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Historical Fiction May 2018
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The long, long trail : war at home, 1917
by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
The Hunters try to cope as the Great War rages on, with newlywed Diana dealing with her pregnancy alone and David returning from the Front a much-changed man, in the fourth novel of the series following The Land of My Dreams.
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| Varina by Charles FrazierWhat it’s about: Varina Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America during the U.S. Civil War, learns that her marriage of security and comfort comes at a steep price.
Why you might like it: If you enjoyed bestselling author Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, you will rejoice as he returns to the same time period in U.S. history.
Read it for: the fascinating character study of Varina Davis through which we can ponder topics like culpability and complicity. |
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| The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin HarmelWhat it’s about: Three disparate characters are drawn together in Nazi-occupied Paris: Ruby Benoit, an American newlywed with questions about her secretive French husband; Ruby’s Jewish neighbor, 11-year-old Charlotte Dacher; and British Royal Air Force pilot Thomas Clarke.
Why you should read it: This poignant tale is based loosely on the true story of an American woman who aided Allied soldiers in Paris as part of a resistance group called the Comet Line.
For fans of: World War II-era fiction like Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and Martha Kelly’s Lilac Girls. |
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The good pilot Peter Woodhouse : a novel
by Alexander McCall Smith
A heartwarming tale of hope and friendship is set during World War II and traces the intersection of a British farm girl, an American pilot and a German soldier who are brought together by an adorable border collie. By the best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.
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| The Courtesan by Alexandra CurryWhat it’s about: Born during Dowager Empress Cixi's reign, legendary Qing dynasty courtesan Sai Jinhua witnesses numerous transitions throughout her long and eventful life. From being sold to a brothel for a handful of coins at the age of seven to traveling to Vienna as the concubine of a government official, Jinhua’s story reaches a dangerous climax during the Boxer Rebellion.
For fans of: Authors Lisa See and Amy Tan as well as Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha. |
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| The Other Alcott by Elise HooperIntroducing: May Alcott, sister and rival to Louisa May Alcott and the model for Amy March in Louisa’s classic Little Women, who aspires to greatness in the male-dominated art world.
Reviewers say: “Not to be missed” (Library Journal).
You might also like: Marie Benedict’s The Other Einstein, which also focuses on a less well-known relative of a historical icon, or Priya Parmar's Vanessa and Her Sister, another biographical historical novel that addresses complex sisterly relationships. |
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The fire by night
by Teresa Messineo
A first novel commemorating the unsung heroines of World War II traces the experiences of two military nurses who fight for survival and care for others in a makeshift medical unit and a POW camp, enduring dangerous existences while waiting for the war to end. 100,000 first printing.
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Girl Waits with Gun
by Amy Stewart
Three sisters take the law into their own hands in this fast-paced, darkly humorous caper set in 1914 New Jersey. When local factory owner Henry Kaufman's motorcar strikes their buggy, the Kopp siblings sue for damages and, when that fails, band together to make Kaufman pay. Pistol-packing Constance, pigeon fancier Norma, and whimsical Fleurette may seem like an oddball trio, but they get results. This witty, well-researched fiction debut of Amy Stewart, author of such nonfiction favorites as Wicked Plants and The Drunken Botanist, draws inspiration from real-life people and events (Constance would go on to become one of the first female sheriffs in the United States).
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The wardrobe mistress : a novel of Marie Antoinette
by Meghan Masterson
"It's Giselle Aubry's first time at court in Versailles. At sixteen, she is one of Marie Antoinette's newest undertirewomen, and in awe of the glamorous queen and her opulent palace life. A budding designer, it's a dream come true to work with the beautiful fabrics and jewels in the queen's wardrobe. But every few weeks she returns home to visit her family in the Parisian countryside where rumors of revolution are growing stronger. From her position working in the royal household, Giselle is poised to see both sides of the revolutionary tensions erupting throughout Paris. When her uncle, a retired member of the secret du roi, a spy ring that worked for the old King, Louis XV, suggests that she casually report the Queen's actions back to him as a game, she leaps at the chance. Spying seems like an adventure and an exciting way to privately support the revolution taking the countryside by storm. She also enjoys using her insight from Versailles in lively debates with Léon Gauvain, the handsome and idealistic revolutionary who courts her. But as the revolution continues to gain momentum, and Giselle grows closer to the Queen, becoming one of the few trusted servants, she finds herself dangerously torn. Violence is escalating; she must choose where her loyalty truly lies, or risk losing everything...maybe even her head. THE WARDROBE MISTRESS is Meghan Masterson's fascinating and visceral debut, not to be missed"
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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