Category Archives: Historical Fiction

Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 2, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0061950726
  • Source: Publisher

Molly Ayer is in foster care, about to “age out” of the system. When she steals a book from the library, she’s forced to do community service to avoid placement in juvenile hall.  She agrees to help an elderly woman named Vivian clean out her attic, filled with decades of possessions and memories. As the two begin the task, they soon understand that they are more alike than it may appear on the surface. Vivian opens up to Molly, sharing a part of her history she’s kept silent about for decades.

As a child, Vivian was orphaned after a horrendous fire tore through her family’s home.  As a young Irish immigrant with no surviving family, she was sent on a train that left from New York and traveled out west, known as the orphan train. Thousands of other children embarked on trains like this,  their future unknown. Many were matched with warm, inviting families. Others, like Vivian, weren’t treated as part of a family but instead workers or caregivers for younger children.

Told in alternate point of views, switching from present time to the late 1800s/1900s, both Molly and Vivian share the experiences and situations that brought them to their current place in life.  When their relationship begins, Molly sees Vivian as a wealthy senior citizen that couldn’t possibly understand the challenges she is going through. While she is placed in a foster home, the relationship she has with her foster mother is less than inviting. Like Vivian, who was a constant outcast due to her red hair and Irish heritage, Molly (a Penobscot Indian) feels shunned due to her own heritage. As the bond between these two individuals is cultivated, they each see a bit of themselves in the other, an understanding that not many others share.

Orphan Train is a heartwarming novel rich with dynamic, sympathetic characters and rich historical detail. All of the characters, including the secondary, become alive on the pages making the reader easily forget that they are fictional entities rather than actual living people. It is impossible not to form a connection with Vivian and Molly and celebrate the connection they have found in one another.

I originally learned about orphan trains while reading The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty. Since discovering this often unfamiliar part of our country’s history, I have become fascinated with the subject matter. I was pleased to see the amount of information Christina Baker Kline has on her web site about this topic, including the actual journey Vivian would have taken on the orphan train in 1929 to historical background information the author discovered in writing this novel. While this novel is rich with historical detail, the reader never feels like they are being lectured or overwhelmed with historical facts. Personally, I wanted to know more about the orphan train system, a subject matter I plan to do more research on myself.

All in all, Orphan Train is a novel is one that will resonate within me for some time. To hear of the journey taken by these orphan children and what they had to endure to find a home is incredibly heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Vivian came alive within the pages of this novel. While I am not adopted, she has inspired me to learn more about my own heritage for she has proven the power and importance of honoring and celebrating one’s heritage.

This is a novel that is full of discussion worthy topics perfect for a book club, including love, resilience, endurance and more. Highly, highly recommended.

Orphan Train is the May book club selection for She Reads. Join us Thursday, May 23rd for an online discussion about this title. Click here for more information.

Tags: , , ,

Review: The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell

Posted on by — 8 Comments ↓

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam (May 7, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9780399161469

The year is 1923. As a typist in a New York City Police Department precinct, Rose Baker can seal the fate of an individual within a few keystrokes. While she’s dictating testimony or a confession, she wields all the power. Outside the interrogation room, however, she once again becomes a member of the weaker set, not suited to deal with anything more trivial than brewing a pot of coffee. Her life is relatively quiet and routine. Then walks in the other typist.

It’s not like there aren’t any other typists other than Rose. She’s one of a few who are employed within the precinct, yet there is something vastly different about the beautiful and glamorous Odalie.  She bobs her hair, a relatively new and unique trend. She catches the eye (and attention) of powerful men within the precinct. Something is definitely sinister and suspect about Odalie, however. Despite this, and desperate for the companionship she’s lacked all of her life, Rose is drawn to Odalie and a friendship ensues. They visit speakeasies together and Rose is introduced to a completely different world within New York City. Odalie becomes a large part of her life, so large that Rose dedicates a journal to Odalie. Soon, however, the friendship turns into an obsession.

