The Historians

 

This one surprised me at Walmart and kept my interest all the way through. I like the careful plotting Cecilia Ekback did to make this almost too multi-character book into a winner. The usually short chapters helped, too.

Proper subject choice also played a major role here. Sweden was neutral in WWII, but both their Scandanavian sister countries, Denmark and Norway, were occupied by the Nazis. Sweden played between the Germans, the Allies, and the war between neighboring Finland and Russia. It wasn't easy, but they managed to stay out of the war.

The Historians is fictional but is based on a student group of five who fall into the friction between the sides. Two members are killed, but they help keep Sweden from falling into the abyss of war. 

Ekback is from Sweden, but lives in Canada. I know author Isabel Allende writes in Spanish because she feels most comfortable expressing herself in her native language. I wonder if Ekback writes in Swedish? There were a few patches of wordiness, which can come from translations.

The Acknowledgments, Credits, and other back-of-the-book content is worth reading, too. It was a terrific read, and quite recommendable.