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Historical FictionJanuary 2015
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As always, if the library does not own one of the books on this list, please feel free to place a request. We will contact you when your book is available.
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Boston Girl: A Novel by Anita DiamantWhen her beloved granddaughter asks her about their family history, 85-year-old Addie Baum gladly obliges. The youngest daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, Addie describes growing up in a tenement in Boston's North Shore, frequenting the local settlement house, and spending summers at Rockport Lodge, a seaside inn where she formed lasting friendships with other young working-class women whose dreams encompassed more than marriage and motherhood. Addie's coming of age coincides with World War I, the Spanish influenza epidemic, and the women's suffrage movement, among other historical events, and her engaging narration provides a detailed look at immigrant life in early 20th-century America. |
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| Vanessa and her Sister: A Novel by Priya ParmarIn 1905, the Stephen siblings -- Vanessa and Virgina, Thoby and Adrian -- set up house in the Bloomsbury area of central London, which quickly becomes a popular gathering place for a coterie of artists and intellectuals. Among their regular guests are art critic Clive Bell, whom Vanessa marries, and Leonard Woolf, who becomes Virginia's husband. However, despite the sisters' various romantic entanglements, it's their own sibling rivalry that takes center stage in this atmospheric, character-driven novel. Readers interested in the Bloomsbury Group, particularly the loving but contentious relationship between Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf, may also want to read Susan Sellers' Vanessa and Virginia. |
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| The Paris Winter: A Novel by Imogen RobertsonAs her meager funds dwindle, Englishwoman Maud Heighton, an aspiring painter studying at Paris' Académie Lafond, wonders how much longer she'll be able to pursue her art. Unexpected assistance arrives in the form of Monsieur Christian Morel, who hires Maud as a live-in companion and tutor to his fragile sister, Sylvie. To Maud, the offer seems too good to be true -- and, of course, it is. Best known for her Westerman and Crowther mysteries, author Imogen Robertson employs her eye for period detail and her skill in creating suspenseful stories in this atmospheric novel, which vividly depicts the lives of artists during La Belle Époque. |
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| The Lodger: A Novel by Louisa TregerLiving in a shabby boarding house in Bloomsbury and eking out a meager living as a secretary, Dorothy Richardson jumps at the chance to visit her former schoolmate, Jane, at the home she shares with her new husband, H.G. Wells (better known as "Bertie"). Despite her affection for her friend, Dorothy finds herself drawn to Bertie; their mutual attraction culminates in an affair that will prove to be life-changing for Dorothy. Based on the life of modernist writer Dorothy Richardson, who pioneered the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative technique in the 1910s, The Lodger examines some of the obstacles faced by women pursuing personal and artistic freedom at a time when they had few, if any, civil rights. |
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| The Mountain of Gold by J.D. DaviesThis exciting sequel to Gentleman Captain begins with Captain Matthew Quinton's capture of Barbary pirate "Omar Ibrahim" (né Brian Doyle O'Dwyer), who claims to have discovered a "mountain of gold" in Africa. Although Quinton is skeptical of the prisoner's story, his sovereign, King Charles II, is not and dispatches captain and crew to Dutch-occupied West Africa in pursuit of the legendary landmark. Naval historian and author J.D. Davies infuses his swashbuckling tale with authentic period detail, vividly evoking the world of the 17th-century British Navy. If you enjoy The Mountain of Gold, check out its sequel, The Blast That Tears the Skies. |
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| Dark Voyage: A Novel by Alan FurstAdrift since the Nazis invaded his native Holland, Captain E.M. DeHaan of the merchant ship Noordendam finds a renewed sense of purpose when he's recruited by the Royal Dutch Navy's Bureau of Naval Intelligence to participate in clandestine operations for the Allied forces. With his ship now disguised as the Spanish freighter Santa Rosa, DeHaan and his crew must carry out dangerous missions throughout the ports of Europe and the Mediterranean. Although Dark Voyage is a stand-alone novel, this compelling, suspenseful 8th installment of Alan Furst's Night Soldiers series adds to the rich mosaic of European espionage during World War II. |
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| Fire on the Waters: A Novel of the Civil War at Sea by David PoyerIn 1861, against the wishes of his financier father, Elisha "Eli" Eaker enlists in the Union Navy, serving aboard the sloop of war U.S.S. Owanee under Captain Parker Bucyrus Trezevant. Although Eli's desire to avoid an arranged marriage to his cousin is initially stronger than his patriotism, Eli's loyalty to his country is put to the test when the ship's crew is sent to defend Fort Sumter from the Confederate forces. Although this series unfolds chronologically, each of the three stand-alone installments introduces new characters and focuses on specific events. Fire on the Waters is followed by A Country of Our Own and That Anvil of Our Souls. |
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| Ship of Rome by John StackAtticus Perennis and Septimus Capito have little in common: Atticus, captain of the trireme Aquila, comes from a Greek fishing family; Septimus, a Roman and a marine centurion, has spent most of his military career on land. Nevertheless, the two reluctant comrades-in-arms must work together when confronted by a vast enemy fleet that threatens the very existence of the Roman Republic and its fledgling navy. Set in 200 BCE, this 1st book in the Masters of the Sea series is followed by Captain of Rome and Master of Rome. |
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| Kydd: A Kydd Sea Adventure by Julian StockwinPress-ganged into the Royal Navy in 1793, wig-maker Thomas Paine Kydd must quickly adjust to his new life aboard the Duke William, a 98-gun ship of the line. In addition to the hardships of life at sea, Kydd and his shipmates face the prospect of war with France. This opening volume of Julian Stockwin's long-running series should please fans of C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower novels and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series. Readers who enjoy naval adventure stories rich in nautical detail may also enjoy S. Thomas Russell's Under Enemy Colors, set during the same period. |
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| A Ship for the King by Richard WoodmanIn 1618, Kit Faulkner is a 12-year-old orphan living on the Bristol docks when a chance encounter leads to his apprenticeship under two sea captains. Under their tutelage, Kit rises through the ranks, becoming an able seaman and eventually commanding a merchant vessel of his own. Between his career and his family obligations, Kit doesn't spend much time thinking about politics. However, the conflict between King Charles I's royalist supporters and Oliver Cromwell's parliamentarians will ultimately force Kit to choose a side -- and woe to him if he backs the loser. Set in the period leading up to the English Civil War, this series opener presents an unusual perspective on well-known historical events. |
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