Caravans in the Dark by B.K. Oldre. A historical fiction novel about a Romani teenager named Jana in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, who becomes a resistance fighter by smuggling secret messages from Prague Castle. The coming-of-age story follows Jana and her friends as they navigate love, loss, and the fight against oppression during WWII, highlighting the lesser-known story of the Romani people during the Holocaust.
Caravans Pursued by B.K. Oldre. Continues the story of Jana, a Romani teenager in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. She returns from a mission to the Resistance to find that her family has disappeared. Now she must find them and continue her fight against the fascists who occupy her country, while finding love.
Filling out the list, here are seven more WWII fiction books set in the Czech Republic:
- Gerta by Kateřina Tučková: A harrowing, emotional novel following a half-German, half-Czech woman facing the aftermath of the war and forced expulsion.
- The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman: A romantic story of a young artist in Prague whose life is torn apart by the Nazi invasion.
- Magda’s Mark by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger: Part of “The Road to Liberation” collection, it follows resistance efforts during the early years of German occupation.
- The Glass Room by Simon Mawer: While spanning a broader time, it centers on a modernist house in Czechoslovakia, reflecting the country’s turbulent history from 1932 onward.
- Closely Observed Trains by Bohumil Hrabal: A classic, often dark-humored novel about a young railway dispatcher trying to lose his virginity while resisting the Nazis.
- Beneath Another Sun by Ernst Lothar: A 1943 novel detailing the experiences of South Tiroleans deported to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
- The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: Begins with a dramatic escape from Nazi-occupied Prague.
For a non-fiction account of the era, Prague Winter by Madeleine Albright is highly recommended.
Bonnie's Books & Things 
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