|
Historical Fiction December 2016
|
|
|
|
| Orphans of the Carnival: A Novel by Carol BirchDreaming of fame, Julia Pastrana leaves her home in Mexico's Sinaloa state at the encouragement of an American carnival promoter. Despite her talents as a singer and dancer, Julia is mostly dismissed as a sideshow spectacle due to the hair that covers her face and body, the result of a genetic condition. Throughout her eventful life, Julia continues to seek recognition for her abilities, while longing for love and acceptance. Based on the life and career of a real-life 19th-century indigenous Mexican entertainer, this novel by the author of Jamrach's Menagerie may appeal to fans of similar books about Victorian circus performers such as Melanie Benjamin's The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb or Stacy Carlson's Among the Wonderful. |
|
|
Tom Dooley : American tragedy
by Bill Brooks
Some men return from war to a life of peace, and some never return at all. Tom Dooley returned from the Civil War and became embroiled in a tumultuous affair with Ann Foster Melton, a married woman. Their affair is openly known throughout the community. Later, Tom becomes involved with two of Ann’s cousins, Pauline Foster and Laura Foster. When it is learned that Tom is about to elope with Laura, who is then found murdered, there are plenty of suspects, Tom being the principal one. He along with Ann Foster are arrested for the crime. After a while, Tom claims that Ann had nothing to do with the murder, although he does not openly admit his own guilt. He is tried and defended by the state’s former governor, Zebulon Vance. Though found guilty twice, there are those who believe Tom is innocent, openly wondering why he had reason to kill the girl he was going to run away with.
|
|
|
Cakewalk : a novel
by Rita Mae Brown
A post-World War I tale set in the Maryland community of Six of One finds residents split between belief systems on the Mason Dixon line, where free-thinking sisters Louise and Julia Hunsenmier and their indelible friends explore small-town sins and rivalries. By the New York Times best-selling author of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries.
|
|
|
To capture what we cannot keep
by Beatrice Colin
A tale set against a backdrop of the late-19th-century construction of the Eiffel Tower follows the romantic relationship between a widow whose precarious financial situation forces her to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges and a bourgeois family businessman who must marry a suitable wife. By the author of The Glimmer Palace.
|
|
|
The Mayakovsky tapes : a novel
by Robert Littell
A tale inspired by the life of 20th-century Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky is told from the perspectives of four women who loved him and share with each other memories of pivotal moments in his life, from his early years as a Futurist leader, to his work as a Revolution propagandist, to the censorship battles that turned him against the State.
|
|
|
My own dear brother
by Holly Müller
Enduring a life of bullying and chores while the men in her Nazi-controlled Austrian village are shipped off to the front lines of World War II, young Ursula finds herself alone in the face of her mother's affair and brother's allegiance to the Hitler Youth, a situation that tests her bravery in unprecedented ways.
|
|
| Valiant Gentlemen: A Novel by Sabina MurrayRoger Casement meets Herbert Ward in 1886 while both men are working in the Congo. Despite differences in upbringing and temperament, they form a friendship that endures for the next 40 years, even as the two pursue different paths in life (Ward marries an Argentinean-American heiress, while Casement dedicates himself to humanitarian efforts). However, Casement's staunch support for Irish independence ultimately drives them apart. Valiant Gentlemen's in-depth psychological portraits of its complex leads intensify the novel's emotional impact as estrangement leads to tragedy. |
|
| Crossing the Horizon: A Novel by Laurie NotaroIn 1927, three women vie to be the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic: the Honorable Elsie Mackay, an earl's daughter who disobeys her family's wishes in order to follow her dreams; Mabel Boll, a wealthy widow who craves fame and adulation above all else; and Ruth Elder, a former beauty pageant winner from Alabama who's got her eyes on the skies. For another character-driven tale of daring women breaking barriers in the 1920s, check out Victoria Patterson's The Peerless Four, about a Canadian track and field team overcoming significant hurdles in pursuit of Olympic gold. |
|
|
By gaslight
by Steven Price
Determined to track down a notorious con man who his famous detective father never brought to justice, William Pinkerton forges an unlikely bond with Adam Foole, a man with a secret past whose lost love is tied to the criminal Pinkerton seeks. By the award-winning author of Into That Darkness.
|
|
New York City in the 1950s
|
|
| The Swans of Fifth Avenue: A Novel by Melanie BenjaminIn 1955, literary enfant terrible Truman Capote becomes the friend and confidant of Babe Paley, the glamorous "trophy wife" of a prominent media executive. Soon, Capote becomes a fixture in Babe's bevy of "swans" -- a veritable who's who of Manhattan socialites, including Slim Keith, Marella Agnelli, C.Z. Guest, and Gloria Guinness. But even Capote's genuine (or is it?) regard for Babe doesn't prevent him from gleefully gathering material that he'll turn into "La Côte Basque 1965," a roman à clef that will tear this close-knit circle apart. Secrets, scandals, and betrayals small and large drive this gossipy, high-drama tale from the author of The Aviator's Wife. |
|
| Searching for Grace Kelly by Michael CallahanSet in Manhattan's storied Barbizon Hotel for Women during the summer of 1955, this "deliciously stylish, retro" (Booklist) debut follows a trio of young women as they pursue their personal and professional goals. Smith College student Laura is a summer intern at Mademoiselle; working girl Dolly attends secretarial school while husband-hunting; and vivacious British import Vivian, an aspiring singer, peddles cigarettes at New York's famed Stork Club. Their bond, intensified by their shared living situation, is also tested by romantic complications involving men both eligible and unsuitable. If you enjoyed the period detail and heady atmosphere of Amor Towles' Rules of Civility or Fiona Davis' The Dollhouse, try Searching for Grace Kelly. |
|
| Three-Martini Lunch by Suzanne RindellGreenwich Village in 1958 is "a madman's paradise," explains aspiring writer Cliff Nelson. Disinherited by his wealthy family, Cliff dreams of literary stardom but spends much of his time bar-hopping. His story intersects with that of both Eden Katz, a Midwest transplant who's determined to have a career in publishing despite the industry's sexism and anti-Semitism, and African American writer Miles Tillman, Harlem-born and Columbia-educated, whose talent and ambition may not be enough to overcome society's prejudices. Reminiscent of Rona Jaffe's The Best of Everything, this novel evokes a bygone era through sparkling dialogue and rich period detail. |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Prince George's County Memorial Library System 9601 Capital Lane Largo, Maryland 20774 301-699-3500www.pgcmls.info/ |
|
|
|