[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Historical Fiction August 2007
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:50:38 -0500
I have plenty more of these lists. I will send out a few each day until I get
caught up.
Amber
***
New and Recently Released!
The River Wife: A Novel - by Jonis Agee
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/03/2007
ISBN: 9781400065967
ISBN-10: 1400065968
Beginning in 1811 and spanning more than 100 years, The River Wife is a
sweeping tale of passion, deceit, and betrayal in the remote community of
Jacques'
Landing, Missouri. The large cast of characters includes Annie Lark, who
marries the mysterious French fur trader Jacques Ducharme; Omah, a freed slave
and Jacques' partner in river piracy; Laura, who becomes Jacques' second wife;
Maddie, Laura's spitfire daughter; and Hedie, married to Jacques' descendant
Clement Ducharme. Rich in Southern gothic flavor, this novel will mesmerize
readers from the very first page.
First Chapter
North River: A Novel - by Pete Hamill
Publisher: Little, Brown
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/11/2007
ISBN: 9780316340588
ISBN-10: 0316340588
In 1934 New York City, Irish-American doctor James Delaney is doing his best to
care for his sick and poor neighbors while coping with his devastating memories
of the Great War and his uncertainties over the fate of his missing wife,
Molly. Then, one snowy day, Delaney's world is shaken when he discovers his
three-year-old
grandson abandoned on his doorstep. Delaney hires Rose, a Sicilian woman with a
mysterious past, to care for the boy, and he soon finds that his life will
never be quite the same. Author Pete Hamill is known for his ability to evoke
the sights and sounds of New York City, and he doesn't disappoint in this
Depression-era tale.
Landsman: A Novel - by Peter Charles Melman
Publisher: Counterpoint
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/30/2007
ISBN: 9781582433677
ISBN-10: 1582433674
Petty criminal Elias Abrams, the orphaned son of a Jewish immigrant, is
desperate to escape his sordid life in New Orleans. Facing murder charges, he
enlists
in the Third Louisiana Infantry and prepares to see action on the Civil War
battlefields. When his colonel shows him a letter written by Nora Bloom, whose
rabbi encouraged her to pen missives in support of the Confederate Army, Elias
is unexpectedly moved and begins a correspondence with the young woman.
However, when Elias returns home to meet Nora, he finds that his past is
waiting to catch up with him. Civil War fans will enjoy this unique tale of
redemption
and romance.
Nefertiti: A Novel - by Michelle Moran
Publisher: Crown Publishers
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/10/2007
ISBN: 9780307381460
ISBN-10: 0307381463
One of history's most famed beauties, Queen Nefertiti of Egypt is brought
brilliantly to life in this vibrant biographical novel. Told from the point of
view of Nefertiti's younger sister, Mutnodjmet, Nefertiti details the ambitious
young woman's marriage to the new pharaoh, Amunhotep; describes the tense
political climate of Amunhotep's reign; and portrays Nefertiti's desperate
struggle to conceive a male heir. In addition, Mutnodjmet reveals how her
relationship
with Nefertiti becomes more and more complicated with each passing year.
Publishers Weekly says that there are "plenty of surprises" in this fast-paced
tale of loyalty, love, and political unrest.
Vivaldi's Virgins: A Novel - by Barbara Quick
Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 07/01/2007
ISBN: 9780060890520
ISBN-10: 0060890525
In early-18th-century Venice, Anna Maria dal Violin lives in the cloistered
world of the Ospedale della Pietà, a convent orphanage and music school. There,
under the tutelage of maestro Antonio Vivaldi, Anna blossoms into a gifted
violinist. However, the young prodigy has questions about her parentage, and
she begins sneaking into the Jewish ghetto to uncover the truth of her
background. Based on the real life of orphan musician Anna Maria dal Violin,
Vivaldi's
Virgins is an engaging tale of self-discovery as well as a glittering portrait
of Venetian life, music, and society.
Peony in Love: A Novel - by Lisa See
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 06/26/2007
ISBN: 9781400064663
ISBN-10: 140006466X
Set in 17th-century China at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Peony in Love is
author Lisa See's fifth novel. Peony, a privileged and sheltered girl who is
approaching both her 16th birthday and an arranged marriage, is obsessed with
the opera "The Peony Pavilion," about a maiden whose love for a poet continues
on even after her death. When the opera is staged at Peony's family's compound,
Peony meets and becomes smitten with a mysterious man, and soon her own
life begins to imitate the opera that she so loves. "There's much here to be
savored," notes The Washington Post.
