Much of history can be learned through well-written and well-researched fiction. I sometimes prefer it if the subject is disturbing or painful because it lends the information some distance not available in non-fiction. Maybe this is avoidance initially, but it has often given me the opportunity to explore a topic before moving on to further … Continue reading
Category Archives: Historical Fiction
A Decline in Prophets by Sulari Gentill
This second entry in Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair mystery series fulfilled my fervent wish after reading the first: let the next book be as good! So it has and so am I happy. A Decline in Prophets finds Rowly and his Bohemian coterie of sculptress Edna Higgins, poet Milton Isaacs, and artist Clyde Watson aboard the … Continue reading
Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet by Stephanie Cowell
A well-written, well researched historical novel can be a real joy. In Claude & Camille, Stephanie Cowell brings life and depth not only to a great artist and his wife, but also to two very human beings. Painting was not something for which Claude Monet had an affinity, it was his essence. It consumed him, … Continue reading
A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill
In the first U. S. release of her Rowland (Rowly) Sinclair mystery series, Australian author Gentill introduces us to the land down under between the world wars. Unemployment is high for the working class and communism is gaining a foothold in their ranks. It is as popular among them socially and economically as it is … Continue reading
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Axl and Beatrice are a deeply loving Briton couple who find themselves, because of aging, pushed more and more to the fringes of their community. Beatrice decides it’s time for them to join their son who moved away long ago. Their memories of the past are misty and many details hard to recall, but she … Continue reading
It’s All About the Books
Books featuring Books: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury A classic dystopian tale of censorship (or the rise of technology, depending on who you ask). The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde Set in an alternate reality where literature is a very high priority. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler A … Continue reading
Rare Objects by Kathleen Tessaro
Rare Objects is one of those interesting novels that just does not seem to go anywhere, but in the end you don’t mind because the book has been so, well, interesting. Set during the Depression, this is the story of Maeve Fanning, daughter of an Irish immigrant single mother. Maeve wants more out of life … Continue reading