Going in, the reader knows that Rose is a completely unreliable narrator. The description of the book mentions it and several times throughout the book, Rose refers to her doctor and his opinion of her behavior. Therefore, it is no surprise when the tone of the book changes drastically. You know going in that something is going to happen, but just what that is isn’t revealed until the very end. This book quickly transforms into a book of chilling psychological suspense that will have readers sitting at the edge of their seat, rapidly flipping through the pages until IT happens.

I heard rumblings of IT going in, but I didn’t know the specifics. As I read, I honestly began to question what others were saying about this book. It’s not that it wasn’t engaging or interesting, it was. I was just waiting for IT, and when IT happened. Wow. I was stunned into silence for a few moments and then suddenly all sorts of expletives came rushing out of my mouth. Only once has this happened to me before. A story of another incredibly unreliable character with a twisty ending. Yet, dare I say it..this twisty ending was even more intense because IT totally wasn’t expected. This book, and the author’s incredibly skilled writing, completely messes with your head…and you’ll enjoy it.

Bottom line: looking for a completely mind-altering, intense psychological thriller? This is the title for you. Highly, highly recommended.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Review: The End of the Point by Elizabeth Graver

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Harper (March 5, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062184849
  • Source: Publisher

Ashaunt Point, Massachusetts has been a quiet, relaxing home to generations of the Porter family. When the Army arrives in 1942 using the Point as a look-out for enemy submarines, that quiet solace is abandoned. That summer, the lives of three of the Porter girls are forever altered. The two oldest, Helen and Dossie, run wild as teenagers do. Their youngest sister, Janie, is involved in an incident that puts an abrupt end to their summer. Finally, their nurse Bea, a woman in her mid-thirties, falls hopelessly in love. The family lays witness as they lose a family member to war just as they lose a site so lush with beauty and nature to the travesties of war.

The End of the Point follows the Porter family during the historic 1940s, from the transition of Ashaunt Point to a place of rest and luxury to a town tainted by war. Ashaunt served as a home for the Porters for decades and, as the world changes after the war, it too is permanently altered by the changing world. The novel continues to follow the Porter girls into the 1950s and 60s as they grow into woman and have children of their own. Helen’s oldest son, Charlie, is emotionally damaged after an LSD trip. This one incident sparks a series of horrid flashbacks and hallucinations. He seeks solace in Ashaunt Point, only to learn that it has been sold to developers. Time and change is never easy, but in the case of the Porters, it appears to be even more devastating.

Graver creates a remarkable world in The End of the Point. Her descriptions of the lush, Massachusetts shoreline are so vivid and realistic that readers will feel that they, too, are immersed in the beautiful scenery. The characters she creates are dynamic, coming alive right on the pages of this incredibly beautiful, yet also emotionally devastating, novel. Her world-building, the creation of time and space, is truly remarkable. She captures the essence of what is going on in the world, yet never detracting from what is going on with this singular family.

A key theme that runs throughout the novel is the characters inability to live up to the standards and expectations put upon them by their elders and society as a whole. It is this expectation that, in many cases, holds the Porter family back from their true potential.

Graver frequently changes point of views as decades pass, giving the reader a multi-layered view of the Porter family. Starting with Bea, moving on to Helen and then her son Charlie, this shift in point in view adds vast dimension to this already lush novel. I cannot put into words the beauty of the writing in this novel. At times, I forgot I was reading a book, instantly becoming immersed in the incredibly detailed and fluid prose. An in immensely deep novel about family and a sense of home, this is one book that will stick with me for some time. Graver isn’t simply a writer, but a true artist of the written word. Highly, highly recommended.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other tour stops along the way.

