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Reading Room:  Wanted: Historical Fiction Recommendations  |
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ashcordes
True Blue Farmgirl
197 Posts
Ashley
Roann
IN
USA
197 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 07:16:11 AM
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| Ok girls....tell me what your favorite historical fiction books are. I'm in a funk, can't find anything good to read, historical fiction are my favorites, but haven't had any good recommendations lately. Please let me know if you've ready any good ones you'd recommend. I'm hankering to get into another "can't put it down" book. |
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bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 07:29:46 AM
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William Martin writes well and I really enjoyed Cape Cod. He also has written Back Bay and a couple others. Have you read any James Michener? He is quite possibly the most factual historical fiction writer you will ever read. He spent so much time doing research for each book as he got older that they are marvelous if you like ALL the details. Still fuzz brained but will post more later...
with a happy heart |
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lamamama
True Blue Farmgirl
255 Posts
Melanie
CA
USA
255 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 09:23:19 AM
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I don't read much historical fiction, so I'm not a great resource for that dept.
I did hugely enjoy COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier. Hollywood made a terrible movie from it - don't even waste your time with the movie. But I think the book is great. He wrote it using a true story from his own family: one of his great-great- something grandfathers up & left a civil war hospital, & walked home. Frazier took off from there..... you can tell he lives in the North Carolina area - really captured the land & way of living @ that time.
Also, anything by Francine Prose is awesome. She wrote a terrific book using Marie Laveau (spelling?) in New Orleans. I forget the titile, but I'm sure it would be easy to find. It is incredibly historically accurate, & one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE books.
Hope you enjoy one of these,
Melanie |
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 09:38:42 AM
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I like some of John Jakes work, North & South, and Homeland especially.
A real neat book my mom found by accident on a sale table is Mount Vernon Love Story by Mary Higgins Clark. I have never read any of her other work but this is the sweetest story of George and Martha Washington.
My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1:46,47
www.beequilting.blogspot.com
http://beemoosie-picture-diary.blogspot.com/ |
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JudyBlueEyes
True Blue Farmgirl
657 Posts
Judith
Spokane
Washington
USA
657 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 1:36:40 PM
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Ashley, if you like historical fiction with a bit of a twist, try Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Just about everyone I have recommended it to "couldn't put it down" and if you like this one, there are 5 more in the series (best to read in order): Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, Drums of Autumn, Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes. AND she still has at least one if not two more books until she finishes the saga. Also, by Sara Donati, first book is Into the Wilderness and there are 3, 4 or 5 more books in her saga. All of these are very well written and researched historical fiction with great love stories intertwined, IMHO. Those should keep you going for a while, if you get into them; they're all about 900+ pages...Judy
The Rooster crows, but the Hen lays the egg. ~ Texas Proverb |
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Carolinagirl
True Blue Farmgirl
486 Posts
Kim
Rutherfordton
NC
USA
486 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 2:38:43 PM
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Second the Diana Gabaldon books!!!
Also, not so much historical fiction (true-to-life) as fiction set in the past, try Sharon McCrumb. Wonderful books set in the app mountains, usually with some mystery involved. My fav is "THe Ballad of Frankie Silver."
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laluna
True Blue Farmgirl
295 Posts
New York
USA
295 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 4:02:31 PM
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| If you're interested in 15th century England, try the Boleyn-era books by Philippa Gregory. I'd suggesting starting with The Other Boleyn Girl. All good, fairly quick reads. |
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summerbreeze
True Blue Farmgirl
277 Posts
Laura
WA
USA
277 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2007 : 4:22:33 PM
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I love historical fiction. Three that I have really liked are:
Forever by Pete Hamil
Story of a man who can live forever as long as he never leaved the island of Manhatten. Story of New York from beginning thru 9-11.
Wild Swans: Three daughters of China by Jung Chang
history of Mao and communism
Desert Queen by Janet Wallach
Story of Gertrude Bell. Female explorer who went to the middle east by herself in the early 1800's. True story she drew the borders for what is now present Iraq.
You only live once,if you do it right once is enough. |
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 07:34:02 AM
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I too have recently come across the Diana Gabaldon books and I'm rationing them so I don't get through all of them too quickly! They're wonderful.
For something a little different, I would try anything by Rosemary Sutcliff. I suppose her books are technically aimed at children, but lately I've been announcing daily that English children's literature is the only thing worth reading, no matter one's age.  Sutcliff is one of my very favorite authors. I find myself awed by her feeling for the past.
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Vintage Redhead
True Blue Farmgirl
233 Posts
Kaylyn
Saint Charles
IL
USA
233 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 09:49:21 AM
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I have enjoyed *all* of the books by Gregory Maguire. Possibly the most "historically based" was Mirror, Mirror in which he interwove the Snow White fairy tale of the with the story of the infamous and ruthless Borgia family: Lucrezia Borgia and her brother Cesare.
Total fiction...total candy! ~ K
~ Kaylyn
(Living in Suburbia with a FARMGIRL Heart!)
