Each month as I sit down to write about the books I’ve read, I look for a theme.

It’s never planned out ahead of time, but sometimes a theme does emerge. This time, it’s stories about the post-war era. Not all of them, but five (if you count The Longest Day) out of six is a theme, right?

Book 1: The Diary That Changed the World by Otto Frank

Over the years, I’ve read plenty of good books about Anne Frank, starting with her diary.

Her father, Otto, always gets a solid mention, but until now I hadn’t read the whole story about what he went through once he realized he was the only Secret Annex survivor from the camps.

While in deep mourning, Otto worked diligently to get Anne’s diary published. And not just in one language, but many. Finding appropriate translators was a challenge, as Otto didn’t want Anne’s spirited voice to get lost in translation.

Then came the theatrical production. It’s disgusting what wannabe writers and producers put him through. But Otto persisted. And he protected Anne’s “brand” long before that marketing word was even created.

A side note: Anne’s older sister, Margot, also kept a diary. Sadly, it’s never been found.

Book 2: The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan

This was a fascinating read, as the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day earlier this month.

The author advertised to find people who experienced D-Day. He could only use a fraction of the stories he heard in response, but the end result was a multi-layered approach to detailing June 6, 1944 hour by hour.

So many mistakes were made leading up to the Normandy Invasion – on both sides. Storming the beach was practically the final step that day. Ryan’s book takes the reader on the beach, in the ships, on the gliders, inside the war rooms, and into the French villages.

Two rather humorous stories: a bagpipe-playing soldier from Scotland serenaded troops on the beach that day; also, a teacher who put together crossword puzzles for one of England’s national newspapers was interviewed by MI5 agents after one too many code words affiliated with Operation Overlord appeared in his puzzles (including overlord!).

Book 3: I Have Something to Tell You by Chasten Buttigieg

Chasten’s fun posts about parenting twin toddlers showed up in my Threads feed one day, so I followed him.

His husband was mayor of South Bend a few years back. Now Pete is the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

But this is Chasten’s story. The road from childhood to adulthood wasn’t always easy – and cruel, uptight Midwesterners didn’t help.

I kept wondering when he’d meet Pete (turns out his family and friends call him Peter) but it finally happened. The memoir finishes with the 2020 presidential primaries.

I’m hoping someday we’ll see the author and his husband in the White House.

Book 4: Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers

Think about it for a second: the title warns you ahead of time that there will be six suspects. That’s a lot. They’re all summering in post-war Scotland, to fish and to paint.

As much as I like Dorothy Sayers’ writing, there were a few too many players in this one. For the first time ever, I wondered if I needed a spreadsheet to get me where I needed to go.

Glad I hung in there, though. Sir Peter Wimsey is a great recurring character.

Book 5: The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden

With the word “summer” in its name, I thought I’d give this one a try.

It’s a good one! A mother in post-war England gets frustrated with her demanding children and takes them to France for the summer to visit the soldiers’ graveyards.

However, she ends up in the hospital and the five children more or less fend for themselves in a grand home that is now a hotel run by … interesting characters. The ending gets pretty wild as the children grow up mighty fast.

Book 6: The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark

Another book by The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie author Muriel Spark? Why not?

Instead of a girls’ boarding school, this time Spark takes us to a young women’s hostel in post-war London. These “modern” women have a lot to learn …

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I don’t usually pick favorites, but if you take just one recommendation regarding this month’s books, give The Longest Day a chance. It really is a masterpiece.

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