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Historical Fiction March 2019
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That Churchill Woman: A Novel
by Stephanie Barron
What it's about: A tale inspired by the life of Winston Churchill's scandal-marked American mother follows the experiences of a wealthy and fiercely independent New Yorker whose whirlwind romance with a duke's son sweeps her disruptively into British royalty and politics.
You may also like: The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin or A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Fowler.
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| Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan BrennertWhat it is: the long-awaited sequel to Moloka'i, which follows Ruth Utagawa, the daughter of Rachel Kalama.
The story: Born in the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement, Ruth grows up in California on her Japanese adoptive parents' farm. When World War II begins, the entire family is sent to an internment camp.
Try this next: Julie Otsuka's When the Emperor Was Divine offers a similarly moving and richly detailed fictional account of this dark chapter in American history. |
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The Widows
by Jess Montgomery
What it's about: Vowing revenge against her sheriff husband's killers in 1924 Ohio, Lily offers help to a fellow widow and uncovers dangerous evidence revealing her husband's corrupt secret life and the complexities that triggered his death.
More from Ohio: Give The Last Runaway or At The Edge of The Orchard by Tracy Chevalier a try.
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The Huntress: A Novel
by Kate Quinn
What it's about: Stranded behind enemy lines, brave bomber pilot Nina Markova becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress and joins forces with a Nazi hunter and British war correspondent to find her before she finds them.
Want more?: You might also like The Alice Network from Kate Quinn, another historical drama set in WWII.
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The Island of Sea Women: A Novel
by Lisa See
What it's about: The ostracized daughter of a Japanese collaborator and the daughter of their Korean village's head female diver share nearly a century of friendship that is tested by their island's torn position between two warring empires.
More strong friendships: Try The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard or Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden.
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| American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt by Karen HarperStarring: American heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt, who weds the Duke of Marlborough to please her social climbing family.
Want a taste? "Everyone was calling it the wedding of the century. I was calling it the worst day of my life."
You might also like: Therese Fowler's A Well-Behaved Woman, about Consuelo's mother Alma Vanderbilt or Daisy Goodwin's The American Heiress, which is loosely based on Consuelo's marriage. |
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| The Falcon of Sparta by Conn IgguldenWhat happens: In 401 BCE, King Artaxerxes of Persia attempts to kill his younger brother, Cyrus, who in response raises an army of mercenaries in a daring campaign to take the throne.
Why you might like it: Covering events depicted in Xenophon's Anabasis, this dramatic novel puts readers on the front lines as it depicts grueling marches and bloody battles.
For fans of: the action-packed, ancient-world historical epics of Steven Pressfield or Christian Cameron. |
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| Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth LettsStarring: Maud Gage Baum, wife of author L. Frank Baum, and Judy Garland, the 15-year-old actress portraying Dorothy in MGM's adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
What happens: Although she comes to Hollywood to guard her late husband's literary legacy, Maud realizes that it's Judy, vulnerable and mistreated, who needs her protection.
Why you might like it: Finding Dorothy reveals the stories behind the creation of a beloved series of books and the making of a classic movie. |
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| The Age of Light: A Novel by Whitney ScharerWhat it is: an atmospheric biographical novel about American photographer Lee Miller.
More than a muse: Though best known for her involvement with fellow artist Man Ray, Miller also models for Vogue, studies painting, becomes a war correspondent, and later, finds fame as a food writer.
For fans of: the artistic expats in Paula McLain's The Paris Wife, the complex protagonist of William Boyd's Sweet Caress, or the intrepid female war correspondents of Meg Clayton White's The Race for Paris. |
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| Cherokee America by Margaret VerbleIntroducing: "Check" Singer, the no-nonsense matriarch of a mixed-race family in 1875 Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). She's got a husband to bury, five sons to raise, a farm to run, and a community to hold together in the face of violence and oppression.
Why you might like it: a strong sense of place and a diverse cast of authentic characters make this novel a memorable read.
About the author: Margaret Verble's previous novel, Maud's Line, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; Verble drew on her own family history to write Cherokee Nation, which took her 20 years to complete. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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