Historical Fiction by Kim Michele Richardson |
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Review of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Thursday, August 12, 2021
Book Review of The Beekeeper's Promise
First Storyline
Second Storyline
My Recommendation
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Emma Donoghue's The Pull of the Stars Book Review
I will start by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the book The Pull of the Stars by Irish Canadian author Emma Donoghue. My book club chose it and when I first picked it up to read, I had forgotten that it was about a pandemic. It is a story of the Great Flu or the 1918 Influenza, which we now call the Spanish Flu. As it turns out, it was good and it was doubly interesting because of the current pandemic.
Set in Ireland in 1918, it tells a fictional story based on the very real world of a midwife working in a Dublin hospital who is assigned to the maternity fever ward. Not much bigger than a closet, this ward is where they quarantine pregnant women who are stricken with influenza.
We meet a young midwife named Julia Powers who finds herself alone on her shift with the responsibility for all of the care of these sick, pregnant women. She is at times aided by one of two women. Firstly, Doctor Kathleen Lynn, who is based on a real historical figure and who is wanted by the Dublin police because she was involved in the 1916 Irish Uprising. Secondly, she is assisted by a young volunteer from an orphanage named Bridie Sweeney who has absolutely no training or education but is quick on her feet and ready to do whatever is required of her.
Included within the story is a peek at the science of the time with regard to the flu and midwifery. It is a visit to the Dublin of the times where they were struggling with not just the flu but the devastation caused by World War I and the 1916 Uprising. Along the way, it also shares a look at some of the Irish societal injustices that existed at the time.
The book is eerily similar to the current world situation even though we have the advantage of modern day science. Amongst other similarities are the facts that some still managed to question the value of wearing masks and others recommended taking weird remedies.
The Pull of the Stars is a page turner, a non-stop story that happens mostly during one long shift in the hospital during which Powers, sometimes aided by Doctor Lynn and/or Bridie, go from crisis to crisis to crisis.
The timing of the writing of this book may have been a bit unfortunate though it was written before the current pandemic. After all, who wants to read a story based on a pandemic when they are living through one? However, the timing was not deliberate. Donoghue started writing the story in 2018 and the manuscript was sent to the publishers in March of 2020.
After possibly a brief moment of hesitation because of the subject matter, the book drew me in and it became interesting to see, as the author says, "the way it mirrors our current situation." The Guardian says, it is "a beautifully modulated historical novel." I agree.
Reading this book now is different than it might have been before, for sure. NPR says, "The fourth wall of fiction is broken here. The pandemic spreads out beyond the pages into whatever rooms we are quarantined in."
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Do I recommend The Pull of the Stars? Yes, I do. I highly recommend it. It is a fast moving account of life in a maternity fever ward with parallels to the current world situation. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction, has an interest in Ireland and/or midwifery will enjoy this book.
I think NPR gives another good reason to pick up this book when they say that that Donoghue has "given us our first pandemic caregiver novel - an engrossing and inadvertently topical story about health care workers inside small rooms fighting to preserve life."
I say, don't miss it. Order your copy from Amazon now by clicking right here.
Treasures By Brenda
Friday, May 21, 2021
The Widow and the Highlander Book Review
The Widow and the Highlander by Martha Keyes is the first book in the Tales from the Highlands series. After I finished the first book, I immediately wished to move to the second book in the series. It isn't that Keyes didn't wrap up the first novel. She did. It was simply that I wasn't ready to move on from the story.
You know you have found a wonderful series of books when you hate the idea of starting a different book by another author. Unfortunately for me, the second book in Tales from the Highlands has not yet been released.
It is doubtful the I will forget the MacKinnon clan and I have added the The Enemy and Miss Innes (Tales from the Highlands Book 2) to my wishlist so I will know as soon as it is released. I am certain, no matter what else I have started reading, I will move back to this series to continue reading about Catherine and her sister, Elizabeth.
I highly recommend this historical fiction and I am certain I will enjoy the entire series once it is published.
The Widow and the Highlander Synopsis
Historical Fiction - Scotland 1762
(Tales from the Highlands Book 1)Check Price Christina isn't certain what to do next! She is actually relieved, perhaps even happy, to be a new widow. After her abusive husband, Gordon, dies due to illness, she finds she can breathe again. That is, until his cousin, Angus MacKinnon, "suggests" she marry him. Angus and several of his family members had taken up residence at Dunverlockie after the funeral, and don't plan to leave.
The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands Book 1)Check Price
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Friday, May 14, 2021
Timeless Treasure by MaryLu Tyndall Reviewed
The book, Timeless Treasure by MaryLu Tyndall, took me by surprise!
