Archive for Historical Novel

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek cover

Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek coverThe Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
Author: Kim Michele Richardson;
Genre: Historical Novel;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Katie Schorr;
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Set in 1930s Kentucky, this was a fascinating story about a young woman who delivers books to rural homes. She rides a mule as she works for the Kentucky Pack Horse library service, a short-lived, but important literary outreach to the isolated poor. The people of the hills are starving, both in body and soul, and she considers it a privilege to provide them with books and magazines to feed their intellect.

Cussie Mary is one of the rare blue-skinned people of that area of the country. She’s considered a “colored” and is treated as bad—or worse than—blacks. Themes include physical abuse, black lung disease, and labor struggles, but also redemption, forgiveness, and compassion. And love of books and reading, of course.

It’s not a fun read with those dark topics, but the novel is written wonderfully. The description is outstanding, and I felt the cold wind and smelled the wood smoke. There wasn’t a time during the story that it dragged, which is unusual for a novel this long (9.5 hours of the audiobook and 320 pages in the paperback). The characters are all unique and interesting, too.

The narration by Schorr is first-rate; her accents sounded authentic and her pacing was excellent. This is a perfect example of why listening to a book, versus reading text, is so valuable and enjoyable.

 

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel, Reading Tagged with
The Sisters Brothers cover

Review: The Sisters Brothers

By Jan
 on September 19, 2019

The Sisters Brothers coverThe Sisters Brothers
Author: Patrick deWitt;
Genre: Western, satire;
Format: Ebook;
Publisher: Ecco (2011);
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5).

Damn that cover.

It drew me in and wouldn’t let me go. The designer was Suet Yee Chong at Harper Collins, and she perfectly captured the contents of this story.

It’s dark, it’s violent, and it’s quite silly at times. I laughed aloud at least twice, which is saying something… so to speak. It’s a western that involves a lot of drinking and shooting and stealing. You’re not supposed to actually like the protagonists, and you won’t, but you will at least pity Eli, the narrator. He doesn’t really enjoy killing, but he follows Charlie because, well, he’s his brother. And that’s enough . . . until it’s not.

The prose was an interesting mix of mid-19th-century language delivered in a sort of stream-of-consciousness, first-person viewpoint. Wow, that sentence used a lot of hyphens.

Not for the squeamish. I’m talking to you, animal lovers. Step away.

In categories Book Covers, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with ,
Lady Audley's Secret cover

Review: Lady Audley’s Secret

By Jan
 on August 16, 2019

Lady Audley’s Secret

Lady Audley's Secret coverAuthor: Mary Elizabeth Braddon;
Genre: Novel, Mystery;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: Olivia Poulet;
Publisher: Audible Studios (2019);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

A lovely and compelling Victorian sensational novel, published in 1862. This isn’t a light read, as it contains a lot of mid-19th-century angst as the aristocratic protagonist agonizes over the disappearance of his best friend and what he should do about it. But this is no soap opera, and themes include deceit, murder, betrayal, familial and fraternal love, the marriage market, the advantages of beauty, and class struggle.

The plot is classic and almost perfect, although the purple prose of the era might turn off some modern readers. However, you might be surprised by the strength of some of the women in the book; Braddon obviously wanted to encourage her female readers to better themselves, but with a moral caveat (wink).

The book contains some wonderful bits of Victorian humor, too, which British readers may relate to more, but which I enjoyed immensely. In that respect, it reminded me of Jane Austen, who didn’t take her stories too seriously and tamped down the drama with some fun Regency self-aggrandizement.

Robert Audley makes a good character because his personality grows throughout the book. I didn’t think much of him at the beginning; he’s lazy and devil-may-care, thanks to his wealth and station. But this changes as he investigates the mystery; he realizes how, on the one hand, people can be very cruel and evil, and on the other hand, how much his friends and family mean to him.

Bandwagon Warning: Although modern readers might jump to conclusions about romantic or sexual issues between the protagonist and his bff, don’t fall for this. Relationships between (at least) aristocrats of the same sex at the time of this novel were more intense and sentimental, and it doesn’t mean the characters were gay.

DO NOT give up on this book because you think you know the solution to the mystery. The author adds some twists at the end that will satisfy you.

