There are some problems with the abundance of World War II fiction, as illustrated in this excellent article by fellow Rioter Senjuti Patra. One that stands out to me is that it is largely Eurocentric and white. This has begun to change: think Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson, or When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. However, the subgenre as a whole is still so white as to be blinding. I don’t suppose that authors of color aren’t writing about this period, so I have to wonder about the publishing industry’s reception. More to the point here: if finding books set in World War II by authors of color was difficult, finding books about books set in, or during, or around World War II by authors of color was painful. After hours of research, I could only find three. Hopefully, next time I put together one such list it won’t take hours of research, and more voices will be highlighted.
Bonus
Would you like to read more books about WWII? What about more books about books? A few years after the end of the war, Roya falls in love with Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood stationery shop. An idealistic teenager, Roya finds her place amidst the books and pen and ink. Not one to miss out on a chance to play matchmaker, Mr. Fakhri introduces Roya to Bahman, another book-loving, justice-seeking customer. The love between Roya and Bahman develops at once, but a coup d’etat brings chaos to their lives and parts them. Decades later, they’re brought together again… and Roya has questions.
