The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Category: War story
At Night All Blood is Black – David Diop
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel ❝ Alfa and his ‘more than brother’ Mademba are Senglese, fighting for the French in World War I. Seen as ‘chocolate soldiers’ they are considered able to scare the life out of the enemy. After Mademba is fatally… Continue Reading “At Night All Blood is Black – David Diop”
All The Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jodie A WWII novel about young victims of the war and the unique ways in which they communicate ❝ During the occupation of Paris a young girl named Marie-Laure loses her sight and relies on a miniature model of… Continue Reading “All The Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr”
Sophie’s Choice – William Styron
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel An aspiring novelist is captivated by a Holocaust survivor and her unpredictable boyfriend ❝ Stingo is a Southern young man aspiring to be a novelist and living off the income from his grandmother’s controversial sale of slaves many… Continue Reading “Sophie’s Choice – William Styron”
Remote Sympathy – Catherine Chidgey
Read for NZ Book Awards An inmate at Buchenwald concentration camp aids the commandant who is trying to save his wife’s life ⫸ “Remote Sympathy tells the stories of several people and families who all have one thing in common: the Buchenwald concentration camp… Continue Reading “Remote Sympathy – Catherine Chidgey”
The Train – Georges Simenon
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Becks On May 10, 1940, as Nazi tanks approach, Marcel Feron abandons his home and, separated from his wife, joins a freight car of refugees hurtling southward ahead of the pursuing invaders. ❍”Marcel, a timid, happy man must abandon his home… Continue Reading “The Train – Georges Simenon”
Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel A satirical war story following Captain John Yossarian and his men, which first coined the phrase Catch-22. Often referred to as one of the greatest literary works of the 20th century. ❖ Set toward the end of World War… Continue Reading “Catch-22 – Joseph Heller”
Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Kurt Vonnegut writes of his own experiences as a World War II prisoner in Slaughterhouse Five, in particular the bombing of Dresden. On February 13, 1945, only months before the end of World War II, the Allies undertook… Continue Reading “Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut”
Half Blood Blues – Esi Edugyan
READ FOR BOOKERTHON In 1940s France a black cabaret singer disappears. Fifty years on, one of his bandmates, Sid, embarks on a journey to discover Hieronymous’s fate. ✔ “Hiero is an African German and a member of a jazz band in pre-war Berlin. The Nazis… Continue Reading “Half Blood Blues – Esi Edugyan”
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