|
Historical Fiction August 2019
|
|
|
|
| Star Path: People of Cahokia by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal GearStarring: Morning Star, god incarnate, and his mortal sister, Night Shadow Star, who must defeat their evil brother Walking Smoke.
Why you might like it: Written by a pair of archaeologists, this dramatic novel of pre-Columbian North America recreates the Cahokia settlement (1100 CE) and Mississippian culture in vivid detail.
Should you start here? This fourth book in the Morning Star series follows plotlines established in previous books; newcomers should start with People of the Morning Star. |
|
| Rouge: A Novel of Beauty and Rivalry by Richard KirshenbaumWhat it is: an engaging rags-to-riches story of competing cosmetics empires and their feuding founders.
Inspired by: the real-life rivalry between beauty moguls Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden as well as the groundbreaking career of African American entrepreneur Madam C.J. Walker.
Why you might like it: In addition to a trio of strong female protagonists, Rouge boasts a richly detailed depiction of the 20th-century cosmetics industry and plenty of glitz and glamour. |
|
| The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne MackinParis 1938: A young American widow begins working for Elsa Schiaparelli and gains a front row seat to the flamboyant fashion designer's long-running feud with her arch-rival, Coco Chanel.
Why you might like it: Dueling designers create iconic looks against an atmospheric pre-WWII backdrop in this well-researched historical novel.
You might also like: If you're Team Schiap, you might like Meryle Secrest's biography Elsa Schiaparelli. If you're Team Coco, try C.W. Gortner's Mademoiselle Chanel. |
|
| Deep River: A Novel by Karl MarlantesIntroducing: Ilmari, Aino, and Matti Koski, Finnish siblings who immigrate to the United States in the early 1900s and settle in Deep River, a hardscrabble logging community in the Pacific Northwest.
What happens: Brothers llmari and Matti risk life and limb in the timber industry while sister Aino becomes a labor activist.
Author alert: Karl Marlantes' debut, Matterhorn, won the Society of American Historians Prize for his haunting depiction of the Vietnam War. |
|
|
1636: The Ottoman Onslaught
by Eric Flint
What it's about: When Murad IV and his Turk forces use alternate-universe weapons to launch an attack on Austria, the uptimers and allies under general Mike Stearns confront an Ottoman Empire at the height of its powers.
Author alert: By the best-selling author of 1635: A Parcel of Rogues.
|
|
|
A Country Road, A Tree: A Novel
by Jo Baker
Ireland to Paris: In 1939, struggling writer Samuel Beckett leaves his family's home in Ireland for Paris where he befriends James Joyce, begins a relationship with future wife Suzanne Dechevaux-Dumesnil, and --after the Nazis occupy the city--becomes involved with the French Resistance.
Biographical: In spare, evocative language, this biographical novel by the author of Longbourn examines how Beckett's life shaped his unique style and body of work.
|
|
| The North Water: A Novel by Ian McGuireWhat it's about: In 1859, the whaling vessel Volunteer sets sail for the Arctic under the command of the corrupt Captain Brownlee.
Featuring: a motley crew that includes Patrick Sumner, a former army surgeon with a laudanum habit and a trunk full of secrets, and Henry Drax, an alcoholic harpooner with a thirst for brutal violence.
Is it for you? If you like fast-paced, violent sea stories that leave you wondering who (if anyone) will survive, check out The North Water. |
|
|
A Piece of the World: A Novel
by Christina Baker Kline
Featuring: Christina Olson, a disabled woman who lives a solitary life on her family's farm in rural Maine before befriending artist Andrew Wyeth and becoming the subject of his iconic painting, "Christina's World."
|
|
|
A Touch of Stardust: A Novel
by Kate Alcott
What it's about: Julie Crawford, an aspiring screenwriter from Indiana arrived in California in 1938 and finds work on the set of Gone With the Wind before becoming the personal assistant of movie star Carole Lombard. Julie's backstage access gives her a front row seat to the blossoming love affair between Lombard and Clark Gable, recently cast as Rhett Butler.
The result: Julie quickly discovers the chaos and heartbreak beneath Hollywood's glittering facade.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Forsyth County Public Library 585 Dahlonega Street Cumming, Georgia 30040 770-781-9840www.forsythpl.org |
|
|
|