A very readable historical fiction
343330
Isabel Allende is the author of over a dozen novels. She has a distinct writing style, one that I enjoy, and she frequently spices her novels with magic realism, a kind of near-poetic representation of an event which is impossible but which captures the event. She does so only sparingly in this historical fiction. This novel is based on fact, the life and adventures of In&eacute;s Su&aacute;rez. She was a Spanish conquistador. A conquistador is the title given to leaders of the Spanish conquest of the New World  America, Mexico, Peru, Chile, etc  in the sixteenth century. The title is related to the word conqueror. Su&aacute;rez was born in Palencia, Extremadura, Spain in 1507. She came to the Americas around 1537 when she was about thirty years of age. It is generally assumed that she was in search of her husband Juan de Malaga, an adventurer, who had left Spain to serve in the New World with the oft-vicious Pizarro brothers. This is the position that Allende takes.
 Suarez arrived in Lima in 1538. She participated in the conquest of Chile with Pedro de Valdivia who she came to love dearly. She successfully defending Santiago against a Mapuche attack in 1541.
The novel is filled with many events such as the mistreatment of women, rapes, blaiming the rape on the woman, pious sex  while covered up, considering natives savages, butchering them, the natives fabricating a story about El Dorado to get the invades moving away from them, the sack of Rome, the Spanish monarch taking a fifth of all the plundered wealth stolen from native, strange native medicines, and much more.
715038
I enjoyed this historical fiction tremendously. The author has done her research and knows how to craft a good story. It is very well written and long enough to capture your interest in the characters and troublesome times.
3332803
Very readable book that makes brings historical characters to life and helps organize some very chaotic events into a coherent narrative.
4740817
When my friend, who normally dislikes historical fiction, insisted I read this book, I was somewhat dubious. But she was so persistent I finally borrowed it from her, and I'm glad I did.

Set during the tumultuous war between the usurper King Stephen of England and his cousin, the rightful queen Maud (OK, I'm biased), this story is unlike most historical fiction in that it is less concerned with the doings of royals, bishops, and aristocracy than it is with petty country nobility, small-town monks, and ordinary tradesmen. The big events of the period (spanning the first half of the twelfth century) are touched upon only peripherally. Instead, we get a better sense of how the regular subjects of England eked out their lives.

There are three main groups of characters, embodying the three classes of medieval Europe: Those who fight, those who work, and those who pray. The fighter in this case is the cruel Earl William, the prayer the noble and brilliant Prior Phillip, and the workers are the family of Tom Builder, a stonemason.

When the dilapidated church of Kingsbridge burns down, Tom persuades Phillip to let him rebuild it as a new, larger cathedral. This doesn't sit well with William, and sets off a series of conflicts between the town of Kingsbridge and William's seat of Shiring over labor and resources, not to mention the money that comes from having the most important church in the area. Some of the disputes are political, fought with back-door dealings and manipulations of the loyalty of the followers of Stephen and Maud. Some are violent, with William bullying and intimidating the townsfolk with the usual rape, murder, and pillaging.

The characters in this book are wonderfully drawn and complex. With the exception of the cartoonishly evil William, the rest are nuanced and entirely believable, with flaws and strengths that make them enjoyable even when they're not likable. Phillip is noble but stubborn, Tom is smart and hardworking but occasionally short-sighted, his stepson Jack is brilliant but erratic. The female characters are a treat, too. Tom's wife Ellen is an atypical firecracker, who enjoys the suspicion that she's a witch, hates the Church, and lives alone in the forest. Jack's paramour Aliena is the daughter of a disgraced former earl who single-handedly rebuilds her family's fortune by becoming a successful merchant, only to see it lost and regained time and again.

Finally, if any readers are interested in reading more about Stephen and Maud, I would highly recommend Sharon Kay Penman's "When Christ and His Saints Slept." That book and "Pillars of the Earth" are perfect companion pieces, one dealing with the power brokers and one dealing with the people who actually have to live in the world they create.
382265
FLI is a well constructed story, written concisely and has great historical context woven into it. The character Margaret feels timeless and universal, she could be set in any age and time, even today with the progress women have made, her struggles from only 130 years ago resonate. She finds herself trying to have a writing career, travel, and be a good wife while deeply longing for her romantic interest, Michael.  Which sounds like it should have a bodice ripper cover, but no, this is a fine work of historical fiction, well researched, with a thread of romance and a lot of Irish history I wasn't aware of. I found myself taken away to the crossroads between Ireland and Chicago, Margaret's world, she actually reminded me of Dorcas Lane from the British mini-series Lark Rise to Candleford, with her well developed morals, but still a great sense of adventure.  After finishing the book I wanted to have a pint of Guinness and imagine another several more chapters of Margaret's compelling life.
430542
I love historical fiction, and the details in this were well done.  The character of Merival was developed well, as is his journey of self degradation, low self esteem to growth and mental maturity through inner reflection.

There's no need for me to recount the plot; others have done so and described it well.

