Books Under Historical Fascism

Top Ten Tuesday

Hello! Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl)! This week is a freebie week, and I was thinking that I’ve read a lot of books about World War II lately. It seems like there are a lot of Victorian Era books, and then historical novels jump right to World War II. Fascism is defined in the dictionary, but briefly, it’s when the government controls nearly every aspect of your life. I think it’s good to know about what fascism was like so we can recognize it around us. Sometimes it feels like there are forces trying to push us in that direction. So I figured for this freebie, I’d compile some books where people live under fascism. These are historical books, not books with made up fascist worlds (although there are plenty of them).

Defying Hitler cover

Defying Hitler is Sebastian Hafner’s unfinished memoir. He starts by talking about living as a boy through World War I, then he talks about life under the Weimar Republic, and finally, being forced to attend one of Hitler’s patriotic camps (which was something like a cross between a pep-rally and an indoctrination session). Hafner never bought into it, but reading his memoir, I could see how some otherwise good people might have gotten sucked into it.

All the Light We Cannot See

I recently finished reading All the Light We Cannot See, which focused on two teenagers who lived through World War II and eventually had a chance meeting. It was so well-written, but also details lives under fascism: Marie-Laure, who is a blind girl whose town is occupied by the Germans, and Werner Pfennig, whose goal in life is to become a scientist, but who ends up in the German military instead.

This Light Between Us cover

Germany wasn’t the only place that experienced a little bit of fascism. This Light Between Us is the story of an American boy of Japanese descent and his Jewish pen pal. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that life under the Japanese internment camps was like living in a fascist country.

My Real Name is Hanna cover

I haven’t said much about My Real Name is Hanna recently, but I had the opportunity to read it a while ago and I thought it was good. Hanna is a Jewish girl who lived in Ukraine, but had to flee when the Germans occupied the region.

Fountains of Silence cover

Spain had its period of fascim as well. The Fountains of Silence is the story of an American who travels to fascist Spain and realizes that things are definitely not like they are in the US.

In the Garden of Beasts cover

Like Defying Hitler, In the Garden of Beasts talks about life under the early years of Hitler (before he became the mass-murdering warmonger). This story is mostly from the point of view of the family of an ambassador from America though.

The House of One Thousand Eyes cover

I wasn’t a huge fan of The House of One Thousand Eyes, but if we’re talking about books where people live under fascism, this is another good example. Lena lives in East Germany while it was still under Soviet control. It was a place where you didn’t want to be subversive if you didn’t want to get into trouble. I don’t know about a lot of books about fascism in East Germany, so I decided to include it here.

The Last Year of the War cover

The Last Year of the War is the story of two American girls: one with German parents, the other with Japanese parents. Both end up in an internment camp together and become friends. It is told from the perspective of the girl of German descent when she’s an old lady. This is a book that you’ll want the tissues for if you decide to read it.

Cilka's Journey Cover

Although the Soviet Union was economically communist, they were also a fascist country. Why else were so many people sent to Siberia? In Cilka’s Journey, Cilka is a Jew who is convicted (unjustly) of aiding the Germans during World War II. After surviving the concentration camps, she is sent to a prison in Siberia.

Father of Lions cover

Fascism still seems to be going on today in places. Father of Lions talks about one man’s quest to save the Mosul Zoo in the middle of a war. But it wasn’t just the war that this book talks about. Our main character has to deal with a “government” that tells him and his family how they have to dress, how to wear their hair, what they can own, what they can read, etc.

So that’s 10! What did you talk about this week? Next week, we’re going to talk about books with colors in the titles.

24 comments

    1. I was a little disappointing by one of the sad things that happened at the end of the war… but I think most of the books on this list have their fair share of tragedy.

  1. I tried The Fountains of Silence, but I couldn’t really get into it which was a real shame because I’ve enjoyed her other books. Have you read Between Shades of Gray? It’s brilliant!
    Jo recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday #274My Profile

    1. I haven’t. This was my first Ruta Sepetys book. It sounds like that book would be perfect on this list though!

    1. I hope you like it. I probably wouldn’t be able to come up with 10 more that I’ve read in the last couple years, but I know there are plenty out there that I haven’t read!

    1. I hope you like it! In the Garden of Beasts and Defying Hitler were two of my inspirations for my NaNo2019 book, although it needs a major overhaul because I didn’t plan it out ahead of time.

    1. I need to write a review on it. You’d think there’s only so many stories that can be told about World War II, but there are five on this list set during the war (and a couple set right before or after) and they’re all completely different.

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