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You are here: Home / Archives for historical fiction

historical fiction

Book Review: Bronte’s Mistress

July 21, 2021 by admin

In Bronte’s Mistress, author Finola Austin tells the story of Lydia Robinson, possible mistress to Branwell Bronte, the ne’er-do-well brother of the famous Bronte sisters. Lydia is lonely and frustrated, but also grieving the deaths of her young daughter and mother, leaving her vulnerable to the charms of the much-younger, roguish Branwell. As their attraction grows, others notice, causing all kinds of problems.

Robinson is portrayed as a spirited woman who was a victim of her time. She had few options as a woman to make her own choices, and thus depended on her beauty and appeal to men to get what she wanted…and who expected her three daughters to do the same.

It’s of note that even the book title reduces Lydia Robinson to her relationship to a man, even though the story is about her.

The affair may or may not have happened, and has been the source of conjecture. Clearly something was going on based on some writings that exist, but how far things went is unknown.

I found Robinson shallow and detestable at times, but still felt sympathetic toward her. She longed for the love and attention of her emotionally distant husband, and I came away believing that she would have given up her lover had her husband given her even a crumb of his attention.

Even in our modern times, if a woman is perceived as being “too much,” she is criticized for it. In Robinson’s day, women were punished. Kudos to the author for keeping a sometimes-unlikable character compelling.

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: Bronte, good reads, historical fiction, novels, strong female protagonist

What I’m Reading Now

July 14, 2021 by admin

My fiction tastes get fickle from time to time. After obsessing about fairy tales, I’m backing off a bit (not completely, mind you, but a little. I was reading one but not getting through it, so I jettisoned it for some straight up historical and contemporary fiction. I hope to get caught up on book reviews very soon!

So, while I wait to review something I really enjoy (for I won’t review it here if I don’t like it), here’s a list of my current line-up of books at the top of my TBR pile:

Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin – novel concerning an affair between Branwell Bronte, brother of the famous Bronte sisters, and the very married and much older Lydia Robinson. I’m a fan of all things Bronte, so I couldn’t pass this one up!

The Spinster’s Fortune by Mary Kendall – a gothic-tinged novel of family secrets. I found this one on Twitter, for writers who wonder if their books are ever really noticed there!

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin – Pro tip: if you want me to buy a book, put “bees” in the title and I’m already hooked. This story concerns a trio of unlikely friends who must work together to save the bees from a pesticide company.

There are more in my pile, but that’s what I’ll report today. Hopefully I’ll be back next week with some reviews!

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: fiction, good books, historical fiction, reading

It’s Cover Reveal Day!

July 8, 2021 by admin

At long last! I’ve been dying to share this cover for quite a while, and today’s the day. Thanks to the incomparable Lynne Hansen for agreeing to do the cover when she focuses mainly on horror. Please visit her page to see all her stunning work!

What I love about this cover is how it captures the actual story of a woman torn between two worlds.

Thanks also to Amy Bruno at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for setting up the tour. And thanks to the bloggers who are hosting this special day! Please click on their links below.

Books, Cooks, Looks

Books, Ramblings, and Tea

CelticLady’s Reviews

Donna’s Book Blog

Gwendalyn’s Books

Historical Fiction with Spirit

Jessica Belmont

Michelle the PA Loves to Read

momma_doc_reads

Passages to the Past

Pursuing Stacie

Reader_ceygo

Reading is My Remedy

The Book Junkie Reads

The Cozy Book Blog

The Enchanted Shelf

Two Bookish Babes

What a Whimsical Life

Filed Under: books, Faeries, fiction Tagged With: 19th Century, historical fiction, historicalfantasy, Scotland, strong female protagonist, womensfiction

Book Review: All That Shines and Whispers

July 7, 2021 by admin

I’ve been lost in folktales and 19th-century Scotland for a long time now. I decided to take a break and visit a very different era and location. All That Shines and Whispers by Jennifer Craven is set in Switzerland and Austria during the time of the Nazis.