It was good enough to keep reading, yet it was easy to put down and I never felt compelled to pick it up as soon as possible.  It was easy to go about other tasks and simply read it when I had time, an aberration for me, especially in historical fiction I find to be a compelling read.  And I suppose that's my point. As good as it was, as well written as it was, it wasn't a compelling read.  In fact, I don't even remember the end of the book.
138483
This is a well researched, well-written book of historical fiction. I learned a tremendous amount about the daily lives and struggles of 17th century New Englanders and Native Americans. This story is told mainly by the young clergyman Reverend Brewster and Linto, a Native American. It's interesting to see the parallels between the Puritan's prayers and devotionals and the Native American's spirituality. (In the 17th century it seems like everybody was praying to a higher power in hopes of surviving.) The characters - some are real people and some are fictional - were well developed. There are quite a few of them, and the author provides a much-appreciated character guide in the beginning of the novel. Overall, My Fathers Kingdom is an engaging read for fans of historical fiction.
4726323
I loved reading this story. It's a rattling good yarn and the author has clearly researched the topic in depth and has been able to smoothly portray the life of a very interesting man, against a backdrop of aspects of recent european history.  All of this in a very readable package . Recommended
1134894
More fiction than the "historical fiction" I prefer, but covering historical events I have not spent much time exploring. Though this could be a "stand alone" book, the characters are further developed from the first book, jumping generations, yet providing a continuity I would not have anticipated. Well done; a very good read.
2357311
I wanted to read this story because I found the author's portrayal of Isabella in the early chapters of "The King's Pleasure" so interesting.  Nora Lofts is very good at creating a good story around mostly historically accurate details.  I learned a lot I did not know about this time period and this royal family, having focused mostly on the Tudors in my reading.  Isabella is shown as a very stoic, logical person, who shoulders huge responsibility as a monarch, but also a mother who cares deeply about her children.  It's typical to see rulers in these times lacking in true emotional attachment to their offspring, who are pawns in political games, as well as being raised separately from the parents almost from birth.  The author creates a wonderful character in Isabella; I was impressed by her concern for the welfare of her soldiers, and how she did without luxuries out of respect for their hardships in the field.  There were many instances where she really learned from mistakes she had made, as with her first child's early upbringing, and she was always realistic about her own motives.  It's not a particularly upbeat story, but she's a very admirable character overall.
151399
This is a wonderful story, with a bit of history, a bit of mystery, and some great storytelling. It is very well-written, with admirable and lovable characters. I liked the fact that, though the basic story was a familiar and oft-used one (young woman rescues and cares for wounded man - they fall in love), for an English historical novel, the setting was quite different from the norm. I also liked that though their faith was evident, it wasn't too preachy...it was very naturally woven into the story. Definitely want to read more by this author.
263720
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction. It is told from the point of view of a very likable female lead.
4524140
I'm a fan of historical fiction, but too often the works veer too heavily in one direction or the other.  Either the author sticks so closely to the details that a coherent and compelling story fails to appear, or takes so many liberties that the final work barely recalls the original events.  Here, the author has managed to find that balance, to craft an intriguing narrative with well developed characters and set them in events that match close enough with history that you actually learn something along the way.  It was an entertaining read and I look forward to the next novel from Mr. Oates.
2153056
I enjoy historical fiction, but I'm not a WW2 expert. The setting and details of this novel were close enough to the facts that I do know to be realistic. There is romance mixed into the story, but it doesn't take over the whole plot, and the authors manage to save a couple of secrets for the late chapters. I enjoyed reading "The Swiss Courier."
2286014
<b>4.0 of 5 stars 
I love history, particularly the revolutionary era, but I hadnt yet read one devoted to the lesser-known soldiers. This one ended up being one of the better ones Ive read about that time.

Jack Kelly makes this history approachable  keeping it at a good pace, easily readable, descriptive, and brief, while doing a good job of giving enough details to get a feel of being there. It will serve as a good reminder for those like me who have read more about these times, but I even found some new things, or maybe I just had forgotten, which is fine too. It actually had more than I expected about the strategy and logistics of the battles, so its definitely a military novel. And since Im really an amateur, I appreciated the occasional analysis that let me know, for example, whether a particular strategy was good or not.

Even though I had an expectation from somewhere that it was about the common soldier, it mainly focused on officers. Still, they were the second/third tier, lesser-talked-about leaders, so it was still interesting and informative. You do get a feel for the common soldier, through their condition being described en mass and use of frequent quotes, but there were no personal accounts or individual perspectives that gave me a picture of them, such as more of the cultural situation and dynamics among the men and women in the camps. But of the officers, I did like the personal info (such as family) and psychology (such as personalities and motivations) that created a more human and complete picture.

I don't mean to take anything away from my parents generation who fought WWII, but Kelly does a wonderful job of making you appreciate what all the revolutionary generation had to do to win the war against even bigger odds with even greater sacrifice.
(I'm excited to have won this as a Goodreads First Read  so thanks, Palgrave Macmillan!)
3393308
I really enjoyed reading this translated historical novel from it's original German author Durst-Benning.  It kept my interest and learned a bit about the seed trade from the 1800's in Europe.  There is enough richness described from the viewpoints of each of the main characters and I enjoyed the writing style.  It's always a bonus to have a believable strong leading woman character when reading historical fiction.
178844
This is an historical fiction. The story follows John Doyle and his family from Ireland to Canada. The potato famine and sickness in Ireland led John Doyle on a voyage to Canada to begin a new life for his mother and siblings. After sending for them, and the family are together again, the tragedies of Ireland are left behind. Life, however, wherever it is lived has hardships and joys. This is a book that is bittsweet as it has death and joy within its pages. This book led me through a period of history and gave me a understanding of the people who lived then. I enjoyed reading it very much.