Helen Carey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratings‘This dramatic and poignant novel depicts the resilience of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary war.Unputdownable!’ Western Telegraph Life is hard in London in 1941, and yet Helen de Burrel finds herself volunteering to join the SOE. Nobody knows that her cool exterior conceals such courage ... and such fear. It also means that love, when it strikes unexpectedly, is doubly dangerous... -
![The Darkest Canyon: Book Two in A Holocaust Story Series by Roberta Kagan]()
The Darkest Canyon: Book Two in A Holocaust Story Series by Roberta Kagan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNazi Germany. Gretchen Schmidt has a secret life. She is in love with a married Jewish man. She is hiding him while his wife is posing as an Aryan woman. Her best friend Hilde, who unbeknownst to Gretchen is a sociopath, is working as a guard at Ravensbruck concentration camp... -
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![The Secretary by Catherine Hokin]()
The Secretary by Catherine Hokin
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history…Germany 1940... -
![Millions of Pebbles by Roberta Kagan]()
Millions of Pebbles by Roberta Kagan
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt is the darkest time in the history of mankind, and fate is playing a twisted game.Benjamin Rabinowitz’s world is crashing down on him, a painful reality following the invasion of Poland. He is loath to let his wife and sickly son go but escaping the horrors of the Lodz ghetto seems to be their best chance at survival, albeit slim... -
![The Orphan's Island by Katharine Swartz, Kate Hewitt]()
The Orphan's Island by Katharine Swartz, Kate Hewitt
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratings1904: Ellen Copley is still a child when she leaves behind the sooty rail yards of Glasgow, and crosses the Atlantic Ocean with a heart full of dreams. Yet within weeks of their arrival in America, her father has disappeared—leaving Ellen with resentful relatives, feeling alone and scared for her future...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction historical high-school christian family fiction -
![The Children's Train by Jana Zinser]()
The Children's Train by Jana Zinser
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis compelling Holocaust action adventure story tells of bravery, sacrifice, and the survival of the human spirit against Hitler and the horrors of war."Gripping and impossible to put down. I cried several times throughout. Perfect ending, emotional but complete...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction fiction war historical audiobook action-adventure -
![The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles]()
The Bomb Girl Brides by Daisy Styles
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's 1944 and Britain is a country at war. The young women of the Phoenix munitions factory are giving their all to the cause, but romance is beckoning . . . The life of a Bomb Girl isn't usually glamourous. But Maggie is getting married, so she is going to make sure her wedding day is - even if she does have to spend every other day slaving on the factory floor... -
![Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Richard Harris]()
Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Richard Harris
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis collection brings together music played by Captain Corelli himself and original pieces evoking the sounds and events of the book and of 3 earlier novels, the Latin Trilogy', by Louis de Bernieres... -
![The Lifeline by Deborah Swift]()
The Lifeline by Deborah Swift
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the heart of Norway to Shetland in Scotland, one couple fight to overthrow the Nazis…1942, Nazi-occupied NorwaySchoolteacher Astrid Dahl has always kept out of trouble. But when she is told to teach the fascist Nazi curriculum, she refuses and starts a teacher’s rebellion, persuading eight thousand teachers to go on strike... -
![A Quiet Little Place on Rue de Lille by A.W. Hartoin]()
A Quiet Little Place on Rue de Lille by A.W. Hartoin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsParis 1940The Reich is moving in and Stella Bled Lawrence can’t get out.Stella has proved adept at the double agent game, too adept as it turns out. The British want her to stay where she is, even though she’s about to be trapped, and worse, the Nazis want to expand her work into a distressing direction.When two Nazi agents go rogue, Stella is at the right place at the wrong time... -
![Tütün by Dimitar Dimov, Димитър Димов]()
Tütün by Dimitar Dimov, Димитър Димов
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsToplumcu gerçekçi akımın büyük ustalarından Dimitr Dimov`un yazdığı Tütün adlı bu dev romanda anlatılanlar, tütün dünyasının, Sarı Dünya`nın kişileri arasında geçer. Tütün yapraklarının işlediği atölyelerin tozlu, acı havasında çalışan, benizleri solmuş, ciğerleri çürümüş kalabalık bir insan topluluğu ve onların karşısında sömürgen bir avuç işbirlikçi... -
![A Letter From Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart]()
A Letter From Pearl Harbor by Anna Stuart
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNinety-eight-year-old Ginny McAllister’s last wish is for her granddaughter to complete a treasure hunt containing clues to her past. Clues that reveal her life as one of the first female pilots at Pearl Harbor, and a devastating World War Two secret... -
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![Paris at First Light by Amanda Lees]()
Paris at First Light by Amanda Lees
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsParis, 1944: secret agent Juliette is on her most dangerous mission of the war so far. But then her children are kidnapped, and to get them back she may have to commit the ultimate betrayal – that of France itself…Four years ago, when France fell to the Nazis, Juliette made the ultimate sacrifice, leaving behind her two precious children to join the Resistance and defend her country...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2 20th-century action-adventure adult book female-mc -
![The Girl on the Doorstep: from the bestselling author of The Workhouse Children (A Black Country Novel) by Lindsey Hutchinson]()