We meet Marlene and her doctor husband Gerald in Switzerland after their escape from Nazi-held Austria. There they are working hard to re-establish their lives with their many children, from 18-year-old Lara to baby Erich. Marlene is a loving stepmom who has managed to soften Gerald’s hard edges. There are a few gentle nods to The Sound of Music, though this is a very different story.

The loving family is hiding a big secret, one which I will not reveal here. I will say, though, that the book worked better for me once I found out what was going on. Up until then I struggled with it a bit. After, though, I was hooked.

The strengths of this story lie in the family relationships and willingness to stick together. The love of a parent knows no bounds in this story, even when that parent makes a poor decision out of that love.

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: family drama, fiction, historical fiction, Nazis, women's fiction, WWII

Book Review: The Lost Apothecary

May 26, 2021 by admin

In this stunning debut by Sarah Penner, The Lost Apothecary weaves the reader between present day and the late 18th-century London. Part mystery, part women’s fiction, part history, I found this to be a page-turner. Particularly intriguing is the apothecary herself, Nella, who provides poisons to women whose men done ’em wrong. Her body is rebelling against her, in large part, she believes, because of her guilt about her work. Basically, Penner turns a serial killer into a sympathetic character, which is no easy feat.

Caroline, the protagonist of the present-time story, has arrived in London for what would have been her tenth anniversary…but arrives alone. Like many women, she allowed life and marriage to take over and forgot her own dreams. On an outing, she finds an apothecary bottle that awakens her interest in history. Soon she is sleuthing the past to learn more about the woman who owned that bottle.

Nella keeps a record of every woman who came to her shop, including their name, the person who is to be poisoned, and the substance used. It is her way of keeping these women from disappearing entirely. Yet she herself was to disappear before Caroline rediscovered her.

As a side note, my upcoming novel, The Factory Girl and the Fey, also tells of a woman who disappeared from history, and is my attempt to give her the recognition she deserves. Perhaps that is why this story intrigued me so much, the pain of having women fall into obscurity.

I could not put this book down. Enjoy!


If you enjoy this blog, please consider purchasing one or more of my books. The Factory Girl and the Fey, a historical fantasy, is coming this fall, so stay tuned for more details! For more info on my contemporary women’s fiction, click here.

Starting in June, I’ll add a second blog post about topics not related to book reviews. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction

Book Review: My Boring Life

May 5, 2021 by admin

Many of the books I’ve read recently have been well-known and best sellers. This week, I explore the work of emerging author Kerry Chaput and her recent release, My Boring Life.

Set in 1969, the novel centers around Gavenia, a young woman whose first year at Barnard has not gone well, and she’s on the verge of flunking out. She must complete several assignments during the summer to try to earn her place back.

As she returns home to lick her wounds and ponder her future, she faces her brother who has been wounded in Vietnam, a sister who lives at home and spends her days protesting the war, and two parents who are both hilarious and clueless. The family emigrated from Great Britain, with Gavenia being the only child born in the U.S., and there’s a parade of British food and customs, whether Gavenia likes them or not.

Simon, a crush from Gavenia’s younger days, reappears and sparks fly. But will he distract her from her schoolwork?

With humor and heart, My Boring Life explores a turbulent time in history that brought back many memories for me. Chaput uses music, television shows, and other imagery to anchor readers to that time period. Though the tone is light, she does not gloss over the seriousness of the issues she explores, including PTSD, the anger over the war, and Gavenia’s own dilemmas. After all, when someone is coming of age, their problems loom as large to them as any on the national stage.

I found myself wondering what the characters would be like today, decades later. Gavenia would be a few years older than I am, and I wanted to know how she ended up. That’s not a usual response for me.

This is a small press book, and there are a few editorial/proofreading glitches in the book (though I can usually find some in nearly everything I read these days). But the story is wonderful, and I hope we see a lot more of Ms. Chaput’s work.

Filed Under: books, fiction Tagged With: fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction

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