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
Category: Historical Fiction
Fiction researched to be accurate about a specific period in history.
A Good American, by Alex George
This is the fictional story of three generations of a family. It details the reasons the grandparents left their home county, their journey to America, and how they ended up in a small town in Missouri. It is told from the point of view of one of their grandsons. The title comes from the determination Read More
The Nature of Fragile Things, by Susan Meissner
While the San Francisco earthquake in 1906 was devastating for the city and its residents, the main characters in this book actually had other things to worry about.
Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This is the second book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, but instead of her family, this book details a year in the childhood of her future husband, Almanzo Wilder. He grew up in upstate New York, near the town of Malone. This is very close to the border with Canada, and not too far west of Read More
The Indigo Girl, by Natasha Boyd
This book is based on the true story of Eliza Lucas. The author was inspired to create this novel when she learned about Eliza after overhearing one of her descendants talk about her. Eliza lived in South Carolina in the early 1700’s, and was instrumental in starting the indigo trade there. At the time, much Read More
A Front Page Affair, by Radha Vatsal
This is the first of two books, at least so far, about a wealthy young woman trying to become a reporter in New York City right as the US is deciding to enter WWI. I said “at least so far” because these are described as a “series”, and I think you need more than two Read More
The Chaperone, by Laura Moriarty
At the beginning of this book, we learn that Cora was transported by the Orphan Train in the late 1800’s to Kansas, where she is one of the lucky ones, chosen by a family that actually want a daughter, not just a servant. She thinks she is lucky again, when she meets and marries Alan Read More
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr
If you enjoy gritty police procedural mysteries, then you would appreciate this book. An “alienist” is what we would refer to today as a psychologist, in this case a police psychologist. Set in New York City in 1896, the description of the city is very detailed, and important to the plot. I’ve visited NYC, but Read More
Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende
Although only about a third of this book takes place in the United States, it is still worthwhile to read, especially if you had an ancestor who lived in California during or just after the Gold Rush. The first part of the story follows the title character, Eliza Sommers, through her childhood and youth in Read More
Ragtime, by E. L. Doctorow
The story begins in New Rochelle, New York, around 1910, but some of the characters in the book travel the world. The upper-middleclass family (Father owns a small manufacturing company) whose lives are described in the book are never named. They are referred to as Father, Mother, the Little Boy, and Mother’s Younger Brother. They Read More