I have read several books by Tyndall and always loved them. She is one of my favorite authors because I know I can depend on her for a great story with clean content. However, Timeless Treasure is more than a great story. It is an exceptional historical fiction that I would highly recommend.
When I read historical fiction, I want historical accuracy. Tyndall certainly did her "homework" for Timeless Treasure. The story is based on a real pirate, Stede Bonnet, who was executed in 1718. The author built a romantic story around Bonnet's real life with a fictitious tale of why he turned to pirating even though he was a well educated, wealthy landowner, married and with children.
So many things in Bonnet's real life story seem unexpected, contradictory, perhaps even unbelievable, but they were true. He was factually known as "The Gentleman Pirate" because of his own behavior, yet his association with Blackbeard, who was certainly no gentleman, is well documented. It should also be noted that he knew nothing about sailing prior to becoming a pirate.
The fictional suggestion that he was in love with someone other than his wife and wished to secure a separate fortune to support their life together, would be a plausible explanation for why a wealthy gentleman would turn pirate. Thus the reason this book is exceptional!
Timeless Treasure Synopsis
Chapter One takes place present day and introduces us to a decedent of Stede Bonnet. Lexie Cain has just returned from her mother's funeral to a home where she is no longer welcome since it belongs to her step-father. She is there only to retrieve an ancestral chest containing photos, school papers, a scrapbook, and some old letters. Flipping through the letters she discovers they were written by Bonnet. Those letters change the course of her life.
The opening paragraphs of chapter two introduce us to Stede Bonnet and the woman he loves, Melody, at the burial site of his firstborn son. We discover just how bereaved, miserable and unhappy Stede is with his life. When Melody informs him that her father is moving her family away from Barbados to Charles Town, a city in the colony of Carolina, Stede's desperation intensifies. He must do something to change the course of his life.
Current day Lexie Cain moves to Charleston in the hopes of finding buried pirate treasure. She gets a job in the local museum, takes the first "Bonnet" letter to a college history professor for authentication, and then finds herself the target of criminals.
As Lexie reads through the letters with the professor, Barret Johnson, we are all hearing Bonnet's tales of piracy, his longing for a life with Melody, and his plans for a happy future together. In spite of the fact that we know from the beginning that Bonnet is hung, we hold on to the hope that it was somehow not him that was executed. That he somehow managed to find the happiness he so desperately sought.
_______________________
There is no way I will tell you more of the story, yet there is so much more than this brief introduction of the book, including the romance that develops between Lexie & Barrett.
I would never wish to ruin this marvelous book for anyone else. You deserve to be able to "walk" through this adventure for yourself. It would be dastardly indeed for me to rob you of this experience and I refuse to do that. After all, I am no pirate!
Books by MaryLu Tyndall Previously Reviewed
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Monday, May 3, 2021
Book Review - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel by Kim Michele Richardson
Have you ever read a book that makes it hard to start another book because you have a hard time moving on from the characters that you just finished reading about? Or a book that was so good that you read it at least one more time? The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel is one of those books for me. I have started reading it for a second time. This novel, inspired by historical programs and people, includes issues of remote Appalachian living in the 1930s, literacy, poverty, spinsterhood, and the impact of having a different skin color. This is the personal story of one woman's life. A woman who is both astonishingly brave and who is as uncertain as most of the rest of us.
Historical Fiction Review on ReviewThisReviews.com |
I was hooked from the opening paragraph:
"The librarian and her mule spotted it at the same time. The creature's ears shot up, and it came to a stop so sudden its front hooves skidded out, the pannier slipping off, spilling out the librarian's books. An eddy of dirt and debris lifted, stinging the woman's eyes. The mule struggled to look upward, backward, anywhere other than at the thing in front of it." -- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Cussy Mary Carter lived with her father in their one-room log house in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky. Her mother had passed away and her father was desperate to find a husband for his grown daughter. While his goal of her being a respectful woman and safe as someone's wife, it did not fit with her chosen career of librarian. A pack horse librarian to be exact.
From 1935 to 1943, The Pack Horse Library Project ran through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) (part of President Roosevelt's New Deal programs. The WPA focused on work relief programs). Librarians were hired to circulate books to families on their routes. The routes were up to 18 - 20 miles per day and the librarians rode these routes on horseback. The routes were often rugged and dangerous but the librarians were determined.
Cussy Mary was devoted to the families along her route. All of her families. Those who were avid readers as well as hesitant readers. She was often the only outside contact families would have for long periods of time. She was a hero to these families.
