Category: Read the World

Between Shades of Gray | WWII

Good thriving in such a hostile environment is a powerful beacon of hope for us, both for the past and the future. This book whispers of that hope.

Doctor Zhivago | Russia

This book is one of those that needs to be read because the suffering of the people needs to be remembered. And although it ends sadly, there’s too much triumph of the soul for it to be sad.

The Bear and the Nightingale | Russia

This is one of those snow-tipped fairytales that feature in my winter dreams, effortlessly combining magic, history, and the northern reaches of Russia where the winters are long, the forests are primeval, and life is enchanted.

Leningrad | WWII

During the three-year siege, about 800,000 people died. That’s nearly the entire population of the Salt Lake Valley or San Francisco.

The Zookeeper’s Wife | WWII

Human compassion and love overcomes the worst sort of circumstances, bridging the divide of religion, race, and country.

Poland: A History | Poland

The Poles are a surprisingly resilient people, weathering adversity and powering through the storms of history.

The Doll | Poland

I didn’t see this book as a failure of the class system, I saw it as a triumph over it.

Poland: A Novel | Poland

The enmity between Germany and Poland and Russia and Poland isn’t a 20th century thing. It’s been going on for centuries.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas | WWII

This book was horrifying in some ways and beautiful in others. In the end, it described war as something that engulfs all, not just adults, not just Jews, not just Nazis. It destroys everything.

Auschwitz | WWII

Every person should read this book because darkness needs to have a light shined on it; it should be acknowledged and discussed and known. 

Escape from Warsaw | WWII

This book was about what love and forgiveness can accomplish, about how it can rebuild. There’s good out there even within the depths of evil.