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Historical Fiction November 2019
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| The Devil's Slave by Tracy BormanWhat it is: the sequel to The King’s Witch, and the middle volume of a planned trilogy.
Starring: herbalist Frances Gorges, who lost her lover (and the father of her child) to the Gunpowder Plot; now a lady-in-waiting to Princess Elizabeth, Frances once again must navigate the swirl of courtly intrigue.
Why you might like it: Stuart England comes to life in this well-researched novel, which focuses on the court of James I. |
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| The Sound of the Hours by Karen CampbellItaly, 1943: Italian orphan Vittoria "Vita" Guidi falls in love with African American GI Frank Chapel when the U.S. Army arrives in her village.
Why you might like it: In addition to the novel's wartime romantic drama, detailed descriptions of the Tuscan landscape rendered in lyrical prose immerse readers in its setting.
For fans of: the angsty forbidden love that fuels Amy Harmon's From Sand and Ash, also set in Italy during World War II. |
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| Cantoras by Carolina De RobertisUruguay, 1977: Citizens live under a brutal military dictatorship that's especially hostile to women and the LGBTQIA community.
Featuring: Romina, Flaca, Anita (a.k.a. "La Venus"), Paz, and Malena, a group of cantoras (slang for "lesbians") who decide to live together in a remote beach shack in Cabo Polonio.
About the author: Uruguyan American author Carolina De Robertis is the author of The Gods of Tango and Perla. |
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| Where the Light Enters by Sara DonatiThe short version: The pursuit of justice brings the Savard cousins together in this sequel to The Gilded Hour, set in 1880s Manhattan.
The long version: Black obstetrician Sophie is mourning her husband, while white physician Anna has just lost custody (on religious grounds) of the three orphans she and her Jewish detective husband were fostering. However, they must put grief to one side to catch a serial murderer who, posing as a surgeon, mutilates women seeking abortions. |
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| The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-Min Lee; translated by Chi-Young KimIntroducing: Alice J. Kim (née Kim Ae-Sun), a typist at an American military base in Seoul who's tasked with translating for Marilyn Monroe during her 1954 USO tour.
Why you might like it: Marilyn has a supporting role in this novel, which slowly reveals Alice's life before and during the Korean War, including her privileged childhood, tumultuous love affairs, and a stint in a POW camp.
Want a taste? "I go to work thinking of death." |
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| The Girls in the Picture by Melanie BenjaminStarring: silent film actress Mary Pickford and screenwriter Frances Marion, whose (complicated) friendship underpins their enduring creative partnership.
Read it for: an engaging story anchored by strong female characters, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the early years of America's film industry.
For fans of: Karina Longworth's podcast You Must Remember This, focusing on both famous and lesser-known figures in Hollywood history. |
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| He by John ConnollyStarring: Stan Laurel, music hall entertainer turned movie star.
What it's about: the comedian's early struggles and eventual stardom, his decades-long creative partnership with Oliver Hardy, and his complicated personal life.
Why you might like it: "a world of Dickens-like detail leaps off the page" (The Irish Times) of this meticulously researched novel, told in spare yet evocative prose.
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| Stars over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner1938: Violet Mayfield and Audrey Duvall become friends while working as secretaries at Selznick International Pictures, which is producing Gone With the Wind.
2012: When a hat worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind is accidentally donated to her vintage clothing boutique on Sunset Boulevard, Christine McAllister sets out to find the rightful owner and uncovers long-hidden secrets.
For fans of: Kate Alcott's A Touch of Stardust. |
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| The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidWhat it's about: Reclusive cultural icon Evelyn Hugo taps journalist Monique Grant to write her tell-all biography. But why?
Read it for: the much-married, larger-than-life Evelyn, whose single-minded pursuit of fame and fortune took her from Hell's Kitchen to Hollywood.
Evelyn's words of wisdom: "Don't be so tied up trying to do the right thing when the smart thing is so painfully clear." |
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| All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana TrigianiIntroducing: novice nun Alda Ducci, who becomes the personal secretary of Hollywood star-on-the-rise Loretta Young.
What happens: Alda and Loretta become fast friends, but their bond is strained by Young's scandalous personal life, which includes an out-of-wedlock pregnancy that must be concealed from the public eye.
You might also like: Laura Moriarty's The Chaperone, which pairs a spirited young starlet with a conservative chaperone. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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