[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Historical Fiction April 2009
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2009 23:00:38 -0400
Historical Fiction April 2009
"The great advantage of being a writer is that you can spy on people. You're
there, listening to every word, but part of you is observing."
~ Graham Greene (1904-1991), English writer
New and Recently Released!
Honolulu - by Alan Brennert
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/03/2009
ISBN-13: 9780312360405
ISBN-10: 0312360401
In 1914, longing for freedom and the opportunity to get an education,
Korean-born Jin decides to travel to Hawaii as a mail-order "picture bride."
But when
she arrives, she discovers that her new husband is an abusive drunk who won't
let her leave the house, let alone go to school. After one of his brutal
attacks causes Jin to miscarry their child, she leaves him to make her own way
in the world. As she builds a new life in a strange land, Jin finds friendship,
love, and opportunities to pursue her own American dream. Honolulu, author Alan
Brennert's follow-up to Molokai, is a "lush tale of ambition, sacrifice,
and survival" (Booklist).
Shannon: A Novel - by Frank Delaney
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 02/10/2009
ISBN-13: 9781400065257
ISBN-10: 1400065259
In 1922, Father Robert Shannon, a troubled American priest, travels to Ireland,
the land of his ancestors. Traumatized by his WWI experiences as a chaplain
with the Marines, Father Robert is seeking rest and rejuvenation after the
horrors of war. Unfortunately, he arrives just as Ireland's struggle for
independence
is reaching its bloody peak. As civil war rages, Father Robert rediscovers his
roots on the banks of the River Shannon, while reconnecting with a widowed
nurse he knew during his military service. Irish author Frank Delaney explores
the soul of an ancient land and budding nation in this "rousing tale" (Kirkus
Reviews).
First Chapter
The Turtle Catcher - by Nicole Lea Helget
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 02/20/2009
ISBN-13: 9780618753123
ISBN-10: 0618753125
This debut novel from memoirist Nicole Lea Helget is set in rural New Germany,
Minnesota in the early part of the 20th century and focuses on two immigrant
families: the Richters and the Sutters. Liesel Richter, born with both male and
female genitalia, lives a harsh and isolated life. Her only friend is the
gentle Lester Sutter, brain-damaged from his abusive father's beatings. As they
grow, a tentative romance blossoms between them, only to be abruptly and
violently ended by Liesel's brothers. In this dark, tragic tale of smalltown
life, WWI brings conflict to New Germany, as internal strife divides the
townsfolk
who identify with their German roots and those who have assimilated.
The Forgotten Legion - by Ben Kane
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/03/2009
ISBN-13: 9780312536718
ISBN-10: 0312536712
Born to a slave woman in 1st-century Rome, twins Romulus and Fabiola grow up in
very different worlds. Romulus, under the guidance of Brennus the Gaul,
becomes a skilled gladiator, while Fabiola, sold into prostitution, becomes a
courtesan popular among some of Rome's most prominent citizens. Their hopes
of being reunited are dashed when Romulus and Brennus accidentally kill a
wealthy man. Forced to flee the city, the men join Etruscan rebel Tarquinius
to fight in the army of Crassus, a greedy politician with dreams of military
glory but little skill in warfare. The late Roman Republic comes to life in
this novel by Ben Kane, which is the 1st installment of a planned series.
Etta - by Gerald Kolpan
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/24/2009
ISBN-13: 9780345503688
ISBN-10: 0345503686
While outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are legendary figures, almost
nothing is known about their companion Etta Place--including her real name.
In this biographical novel, Etta's story begins in Philadelphia, where she is
born Lorinda Jameson. When her wealthy father's death leaves her orphaned
and penniless, Lorinda heads West and changes her name. She falls for Sundance
(real name Harry Longabaugh) and is soon a part of his and Butch's train-robbing
adventures. But that's just the beginning of a long and colorful career in
which she meets real-life historical figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Annie
Oakley. Booklist calls Etta an "intriguing portrait of an indomitable
character."
