Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Susan Shalev's books

172 ratings | 105 reviews | avg rating:3.70

more photos (1)

Susan’s Year In Books

Susan’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Susan’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

Go to Susan’s 2025 Year in Books

Susan Shalev’s Followers (34)

Susan’s Bookshelves

to-read (17)
currently-reading (3)
read (247)
did-not-finish (0)
on-my-bookshelf (2)
shelved-for-now (3)

Susan’s Friends (20)

Davida Chazan

1,247 books | 791 friends

Paul

17,813 books | 374 friends

Helen

5,571 books | 45 friends

Lance Morcan

274 books | 2,761 friends

Kathryn Beland

5,338 books | 122 friends

Jean Roberts

385 books | 651 friends

Beth Stromberg

1,389 books | 80 friends

Linda

5,083 books | 107 friends

More friends…

Susan Shalev

Goodreads Author

Born

London, The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.susanshalev.com

Twitter

shalevsusan19

Genre

Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, World War 2

Member Since

April 2018

edit data

Susan Shalev is a London-born author of historical fiction who lives in Israel. After a career as a writer and editor for academic institutions and nonprofit organizations, she earned a PhD in Sociology and Anthropology from Bar-Ilan University.

Drawing on her background in research and storytelling, she writes emotionally rich fiction inspired by real-life stories. Her debut WW2 historical novel, The German Dressmaker, was published in 2023.
She is also the author of Of Bitter Herbs and Sweet Confections, a fictionalized memoir rooted in true WW2 experiences.

She lives on a farm with her husband, two horses, and a large, loving family.

She is the recipient of The Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Fiction, and Second Place Winner, Historical ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Susan Shalev questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Susan Shalev’s books

Average rating: 4.51 · 1,360 ratings · 67 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	The German Dressmaker: A WWII Historical Novel (World War II Brave Women Fiction Book 6) 4.51 avg rating — 1,211 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Across A Starlit Sky: WWII Historical Fiction 4.70 avg rating — 96 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Of Bitter Herbs and Sweet Confections 4.34 avg rating — 53 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

5 posts
Susan Shalev's Blog

Another Award

Excited and honored to share that my novel Across A Starlit Sky has won another award.
The Literary Titan Gold Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination Read more of this blog post »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 08, 2026 03:01

View all 5 posts »

Susan is Currently Reading

Susan Shalev is currently reading

The Language of Threads

by Gail Tsukiyama

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Oct 04, 2026 01:41AM

Susan Shalev is currently reading

Wolf Hall (Thomas Cromwell, #1)

by Hilary Mantel

bookshelves: currently-reading, shelved-for-now

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Mar 08, 2026 08:21AM

Susan Shalev is currently reading

Across A Starlit Sky: WW2 Historical Fiction

by Susan Shalev (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Feb 22, 2026 12:53AM

rss
Susan’s Recent Updates

Susan Shalev is currently reading The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 04, 2026 01:41AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Language of Threads by Gail Tsukiyama <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Shalev liked Jo Van Horn's review of Across A Starlit Sky: WWII Historical Fiction: "I really enjoyed the two different stories here and how it all came together. I haven't read much WW II history of Amsterdam so that was enlightening. I have been to Caimbra and Lisbon so that just made the whole book even more interesting. A really " Read more of this review »
Oct 04, 2026 01:33AM · see review
Susan Shalev made a comment on Jo Van Horn’s review of Across A Starlit Sky: WWII Historical Fiction " Thank you for your kind review. I hope you managed to recognize some of the locations in Coimbra. My visit there was what inspired me to write the nov ...more "
Oct 04, 2026 01:33AM · see review
Susan Shalev finished reading Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction, Readers' Favorite Audiobook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 04, 2026 01:26AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Shalev is currently reading Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall (Goodreads Author) Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee in Readers' Favorite Historical Fiction, Readers' Favorite Audiobook	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 22, 2026 10:08AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Broken Country by Clare Leslie Hall <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Shalev rated a book really liked it We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jojo Moyes never disappoints. An entertaining, easy read with an engaging cast of characters faced with an array of domestic challenges.
Sep 22, 2026 10:04AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Shalev rated a book really liked it June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
June is neurodivergent. Her life is managed by a strictly followed routine and interaction with her mother. She is honest, direct and literal, with a unique perspective on life. She is a knowledgeable gardener and spends her free time in her own back ...more
Aug 30, 2026 12:10PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Susan Shalev made a comment in the group Jewish Book Club — Nominations for our book of Oct. 2026: our author members' books topic " I would like to nominate my dual-timeline historical WW2 novel, Across A Starlit Sky. From the dark alleys of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam to the perilous ...more "
Aug 26, 2026 10:49PM
Susan Shalev made a comment in the group Jewish Book Club — Authors Announcing Their Work topic " Terrence wrote: "I’m proud to announce the publication of my first novel — Halabiyah https://a.co/d/02ZGLrng My grandmother Eva knew the names — Moise ...more "
Jul 19, 2026 12:58AM
Susan Shalev is currently reading June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 13, 2026 07:55AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — June in the Garden by Eleanor Wilde <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Susan's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
THE WORLD WAR TWO...: Books & Discussion on the Holocaust	1033	483	Aug 30, 2026 10:31PM
Read Women: * What Did You Just Finish?	3225	1497	17 hours, 44 min ago

Susan’s Quotes

“When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground.”
― Amadou Hampâté Bâ

2 likes

“We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count.”
― Neal A. Maxwell

tags: gratitude

309 likes

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
― Groucho Marx

tags: books, humor, reading, television

23100 likes

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
― Groucho Marx, The Essential Groucho: Writings For By And About Groucho Marx

tags: animals, books, dogs, friends, humor

38063 likes