 

Tags: , ,

Audiobook Review: The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

  • Listening Length: 14 hours and 3 minutes
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: Hachette Audio
  • Release Date: January 15, 2013
  • Source:Personal copy

Throughout our country’s history, there have been over two dozen Presidential assassination attempts; only four have been successful. Now, an killer is attempting to recreate these assassination attempts.  Authorities believe that four lone individuals are responsible for these historic attempts yet Beecher White, an archivist with the National Archives, believes differently. A member of The Culper Ring, a secretive group originally created by George Washington to maintain the safety and stability of the union, Beecher learns that the four assassins (John Wilkes Booth, Charles Julius Guiteau, Leon Frank Czolgosz, and Lee Harvey Oswald) were in fact part of The Knights of the Golden Circle and, over the last century, worked together to bring down the President of the United States.

It is the grotesque deaths of a number of religious leaders in Washington, D.C. that brings Beecher’s attention to The Knights of the Golden Circle. Each of the individuals killed are done so in a method reminiscent of the presidential assassinations. Their actions all lead up to an assassination attempt on the current President of the United States, Orson Wallace. The fifth assassin, the Knight chosen to take out the current President, must be stopped at all costs, only Beecher White has the information to stop him.

Let me start off by saying I am a long time fan(atic) of Brad Meltzer, not only of his writing (including comic books!) but television shows as well. He is brilliant, providing readers (and viewers) a unique glimpse of something from history, forcing us to take a step back and reexamine everything we’ve believed or have been taught over the years.  He successfully does the same with The Fifth Assassin.  He does so with a tremendous amount of research, including interviews with previous Presidents. What makes Meltzer’s books stand out among others like him include this actual, verifiable research and a stellar cast of supporting characters.  Also, his brilliance is obvious but he isn’t cocky about it at all, instead simply wanting readers to look at history through a new set of lenses. Finally, fans of Meltzer’s previous novels like Inner Circle will be pleased to see the return of many of his famous characters.

While there are aspects of this story that may seem a bit far-fetched, I truly do not think this detracts from the overall appeal of this novel. Meltzer’s insane amount of historical factoids will draw in any fan of thrillers or history. It’s obvious that Meltzer knows his stuff, and this knowledge and confidence is the secret to his success as a writer, what continues to bring in readers book after book.

I listened to the audiobook production of this novel, as I have with all of Meltzer’s novels. Scott Brick has narrated each and everyone of them, and for good reason. Brick is a vocal genius, truly capturing the intensity and overall feel of the novel. Additionally, he captures the voices of each of the characters so precisely, producing unique voices for each of them, nearly making the listener forget that there is only one narrator. It’s no secret that I’m a long time fan of Scott Brick (actually discovering him via Brad Meltzer) and this is all due to his truly expert narration of nearly every and anything he reads.

I had the pleasure of meeting both Scott and Brad at Book Expo America a few years ago (and have since had the opportunity to hear them both speak again since). It was truly a dream come true: two men who I truly admire and for whom I hold a great deal of respect.

I could truly go on and on about his novel (and the narration!) but let me end with this: even if you are not a history buff, take a listen (or read) of any of Meltzer’s novels. I guarantee he will draw you in, causing you to rethink our nation’s history. Highly, highly recommended.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Review: The Secret of Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs

Posted on by — 4 Comments ↓

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Original edition (February 19, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062201034
  • Source: Publisher

Anna is shocked when she receives a phone call from her grandmother, Goldie. The two haven’t seen each other in five years after Goldie made it clear how she felt about Anna’s husband, Ford. Ford has since passed way to leukemia, yet the pain that caused the estrangement still lingers. Goldie’s sharp tongue and high resistance to mediocrity has caused a riff in their relationship. Anna is further stunned when Goldie asks her on a cross-country trip to San Francisco to return a collection of valuable Japanese art to its owner. The art, in Goldie’s possession since the 1940s, given to her by someone close to her heart before they entered a Japanese-American internment camp. For obvious reasons, the art holds a great deal of meaning to the elderly woman. Just how meaningful is unknown to Anna…until now.

