Nothing inspires more romantic fervor of the past than that period in American history that is best defined by the term manifest destiny. The idea that the US not only should, but had a divine endorsement to go from coast to coast, drove the desire of my ancestors to go west. (Or, in my case, […]
Category: historical
A Madness So Discreet By Mindy McGinnis
A Madness So Discreet was one of my must have ARCs at the Texas Library Association convention and has been highly anticipated by many readers. I am here to say that ti was worth the wait. You see right away that Grace is not mentally ill, but she is under an emotional strain so tremendous […]
The Tide Watchers By Lisa Chaplin
The first thing that drew me to this book was that it was about spies during the Napoleonic Wars. In the US, these wars don’t get a lot press in the classroom, so to speak. Growing up, my takeaway was that Napoleon was a little man who wanted to own everything, and then he […]
The Thunder of Giants By Joel Fishbane
I love books that combine historical facts with fiction, and The Thunder of Giants was such an unusual story, that I couldn’t pass it up. In alternating stores, we read about two “giants” Anna and Andorra, both over seven feet tall, who lived in different centuries. Their lives had many similarities, however. I think I […]
Mist Of Midnight By Sandra Byrd
With a Gothic style mystery, a handsome Hussar, and a mysterious imposter, Mist of Midnight was a book I was very interested in reading. Rebecca returned form India reluctantly after the tragic death of her family and feels very much like a fish out of water. Like many repatriated citizens, the manners and social rules […]
A Memory Of Violets By Hazel Gaynor
A Memory Of Violets takes place in two time periods, the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Our main character is Tilly, a young woman who is leaving her home town for reasons we don’t immediately know and in 1912, the jobs a single woman of a certain class can have are somewhat […]
A Cold Legacy By Megan Shepherd
Inspired by Frankenstein, A Cold Legacy brings Juliet, Montgomery, Edward, and the rest of the group to Scotland, where they seek refuge at the home of Elizabeth von Stein. The setting is as Gothic as it gets, staying loyal to the mood of the original work. I heartily enjoyed diving back into this bizarre world, […]
After The War Is Over By Jennifer Robson
If you like stories about English people tethered by the constraints of class and money, this is the book for you. Fortunately, that is exactly what I like, so After The War Is Over was very enjoyable for me! Charlotte is a feminist, or as she would be called at that time, a suffragist. […]
The Miniaturist By Jessie Burton
Amsterdam of the 17th century was one of lucrative trade, strict religious practice, and an underbelly of indulgence. All of these aspects seemed to also exist within the Brandt household and serve as the three central motivations for the characters in The Miniaturist. The setting was vividly explored, not only in the city of […]
The Fortune Hunter By Daisy Goodwin
I’ve always thought that historical fiction is best when at its root is a seed of truth. The Fortune Hunter tells a story that involves the Empress of Austria, a profoundly lonely and somewhat tragic figure, whose real life story is worth researching after you’ve read this book. In the book, her visit to England […]