Best Historical Fiction Books About the Holocaust (2026): 5 Picks

The best historical fiction books about the Holocaust handle the heaviest subject in literature, and this list compares five novels by fit for the reader: a widely praised postwar novel, an emotional WW2 novel of Germany, a novel based on a true Holocaust story, a series opener through a child’s eyes, and a 2025 bookshop novel. We compared scope, publisher and edition from the listings, and scored them from there.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	They Went Left by Hesse	9.7/10	Buy
2	The Plum Tree by Wiseman	9.7/10	Buy
3	My Mother's Secret	9.6/10	Buy
4	Once by Gleitzman	9.6/10	Buy
5	The Bookshop of Secrets	9.6/10	Buy

1

They Went Left by Hesse

Monica Hesse·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 400-page widely praised novel set in Germany 1945, about a girl searching for family in the war's aftermath.

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Pros

• Critically acclaimed
• 400 pages; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
• 2021; critically acclaimed

Cons

• 2021; not the newest
• Postwar setting; not wartime
• 400 pages; a commitment

2

The Plum Tree by Wiseman

Ellen Marie Wiseman·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 400-page WW2 novel of Germany by the author of The Orphan Collector.

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Pros

• 400 pages; Kensington, reissue
• 2020 publication
• Author of The Orphan Collector

Cons

• Reissue; not a first edition
• 400 pages; a commitment
• 2020; not the newest

3

My Mother's Secret

J.L. Witterick·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 208-page novel based on a true Holocaust story, about two Jewish families in hiding.

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Pros

• Based on a true Holocaust story
• 208 pages; Berkley, reprint
• Uplifting tone per the listing

Cons

• 208 pages; shorter than the others
• 2014 publication
• Reprint; not a first edition

4

Once by Gleitzman

Morris Gleitzman·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 192-page novel about Felix, a Jewish boy hiding from the Nazis in Poland in 1942; Once Series book 1.

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Pros

• Once Series book 1; a series to continue
• 192 pages; Square Fish, reprint
• Child's-eye view of 1942 Poland

Cons

• 192 pages; the shortest here
• 2013 publication
• Reprint; not a first edition

5

The Bookshop of Secrets

Kerry Barrett·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A 2025 WW2-era novel set in a Lisbon bookshop, by Kerry Barrett, from HQ.

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Pros

• 2025; the newest here
• HQ publisher
• Uplifting tone per the listing

Cons

• Holocaust focus is not stated on the listing
• Page count not stated on the listing
• Lightest option; less depth than the others

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More picks to compare

• All the Light We Cannot SeePulitzer-winning WW2 novel, by Anthony Doerr.Check on Amazon
• Little Edna's WarA true WWII story, by Janet Bond Brill.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or level where one is given. None of the picks list a reading age, so fit was judged on subject matter and depth: the widely praised They Went Left tops the list. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best historical fiction books about the Holocaust

Perspective and tone

They Went Left follows a girl in Germany 1945, The Plum Tree is an emotional WW2 novel of Germany, and My Mother’s Secret is based on a true Holocaust story of two families in hiding. Once sees the war through a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942. Pick the perspective that fits your shelf and your stomach.

Length and publisher

The picks run from 192 to 400 pages, from Berkley, Kensington, Little Brown and Square Fish. They Went Left and The Plum Tree at 400 pages are the fullest reads; Once at 192 pages is the gentlest entry. Historical fiction fans can also try the historical fiction books about the Crusades list for a different era.

Book club fit

These are heavy books that discuss well. My Mother’s Secret, based on a true story, and They Went Left, with its postwar mystery, generate the most conversation. The Bookshop of Secrets is the lightest option and the newest, from 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which book is based on a true story?

My Mother’s Secret by J.L. Witterick, a 208-page Berkley novel inspired by a true story of two Jewish families in hiding.

Which book is best for younger readers?

Once by Morris Gleitzman, 192 pages, first in the Once Series, told through a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942.

Is The Bookshop of Secrets about the Holocaust?

The listing describes a WW2-era Lisbon bookshop novel; a Holocaust focus is not stated. The clearest Holocaust stories here are My Mother’s Secret and Once.

Still deciding? Our top pickThey Went Left by Hesse

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