Reluctantly, Anna agrees and the two embark on the cross-country journey in Goldie’s Rolls-Royce. As the journey passes, Anna’s strong feelings about her grandmother soften as Goldie reveals a terrible secret she’s kept hidden for over half a century. From her own struggles as a young Jewish immigrant to a love she was forced to abandon, Goldie realizes she must open up about her past in order to let Anna, still recovering from the loss of her husband, heal.

Alternating between Anna’s point of view in the present time to Goldie’s young adult years, The Secret of the Nightingale Palace tells a beautiful, yet also heartbreaking, story about the power of family, sacrifice, forgiveness, and ultimately, love. The journey Anna and Goldie takes is an incredibly enlightening one, Anna realizing the motive behind her grandmother’s pain and sharp conviction. Anna is certainly not a weak woman, but the loss of Ford, and the period preceding his death, has turned her into a shell of a woman. She’s unable to feel love or passion and instead throws everything into her job. Goldie realizes her granddaughter has so much more hope in her and is frightened that Anna will never live up to her full potential if she continues to dwell on the past.

The Secret of the Nightingale Palace is a truly rewarding novel that will pull at your heart-strings. The alternating timeline and point of view adds a completely new dimension of the story, showing a parallel in the lives of two women that are a lot alike, yet refuse to admit so. The historical aspect of this novel is incredibly well-developed, the reader given a glimpse of two cultures that are quite different, yet due to the treatment they received, ultimately have strong similarities.

What makes this novel so attractive are the incredibly strong, richly drawn-out characters. While they each had their faults and were incredibly fallible, both Anna and Goldie were characters readers can’t help but sympathize and relate to. Their relationship is rocky at best and it was tremendously rewarding to watch it grow, heal, and nurture during their journey. A truly strong and memorable novel, perfect for a wide-range of readers from fans of history to those drawn in by character-driven novels. Highly recommended.

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other stops in the tour.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Review: A Future Arrived by Phillip Rock

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (February 5, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062229354
  • Source: Publisher

The final installment of the Passing Bells trilogy begins in the 1930s, the Jazz era ending and a period of uncertainty as the younger generation, born during the great war, embarks upon adulthood.

Rather than continuing with the host of characters readers of the series have grown to love, Rock instead introduces a whole new cast of characters in a younger generation.  While a few of the original characters, like American writer Martin Rilke make an appearance, a great deal of the story focuses on a ten-year span of time with the younger generation.

The historical setting of these novels is incredibly rich. In this installment, Hitler is just beginning to make a voice for himself in Germany. Those who have just survived a war don’t even want to contemplate another battle but it seems imminent.  Additionally, while the characters Rock builds are in general new to the reader, the depth that he adds to each of these characters is commendable. Readers can’t help but grow to love them just as much as their family before them.

While this wasn’t my favorite of the trilogy, mainly due to the new slate of characters, as a whole I did find this series to be incredibly informative and engaging. Additionally, while I would have enjoyed more closure regarding the original characters, I did find the new generation to be an interesting set of individuals. The challenges they faced, including the uncertainty of their future, was far different than the same uncertainty that challenged the generation before them.

Fans of historical fiction will find this series to be incredibly rewarding. Additionally, fans of Downton Abbey desperate for another fix will enjoy this series tremendously. Recommended.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this title. Be sure to check out the tour page for the entire series.

 

Tags: , ,

Review: Circles of Time by Phillip Rock

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (January 2, 2013)
  • ISBN-10: 0062229338
  • Source: Publisher

In the sequel to The Passing Bells, the world is forever changed after the Great War. Invisible boundaries between social classes has vanished as the war’s deadly grasp affects everyone equally. The rebuilding that comes is not only structural but emotional and personal as well.

Lord Greville is desperate to reconstruct Abingdon Pryory to its original, despite the fact that his family has no interest in returning to their home. Charles is away in a hospital, suffering emotional trauma from the war, what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder. Greville barely notices the existence of his daughter, Alexandra, and his child he refuses to acknowledge as his grandson. Rather than facing the repercussions of the war, Greville instead attempts to erase all memories, rebuilding his life as it was before.

