⏳ 2024 Historical Fiction Challenge ⏳

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________________________________ View of the Seine and Paris from the Musee d'Orsay Clock Tower, August 2017

In May of 2022, Katie over at Books and Things launched a Historical Fiction Readathon!
The video in which she lays out what qualifies as historical fiction as well as several of her recommendations are here: https://youtu.be/XPgpXd-9cBI

A number of readers in the 2022 Category Challenge were rather enamored of this challenge and co-opted it as a mini-challenge within their own threads for the month/year-- So I asked Katie for permission to re-mount the prompts here as a year-long challenge and she graciously agreed 🙂

The challenge is back this year by popular demand with just a couple of tweaks:

1. Read a work of historical fiction set in the country you’re from
2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from
3. Read a work of historical fiction set in your favorite historical time period to read about
4. Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with
5. Read a work of historical fiction with a speculative element
6. Read a work of historical fiction about a real historical figure or a specific historical event
7. Read a work of historical fiction of over 500 pages
8. Read a Classic work (written/published at least 60 years ago) or Bonus: Read a Classic work of historical fiction (written at least 60 years ago about a time period at least sixty years before the work was written/published)

Read at least one or shoot for the whole list or anything in between!
There is no minimum or maximum per prompt and you can read a book for a prompt in any order whenever you feel like it.
You can have a book count for more than one prompt or challenge yourself to qualify a book for only one prompt at a time.
There is no snobbishness here: You can count any genre (lit-fic, time travel, romance, plays...)
The only other rule is to Have Fun! 🙂

Here's last year's Wiki, just in case you're looking for a little inspiration: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2023_Category_Challenge:_Historical_Fict...

You can start now if you like. We'll carry it through December 2024.

👉 Don't forget to add to the Wiki for this year!: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2024_Historical_Fiction_Challenge

Thanks for setting us up. I'm looking forward to this!

I wasn't planning to join this group until I searched historical fiction against my LT library. Yikes! This Cat/Kit makes more sense for me than any others.

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thank you for organizing this challenge again! I'm looking forward to it and hope to focus more on it in the coming year. As >3 clue: said, it does make sense!

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thank you for organizing this challenge again, Tanya. Like >3 clue: I wasn't planning on it, but now I'm looking forward to it. And looking forward to discovering what everyone else will be reading.

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Hello, my TBR pile makes this challenge a must for me. Count me in. Thank you for organizing it.

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thank you for doing this again. I really enjoy this challenge and have lots of historical fiction in my tbr pile.

>1 Tanya-dogearedcopy: this was so much fun this last year, looking forward to what we all come up with this year!

I wasn't sure I'd do this one again (due to the HistoryCAT), but to be honest, most of the categories will be filled with stuff I read anyway, so it's an easy one for me to do, so I will join in after all!

Last month I planned but didn't get to read Death Comes as the End a mystery set in ancient Egypt by Agatha Christie. Then I realized it fits the Bonus category for this challenge: written at least 60 years ago (it was published in 1944) about a time period at least 60 years before the work was written.

I started off the year with something short, “Two Faces of Janus: A Short Story of Ancient Rome (by Linnea Tanner):

Lucius Antonius expect to be appointed as a praetor in the court of Augustus Caesar but instead finds himself faced with a loyalty test between his father & family versus the Emperor. Lucius comes to terms with the swiftly changing political environment and his personal prospects by remembering that as one door closes, he must wait for Janus to open another.

The author packs a lot of research into this short story and the attention to detail is remarkable; but it doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch one might expect from the high drama depicted.

ETA: Added to “Historical Fiction Set in a Time Period You’re Less Familiar With”

I just finished Dragonfly in Amber, which fits several of the prompts:

2. Set in a different country (Scotland)
5. Speculative element (time travel)
6. Real historical figure or specific event (although not the main character, Bonnie Prince Charlie appears often and the topic is the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the novel especially features the Battle of Prestonpans and the days before the Battle of Culloden)
7. Over 500 pages (my edition has 950 pages)

Today I finished My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young, which fits two prompts:

2. Set in a different country (England, Belgium and France)
6. Real historical figure or specific event (World War One, and more specific the Battles of the Somme and Passchendaele)

I listened to this on audio read by Dan Stevens and highly recommend this version!

I read A Girl Called Samson, set during the American Revolutionary War.

Covers a few prompts:
2. Set in a different country - America
4. Set in a time period you’re less familiar with - I know much more about this time period in Britain or Australia, not so much about the Revolutionary War.
6. About a real historical figure or a specific historical event

I read Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie for #8 bonus section. It was published in 1944 and is set in Ancient Egypt.

Unique among Christie’s novels and yet it has a typical Christie plot featuring a family eaten up with jealousy and ambition. The setting of Ancient Egypt makes it one of her best. The details of life and culture in Ancient Egypt can be trusted because of Christie's experience in the area with her archaeologist husband. Highly recommended.

Forgot to post this here, for #4. Time period I am less familiar with.

The Traitor's Wife / Susan Higginbotham
4.25 stars

This is fiction during the times of Edward II and Edward III. It is told from the point of view of Eleanor, the wife of Hugh le Despenser, who was a favourite of Edward II for a while. Eleanor was only 13 when she married Hugh, but she seemed to be completely in love with him. However, he was often away, and apparently committed piracy (among other bad things). Still, he loved Eleanor and their children. He also may have “loved” the king. Later in the book, once Edward II is gone (he was likely murdered), and a teenage Edward III is ruling, it is really his mother and Roger Mortimer (her new lover) who rule through him. But they were ruthless, and when Edward was older, he was not going to go along with this.

