book review, historical fiction

Review: The Foundling by Stacey Halls

The Foundling by Stacey Halls, author of The Familiars, follows Bess Bright and Alexandra Callard - two very different women from two very different socioeconomic statuses who are bound by a child. The Foundling takes place in Georgian London--and if you set anything in Georgian London, I'm going to read it or watch it! Bess… Continue reading Review: The Foundling by Stacey Halls

book review, historical fiction, history

Review: Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard by Sally Cabot

Benjamin Franklin's Bastard by Sally Cabot begins in 1730s Philadelphia with Deborah Read meeting Benjamin Franklin. Their brief courtship is cut short when Franklin journeys to London for a time. When he returns, he meets a tavern serving girl named Anne. While Deborah and Benjamin are obviously historical figures, Anne is not. Rather, she is… Continue reading Review: Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard by Sally Cabot

book review, historical fiction

Review: Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore

Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore has been on my to-read list for a while, and I'm so glad I finally read it, because I loved it! Set in 1760s Boston, the novel follows Scottish painter Stewart Jameson (and his lovable Great Dane Gulliver!) and "fallen" woman Fanny Easton who disguises herself as a… Continue reading Review: Blindspot by Jane Kamensky & Jill Lepore

book review, historical fiction

Review: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson begins in 1730 with seven-year-old Red, daughter of a cunning man, as they travel the Cornish countryside telling fortunes. Red is knowledgeable of the mystical "Square of Sevens," a type of tarot card fortune telling using playing cards. But when Red's father dies and she is taken in… Continue reading Review: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

book review, historical fiction, history

Review: Anangokaa by Cameron Alam

Anangokaa by Cameron Alam follows a 14-year-old Scottish girl, Flora MacCallum, newly arrived with her family in the Canadian wilderness in 1804. The novel opens with Flora emerging from a grave illness (I suspect malaria or smallpox) of which her parents and one of her sisters did not survive. Flora, her older brother Hugh, and… Continue reading Review: Anangokaa by Cameron Alam