[bksvol-discuss] Fw: Historical Fiction June 2008
- From: "Amber Wallenstein" <amber.wallens@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:59:37 -0400
Historical Fiction June 2008
"The destiny of the world is determined less by the battles that are lost and
won
than by the stories it loves and believes in."
~ Harold C. Goddard (d. 1951), Professor of English at Swarthmore College
New and Recently Released!
The Outlander - by Gil Adamson
Publisher: Ecco
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 5/1/2008
ISBN: 9780061491252
ISBN-10: 006149125X
"It was night, and the dogs came through the trees, unleashed and howling." So
begins this tale of 19-year-old Mary Boulton, who is on the run after killing
her husband in 1903 Canada. During Mary's odyssey through the North American
West, she is tracked by her ruthless brothers-in-law, who are bent on revenge,
and she encounters a variety of colorful and eccentric characters. In addition,
the details of Mary's unhappy marriage and her husband's death are revealed
through a series of flashbacks. Fans of Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain will
enjoy this lyrical debut novel by an acclaimed Canadian writer.
The Romanov Bride - by Robert Alexander
Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/17/2008
ISBN: 9780670018819
ISBN-10: 0670018813
England's Queen Victoria had 40 grandchildren who ruled or held positions of
power throughout early 20th-century Europe and Russia. Among them were her
German-born granddaughters Alexandra, the last tsarina of Russia, and her
sister, the Grand Duchess Elisavyeta, known as Ella, who was married to Grand
Duke Sergei. In this moving novel, author Robert Alexander contrasts Ella's
life during the twilight of the Romanov dynasty with that of Pavel, a peasant
turned revolutionary. If you liked Alexander's other Russian-set novels, The
Kitchen Boy and Rasputin's Daughter, then you are sure to enjoy The Romanov
Bride.
So Brave, Young and Handsome - by Leif Enger
Publisher: Publishers Group West
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/22/2008
ISBN: 9780871139856
ISBN-10: 0871139855
Almost seven years after debut author Leif Enger won over scores of critics and
readers with Peace Like a River, he is back with a new book--starring a
writer who is struggling to complete his second novel. In 1915 Minnesota, it's
been five years since the publication of Monte Beckett's bestselling first
book. Having lost his sense of purpose, Monte leaves his family--as well as his
unfinished manuscript--and joins outlaw Glendon Hale on a journey to Mexico.
Full of adventure, well-drawn characters and several surprises, So Brave, Young
and Handsome is a sophomore novel well worth reading.
The Reavers - by George MacDonald Fraser
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/22/2008
ISBN: 9780307268105
ISBN-10: 0307268101
In this posthumously published novel, late author George MacDonald Fraser
leaves behind his popular Harry Flashman series for a wild Elizabethan-era ride.
Fraser's entertaining cast of characters includes Archie Noble, a
"double-nought operative, licensed to slay," and Lady Godiva Dacre, "a
breathtaking mix
of Marlene above the neck and Jane Russell below." As a Spanish plot against
the Scottish crown unfolds, all manner of jests, jousts, hijinks, and tomfoolery
occur. From beginning to end, The Reavers is a rollicking, silly, and
irresistible tale.
First Chapter
People of the Weeping Eye - by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Publisher: Forge
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/15/2008
ISBN: 9780765314383
ISBN-10: 076531438X
Husband-and-wife authors W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neal Gear are back with
the 15th entry in their First North Americans series, after People of the
Nightland. Summoned by the mystical Katsinas to return home, a wanderer known
as the Seeker begins a journey that takes him to the headwaters of the
Mississippi.
There he has a life-changing encounter with Two Petals, whose tortured soul he
must help heal. Set against the backdrop of 13th-century North America,
this sweeping epic combines geology, archaeology, and Native American history
in an absorbing and detail-rich manner.
