New and Recently Released! The King's Rifle - by Biyi Bandele Publisher: HarperCollins Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2009 ISBN-13: 9780061582660 ISBN-10: 0061582662 Former blacksmith's apprentice Ali Banana is only 14 when he joins the "Chindits," a branch of the Allied Special Forces sent to Burma by the British to fight the Japanese during WWII. One of eight Nigerians in D-Section Thunder Brigade, Ali bonds with his fellow soldiers despite differences in language and cultural background as they carry out dangerous missions behind enemy lines. This debut novel by Nigerian playwright Biyi Bandele is a powerful coming-of-age story and an eye-opening look at the experiences of African soldiers during the Second World War. The Branch and the Scaffold - by Loren D. Estleman Publisher: Forge Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/27/2009 ISBN-13: 9780765315991 ISBN-10: 0765315998 Think your job is tough? Try being federal judge Isaac C. Parker, the notorious "Hanging Judge" of Arkansas' Western District and the Indian Territory of Oklahoma. From 1875 until his death in 1896, Parker presided over some 13,000 trials and sentenced 156 men and 4 women to death (79 of whom made it to the gallows), which earned him his fair share of enemies. Full of real-life historical figures, including notorious outlaws such as Belle Starr and the Dalton Brothers, this novel is a "vivid, fast-paced western adventure brilliantly presented by a masterful storyteller" (Publishers Weekly). A Reliable Wife - By Robert Goolrick Publisher: Workman Publishing Company Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/31/2009 ISBN-13: 9781565125964 ISBN-10: 1565125967 "Country businessman seeks reliable wife. Compelled by practical, not romantic reasons," reads the advertisement placed by wealthy Wisconsin widower Ralph Truitt. When beautiful Catherine Land arrives on the train, she seems too good to be true--and she is. With a scandalous past and an uncertain future, Catherine's got a plan: to poison Truitt and inherit his money. But Truitt has plans of his own, and as the bleak winter of 1907 unfolds, husband and wife discover each other's dark secrets. Kirkus Reviews calls A Reliable Wife "a sublime murder ballad that doesn't turn out at all the way one might expect." All Other Nights: A Novel - by Dara Horn Publisher: W.W. Norton Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/02/2009 ISBN-13: 9780393064926 ISBN-10: 0393064921 Murdering your uncle on Passover just isn't kosher. But that's exactly what Jacob Rappaport has been ordered to do by his commanding officer. After joining the Union Army to escape an arranged marriage, Jacob is recruited for a special mission: prevent his uncle from assassinating President Lincoln. And that's not all. Jacob must also infiltrate and spy on the Levy family, wealthy Jewish landowners suspected of having Confederate sympathies. But things become complicated when he falls in love with the Levys' daughter, rebel spy Eugenia. For an intriguing look at the lives of Jewish Americans during the Civil War, be sure to read All Other Nights. The Color of Lightning: A Novel - by Paulette Jiles Publisher: William Morrow Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2009 ISBN-13: 9780061690440 ISBN-10: 0061690449 Based on a true story, this novel follows former slave Britt Johnson as he and his family travel to Texas shortly after the end of the Civil War. Britt is eager to start a freight business, while his wife intends to be a schoolteacher, but those plans are put on hold when a group of Comanche-Kiowa kidnap Britt's wife and children. Now Britt must come up with a plan to get them back before it's too late. Don't miss this "rousing, character-driven tale" (Kirkus Reviews) by Paulette Giles, author of the bestselling Stormy Weather and Enemy Women. Focus on: Renaissance Art Portrait of an Unknown Woman - by Vanora Bennett Publisher: William Morrow Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 04/01/2007 ISBN-13: 9780061251832 ISBN-10: 0061251836 As the Protestant Reformation sweeps across Europe fueling civil war and a Northern Renaissance, famed portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger abandons Germany for England, where he finds a patron in eminent scholar Sir Thomas More. But things aren't much calmer in the British Isles, for Henry VIII wants to break with the Pope--which puts the devoutly Catholic Sir Thomas in danger. Holbein paints a portrait of the entire More family, including his adopted daughter Meg, who is married to another of Sir Thomas' wards, John Clement. Five years later, Holbein once again paints the family, but this time the painting is different--thanks to a shocking secret. If you liked Tracy Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring, try Portrait of an Unknown Woman. First Chapter The Birth of Venus: A Novel - by Sarah Dunant Publisher: Random House Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 02/01/2004 ISBN-13: 9781400060733 ISBN-10: 1400060737 The daughter of a wealthy Florentine merchant, 15-year-old Alessandra Cecchi is intelligent, highly educated, and has a passion for art inspired by the gifted young painter hired to decorate her family's chapel. While Alessandra longs to become an artist, her parents marry her off to the much older Cristoforo, who promises her she will be free to pursue her interests. That freedom, however, is threatened when followers of revolutionary Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola seize control of the city and begin burning all books and works of art they've deemed immoral. Meanwhile, Alessandra's relationship with the painter grows stronger, putting them both in danger. Don't miss this "lush and intellectually gripping novel" (Booklist). First Chapter Leonardo's Swans: A Novel - by Karen Essex Publisher: Bantam Dell Publishing Group Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/09/2007 ISBN-13: 9780767923064 ISBN-10: 0767923065 The d'Este sisters, Isabella and Beatrice, born only a year apart, are complete opposites: Isabella is beautiful, intelligent and ambitious, while Beatrice is tomboyish, naïve, and desperate to be loved. They're also rivals. Isabella, though married to handsome soldier Francesco Gonzaga, has set her sights on Beatrice's husband, Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan and the patron of Leonardo da Vinci. Desirous of higher social status and recognizing Leonardo's genius as a tool to achieve her ambitions, Isabella attempts to get the artist to immortalize her in a painting--no matter what the cost. This novel artfully reconstructs the events behind the creation of some of Leonardo da Vinci's most famous works. First Chapter The Secret Supper - by Javier Sierra Publisher: Atria Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 03/21/2006 ISBN-13: 9780743287647 ISBN-10: 0743287649 In 1497, Dominican Friar (and inquisitor) Agostino Leyre travels to the church of Santa Maria delle grazie in Milan, where Leonardo da Vinci is at work on his painting The Last Supper. Sent by the Pope, who has been receiving messages from a mysterious informant called "the Soothsayer," Father Agostino must uncover the identity of the Soothsayer and investigate the painting for evidence of heretical coded messages. If you liked the puzzles in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, you may enjoy The Secret Supper, which was originally published in Spain. First Chapter The Passion of Artemisia - by Susan Vreeland Publisher: Penguin Books Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 01/01/2003 ISBN-13: 9780142001820 ISBN-10: 0142001821 The daughter of a respected painter, Artemisia Gentileschi is determined to become an artist. She has the talent, but in 1612 Italy, women are not encouraged to pursue a career in the arts (or in any other area). When her father's friend Agostino Tassi agrees to teach her, Artemisia's goal seems within reach--until he rapes her. After her attempts to bring him to justice make her an outcast, Artemisia is married off to another artist and finds success as a painter. But when Artemisia is elected to the Accademia dell'Arte, her husband's jealousy forces her to choose between her career and her marriage in this novel by the author of Girl in Hyacinth Blue. First Chapter