Books like 'The Ninth Hour'
Readers who enjoyed The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical 20th century historical-fiction religion literary-fiction family urban friendship coming-of-age grief
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The Little Liar by Mitch Albom
Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsBeloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel that moves from a coastal Greek city during the Holocaust, to America, where the intertwined lives of three survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption. Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis never told a lie...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction coming-of-age friendship spirituality fiction audiobook -
![The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron]()
The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsThe extraordinary story of Stefania Podgorska, a Polish teenager who chose bravery and humanity by hiding thirteen Jews in her attic during WWII -- from #1 New York Times bestselling author Sharon Cameron.One knock at the door, and Stefania has a choice to make..Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction realistic religion spirituality 20th-century -
![We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter]()
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIt is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships threatening Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland...Categorized as:
drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic religion spirituality 20th-century -
![The World Starts Anew by Jean Grainger]()
The World Starts Anew by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBallycreggan, Northern Ireland, 1955Erich Bannon is happy in the small Irish village he has thought of as home since he arrived as a terrified, traumatized seven year old, one of the last Jewish children to escape Berlin in 1939. Now, at 23, it feels like all of his friends are drawn to The Promised Land, and he can understand why, but Israel is not for him... -
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![The Hard Way Home by Jean Grainger]()
The Hard Way Home by Jean Grainger
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDublin 1950Liesl Bannon has never felt like she was truly at home anywhere, not since her mother placed her and her brother Erich on the last Kindertransport out of Berlin in 1939. She’d been so much more fortunate than most Jews, saved from the horrors of the Nazi regime...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century -
![Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde]()
Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsDuring WWII, a teenage boy finds his voice, the courage of his convictions, and friends for life in an emotional and uplifting novel by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author.1941. Steven Katz is the son of prosperous landowners in rural California. Although his parents don’t approve, he’s found true friends in Nick, Suki, and Ollie, sons of field workers... -
![The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy]()
The Sky Beneath Us by Fiona Valpy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn inspiring, uplifting story of love and loss, courage and adventure, from the bestselling author of The Skylark’s Secret.1927. Violet Mackenzie-Grant is embarking on her dream of studying at the Edinburgh School of Gardening for Women...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family friendship religion grief literary-fiction spirituality asia -
![Shipyard Girls in Love by Nancy Revell]()
Shipyard Girls in Love by Nancy Revell
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratings'the author is one to watch' Sun'A riveting read is just what this is in more ways than one.' The Northern Echo'I enjoyed The Shipyard Girls very much indeed . . -
![The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai]()
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsA dazzling new novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary ParisIn 1985, Yale Tishman, the development director for an art gallery in Chicago, is about to pull off an amazing coup, bringing in an extraordinary collection of 1920s paintings as a gift to the gallery...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![The Mersey Mothers by Sheila Riley]()
The Mersey Mothers by Sheila Riley
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLiverpool 1953January sees the dawn of the Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation year as the mothers of Reckoners Row unite in preparation for the celebration of the new Queen.Meanwhile Evie Kilgaren is dreaming of her summer wedding to Danny Harris, but trouble looms for Skinner & Sons with a new rival trying to put them out of business, but no-one knows why...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction religion spirituality urban 19th-century -
![Two Brothers by Ben Elton]()
Two Brothers by Ben Elton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTwo Brothers is a heartrending story of two boys growing up under the darkening shadow of the Nazis. Born in Berlin in 1920 and raised by the same parents, one boy is Jewish, his adopted brother is Aryan. At first, their origins are irrelevant. But as the political landscape changes they are forced to make decisions with horrifying consequences...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic urban -
![Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan]()
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNow available in trade paper with an eye-catching new cover from the bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis: Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George’s last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite story. The answer provides hope and healing and a magical journey for anyone whose life has ever been changed by a book...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe]()