Focus on: WWII Espionage
The Foreign Correspondent: A Novel - by Alan Furst
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 05/15/2007
ISBN-13: 9780812967975
ISBN-10: 0812967976
In 1939 Paris, half-Italian expatriate journalist Carlo Weisz is a foreign
correspondent who hasn't done much since covering the Spanish Civil War. But
when the editor of Liberazione, an underground anti-Fascist newspaper, is
murdered, Carlo inherits the job and gradually becomes part of the Resistenza
(the Italian resistance), smuggling information across Europe's borders. But
his activities make him a target of OVRA, Mussolini's secret police, as well
as a person of interest to British intelligence. Carlo quickly realizes that
he's in over his head, but is there anything he can do about it? Fans of Eric
Ambler or Graham Greene will enjoy Alan Furst's brand of historical espionage,
which is packed with complex characters and fueled by international intrigue.
First Chapter
Enigma - by Robert Harris
Publisher: Ivy Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 10/01/1996
ISBN-13: 9780804115483
ISBN-10: 0804115486
Having just cracked the Enigma code and now recovering from a nervous breakdown
in Cambridge, brilliant mathemetician-turned-cryptographer Tom Jericho is
lured back to Bletchley Park when the Germans suddenly introduce a new,
seemingly unbreakable cipher. The timing is suspicious: Tom's ex-lover Claire
Romilly
is missing and rumors swirl that she's a German spy. To discover the truth, Tom
recruits Claire's roommate Hester Wallace, and they attempt to uncover
what happened to Claire while racing to break the new code before a convoy of
U.S. ships is ambushed by U-Boats. This fast-paced historical novel was made
into a 2001 movie, starring Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet.
The Kommandant's Girl - by Pam Jenoff
Publisher: Mira
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/01/2007
ISBN-13: 9780778323426
ISBN-10: 0778323420
When the Nazis invade Poland, Jewish librarian Emma Bau risks her life to aid
the resistance, assuming a false identity as a gentile while her activist
husband Jacob goes into hiding. As Anna Lipowski, she becomes the personal
assistant to a high-ranking Nazi official, Kommandant Georg Richwalder, hoping
to secure information that will help the cause. But Richwalder is hardly the
monster Emma expects him to be, and their growing intimacy threatens to
jeopardize
everything--her work for the resistance, her marriage, and even her life. If
you enjoy The Kommandant's Girl, you may want to read The Diplomat's Wife,
which takes place after the war and features some of the same characters.
First Chapter
Color of the Sea - by John Hamamura
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/04/2006
ISBN-13: 9780312340735
ISBN-10: 0312340737
Born in Hawaii to Japanese plantation workers, Isamu "Sam" Hamada wants to be
more than a laborer in the sugar cane fields. After his father dies and his
mother and siblings return to Japan, Sam goes to college in California, where
he meets Keiko, another Japanese-American student with whom he falls in love.
Their future seems bright until Pearl Harbor changes everything. Keiko's family
is sent to an internment camp; Sam is recruited by the U.S. Army for a
top-secret intelligence mission. Unbeknownst to him, Sam's work is instrumental
in enabling the army to bomb Hiroshima, where the rest of his family still
lives. When he discovers the truth, the devastated Sam must come to grips with
being both hero and traitor.
Richard Temple - by Patrick O'Brian
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 04/01/2006
ISBN-13: 9780393061871
ISBN-10: 0393061876
At the beginning of this novel, artist-turned-spy Richard Temple has been
imprisoned by the German army. In order to survive brutal treatment at the hands
of his captors, he retreats into memories of his pre-war life, from his
childhood in Wales to his career as an art forger in Paris. Unable to make a
living
as an artist, Richard uses his considerable talent to copy paintings to sell on
the black market, a task which--rather improbably--leads to military
intelligence
work. Written in 1962, Richard Temple was only recently published in the U.S.,
and while the book's style is different from that of Patrick O'Brian's nautical
novels, it contains elements that O'Brian fans are sure to enjoy, such as
detailed historical settings and three-dimensional characters.
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