By Konstantopoulou, Zalak Shah, Megan Cradock, Caroline Dowse and Ana Cecilia Matute
In today's chaotic world, with its countless injustices and pigeonholing of particular social groups, many turn to reading to escape. However, books also possess other abilities – and this includes serving as a cultural tool of remembrance. They encourage readers to reflect on moments in history and contemplate the experiences and actions of those from the past. As a wise saying goes, “[t]hose who forget history, are doomed to repeat it.”
Read on for a selection of titles concerning World War I that shed light on the tragically lost victims, the hardships faced by those awaiting news from the front and the lives changed by the outbreak of war.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Like all great novelists, Ernest Hemingway possessed the talent of deftly matching themes opposed by nature, like war and love. Little room for disagreement is left when it comes to the notion that stealing away a man’s last breath and becoming the chief reason for another human being’s happiness, or even their very existence, are naturally contradictory. One of his greatest works, A Farewell to Arms (1929), does just that; with the plot set amidst the Italian campaign of the First World War, it tells the tale of Frederic Henry, the American lieutenant serving in the ambulance corps of the Italian Army. Having taken on some biographical elements of the American writer’s life, the story swirls around Henry, the injured soldier who, despite everything, had little to no expectations of falling in love with his friend Rinaldi’s love interest, Catherine Barkley.
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
All Quiet on the Western Front is a captivating telling of the horrors and tragedies of World War I through the experiences of a young German soldier. Following a passionate encouragement from their teacher, Paul Baumer and his classmates were drafted into the army with dreams of honour and strong feelings of patriotism. However, as time passes, their romantic ideas of war and glory are dissolved by the brutal realities they witness.
This novel is an authentic portrayal of the trauma faced by soldiers. The loss of youth and innocent lives, along with the psychological scars of war, makes for a chilling telling. The interactions and experiences the characters in the story go through as they fight for survival are raw. All Quiet on the Western Front is a compelling telling of the cost of conflict and its effects on human life, sparking a crucial anti-war conversation.
Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
This is a poignant tale following three girls as they navigate a world at war.
Frustrated by the constraints on her life, Evelyn joins the Suffragettes but quickly realises that their fight for equality is far from the glamorous, rebellious life she had assumed – instead, involving more determination and perseverance than she ever thought.
Growing up in a family where there’s never enough and struggling to fit the stereotype of an ideal woman, Nell was drawn to the Suffragettes and the idea of freedom. At one of their rallies, she meets May, a suffragist and a Quaker.
However, fighting for women's suffrage is complicated, with everyone having conflicting views on how it should be achieved. As the war continues and loved ones leave to fight, all three girls find their lives intersecting, united by a longing for equality.
Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
Growing up, Vera Brittain lived a sheltered life in provincial Derbyshire. She was accepted to Oxford to study for an English degree and fell in love with a young man called Roland. Life was idyllic until war broke out in Europe, and hundreds of young men – including Roland – volunteered to go to the front. Feeling powerless and needing to help, Vera volunteered as a nurse. Then, at Christmas 1915, she received the news that she had dreaded: Roland had been killed in action. Grieving her loss, Vera quit her studies to become a full-time nurse, eventually being posted to the frontline in France.
Anger and sorrow seep from every word, especially when Vera describes her visceral reaction to Roland’s death and what she sees as the needless sacrifice of so many young men. Her journey from student to writer and peace activist is compelling and deserves to be on any Remembrance Day reading list.
The Great War: Stories Inspired by Items from the First World War, illustrated by Jim Kay and compiled by Candlewick Press
This book compiles stories for children and young adults, exploring different elements and scenarios from World War I to help readers understand how the war marked and changed lives. It serves as an engaging introduction for young audiences to begin learning about this period while also addressing contemporary war-related issues.
The connection between current daily life and that time through the objects is moving and unique, as it allows young readers to see how things were used, or perhaps even know how some of them are still present in their lives.