Looking for a book or books written by people who lived through violent fascism and still had to go about their daily lives, what that was like and how they managed their day-to-day lives amidst the backdrop of violence. Preferably hopeful ones. Or, if you know of another book that seems relevant or helpful in the same vein, I'm open to those suggestions as well.
by upbeatbubble
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Diary of Anne frank and Mans search for meaning comes to mind.
Man’s Search for Meaning
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel. It’ gives insight into his time in a concentration camp, gives insights into his research as a psychoanalyst, and provides hope for the worst of situations.
Maybe it doesn’t fit what you’re looking for perfectly, since the author was in a concentration camp in his book.
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela is also a fantastic source of inspiration.
Waiting to Be Arrested at Night by Tahir Hamut Izgil, about the Uyghur genocide in China
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Night by Elie Wiesel
There are so many out there that are good and horrifying reads
I just finished **the Rape of Nanking** by Iris Chang. 1937 China and the Japanese occupation of the Capitol City. It’s told from three perspectives: that of the Japanese soldiers who performed it; of the Chinese civilians who endured it; and finally of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved almost 300,000 Chinese. Its also poignant that the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge that it happened.
**Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran** by Azadeh Moaveni (Iran): A look into the life of young people living in post-revolutionary Iran.
**The Librarian of Auschwitz** by Antonio Iturbe While historical fiction, it is based on the true story of Dita Kraus
**A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier** by Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone): A harrowing, firsthand account of being forced to fight in a civil war.
**Dancing in the Mosque** by Homeira Qaderi (Afghanistan): Chronicles life under Taliban rule and the fight for education.
**The Dressmaker of Khair Khana** by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (Afghanistan): True story of a young woman who supported her community under the Taliban.
**In the Time of the Butterflies** by Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic): Tells the story of the Mirabal sisters’ fight against the Trujillo dictatorship
**Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution** by Ji-li Jiang (China): A young girl’s life turned upside down during China’s Cultural Revolution.