This was really good. I think I’ve only read one other book (nonfiction) about this time period and these kings. (The focus of that book was on Mortimer.) It took a bit to get “into” this one since I was unfamiliar with the time period and the people, so I spent a bit of time at the start figuring out who everyone was. Also, there are so many people with the same name! The author tried to distinguish most of the time, but it was still sometimes a bit confusing. But still very good, I thought.

#7 500+ pages

Fayne / Ann-Marie MacDonald
3 stars

In the late 19th century, 12-year old Charlotte lives with her father at Fayne (in Scotland or England). Her mother died in childbirth and her brother died when she was young, as well (Charlotte does not remember her brother). Charlotte is extremely smart and her father hires a tutor for her (who is initially perturbed that he was brought to tutor a girl). She wants to attend university.

This did not turn out as I’d expected. It was very long and I’m rating it ok. There were parts I liked (more toward the beginning of the book), but whenever we switched perspectives, I felt like I was starting over (even though after the first couple of times, we were mostly going back and continuing from where the last switch left off), and wasn’t interested for the first bit (of every switch). It took time to get interested again, but just as that happened, we switched again.

So, the other perspective is Charlotte’s mother. I honestly didn’t find this nearly as interesting, overall, as Charlotte herself. Though, after a bit, I was interested (then… switch!). Clarissa (Charlotte’s aunt) was a piece of work, wow! I didn’t like her from the start. The end was a bit weird: Did Charlotte live to about 140 years old!?

Last night I read my choice, The River Between Us by Richard Peck. It was quite good, and covered these prompts:

1. Read a work of historical fiction set in the country you’re from (USA)
5. Read a work of historical fiction with a speculative element (visionary)
6. Read a work of historical fiction about a real historical figure or a specific historical event (Civil War, Battle of Belmont)

My review:
An absorbing tale of a poor family living in southern Illinois at the start of the US Civil War. I was so drawn into the story and characters that I read on, late into the night. Another excellent work by this author.

I've finished The Visitors by Jane Harrison, which is from my country (Australia), has a speculative element (the arrival of the first fleet seen from the perspective of a group of Aboriginal elders), and is about an historical event.

On second thoughts it's not quite speculative enough, so I'll read another book for that option. I have Kindred on the Ereader ready to go.

Oh I loved Kindred! some time I should reread it, hop you enjoy ir

>18 fuzzi:
I read that book years ago for a course that I took in YA Literature and loved that book. It stayed with me for a very long time. Richard Peck was an excellent author and I didn't read a single clunker in his oeuvre.

I read House of Odysseus by Claire North, a reimagining of Penelope while Odysseus was away.

2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from (Greece)
3. Read a work of historical fiction set in your favorite historical time period to read about (Ancient Greece)

I've just read the gothic melodrama Dragonwyck by Anya Seton, which was first published in 1944 and is set a century earlier in New York and Connecticut. Loved it. It fits the Bonus category.

5. Speculative - funny, this one was so hard for me to fill last year and this year, I'm checking it off so early!

Against a Brightening Sky / Jaime Lee Moyer.
3.5 stars

It’s 1919 in San Francisco. When Delia and Gabe, Sophie and Jack (and their two kids), and Sam and Libby head to a parade, they never expected a riot to break out. Not only a riot, but then gunfire and explosions. Gabe and Jack are police so they go to help. Delia is a “spiritualist” – she can see ghosts; not only that, Sophie’s young son Connor sees them, too, but he is too young to do anything about it and they scare him. Delia does what she can to protect him. She also noticed the people who ended up rioting had something odd happen just before the riot. Once again, Delia and her friend Dora (also a spiritualist) must help Gabe solve this mystery.

I liked this. This is the third (and final, I’m guessing?) in a series. The POV changes between Gabe and Delia. Like the 2nd book, I think I liked Gabe’s storyline a bit better. I really liked the police officer, Jordan Lynch, whom they brought in from Chicago. There were a few times I really didn’t like Dora. I would continue with this series if it was to keep going (and would hope Jordan Lynch would continue to be in it, as well), but I see there aren’t (currently) more and this was published in 2015, so I’m not sure how likely another one is. It also kind of ended in a way that appears that there is unlikely to be more in the series.

I read Panther in the sky by J.A. Thom.

2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from (France).
4. Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with.
7. Read a work of historical fiction of over 500 pages.

All in one round !

I've decided to join this challenge this year, since I read a lot of historical fiction. It just makes sense.

This month I read The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel for my RL book club. It fits a couple of the prompts:

2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from (France)
6. Read a work of historical fiction about a real historical figure or a specific historical event (WWII; specifically about the forgers who created false documents to help Jews and others escape the Nazis in France)

I've read Person or Persons Unknown by Bruce Alexander. It qualifies as having a real historical figure.

Set in a country I'm not from.

