historical fiction

It’s been 24 hours since I’ve finished Code Name Verity, and I am still staring at a wall, recovering.

We first meet our heroine as a prisoner of war in Occupied France, writing down everything she knows about the Allied War Effort to hand over to the Nazis.  She is beaten and starved and in mental anguish over the probable death of her best friend, Maddie, the pilot who crash-landed their plane into France.  But despite the bruises and burns, our narrator is full of spirit and defiance and refuses to let her captors have anything without a struggle—even as she collaborates, she piques and

Despite the Colley family remaining neutral during the Civil War, the Missouri Union Militia sets fire to their home, leaving young Adair with only her two sisters. Together the three set out to navigate war-torn Missouri – an environment so inhospitable it makes Armageddon seem manageable. Adair is brave and intelligent, but the threats that surround her create an unbeatable monster. Once separated from her sisters, she’s sent to prison in St. Louis on charges of treason. Author Paulette Jiles dramatizes this little known piece of the Civil War – that women were held captive – with bold

Surprisingly, this book is not about Prague, or its famous cemetery; in fact only about 100 out of 460 pages cover anything remotely relating to Prague.  The Prague Cemetery describes infamous hoaxes, forgeries and plagiarisms of the 19th century and how they fueled some of the most notable historical events that humanity would rather forget.   

Eco’s novel revolves mostly around the infamous, fictitious document, the Protocol of the Elders of Zion, a text first published in Russia in 1903, and which spread quickly around the world in the early 20th century and is still being published to

 If you remember how Watergate unfolded, this fictionalized character study will read much easier than if you know it only as a political chronology. 

The author has flipped common perspectives about the era on end, and in this novel presents the Watergate events through the lenses of individuals caught up in the relentlessly growing scandal.  Mallon tells the story as it unfolds, without an omniscient narrator, and through people we know mostly second-hand, people who never wrote memoirs, like Fred LaRue and Rose Mary Woods…and Pat Nixon.   A few individuals you’d expect, like Richard Nixon

This book is about a magic house towering above the Czech city of Brno. The house was custom built by a visionary architect for a Jewish-Catholic newlywed couple in the 1920s. The new house projects wealth, self-confidence, beauty and a new architectural form. The couple only gets to enjoy the house until the country is occupied by the Nazi army and the family has to leave everything behind and flee. Their lives as refugees continue from country to country. But the life of the villa does not end with the departure of its owners. New residents come one after another: The Germans are replaced by

The Last Queen is a fictionalized autobiography of Juana of Castile, known to history as Juana la Loca, the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain.  The third child of their Catholic Majesties is betrothed to Philip the Fair, Duke of Burgundy, grandson and heir of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.  (I had occasionally wondered how Spain got into the Netherlands. Now I know.)  Theirs was a grand teenage love at first sight.  But the courts of Spain are decorous and somber…. The courts of Northern Europe are quite a different matter.  Juana must fight for her marriage.

Fate interferes

In Ordinary Heroes,   retired newpaperman Stewart Dubinsky has discovered a packet of wartime letters his late father wrote to a former fiancé.  He learned of his father’s court-martial and imprisonment and was determined to learn more about this man who remained distant to him in life.  As he pieced together events provided by his father’s former defense attorney and from a memoir his father wrote in prison, he began to reconstruct the terrible events and agonizing choices his father faced on the battlefield.  Stewart gains not only a better and surprising understanding of both of his parents

Oh, what fun!!!  Allende has invented a beginning for the Zorro stories.  I remember the TV series and I was totally smitten with the swashbuckling, mysterious avenger.  Okay, I was just a kid, but the TV Zorro was a much more convincing character than any other swashbucklers I’d seen—Errol Flynn and Gene Kelly, to name them all.  So to learn the family background and early history of this grande—and in the marvelously literate, slyly humorous manner of Allende’s  unidentified narrator—was a great treat!!  

In the early 1800s, as Diego de la Vega of Alta California reaches the appropriate age

Imperium is the first of a planned trilogy about the life and times of the great Roman orator and politician Cicero.  Imperium (“the power of life and death as vested by the state in an individual”) takes place from 79 B.C. to 64 B.C.  The story is narrated long after Cicero’s death by Tiro, Cicero’s slave, personal secretary, and confidant for 36 years.  Tiro developed a method of shorthand to record his master’s continuous flow of words and thoughts.  Tiro begins the story as he approaches 100 years of age and no longer fears repercussion for recording a tale of political intrigue.  He

Lidie Harkness is destined for spinsterhood; at least her older step-sisters think so. She lacks interest in the domestic skills required of ladies in Quincy, Illinois circa 1850's.  She would rather spend her time reading, riding, swimming, and shooting. Seeking a solution to her questionable future, she is lured by the advertised prospects of pristine countryside and pleasant weather in Kansas (really!).  She is introduced to Thomas Newton who is headed to the Kansas Territory (K.T.) to stake a claim and support the abolitionists’ cause for Kansas to enter the Union as a free state.  He

Moon over Manifest won the 2011 Newberry award. That was enough reason for me to read it, but I quite enjoyed it and want to offer a few more reasons.

