Recommended Audiobooks – Set During World War II

There’s so many books out now that are set during World War II, but are not about the battles. I’ve read a bunch, and here are my favorites in order of perference:


The Nightingale By Kristin Hannah — Ratings: Goddreads 4.56, Audbile 4.8 This is one of my all time favorite books. The story is fantastic, the narration is top notch, and it is an emotional story that really hits you without being overly manipulative. A classic. One of the best books I’ve ever read or listened to. Description: France, 1939. In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.
City of Thieves by David Benioff — Ratings:Goodreads 4.29, Audible 4.6 Almost a buddy comedy, but really a hard look at the realities of life during the siege of Stalingrad (Leningrad) ends up being a sweet and sad story. Some unforgettable characters. Narrator Ron Pearlman really grew on me as the story unfold. Description: A writer visits his retired grandparents in Florida to document their experience during the infamous siege of Leningrad. His grandmother won’t talk about it, but his grandfather reluctantly consents. The result is the captivating odyssey of two young men trying to survive against desperate odds. Lev Beniov considers himself “built for deprivation.” He’s small, smart, and insecure, a Jewish virgin too young for the army, who spends his nights working as a volunteer firefighter with friends from his building.
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan — Ratings: Goodreads 4.42, Audible 4.7 An insdie look at life in Italy during the war and how people risked their lives to save Jews from the wrath of the Nazis. This a great book to read/listen to before you read “The Nightingale”. You will get some context that adds to the story. Description: Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours. Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.
Once We Were Brothers by Ronald Balson — Ratings:Goodreads 4.31, Audible 4.7 This story, told in two time frames (early 2000’s and Nazi occupied Poland), is thrilling and very sweet at the same time. It stuck with me much longer than I would have expected after listening to it. Description: Elliot Rosenzweig, a respected civic leader and wealthy philanthropist, is attending a fundraiser when he is suddenly accosted and accused of being a former Nazi SS officer named Otto Piatek, the Butcher of Zamosc. Although the charges are denounced as preposterous, his accuser is convinced he is right and engages attorney Catherine Lockhart to bring Rosenzweig to justice. Solomon persuades attorney Catherine Lockhart to take his case, revealing that the true Piatek was abandoned as a child and raised by Solomon’s own family only to betray them during the Nazi occupation. But has Solomon accused the right man?
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys– Ratings:Goodreads 4.36, Audible 4.6 This was a bit of a strange book to me, but it ended up coming together in the end. So give it a bit of time. Description: Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris– Ratings:Goodreads 4.29, Audible 4.8 A look at life at Auschwitz during the Holocaust certainly has its down moments, but the way the story comes together keeps you interested and you see hope for the characters as it goes on. Description: In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners. Imprisoned for more than two and a half years, Lale witnesses horrific atrocities and barbarism—but also incredible acts of bravery and compassion. Risking his own life, he uses his privileged position to exchange jewels and money from murdered Jews for food to keep his fellow prisoners alive.
A Pledge of Silence by Flora J. Solomon — Ratings:Goodreads 4.21, Audible 4.4 This story centers on a small West Coast French village on the days leading up to D-Day. It shows the cruelty and fear the French people lived with every day and bravery that showed up in the little things. Description: When Margie Bauer joins the Army Nurse Corps in 1941, she is delighted to be assigned to Manila—the Pearl of the Orient. Though rumors of war circulate, she feels safe—the island is fortified, the airbases are ample, and the Filipino troops are well-trained. But on December 8, 1941, her dream world shatters. Captured by the invading Japanese, Margie ends up interned at Santa Tomas, an infamous prison camp. There, for the next three years, while enduring brutality and starvation, her bravery, resourcefulness, and faith are tested and her life forever changed.
From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon — Ratings:Goodreads 4.38, Audible 4.6 The lives of Jews in Italy under occupation is gut wrenching at times to listen to. It is a good story with good characters that bring you through the atrocities. Description: Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II. As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find themselves falling in love. But the church calls to Angelo and, despite his deep feelings for Eva, he chooses the priesthood.Now, more than a decade later, Angelo is a Catholic priest and Eva is a woman with nowhere to turn. With the Gestapo closing in, Angelo hides Eva within the walls of a convent, where Eva discovers she is just one of many Jews being sheltered by the Catholic Church.
The Baker’s Secret by Stephen P. Kiernan– Ratings:Goodreads 4.02, Audible 4.5 This story centers on a small West Coast French village on the days leading up to D-Day. It shows the cruelty and fear the French people lived with every day and bravery that showed up in the little things. Description: On June 5, 1944, as dawn rises over a small town on the Normandy coast of France, Emmanuelle is making the bread that has sustained her fellow villagers in the dark days since the Germans invaded her country. Only 22, Emma learned to bake at the side of a master, Ezra Kuchen, the village baker since before she was born. Apprenticed to Ezra at 13, Emma watched with shame and anger as her kind mentor was forced to wear the six-pointed yellow star on his clothing. She was likewise powerless to help when they pulled Ezra from his shop at gunpoint, the first of many villagers stolen away and never seen again. In the years that her sleepy coastal village has suffered under the enemy, Emma has silently, stealthily fought back.
The Huntress by Kate Quinn– Ratings:Goodreads 4.22, Audible 4.7 Multiple stories come together as people who lost loved ones to a Nazi murderer try to track her down to exact justice. A bit on the long side, but keeps you interested. Description: Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.

Here’s a few other good stories if you enjoy this genre: The Beekeeper’s Promise (Goodreads: 4.3, Audible: 4.3) A Sparkling Fire (Goodreads: 4.37, Audible: 4.6)