Let the Dead Keep Their Secrets / Rosemary Simpson
3.5 stars

It’s the late 19th century in New York City. Prudence and Geoffrey run an investigation business. An opera singer, Claire, comes to them to ask them to investigate her twin sister’s (Catherine’s) death. Her sister, also an opera singer, was married to Aaron who seemed to keep her from her family and, by his request, she had stopped performing/singing. Catherine had just had a baby and they are now both dead. Aaron remarried very quickly after their deaths, and now Prudence and Geoffrey worry about his new wife, Ethel (who is pregnant).

This continues to be an enjoyable series. I love that a woman is doing much of the investigating. Apparently there were a few women investigators with the famous Pinkerton investigation agency at the time, as well. The story didn’t grip me as much as the first two in the series did, but it did ramp up a bit toward the end. Definitely still enjoying it enough to continue the series. I didn’t mention it in my description, but Aaron had a photographer come take a post-mortem photograph of Catherine and their baby; I did know this happened, but only because of the Nicole Kidman movie “The Others” from the late 90s?, so that wasn’t a surprise.

A real historical figure and a specific event

In Flashman and the Redskins, we meet Mangas Colorado, Geronimo, Spotted Tail, President Grant and George Custer, as well as many others, and Flashy ends with a ringside seat at the Little Bighorn.

I read Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd set in the Regency era, for the time period I'm less familiar with.
I really enjoyed this Regency cosy mystery featuring Lucy Harrington, the rector’s daughter, and the injured Major Robert Kurland, recently returned from Waterloo.

COMPLETED The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch, set in 17th century Bavaria.

It fits prompts 2 and 4:
Not my country
Less familiar period.

I read The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. For me, it fits prompt #2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from
and sort of fits prompt #4. Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with. I'm actually familiar with that time period, but I am not familiar with the Roman Empire in Britain, so it fits in a sense.

Just started the heaven and earth grocery store covers:

1. Read a work of historical fiction set in the country you’re from

4. Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with (penn 1972)

6. Read a work of historical fiction about a real
historical figure or a specific historical event

I read The King's General by Daphne du Maurier for category 4, an unfamiliar time period. It's set in Cornwall during the British Civil War between the cavaliers and the roundheads. I found it to be long and dreary, but there's a lot of well-researched historical detail.

Currently reading (for my book club) Mountains More Ancient by Isna Marifa about a Javanese girl accompanying her father who had been sold into slavery to pay his debts and sent to South Africa in the 1750s.

Not my country
Unfamiliar period

I finished The White Company, an early novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1891). This is historical fiction set in 1366-67 during the Hundred Years' War. Fictional character Alleyne Edricson is an orphan and has been raised in a Hampshire abbey. His father's will specified that when Alleyne reached his 20th year, he must spend at least one year "in the world" and then may decide if he wishes to remain in the world or return to the protected life of the abbey.

Alleyne ventures out and is eventually drawn into the ranks of The White Company, led by Sir Nigel Loring, to help Prince Edward ("The Black Prince") re-capture the throne of Spain for King Pedro I at the Battle of Najera. These last are all real events and The White Company, Pedro I and Sir Loring are real characters in the war whose history fascinated Doyle. In the story young Alleyne shows his bravery and by the end of the book joins the ranks of the knights.

This started out well, but I must admit all the adventures, fights and capers on the long journey from Hampshire to Spain got repetitive. We don't get the decisive battle until the last 30 pages of the book. I did enjoy the writing and the characterizations, but it was just over-long for me. My edition from 1965 has some wonderful water-color illustrations by N. C. Wyeth, though:



This novel:
--was not from my country
--from a time period I was not familiar with
--included real historical figures and events
--is a Classic
--and felt like it was over 500 pages, but was only 360.

gosh, the time period is so up my alley... Ill have to read more about it

>36 kac522:-and felt like it was over 500 pages, but was only 360.

I so know what you mean!

I finished Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for the "different country" prompt. This is a fantasy/horror novel set in Mexico of the 1990's, which isn't all that long ago. However, there are stories and flashbacks about the Mexican film industry of the earlier decades, so it definitely feels like historical fiction.

I also finished A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry for the "over 500 pages" prompt. This novel follows the lives of 4 people who come together during The Emergency in India in the 1970's. I highly recommend this excellent book, but it's heartbreaking to read.

I read The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig. It only covers one prompt:

2. Set in a different country (England and France)

>39 MissBrangwen:
That whole series is so much fun. I enjoyed reading them.

Between Two Fires (by Christopher Buehlman; narrated by Steve West) A dispossessed knight turned brigand, a drunkard priest and, a little girl travel across the Godforsaken lands between Normandy and Avignon in 1348. On a quest prompted by the little girl, the trio navigate a landscape ruined by the Black Plague as angels and devils wage war in a time and place rife with despair and ruin. Part historical fiction, part horror, part fantasy… it’s greater than the sum of its parts with its scope and vision.
Steve West has a rich British voice that served the main narrative well but mispronunciations (“scythe” in particular came up often) and the voice he gave the little girl did the book a disservice in audio.

——————————

* Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country (France) to the one you’re from (USA)

* Read a work of historical fiction set in your favorite historical time period to read about (Medieval Era)

* Read a work of historical fiction with a speculative element (angels & devils)

#6. Real historical figure

The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter / Hazel Gaynor
3.5 stars

Unmarried and pregnant, Matilda is 19-years old in 1938 when she is sent across the ocean to live with a distant relative in Rhode Island, Harriet, who watches the lighthouse there.

