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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 Last Great Road Bum by Héctor TobarInspired by: The true story of Joe Sanderson, an Illinois teenager who left a comfortable life to hitchhike around the world and witnessed key 20th-century moments such as the Tet Offensive, Nigeria’s Biafra crisis, and most important for his own fate, the 1980s civil war in El Salvador.
Don't miss: The sardonic footnotes in which “Joe” argues with author Héctor Tobar’s version of his life story. |
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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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Homegoing: A Novel
by Yaa Gyasi
Introducing: Half-sisters Effia and Esi, born in the 18th-century Asante Empire (now Ghana).
Why you might like it: This debut chronicles, in haunting vignettes, seven generations as Effia becomes the mistress of a British slave-trader and Esi survives the Middle Passage only to live out her days in bondage on an American plantation.
For Fans of: African-American family sagas such as Alex Haley's Roots or Lalita Tademy's Cane River.
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| Gun Island by Amitav GhoshWhat it is: Steeped in Bengali folklore, this is a thought-provoking and stylistically complex story of displacement, identity, and the life of the mind.
Starring: Dinanath 'Deen" Datta, a rare book dealer whose trip to Calcutta gets derailed after he learns of a local legend involving a gun merchant, a mangrove jungle, and the Hindu goddess Manasa Devi.
Why you might like it: Deen’s curiosity and deep knowledge of literature and mythology help to ground some of the novel’s more mystical elements and lend it a contemplative tone. |
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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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The Sympathizer
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
What it is: A debut novel that follows a Viet Cong agent as he spies on a South Vietnamese army general and his compatriots as they start a new life in 1975 Los Angeles.
Reviewers say: "Both chilling and funny, and a worthy addition to the library of first-rate novels about the Vietnam War" (Kirkus Reviews). "...one of the best recent novels to cover the Vietnamese conflict from an Asian perspective" (Library Journal).
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The Taste of Sugar: A Novel
by Marisel Vera
What it's about: Relocating to the sugar plantations of Hawaii when their Caribbean farm is decimated by the Spanish-American War and the San Ciriaco Hurricane, two Puerto Ricans join thousands of fellow refugees in confronting the realities of American prosperity.
Reviewers say: "Vera’s breakout novel is a sweeping, emotional tale that puts her characters, and her readers, through an emotional wringer" (Kirkus Reviews). "Vera 's novel is historical fiction at its best, featuring engaging survivors from a forgotten past" (Booklist).
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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