• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • If You Like…
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why World War 2 Inspires the Best Historical Fiction

by Chautona Havig · 15 Comments

If you want to make me cry, don’t give me a movie where someone dies or someone’s greatest dream gets snatched from her (but #1daughter dissolved into hysterics when Angela Landsbury’s dress was taken away from her to be destroyed in Mrs. ‘Arris Goes to Paris).  No, let someone do something heroic.  So, while my husband gets teary-eyed at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life, it takes something more to make my throat ache and my heart swell.

Heroism.

There’s something about a man who is willing to do anything to protect another that stirs something in the otherwise cold, dead heart of mine. 😉 Movies like Sergeant York, Beau Geste, The Enemy Below, Captain’s Courageous, and my personal favorite, “the Audie Murphy story,” choke me up every time.

That’s one of the things that makes historical fiction so amazing. There are heroes in every era… from today (I think of the men on the planes who rushed the pilots of United Flight 93) all the way back to Noah (sorry, but a guy who obeyed and saved God’s creation for a new start is a hero to me.  He had to put up with all those animals for a year.  BLECH!)

The Bible is full of heroes—Samson, Esther, and of course the greatest Hero of all time, Jesus the Christ.

I enjoy most historical fiction, and due to finding a new author, that even includes Biblical fiction these days.  From ancient to medieval, French, Russian, Scandinavian, to British and American, I really do enjoy most places and eras.  Send me to Scotland to fight with Robert the Bruce or to France to help the French Resistance in World Wars I and II.

But there’s something extra special about World War II fiction.

Why World War 2 Inspires the Best Historical Fiction

Note: Links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Why World War 2 Inspires the Best Historical Fiction

Spin a tale of Regency England, and I’m curious.  I want to know more about the world in which Jane Austen lived and wrote her stories. Give me westward expansion, and I marvel at the grit of the women who gave up everything for the promise of a freer, better life for their families.  Send me into the clouds with airplanes for the first time in the battles of WWI, and my heart soars with them.

Everything changed so much in that war.

However, things also changed in World War II.  This time the world was fighting more than an invader wanting control of the world, even.  We fought against the slaughter of citizens.  By air, sea, land… our soldiers, sailors, and airmen (not to mention the women!) fought to save more than national borders.

They fought against tyranny, prejudice, and evil so horrific that it’s often too much to describe. The mind and heart can’t take it.

In a sense, World War II is a picture of all the wars in history shown in one ugly, ugly “conflict” (what an understatement).  In the holocaust, we see the slaughter of innocents after Jesus’ birth.  The Great Roman Empire’s constant expansion across Europe and Africa has parallels to Hitler’s expansion.  In fact, Hitler said it had been resurrected.

But that’s not the only reason.

America needed the war, frankly. We were still trapped in the clutches of the Great Depression and morale and national pride were at an all time low.  Our entrance to the war unified us again. Everything we did was tied to the war.  Women wore “victory rolls” in their hair, people planted “victory gardens,” and even soldiers like Audie Murphy bought war bonds with their pay.

Even the movies pushed them.  In Anchor’s Aweigh, Frank Sinatra pretends to call a girlfriend but just listens to the time operator announce the time.  “At the tone the time will be… buy war bonds!”

The crazy thing is things were still tough.

From not having the money to purchase enough food to food rationing—not much difference.  One difference, however, made all the difference.  We now had a reason to do without.  It wasn’t just an “economic downturn.”  Now we did without to resist evil.  To help our allies.  To prevent the annihilation of an entire ethnic group!

People have suffered through war for all of these things throughout history.  Books—fiction and nonfiction alike—have chronicled the stories. This time, as I said, I think we got a glimpse of all the types of wartime atrocities in one six-year battle of good vs. evil.

That’s why I think World War II inspires such phenomenal historical fiction. Because in World War II, we see the valor, honor, heroism, self-sacrifice, and determination to win at any cost that people have shown in every conflict known to human history.

A new World War II novel shows that same fight and struggle.

Among the PoppiesWhen an author has a phenomenal debut novel—one far better than most authors ever write in their lifetimes, one can’t help but be concerned that it might be a “one-hit-wonder.”

I loved J’Nell Ciesielski’s Among the Poppies. (For the review, see HERE). It had everything an excellent novel should. Fabulous writing. Excellent characterization. Sizzling plots that aren’t too sensational or predictable. Not to mention the ability to take the “old” and make it fresh and new again.

So, when an advance copy of The Songbird and the Spy landed in my mailbox, I couldn’t help but be both excited and a little nervous. Would I love it as much? Could she possibly impress me so much two books in a row—the first and only two books she’d had published? Kind of um… unlikely, you know?

One thing made me forge onward.

I had no reason to assume it wouldn’t be awesome, and the synopsis on the back of the book begged me to read.

Unfortunately, I can’t say this book is as good as the first. As much as I want to assure you that it is, it isn’t. It’s better—far better. In fact, I cannot wait to read her next. And the next. Because you see, when someone can write about two different eras with such authenticity and grace, you’ve got an author to watch.