One hundred years earlier, in England, a storm washed up survivors of a shipwreck, including Sarah. Sarah’s two young children died in the wreck. Grace Darling is the lighthouse keeper’s daughter who saw the survivors still in the water, so she and her dad went to help them. Grace become a local hero after this. (And apparently, Grace Darling was a real person.)

Matilda has a book on keeping lighthouses that she brings with her. The inscription includes one from Grace to Sarah and Sarah to (a different) Matilda.

I listened to the audio and it was good. I did lose focus at times, but I think I caught the main happenings in the book. Harriet also kept secrets and it took time for her to open up to Matilda. I liked her, though she did seem “gruff” at times. I liked all the characters, really. The women were pretty tough and self-sufficient – or certainly tried/wanted to be as much as they could in their time periods. There were a lot of characters, though, and there were times that it took me a bit to figure out which time frame and character’s POV I was listening to. It did say when the POV changed, but since I know my mind wandered some plus putting away the audio and picking it up later sometimes made it a bit tricky.

For 6 - a real historical figure or specific event, I read:

Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol by Gyles Brandreth

This wasn’t an easy read. With the harshest conditions meted out to Oscar Wilde the beginning was heartbreaking and I thought of abandoning the book but decided, rightly as it turned out, to carry on. The atrocious conditions continued but I had to know the story. Brandreth has mixed a murder mystery into this account of Wilde’s life story, and it’s not readily apparent where the fiction begins or ends. When Brandreth was asked how much of this is true, he replied “All of it. Or almost all of it. Certainly more than you would think.” I was glad I continued reading. Additional material includes: Rules for prisoners, a letter from Wilde to the Home Secretary, and more. Recommended.

The Hangman’s Daughter (Hangman’s Daughter #1; by Oliver Pötzsch; translated from the German by Lee Chadeayne; narrated by Grover Gardner) - A mystery set in 17th c. Bavaria -
A young boy’s corpse is discovered with a mark drawn on his body and the local midwife is quickly arrested on charges of witchcraft. The hangman, Jakob Kuisl (who also serves as an instrument of the interrogation as a torturer) believes the woman to be innocent but unless she confesses, a full-blown witch hunt in which many more women will be accused and executed will commence. Soon, two more children’s bodies are found and the pressure to convict the midwife increases even as a darker conspiracy starts to emerge.
The author has written this historical fiction based on the real-life figure of his forefather and incorporated family folklore, extensive research and his own imagination in creating a vivid if somewhat unsavory picture of life in a small town in present day Germany. The main protagonist is the executioner with a progressive town doctor and the eponymous hangman’s daughter playing secondary and tertiary roles respectively (which makes the title of the book seem odd). There are a few repetitive points made (e.g. the consequences of a full blown witch hunt) and overall the story comes across as rather prosaic (Author‘s writing style? Translator?) but an interesting look at a corner of the world rarely if ever depicted in fiction.

• set in a different country (Bavaria/Germany) than where I’m from (US)
• set in a time period I’m less familiar with (17th c Bavaria/Germany)

I have read two this month:

The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer
2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from

And

Hard Trail to Follow by Elmer Kelton
1. Read a work of historical fiction set in the country you’re from

I read Der tote Rittmeister (The Dead Cavalry Captain) by Elsa Dix, a historical mystery set in 1913 on the island of Norderney.

1. Set in the country you're from (Germany)

I also read Summer in February by Jonathan Smith, which is also set in the years before World War One, in a painters' community in Cornwall.

2. Set in a different country (England)
6. About a real historical figure or a specific event (Alfred Munnings, Laura Knight and others)

For "set in my country" I read August Into Winter by Guy Vanderhaeghe.

I had a bout of insomnia and pretty much listened to this overnight:
The Silver Pigs (Marcus Didius Falco #1; by Lindsey Davis; narrated by Christian Rodska) - Historical Mystery set in Ancient Rome, 70 CE - Marcus Didius Falco, a private informer, rescues a pretty young girl from her pursuers in the Forum and becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving illegal silver ingots and a threat against the new emperor, Vespasian. Though I understand that new revelations about the casting of silver ingots in Imperial Rome has come to light since the book was written, this is a well-researched book that incorporates the author's groundwork nicely into a narrative that feels realistic and natural. Moreover, though descriptions of the sometimes brutal aspects of life and crime of Ancient Rome are rendered with detail, this falls on the side of being a cozy series, told from the POV of the protagonist. Christian Rodska is an older British narrator who has chosen some suspect pronunciations of Latin names & places, but remains consistent and, to be fair, it's not really distracting.

So, how often do I think of the Roman Empire? Honestly, a little bit every day but I'm probably going to be doing so for longer stretches at a time as I've decided to commit to this series. I read a number of them eight to ten years ago, but honestly, I don't remember much of anything. I don't think this is the fault of the author, more likely a reflection of where I was at mentally all those years ago.

