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! style="font-size:120%; background:lightblue; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | Modern Age
 
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| style="padding:15px;" | [[File:IntoBrightOpen.jpg|250px]]<br>
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| style="padding:15px;" | [[File:BloodYears.jpg|250px]]<br>
'''[[Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix]]'''<br>
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'''[[The Blood Years]]'''<br>
'''Author:''' Dimaline, Cherie<br>
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'''Author:''' Arnold, Elana K.<br>
'''[https://amzn.to/48n6kct Buy at Amazon] | [https://bookshop.org/a/15682/9781250842657 BookShop.org]<br><br>'''
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'''[https://amzn.to/3N5phGF Buy at Amazon] | [https://bookshop.org/a/15682/9780062990853 BookShop.org]<br><br>'''
 
'''Time Period:''' Modern Age <br>
 
'''Time Period:''' Modern Age <br>
'''Time Frame:''' 1900<br>
+
'''Time Frame:''' 1938-1945<br>
'''Geographic Area:''' :North America <br>
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'''Geographic Area:''' Europe <br>
'''Country:''' Canada<br>
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'''Country:''' Romania<br>
'''Topics:''' Metis Nation, Retelling, Indigenous Americans, LGBTQ+<br>
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'''Topics:''' Holocaust<br>
 
'''Genre:''' Fiction <br>
 
'''Genre:''' Fiction <br>
'''Reading Age:''' Upper Middle Grade, Young Adult<br>
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'''Reading Age:''' Young Adult, Adult<br>
 
'''Format:''' Novel<br>
 
'''Format:''' Novel<br>
 
'''Published:''' 2023
 
'''Published:''' 2023
 +
|}
 +
{| class="infobox bordered" style="font-size:95%; width:25em;"
 +
! style="font-size:120%; background:#fb607f; text-align:center; padding:5px 0;" | Content Warning
 +
|-
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| style="padding:15px;" | genocide, violence, death, sexual assault, rape
 
|}
 
|}
  
'''''[[American History|American History]]''' > [[Modern Age Booklist|Modern Age]] > [[Indigenous American History Booklist|Indigenous American History]]''
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'''''[[World History|World History]]''' > [[Modern Age Booklist|Modern Age]] > [[World War II Booklist|WWII]] / [[Holocaust Booklist|Holocaust]]''
  
'''In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. This queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden subverts the cishet and white status quo of the original in a tale of family secrets wonderful and horrifying.'''
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'''From Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold comes the harrowing story of a young girl's struggle to survive the Holocaust in Romania.'''
  
Mary Lennox didn’t think about death until the day it knocked politely on her bedroom door and invited itself in. When a terrible accident leaves her orphaned at fifteen, she is sent to the wilderness of the Georgian Bay to live with an uncle she's never met.
+
Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He’s done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there’s anything in her life she can count on—and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it.
  
At first the impassive, calculating girl believes this new manor will be just like the one she left in Toronto: cold, isolating, and anything but cheerful, where staff is treated as staff and never like family. But as she slowly allows her heart to open like the first blooms of spring, Mary comes to find that this strange place and its strange people―most of whom are Indigenous―may be what she can finally call home.
+
Then—war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra’s world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather’s business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—and if that’s a choice she will even have the chance to make.
  
Then one night Mary discovers Olive, her cousin who has been hidden away in an attic room for years due to a "nervous condition." The girls become fast friends, and Mary wonders why this big-hearted girl is being kept out of sight and fed medicine that only makes her feel sicker. When Olive's domineering stepmother returns to the manor, it soon becomes clear that something sinister is going on.
+
Based on the true experiences of her grandmother’s childhood in Holocaust-era Romania, award-winning author Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century—and one young woman’s will to survive them.
 
 
With the help of a charming, intoxicatingly vivacious Metis girl named Sophie, Mary begins digging further into family secrets both wonderful and horrifying to figure out how to free Olive. And some of the answers may lie within the walls of a hidden, overgrown and long-forgotten garden the girls stumble upon while wandering the wilds...
 