It is set in Kansas. The town, Manifest, if fictional, but is based on family stories and memories of a real Kansas town that the author’s grandparents lived in. It’s set in both 1917 and 1936 – very interesting times, what with WWI and the Great Depression. It deals with overcoming hardship and finding your place in the world. These are broad themes, and therefore applicable to… everyone. I always enjoy stories about coming together in the face

I decided to read The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean after reading and listening to the remarkable City of Thieves by David Benioff.  Ms. Dean provides an alternate, equally creative telling of the horrific Siege of Leningrad during World War II.

The book starts in the present day with the elderly Marina as she displays the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease.  As the disease progresses she slips into memories of her past --a past she has not revealed to her two adult children.  Marina was a survivor of the deadliest siege in recorded history.  Prior to the onset of war, Marina trained as

Set in the 1640’s on Martha’s Vineyard – called only “The Island” at that time – this is a work of fiction based on the real life story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, a member of the Wopanaak tribe and the first Native American to graduate from Harvard University, a college originally intended to educate “the savages.”  The story is told by Bethia, daughter of missionaries who purchased land on the island from Caleb’s tribe.  Bethia recounts her friendship with Caleb beginning in the wilds near her home where they taught each other about their respective cultures and became as close as brother and

Having enjoyed the first three season's of Showtimes "The Tudors", I was anxious to view this fourth and final season.  In this final season, we meet King Henry VIII's last two wives, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr, who are played beautifully by Tamzin Merchant and Joely Richardson, respectively.  The entire season is comprised of only 10 episodes.  The first five episodes deal with King Henry's affair and marriage to the very young and morally questionable Katherine Howard and his difficulties with his northern subjects, the Scots.  The second five episodes show his subsequent marriage

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice is startlingly good. It is the first book in a series that features a retired Sherlock Holmes and his young, female apprentice. Mary Russell is about fifteen years old when she stumbles upon Holmes in the English countryside. She is feisty, with a whip-quick intelligence, and she naturally falls into the role of protégé. Time and training pass pretty idyllically, until Russell and Holmes are called in to solve a kidnapping. This involves costumes, heroics, and some Holmes-style deductions. There is also a destructive, mastermind villain who knows Holms and predicts

H.G. Wells is best known for his works of science fiction but he also wrote domestic comic novels, one being The History of Mr. Polly. Like his author, Alfred Polly is born into the suburban lower-middle-class of early 20th century England , a class known for its conservatism, restrictiveness, and respectability. As a boy, Alfred attends a National School where he receives a poor education but at age thirteen, he discovers reading and its joys. Adventure stories and comics are his favorites. Then at fourteen, Alfred's father decides that his son needs to start earning a living so he is

Nothing will deter persistent, inquisitive Mary Sutter from realizing her dream of becoming a surgeon. Already a skilled midwife but with no immediate prospect of being apprenticed as a surgeon, Mary leaves home to nurse the wounded at the outbreak of the Civil War. Not even the horrendous and life-threatening unsanitary conditions of the Union hospitals, the suffering of the maimed and dying, or the urgent pleas from her family to come home will sway Mary from her goal. Mary is no beauty, but her competent, compassionate nature earns her the love and admiration of the young men in her care

Shanghai Girls tells the story of two sisters, Pearl and May. They were known as "beautiful girls", meaning that they posed for artists who used the paintings for "beautiful girl" posters, calendars and various advertisements. The girls lived what was, to them, an enchanted life. Until one day their world was turned upside down by their father informing them that he had arranged marriages for them both. They were to marry brothers who were Chinese but lived in America, specifically, Los Angelos. This was definitely not the future the two forward looking sisters had envisioned for themselves

Steven King and I agree that Scott Snyder has written a wonderful, fresh take on vampires.  Steve liked it so much that he asked – yes, asked! – if he could contribute.  Together, Snyder and King, along with illustrator Rafael Albuquerque, have written a vampire series that is bloody and scary and beautifully depicted.  It’s got fangs and claws and only a vary little bit of kissing.  It also has flappers and cowboys.  Awesome, huh?

The parallel story lines tell of a new breed of American Vampires, hearty and defiant.  Skinner Sweet, the first of these vampires, is a Wild West outlaw.  His

Buddha by Deepak Chopra

Once again, Chopra brings to life an historic figure of faith, giving us a view of the humanity, the struggles and the triumphs of Buddha. It is a fascinating story of Prince Siddhartha, who takes on the monk’s life as Gautama, and eventually becomes Buddha, the enlightened one. We become acquainted with the key individuals in Buddha’s life - his father, King Suddhodana; his wife, Yashodhara; their son, Rahula; his archenemy, Devadatta; and his close friend, Channa.

