Thought-provoking historical fiction
350140
Very interesting read with excellent character development. Lucy was a 19th century lady who would be comfortable supporting the advancement of women in the years ahead of her time.
305425
The Trial of Misella is a good read for someone who likes historical fiction. Witek has done her homework about the era, so sticklers for accuracy in the genre will not be disappointed! Witek writes a heart-breaking tale of Misella Cross, who is sent from her home my her well-meaning mother to live in the Maltby family estate to be a "sister" to the Maltby's only daughter. The upper-class life she hoped for never materializes. Instead she's reviled by the family, save Lord Maltby, who has nefarious intentions.
Witek has a fine eye for description and a talent for storytelling. The plot moves swiftly. Wisely, Witek keeps her chapters short for those who only have snippets of time to read, making The Trial of Misella Cross perfect for those who want an ingrossing book to read over lunch or on the ride home.
What I liked about the book is even though Misella is a victim of circumstance, she's not a wallflower, she's not passive - she's an active character who makes what decisions she can to better her life.
2468489
Lori Benton has an amazing gift with the historical fiction genre. In the book The Wood's Edge, she made 1757 seem so real to me.  While the tales of battle bored me a little bit, the friction between the Indians and white men was bitterly realistic.  An unspeakable act committed in the quiet of a sleeping mother's room led to such heartache in this novel.  I implore you not to read the summary on the back cover, because it's a major spoiler!  Instead, savor the moments with these rich scenes from the great frontier. While the time period might be different, so many of the interactions between characters are completely timeless.  Conflicts between husbands and wives, cultural groups, and between siblings never seem to be cured with time. Benton develops the Christian faith evangelism as a historical part of the story rather than a forced aspect of a Christian novel.  I've read a few novels by Lori Benton in the past, but this one is definitely my favorite!  Opinions shared are mine; I received this book to review.
3631592
Dena Hunt bases her book on historical fiction and transports her readers to Elizabethan England and its persecution of Catholics.  We feel the characters overwhelming fear and lack of freedom to worship their God as Catholics.  "Treason" will remind us how fortunate we are to live at time and in a place where we can worship freely everyday, and may it always be that way.
623343
Interesting historical fiction, it gave me a lot to think about.  Benedict Arnold is forever known as being a traitor but this book gives him more depth of character.  The story is told through his wife's mostly invisible maid.  Arnold's wife is truly the main character and according to the book the driving force in Arnold's betrayal of the country.  She is truly a complicated person, and I was never sure if I liked her or hated her.  I enjoyed the servants and learning about the roles they played in wealthy households.  I enjoy historical fiction and was thankful the author addressed what was truthful and what was fiction in his epilog.  I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Revolutionary War history as it portrays historical figures and events in an entertaining way.
1945480
I'm not surprised to find such contradictory reviews of this wonderful novel.  There's no such thing as tabula rosa readers when it comes to this book.  Each reader inevitably comes to the story with their own religious beliefs and education.  This is the dilemma:  do you consider Anita Diamant's story to be a pure work of fiction inspired by a brief portion of Genesis or do you consider it to be an attempt to flesh-out that story?  Putting my own prejudices up front, I pretty much considered this to be a pure work of historical fiction - an imaginative story well grounded in historical research.  From this point of view, I consider the book to be a huge success.  Not only is it a compelling story, but it is also beautifully written.  The author gives us a rich and fascinating glimpse at her interpretation of two ancient cultures.  Given that much of the historical record (biblical or otherwise) does not elaborate upon the private lives of women and families, no one should be surprised that Diamant has created/altered/expanded upon these subjects.  I think she did an excellent job of creating and contrasting a unique society where women had their own rights and powers and the more traditionally accepted assumption that women were frequently powerless and vulnerable in early patriarcal society.  Whatever your own personal views, you are sure to find this a compelling and thought provoking read.
3600004
Hope Springs is a good historical fiction.  I think I would have enjoyed it better if I had read the first three books in the series (Summer Dream, Autumn Song, and Winter Promise) because there are many times Rogers mentions things that must have happened in the previous books.  That aside, the story is solid.  The issues are (were) real and the personal struggles that Cory and Elizabeth face are struggles that we all might face at one point or another in our own Christianity and lives.  Cory struggles with being judgmental and forgiveness.  Elizabeth struggles with trust (of both God and people, but especially men).  God works through their struggles, the people that surround them and natural disasters.