The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBorn into a basket of clean sheets—ruining a perfectly good load of laundry—Emmeline never quite fit in on her family's rural Nova Scotian farm. After suffering multiple losses in the First World War, her family became so heavy with grief, toxicity, and mental illness that Emmeline felt their weight smothering her. And so, she fled across the Atlantic and built her life in England...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family literary-fiction realistic friendship fiction historical war -
![Shipyard Girls at War by Nancy Revell]()
Shipyard Girls at War by Nancy Revell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings1941: It takes strength to work on the docks, but the war demands all hands on deck and the women are doing their best to fill the gap. Rosie is flourishing in her role as head-welder while still keeping her double life a secret. But a dashing detective is forcing Rosie to choose between love and her duty... -
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![Eternal by Lisa Scottoline]()
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsWhat war destroys, only love can heal.Elisabetta, Marco, and Sandro grow up as the best of friends despite their differences. Elisabetta is a feisty beauty who dreams of becoming a novelist; Marco the brash and athletic son in a family of professional cyclists; and Sandro a Jewish mathematics prodigy, kind-hearted and thoughtful, the son of a lawyer and a doctor...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality -
![The Queen of Beauty by Petra Durst-Benning, Edwin Miles]()
The Queen of Beauty by Petra Durst-Benning, Edwin Miles
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsPetra Durst-Benning’s captivating historical novel pays homage to the trailblazing women of the early twentieth century—like Elizabeth Arden and Estée Lauder—who shaped culture, shattered convention, and strived to make the world around them more beautiful...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century action-adventure -
![The Lost Letters of Aisling: A Novel by Cynthia Ellingsen]()
The Lost Letters of Aisling: A Novel by Cynthia Ellingsen
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA woman faces the past she fled in a heart-stirring novel about unforgettable love and indomitable courage by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Lighthouse Keeper.Rainey’s grandmother makes a startling Take me home. To Ireland, the country she fled post–World War II. Though they’re inseparably close, Rainey knows few of her grandmother’s secrets...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family coming-of-age friendship fiction historical ww2 20th-century -
![Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger]()
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 41 ratings“That was it. That was all of it. A grace so ordinary there was no reason at all to remember it. Yet I have never across the forty years since it was spoken forgotten a single word.” New Bremen, Minnesota, 1961...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship grief historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic -
![Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers]()
Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratings2011 Retailers Choice Award winner!The first in an epic two-book saga by beloved author Francine Rivers, this sweeping story explores the complicated relationships between mothers and daughters over several generations. Near the turn of the 20th century, fiery Marta leaves Switzerland determined to find life on her own terms...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction realistic religion spirituality 20th-century -
![The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham]()
The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe Home for Unwanted Girls meets Orphan Train in this unforgettable novel about a young girl caught in a scheme to rid England’s streets of destitute children, and the lengths she will go to find her way home—based on the true story of the British Home Children...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century abuse -
![Pastel Orphans by Gemma Liviero]()
Pastel Orphans by Gemma Liviero
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn 1930s Berlin, young Henrik, the son of a Jewish father and Aryan mother, watches the world around him crumbling: people are rioting in the streets, a strange yellow star begins appearing in shop windows, and friends are forced to move—or they simply disappear.After his father becomes gravely ill, Henrik and his little sister, Greta, are taken by their mother to Poland for safety...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century -
![Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh]()
Welcome to Weaver Street by Chrissie Walsh
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIf you love Nadine Dorries and Katie Flynn, you'll love Chrissie Walsh's WWI story of love, loss and triumph!Kitty and Tom Conlon arrive in Liverpool in July 1916 to claim the house Tom’s great-uncle has bequeathed him in his will. The move to England couldn’t have come at a better time. Dublin is in turmoil following the Easter Uprising and Kitty’s brother is now in prison... -
![A Wartime Wife by Lizzie Lane]()
A Wartime Wife by Lizzie Lane
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStruggling to make ends meet, Mary Anne Randall is offered no help by her drunk and abusive husband. A pawnbroking business run from the wash house at the back of her home is the only way she can hope to keep her three kids fed and clothed...Categorized as:
family urban historical-fiction religion friendship coming-of-age spirituality female-mc -
![Bleak Landing by Terrie Todd]()
Bleak Landing by Terrie Todd
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn the dead-end Canadian town of Bleak Landing, twelve-year-old Irish immigrant Bridget O’Sullivan lives in a ramshackle house and dreams of another life, even as the Great Depression rages. Routinely beaten by her father and bullied by schoolmate Victor Harrison, the waifish yet fiery redhead vows to run away and never return...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century adult -
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![The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor]()