I enjoyed the story – was entertained and learned some things – what I love about historical fiction!

      This is a book of a great imaginative writing.  It tells the story of a suspicious death of a famous world astrophysicist, Thom Bergmann, who was on the brink of proving the existence of extraordinary civilizations.  After his death, the only proofs of his findings are saved on a flash drive worn as a necklace by his wife Lucy.  She is later contacted by an anthropologist, who asks her to retrieve and deliver a case which contains rare historical documents, a codex, revealing reinterpretations of the Book of Geneses, which will bring a resolution and peace to religions disagreements to

          In Mystic Warriors, the third of the Mystic Indian series, the sacred white buffalo robe has been stolen from the Lakota people.  Buffalo Dreamer, a holy woman, knows that much misery will befall them from such a loss, but even she wasn’t prepared for what was to come.

          As the white man advances deeper and deeper into Indian territory to settle and to hunt the buffalo for sport, the Lakota become more and more defensive.  Promises of food and clothing are made while cavalry descend on peaceful camps to kill with no regard for innocent women and children.  Rising Eagle

This fascinating, fast-paced book falls in the genre of historical fiction. It tells the real-life story of Haggadah (from the Hebrew root “HGD” = “to tell”), a Jewish book read over the Passover Seder table to relate the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. The story of a real life codex, now stored and on display in Sarajevo, alternates between the present time and historical events.  The heroine, Hanna Heath, a manuscript conservator, is hired to restore this rare Jewish artifact. She unlocks the mysteries and clues hidden within the codex’s pages, which include various stains and spots

The Luxe, by Anna Godbersen, reminds me a little of a Jane Austen novel in that the rules of society can be imprsioning and can cause much tragedy and heartache. The story takes place in Manhattan at the very end of 1899. It is the story of the elite, the upper class, the wealthy. They live in their own world, filled with dancing, parties, social visits, the opera,  lavish dinners, and rules. The rules determine what one can and cannot do, say and not say, at least in public. It is a world where a few words spoken to the right person can ruin a woman’s reputation, and hence, her future as the

MUDBOUND  is Hillary Jordan’s award winning debut novel. This riveting novel won the Bellwether prize which was founded and is fully funded by the renowned author,  Barbara Kingsolver.  The intent of this award is to promote literature of social responsibility.  This is one of Ms. Kingsolver's comments about Mudbound  from an NPR interview:  “I love the voices of the novel. I love that you understand everybody, even though everyone isn't right, and in the long run some people are very wrong.  But you begin by feeling their own perspective, and you have some sympathy for every character.”   

Classed as a Mystery Thriller at the local bookstore and as Fiction at JCL, The Expected One follows protagonist journalist Maureen Pascal as she does research for her new novel. In the process, she discovers ancient mysteries involving the Cathar peoples of southwest France and uncovers legends including Mary Magdalene and a gospel that she wrote describing her life as Jesus’ wife and his teachings. Great artistic masters and scientific minds are involved including Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton. Also involved are John the Baptist, Judas, and Salome. McGowan views her

Juliet is both a modern and historical retelling of Shakespeare’s classic tale, “Romeo and Juliet”. The story weaves back and forth between a present-day Juliet searching for a family inheritance in Italy and a 14th-century Giulietta defying a family feud to be with her Romeo. The later is supposed to be the real inspiration for Shakespeare’s classic story, set in Siena instead of Verona. You don’t have to be a fan of Shakespeare to enjoy this debut novel; a love story, historical fiction, tragedy, mystery, and thriller all rolled into one enjoyable novel.

Mrs. Octavia Darcy and her husband Captain Darcy were living in India when the Captain took ill and left Octavia widowed. Nearly penniless because of the entailment on her late husband’s property in England, Octavia returns to London to live with her half sister and family. It is not a pleasant situation. None of Octavia’s half brothers and sisters have ever been the least bit kind to her. Nor did they ever forgive their father for marrying a nobody half his age, a woman who died while giving birth to Octavia. Despite her meager funds and the cruelty inflicted upon her at the hands of her

In the Time of the Butterflies was recommended to me by several of my Latino patrons. Since it sounded like a very interesting book, I decided to make it a Fall book group selection for the Edgerton Book Ends in order to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month as well as in honor of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), declared by the United Nations as a tribute to the Mirabal sisters (the Butterflies) and their fight for freedom.

In In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez introduces American readers to the story of the Mirabal sisters, Dominican

Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas isn’t one of her best, but I still enjoyed it. I’m game for most books that take place in the early 1900’s, in the mountains of Colorado. Dallas knows that time and place well (Prayers For Sale). Whiter Than Snow is a story of love, tragedy, forgiveness, despair, and resilience.

At 4:10 P.M. on April 20, 1920 something triggers an avalanche above the small mining town of Swandyke, Colorado, at the very moment children are walking home from school. Nine of those kids are swept up in the thundering snow. Four children survive. As Dallas introduces us to the