Secret and Dangerous Lives in World War II Memoirs

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:

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "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:

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "The Women in the Castle" by Jessica Shattuck - Focuses on three German women and their survival after their husbands' failed plot to assassinate Hitler.
4. "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:

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "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:

1. "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.
2. "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.
3. "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.

Memoirs in my Library

My MFA thesis was a biography so I got into reading memoirs and biographies. I enjoyed reading those books and dreamt of writing more in this non-fiction genre. Research took a lot of time, but even after the final defense of this book, I read more books of personal essays to discover how authors encounter and craft lives in real or imagined times. I took my time reading and re-reading the biographies in my personal library, and now, I have gotten into a habit of lingering in the biography section of the Fully Booked store.

Later on, I got into reading e-books. Some of what I own in the list below are e-books. I've been learning a lot in writing about persons from these treasures. And until I've written another biography, [so yes, I dream on] they will sit on my shelf and hover on my personal cloud.  

I've listed here only the memoirs I've been re-reading and will list the newly acquired memoirs in future posts after I've actually read them. I still have to account for the biographies on my shelves [mostly of women authors and artists], so that list will follow as well. [Why I'm listing? Well, it's also a way of making a formal inventory - like, I need to be able to find the books immediately when I need them.] 

For a preview, below are pictures of the covers of books that are currently on my desk-pile of books to read:

MEMOIRS ON MY BOOKSHELF - NOT A FULL LIST. 

1. "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt (1996) - This Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir recounts McCourt's impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland. It became a bestseller and remains a significant work in the genre of misery memoirs​ (lithub)​. [I remember buying and reading this book because I learned that McCourt was a teacher.]

2. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers (2000) - This memoir is a blend of tragic and comic, detailing Eggers' experience of raising his younger brother after the sudden death of their parents​ (lithub)​. [Before owning a copy, I borrowed this book from the University Library. Having enjoyed it immensely, I had to have a personal copy. I found this one below by Dave Eggers, and am going to read it, too.]

3. "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion (2005) - A profound account of grief and loss, Didion's memoir delves into the year following the sudden death of her husband and the severe illness of her daughter​ (listchallenges)​. [This book details Didion's grief. The motivation for buying it was Didion's reputation as a classic essayist -- that is, Every essayist I know believes that everyone who wishes to write a memoir can learn much from this author.]

4. "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert (2006) - Gilbert's memoir about her journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia in search of self-discovery and healing became a worldwide sensation​ (lithub)​​ (listchallenges)​. [I enjoyed the movie adaptation, only because it was Julia Roberts in the title role. I bought the book because the title has "Pray" in the middle. However, Gilbert is not writing about Praying in the sense of being a Christian.]

5. "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi (2016) - Although written in the late 2000s, this memoir became iconic. It chronicles Kalanithi's battle with terminal cancer and his reflections on life and mortality​ (listchallenges) [An amazing book by a doctor. Recently, there were writing workshops held for writers who are doctors or medical practitioners. Authors from this discipline have rich stories to share about their encounters with patients. Dr. Kalathini writes about himself - as the one under examination. He scrutinizes the essence of his mortal body, and how immortality is achieved only by an acceptance of our limitations.]​

6. "H Is for Hawk" by Helen Macdonald (2014) - This memoir intertwines Macdonald's grief over her father's death with her experience of training a goshawk. The book received widespread acclaim for its lyrical prose and deep emotional resonance​ (lithub) [Beautiful book. My e-book copy however is not enough for me, so I will secure a hard copy as well. I've never imagined that one can write about oneself from a dissertation about birds. I just read Margaret Atwood's blog about bird watching and I continue to be curious.. Birds are lovely in whatever shape or color, but they are so rare in the skies of Metro Manila.]

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ON THE YA BOOKS I’M READING

As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds  – I picked this book in the young adult section of FULLY BOOKED because, from the blurb, it seemed like a book about family relationships. The protagonists are 9 and 11 years old with a grandfather who has dementia. He lost his son in some war, and the boys learn about his sadness later on. To me, it does not register much except for some parts where the dialogue succeeded in making me read it up to the end. For young boys maybe, this is a wonderful adventure book, but I wasn’t into it that much.

Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina was a New York Times Bestseller – and I learned of this book from that list. The blurb was by R.J. Palacio who was the author of that YA Book turned into a movie – Wonder. About a girl in her pre-teen discoveries, this too, has a sub-story about a grandfather who has dementia. I found this a better read than Judy Blume’s “Dear God, It’s Me Margaret”. Merci Suarez is braver, more adventurous, and less self-conscious.

I didn’t enjoy The Giver that much. I have confirmed that I prefer realistic settings to dystopian narratives. However, I can understand how this book resonated with so many young people. I believe that young people prefer structured and probably predictable narratives.

I have to read Human Acts by Han Kang again. This one, has too much reality, the bitter reality. The human body is so thrown out there literally and metaphorically, and the question of the soul separated from the body becomes too depressing to contemplate. Of my December reads, this one really could not even make me cry, but I cringed and felt some similar pain somehow.

The e-books that I finished reading are both enjoyable reads. Freewater by Amina Luoman Dawson is another story about black slaves. Young heroes in this book discover a route to freedom and take it, but in the process, they leave someone behind. The tale is about courage and how this was both an inevitable and a necessary choice even for the young who knew that freedom isn’t something that can be had without a sacrifice and worse, death. The language is unsentimental, I get to see the scenes as if I am watching a film, yet I am not told how to feel. However, whatever feelings I have truly encompassed my deepened understanding of the desperate situation the young characters are in.

Maizy Chen’s Last Chance by Lisa Yee is a narrative of diaspora. The young girl Maizy learns about her roots through a story told by her grandfather’s friend. Incidentally, the friendship is somehow scarred that the girl tries to connect the dots and discovers how her race negotiated the challenges of displacements via migration.

Among these books, I rank Freewater no 1, followed by Human Acts, then Maizy Chen’s Last Chance. I am reading books for Young People to listen to how they respond to real-life situations. I just heard Neil Gaiman say in “Masterclass” that honesty is what makes him go on as a writer – that to be a writer, one must be honest.

In my mid-twenties when I wrote and submitted some poems, I had some friends read the poems first to hear what they thought about them. One of them said that I reveal too much about myself in my writing. Maybe it is both the crafting and the telling. The crafting was juvenile, therefore listless and without direction. The telling almost always established a beginning and an end and I was afraid to get lost in the self-conscious progression. Therefore they were coming out from a bad liar. The fiction wasn’t fictional enough, the poems didn’t have cadence and the voice was generic.

Listening to Neil Gaiman, I thought, well, all writers start that way. However, how writers graduate from journaling personal revelations to crafting a reality to give it a larger-than-life status, is what writing is all about.