She was also a pariah. Cussy Mary was one of Kentucky's Blue People. I had never heard of this family group who (partly due to geographical region and partly genetic) had noticeably blue skin. Superstitious people in the region blamed the blue people for bad things that happened. These people were shunned, ignored, or abused. The opening of this story includes a victim of a hanging.
When testing and a possible "cure" for Cussy Mary's colored skin is offered she finds that fitting in may or may not be as easy as the doctor would lead her to believe. She has some difficult decisions to make.
From the Author:
After the end of the novel, Kim Michele Richardson includes very interesting information in her Author's Notes. She writes:
"I've modified one historical date in the story so I could include relevant information about medical aspects and discoveries"
In other words, The Pack Horse Project was not ongoing when the "cure" for Cussy Mary's blue skin was discovered.
At times, when I notice that an author adjusted factual information in order to create a more interesting story I am a bit disappointed. But in this case, I was not bothered. In fact, I was very interested by the information about the causes and cure of the congenital disease. I am still amazed that prior to this book, I had never heard of either the Pack Horse Project librarians or the Blue Fugates of Kentucky and the things they experienced in their daily lives.
Other Recommendations:
The ReviewThis! contributors clearly love to read. Click our Book Reviews tab at the top of this page to see all our collective book reviews.
A few other historic fiction reviews I have written are: Galway Bay (a must-read that begins in Ireland during the potato famine), Chesapeake (a James Michener tale that is set on the Chesapeake Bay and spans 400 years), and Nickel's Luck (a cast of fictional characters living in the real town of Indianola, Texas in the 1800s. Indianola is no more and I bawled learning the history of that town and it's people).
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
March 17th St. Patrick's Day Some Facts and Fiction You May Not Know!
So Today is St. Patrick's Day and I hope you are sporting the wearing of something Green! A Holiday Review.
So what do we know about St. Patrick and what is just added fun for all of us?
Stained Glass Window of St. Patrick from Junction City Ohio , found on Widipedia
While we think of corned beef and cabbage as being a typical Irish Dinner, the truth is that in Ireland they will have Ham and Cabbage. When the Irish came to America, many were very poor so they substituted Corned beef for the Ham (it was cheaper). Today, this is a staple meal to serve for St. Patrick's Day Dinner.
Some lovely items for your home to help you celebrate everything Irish.
Friday, March 12, 2021
The Governess of Penwythe Hall (The Cornwall Novels - Book 1) Reviewed
The Governess of Penwythe Hall Book 1 Synopsis
(The Cornwall Novels) The opening scenes in this book are in Cornwall (1808) and Cordelia (Delia) Greythorne is leaving her home. Recently widowed, her husband's family not only blames her for his death, but believes she knows more than she is telling. Her mother-in-law follows her to the carriage and hurls final insults at Delia. The Greythorne family has many secrets, all of which Delia knows, and that makes her a threat to them. They want her gone and perhaps would kill her if she didn't have valuable information they needed.
While not as wealthy as his brother, Jac Twethewey owns Penwythe Hall, which was actually the reason for the breach between brothers. As the oldest brother, Randall expected to inherent Penwythe Hall, but their benefactor left it to Jac instead. Randall believed Jac had cheated him out of his proper inheritance. Once you get to know Jac, you know he didn't cheat anyone out of anything. Their Uncle Angrove simply believed Jac would be a better overseer of Penwythe Hall and left it to him.
Once You Have Read the First Book in this Series, You Will Want More!
The Cornwall NovelsCheck Price The Governess of Penwythe Hall (Book 1)Check Price The Thief of Lanwyn Manor (Book 2)Check Price The Light at Wyndcliff (Book 3)Check Price
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Monday, March 8, 2021
Murdoch Mysteries Reviewed
Are you a fan of mysteries? Mystery movies? Mystery books? Intrigue mixed with non fiction? Then Murdoch Mysteries is in your lane.
What Is Murdoch Mysteries?
Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian television series which is in its' 14 season. The series is based on the novels of the same name by Canadian novelist Maureen Jennings. The star of the show is a police detective named William Murdoch working cases Toronto in the 19th and 20th centuries.
But Murdoch is not a typical police detective show in that it is a mix of weaving technology of the eras along with technology of the future along with real life historical events. The historical events may seem familiar if you are not a history fan or very familiar if you are well versed in history.
Hence the episodes are education, informative and entertaining which makes for very interesting viewing. Wonder how the old school fax was developed? Sonar? Fingerprinting? The series also incorporates real people of that era from politics to science to inventors to educators; names you will find very familiar.
