This is the second, and so far last book, about Kitty Weeks. The first was “A Front Page Affair”, which I posted about in February of 2022. Kitty is still working as a reporter for the Ladies’ Page of a New York newspaper, and still living in a grand apartment with her wealthy father, still Read More
Category: Historical Fiction
Fiction researched to be accurate about a specific period in history.
The Trees, by Conrad Richter
I had never heard of this book, which I find a little surprising, as it is very reminiscent of the “Little House” series. I think one reason that this has not had the same amount of interest is that the family detailed in this book is not as “photogenic” as the Wilder family. Also, this Read More
Mrs. Lincoln’s Sisters, by Jennifer Chiaverini
Much has been written about Abraham Lincoln. Much less has been written about his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. During her lifetime, especially during her husband’s years as President, she was frequently maligned. Some of the bad press she garnered was at least somewhat justified; she did spend quite a lot of money redecorating the White Read More
Savage Liberty, by Eliot Pattison
While this is historical fiction, and not a fictionalized version of an actual historical event, if you enjoy mysteries, then it is an interesting read. The author did do his research, and name-drops a number of actual historical figures. The main plot of the book, the mystery to be solved, is completely created by the Read More
Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson
This fictional story of a teenage slave girl is set during the British occupation of New York in the American Revolution. When their mistress dies, Isabel and her younger sister Ruth are sold to a Loyalist couple, and end up in New York City, not long before the invasion of British troops. Isabel’s urge to Read More
The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah
If you read “The Worst Hard Time” by Timothy Egan, then part of this book will be familiar to you. It details the struggle of a fictional, though representative, Texas farm family, not far from Dalhart, Texas. The second part of the book details what happens to this family when they flee the Dust Bowl, Read More
The Maid’s Version, by Daniel Woodrell
This book tells, eventually, the story of what happened on the night of the explosion at the dance hall in a small, southwest Missouri town. The narrator is the grand-nephew of a woman killed in the blast, and he learns about the incident, and about many of the people in the town, during the summer Read More
Switchboard Soldiers, by Jennifer Chiaverini
In this historical fiction novel, the author follows several young women from their civilian lives in various cities in pre-WWI America, through their training, and into France where they connect the calls that helped the Allies win the war. While much of the story takes place “over there”, the women, as well as all of Read More
Booth, by Karen Joy Fowler
In the early to mid 1800’s, the most famous Booth was not John Wilkes. His older brothers June and Edwin, and their father Junius before them, were well-known in the theatrical world. Since most of the family members are either anti-secession or apolitical, they seem to have been mostly blindsided by John’s actions. I don’t Read More
Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather
After the Treaty of Guadalupe ended the Mexican-American War, the area that would become the state of New Mexico became part of the United States. It had been part of Mexico, and before that, part of New Spain. Which means that there had been Catholic missions to the area for many years. However, after Mexico Read More