The Girl on the Doorstep: from the bestselling author of The Workhouse Children (A Black Country Novel) by Lindsey Hutchinson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLeft an orphan, five-year-old Rosie Harris is found and raised by Maria, a Romany gypsy. Life on the road is hard, but the little girl soon feels one of the tribe with the travellers. As she grows older, Rosie realises she has 'second sight' and is able to read people's palms and see into their futures...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2 romance humor historical 20th-century holidays -
![The Maid's Secret by Shari J. Ryan]()
The Maid's Secret by Shari J. Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCzechoslovakia, 1942: “Please don’t take him,” I plead to the Nazis.“I love you, Mila,” Ben says, hoarsely. “So much. Forever.”“Ben!” I shout as the soldiers pull him away, my heart thudding. “I love you. Please, come back.” I’m screaming at the top of my lungs as the world turns black around me.In the mountains of Bohemia, Mila, a Romani, works as a maid for an aristocratic Jewish family...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction europe western-central-europe war historical fiction -
![A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott, Richard Brown]()
A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott, Richard Brown
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAgainst the backdrop of the violent partition of India and Pakistan, this volume sketches one last bittersweet romance, revealing the divided loyalties of the British as they flee, retreat from, or cling to India... -
![The Promised Land by Roberta Kagan]()
The Promised Land by Roberta Kagan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Holocaust robbed Zofia Weiss of all she holds dear. The Secret State Police have confiscated her home, killed her friends, and imprisoned the man she loves. After searching through displaced persons camps and finding nothing, Zofia is sure that her lover is dead. With only her life, a dream, and a terrifying secret, Zofia illegally boards The Exodus, bound for Palestine... -
![The Secret Diary by Anna Stuart]()
The Secret Diary by Anna Stuart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo women. One house. And a secret that spans decades…The past merges with the present in an unforgettable, poignant story of love, loss and courage in this beautifully written story set between World War Two and the present day.She steps into the room and it’s like going back in time.Catapulting her right into the heart of the 1940s.The spindle of the record player frozen and ready to play... -
![The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson]()
The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAs they walked towards the railway station, their mother took an envelope from her handbag. ‘I want you to keep this somewhere safe.’‘What’s in the letter?’‘Listen carefully. You’re never to open it unless you or your sister are in real trouble. Promise me.’England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob... -
![Keep Saying Their Names by Simon Stranger]()
Keep Saying Their Names by Simon Stranger
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsInspired by historical events and by personal history, a shattering, exquisite double portrait of a Norwegian family savaged by World War II and of a man devoted to crimes against humanity, conjoined by an actual house of horrors they both call home... -
![One Summer at Deer's Leap by Elizabeth Elgin]()
One Summer at Deer's Leap by Elizabeth Elgin
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA present-day love story which springs from a tragic wartime romance... -
![Blackpool's Daughter by Maggie Mason]()
Blackpool's Daughter by Maggie Mason
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings***Previously published as BLACKPOOL EVACUEE in hardback only***England, 1940Clara is forced to flee her home as the Nazis invade the beautiful island of Guernsey, leaving her mother Julia behind. She's scared and alone, but her spirits lift a little when she learns she's headed for Blackpool... -
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![We Fly Beneath the Stars by Suzanne Kelman]()
We Fly Beneath the Stars by Suzanne Kelman
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings1942, Europe: Based on the true story of a female-only bomber battalion, this is a totally heartbreaking and unforgettable story about sacrifice, sisterhood and a love that transcends war.When the love of Tasha’s life, Luca, joins the air force to fight against the evil Nazi invaders, she knows she has to follow her heart—and him—into battle...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction historical fiction military family action-adventure -
![Birthright by Patricia Dixon]()
Birthright by Patricia Dixon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA woman's quest to save her family's chateau in France brings danger, rivalry, and romance--and reveals a secret buried since World War II . . .1931, Chateau de Chevalier: Ophélie, La Duchesse de Bombelle, receives a love letter from her admirer Picasso along with a gift: a priceless painting. Nine years later, the Nazis invade France and steal countless works of art, including Ophélie's gift . -
![Margot's Secret by Roberta Kagan]()
Margot's Secret by Roberta Kagan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAmid the chaos of Hitler's conquest of Europe, a family teeters on the edge of utter destruction.Trudy is still obsessed with her sister's husband, Max. But Max is torn between his loyalty to his wife, Margot, and giving in to Trudy, who might turn him in for the murder of her husband, the SS officer Rudolph...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction mystery family historical fiction 20th-century -
![The Wartime Vet by Ellie Curzon]()
The Wartime Vet by Ellie Curzon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEngland, 1941. Dedicated local vet Laura cares for the farm animals of the little village of Bramble Heath. But falling bombs aren’t the only danger as the war hits close to home…Despite everyone telling her it’s not a suitable career for a woman, Laura has worked hard to become a successful livestock vet... -
![The Girl in the Photo by Catherine Hokin]()
