This Savage World by Anna Housego opens in 1770s London where young Maggie Bloodworth is trying to make her way in a city unforgiving to the poor. She is taken on as an apprentice midwife and eventually learns her trade with enough skill to stand on her own two feet. As Maggie's life progresses, she… Continue reading Review: This Savage World by Anna Housego
Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry follows professional violinist Sofya ("Sofi") and her teenaged granddaughter Yelena ("Lena") as they navigate the events leading up to, during, and after the brutal and infamous 1941 Siege of Leningrad . Having rekindled her old love with Admiral Vasili, Sofi gains valuable insider information that war is coming.… Continue reading Review: Lost Souls of Leningrad by Suzanne Parry
I somehow only recently discovered A Mercy by Toni Morrison, but the 17th century Americas POVs and exploration therein immediately drew me because I feel like many historical fiction narratives of enslaved people are set in the 19th century. A Mercy follows a small cast of characters, namely Florens, a young enslaved girl who is… Continue reading Review: A Mercy by Toni Morrison
A Poisoner's Tale by Cathryn Kemp gives life to the alleged real life 17th century poisoner Giulia Tofana. Kemp's tale opens in Palermo, Sicily where Giulia is taught by her mother how to make the infamous Aqua Tofana poison. While her mother charges for other herbalist and remedy work, distribution of the Aqua is always… Continue reading Review: A Poisoner’s Tale by Cathryn Kemp
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury comes recommended to me by a friend. I enjoy sci-fi and horror, but surprisingly have never read any Bradbury! That said, I did not know quite what to expect in terms of prose and style. SWTWC follows 13 year olds Will and Jim as they uncover the… Continue reading Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling is not your typically structured historical novel, but rather a mix of narrative poetry and prose. Sacajewea is introduced to the reader as the pre-teen and we follow her until about the age of seventeen. While most only know about Sacajewea through the context of the… Continue reading Review: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power recounts a family saga through the generational trauma of "Indian Boarding Schools." The book follows three woman from each generation, starting with Sissy in 1960s Chicago. Her parents are both boarding school survivors and have effectively been forced to move to a city for jobs and resources.… Continue reading Review: A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
Taking place in 1950s Red-scare Washington, D.C., The Briar Club follows the internal machinations of Briarwood Boarding House. Run by the stingy Mrs. Nilsson, along with her wise-beyond-his-years teenage son Pete and aspiring baker daughter Lina. There's Grace March, enigmatic, compassionate, motherly, but holds a damning secret. Fliss, the "perfect" house mate and mom to… Continue reading Review: The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
The Maiden of Florence, based on true events, follows orphan Giulia Albizzi who is pulled from the Pieta and taken into the care of the Medici Grand Duke for a larger scheme. Having been raised in the Pieta, Giulia is naive of the world and of men. Growing up an orphan with fleeting friendships in… Continue reading Review: The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa
Horses of Fire by A.D. Rhine is a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspectives of Helen, Andromache (wife of Hector,) and Rhea (a young enslaved woman raised in a horse breeder family.) In this version, Helen has been taken from her former home and husband by Paris against her will. As the years… Continue reading Review: Horses of Fire by A.D. Rhine
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