Clearly the character that shines in this second book of a trilogy is Martin Rilke. After writing a book that reveals the true effects of the war, he is shunned by many. Rather than allowing this reaction to destroy him, he stands tall and continues to further his career in journalism by becoming further involved in the politics of the age.

Circles of Time is an incredibly strong follow-up to The Passing Bells. Reader is granted access to the after-effects of war and the devastation faced by each of the main characters. What I found incredibly rewarding about this novel was how genuine Charles’ experience and trauma was detailed. There are very few novels able to capture the trauma of war by those who experience it, a trait with which this author excels. While I wouldn’t say I avoid reading novels set in this era, I’m generally not drawn to them. That said, Rock’s fictional narrative has cultivated an interest. I now find myself not only drawn to, but obsessed with, reading fiction set in this time period.

As mentioned, this is the second book in a trilogy. While a small amount of back story is provided, I highly recommend starting at the beginning in order to gain a better understanding of the shifts and changes experienced by each of the main characters.

Bottom line: in Circles of Time Rock continues an incredibly informative, rewarding, compelling epic trilogy. I look forward to reading the next book, A Future Arrived.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Review: The Passing Bells by Phillip Rock

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; Reprint edition (December 4, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0062229311
  • Source: Publisher
It is the summer of 1914 and Abingdon Pryory, home of the Greville family, has yet to be tainted by the war that rages through the rest of Europe. The only source of anxiety for this family is deciding what to wear to the next gala.  Alexandra Greville has just begun her debutante season and looks forward to it with so much promise. Her brother, Charles, has fallen in love with Lydia Foxe, a young beautiful woman without a title. Their love will never find fruition in marriage, for Lydia’s lack of a social title deems her as unworthy, at least in the eyes of Charles’ father, the Earl of Stanmore. Ivy, the new servant, has a difficult time learning her place in the Greville household, not welcomed by the existing staff with open arms. The first hint of a stir comes with the arrival of Martin Rilke, an American cousin, employed by a Chicago newspaper.
The facade of a perfect, stress-free life quickly fades once the war comes to the Pryory. The family assumes the war will only last a matter of months, yet their ignorance is quickly shattered. Through the eyes of each of the main characters, family and household staff alike, readers get a glimpse not only of the political but also the mental and emotional impact of the war.  In a matter of weeks, social classes are shattered, men fighting side by side irregardless of their place on the social ladder. Young women stop planning for the next ball and instead volunteer as nurses, soothing the weak and injured soldiers.
Rock’s portrayal of World War I is a truly remarkable one. Originally published in the 1970s, this trilogy has once again come to life, thanks to the popularity of Downton Abbey. The Passing Bells, the first book in this trilogy spans just six years, from 1914 to 1920.  The vast range of characters gives readers a truly unique glimpse of different viewpoints of the war, from that of a soldier right on the battle lines to a journalist desperate to share the true face of war.
While this is quite a lengthy novel, it doesn’t take long to become invested in the characters, desperate to know their fate in the war. Each, despite their level of participation in the war, come out forever altered due to their experience. Fans of historical fiction are certain to devour this series. While this reader hasn’t embraced the cultural obsession that is Downton Abbey, I hear fans of this popular television series will find similarities in The Passing Bells as well. Highly, highly recommended.
Stay tuned for my reviews of the remaining books in the series, Circles of Time and A Future Arrived. Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me the opportunity to review this book. Please be sure to check out the other stops in the tour.

Tags: , , , ,

Review: Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard Von Bingen by Mary Sharratt

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 9, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 0547567847
  • Source: Publisher (via Netgalley)

At the age of eight, Hildegard von Bingen was offered to the Church. Starting at an early age Hildegard saw visions, mainly white orbs of light that floated around her. While she would never admit it, Hildegard’s mother was ashamed of Hildegard’s gift, instead sending her off to the Church. For the next several decades, Hildegard spent her days entombed with a young nun, Jutta von Sponheim, serving as her handmaiden. Hildegard refused to succumb to Jutta’s extreme religious practices and instead devoured books, learning about healing herbs, and celebrating her abilities. It wasn’t until Jutta died nearly thirty years later that Hildegard felt the freedom to write about her visions and began to stand up for the other young women entombed as she was.