The Girl in the Photo by Catherine Hokin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTheresienstadt Concentration Camp, 1944. ‘I have to go away, my darling. Please, be brave, stay alive, for me.’ Mama’s voice breaks. The little girl tries to stop the forbidden tears from falling, as the train takes her mother, and she is left alone…Berlin, six years later. Hanni Winter glows with pride as she shows her new husband around her first solo photography exhibition...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2 20th-century adult book coming-of-age female-mc -
![The Girl With the Yellow Star by Natalie Meg Evans]()
The Girl With the Yellow Star by Natalie Meg Evans
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“We have to wear the yellow star! It’s the rules!” the little girl sobs. But her mother presses a desperate finger to her mouth. “Darling, today is different. We are going to leave our stars behind and go on a long journey. We must be very, very quiet, and pray nobody finds us until we are safe in England…”Cornwall, England, 1943... -
![Trouble Brewing by Marion Kummerow]()
Trouble Brewing by Marion Kummerow
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRichard Klausen has survived eighteen grueling months at the Eastern front. Transferred to a security unit out off Lodz, Poland he soon finds out that fighting the Red Army was the easy task. When his unit is assigned to do the unthinkable, will Richard obey his orders or his conscience? Trouble Brewing is book 4 of the War Girl Series, but can be read as stand-alone...Categorized as:
historical-fiction ww2 literary-fiction war fiction military historical 20th-century -
![The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci]()
The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Sometime during the early hours of the morning, he awoke again, this time with a start. He was sure he heard a noise outside. It sounded like a twig snapping. Under normal circumstances it would have meant nothing, but in the silence of the forest every sound was magnified. There it was again. This time it was closer and his instinct told him it wasn’t the wolves...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction ww2 20th-century action-adventure adult book fiction -
![The Spitfire Girl in the Skies: A heartwarming and romantic WW2 saga by Fenella J. Miller]()
The Spitfire Girl in the Skies: A heartwarming and romantic WW2 saga by Fenella J. Miller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWith the men on the front line, courageous Ellie must do her bit for the war effort. It's 1939 and the threat of war hangs over the country... Flying instructor Ellie Simpson has grown up a tomboy. She's never had an interest in the latest fashions or finding a husband, her only passion is flying her beloved Tiger Moth... -
![Under a Sky on Fire: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by Suzanne Kelman]()
Under a Sky on Fire: A gripping and utterly heartbreaking WW2 historical novel by Suzanne Kelman
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the middle of the road, the child stood wearing a blue flannel nightie, her feet bare and dirt-splattered. Her blonde flyaway hair was golden, aglow from the fires that lit her up from behind. Stumbling over, Lizzie reached her side. The little girl's eyes were closed, her palms facing upwards. If she'd been in church, you would have thought she was praying... -
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![Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea]()
Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom French literary talent and Prix Goncourt winner Jean-Baptiste Andrea, a “sprawling fresco and star-crossed love story” (The New York Times) following a dwarf and skilled sculptor as he recounts the moments in his life that inspired his mysteriously powerful masterpiece—perfect for readers of Martyr! and The Covenant of Water.In an Italian monastery, a sculptor named Mimo lays on his deathbed... -
![The Girl from Vichy by Andie Newton]()
The Girl from Vichy by Andie Newton
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsShe's done running. Now she fights. 1942, occupied France.With the war raging in Europe, Adèle Ambeh dreams of a France that is free from the clutches of the Nazis. As the date of her marriage to a ruthless man draws closer, she only has one choice: she must run.Adèle flees to Lyon and seeks refuge at the Sisters of Notre Dame de la Compassion... -
![Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson, Joan Walker]()
Our Last Goodbye by Shirley Dickson, Joan Walker
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA heart-wrenching, poignant and totally unforgettable tale of a young woman who must finally face up to the secret she has hidden for a lifetime. A beautiful World War Two novel for fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe, that will have you reaching for the Kleenex... -
![A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow]()
A Light in the Window by Marion Kummerow
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBerlin, 1941: Margarete Rosenbaum is working as a housemaid for a senior Nazi officer when his house is bombed, leaving her the only survivor. But when she’s mistaken for his daughter in the aftermath of the blast, Margarete knows she can make a bid for freedom…Issued with temporary papers—and with the freedom of not being seen as Jewish—a few hours are all she needs to escape to relative safety... -
![Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins]()
Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA National BestsellerA New Yorker Best Book of 2022Fifteen years after the publication of Evidence of Things Unseen , National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize finalist Marianne Wiggins returns with a “big, bold book” ( USA TODAY ) destined to be an American classic: a sweeping masterwork set during World War II about the meaning of family and the limitations of the American Dream... -
![Call Nurse Millie by Jean Fullerton]()
Call Nurse Millie by Jean Fullerton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's 1945 and, as the troops begin to return home, the inhabitants of London attempt to put their lives back together. For 25-year-old Millie, a qualified nurse and midwife, the jubilation at the end of the war is short-lived as she tends to the needs of the East End community around her. But while Millie witnesses tragedy and brutality in her job, she also finds strength and kindness...
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