Given the subject matter of Kate Quinn's latest novel The Huntress, it is difficult to use terms like "enjoyment" and "fun" to describe the reading experience. So I will limit myself to saying that it is among the best historical fiction I have read in a long, long time. The novel opens with a scene at... Continue Reading →
I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon
When I read a well-executed historical novel, it typically sends me on a mini research bender where I try to read up on the era or the event as much as I can. I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon is one of those novels. The historical event it's woven around is the Russian Revolution - actually, two... Continue Reading →
Munich by Robert Harris
My own writing and research take me back to the Middle Ages and, more recently, the 16th century Eastern Europe. So it is refreshing to come across historical fiction that is much closer to our own times, and set in the period that I am also quite interested in but do not know as much... Continue Reading →
Heroine to Housewife—Reinventing a Woman’s Life After World War I
A guest post by Renny deGroot World War I: A time when the world changed forever. Among the advancements of technology, medical discoveries, and the loss of a generation of men, it was also a turning point for women. We are all familiar with those heroic women who worked in munitions factories, made tires, or were... Continue Reading →
Abigale Hall by Lauren Forry
In the wake of World War II, orphaned London siblings Eliza and Rebecca must live with their Aunt Bess, the only other family survivor. But Aunt Bess is not a very affectionate woman, and she is also deep in gambling debts. Thus begins the gothic suspense novel Abigale Hall by Lauren Forry. One day the... Continue Reading →
The Redemption of Alexander Seaton by S.G. MacLean
I love reading historical fiction set in places that are not the usual go-tos of this genre, like revolutionary France or Tudor England (interesting though they are!!). There are vast areas of Europe, especially its eastern parts, not to mention places like Africa or South America, that rarely make an appearance. In that sense, Scotland... Continue Reading →
Grandmother’s WWII Experience Inspires “Threaten to Undo Us”
Guest blog by Rose Seiler Scott Even with my eyes closed, I would have known I was in my Oma’s house. The aroma of woodsmoke and sauerkraut permeated everything from the air to the brightly coloured afghans draped over the couches. When it was time to leave, it was rarely without a small gift--- multi-coloured... Continue Reading →
Women’s History Month guest blogs – a roundup post
March was Women’s History Month, and I made my website available to guest bloggers who write novels about history’s lesser-known women. I had a great response and ended up featuring four posts on topics spanning more than 400 years of history and both sides of the Atlantic. From Martin Luther’s wife in the 16th century... Continue Reading →
The Forgotten History of Soviet Women Pilots
Guest blog by DL Jung During World War II, a combination of communist ideals of equality and sheer desperation drove the Soviet Union to recruit women in large numbers to the military. Some eight hundred thousand served, many in dangerous combat roles, such as medics, snipers, fighter pilots, and tank crew. Like many people, I... Continue Reading →
The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown
The year is 1645 and England has been mired in a civil war for 4 years; but as men are dying in prisons and in armed encounters, in the county of Suffolk a self-appointed witch hunter is unleashing terror of a different kind. Based on a true story, The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown, tells... Continue Reading →