There is a reason Murdoch is in its' 14th season and I am happy to have discovered this series upon the recommendation of a friend. Perfect for binge watching and even happier I discovered the entire series is available to stream without cost (see below!)
Where To Find Murdoch Mysteries
If you happen to live in the United States close to the Canadian border Murdoch can be viewed in real time on the CBC Canadian station. I happen to live very close to the Canadian border and the CBC station airs Murdoch reruns and the current season.
Amazon offers the series through Amazon Prime, but at a cost per episode.
My best find when researching where to find Murdoch Mysteries is Hoopla. Hoopla is a free digital service offered through your local library. I reviewed Hoopla here; my complimentary Hoopla subscription allows 20 borrows per month. However, due to the amount of increased interest of their viewers in the past year Hoopla has been offering Hoopla Bonus which allows additional borrows per month without counting those borrows toward your monthly limit.
Murdoch Mysteries is currently airing its' 14 season and bonus! Hoopla offers the prior 13 seasons to borrow and enjoy.
Free Streaming Services Reviews
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Antoine Laurain's Vintage 1954 Book Reviewed
I usually know exactly how I am going to start a book review before I even put the book down. However, that was not the case with the book Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain because I was concerned that speaking of any of the individual moments in the book would ruin the fun surprises.
Inspired by the tagline on the front of the book I decided I would simply ask, “What would you do if you could travel to the Paris of your dreams. In 1954?” That is exactly what happens in this book though it is definitely a case of time travel for entertainment purposes and not a scientific look at time travel.
Four residents of a Parisian apartment building meet and, after sharing a very special bottle of 1954 Beaujolais, they discover that it has, as the back cover of the book says, special properties. They wake up the next morning in 1954 with some of them temporarily unaware of the difference and others instantly aware that things are not as they should be.
The characters are an interesting mix that includes a man whose family originally owned almost all of the apartments in the building, an antique restorer, a mixologist and an American tourist who is renting an Airbnb. It is through each of their perspectives that we see Paris of the 1950s.
NB Magazine put it perfectly when they say that, "the comedy is gentle and slightly absurd and that there are many clever vignettes and sketches that enrich the novel." I totally agree. Vintage 1954 is a lightweight but charming, entertaining and sometimes funny book that is RECOMMENDED by me.
In my mind, there is nothing dark or nasty about it at all though there is a sex scene and the drinking of alcohol. The book is a chance for a trip to Paris from the comfort of your armchair and an opportunity to see and think about some of the contrasts between the Paris of 2017 and the Paris of 1954 and of course, simply the contrasts between those years wherever you may be. The world is a very different place today than it was then.
I enjoyed meeting the characters, seeing Paris through each of their individual lenses, seeing the city of lights in a different time and having the opportunity to meet some of the celebrities who frequented 1950s Paris. I am not naming the celebrities so that you can enjoy them when you meet them in the book. I was surprised at the very end of the book when the author managed to squeeze in a little life lesson for each of them.
How about it? Would you like to travel back to 1954 or to read this book? Find your copy of or learn more about Vintage 1954 on Amazon by clicking right here.
See you
At the bookstore!
Brenda
Quick Links:
Buy your copy of Vintage 1954 on Amazon.
The Time Traveler’s Wife movie review.
An American in Paris movie review.
Discover French Kiss, the ultimate romantic movie soundtrack
Pam Jenoff's Lost Girls of Paris book review.
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Pam Jenoff's Lost Girls of Paris Book Review
With the novel The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff, I once again reviewed life in Europe during and just after World War II. The book is fictional but based on the true story of Vera Atkins and her female special operations agents.
THE STORY
I struggled at first to settle into the pages of this book but when I did, I was rewarded with the story of a woman named Eleanor Trigg and a group of women she recruited and trained to become secret agents. Those women would eventually be sent from England to occupied France as part of the resistance movement’s effort to disrupt the advance of the German army. The women were employed as couriers and radio operators and were eventually lost.
REVIEWS
Reviewers on Amazon peg the book quite correctly as romantic in nature. Some question some of the historical facts and many of the decisions made by characters in the book. Some felt that the book had too many coincidences and that it did not always ring true. However, despite these criticisms, the book received 86 percent four- and five-star ratings, which does not seem too bad to me so I looked further.
U.S.A. Today called this Jenoff work of fiction “a gauzier, more florid and awkwardly romantic account” of the true story of Vera Atkins and her team of spies saying that the book has “all of the tension of a Hallmark card.” I agree. It definitely is romantic and nice version of the story and is not the best historical fiction book from that time period that I have read.