__________

* Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country (Ancient Rome) to the one you’re from (USA)

* Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with (Ancient Rome)

>49 Tanya-dogearedcopy:
There is a group of us who are reading through this series. I am enjoying it very much and find that I am learning a great deal about the Roman Empire that I didn't know. I find myself going down rabbit trails with each book of the series that I read. here is the link to our mystery series group read-along.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/356261#

You might also be interested to know that Lindsey Davis started reading out loud from one of her books on the second Tuesday of the month. The group selects the book and she reads from it for one hour and then has a short Q&A session. She started doing this during COVID lockdowns and she has continued to do it. Here is the link to the page in her web site where you can sign up for the Zoom session for it.
https://lindseydavis.co.uk/news-events/

You have to sign up prior to the reading. I have enjoyed it and participated most of last year. I haven't been able to listen yet this year but hope to do so on March 12, 2024. I live in the Central Time Zone of the US and that means that the reading takes place at 1:00 PM. In the UK, where Lindsey Davis lives, it is 7:00 PM in the evening.

One of the things she talked about last year was the fact that archeological discoveries happen all the time and that things that were true, or guessed at back when this series was first published (the late 1990's) have changed.

>50 benitastrnad: Thank you! I’ve popped over to the thread and will be joining in starting May (I need to catch up with the first four and I’m on book 2, Shadows in Bronze now). 🙂

As much as I would love to, the Davis Zoom sessions aren’t doable for me. I still work full-time and my workload doesn’t make this feasible 😞

I’ve been reading some non-fiction science books lately and one of the things I was surprised about in the fields of paleontology and archaeology was how, with more accessible testing methods (e.g. MRIs & CAT scans), scientists have been able to go back to older discoveries and correct past mistakes and/or discover new things!
I was also surprised at how big a part statistical modeling and computer algorithms now play a part. It seems like there is as much time spent in front of a computer as out in the field!

>50 benitastrnad: Did she say whether that made her want to update her books? (And whether there was any possibility that might happen if the titles are reissued?)

>22 JayneCM: I like her books; how did you like it?

I love learning about archaelogy, I get Archaelogy magazine and a few months ago they showed how one group was able to use tech to open up and read scrolls. the article just astonded me.

For "set in a time period you’re less familiar with", I finished The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride. Even though I lived through the 70's as a child, I'm not as familiar with that time period in the context of this setting, which is a community in Pennsylvania with primarily Jewish and Black residents.

>54 cindydavid4: You might enjoy Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz. I finished this recently and found it really interesting.

oh thanks,I just might!

I've just read The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne. It begins in Ireland in 1946 and is over 500 pages long. I've counted it in the over 500 pages category. Now I have only one category to go, speculative, and am planning to read Kindred, but I've been postponing it because I'm not keen on speculative fiction. However, many people have recommended it and I own a copy. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

I have read five historical fiction works so far this year and have hit all of the categories except my favorite time period and over 500 pages.

A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark, 4.5*
Set in not my country: Egypt
Set in a not familiar time period: 1912ish
Speculative element

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, 4.5*
Set in my country: US (mostly)
Set in a not familiar time period: early 1900s
Speculative element

Watery Grave by Bruce Alexander, 3.5*
Set in not my country: England
Set in less familiar time period: mid 1700s
Real historical figures/events: Main character, Sir John Fielding, is a real historical figure

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, 4.5*
Set in not my country: Australia
Set in less familiar time period: early 1900s
Almost hits the bonus, but was published only 57 years ago.

Lois the Witch by Elizabeth Gaskell, 4*
Set in my country: US (mostly)
Set in less familiar time period: 1692
Features historical figure/event: start of the Salem Witch Trials
Classic+Bonus: written in 1859, set in 1692

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm

This is an extremely engaging tale told in first-person by the youngest in a family of all boys. May Amelia lives in the Pacific Northwest of 1899, a rural community of farmers, loggers, and fishers. She's a bit of an impulsive and independent spirit of a girl who gets into issues, a lot. I can see why this would have been given a Newbery Honor award in 2000, it's good enough for the main Newbery Medal in my estimation. There's an author's note at the end that took me by surprise, a pleasant one, and endeared the character to me all the more. Definitely recommended.

Spoiler The author's note explains that the book was based upon a journal that the main character kept, the author's great grandmother!

Schönbrunner Finale is a historical mystery set in 1918 in Vienna, but since there's not much sleuthing going on, I am counting it for this, too. It paints a very vivid picture of the dying days of the monarchy.

I read The Last Masterpiece:a Novel of WWII Italy by Laura Morelli, which fits specific historical event. It is about the rescue of priceless art in Italy, particularly Florence, during WWII.

I finished Waverley by Sir Walter Scott (1814). Considered to be the first full historical novel in Western literature, this is the tale of a young Englishman Edward Waverley who gets caught up in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion in Scotland to install Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne. I had some trouble with the language and dialects at first, but by the halfway point I was completely engaged in the story. Scott's tale was well-researched, from written narrative and accounts he had heard from rebellion survivors and their descendants.

I finished Waverley by Sir Walter Scott (1814). Considered to be the first full historical novel in Western literature, this is the tale of a young Englishman Edward Waverley who gets caught up in the 1745 Jacobite rebellion in Scotland to install Bonnie Prince Charlie to the throne. I had some trouble with the language and dialects at first, but by the halfway point I was completely engaged in the story. Scott's tale was well-researched, gathered from written narratives and accounts he had personally heard from rebellion survivors and their descendants.

Bit of trivia: the book was originally titled "Waverley, or 'Tis Sixty Years Since." Scott makes a point of mentioning "sixty years since" several times in the book, to remind the reader of its historical nature. I believe this is why the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction only considers books for the prize that are set at least 60 years in the past.

