I need to preface this review by saying that about 80% into The Turning of Anne Merrick I found out this book was a sequel! First, this speaks to the fact that technically this novel can stand on its own. Second, Yes--there were moments where major events in the characters' pasts came up that… Continue reading Review: The Turning of Anne Merrick by Christine Blevins
The Familiars by Stacey Halls is a fictional account leading up to the 1612 Pendle Witch Trials, featuring actual historical figures. Seventeen-year-old Fleetwood Shuttleworth becomes mistress of Gawthorpe Hall, near Pendle, and gets drawn into the controversy over her midwife's, Alice Grey, alleged involvement with the "Pendle Witches" at Malkin Tower. I did know a bit… Continue reading Review: The Familiars by Stacey Halls
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History by Pamela D. Toler is a fascinating non-fiction read accouting women warriors throughout history. I've always been interested in women who went against the norms of their times and charged ahead for future generations, and Women Warriors goes a step further by giving context to these women. While some indeed… Continue reading Review: Women Warriors: An Unexpected History by Pamela D. Toler
The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones tells the true story of Princesses Militza and Stana of Montenegro and their marriages into the Russian Imperial Family at the turn of the century. Coming from a small, "backwater" country, the sisters are immediately shunned by the Russian nobility in St. Petersburg. They call them "Goat… Continue reading Review: The Witches of St. Petersburg by Imogen Edwards-Jones
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd tells the true story of Eliza Lucas, who at the age of 16 was given control of her family plantations after her father returned to Antigua to secure his political position. It is remarkable that in 1738, a father would give his 16 year old daughter control of such… Continue reading Review: The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
The General's Cook by Ramin Ganeshram tells the true story the George Washington's head cook, Hercules, in Philadelphia during the first presidency. Hercules is a complex and formidable figure, enjoying the benefits of his "station" as the President's head cook, while at the same time still, in reality, an enslaved man. Although he is… Continue reading Review: The General’s Cook by Ramin Ganeshram
Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison is a Western you know, as well as the Western you don't. That's namely due to Whiskey's main character, Jessilyn. The story is told from Jessilyn's point of view, and with that comes her unique speech and colloquialisms. In turn, the voice of Whiskey is extremely strong in… Continue reading Review: Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan tells the amazing true story of an 18-year-old Italian boy named Pino Lella. This novel is very much a coming of age story as it is a story of WWII. Pino comes of age against the disturbing back drop of war, which drastically shapes the rest of… Continue reading Review: Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Becoming Belle by Nuala O' Connor is a Victorian-set novel about a women ahead of her time. Isabel Maude Penrice Bilton did indeed becoming "Belle," a modern woman who forged her own path and made her own money in a time when a woman's role was restricted and social mores were strict. I'll… Continue reading Review: Becoming Belle by Nuala O’ Connor
Women of the Blue and Gray tells the true stories of women on both sides of the Civil War who defied gender norms and were social pioneers despite the strict Victorian mores of the time. Although I had some knowledge of womens' involvement in the American Civil a la nursing and spying, Marianne Monson… Continue reading Review: Women of the Blue & Gray by Marianne Monson
Home 