First Chapter
Focus on: The Ancient World
Dawn of Empire - by Sam Barone
Publisher: William Morrow
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/01/2006
ISBN: 9780060892449
ISBN-10: 0060892447
The year is 3158 BCE, and the peaceful village of Orak in ancient Mesopotamia
(now Iraq) is bracing itself for an impending attack by a tribe of brutal
nomadic horsemen. Determined to preserve their way of life, the village elders
select newcomer Eskkar, a former barbarian whose family was killed by the
same warriors years before, to lead them against their would-be invaders. With
the help of Trella, an educated slave girl, Eskkar sets into motion a brave
plan: to erect a barrier around their community, creating mankind's first
walled city. Fans of historical adventure will enjoy Dawn of Empire, the 1st
novel in the Eskkar Saga.
First Chapter
Pride of Carthage: A Novel of Hannibal - by David Anthony Durham
Publisher: Anchor Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 01/03/2006
ISBN: 9780385722490
ISBN-10: 0385722494
Set against the backdrop of the Second Punic War, this epic saga retells
legendary Carthaginian warrior Hannibal Barca's daring assault on the Roman
empire.
After sacking the city of Saguntum, Hannibal's ambition propels him to set his
sights on the city of Rome. He begins a brazen and seemingly impossible
march--complete with elephants, cavalry, and an army of 100,000--over the
Pyrenees, across the Rhone, and through the Alps, all the while battling brutal
weather conditions, unimaginable losses, treacherous Gauls, and his own
personal problems. Booklist says Pride of Carthage is "a big, magnificent,
sprawling
story."
First Chapter
Pompeii: A Novel - by Robert Harris
Publisher: Random House
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 11/08/2005
ISBN: 9780812974614
ISBN-10: 0812974611
Pompeii is set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which
buried the Roman city of Pompeii under layers upon layers of volcanic ash.
In 79 AD, engineer Marcus Attilius Primus is the new aquarius of the Aqua
Augusta aqueduct, which brings fresh water to a quarter of a million people but
has recently begun to fail. Attilius' predecessor has disappeared, so he must
climb Vesuvius to investigate the cause of the diminishing water supply alone.
Attilius discovers that an eruption of the volcano is imminent--and that there
are man-made forces at work against him, as well. Check this one out for
a gripping story.
First Chapter
The Virtues of War: A Novel of Alexander the Great - by Steven Pressfield
Publisher: Bantam Dell Publishing Group
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/27/2005
ISBN: 9780553382051
ISBN-10: 0553382055
"I have always been a soldier. I have known no other life. The calling of arms,
I have followed from boyhood. I have never sought another." So begins The
Virtues of War, a biographical novel of legendary military commander Alexander
the Great (336-323 BCE). Presented as Alexander's confessions to his
brother-in-law,
the powerful leader's story begins with his rise to the throne of Macedon and
follows his conquests throughout the known world. Alexander also details
his murder of his friend Cleitus and describes his own triumphs and
heartbreaks. The Virtues of War will be enjoyed by anyone interested in ancient
Greece
or military history.
First Chapter
Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle - by Manda Scott
Publisher: Bantam Dell Publishing Group
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 03/01/2004
ISBN: 9780385337731
ISBN-10: 0385337736
Rich in historical detail, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle is the 1st book in a
series that chronicles the life of Celtic warrior Boudica, who led her tribe
of Eceni people in a revolt against occupying Roman forces. In this volume,
Scottish author Manda Scott takes readers back to first-century Britain, where
Boudica, who was known as Breaca in her youth, comes of age amongst bloody
tribal feuds and shifting alliances. "Oaths, loyalty, and tradition are at the
heart of this imaginative tale," remarks Booklist. Next up in the series is
Boudica II: Dreaming the Bull.
First Chapter
Warlock - by Wilbur A. Smith
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 09/01/2002
ISBN: 9780312980382
ISBN-10: 0312980388
Set in Ancient Egypt, Warlock is the 3rd book in author Wilbur Smith's Egyptian
series, following River God and The Seventh Scroll. After the death of his
beloved Queen Lostris, Taita retreats to the deserts of North Africa, where he
devotes himself to the study of the occult. Years later, after transforming
himself into a warlock, Taita returns to Egypt to fulfill his destiny. He must
protect the young Prince Nefer, the grandson of Queen Lostris, from the
forces of evil that threaten to destroy the throne--and Egypt itself. Full of
vivid descriptions of the events and customs of ancient Egypt, Warlock is
for anyone fascinated by life in the land of the pharaohs.
First Chapter
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