I think I'll put Scaramouche in the queue!

I was on the fence about whether to include The Crow Folk by Mark Stay here, but I decided that the historical elements are strong enough to do so. It is a fantasy story set in England during World War Two.

2. Set in a different country (England)
5. Historical fiction with a speculative element (witches, magic and scarecrows that become alive)

>66 MissBrangwen: Shades of Doctor Who, among others. I'm torn: yes to WWII, no to animate scarecrows.

I just finished A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly. My first Kelly, her first historical mystery. More positive than negative, but not a book I loved. It has the feel of first book in a series -- a couple of lines were cast that weren't reeled in. It's her first attempt, so I would be willing to try her next.

If we stick to Sir Walter Scott's definition of historical fiction – sixty years before the time of writing – Guy Mannering does not fit, because the main action is set a mere thirty years before the year of publication (1815). But we won't quibble. This is a rather delightful romance about a lost heir, featuring a ruined castle, smugglers, banditti, gypsies, and two quite unusually sensible girls. Set in a country I don't live in, Scotland, and the beauties of the country play an important part.

>68 MissWatson: ouch. You got me.

Since I liked Ivanhoe I suspect I'll enjoy Guy Mannering.

I have also finished Die Henkerstochter which is set in my own country in the 17th century, This was not bad, and I wanted to know who did it, but it doesn't really take you into that time period.

>66 MissBrangwen: I'm glad The Crow Folk is acceptable for the challenge. It is the only book that I own that fits speculative and historical.

COMPLETED

Act of Mercy
Our Lady of Darkness
Hemlock at Vespers

all by Peter Tremayne and set in Ireland in the 660s.

Not my country.
Not a familiar time (except through the earlier books in this series)

I read Year of wonders this month. This book is about an outbreak of the bubonic plague in England in 1665-66, and a small village that gets hit by the plague. The villagers decide to isolate themselves, so as to avoid spreading the plague to neighboring towns. The book tells what happens to the people there during the time that they are isolated. It is fiction but based on a true story.

I very much liked this story. We can see how the plague spreads through the village, while the villagers themselves don't understand it. It was interesting to read the different reactions of the people in the village to the plague, and how their suffering causes some of them to blame and attack some of their neighbors. It also shows how the same circumstances bring out better actions and behavior in other villagers. The author tells the story through the eyes of Anna, using an older style of speaking. There were quite a few archaic words used in the story that I had to look up, but it helped to set the scene. This book really drew me in with the story and the vivid characters.

This book fits:
2. Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country to the one you’re from
4. Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period you’re less familiar with
6. Read a work of historical fiction about a real historical figure or a specific historical event

I generally like this authors books, but thought the ending here felt wrong for its time. But the writing was very good

>73 atozgrl: Read that one years ago for my historical fiction book group. We all enjoyed it, & that didn't happen every month. It's a book I often thought about during the worst of the pandemic. Longingly.

>74 cindydavid4: I totally agree. Although it's been quite a while since I read it, I remember the disappointment because as it happened I read it more or less back to with Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, another excellent, vivid, thoroughly engaging book spoiled by its epilogue.

>74 cindydavid4: >76 Robertgreaves: You are quite right, the ending was a big surprise. But it didn't bother me as much as the ending of People of the Book, which I thought was way over the top.

>73 atozgrl: I thought about 2020 while reading Year of Wonders. It certainly would have been a good one to read that year.

>77 atozgrl: oh dont get me started, First heard about the story by her article in th nyer She talks about meeting between the major players and I was so expecting this book to be wonderful. for one thing that meeting doesnt happen in the book and while all of her sections were interesting, her mother had no place at all in that story, nor did her love life. The ending tuned into a total mess. Shes a good writer, a journalist by trade, in fact I loved her non fiction nine parts desire: the hidden world of Islamic Women wish she would do more like that

BTW her late husband tony horowitz was also a journalist and met her when they were both covering Iraq. Probably one of my fav travel writers. among his books are confederates in the attic and a voyage long and strange about the real story of the discovery of America. blue latitudes

told you not to get me started :)

>77 atozgrl: I remember many people not liking the ending to "Year of Wonders", but it didn't bother me, either.

>78 cindydavid4: Yeah, the side story with the relationship between the protagonist and her mother was rather distracting. I haven't read any of Tony Horowitz. It looks like I should remedy that.

>79 LibraryCin: Maybe it could have ended without the epilogue, but the unexpected turn didn't bother me too much. I'm glad you felt the same way.

>73 atozgrl: I had a few complaints about it but liked it well enough to buy it for my sister's birthday gift two years in a row!

>71 VivienneR: I hope you enjoy The Crow Folk! I really loved it.
The fantasy elements are stronger than the historical ones, but in my opinion it still fits this challenge because the World War Two background is there throughout and there are some specific points of the plot that wouldn't occur without it.

I read All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves, a historical romance set in rural Queensland after World War One. It is the second book of three in a series, but I am only including this one because it was my favourite and they are all very short.