The audiobook was narrated by Olivia Poulet, who read it at such a quick pace that some of the wit escaped notice. If you often find yourself speeding up your audiobooks, you won’t have that problem here. Her accents were excellent, and the character voices were distinctive.

Highly recommended to readers of historical novels and mysteries, and gothic thrillers.

You might also enjoy: “The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield, “The Woman in White” by Wilkie Collins, “The Clockmaker’s Daughter” by Kate Morton

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with , ,
A Land Remembered cover

Review: A Land Remembered

By Jan
 on January 7, 2019

A Land Remembered

A Land Remembered coverAuthor: Patrick D. Smith;
Genre: Historical Fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Narrator: George Guidall;
Publisher: Recorded Books (2011);
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

This is truly enjoyable historical fiction story about a couple who moved from Georgia to Florida in the 1850s and literally cut a living out of the wilderness. Dirt poor, the MacIveys found a way to exploit the wild around them by capturing wild cattle, driving them across the state, and starting a small empire. Bit by bit, they fought nature, the Civil War, competitors, and fate to make a living.

The story continues in the second generation as their son carries on that way of life as long as he’s able. The third generation, however, doesn’t appreciate the wilderness that meant so much to the family.

That extended family includes interesting characters, even the not-so-good ones. The easygoing relationships between whites, blacks, and Native Americans seemed like a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the author, but I wanted to believe it.

The story contains blood, sweat, and tears, but almost no sex, no foul language, and only applicable violence. It also contains interesting bits of history about the settling of the Sunshine State.

The pacing was great and I had a difficult time choosing when to take a break. George Guidall did his normal fantastic narration and his timing was perfect.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel
Redeeming Love cover

Review: Redeeming Love

By Jan
 on August 31, 2018

Redeeming Love

Redeeming Love coverAuthor: Francine Rivers;
Genre: Christian Historical Romance;
Format: Audiobook;
Publisher: Recorded Books;
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (2 / 5).

So, this is one of those books that I think could have been so much better. The story is basically about Christian redemption, but the book is much too long for the story.

In a (loose) retelling of the biblical book of Hosea, a young girl, Sara, is sold into prostitution and bullied and abused by her pimp. Ten years later, during the Gold Rush, Sara/Angel/Amanda is beaten to a pulp and agrees (sorta) to marry a simple Christian farmer, Michael, to escape the situation. Michael is basically a saint, but Angel/Amanda keeps running away from him and from her feelings.

NOTE: Apparently, there are at least two versions of this book; one includes much more graphic violence and sex. This audiobook was not that version. However, the story is about a prostitute and does include many references to that trade and it’s risks.

The Biblical Hosea was one of the minor prophets in the Old Testament; the book of Hosea is seen as an analogy of God’s punishment and redemption of Israel. There are references throughout the novel that might confuse readers not familiar with the Bible story. A single example is the fact that Sara/Angel/Amanda sheds her clothes on one important scene that has nothing to do with her job as a prostitute. In case you need them, these are the Cliff’s Notes (seriously) for Hosea.

The main character of this novel is definitely Sara/Angel/Amanda, not Michael. She was mistreated, I get it. She was not in control of her life, I get it. Michael is her chance at redemption, I get it. There was no need to continue to pound those facts into my head over and over, with multiple examples and side stories to assist. The story can basically be told in a single paragraph, but this novel took over 17 hours.

I see some reviews here on GR that gush about this book, and maybe it’s because I’m not the target audience (although I am a Christian). But I found it repetitive and overlong.

The narrator, Kate Forbes, does a fine job with the material. There are both male and female voices in the story and her tone and inflection changed just enough to tell who was speaking.

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with
Circe cover

Review: Circe

By Jan
 on August 4, 2018

Circe cover

Circe: A Novel

Author: Madeline Miller; Narrator: Perdita Weeks;
Genre: Historical fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Publisher: Hachette Audio (2018);
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5).

A beautiful story of the goddess-witch Circe, based on the early Greek mythology, suffused with life by the author and performed with skill by the narrator. It might change your opinion of a few of the characters you thought you knew, as well.

