Memorial Day is a time to honor the brave people who’ve served and sacrificed for our country. Whether you’re spending the holiday weekend relaxing at home or heading out of town, historical fiction books can offer a meaningful way to connect with the courage, resilience, and complexity of those who served and lived through the turmoil of war. From stories set on the front lines to tales of endurance and hope, these historical fiction books about war offer rich perspectives on the events and people that shaped our world.

Here are some historical fiction books available on the Libby app to help you reflect, remember, and read your way through Memorial Day weekend.

Vietnam - Present Day

The Women by Kristin Hannah
🎧 Audiobook
Winner for Book of the Year - Adult Fiction (Libby Book Awards)

Hannah tells the powerful story of Frankie McGrath, a 20-year-old nurse from a military family who joins the Army Nurse Corps during the Vietnam War. Inspired by her brother’s service, Frankie follows his path to Vietnam, where she’s thrust into the chaos, heartbreak, and intensity of wartime nursing. But her greatest battle begins when she returns home to a divided nation—one that wants to forget Vietnam and refuses to acknowledge the women who served.

Kristin Hannah’s bestselling novel shines a long-overdue spotlight on the courage and sacrifice of female nurses during the war.

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
🎧 Audiobook

This is a haunting and emotionally raw portrait of friendship, duty, and the invisible scars of war. It follows 21-year-old Private Bartle and 18-year-old Private Murphy as they navigate the harrowing realities of combat in Al Tafar, Iraq. Bound by a promise made in basic training to bring Murphy home safely, Bartle is soon forced to confront the psychological toll of war and the impossible choices it demands.

With searing honesty, the novel captures not only the chaos of battle but also the quiet grief carried by soldiers and their families long after the fighting ends.

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

A classic of American literature and a groundbreaking meditation on war, memory, and storytelling, this book follows the soldiers of Alpha Company during the Vietnam War. Through the eyes of Tim O’Brien, both soldier and writer, this collection of short stories explores the physical and emotional burdens they carried, revealing the complex realities of courage, fear, and survival.

Praised for its powerful blending of fact and fiction, this moving collection of interconnected stories challenges readers to rethink what they know about war and its lasting impact.

World War II

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
🎧 Audiobook

Another bestseller by Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale once again shines a light on the often-overlooked stories of women during war. Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, the novel follows two sisters—Vianne, a mother trying to protect her family, and Isabelle, a bold young woman drawn to the Resistance—as they each find their own path through heartbreak, danger, and impossible choices. With emotional depth and vivid storytelling, Hannah captures the strength, sacrifice, and resilience of women in wartime.

This is personally my favorite book on this list, and I highly recommend listening to the audiobook on Libby.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
🎧 Audiobook

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a longtime favorite among historical fiction readers, this novel follows the intertwined lives of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner, a German orphan with a talent for engineering, during World War II. As the war sweeps across Europe, their stories unfold against the backdrop of occupied France, exploring themes of survival, resistance, and the quiet acts of bravery that shape history.

Doerr’s writing brings humanity to even the darkest corners of the war, making this a poignant and unforgettable read.

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
🎧 Audiobook

Set against the backdrop of wartime London, this novel follows two teenagers—Charlie, who’s scraping by on the streets, and Molly, recently returned from evacuation to find her home forever changed. Both are navigating the chaos of a city under siege when they find unexpected refuge in a quiet bookshop run by the grieving but kind-hearted owner. As air raids shake the streets and secrets come to light, the trio forms a fragile yet powerful bond.

With heart and suspense, Baldacci’s moving novel explores found family, resilience, and the power of connection during one of history’s darkest hours.

Revolutionary War & Civil War

The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
🎧 Audiobook

In the final days of the Civil War, two recently freed brothers find refuge on a grieving couple’s Georgia farm. As the Walkers struggle with the loss of their son, an unexpected bond forms between the families, offering a fragile sense of hope and healing. Meanwhile, a secret romance between two Confederate soldiers threatens to upend the town when tragedy strikes.

Rich with emotional depth and historical detail, this is a powerful story of freedom, loss, and connection in the turbulent era of Reconstruction. This novel won the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence and was named one of President Obama’s Favorite Books of 2021.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes
🎧 Audiobook

If you’re looking for something to read with the family, this Newbery Medal award-winner is a classic work of juvenile historical fiction that brings Revolutionary Boston to life through the eyes of a young apprentice. When an accident ends his silversmithing career, 14-year-old Johnny finds himself swept up in the political unrest leading to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington. As he grows alongside the birth of a nation, Johnny must navigate loyalty, identity, and coming of age during one of the most pivotal moments in American history.

If you’re going on a family road trip, the audiobook on Libby is a great choice!

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson
🎧 Audiobook

Set at the start of the American Revolution, this story follows 13-year-old Isabel, who is promised freedom but instead finds herself sold to a cruel Loyalist couple in New York. As the war for independence rages, Isabel begins her own fight for liberty, torn between survival and resistance. When she crosses paths with Curzon, a young, enslaved boy with Patriot connections, Isabel faces a choice that could change her fate.

The first in The Seeds of America trilogy, this powerful middle-grade novel offers a poignant look at slavery, courage, and the true meaning of freedom.

*Title availability may vary.

Titles featured in this article:

• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Strangers in Time by David Baldacci
• The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Hoskins Forbes
• Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson