The Key to our Society is a Sweet Blue Skye

Occasionally you will meet a book that you love at first sight.  The cover is beautiful. The title is intriguing.  The form is something you've never seen before (or avoided because you weren't sure you'd like it).  Perhaps the subject matter is a combination of things that delight or intrigue you as a reader.  With one glance through the description, you know that the setting is where you would like to go on your next vacation.  From the very first page, you realize that this is a book you will recommend to all of your reading friends. When you start looking for something similar, you are devastated to learn that there are very few read-alikes for that title. The disappointment is frustrating and may cause you to choose unwisely the next time you visit the library.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has had the distinction of being a perennial favorite of our library patrons and staff since it first appeared in print.  (The title alone causes it to stand out in a crowd.)  The setting is Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands which was occupied by German forces during World War II.  The story, which is revealed through the correspondence of several characters, describes how the Islanders persevered under German rule and engaged in small acts of defiance.  The society for which the book was named was created as a cover for their meetings and activities but eventually lived up to it as those on the island sought entertainment, society, and a distraction from fear and hunger.    
Letters From Skye by Jessica Brockmole is another epistolary novel.  The correspondence begins in the years just prior to World War I.  David, a college student from America, sends a fan letter to Elspeth, a Scottish poet who lives on the Isle of Skye.  This exchange of letters gradually develops into a friendship that eventually evolves into something more. However, distance, war, and Elspeth's husband seem to be hurdles that they will never overcome.
Flash forward to early World War II.  Elspeth's daughter Margaret is introduced. After an air raid, she finds the letters from David and starts to put the pieces of her mother's mysterious life together.  This is a story of enduring love, sacrifice, and survival told through the letters of the characters.  The author gives each character their own unique voice and style, enhancing the convention of the novel through letters.
Another favorite of library staff is Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.  This too is a love story set during World War II.  It is not told through letters but through flashbacks.  It is the story of Henry, a Chinese-American boy growing up in Seattle.  The story begins shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and tensions are high.  Henry's parents have encouraged him to be as American as possible. This leads to major communication problems at home because his parents do not understand English nor do they speak it.  They have also sent Henry off as a scholarship student to an all-white school where his life is not pleasant.  
Things turn around for Henry when he meets Keiko, a Japanese-American scholarship student at his school.  She becomes Henry's only friend his age. Unfortunately, the politics of the time separate them when people of Japanese descent are sent away to internment camps.  What follows is the story of their friendship and enduring love as they attempt to hold on to one another across the years and finally, to reconnect.
History, mystery, and love can be used to create a story that is both fascinating and addictive.  Whether you enjoy the setting, the time period, or the difference in cultures, these reads can lead you back in time.  And if the above offerings are a little to sweet for your taste, try Tatiana De Rosnay's Sarah's Key, another library favorite that focuses on some less than heroic behavior during World War II.