Despite this being a chunky read I enjoyed it so much that I ordered up the book it was a prequel to – The Pillars of the Earth – but the library copy had such small print I gave up.
So this is historical fiction at its best. To read more about it see Marianne's post - https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2022/11/follett-ken-evening-and-morning.html
Thanks to Elizabeth of Silver's Book Reviews I read The German Wife. I have had a bit of a glut of WWII books lately but this one was a cracker – and different from the others I have read.
It is a dual time line book (which normally gets my goat) but it worked for this story. You learn about a scientist and his family just before and during the war – it shows how step by step they got dragged into doing dreadful things all the time because they wanted to protect their family.
You meet them again in the 50's when they have been taken to the US to work on the rocket programme. How the Germans and their families were treated was a bit of an eye opener to me.
You also follow some people who lived in the US in the dusty depression and were based in the same town as the Germans.
You will understand the moral dilemmas these people faced (without necessarily agreeing with their choices).
I tried to read this book when I got it from the library. I couldn’t get into it. Then my sister sent it to me and much later (due to a lack of library books) I gave it a go. And boy, am I glad!
Not a lot is known about Shakespeare himself – but it is known that he had a son called Hamnet who died at 11.
This book is a clever reimagining of his family and mother and the ramifications of the loss to the plague. Does it sound all doom and gloom? Well it isn't.
It is a brilliant historical novel. The only section that didn't work for me was the one dealing with how the plague exactly got to the UK and their village.
I am always on the lookout for Regency romances that are like Georgette Heyer's – witty, clean and a romp.
Thanks to She Reads Novels and her post, I found Sophie Irwin's A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting. I wouldn't have been attracted to it because of the cover – just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.
The heroine is Kitty who has 4 sisters and their parent die leaving lots of debt. She decides to go to London for the Season and try to find a well-off husband who will save her family. She doesn't pretend to be well off.
It was a good read. Not exactly like Heyer but well written. For a debut novel by a young writer it was very good and I look forward to her next novel.
I have read and posted about 2 other Jennifer Ryan books - The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Kitchen Front
This one maybe wasn't quite as strong as the others but it was enjoyable. It is set in the latter part of WWII in a small village in England.
The story is based around 3 women – a vicar's daughter, a bombed out London fashion designer and her upper crust niece. The story of the war is told through the effect on clothing for women – particularly for weddings.
The women work around shortages, re-purpose used wedding dresses and even grab a German parachute. There is some romance – light and clean – and yes a bit predictable. It didn't matter. It was a fun read.
I sometimes find Alison Weir's books a bit dense and boring. But based on the reviews by Carpe Librum and Reading The Past, I gave this first book of a new trilogy a go.
It took a while to get engrossed. For me the first third of the book could have done with some substantial editing but once I was past that it was a gripping story. And I was able to have some confidence that the author pretty much stuck to history rather than invention.
So if you want to know about the mother of Henry VIII, you need to read this book.
Thanks to Tracey from Carpe Librum, I gave this book by Minette Walters a go. I had tried one of hers before but found it too grim being set during the Black Death.
This one was a pearler. Set during the English Civil War its main protagonist is Jayne Swift (hence the Swift in the title) and another character uses the name Harrier amongst others.
It was a cracking story and also helped me find out things about the Civil War that I didn't know.
If you like
historical fiction, don't miss this one. Loved the cover too.
This book is based on a true story – much more closely than Quinn's other works. I had never heard of a Soviet female super sniper but here she is.
One slightly weird thing is that this was published this year – given events in Ukraine.
The sniper was born in Kiev (when it was part of the USSR). The events take place in 1942.
We follow Mila's journey to be a sniper and then she is made to go on a promotional tour in the US to try to persuade the American public to support the Soviet war efforts. (Inklings of Zelensky??)
Some of the events described are pretty gory and certainly very tense.
When you have finished this one do read the author's note – she explains what she has made up rather than sticking to 'fact'.
Click these links if you would like to read my posts about her other books - The Alice Network , The Rose Code
Joanna Hickson is an accomplished historical fiction writer. She obviously knows a lot of the history but brings it to life.
This is the story of Joan Guildford and spans the end of Henry VII's reign and the beginning of Henry VIII.
I enjoyed this very much. It wasn't quite the tour de force of Annie Garthwhite's Cecily – but is engaging in its own right.
And I loved the cover too.
The Last Bookshop in London was a fine example of a novel set in WWII London. It didn't try to have a broad sweep across events but instead focused on one particular community dealing with the blitz.
It was a very satisfying read. Very emotional at times but ultimately reassuring about the spirit of the British public.
Thanks to Sam Still Reading and The Reading Life for their reviews which led me to reading this great book.
I have read some good historical fiction lately including Cecily, What The Lady Wants, and Mrs England
A Marriage of Lions is set in the times of Henry III. It is clearly written and obviously well researched. I was interested in the period but found this a little 'bloodless' compared to Cecily. Maybe, because of the historical accuracy. There would be a relatively short chapter followed by a year's jump in time to the next.
So thanks to Helen of She Reads Novels for her post about the book. I'm glad I read it. And the cover is spectacular!
GTTBTIAG (far too long for a title) is the 10th in the Outlander series of books. When I read the first one in 1991 it was called Cross Stitch)
All of the books are fairly long but this one is a stonker – 888 pages.
You'll find out what happens to Claire and Jamie and their extended family in the early stages of the American Revolution – 1779 - 1781
And it's not the last because it ends with a tantalizing cliff hanger.
If you have read the earlier ones, you will enjoy this. If you haven't please don't start with this one – you'll never get the characters straight.
Thanks to the redoubtable Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews for her review that led to me reading this book.
There are many reasons to love this book
· It is a story about Denmark and its Jewish population during the War.
· It takes place in the context of defamation litigation in Chicago in 2018.
· The heroine Britta Stein is feisty and fantastic.
· Her lawyers are both competent and innovative.
· And the plaintiff Ole Hendryks and his lawyers are nasty pieces of work
What more could you want. It's a fascinating work of fiction based on solid historical facts. The Danes have every reason to be proud of what they achieved.
One small moan – the cover is not representative of any event in the book…