  
 
==Emily's Review==
 
==Emily's Review==
Now don't judge me too harshly, but I have no memory of reading The Secret Garden. I own a copy that I've held onto since childhood, so I must have read it at some point, I just don't remember it.
+
I'm always looking for books set in this time period outside of the norm - books set in other countries outside of Germany, France, or Russia. Books about different lived experiences during WWII and the Holocaust. So I was very excited to read this story. Set in Romania, it gives us a different perspective, as they were first occupied by the Soviet Union, then the Germans. We're given a chance to see the different ways those occupations affected the country, particularly the Jews.  
  
So I have nothing to base this "remixed" version on - I don't know how well it hits the major beats of the story, or any of that. What I can tell you is that I thoroughly enjoyed it!
+
The characters in this book are based on the author's grandmother and her family, and I thought it was a really beautiful tribute. The characters felt real and raw - they weren't always likeable, particularly Astra, the older sister, who is sometimes cruel to her little sister. I really loved Opa, and the way he stuck to his morals no matter what. In such a dark time, that must have been so hard to do. Also, don't skip the Author's note at the end - it's powerful, and a great reminder that we learn history so that we can see the patterns and stand up for injustice everywhere.  
  
Mary Craven's parents have died and she is sent to live with her uncle. She's been neglected her whole life and is therefore a bit unlikeable at the start of the story. She's essentially your typical spoiled rich girl who is forced to move to the country. However, even when she was supposed to be unlikeable you can't help feel a bit sorry for Mary - the author does a great job of making her a sympathetic character.  
+
There are some really dark moments in this book, as to be expected from any book set in this time period, so be aware of the content warnings. There is sexual assault and rape in this story, as well as violence. I'd say this book is best for older teens.
  
When she arrives at her new home, the master is away, and she discovers a girl who is locked up in the attic, her cousin who is too sickly to leave her rooms. Then her evil step-aunt Rebecca shows up and the story unfolds. I love having a really terrible villain for our main character to deal with and Rebecca is deliciously awful. I loved the found family aspect of this story too - Mary befriends the Metis "help" that work at the manor and there is even a budding romance between Mary and Sophie that was very sweet.
 
 
I will say, I think this could have been a bit more atmospheric and I struggled to figure out a time period - there is very little to go on to place things. But overall, I really enjoyed this story. It's a perfect bridge book for a young teen who isn't quite ready for YA yet but feels to old for most middle-grade! I recommend this one for ages 12+
 
  
 
==Other Similar Books==
 
==Other Similar Books==
Other suggestions on the subject of the '''Retelling'''.
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Other suggestions on the subject of the '''Holocaust'''.
  
{{#ask: [[Category:Books]] [[Topic::Retelling]]
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{{#ask: [[Category:Books]] [[Topic::Holocaust]]
 
  | ?Author = by
 
  | ?Author = by
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| ?Country =
 
  | ?Reading Age =
 
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Revision as of 17:08, 15 October 2023

History book by book logo.jpg
Welcome to History Book By Book,
Reading your way through history... one book at a time...

> We are currently recommending a total of (1,100) books, divided into (65) specific booklists on this website.

First Time Here? Check Out: Frequently Asked Questions | How Do I Use History Book By Book (HBBB)?

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Prehistory Booklist (4,500,000,000-6000 BCE)

  • Stone Age (2,600,000-3300 BCE)

Early Civilization Booklist (6000-3000 BCE)

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  • Bronze Age (3300-1200 BCE)
  • Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE)

Classical Age Booklist (3000 BCE-400 CE)

Early Medieval Booklist (400–699 CE)

High Middle Ages Booklist (700-1399 CE)

  • Vikings (790–1100)
  • Aztec Civilization (1345–1521)

Renaissance Booklist (1400-1599 CE)

Enlightenment Booklist (1600-1699 CE)

Age of Revolutions Booklist (1700-1839 CE)

Industrial Age Booklist (1840-1899 CE)

Modern Age Booklist (1900 CE - present)


See also: American History | African American History | Indigenous American History | Jewish History


List of All Booklists

Other Booklists

Why is HBBB a thing?