J’nell Ciesielski’s writing has all the beauty of lyrical writing without the devolution into purple prose that so many authors slip into. She wields her descriptive brush with a careful hand. Not once did I get overwhelmed with the description.  Not once did I not picture the scene with vivid clarity.

The characters felt like people you could meet, talk to, despise, love.

We’ve seen the French Resistance, under cover Brits, brash Americans—it’s all been done.  But Ciesielski takes what we’ve seen and twists it, much like she did in Among the Poppies to give us something new.  Claire isn’t French, but she’s there, in France, hiding from the Germans just like anyone.  The German officer… isn’t.  Nothing is as we expect it to be… and yet it is.

The Germans, we expect to invade. We expect the Brits to fight those Germans.  We expect the French to resist their occupation. And yes, we even expect the Americans to make an appearance.  And in this book, we have it all and without it being the same old, same old.

Brilliantly written, beautifully orchestrated, The Songbird and the Spy will grip your heart and hold it hostage until the battle for Claire and Michael ends and a victor emerges.

It’s already on my 2019 best reads list. 

I seriously doubt anything can bump it off.

Recommended for anyone who loves excellently written historical fiction, romance that feels authentic and not cheesy, and details that never cross into the anachronistic. However, if you enjoy insipid girls with hackneyed plots, I’d stay away.

About the book

Title: The Songbird and the Spy

As shells explode over Nazi-occupied France, American music student Claire Baudin is trapped behind enemy lines, struggling to protect her identity. Singing as a barmaid while she plans her escape, a handsome Third Reich captain threatens everything she knows to be true about the enemy.

Nazi Captain Michael Reiner isn’t who he claims to be. A British language expert turned spy, he discovers the truth about Claire, but he knows the importance of a secret. Struggling to resist his attraction to the songbird, he’s determined to complete his assignment, no matter the cost. His cover is threatened when a ruthless female Gestapo officer arrives, hunting Resistance fighters.

The raid forces Michael’s hand: complete the mission or save Claire.

As the war threatens to tear them apart, they must rely on each other for survival. Is there hope—and a future—for an American songbird and a British spy?

Congrats to Marty Moore for winning the free copy!

Share247
Pin
Post
Email
253Shares
Share
Pin
Post
Email
253Shares

Filed Under: Book Reviews

Previous Post: « Can You Really Write a Great Novel about Food?
Next Post: The Best and Worst Parts of Castle on the Rise »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Susan (DE) says

    February 21, 2019 at 9:16 am

    I think it sounds fascinating. Maybe a little scary. Unlike you, I have a hard time with tension. But I LOVE historical fiction, and I love to read about World War II.

    Reply
  2. Marty Moore says

    February 20, 2019 at 10:55 am

    I love the way you write! You’re bolg and reviews are very insightful.
    I too love to fondle books, new and old. There’s something about books that draws me in. Maybe it’s because I know each book meant someone gave a small piece of themselves to write it. Maybe it’s all the neat discoveries I will find once I read it. No matter, i love books too.

    Reply
  3. Joy says

    February 15, 2019 at 9:39 pm

    I think WWII inspires great historical fiction because the true stories are so overwhelming. Examples of hope and despair, of creativity and depravity, of heroism and cowardice already vividly exist, and a skilled author can introduce characters that highlight those emotions in the real events of Pearl Harbor, D-Day, the Blitzkrieg, the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki or the Holocaust. The hard work isn’t in creating those circumstances, it’s in telling a story that lives up to them.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:43 pm

      That is beautifully well-put.

      Reply
  4. April Gebhard says

    February 15, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    World War II is a great setting for fiction partly because it’s outcome would affect the whole world and the people knew it.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      It’s still affecting the world today, in some ways, isn’t it?

      Reply
  5. Rachel says

    February 15, 2019 at 9:02 pm

    You write such a well-thought-out explanation – and then ask for my guess?? Ha! Honestly, I’ve never even considered the question. But I definitely think you’re on to a major reason: the heroes, the opportunity for everyone to participate, even from afar. And, as another commenter mentioned, because it happened to OUR grandparents – people we hugged and smelled and ate with, people we could see and touch. Their stories were hard to share, but a book about that era gives a glimpse into the life of someone we know and love.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:44 pm

      That’s also a very good point–we aren’t so far removed from it… not just in time but in relationships.

      Reply
  6. Ava Gunn Kinsey says

    February 15, 2019 at 8:24 pm

    My previous comment was too long and the internet ate it. My 95-year-old grandfather was in WWII as a marine in the Pacific. At 21 years of age, he was a messenger boy who ran messages to the generals and other important people at the front lines. He adopted Psalm 91 and came home safely to his family, my grandmother and my mother as well as his widowed mother and seven younger siblings.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:46 pm

      What an amazing story! I can just imagine this as a movie.

      Reply
  7. Vicki Hancock says

    February 15, 2019 at 8:13 pm

    I think because of the sheer volume of history associated with it. I have read hundreds of books on it and learn something new every single time. The fortitude of the people that endured and the horror of those who did not. There were so many countries involved and the amount of people involved. It is just unbelievable to me.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:45 pm

      That’s true, too. World Wars one and two were the first ones where huge parts of the whole world were fighting at the same time for the same reasons–the second even more than the first.