I would definitely recommend the book to others, but I would recommend reading the series (Seasons of the Heart) in order.
3351433
This was my first time reading Alice Hoffman, but I don't think it will be my last. Hoffman weaves together a story containing elements of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and suspense using a combination of first-person and third-person narration. As I read, I found myself comparing this book to "Where'd You Go, Bernadette," because each book defies a distinct genre, and instead, incorporates elements ranging from suspense to romance.  I generally dislike historical fiction, however I think it was the flawed, yet deeply likeable characters that really endeared this book to me.

Coralie lives with her controlling father in his sideshow-type museum. Eddie is a photographer who had shunned his religious upbringing, and experiences the beauty and ugliness of New York City on a daily basis. Coralie and Eddie's lives intertwine in expected (yes, they have a romance), but also very unexpected ways, and despite all the blows that life has dealt them, they are able to show each other a great deal of compassion.

Besides creating deeply intriguing characters, Hoffman also does an enviable job of depicting New York City as it was in the early 1900's. I enjoyed seeing the city through Eddie and Coralie's eyes. This book has much to offer readers of all inclinations, and the intriguing plot and beautiful prose makes it a quick read!
2580316
I enjoyed that it involved historical fiction in from a different perspective.  It had enough real life details to make it believable but not bog you down with day to day tedium.  I felt drawn in to the plight of Caroline as an 1800's woman with forward thinking ideas and a mind of her own.  Her battle between independence and the acceptance of her friends and family present an ongoing inner turmoil that has you rooting for her standing her ground.  A great read, and I have already bought the next 2 in the trilogy! Hope they are as good.
3856629
This book is good historical fiction, based on two real-life women, the Grimke sisters.  These two women were active in the early  movements of abolitionism and women's rights during the 1800's. The story takes place pre-Civil War, and there is good insight into the thoughts of the people during that time, both slaves and slave-owners.  I enjoyed the story, and felt that I learned something too.  I've read 4 of Sue Monk Kidd's books and this is one of my favorites.
2137630
I knew nothing of Gemmell before reading this book. Perhaps that was a good thing. While reading I could feel elements of his proficiency in fantasy but it remained a strong work of historical fiction.
That said, it lured me in slowly. I was not immediately taken with the tale or its characters. But as I perservered I became entranced with the story and eventually found it very difficult to put down.
It is a solid reimagining of the events surrounding and particularly leading up to the famous battle for Troy and focusses largely on one major character Helikaon/Aneas of Dardania - and what a character he is.
For anyone interested in a good historical fiction read, the bronze age or Ancient Greek History and the Trojan saga in particular this is a worthy addition to the library.
764968
I started reading this book not really sure what to expect; I have to say I wasn't disappointed. If I had to put it into a genre I suppose I would call it historical fiction with definite Christian themes. (Being a Christian myself I find this as a plus; a non-Christian, however, need not worry; I didn't get a sense of the book being "preachy".)

At any rate, when attempting historical fiction the author had better know his history. In this case the author has obviously done a lot of research on the subject, namely: late 19th century railroad building in America. Essentially, the building of the railroad and the flotsam that went with it is the backdrop of the novel. As you can imagine, that type of setting would provide no shortage of colorful characters to an imaginative mind and, we are introduced to a number of "colorful" characters in what I can only hope is a first in a series from the author-- at least, that was the impression that the ending of the novel gave.

Being a Christian I look for novels that are true to life yet leave out all the "stuff" I very well know exists, am daily surrounded by, but yet have no desire to meet up with once again in a novel I'm reading in order to relax. Here we get a good balance between reality and the need to just leave some things out which would not be a part of what the author seems to be trying to do here. That's a hard balance to find.