2. Set in a different country (Australia)

I've been binging a little on the Marcus Didius Falco series, trying to catch up so I'm in place when the sixth book comes up for discussion next month over at the 75ers group. It does not fulfill any new prompts for me (I've already read a work of historical fiction set in a different country (Ancient Rome) to the one I'm from (USA) and Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period I'm less less familiar with (again, Ancient Rome); but I've added them to the Wiki anyway :-)

Shadows in Bronze (Marcus Didius Falco #2; by Lindsey Davis; narrated by Simon Prebble) This second book in the MDF series picks up pretty much where the first book, The Silver Pigs left off. Falco is now tracking down a number of the conspirators that pose a threat to the Emperor Vespasian and; The relationship between Falco & a senator's daughter, Helena becomes "complicated". There are quite a number of original & surprising plot twists and at times I had trouble keeping track of the characters but it does sort itself out by the end. I stayed up last night to finish listening to this one and I have a bit of a hangover-- not only because I stayed up later than usual but because it unexpectedly exerted an emotional toll. Simon Prebble, an older British narrator is subtly different than Christian Rodska, perhaps not as crisp and with a different set of suspect pronunciations but he pretty much disappeared from the story in my head-- so I was hearing the story and not him.

Venus in Copper (Marcus Didius Falco #3; by Lindsey Davis; narrated by Simon Prebble) - While the previous installments are concerned with court intrigue and conspiracies, the plot in this story turns away from the gaze of Emperor Vespasian's eye and returns Falco to the less royal streets of Rome. He is hired by a freeman's household to investigate and thwart a gold digger from marrying into the family but complications set in and the case turns into a whodunit.
In addition to the cozy mystery, Ms Davis also provides insight into the classism of first century Rome: Vespasian is a "middle-class" soldier who has risen in the ranks and become Emperor; Emancipated slaves can ply their wiles in the market and it is neither impossible nor illegal for them to climb the social ladder to nouveau riche status; Republicans and citizens can scramble for greater respect and household goods but without considerable money, cannot hope to attain higher standing as a Senator or, in Falco's case, marry a Senator's daughter. There are times when Ms Davis's descriptions border on inventory listings but she manages to blunt this artlessness by having Falco have an auctioneer's acuity learned from his father. What saves the whole from mediocrity is a scene late in the book which winds up tension and then releases it with an emotional punch. It sounds as if even the audiobook narrator is affected.

The Iron Hand of Mars (Marcus Didius Falco #4; by Lindsey Davis; narrated by Simon Prebble) - There is a lot going on in this book, maybe too much... Vespasian recalls Falco to court where Falco is assigned a diplomatic mission with a dash of espionage: Falco is to present a new standard of arms to the 14th Gemina in Germania, suss out their actual loyalty, find out what happened to a missing military officer or two and, locate two local rebel Cletic leaders and talk to them-- one of which is a prophetess. Along the way, there's graft and murder involving the local pottery trade, a hairdresser accompanying Falco who may or may not be just a hairdresser, twenty newbie soldiers, Falco's girlfriend's brother, the girlfriend herself, and stories that are tied to the land if not the plot. The author clearly had a wealth of research to work with but the actual story might have been better served with a stronger editorial hand. As it stands, it's not always clear what's going on or how what is happening is relevant.

I'm currently listening to the fifth book in the series, Poseidon's Gold.

Recently completed The Way of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry and have just started the second in the series The Art of Dying.

Time/Place: 1840s Edinburgh
Reasonably familiar with time, though not so much the place at that time. Not my country.

Real person/event: Professor James Young Simpson/the discovery of chloroform as an anaesthetic. Ether was already known but was slow acting and unreliable, so in an attempt to find something better, the professor used to hold sniffing parties where after dinner he and his guests would breathe in various chemical compounds to see what effect they would have.

This satisfies #2 and #6:


The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King

A satisfying entry in the Russell/Holmes series, with several plot twists that caught me by surprise. As always, I recommend those new to the storyline start with the first two books, at least.

Watery Grave is the third in a series of historical mysteries and features a real person, Magistrate Sir John Fielding.

And I have also re-read Post Captain, a lovingly detailed story about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and thus Regency times, one of my favourite periods.

L'ombre du Vétéran shows the Napoleonic Wars from the opposite side: a French threedecker seeks refuge from a pursuing English squadron under the walls of Concarneau and is trapped there for years, because the Royal Navy maintains a close blockade. It is based on real events, and one of the most surprising things was that Napoleon's brother Jérôme was in command of the ship when it fetched up in Concarneau. Of course, he went to Paris immediately and another man took over the ship and its vast crew, who caused lots of trouble in the small fishing town.

I read The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See for my RL book club for April. It is probably not a book I would have picked up on my own, but it turned out to be a good one. It tells the story of the women divers of Jeju, a Korean island. It starts in the 1930's when Korea was occupied by Japanese colonizers and continues to 2008. The culture of Jeju island was unique and "matrifocal," where the mother was considered the head of the household. Due to unusual historical circumstances, the women were the ones who went diving for seafood, the work that supported their families. It was difficult and dangerous work.

At the heart of the story is the friendship between two of the women, and the events that happened to break the friendship. We also see the progress of history and the world events that affected the island. It begins with the hated Japanese colonizers who are eventually replaced by mainland Korean and American occupiers after WWII. As much as the Japanese were despised, the post-war era is worse, with much unrest, fears of communism, and persecution of opposition leading to a massacre, known as the 4.3 Incident, which is a turning point for the story. We see how modernization impacts the unique culture of the island and how a way of life is lost. This story of lost culture is different from what we usually see, where colonizing Europeans disrupt native American/Eskimo culture or, as in the case of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Africa. In this case, it is their countrymen, Koreans from the mainland, who are the primary agents of the change.