The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel - by Alison Weir
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 4/29/2008
ISBN: 9780345495358
ISBN-10: 0345495357
Born as the Princess Elizabeth, the three-year-old daughter of Anne Boleyn and
King Henry VIII becomes simply the Lady Elizabeth when her mother is executed
in 1536. Over the next several years, Elizabeth watches as her father marries
and disposes of multiple wives and as her siblings, Edward VI and Queen Mary,
wield power. Eventually, however, Elizabeth will herself rise from ousted
daughter to reigning queen. This fictional portrait of the young Elizabeth is
for readers who enjoy the treachery and drama of the Tudor court.
First Chapter
Focus on: Family Sagas
The House of Blue Mangoes - by David Davidar
Publisher: HarperCollins
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 3/1/2003
ISBN: 9780060936785
ISBN-10: 0060936789
In 1899 India, the Dorai family farms mango trees on their estate in the
southern village of Chevathar. Over the course of 50 years, three generations of
their non-Brahmin Christian family, led by patriarch Solomon Dorai, struggle to
preserve tradition while adapting to the changing world around them. A
sweeping epic, The House of Blue Mangoes brings 20th-century India to life
through its depictions of the sights and sounds of the nation as well as the
historical events of the period. This panoramic novel will appeal to fans of
author James Michener.
First Chapter
Golden Country: A Novel - by Jennifer Gilmore
Publisher: Scribner
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 8/15/2006
ISBN: 9780743288637
ISBN-10: 0743288637
Spanning the first half of the 20th century, this poignant tale depicts the
intertwining lives of three Jewish-American families. The Brodskys, the Blooms,
and the Verdoniks first encounter each other at Ellis Island, and over four
decades they find themselves in unexpected places as they pursue the American
dream: Joseph Brodsky invents a two-in-one cleaner, Seymour Bloom becomes a
notorious bootlegger before ending up as a Broadway producer, and Frances
Verdonik
graces the airwaves as a TV spokesperson. Publishers Weekly calls this
multigenerational story a "powerfully moving and ambitious debut."
First Chapter
The Rice Mother - by Rani Manicka
Publisher: Penguin
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 7/27/2004
ISBN: 9780142004548
ISBN-10: 0142004545
At just 14 years old, Lakshmi's idyllic childhood in Ceylon comes to an end
when she is married off to a rich, 37-year-old stranger living in 1920s
Malaysia.
However, upon Lakshmi's arrival at her husband's home, she discovers that he is
actually an unambitious clerk who tricked her family into the marriage.
Nevertheless, Lakshmi resolves to make the best of her situation and bears six
children in the years leading up to World War II and the Japanese occupation.
Told from the alternating perspectives of several family members, this
absorbing pageturner is "graceful, engrossing, and peopled with memorable
characters"
(Booklist).
Table of Contents
City of Dreams - by Beverly Swerling
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 6/1/2002
ISBN: 9780684871738
ISBN-10: 0684871734
This epic novel follows six generations of two families--one English, the other
Dutch--from 1660s Nieuw Amsterdam (now Manhattan) to the Revolutionary War.
The story begins with the horrific Atlantic crossing of Lucas Turner and his
devoted sister, Sally. Once on land, Lucas sets out to establish himself as
a surgeon, but when he sells Sally in marriage to the cruel Jacob Van der
Vries, he sparks a longstanding feud between the two families. If you like the
colorful characters--both fictional and historical--in this engrossing saga,
don't miss its sequel, City of Glory.
First Chapter
Table of Contents
No Angel - by Penny Vincenzi
Publisher: Overlook Press
Check Library Catalog
Pub Date: 9/1/2003
ISBN: 9781585674817
ISBN-10: 1585674818
In World War I-era Britain, 18-year-old Lady Celia Beckenham finally gets her
way--thanks to an "unplanned" pregnancy--when her father consents to her
marriage
to Oliver Lytton, the charming and intelligent heir to a London publishing
house. During the following 20 years, strong-willed Celia bears several
children,
makes a name for herself in the publishing world, and becomes embroiled in
numerous personal and professional upheavals. Packed with secrets, lies, and
a large cast of lifelike characters, this addictive read is the first book in
author Penny Vincenzi's Spoils of Time trilogy; follow the Lytton family's
story in Something Dangerous and Into Temptation.
First Chapter
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