Yolo County Library
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Historical FictionJanuary 2015
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"If you're reading to find friends, you're in deep trouble. We read to find life, in all its possibilities. The relevant question isn't 'Is this a potential friend for me?' but 'Is this character alive?'" ~ Claire Messud
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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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| 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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| 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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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Yolo County Library
226 Buckeye St. Woodland, California 95695 530-666-8005
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