18 books like The distant summer

What to read after The distant summer — books similar to it, matched on shared themes.

The Silence of Ghosts

The Silence of Ghosts Jonathan Aycliffe · 2013 · 202p · ≈ 6h · Moderate "Dominic Lancaster hoped to prove himself to his family by excelling in the Navy during World War II. Instead he is wounded while serving as a gunner and loses his leg. Still recovering from his wounds and the trauma of his amputation when the Blitz begins, Dominic finds himself shuffled off to the countryside by his family, along with his partially deaf sister, Octavia. The crumbling family… Shares World War II, World War, England

The Machine Gunners Robert Westall · 1975 · ★ 3.5 · 187p · ≈ 6h · Moderate After an air raid, a group of English children find a German machine gun and hide it from adults who are looking for it. Shares World War II, World War, Children's fiction

City of gold Len Deighton · 1992 · ★ 3.7 · 576p · ≈ 19h · Moderate Shares World War II, World War with this book.

The Rose Code

The Rose Code Kate Quinn · 2021 · ★ 4.4 · 400p · ≈ 13h · Moderate Shares World War, England with this book.

To die in spring Ralf Rothmann · 2017 · ★ 3.0 · 209p · ≈ 6h · Moderate "The lunacy of the final months of World War II, as experienced by a young German soldier. Distant, silent, often drunk, Walter Urban is a difficult man to have as a father. But his son -- the narrator of this slim, harrowing novel -- is curious about Walter's experiences during World War II, and so makes him a present of a blank notebook in which to write down his memories. Walter dies, however,… Shares World War II, World War, Coming-of-age

Dearly, beloved Lia Habel · 2012 · ★ 4.5 · 480p · ≈ 16h · Moderate "It's 2196, and the city of New London is now markedly changed. Political and social tensions are building around the advent of the "civilized" undead, and there's violence in the streets. When that violence hits close to home, Nora Dearly and Bram Griswold are once again forced to take control of their own destinies. As old friends become foes and chaos reigns all around them, Nora and Bram must… Shares Love, Romance

Johnny and the Bomb Terry Pratchett · 1996 · ★ 3.9 · 245p · ≈ 8h · Moderate Thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell acquires the neighborhood homeless woman's shopping cart when she is injured and discovers that its contents have the ability to send him back in time from 1996 to 1941 England. Shares World War II, World War, England, Children's fiction

A quiet kind of thunder Sara Barnard · 2017 · ★ 4.1 · 403p · ≈ 13h · Moderate Steffi doesn't talk. Rhys can't hear. They understand each other perfectly. Love isn't always a lightning strike. Sometimes it's the rumbling roll of thunder ... Steffi has been a selective mute for most of her life - she's been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the new boy at school, sees her. He's deaf, and her knowledge of basic sign language means that she's… Shares Love, Coming-of-age, Children's fiction

The Berlin Wife's Choice

The Berlin Wife's Choice Marion Kummerow “I love you more than life itself. But you’re not safe. If you weren’t married to me, you wouldn’t suffer like this, terrorized by the yellow star on my chest. I could never live with myself if something happened to you—because of me.” Berlin, 1939. Edith Falkenstein once lived a fairytale life. Falling in love with Julius introduced her to a world she had only dreamed of. She wore the finest… Shares Romance

Sunflower Sisters

Sunflower Sisters Martha Hall Kelly NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Martha Hall Kelly’s million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of Ferriday’s ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads her to cross paths with Jemma, a young enslaved girl who is sold off and conscripted into the army, and Anne-May Wilson, a… Shares Romance

Clytemnestra

Clytemnestra Costanza Casati "Fans of Circe and Elektra should pick up this powerful Greek myth retelling." —CosmopolitanFor fans of Madeline Miller, a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…You were born to a king, but you… Shares Romance

The Unfinished Work

The Unfinished Work Jeff Shaara Shares Romance with this book.

The Storyteller

The Storyteller Jodi Picoult From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult, “a profound and moving novel about secrets, lies, and how the power of stories can change the course of history” (Shelf Awareness). Some stories live forever...Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day’s breads and pastries, trying to escape a life of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother’s… Shares Romance

The Historian

The Historian Elizabeth Kostova The record-breaking phenomenon from Elizabeth Kostova is a celebrated masterpiece that "refashioned the vampire myth into a compelling contemporary novel, a late-night page-turner" (San Francisco Chronicle).  Breathtakingly suspenseful and beautifully written, The Historian is the story of a young woman plunged into a labyrinth where the secrets of her family’s past connect to an… Shares Romance

The Dutch House

The Dutch House Ann Patchett Pulitzer Prize Finalist | New York Times Bestseller | A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick | A New York Times Book Review Notable Book | TIME Magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of the YearNamed one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post; O: The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping,… Shares Romance

Circe

Circe Madeline Miller This #1 New York Times bestseller brilliantly reimagines the life of Circe, formidable sorceress of The Odyssey, as she discovers her own power, forges her identity, and challenges the gods who seek to control her. "[A] bold and subversive retelling of the goddess's story." —The New York TimesIn the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is… Shares Romance

The Traitor's Wife

The Traitor's Wife Sarah Steele 'Do it,' she said to the German, her voice a rasping whisper. 'Shoot me if you dare. I am Maddalena.''A must-read in historical fiction' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I loved this book - a perfect summer read' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'A great book . . . romance, heartbreak, intrigue and triumph - what's not to like!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Captivating plot with lots of twists and turns' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Very well told story about the resilience and… Shares Romance

Menewood

Menewood Nicola Griffith · 2023 · ★ 4.5 Named a Best Book of the Year by Vox and AutostraddleMaking a much-anticipated return to the world of Hild, Nicola Griffith’s Menewood transports readers back to seventh-century Britain, a land of rival kings and religions poised for epochal change. Hild is no longer the bright child who made a place in Edwin Overking’s court with her seemingly supernatural insight. She is eighteen, honed and… Shares Romance

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