I think this book has a great story, interesting characters, an extremely interesting historically accurate picture of what life was like building the railroads, all without the "junk" that as a Christian, as I said, I really don't feel like dealing with in a leisurely read. For those reasons, this is one of those books I plan on reading to my kids when they get old enough to understand it.

In short, if you are wondering whether or not to buy this book: I would, I did, and I wasn't disappointed. For that I give it five stars. It fulfills what, I believe, it set out to do: not to be a Moby Dick or The Scarlett Letter but rather to be a good clean read in the historical fiction genre with Christian themes.
4264580
Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and while this book doesn't have the same dramatic sweep of the best of James Clavell or James Mitchener, it is compelling nonetheless. Innocence is told on a very personal scale, but goes beyond the narrow coming of age story by also being a commentary on gender and class. It is also interesting in that not everything turns out in a made-for-lifetimeTV sort of way, but is still plausible.

As a father it made me think somewhat critically and thoughtfully about my role in our family. Any novel which triggers quality introspection is a good novel by my measure.
4544344
This is the first book that I have read under the Historical-Fiction genre.  I am a little torn as to whether I will read this genre of books again?

Knowing that the story line was part fact and part fiction allowed me to overlook the sometimes slow advancement of the storyline. The knowledge that this was truly a person's history gave me the opportunity to overlook her onslaught of redundant questions and thoughts.

Jessie Ann Gaebele was  a pioneer in her own right. An eighteen year old girl trying to make her "own" way in a time when women were supposed to be housewives or helpmates only. Jessie wanted her own life, her own business and her own "piece of the pie".

Unfortunately Jessie's life was a bit complicated with the friendship of an older man who was also her friend, teacher and soul mate? As time progresses and fate intervenes...Jessie's life is changed until she realizes who she is meant to be is what she has desperately tried to run away from.

Imagining my grandmother telling me this story helped me to understand the pace, the recollections and the attitudes of that time.

If you like biographies, history and historical fiction...you will find a treasure in An Absence So Great.
4384019
I really enjoy historical fiction set during the First World War and the title of this one grabbed my attention. A note posted in a box of ammunition shells, wishing luck to a soldier on the front line, gets a reply and life in the East End of London changes forever. The war had already forced change on the role of women; girls free from a life in service were now working in the munitions factories, living with more freedom and money than they ever had before, but life was far from easy. Lizzie is a strong and independent woman who may not always make the best choices, but certainly has great passion for life and wasn't afraid to make decisions that some might have felt inappropriate for her position. Eunice initially came across as cold, hard and in control, but as the story unfolds and we learn of her pain and suffering, my feelings towards her softened.

There were quite a few twists in the plot and plenty of story lines to keep me page turning, but some things that were hinted at in later parts of the novel seemed to fizzle out unexpectedly. It may be that I am a bit of a drama queen, but I was expecting more drama from the end of the book, although it did reach a satisfactory conclusion. It is certainly an emotional novel with passion, compassion, deceit, loss and grief, which seemed to me to be a realistic portrayal of life during the First World War, mainly from the point of view of the women left behind, but not forgetting the horror of life in the trenches. This would be a great read for lovers of historical fiction.

I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review
3957283
Daphne du Maurier brings these historical characters to life. I finished the book a week ago and I'm still thinking about it! I highly recommend it to historical fiction lovers!
1818973
Although it took me a bit to get into the story, once I was into it, I enjoyed this book.  Even though I could pretty well predict the outcome, there were so many twists and turns that getting there was very interesting and made the read worthwhile. I would have liked to give the main character, Imogen, a good shake every now and then, but to me that is a credit to the author.  This novel is historical fiction, taking place in England.  The main character, Imogen, finds redemption in the end from the circumstances that were her young life.  If you enjoy historical fiction with surprises, twists, and turns, then this is a book I would recommend.