Hildegard was witness to a number of travesties during her “religious imprisonment.” Children as young as age five given to the church by their parents, having no say to their future. The role of women in the Church was deplorable, destined to spend their entire lives entombed behind walls of stone. It wasn’t until Hildegard stood up for her own rights, and the rights of other women like her that these women, promised to devote their entire lives to the Church, gained freedom. As a result of her efforts, Hildegard is able to build a religious home for women, forever freeing them from the constraints of a corrupt Church, the first steps toward Reformation.

Ultimately, Hildegard’s story is a truly remarkable story of personal power and perseverance. In a time when visions of any sort were deemed potentially demonic or Satanic in nature, Hildegard could have very easily been ostracized due to her gift. Additionally, she had the inner strength and confidence that not many women had at this time. She wasn’t afraid to stand up against the most powerful of adversaries.

Sharratt admittedly states that takes some liberties in retelling Hildegard’s story, altering facts to make it flow properly. That said, this fictionalized retelling of Hildegard’s life is based on historical facts. Not being personally familiar with Hildegard’s story, I learned an immense amount of information about a woman so integral to the changing beliefs of the Church. All in all, a truly remarkable and enlightening read. Highly recommended.

Tags: , ,

Review: Quarantine by John Smolens

Posted on by — 5 Comments ↓

  • Hardcover: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Pegasus (September 5, 2012)
  • ISBN-10: 1605984183
  • Source: Publisher

The trading ship Miranda prepares to sail into the harbor in Newburyport, Massachusetts when it is boarded by the town doctor, Giles Wiggins. The ship, sailing on its own after the crew is decimated by a deadly virus, is quickly quarantined and forbidden from coming to port.

Yet when residents of the town are hit with symptoms of the virus, Giles knows he must act quick in order to avoid the spread of the sickness. He quarantines the entire port preventing any movement of ships in and out of the harbor. Additionally, he sets up a pest house in an attempt to separate the sick from the healthy. Residents with any symptoms are ordered to be taken to this facility, separating parents from children, husbands from wives. Those families who go against Giles orders prefer to smoke the illness from their homes, causing horrendous fires, devastating homes and killing entire families.

Giles’ actions upset individuals like shipbuilder Enoch Sumner, owner of the quarantined Miranda and Giles half-brother. People don’t seem to take Giles’ orders seriously, crew members and passengers of the Miranda escaping the quarantined ship via rowboats. One of these individuals is Enoch’s shady son, Samuel.

When medication intended to treat those ailing from the virus is taken by a black marketer from Boston, the ever-increasing anarchy in the town increases. Giles takes it upon himself to hunt down those responsible for stealing the valuable medication, knowing the number of victims of the disease will increase if not treated. This medication, in combination with Giles’ somewhat nontraditional practices, help slow down the spread of the illness running rampant in the port town. It is only Giles’ quick thinking and subsequent skills of deduction that permit him to find a possible cause, and thereby potential means for preventing, the fever.

Storylines run rampant in this novel, but not excessively. A dominant one is that of Leander Hatch, son of the harbormaster, is the sole survivor of his family. He’s taken in by the Sumner family, serving as a stable hand in return for a roof over his head. His relationship to Giles, and to the Sumner family, is closer than even he realizes.

Quarantine is an incredibly intense, obviously well-researched, novel of historical fiction. Readers learn a vast amount of detail regarding the history of medical practices and the state of our country in its infancy. While the characters aren’t incredibly deep or tremendously well-developed, Smolens makes up for this by creating a tremendously robust and intense historical thriller. Highly recommended.

Tags: , , , ,