Category: Books

My interest in the Ritchie Boys goes well beyond my uncle’s story. Luckily, there is a growing selection of memoirs and nonfiction accounts of the experiences of Ritchie Boys available to interested readers. Each man’s story adds to the literature of the Holocaust, World War II, and the “Greatest Generation.” I have selected five that…

Summer is almost here. It is a good time to encourage students, who are freed from homework and after-school sports, to expand their reading beyond school-mandated curriculum. The Diary of Anne Frank is widely used as a way to teach young people about the Holocaust, as well as a tool to challenge prejudice and promote respect for…

Recently I gave a talk about Immigrant Soldier to a local organization and, during the Q & A session, a lady in the audience took issue with calling the book historical fiction. From her perspective, World War II seemed too recent. “After all,” she said, “to my parents this was their life! And I was born during…

“Are you working on a new project and, if so, what is it?” With my first novel barely off the press, it is a nearly impossible idea for me to contemplate. Yet, forced by the regularity with which this question is asked of me, I began to think about it. What subject would engage me…

I enjoy reading books in groups— a pair of books by the same author, a few books that take place in the same location, or a couple of novels about the same time period. Each new book can add dimension to the others. In spite of my extensive research into World War II for my…

I have always loved historical fiction and, naturally, books that take place in Europe just before or during World War II fill my shelves. They helped me have a feel for the era, something that was invaluable as I wrote Immigrant Soldier. Here are some of my favorites, all books that depict life in Nazi-occupied Europe…

There is no shortage of books about the Holocaust—tales of suffering, escape, tragedy. No matter how many I read, I am always delighted when I find one that brings an unusual perspective to the genre of survivor stories. These ten true stories—eight memoirs and two autobiographical novels, are some of my favorites. I recommend them…

One of the things I want to do with this blog is occasionally take a break from the narrative of the process of writing my novel and share with you some of the books that have inspired or informed me, adding new substance to my library of Holocaust and World War II literature. I never…