The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA heart-breaking, heart-warming historical novel of love and survival inspired by real resistance workers during World War II Austria, and the mysterious love letter that connects generations of Jewish families. For readers of The Nightingale, Lilac Girls, and Sarah's Key.Austria, 1938.Kristoff is a young apprentice to a master Jewish stamp engraver...Categorized as:
drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century audiobook -
![When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson]()
When Stars Fall at Midnight by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings1921EstelleCast out and alone, I lost everything weeks before my wedding—my betrothed, my family, my future. With nowhere to turn, I accept the help of a compassionate stranger, not knowing it may lead me towards a path I swore never to tread.PercivalAfter my wife succumbed to a psychotic break, I placed her in an asylum, a decision that haunts me as I raise our daughter alone...Categorized as:
historical-fiction religion spirituality romance fiction 20th-century historical book -
![Body and Soul by Frank Conroy]()
Body and Soul by Frank Conroy
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the dim light of a basement apartment, six-year-old Claude Rawlings sits at an old white piano, picking out the sounds he has heard on the radio and shutting out the reality of his lonely world.The setting is 1940s New York, a city that is "long gone, replaced by another city of the same name...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century book -
![All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor]()
All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIt's the turn of the century in New York's Lower East Side and a sense of adventure and excitement abounds for five young sisters - Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie. Follow along as they search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor, or explore the basement warehouse of Papa's peddler's shop on rainy days...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic religion spirituality urban -
![This I Know by Eldonna Edwards]()
This I Know by Eldonna Edwards
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSet in a small Midwest town in the late 1960s and helmed by an unforgettable young protagonist—compassionate, uncannily wise Grace—This I Know is a luminous coming-of-age story from an astonishing new voice. Eleven-year-old Grace Carter has a talent for hiding things... -
![The Dressmaker’s Secret by Lorna Cook]()
The Dressmaker’s Secret by Lorna Cook
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsParis, 1941: As Coco Chanel’s assistant, Adèle lives side by side with German officers in the splendor of The Ritz hotel. But Adèle has a secret. She is working for the resistance, right under the German’s noses... -
![Return To Jarrow by Janet MacLeod Trotter]()
Return To Jarrow by Janet MacLeod Trotter
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCatherine (Kitty) McMullen, is seventeen, restless and rebellious. Resentful of her mother Kate's new husband, she yearns for stories of the father she never knew and when her gossipy aunt divulges that he was a wealthy gentleman, Catherine's discontent with grimy, impoverished Jarrow grows... -
![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...Categorized as:
family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult book female-mc -
![The Brothers Ashkenazi by Israel J. Singer]()
The Brothers Ashkenazi by Israel J. Singer
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWith a large cast of characters, this is a social novel, a family saga set against the rise of capitalism and of a Jewish bourgeoisie in Lodz. It tells the story, through an interwoven plot, of the clash between old traditions and growing desires... -
![The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre, Elina Klersy Imberciadori]()
The City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre, Elina Klersy Imberciadori
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMade into a movie starring Patrick Swayze, this is the inspiring story of an American doctor who experienced a spiritual rebirth in an impoverished section of Calcutta...Categorized as:
drama family historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality urban 20th-century -
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![King Of Camberwell by Mary Jane Staples]()
King Of Camberwell by Mary Jane Staples
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSammy was the sharp one of the Adams family.Since he was nine-years-old - when he'd charged his mother interest on a loan to make up the rent money - he'd been busy setting up deals and expanding the family business - a china stall in East Street market. But as his mighty empire grew - two shops and a factory in Shoreditch - so did the determination of his assistant, Susie Brown... -
![Rose's Choice by Chrissie Bradshaw]()
Rose's Choice by Chrissie Bradshaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRationing, bombing, disease and pit disasters are part of Rose Kelly’s World War 2 childhood. When the spirited coalminer’s daughter discovers a family secret, she makes a choice that overshadows her teenage years. Rose tries to make the most of post-war opportunities but family tragedy pulls her back to a life in the colliery rows...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family historical-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century adult book -
![Tilly's Story by June Francis]()
Tilly's Story by June Francis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan she leave her troubles behind to find true happiness? In the aftermath of the Great War, many are searching for a new life. But has Tilly missed her only chance for love? Since the end of the First World War, the residents of Victoria Crescent have been slowly rebuilding their lives... -
![When the Clouds Go Rolling By by June Francis]()
When the Clouds Go Rolling By by June Francis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe secrets of the past can never be forgotten An orphaned young woman is overjoyed to find a family she never knew existed, but has to come to terms with their troubled history. Since her parents died Clara O’Toole has lived with her grandmother, Bernie...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction literary-fiction religion spirituality 20th-century adult book -