I am a list maker. I love organizing booklists, to-do lists, checklists of all kinds. I spend a great deal of my time researching books for my job and I’ve often found it frustrating that there isn’t one reliable resource where I can find an organized timeline of literature. So I’ve created one. I’ve set out to create a resource that will guide you on a literary adventure through history.

You can find books here on just about every time period or historical topic and for any age level. I’ve done my best to research and vet each title to ensure that this list is filled with living books. I’ve noted content warnings when necessary and my daughters and I have reviewed many of the titles recommended. This has been and will continue to be a labor of love, as we continue to build this website and update these book suggestions. I hope you find it helpful!

Thanks and Happy Reading, Emily

Emily's Favorites

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Book Suggestions Published in 2023


See also: 2022 | 2021 | 2020

Featured Weekly Book Suggestion - 10/16/2023

Modern Age
BloodYears.jpg

The Blood Years
Author: Arnold, Elana K.
Buy at Amazon | BookShop.org

Time Period: Modern Age
Time Frame: 1938-1945
Geographic Area: Europe
Country: Romania
Topics: Holocaust
Genre: Fiction
Reading Age: Young Adult, Adult
Format: Novel
Published: 2023

Content Warning
genocide, violence, death, sexual assault, rape

World History > Modern Age > WWII / Holocaust

From Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award finalist Elana K. Arnold comes the harrowing story of a young girl's struggle to survive the Holocaust in Romania.

Frederieke Teitler and her older sister, Astra, live in a house, in a city, in a world divided. Their father ran out on them when Rieke was only six, leaving their mother a wreck and their grandfather as their only stable family. He’s done his best to provide for them and shield them from antisemitism, but now, seven years later, being a Jew has become increasingly dangerous, even in their beloved home of Czernowitz, long considered a safe haven for Jewish people. And when Astra falls in love and starts pulling away from her, Rieke wonders if there’s anything in her life she can count on—and, if so, if she has the power to hold on to it.

Then—war breaks out in Europe. First the Russians, then the Germans, invade Czernowitz. Almost overnight, Rieke and Astra’s world changes, and every day becomes a struggle: to keep their grandfather’s business, to keep their home, to keep their lives. Rieke has long known that she exists in a world defined by those who have power and those who do not, and as those powers close in around her, she must decide whether holding on to her life might mean letting go of everything that has ever mattered to her—and if that’s a choice she will even have the chance to make.

Based on the true experiences of her grandmother’s childhood in Holocaust-era Romania, award-winning author Elana K. Arnold weaves an unforgettable tale of love and loss in the darkest days of the twentieth century—and one young woman’s will to survive them.

Emily's Review

I'm always looking for books set in this time period outside of the norm - books set in other countries outside of Germany, France, or Russia. Books about different lived experiences during WWII and the Holocaust. So I was very excited to read this story. Set in Romania, it gives us a different perspective, as they were first occupied by the Soviet Union, then the Germans. We're given a chance to see the different ways those occupations affected the country, particularly the Jews.

The characters in this book are based on the author's grandmother and her family, and I thought it was a really beautiful tribute. The characters felt real and raw - they weren't always likeable, particularly Astra, the older sister, who is sometimes cruel to her little sister. I really loved Opa, and the way he stuck to his morals no matter what. In such a dark time, that must have been so hard to do. Also, don't skip the Author's note at the end - it's powerful, and a great reminder that we learn history so that we can see the patterns and stand up for injustice everywhere.

There are some really dark moments in this book, as to be expected from any book set in this time period, so be aware of the content warnings. There is sexual assault and rape in this story, as well as violence. I'd say this book is best for older teens.


Other Similar Books

Other suggestions on the subject of the Holocaust.

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