Historical Fiction May 2018 Recent Releases My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie Starring: Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, wife of American founding father Alexander Hamilton -- a complex and determined woman who contributed much to the birth of the United States while enduring many personal and public tribulations. For fans of: the musical Hamilton who are hungry for more about this Revolutionary War-era figure. You might also like: I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Scott Holloway and The Hamilton Affair by Elizabeth Cobbs. Varina by Charles Frazier What 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. The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel What 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. Ecstasy by Mary Sharratt What it’s about: Set amid the spectacular whirl of turn-of-the-20th-century Vienna, Ecstasy introduces readers to aspiring composer Alma Schindler, who -- while capturing the heart of the much-older conductor Gustav Mahler -- dares to defy the expectations of her time.   Who it’s for: Readers who like strong female heroines, especially women in history whose stories deserve to be better known.   Focus on: Debuts Salt houses by Hala Alyan What it's about:  Foreseeing blessings and troubles in the lives of her daughter and grandchildren, Salma endures hardships stemming from the Six-Day War of 1967 in Palestine before rebuilding in Kuwait, before the family is scattered by Saddam Hussein's regime. A first novel. Parlor games : a novel by Maryka Biaggio What it's about:  Standing trial for extortion in 1917, beautiful con artist May Dugas recounts her version of the events that led to her arrest, from her reluctant residence in a famous Chicago bordello and her eventual insinuation into high society to her foiled engagement and world travels as a seductress and blackmailer. The Courtesan by Alexandra Curry What 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. The Moon in the Palace by Weina Dai Randel What it’s about: In Tang Dynasty China, 12-year-old Mei believes that her life is over when her father dies and her family is cast out of their home. But Mei’s fortunes change when she is summoned to the emperor’s palace to serve as one of 15 maidens in the Inner Court.  Is it for you? If you like historical fiction with a heavy dose of romance, don’t miss this lush and sweeping page-turner (and make note that the sequel is The Empress of Bright Moon).  The Gardens of Consolation by Parisa Reza Featuring: The Amir family: Sardar and his young bride, Talla, whose arranged marriage is also founded on love, and their bright university-educated son, Bahram. Why you might like it: The growth of the Amir family is set against the changing political climate of early 20th-century Iran. About the author: Debut author Parisa Reza emigrated from Iran to France as a teenager in the 1980s; The Gardens of Consolation received the 2015 Prix Senghor for a debut novel by a Francophone writer. Contact your librarian for more great books! Forsyth County Public Library 585 Dahlonega Street Cumming, Georgia 30040 770-781-9840 www.forsythpl.org/