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Historical Fiction November 2020
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| The Abstainer by Ian McGuireWhat it is: the compelling and intricately plotted story of an Irish American Civil War veteran’s 1867 arrival in Manchester, England, where he gets involved with an underground Irish independence organization that puts him on the radar of a troubled local constable determined to take the movement down.
Reviewers say: "This well-told, suspenseful tale will appeal to fans of Deadwood and Cormac McCarthy" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Black Bottom Saints by Alice RandallWhat it's about: the heyday of Black arts and culture in 1950s Detroit, as narrated by real-life local legend Joseph “Ziggy” Johnson, who rubbed elbows with big names like Dinah Washington, Sammy Davis Jr., and artists signed with the upstart record label that would later be called Motown.
About the author: Vanderbilt professor Alice Randall is a songwriter, novelist, and essayist known for her novel The Wind Done Gone, a retelling of Gone with the Wind from a slave’s perspective. |
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The Grove of the Caesars
by Lindsey Davis
When a serial killer taints the sacred grove of Julius Caesar, Flavia Albia, out of sympathy for the victims and their grieving relatives, teams up with the vile Julies Karus, a cohort of the Vigiles, to bring this killer to justice.
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| The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart TurtonWhat it is: a dramatic and intricately plotted historical mystery set during the 17th century, on a long sea voyage from the Dutch East Indies back to Amsterdam.
All aboard! Just before the ship sets sail, a man ravaged by leprosy tries to warn the passengers and crew that the voyage is doomed -- moments before he spontaneously combusts.
Passengers include: Imprisoned British spy Samuel Phipps; colonial Governor General Jan Haan, on his way to a cushy promotion; and if sailor superstitions are to be believed, a demon named Old Tom on whom they blame a series of violent deaths. |
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| The Adventures of John Carson in Several Quarters of the World by Brian DoyleWhat it's about: the parallel narratives of author Robert Louis Stevenson as he tries to get his writing career off the ground and John Carson, the globe-trotting husband of Stevenson’s landlady who recounts his remarkable life story to the author as the two stroll around San Francisco.
Reviewers say: This “irresistible” novel “practically begs to be read aloud” (Booklist). |
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Written on silk
by L. L. Chaikin
In a city gone diabolically mad, Rachelle Dushane-Macquinet, a celebrated couturiere, returns to the Louvre Palais to create the royal wedding gown, but when she is recruited into the evil Queen Mother's ring of women spies, Rachelle must find a way to preserve her honor--and the lives of her fellow Huguenots.
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| The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes GowarWhat it's about: When London merchant Jonah Hancock becomes the owner of a mummified "mermaid" specimen, his decision to display it publicly results in some colorful new acquaintances, including brothel madam Mrs. Chappell and beguiling courtesan Angelica Neal.
Read it for: well-developed characters; witty, period-appropriate dialogue; and a vividly drawn setting that captures the sights, sounds, and smells of 18th-century London.
For fans of: the panoramic view of British society in Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White. |
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| Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, His Wife, and Her Alligator by Homer HickamStarring: Homer Hickam Sr. (the man), a coal miner based on the author’s father; Elsie Lavender (the woman), an aspiring writer based on the author’s mother; and Albert (the alligator), their pet whose dislike of West Virginia sends the couple on an unforgettable road trip to return him to Florida.
About the author: Former NASA engineer Homer Hickam writes fiction and nonfiction, and his memoir Rocket Boys was the basis for the film October Sky. |
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| Graffiti Palace by A.G. LombardoWhat it is: a dramatic and character-driven reimagining of The Odyssey, set in Los Angeles during the 1965 Watts Riots.
Read it for: main character Americo Monk’s anthropologist-like insights into the complexities and contradictions that make up the city.
You might also like: Windward Heights by Maryse Condé, another classic literature adaptation set in a Black community being pushed to the brink. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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