The Man Who Could Be King by John Ripin Miller follows a young aide-de-camp of George Washington during the threat of internal revolt within the Continental faction in Newburgh, News York. King reads very much like a primary source diary of the time, however, Miller's Josiah Stockbridge is a fabrication and amalgamation of the experiences… Continue reading Review: The Man Who Could Be King by John Ripin Miller
Long after the slave trade had ended, slavers and merchants would still travel to the West coast of Africa to illegally purchase new "property," while at the same time avoiding any nation's govt ships to bring the "contraband" to the US. Such was the case with Cudjo Lewis in the early 1860s, right before the… Continue reading Review: Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
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
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
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
Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey focuses on Elizabeth Tudor's childhood and rise to power, rather than the majority of Elizabeth biographies that focus on her entire life or just her reign. I knew a bit about Elizabeth's upbringing before reading this book, but Starkey filled in the gaps and offered interesting information… Continue reading Review: Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne by David Starkey
Varina by Charles Frazier tells the story of Varina Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. From their first meeting, to the violent end of the war and her subsequent flight from the South to the frayed years of Reconstruction and beyond. Now I know what you may be thinking--why would you read a… Continue reading Review: Varina by Charles Frazier
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
