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Historical Fiction June 2018 |
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| The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna GoodmanWhat it’s about: Fifteen-year-old Maggie is pregnant by her French farm boy neighbor in 1950s Québec -- and her disappointed parents force her to give up the baby, Elodie. Maggie’s story alternates with that of her daughter, who grows up under harrowing circumstances in an orphanage that is converted into a psychiatric hospital.
Why you might like it: Readers who enjoyed Christina Baker Kline's Orphan Train or the film Philomena will like the intertwining narratives of this bittersweet, poignant tale, which is based on true events. |
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| The Soul of a Thief by Steven HartovWhat it's about: As World War II draws to a close, Shtefan Brandt is a German of Jewish descent hiding in plain sight as clerk to Colonel Eric Himmel. Himmel has the foresight to realize that the Germans are about to lose -- but has plans for how to come out ahead.
Who it’s for: Fans of World War II-era fiction and readers who like vivid characters and plot twists.
Reviewers say: “Simply a wondrous and utterly captivating novel” (Booklist). |
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| The Abbot's Tale by Conn IgguldenFeaturing: Tenth-century English abbot Dunstan of Glastonbury, the confidant and advisor to King Aethelstan, who, as the grandson of Alfred the Great, dreams of creating a united kingdom.
Why you might like it: Readers who enjoy gripping, grand historical sagas rich with battles and intrigue will savor this page-turning masterpiece.
You might also like: Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Series; the 1st is The Last Kingdom. |
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| Dragon Teeth by Michael CrichtonWhat it’s about: The real-life 19th-century rivalry known as the Bone Wars between paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope -- who resorted to a variety of underhanded methods to outdo one another in pursuit of fossils in the American West -- is retold through the eyes of fictional Yale student William Johnson.
Why you might like it: Though this book was published after bestselling author Michael Crichton’s death, it has his signature elements: action, science, and history all combined in page-turning fashion. |
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| The Sweetheart by Angelina MirabellaFeaturing: Seventeen-year-old Leonie Putzkammer, who leaves behind her 1950s Philadelphia neighborhood to train as a female wrestler; and “Screaming Mimi Hollander,” who becomes Leonie’s fiercest competitor.
Why you might like it: You'll cheer for Leonie as she finds herself -- and love -- in the male-dominated world of professional wrestling.
You might also like: Velva Jean Learns to Fly by Jennifer Niven, which is also set in mid-20th-century America and is a moving coming-of-age story featuring a feisty, offbeat heroine. |
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| Crossing the Horizon by Laurie NotaroWhat it’s about: In 1927, three women vie to be the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic: the Honorable Elsie Mackay, a disobedient earl’s daughter; Mabel Boll, a wealthy American widow who craves fame; and Ruth Elder, a former beauty pageant winner from Alabama.
Try this next: Victoria Patterson's The Peerless Four, about a Canadian track and field team overcoming significant hurdles in pursuit of Olympic gold. It too is a character-driven tale of daring women breaking barriers in the 1920s. |
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| Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral by Mary Doria RussellWhat it’s about: In this sequel to Doc, the consumptive Doc Holliday accompanies Wyatt Earp and his brothers to 1881 Tombstone, Arizona, to face off in a legendary gunfight against the Clantons and the McLaurys.
Why you might like it: Author Mary Doria Russell employs meticulous research, sumptuous period detail, and sensitive, in-depth character studies.
Try this next: Lyndsay Faye's Gods of Gotham, a historical mystery set in 1845 New York and the 1st in a trilogy, which also features rich characterizations and vivid storytelling. |
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Leonardo's swans : a novel
by Karen Essex
What it's about: Born into wealth amid the political and artistic foment of the Italian Renaissance, worldly and ambitious Isabella and naïve Beatrice Este, sisters and rivals, compete for the attentions of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan--even though he marries Beatrice--and must choose between family loyalty and survival amid the treachery of a dangerous era.
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Stonehenge, 2000 B.C. : a novel
by Bernard Cornwell
What it's about: The original construction of the ancient English monument of Stonehenge forms the backdrop of the story of three men, brothers and rivals--Lengar, a bloodthirsty tyrant and patricide; his bastard brother Camaban, a sorcerer whose madness taints Stonehenge with human sacrifice; and Saban, who must reverse the horrors of the past to realize the vision of Stonehenge.
You may also like: The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron, about prehistoric peoples trying to ensure their numbers and a modern day archaeologist racing to excavate newly found Neanderthal artifacts before her baby comes.
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World Without End
by Ken Follett
What it's about: Two centuries after the events of The Pillars of the Earth, which saw the construction of an elaborate Gothic cathedral in the English town of Kingsbridge, the world is a different place. Although the Church still plays a central role in European life, war and plague have shaken the foundations of society. Beginning on All Hallow's Day in the year 1327, four children witness an event that will influence their lives, as well as the future of their country.
Why you might like this: Like its predecessor, World Without End combines a large ensemble cast, multilayered plot, and well-researched historical details to tell a sweeping, dramatic family saga.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Central Mississippi Regional Library System
100 Tamberline Street
Brandon, Mississippi 39042
601-825-0100
http://www.cmrls.lib.ms.us
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