This is a novel with a traveling plot, and the protagonist, Dulcy Remfrey, is a traveling woman. As a wealthy teen girl finished with school and too young for college, she joined her father in his world travels to exploit the wealth found in mining: whether it was gold, copper, silver, or diamonds, her father […]
It’s a first novel! and an exceptionally clever one. Mr. Forrest Leo has an aptitude for turning a phrase that brings the prose of P.G. Wodehouse to mind. And as a staunch admirer of Bertie and Jeeves, I don’t say that lightly. The writing style and the first-person voice of the protagonist are pure pleasure […]
There’s no escape for the imagination like a good historical romance novel… and our library has plenty! They are great for light vacation reads in the summer, so now is a good time to check these out. Here are some great reads to get started in the romance genre. Julia Quinn has started a new […]
This first work of fiction by historian Francis Spufford just has this aura of a great novel about it. It’s called Golden Hill and it’s set in New York City in 1746, back when New York was still a small colonial town. And nobody could have created this setting better than Mr. Spufford has. I’m not […]
British author Caro Peacock started a new historical mystery series back in 2008. And you should read it, and get to know her delightful creation, Liberty Lane, who is not a detective but is motivated by an indomitable sense of justice. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment in the series, A Foreign Affair, and look forward […]
Here it is: a historical mystery series launch in which the story does not take place in Victorian England! I know, I could hardly believe it either. Rosemary Simpson’s mystery novel, What the Dead Leave Behind, is set in New York City during the Gilded Age. Specifically, in 1888. But stating the year is not nearly as […]
Allison Pataki has written two breathtakingly beautiful historical novels featuring Empress Elisabeth (known as Sisi) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the 19th century. The first book, called The Accidental Empress, begins with Sisi as a young girl in Bavaria, riding horses, picking wildflowers in the fields, and sharing every moment with her quiet […]
I’ve been slacking on our monthly book club round-ups, but, in reality, that’s good for you. It means this post is a two-for-one and is full of great reading recommendations! In February we ventured into the past with historical fiction and in March we read several “winning” sports books. Check them out below and at your […]
I have nothing but praise for authors who set historical fiction in times and places that aren’t especially well-known. Because, you know, history is happening all the time, not just during wartime or significant political change or the discovery of new inventions. I’ve got to love a historical fiction novel that gives me insight into […]
Welcome to the Victorian era in England! Meet Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist and world traveler! Today’s definition: a lepidopterist is “a person who studies and collects butterflies and moths.” Veronica Speedwell, however, has nothing in common with the organisms she pursues with such scientific fervor. In fact, I can’t think of anyone less deserving of the moniker […]
