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Historical Fiction August 2019
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| 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 4th book in the Morning Star series follows plotlines established in previous books; newcomers should start with People of the Morning Star. |
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| 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. |
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| The Last Collection: A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel by Jeanne MackinParis, 1938: A young American widow begins working for Elsa Schiaparelli, gaining 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: C.W. Gortner's Mademoiselle Chanel or Gioia Diliberto's The Collection. |
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| 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. |
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The Shores of Tripoli: A Novel by James L HaleyWhat it's about: In 1801, the newly formed United States naval fleet is dispatched to the Berber States of North Africa to put a stop to the piracy that threatens American trading interests in the Mediterranean. Against this dramatic and richly detailed backdrop of life at sea, 14-year-old midshipman Bliven Putnam earns his stripes. Why you might like it: Written by an award-winning historian, this book features authentic nautical details. For fans of: C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower series or Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin novels.
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| The Abduction of Smith and Smith: A Novel by Rashad HarrisonIntroducing: Jupiter Smith, a formerly enslaved Union Army veteran who finds work along San Francisco's waterfront as a "crimper," abducting men and pressing them into service aboard merchant ships.
Also starring: Opium-addicted Confederate solider Archer Smith, the son of the plantation owner whom Jupiter killed before heading west.
Shanghaied! Sold to a gun-smuggling ship captain bound for China, the men must work together to survive after they're marooned on an island. |
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A Watery Grave by Joan DruettIntroducing: Wiki Coffin, a ship's linguist. Half New Zealand Maori and half American, Wiki speaks numerous languages and is expected to help the crew navigate the Pacific islands that are his native heritage. But just before departure Wiki, subject to the unfortunate bigotry of the time, is arrested for a vicious murder he didn't commit. What happens: The convoy sails off, but just before the ships are out of reach Wiki is exonerated, set free to catch up with his ship and sail on. The catch: the local sheriff is convinced that the real murderer is aboard one of the seven ships of the expedition, and Wiki is deputized to identify the killer and bring him to justice. Series alert: This is the first book in the Wiki Coffin Mysteries series, followed by Shark Island.
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| 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. |
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She Rises: A Novel by Kate WorsleyStarring: Louise Fletcher, a dairymaid who thinks that she's content with her life in 1740 Essex, until her employer, Captain Handley, chooses her to serve as a lady's maid to his daughter Rebecca. Louise's story alternates with that of 15-year-old Luke Fletcher, who finds himself aboard a ship bound for the West Indies after being press-ganged into the Royal Navy. What happens: Louise, who falls in love with her mistress, risks her life to save Rebecca when both women fall ill with smallpox, while Luke experiences the many dangers and privations of a life at sea. Why you might like it: Despite the very different trajectories of these intricately plotted parallel narratives, both unfold in vivid, descriptive language that artfully evokes life in 18th-century England.
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| Landfalls by Naomi J. WilliamsWhat it is: a richly detailed fictional account of the Lapérouse expedition, which sets out in 1785 to circumnavigate the globe -- and never returns.
Why you might like it: Comprised of interlinked vignettes, this meticulously researched novel unfolds from multiple perspectives that illuminate different aspects of the ill-fated expedition.
Reviewers say: This debut "conjures up the long-forgotten past" with "astonishing vividness and immediacy" (The Guardian). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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New Hanover County Library
201 Chestnut Street Wilmington, North Carolina 28401 910-798-6301 www.nhclibrary.org |
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