Exiled to the lush island of Aeaea, Circe makes the best of it (at least in this version) and tames the wild beasts and grows lots of flowers and herbs to make medicine . . . and poison. However, in this novel, the author gives us a version of Circe as a victim several times over, ill-used by many of the characters, and only using her magical powers when backed into a corner; It’s a much brighter version of this character than I’ve seen before.

As is typical with Greek mythology, the story includes lots of heroes, villains, and monsters, magical powers used for good and evil, vengeance, back-stabbing, and guilt. However, it’s tempered here by Circe’s interaction with other characters, both gods and mortals. Lots of famous beings appear, like Hermes, Odysseus, Scylla, and the minotaur, and it’s my hope that the book engenders more curiosity about mythology.

Overall, the writing was stunning. I can’t say enough about how lovely the prose was.

“At my father’s feet, the whole world was made of gold. The light came from everywhere at once, his yellow skin, his lambent eyes, the bronze flashing of his hair. His flesh was hot as a brazier, and I pressed as close as he would let me, like a lizard to noonday rocks.”

The narrator was wonderful. Ms. Weeks’ pacing was perfect and her ability to differentiate the characters was excellent. The only qualm I have is that her voice was sometimes so quiet that it was difficult to hear, and I had to adjust the volume several times.

The story is quite brutal at times—it IS about the gods, after all—and there’s applicable violence. Mortality is a huge factor in the story, of course. Implied rape and sex but nothing descriptive, no foul language.

Highly recommended and deserves all the praise it’s getting.

Copyright © 2018 Janice F. McClintock, We Need More Shelves
In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel
Daughters of the Night Sky cover

Review: Daughters of the Night Sky

By Jan
 on July 23, 2018

Daughters of the Night Sky

Daughters of the Night Sky coverAuthor: Aimie K. Runyan;
Genre: Historical fiction;
Format: Audiobook;
Publisher: Brilliance Audio;
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5).

Historical fiction based on the lives of the “Night Witches,” the women Soviet pilots who harassed the German Army during WWII. They flew old, flimsy bi-planes with great effect, bombing German targets through 1945, and were highly decorated for their bravery and destructive missions. I’d give it four stars simply for bringing these women to light and educating readers.

But it’s not straight history, it’s a novel.

This book focuses on one pilot and her journey through training and into combat. The main character is a little too good to be true most of the time, but her fellow pilots have interesting personas, and the missions are described well (as far as I know). There is a romance, of course, but nothing too distracting.

I did feel that the author was too easy on the harshness of war and of the Soviet mindset during Stalin’s reign of terror. The book skips over most of the terrible sights and sounds of the war. Yes, people die in the book and it’s sad, but the true horror of the situation was glossed over, IMO. That was obviously intentional, but I believe it could have been a more legitimate attempt to describe these women’s lives during war.

Kathleen Gati did a fine job with the narration of the audiobook, although I think she overdid the Russian accent. It would have been easier to understand and just as effective had she lessened that aspect. The pacing was a little slow for me, and I sped up to 1.25x.

To learn more about the Night Witches, start here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_W…

In categories Audiobooks, Book Review, Historical Novel Tagged with
Die by the Blade cover

Review: Die by the Blade

By Jan
 on January 27, 2018

Die by the BladeDie by the Blade by James Mace.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars;
Genre: Historical fiction;
Format: Kindle ebook;
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5).

Exciting historical novel of Roman gladiators

This story of Verus, a captive gladiator in empirical Rome, was well written and exciting. It was obvious the author did his research, and very little exposition was needed to keep the story on pace. Instead, the third-person POV was used to cut away from the main character and bring us glimpses of the emperors in order to show the bigger picture.

The characters were somewhat archetypical, but I still cared whether or not the “good guys” survived in the arena.

Settings were described adequately, and I’m glad there is no such thing as “smell-o-book” to add to the atmosphere of blood, sweat, and worse.

The Kindle format was presented very well, with few errors throughout.

There is obviously quite a bit of violence, but it was only appropriate given the subject matter and it was not egregious. The occasional foul language might have added for the sake of authenticity, but was somewhat grating, especially for a woman reader, and I think it could have been toned down, or perhaps other choices could have been used. No real sex; although the author could have gone this direction, I’m glad he didn’t.

In categories Book Review, Historical Novel
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