Kirkus calls the book, “a sadly slapdash World War II adventure”, which references, I believe, some of the factual problems readers have with this book. The problems are in errors with the details. Did diners (restaurants) have television sets in the 1940s? Would those TVs have been broadcasting the news while diners ate their meals? How could you have planned a honeymoon aboard the Queen Elizabeth II, which was not built until the 1960s? Was renting a car possible in those days? Were the terms single mother and Ms. in use? Was duct tape available to the public or just the military? How many states were there in the United States in 1946? I have not fact checked any of these questions and some of them I did not jump out at me when I was reading the book. A few of them could have and hopefully have been easily corrected in subsequent printings.
Finally, the readers at Goodreads give The Lost Girls of Paris a score of 3.88. Once again, that score is not too bad in my opinion. On that platform, reviewer Matthew said, “I liked the story, but in the realm of WWII fiction it is not in the upper echelons. Maybe you will enjoy it more than I did and can look past the issues…” Personally, I am inclined to agree with that score on Goodreads and with Matthew’s comments.
If you enjoy historical fiction set in World War II, Europe, or if you are looking for a book with interesting female protagonists, you should enjoy this book. That is, if you are willing to accept it as written and not be tripped up by historical inaccuracies like those referenced above.
If you want to learn more, you can find The Lost Girls of Paris on Amazon by clicking right here. If you do read the book, be sure to come back and let us know what you think.
I will end with a question. How important is historical accuracy to you in your historical fiction books? Do mistakes like those mentioned above ruin a book for you or are you happy to discount them as part of an author’s work at crafting a compelling story?
See you
At the book store!
Brenda
More World War II Fiction:
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Her Silent Knight (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair Book 1) Reviewed
Did you know that it is recorded that the Thames River has frozen over 24 times? Seven of those times, the ice was solid enough that they held a Frost Fair in London.
The celebrated Frost Fair of 1683-84 featured multiple activities including horse races, football, bowling, ice skating, sledding and more. Vendor booths were set up to sell souvenirs, food and refreshments. Londoner's clearly knew how to quickly make a rare occurrence into a fun festival for all.
In 1814 (the last Frost Fair), an elephant was led across the ice. Reminiscent of previous frost fairs, there was dancing, ice skating and of course, vendors. It lasted only 4 days before the ice broke up and several people drowned.
The very real historical Frost Fair of 1814 is the setting of the entire "Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair" series. This series provides a wonderful look back into history, as well as some really awesome romantic stories.
First in the series is "Her Silent Knight". It was such a captivating book, that I read it in one night. Yes, it was nearly 4 am before I went to sleep, but it was worth it! I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet story.
Her Silent Knight Synopsis
Her Silent Knight: A Christmas Regency Romance (Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair Book 1)Check PriceSelina Ellis becomes secretly engaged to Noah Skinner, a solicitor who is below her social status. Mr. Skinner would never be considered an acceptable suitor for Selina, especially by her own mother. But, Selina doesn't care! She believes she is in love with Mr. Skinner and when he proposes marriage at the Frost Fair, Selina agrees to marry him, even if it means they would be required to elope.
The couples embrace is witnessed by a childhood friend that Selina hasn't seen in years. When Sir Edmund Sharp recognizes the two people hugging each other, he knows he must find a way to save Selina from the man with a scandalous reputation. She is young, naive, and clearly unaware of Mr. Skinner's "manipulations". What Sir Edmund cannot immediately figure out is why Mr. Skinner would pursue a lady with no inheritance. Upon her father's death, their home and money was entailed to a distant relative since Mr. Ellis has no sons. That left Selina and her mother living on a meager stipend.
Sir Edmund agrees to keep Selina's secret if she will make sure he is invited to spend the Christmastide (the 12 days of Christmas) in her home. The request makes sense because his grandmother recently died and he has no other family in London. Selina's mother had always adored Edmund, plus she saw him as the perfect suitor for Selina. Therefore, securing an invitation for Christmastide was not difficult at all.
Now, Sir Edmund only has to figure out how to separate Selina from Mr. Skinner. That won't be as easy as Sir Edmund had originally thought since Mr. Skinner has possession of Edmund's grandmothers will. Skinner is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep Sir Edmund from interfering in his relationship with Selina.
"Her Silent Knight" is a sweet story of love, chivalry, and childhood loyalties embedded in an enchanting historical fiction, set in the fantastic short-lived Frost Fair on the Thames River in London. It is the first book in the Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair series shown below.
All but one of these authors are new to me. I love that when it happens in a co-op series!
Belles of Christmas: Frost Fair (5 Book Series)Check Price
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