      Reply
  8. Joanne Markey says

    February 15, 2019 at 6:34 pm

    I think it’s because this happened in the time of our grandparents. The pain, the struggle, the agony of war wasn’t just something we read about in school, it touched the lives of every person, every family, and we still have their memories fresh in our minds. The horror, the romance, the pain, the joy—it was all brought to life through the people who lived it and their memories live on in the stories they told. So it’s easier to create stories that feel real, that have the same emotion.
    Maybe. At least, that’s what I think.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      February 15, 2019 at 6:44 pm

      Excellent, excellent observation. It’s not quite as disconnected as, say, Agincourt. 😉

      Reply
    • Susan (DE) says

      February 21, 2019 at 9:18 am

      Except that for me and my husband, it happened during the time of our PARENTS. *grin* My sister-in-law was even alive during WWII (barely).

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
July 19, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 447: A Chat with Cate Touryan
July 14, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 446: A Chat with Rachel Chamberlayne
July 12, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 445: A Chat with Michelle Griep
July 7, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 444: A Chat with Rosey Lee
July 5, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 443: A Chat with Yvonne M. Morgan
June 30, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 442: A Chat with Liz Johnson
June 28, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 441: A Chat with Shannon Sue Dunlap
June 23, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 440: A Chat with Jordan Millsaps
June 21, 2025
Jordan Millsaps
Episode 439: A Chat with Laura Thomas
June 16, 2025
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Featured Books

Be My Inspiration

Be My Inspiration

Pointed Suspicion

Pointed Suspicion

Courting Miss Darling

Courting Miss Darling

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • So, There Was That Time I Forgot What I Knew…
  • “Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say” Ain’t No Lie
  • Why Romance Is a Hairy Proposition (or is that proposal?)

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo j Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo just wants to keep a low profile and start over. He didn't count on his first friend being someone like Allison.
The Kasimirs won't let him go unpunished.
Allison won't let him go unfriended.
What's a guy to do?
Listen FREE to a new chapter every day in November AND the complete book after the end of the month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eLI5ZH6YUk&list=PLGJaJiSo6mQ2dDLCnbGRORVFd5Rg1y7rR&pp=iAQB
Also available on all major audiobook platforms AND on Kindle Unlimited.
Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo
#Audiobooks
#YouTube
#FreeAudiobooks
#KindleUnlimited
#ChristianRomanticSuspense
The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of my books, including TheNutcracker's Suite--a mystery set among the mob activity during the Prohibition era.
You can listen FREE on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@christadelsorbo/videos
Check out the other books she has on there... also free!

OR

You can also get The Nutcracker's Suite and several of my other titles on popular retailers like Audible, Spotify, Everand, and more!
#Audiobooks
#FreeAudiobooks
#ChristianMystery
#HistoricalMystery
#FairyTaleRetelling
3d
Whoa... just in case we didn't understand, this b Whoa... just in case we didn't understand,  this bin has a HUGE instruction envelope to remind us and help with the super complicated job of building a box.
Audiobooks FREE? Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Na Audiobooks FREE?  Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo.
Get a new chapter every day until it's all uploaded OR listen to the FULL audiobook in one video once all chapters have been released!
Scott Keil's mission work tends to overtake both his and his daughter's life.  So when his daughter ropes Natalie Dersham to help out, he's thrilled.  When she starts playing matchmaker... well... okay, he's kind of thrilled about that, too.  The age gap?  Probably prohibitive but if it wasn't...
Available in print, on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and now coming to all major audiobook platforms (and free on YouTube right now!)
#UnderTheHibiscus
#FreeAudiobook
#ChristFic
#KindleUnlimited
https://youtu.be/rzD7cULBeV8
I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover! I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover!  @PlethoraCreative did a fabulous job of redesigning the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales series (Book one updates coming soon!). Not only do we have Kindle and paperbacks, but hardbacks with DOUBLE-SIDED dust jackets are coming. Soon you can read with @notsquid's fabulous map open before you so you know exactly where Everard, Sevrin, and Sassy are headed next! EEEP
Available HERE: https://amzn.to/4eKL6sv  #AffiliateLink
#ChristFic
#ChristianMiddleGrade (older)
#ChristianFantasy
#ChristianFairyTale
#KindleUnlimited
#CoverRedesign
All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solit All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solitude far away from the fa-la-las.  Instead, she got snowbound in Wrightwood with a woman (aptly named Joy) who makes Buddy from Elf look like a Grinch.
Escape to Greenaway is next up in the Christmas in July celebration and FREE on Friday, July 18, 2025: https://amzn.to/4kIK9lI #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#ChristianRomance
#ChristianChristmasRomance
#ChristianWomensFiction
#FreeKindle
#KindleUnlimited
For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "s For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "silver anniversary" that wasn't the joyful thing people expect--until it was.  Tarnished Silver is FREE on 7/16/25 for Christmas in July. https://amzn.to/3GQkVE3 #AffiliateLink
#Christfic
#ChristmasRomance
#SmallTownRomance
#ChristianRomanticFiction
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!