Princess: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser tells the little-known lives and trials of Princesses Royal (Charlotte,) Augusta, Elizabeth, Sophia, Amelia, and Mary. The daughters of George III came of age during great changes in the British Empire, and experienced great changes themselves--outside of the norm for 18th/19th century princesses. What is… Continue reading Review: Princesses: The Six Daughters of George III by Flora Fraser
Golden Hill opens in 1746 Manhattan and follows the mysterious and enigmatic Mr. Smith. Smith keeps both the characters and reader guessing his motives and identity, as he arrives in New York with a voucher for a sum of money larger than anyone of his age and station should have. It is important to… Continue reading Review: Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York by Francis Spufford
Bomb Girls by Jacky Hyams examines the important, yet often forgotten work of the female munitions factory workers in the UK during WWII. Hyams provides historical context and research as a foundation before the book moves into real accounts from women who worked in the factories. Hyams interviewed several women who worked in munitions… Continue reading Review: Bomb Girls: Britains’ Secret Army: The Munitions Women of World War II by Jacky Hyams
I haven't gotten into the habit of reviewing non-fiction books, as I often find them hard to review in the same way I review fiction. Nevertheless, I will try to make more of an effort to do so. Never Caught seems like an exception to me, though. Dunbar has written what I would classify… Continue reading Review: The Washingtons’ Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
The Terror by Dan Simmons tells the bleak, brutal tale of the doomed 1845 Franklin Expedition in which the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus sought to traverse the Northwest Passage. While historically we know that all those on the expedition perished likely from starvation, exposure, scurvy, cannibalism, etc, Simmons offers a horror/supernatural twist to… Continue reading Review: The Terror by Dan Simmons
See my review at the Journal of the American Revolution!
I don't know how I didn't discover Beverly Swerling until now, but wow--Shadowbrook was right up my alley! Scouring Amazon for 18th Century fiction paid off! Shadowbrook takes place during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), and for anyone who doesn't know, I have an obsession with the Daniel Day-Lewis version of… Continue reading Review: Shadowbrook by Beverly Swerling
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead tells the story of 15 year old Cora, who runs away from a Georgia Plantation to obtain her freedom. Whitehead never actually tells us the date, but it is before the Civil War...California is mentioned a few times, and CA received statehood in 1850, so we can assume… Continue reading Review: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard is the second book in the Midwife series, taking place concurrently with The Midwife's Revolt. As I'd hoped, this installment does indeed fill in the gaps of Eliza's story that Midwife was lacking. Both books could have been spliced together, I think, so that the reader could experience the picture… Continue reading Review: Our Own Country by Jodi Daynard
When I wrote the first two parts of my Am Rev series, one of my main motivators was simply writing a story I wanted to read. I've found that fiction about the American Revolution is surprisingly lacking in volume, so whenever I do find any--especially with women as the central characters--I jump at the chance… Continue reading Review: The Midwife’s Revolt by Jodi Daynard
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