Lisa See does a beautiful job of showing us the way of life on Jeju and the relationships between the women and their families. There are a number of tragedies that befall the inhabitants of Jeju, and some of this is difficult to read. But the story was very engrossing, and I learned about a place and way of life that I had no idea existed.

This book fits #2 and #6, but doesn't fulfill any of the other challenge prompts that I have not already done.

I also read it for a bookgroup a while back. we all enjoyed it despite the rough parts and learned alot about the time and place

I read it too and gave it 4*. I've read 4 of her books and recently read that she is writing a mystery series. I need to check those out!

I'm almost caught up to the 75ers group discussion about the Marcus Didius Falco series. This title was discussed in February and I'll be able to download the 6th book, Last Act in Palmyra later this week and listen to it in time for May's discussion!

Poseidon’s Gold (Marcus Didius Falco #5; by Lindsey Davis; narrated by Simon Prebble) - A cozy historical mystery set in motion when Marcus is accused of having killed a centurion he has been seen recently arguing with. Marcus is drawn in to the legacy of his late brother’s schemes, missing statues, suspected fraud, the volatile relationship with his father and, his love for the strong-willed Senator’s daughter, Helena. The plot is solid and the peeks into the auction and art houses of Ancient Rome are interesting— though perhaps the overly detailed descriptions of furniture in every room of every place the characters move through might seem a bit tedious. There is a short history lesson showcasing Vespasian’s role in Judea and subsequent rise to power but the story shies away from court intrigue and runs through the streets and taverns of Rome. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(I've already read a work of historical fiction set in a different country (Ancient Rome) to the one I'm from (USA) and Read a work of historical fiction set in a time period I'm less less familiar with (again, Ancient Rome); but I've added them to the Wiki anyway :-)

Rapscallion is set in my favourite historical period, Regency England / Napoleonic Wars. This one starts on the prison hulks where French POWs are detained, and it ends with a raid on a shipment of gold intended for Wellington's army in Spain.

Set in my favourite time period, mid-20th century, I read Yours Cheerfully by A.J. Pearce.
After an excellent start to the series, in this second episode Pearce takes a serious subject and places it in a romantic story. Emma Lake is advice columnist for a woman’s magazine and is writing articles in support of women recruited to help with the war effort. Working conditions for women in munitions factories in wartime clashed - some might say contrasted - with the rest of the story. I’m still not quite sure if it worked or not. Pearce, however, deserves kudos for accurately describing the state of life for many women in the 1940s, facts made more shocking when compared with 21st century standards.

The real event in Les adieux à la Reine is the French Revolution, the real person is Marie Antoinette. The Queen's reader looks back at these momentous first days in July from her exile in Vienna.

I have finished a re-read of Merlin's Keep. Young Jani has to leave the small Himalayan statelet where she found refuge with an English soldier to go to England, and returns as a young woman to find a precious relic in a Tibetan monastery, thereby also saving her friend who has come under the spell of a sinister man dealing in the black arts. That's the speculative element, and the time is the turn of the century.

I've filled my last category, speculative, with What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher. It's the sequel to What Moves the Dead and I can recommend it because it's short and funny.

Shadows in Bronze by Lindsay Davis - Set in a different country

I’ve been reading this series out of order and while it has not affected my appreciation, I know it would have been better to follow the series as Davis intended. Marcus Didius Falco is a spy for Emperor Vespasian and here he travels across Italy with friends to Neapolis and Pompeii (a few years before Vesuvius erupted) in search of a former slave who could have information about a crime. The reward for Falco might be a raise in rank that would make his pursuit of Helena more acceptable. Although long, I enjoyed the humour and details that brought the era to life.

The Name of the Rose (by Umberto Eco;translated by William Weaver) - A touchstone book in many literary circles whether the focus is on lit-fic, mysteries, historical fiction, or theology, this is a 500+ page novel that should have appealed to me strongly. Set in the Medieval Era (14th century) with discussions of prevalent heresies, a flavor of semiotics, vivid descriptions of the place, people, and atmosphere, the story is an immersive experience into an abbey beset my a string of murders. However, even though I was able to get back into the swing of the Latin and German fairly quickly, I found the untranslated sections to be tedious "speed bumps" and, the esoteric language annoying. At one point, there is a clue that relies on such extremely archaic knowledge that I feel no hesitation in calling "foul" as far as fair play in the mystery goes.

Years ago, I read Foucault's Pendulum (same author and translator) and ran into similar issues, but I was willing to try Eco again if only because The Name of the Rose is pretty mainstream and I got the impression it was more accessible than it actually is. Well, I will only say this , "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me". Eco is not for me.

BTW, I did see the movie (starring Sean Connery) based on the book when it first came out in 1986 and really loved it. I watched it again after reading the book and while it seemed a little bit more dated and didn't resonate as strongly with me, it still wins out over the book. Yep, I said it, the movie is better than the book.

• Read a work of historical fiction set in a different country ("Italy") to the one you’re from (USA);
• Read a work of historical fiction set in your favorite historical time period to read about (Medieval Era);
• Read a work of historical fiction of over 500 pages (552 pages)