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8 moving First World War books to read

To mark the centenary of the First World War, we've chosen 8 books inspired by the life-changing effects of the conflict. From a heart-rending debut about the women left worrying back home to a rousing hooray to woman-power by Kate Adie.

By Joanne FinneyPublished: 13 November 2014

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The Lie by Helen Dunmore

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Orange-prize winner Helen Dunmore’s stunning writing makes The Lie a standout. In the wake of the war, Daniel returns from France to his childhood home in Cornwall, traumatised by the death of his best friend and haunted by nightmarish hallucinations of what he has seen. Can he rebuild his life or will a lie he told threaten his chance at happiness? Powerful storytelling from one of our favourite writers.

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The Storms Of War by Kate Williams

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The Storms Of War is a big, juicy drama about a privileged family on the eve of the First World War. Historian Kate Williams paints a spellbinding portrait of the end of a certain way of life.

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Wake by Anna Hope

In Wake, the stories of three damaged women – brittle Evelyn who doles out pensions to angry soldiers, Hettie who earns a pittance as a dancer at the Hammersmith Palais and Ada who wanders the streets hoping for a glimpse of her missing son – weave together to paint a heart-breaking picture of life in the aftermath of war. An impressive first book from Anna Hope.

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Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole

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Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole is a sweeping love story that spans both world wars, told through letters between a female poet living in Scotland amd a young man in llinois. A moving, heartwarming read which was chosen by GH readers as a Reader Reccomended book.

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My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young

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My Dear, I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young is a multi-voiced novel about the devastating effects of the First World War on a group of friends. Richly detailed and deeply moving.

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Before The Fall by Juliet West

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It's 1916 and Hannah is left behind in London's East End when her husband enlists. Times are tough and she struggles to make ends meet. Then she meets Daniel and finds herself forced to make a life-changing decision. In Before The Fall, Juliet West paints an evocative picture of war-torn Britain that's both poignant and powerful.

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A Broken World by Sebastian Faulks

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Sebastian Faulks, bestselling author of Birdsong, has put together an anthology of letters, diaries and memories from the First World War.

In A Broken World, a mother describes sending flower seeds to her son on the Front and a young Captain remembers living among the dead on the Somme. This collection is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary effect the war had on the lives of ordinary people.

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Fighting On The Home Front by Kate Adie

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In Fighting On The Home Front, former war correspondent Kate Adie looks at the women who stepped out of the domestic shadows when the First World War broke out. A rousing hooray to woman-power.

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