![The Doorstep Girls by Valerie Wood]()
The Doorstep Girls by Valerie Wood
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsCan two friends find hope in hard times?Ruby and Grace have grown up in the poorest slums of Hull. Friends since early childhood, they have supported each other in bad times and good. But their families are bound together by more than friendship, and secrets from the past threaten to make their lives even more difficult...Categorized as:
coming-of-age family friendship historical-fiction urban 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Step by Step by June Francis]()
Step by Step by June Francis
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWill their friendship survive against all odds? In the early 1900s two girls see each other through good times and bad. But can their friendship endure when an dreadful act of violence sees their families turn against one another? Hannah Kirk and Alice Moran have been friends since childhood. Growing up in the back streets of Chester, they support each other through hard times... -
![The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
The Peach Rebellion by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA historical tale of friendship, family, and the power of sisterhood to help heal the wounds of the past and step boldly into the future of post-WWII America.Ginny Rose and Peggy were best friends at seven, picking peaches on hot summer days. Peggy’s family owned the farm, and Ginny Rose’s were pickers, escaping the Oklahoma dust storms...Categorized as:
historical-fiction coming-of-age family friendship grief realistic romance young-adult -
![Fortune's Daughters by Consuelo Saah Baehr, Nicol Zanzarella]()
Fortune's Daughters by Consuelo Saah Baehr, Nicol Zanzarella
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFaith Simpson is born at the dawn of the twentieth century into a dynasty that gives her everything she will ever need—except her parents’ love and attention. Often misunderstood, she trusts few as she grows up on the family’s manicured Long Island estate. Just twenty-nine miles away, on lower Manhattan’s dirty, crowded streets, Hope Lee’s world is one of poverty and desperation...Categorized as:
drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook -
![This Is Happiness by Niall Williams, Shashi Martynova]()
This Is Happiness by Niall Williams, Shashi Martynova
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAbout This Is HappinessThe most enchanting novel you'll read this year, from the acclaimed author of Man Booker-longlisted History of the RainChange is coming to Faha, a small Irish parish that hasn't changed in a thousand years.For one thing, the rain is stopping. Nobody remembers when it started; rain on the western seaboard is a condition of living... -
![More All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor]()
More All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the third book of Sydney Taylor's classic children's series, Ella finds a boyfriend and Henny disagrees with Papa over her curfew. Thus continues the tale of a Jewish family of five sisters-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie-and little brother, Charlie, living at the turn of the century in New York's Lower East Side... -
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![All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown by Sydney Taylor]()
All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown by Sydney Taylor
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSydney Taylor grew up among immigrant families on New York City's Lower East Side prior to World War I and wrote the All-of-a-Kind Family series for her daughter. This sequel finds talented Ella, mischievous Henny, studious Sarah, dreamy Charlotte, and little Gertie helping Mama with their new baby brother, Charlie... -
![The Third Daughter by Talia Carner]()
The Third Daughter by Talia Carner
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the author of Jerusalem Maiden comes a remarkable story, inspired by little-known true events, about the thousands of young Jewish women who were trafficked into prostitution at the turn of the 20th century, and whose subjugation helped build Buenos Aires.The turn of the 20th century finds fourteen-year-old Batya in the Russian countryside, fleeing with her family endless pogroms... -
![The Immigrants by Howard Fast]()
The Immigrants by Howard Fast
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsIn a passionate, multigenerational novel set against the backdrop of San Francisco, the son of an Italian fisherman struggles from the rubble of the great earthquake to build a shipping empire. Reprint... -
![The Promise by Chaim Potok]()
The Promise by Chaim Potok
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratings“A superb mirror of a place, a time, and a group of people who capture our immediate interest and hold it tightly.” — The Philadelphia InquirerYoung Reuven Malter is unsure of himself and his place in life. An unconventional scholar, he struggles for recognition from his teachers...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic religion -
![Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts]()
Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA richly imagined novel that tells the story behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz , the book that inspired the iconic film, through the eyes of author L. Frank Baum's intrepid wife, Maud--from the family's hardscrabble days in South Dakota to the Hollywood film set where she first meets Judy Garland...Categorized as:
coming-of-age drama family friendship historical-fiction literary-fiction realistic 20th-century -
![The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel]()
The Sweetness of Forgetting by Kristin Harmel
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA baker in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, must travel to Paris to uncover a family secret for her dying grandmother, and what she learns may change everything. The Sweetness of Forgetting is the book that made Kristin Harmel an international bestseller. At thirty-six , Hope McKenna-Smith is no stranger to bad news...
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