I read memoirs because my life is so insulated
Memoirs can offer a window into different worlds and
experiences, making them a powerful way to connect with lives and perspectives
outside of my own. It's a great way to break out of an insulated environment
and explore the complexities of other people's journeys.
Insulation makes me myopic and judgmental. Deeply immersed
in my world, it’s easy to lose perspective and form narrow views. Reading
memoirs, exploring diverse stories, and engaging with different experiences has
greatly helped in challenging these tendencies and broadened my understanding.
Secret Fears Leads to the Current Staple Reading
My reading a memoir is further enriched by reading other books
set in the same similar historical period. Lately, I read a biography entitled "Agent
Josephine" while still finishing the memoir "When Time Stopped."
Meanwhile, I am halfway through a newly acquired e-book, the historical novel by
Claire Messaud, "This Strange Eventful History."
Reading a memoir, a novel, and a biography together has given me a
multidimensional understanding of the time period that was World War II. A blending of fictional narrative and factual
history has enriched my appreciation of not just the 'big' heroes of WW2, but
of the million other lives who suffered and sacrificed their lives in that unfortunate
global disaster. These include spies, friends of holocaust survivors, mothers
intent on the survival of their children, fathers on the battlefields missing
their spouses, and underground rebels who refused to capitulate but exerted all
creative faculties to source help for others to survive.
While the "big" heroes of World War II are often
celebrated, countless individuals represented in these books truly represent the profound impact of
the war. Everyday people who endured immense suffering, loss, and sacrifice are
often overshadowed, yet their experiences are no less significant. As I read the
memoir, the novel, and the biography, stories
of often "less important" figures are brought to light, giving me a nuanced and broader
understanding of the war's true human cost.
Some Figures from the Books I’ve been Reading
Hans Neuman and Josephine Baker were survivors who kept
hoping for the correct world in the light of the global trauma that was World
War II. Both adamantly clung to life, and persisted in survival to let the future
know about this gruesome past. The world has to learn from the ravages of war
after all, although future history has repeatedly missed the lessons.
Hans Neumann, as depicted in "When Time
Stopped," managed to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and went on
to rebuild his life, never losing hope for a world that could be more just and
compassionate. It was as if time stopped during the war, when he had to assume
another name and identity for the sake of survival. He triumphed in ‘tricking’
the fate of the ‘jews’ and got to live a new life in a new state. He refused to
let that past haunt him by making that time of his life stop, both literally
and metaphorically. The memoir takes on the theme of the unwinding of time
pieces, which was Hans Neuman’s hobby.
Josephine Baker, often remembered for her glamorous life as
an entertainer, was a courageous spy and resistance fighter. During World War
II, her efforts in giving the Allies information about plans of the Axis expressed
her desire for a better world. Despite her personal traumas, her actions and
collaborations with other secret agents reflected a deep sense of hope and
determination.
In the novel “This Strange, Eventful History”, Claire Messaud’s characters are as much a product of their time as of their family histories. Individual stories reminded me that even in their most clueless of times and seasons, people can find their ways to resistance, survival, and belief for better life, better coping, better indignance.
These characters in the novel, memoir, and biography will always remind me that nobody will ever be prepared for war, and yet, everybody has a nucleus of loved ones to always stand by and protect. Everybody will eventually find a worthy cause to not just survive, but also believe in survival. This is always for somebody other than themselves.
I’m hoping for no wars or rumors of war although this maybe an empty hope. Even the Bible says that wars are inevitable. But hopefully the younger generation will see inspiration and hope in the heroic tales of those who survived to tell their tales and lived to publish their stories for posterity. Stories of resilience, courage, and humanity—like those of Hans Neumann and Josephine Baker serve as powerful reminders of what individuals can achieve, even in the worst of times.
Recommended novels, memoirs, biographies set in World War 2
While watching the news about the China-Philippine wrangling in the contested territorial waters, I can’t help but think about World War II. Those decades weren’t too far from today. In these Asian shores, the same fires of conflict from ancient times simmer and are threatening to explode.
