You might think that fiction is one thing and non-fiction quite another, but the prolific genre of historical fiction spans the territory between the two. Historical fiction is as old as… well, history. From oral accounts of people and events
You might think that fiction is one thing and non-fiction quite another, but the prolific genre of historical fiction spans the territory between the two. Historical fiction is as old as… well, history.
From oral accounts of people and events re-told from generation to generation, often fictionalized in the process to classic literature such as Homer’s Odyssey, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Dickens’s Tale of Two Cities, or Tolstoy’s War and Peace, historical fiction has long been with us and apparently, is nowhere near extinction. One scholar notes that while the goal and technique of the history writer is to uncover and reveal historical fact to the reader, the goal and technique of the historical fiction writer is to suspensefully conceal and surprise, allowing the reader to make the discovery of history on her own. Book Buzz this week presents some new historical fiction titles.
Happy reading!
Final Voyage: A Story of Arctic Disaster and One Fateful Whaling Season
By Peter Nichols
Adult Fiction Ni
Chronicling the downfall of the vast whaling industry developed in New England over the 18th and 19th centuries, author Nichols presents both an illuminating portrait of Quaker life and industry, and a heart-pounding tale of danger on the open sea. Nichols recreates the atmosphere of whaling voyages and villages, particularly wealthy New Bedford, Massachusetts. A collection of ships’ logbooks and letters from whaling captains give character to the phenomenal victories and challenges faced by the seamen and their families. The 1871 season recounted here marked the beginning of the end for the whale oil industry, a major disaster in which an entire fleet was caught in a diabolical arctic weather system. For more maritime tales try Coconut Chaos: Pitcairn, Mutiny and a Seduction at Sea by Diana Souhami or Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton.
The Creation of Eve
By Lynn Cullen
Adult Fiction Cu
Everyone has heard of Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci, but few are familiar with Renaissance painter Sofonisba Anguissola. One of the most celebrated portraitists of her day, Sofonisba was denied the artistic and personal freedom granted even to men of lesser talent. She was forced to flee her native Italy in the wake of a sexually charged scandal. In her new role as painting instructor and lady-in-waiting to young Queen Elisabeth of Spain, Sofi witnesses the intrigues of King Felipe’s royal court. The author does a great job reinvigorating a still-life portrait of an all-but-forgotten maestra. Art history is also addressed in Signora da Vinci by Robin Maxwell or The Women by T.C. Boyle.
Heresy
By S.J. Parris
Adult Fiction Pa
Set in 1583 against a backdrop of religious and political intrigue this is the story of Giordano Bruno, a former Italian monk excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church and hunted across Europe by the Inquisition for his belief in a heliocentric infinite universe. Bruno flees to more tolerant Protestant England but remains a humanist dangerously ahead of his time as he furthers his quest to light the fire of enlightenment in Europe. For another look at religious and political intrigue in 16th century England (and a strikingly similar book cover) try C.J. Sansom’s Dissolution.
Honolulu
By Alan Brennart
On a local note this follow-up to Moloka’i, chronicles the lives of Asian immigrants in and around Hawaii’s early 20th-century glamour days. Jin, a mail-order bride from Korea marries a callous plantation worker. Soon Jin and her fellow picture brides must discover their own ways to prosper in America. They find that camaraderie and faith in themselves goes a long way. See also The Last Aloha by Gaelen Quinn about Queen Liliuokalani. Humble Honest Men by Bob Dye about the shipwreck of the Lusitana, Jack London in Paradise by Paul Malmont or Dead Downwind: Ten Harrowing Days that Changed Aviation History by Bill Riddle.
Pearl of China
By Anchee Min
Adult Fiction Mi
As a girl in Maoist China, the author was ordered to denounce Pearl S. Buck; now she offers a sketch of the Nobel laureate’s life from the point of view of fictional Willow Yee, whose lifelong friendship with Pearl Buck begins in Chin-kiang where Pearl’s missionary father converts Willow’s educated but impoverished father. While a changing China swirls around them, their friendship is tested as they both fall in love with the same poet. As the 1949 revolution looms, Pearl flees China, and Willow’s husband becomes Mao’s right-hand man, leading to a fateful showdown with Madam Mao when Willow refuses to denounce her lifelong friend. More on the immigrant or expatriate experience can be found in Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, Once on a Moonless Night by Dai Sijie or Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.
The Postmistress
By Sarah Blake
Adult Fiction Bl
Taking readers back and forth between small town America and war-torn Europe in 1940 the author weaves together the story of Iris James, a single, 40-year-old postmistress, and young newlywed Emma Trask. Both are new arrivals to Cape Cod who follow American reporter Frankie Bard on the radio as she delivers powerful and personal accounts from the London Blitz and elsewhere in Europe. The author captures two different worlds-a naïve nation in denial and, across the ocean, a continent wracked with terror-and takes on complex questions, such as the merits of truth and truth-telling in wartime. For more WWII stories, try Sara Houghteling’s Pictures at an Exhibition which explores attachment to the beauty of art, and to childhood. She conjures a Paris both vivid and sad; and the paintings she describes are glorious. Also consider Beside the Burning Sea by John Shors or The Information Officer by Mark Mills.
Black Hills
By Dan Simmons
Adult Fiction Si
In this well-constructed and highly imaginative retelling of Custer’s last stand at the Little Big Horn in 1876, the dying general’s ghost enters the body of Paha Sapa, a 10-year-old Sioux warrior who is able to see both the past and the future by touching people. The action leaps around in time to illustrate the arc of Sapa’s life, but focuses on 1936, when, as a septuagenarian, he plots to blow up the monuments on Mount Rushmore to atone for his role in constructing the stone likenesses. For more American history look for The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent (Salem witch trials) or The Help by Kathryn Stockett (civil rights movement) or The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant (prohibition).
• Carolyn Larson, head librarian at Lihu‘e Public Library, brings you the buzz on new, popular and good books available at your neighborhood library. Book annotations are culled from online publishers’ descriptions and published reviews.
