Lily Graham Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Lily Graham is a South African-born writer of historical fiction books and a retired journalist. Lily always dreamt of writing books as a child, but this was never achieved until she was in her thirties. At the beginning of her writing career, Lily wrote children’s books. Still, after her mother was diagnosed with a terminal disease, she wrote a book focusing on how to deal with the fear and pain she was experiencing, and this marked her first book women’s fiction genre. The book was published in 2016 by Bookouture.

Since then, Lily has published more than six books on diverse topics. Her first four books blended fiction and drama, but she would finally establish herself in the historical fiction genre. Her first historical fiction book was The Island Villa, which details the story of a secret Jewish community believed to have been the inhabitants of the Island of Formentera. It is a story about betrayal, love, and courage. It took Lily Graham several years to realize that the historical fiction genre was the niche she wanted to write. Since then, she has published other books in the same genre, including The Child of Auschwitz, a book she never meant to write but couldn’t resist after reading the story of a woman who gave birth after surviving the concentration camp imprisonment. The Paris Secret is a book about a woman and a secret tracing back to the period of Occupation.

The Child of Auschwitz is highly recommended for anyone looking to glimpse the concentration camp horrors through a fictional narration. Though a fictional account, it’s a book that anyone in the 21st century should read to learn more about history. 27th January marks the annual Holocaust Memorial Day, when the world remembers the six million Jews killed during the holocaust alongside other innocent people murdered by the Nazis and the subsequent genocides. This day also marks when Auschwitz-Birkenau, the biggest Nazi concentration camp, was liberated. While 232,000 juveniles were sent to Auschwitz, it’s reported that only 750 were rescued from the death camps at the end of January 1945.

Lily Graham’s book opens in 1942 in Prague, and we are introduced to Eva Adami. She has endured two days standing on a training traveling- she is hungry, thirsty, and extremely tired. For Evan and millions of other Jews, nothing could have prepared them for the horrors of the death camps known as Auschwitz. When the train arrives at the camp, the guards yell at them to alight, and soon the women are sorted into different groups and sent into a large hall. The helpless women are told to strip their clothes and then shave.

Eva and Sofie traveled on the train together. They both have been separated from their families and friends but hope to meet them at the concentration camp. Eva was separated from her husband Michal, who received a letter informing him he was returning to the concentration camp for work. She is hoping to find him in the camp. On the other hand, Sofie was betrayed by her cousin, Lotte, to the Germans, resulting in her separation from her cousin.

Eva and Sofie share the same filthy accommodation block. Their days are spent standing in a line in the cold and counted twice daily. Their work at the camp is to sort clothes and belongings from the new people arriving each day. Sofie soon finds herself targeted by one of the guards named Meier, who doesn’t hesitate to harass her sexually. When Eva discovers that her new husband is in the same camp, Sofie is forced to make a tough decision: give in to the guard’s demands so that her friend can spend half a day with her husband.

Overall, The Child of Auschwitz is a touching story about two moves’ undying love for their children and their dedication to each other. While Sofie is on a mission to find her lost son, Eva is forced to hide her pregnancy for as long as she can to give him a chance for the baby to be born. It’s also about hope, love, motherhood, friendship, and the human spirit. Lily Graham presents us with highly descriptive chapters that build up this story. The timeline jumps back and forth between before the war and in Auschwitz, and this helps build up the character and enhance the connection between the characters and the readers. If you enjoy reading historical fiction books revolving around WWII, then The Child of Auschwitz is highly recommended.

Published in 2018, The Paris Secret introduces us to Annie and Valerie on a train from Moscow to Paris. The two ladies can get along quite well despite their age gap and soon Valerie shares with Annie one of the most heartbreaking stories.

Born during the Second World War in France’s capital, Valerie was only three years old when she was shipped to England to live with a family member she never knew after her parents died. But why did her grandfather, Vincent make this decision? Didn’t he want her around him? All grown, Valerie returns to France to find her grandfather’s whereabouts, establish the family bond, and, more so, discover what happened to her parents and why she was sent to England.

The Paris Secrets is a fantastic book that lays bare the events set during WWII, making it thought-provoking and sad. Valerie is a likable character, and so are the supporting characters. Lily Graham’s setting choice, Paris, oozes atmosphere, and the Germans invasion threatens all aspects of people’s daily lives. At the same time, the French government watched and deserted their citizens, which felt so harrowing. It’s often easy to forget the millions of casualties of war, but at the same time, not all Germans were evil. The Paris Secret is about family, love, and courage in the darkest moments. It’s emotional and witty, with characters that will find their way to your heart right from the start. It’s a beautifully written and highly captivating story during one of the darkest moments in our history.

One Response to “Lily Graham”

1. Sue: 10 months ago

   I just finished reading The Last Restaurant in Paris. I enjoyed it immensely! As difficult as some of the issues are and were you imbued it with so much love and joy.
   Thank you for this.

   Reply