My prayer is that the younger generation will know how to respond to any outbreak
of war, but more than violence, I am hoping for an understanding that war is
both mercy and judgment. In the light of the impending chaos, home, family, friends,
and other loved ones will take priority over the more material concerns. And in
all the commotion, one needs to have the basic and most necessary faith in the true God, either
for life or for death.
Here’s a list of historical books, memoirs, novels, and biographies set in World War II that focus on less-known individuals. [This list does not yet include books about the war years in the Philippines, written by Filipinos. Here is that list.]
Memoirs:
- "The
Zookeeper's Wife" by Diane Ackerman - The true story of
Antonina Żabińska, who, along with her husband, saved hundreds of Jews by
hiding them in their Warsaw Zoo during the Holocaust.
- "Hidden
Figures: The Untold Story of the African American Women Who Helped Win the
Space Race" by Margot Lee Shetterly - Though not strictly
about WWII, this memoir highlights the lesser-known contributions of
African American women during the war era.
- "We
Band of Angels" by Elizabeth Norman - The story of the U.S.
Army and Navy nurses who were captured by the Japanese in the Philippines
during World War II and survived three years of imprisonment.
Novels:
- "All
the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr - Follows the story
of a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide during the
war, highlighting the lesser-known struggles of civilians.
- "The
Night Watch" by Sarah Waters - Set in post-WWII London, it
weaves together the lives of four people whose experiences during the war
shaped their futures.
- "The
Women in the Castle" by Jessica Shattuck - Focuses on three
German women and their survival after their husbands' failed plot to
assassinate Hitler.
- "The
Book Thief" by Markus Zusak - A novel narrated by Death,
centered around a young girl in Nazi Germany who steals books and shares
them with others during the war.
Biographies:
- "Code
Name: Lise" by Larry Loftis - The biography of Odette Sansom,
a British spy who operated in Nazi-occupied France and survived
imprisonment in Ravensbrück concentration camp.
- "A
Woman of No Importance" by Sonia Purnell - The incredible
story of Virginia Hall, an American spy who became one of the most
successful Allied operatives in Nazi-occupied France.
- "Resistance:
A French Woman’s Journal of the War" by Agnes Humbert - A
gripping first-hand account of a French woman’s involvement in the
resistance and her capture by the Nazis.
Historical Non-Fiction:
- "The
Girls Who Went Away" by Ann Fessler - While not entirely set
during WWII, this non-fiction book looks at the stories of women who gave
up their children for adoption in the post-war era, offering a different
perspective on the social aftermath of the war.
- "The
Bielski Brothers" by Peter Duffy - The true story of three
brothers who saved over 1,200 Jews by building a secret village in the
forests of Belarus during the Holocaust.
- "The
Spy Who Loved" by Clare Mulley - The story of Krystyna
Skarbek, a Polish-born British special agent who became one of Churchill’s
most daring spies.
From the sentence descriptions, I can deduce that most
memoirs in this list are stories of figures who prioritized desires that served the greater cause of winning against barbaric war acts and decimations. As
with the rest of the historical novels, even the intentional entertainment value
zeroes in on the valued relationships prominent in the narrative [women who
gave up their children, three brothers saving 1,200 Jews].
Among the list above, I have read only “All the Light We Cannot See,” and “The Book Thief”. I am happy to report that I truly enjoyed both and was much enlightened especially with the details of existence in the midst of fires and bombings, how people still kept a semblance of normal life, as they tried to meet the basic and most crucial needs of their loved ones. [I have also seen the film adaptations of both books. I recommend reading the books first before you watch the films if you haven't done both yet.]
As books pass on these stories in the paged legacy of memoirs, biographies, and novels, here’s to the chance that future generations will read and remember the sacrifices, and become motivated to work toward a more peaceful world.
