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Historical FictionDecember 2014
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"In my defens God me defend." ~ motto of Scotland
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Disappearance Boy by Neil BartlettReggie Rainbow has always lived on the margins of society. His mother died in childbirth, a childhood bout with polio left him physically disabled, and his homosexuality -- a criminal offense in 1953 England -- isolates him. Even his job as the "disappearance boy" of magician Edward "Teddy" Brookes renders him invisible as he labors behind the scenes to ensure that his employer's illusions work seamlessly. However, a last-minute booking in the seaside town of Brighton and the hiring of new assistant Pamela set in motion a series of events that will finally allow Reggie to stand up and seize a starring role in his own life. Addressed directly to the reader in friendly, avuncular style, The Disappearance Boy presents an in-depth character study enlivened by details of stage magic and the mid-20th-century decline of English Music Hall culture. |
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| The May Bride: A Novel of Tudor England by Suzannah Dunn"Twice my life has turned on the step of a girl through a doorway," explains Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's future third wife. At 15, Jane experienced firsthand the scandal that arose when her brother Edward brought home his new bride, only to banish her to a convent amid allegations of infidelity. Later, sent to the royal court as a maid of honor to Catherine of Aragon, Jane again witnesses a once-beloved wife cast aside -- this time, in favor of another woman, and in a manner that foreshadows Jane's own fate. For more fictional depictions of the scandals and intrigues of the Tudor court, try Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy; for about Jane Seymour, check out Carolly Erickson's The Favored Queen. |
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| Falling From Horses by Molly GlossIn 1938, 19-year-old ranch hand Bud Frazer travels to Hollywood to become a stunt rider. At a time when jobs are scarce but cowboy movies are abundant, Bud takes the advice of a rodeo rider who tells him that the studios will hire anyone who can fall off of a horse without breaking any bones. En route to California, he befriends aspiring screenwriter Lily Shaw and, together, the two plot to take Tinseltown by storm. Fans of Amy Bloom's Lucky Us should enjoy Bud's matter-of-fact narration of events as well as his vivid evocation of 1930s Hollywood. And although Falling From Horses is a stand-alone novel, readers interested in Bud's back story can learn more about his family in Hearts of Horses. |
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| Juliet's Nurse: A Novel by Lois LeveenAfter all seven of her children succumb to the plague, Angelica is beside herself with grief. In desperation, her devoted husband Pietro arranges for Angelica to serve as wet-nurse to Juliet, the newborn daughter of Verona's wealthy Cappalletti family. Pietro's plan works: Angelica immediately bonds with her infant charge, lovingly shepherding the girl from childhood to adolescence. But when Juliet meets Romeo, from the rival Montecchi clan, Angelica risks losing the young woman she loves like her own daughter. Set in 14th-century Italy, this engaging novel takes a minor character from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and transforms her into a living, breathing woman. |
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| Citizens Creek: A Novel by Lalita TademyBorn on an Alabama plantation in 1810 and sold to Creek Indian Chief Yargee shortly thereafter, Cow Tom -- so called for his talents as hilis haya of the herd, a healer of cattle -- also serves as his master's yatika, or interpreter, translating between the Mvskoke-speaking Creek and their Anglophone neighbors. Despite his relatively privileged status among the Creek, Tom yearns to be "paper-free," with a wife and family and land of his own. As in her previous novels, Cane River and Red River, author Lalita Tademy draws on aspects of her own family history to present a multi-generational, multicultural family saga that provides insight into lesser-known events in American history. |
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| The Raven's Heart: A Story of a Quest, A Castle, and Mary Queen of Scots by Jesse BlackadderAlison Blackadder has one goal in mind when she becomes a lady-in-waiting to Mary, Queen of Scots: to use her newly acquired social status to seek vengeance against the clan who destroyed her family and stole her birthright. Alison, who spent her childhood disguised as a boy to evade her father's enemies, proves to be an ideal companion for Mary, an independent but vulnerable young woman with powerful enemies of her own. This dramatic debut by Australian writer Jesse Blackadder is inspired by the author's family history. |
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| Macbeth: A Novel by A.J. Hartley and David HewsonThe Bard's infamous "Scottish Play" becomes a haunting, violent novel of ambition, power, and vengeance in the hands of authors A.J. Hartley (a Shakespeare scholar) and David Hewson (a novelist), who flesh out the drama's political context and humanize its characters, particularly Macbeth and his wife, here named Skena. This "exceptional adaptation of a classic work of literature" (Booklist) brings 11th-century Scotland and its people to life. Other fictional treatments of Macbeth's main players include Susan King's Lady Macbeth and Dorothy Dunnett's King Hereafter. |
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| Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles: A Novel by Margaret GeorgeOnly six days old when she's crowned Queen of Scotland in 1542, Mary Stuart spends the rest of her brief life struggling to hold on to her throne. As the Catholic descendant of Henry VIII's sister, Mary is viewed by her English supporters as the rightful heir to the throne, although her claim is complicated not only by political intrigue but also by her personal flaws. Fans of Margaret George's detailed biographical novels may be interested in the author's take on Mary's cousin and rival in Elizabeth I. For more about Mary, check out Philippa Gregory's The Other Queen, Carolly Erickson's The Memoirs of Mary, Queen of Scots, or Jean Plaidy's classic Mary Queen of Scots novels, beginning with Royal Road to Fotheringay. |
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| White Rose Rebel by Janet PaisleyWhat's a bold Highland woman to do when her husband enlists in the English army? Why, join a Scottish uprising in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie, who's rumored to be raising an army during his exile in France. Based on the life of "Colonel Anne" Farquharson, one of the leaders of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, White Rose Rebel blends rich historical detail, a complex love triangle, and bloody battlefield action in this dramatic depiction the lives of ordinary individuals caught up in extraordinary events. |
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| The Forest Laird: A Tale of William Wallace by Jack WhyteWhile awaiting execution in a London prison in 1305, Scottish patriot William Wallace receives a visit from a sympathetic priest. Father James, who happens to be Wallace's cousin, narrates the story, following young William from orphaned boy to aristocrat's ward to merry outlaw and fierce rebel leader. For a dramatic, action-packed look at Scotland's struggle for independence and its larger-than-life heroes, don't miss this 1st book in the Guardians trilogy, followed by Robert the Bruce and a forthcoming third installment focusing on James Douglas. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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