My Current Cause: http://nickspavilion.blogspot.com/ |
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Leezard
True Blue Farmgirl
950 Posts
Elizabeth
Novi
MI
USA
950 Posts |
Posted - Mar 24 2007 : 10:41:36 AM
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Francine Rivers writes some great christian historical fiction books. Two of my favorites are The Scarlet Thread and Redeeming Love. Both are very engaging books that quickly caught my interest and I had a hard time putting them down.
http://ruby--slippers.blogspot.com/
www.leezard.etsy.com |
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Terre
True Blue Farmgirl
97 Posts
Indiana
USA
97 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 12:21:21 PM
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I see you are from Indiana. If you haven't already read, I would recommend "Massacre at Fall Creek" by Jessamyn West. Is very good historical fiction that takes place in Indiana, but has major significance for the whole country during its time in history. I would also recommend "Follow the River" by James Alexander Thom. Thom is an Indiana writer who is very meticulous about his historical facts. He is one of my favorite writers.
Be true in heart. |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9357 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9357 Posts |
Posted - Mar 29 2007 : 6:16:24 PM
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| have you ever read anything by G.A. Henty. All he wrote was historical fiction. |
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Horseyrider
True Blue Farmgirl
1045 Posts
Mary Ann
Illinois
1045 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2007 : 09:53:20 AM
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| I'll second the book "Cold Mountain," and add one even better. It's "The Known World," by Edward P. Jones. It's the story of the residents of a fictional Virginia county in the decades before the Civil War, and gives a magical glimpse without judgments of plantation life from the slave's point of view. It won the Pulitzer Prize. |
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Lovin Life
True Blue Farmgirl
103 Posts
Lisa
New Hampshire
103 Posts |
Posted - Mar 30 2007 : 2:02:23 PM
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Elizabeth Ann,
I'm with you on the children's literature kick! Since working in the 4th and 5th grades over the past 2-3 years, I have come to read a lot of young adult books and they are very well written. Rarely ever a slow point in the stories and always a learning experience/something to enlighten your mind. One of my favorite authors is Karen Hesse. Her book Witness was excellent, so was "OUt of the Dust" and "A time for Angels" these are all historical fiction.
The book "March" is also historical fiction, but I can't remember who wrote it. It's about the father of the "Little Women" story and his experiences as a young man and then an adult in the Civil War. It was pretty good. It also includes a lot of reference to Thoreau.
I'd rather live my life with a "full plate" than an empty one. Life is not a rehearsal... eat up! |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Mar 31 2007 : 4:51:24 PM
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Yay for English children's literature!!
I love historical fiction. Let's see...Andrea Barrett has a number of novels and short stories. They tend to be about scientists and explorers in the 19th century.
I really liked a mystery/suspense novel set in Buffalo at the turn of the century, when industrialists were just acquiring the technology necessary to harness Niagara Falls for electrical power. City of Light, by Lauren Belfer.
If you're up for a 600-page tome, Wallace Stegner's "Angle of Repose" is very good. It's about how the West was won, and about a marriage being strained in that struggle.
Hmmm....I'm having trouble coming up with more "adult" books to recommend. I guess most of my beloved historical fiction is in the children's section!
March is by Geraldine Brooks. I've read several of her books. I have to say, I'm disappointed with her novels. She also wrote Year of Wonders (about an English village struck by the plague). I know that to some extent all novelists project some of their own time period back onto their historical characters and plot. But for some reason it bothers me more than usual in Geraldine Brooks' books. Perhaps it's because she uses actual historical people as her main characters. I've read several biographies of different people associated with the Transcendentalists, and her treatment of Bronson Alcott just doesn't seem like the same guy I see in his own words or the words of his friends. And I felt offended on behalf of the poor 16th century English clergyman who is at the center of Year of Wonders. From the little bit of historic record that she's working from, his actions seem to be heroic. I don't think she had any grounds to assassinate the guy's character the way she does halfway through the book. I don't want to give the ending away, so I won't say any more about that. If anyone else has read this book, do you agree that the whole second half is totally unbelievable?
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 06:42:47 AM
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These are great suggestions. I'll have to get the Massacre at Fall Creek, and this Diana Gabaldon...The last historical fiction book I read was called Brooklyn, and it was about 1200 pages. It began really interestingly about the dutch inhabitants of the original "New York" and making gin in Brooklyn. Having lived there, I thought it might be neat, but I could barely make it through 300 pages without falling into a DEEP state of boredom :(
Ash...
If you're interested, I purchased The Widow of the South last year, by Robert Hicks. I tend to gravitate towards stories set on our Civil War!!! It's a wonderful story, based on a true happening involving a woman from Tennessee who's home was taken over as a military hospital near a raging battle (the battle of Franklin, Tenn.)during the Civil War. Everything that makes a great epic is here: lots of love, loss, and finally, true understanding. She had all of the dead soldiers buried in her gardens. I think 1500 or so? She dressed in black for the rest of her life and maintained the cemetery with her black servant (and only friend she'd ever known). There are actual photos of the family and home it was based on, so that's REALLY neat to see that after you have your own images in mind.
I'd be very glad to send it to you if you'd like. I'm finished and would love for you to have it if you haven't already read it.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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primjillie
True Blue Farmgirl
138 Posts
Jill
Antelope
CA
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 07:52:16 AM
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| I really liked Widow of the South too. I love civil war stories - it's a fascinating era. |
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faithymom
True Blue Farmgirl
360 Posts
Faith
Sandpoint
ID
USA
360 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 08:48:14 AM
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Another vote for Diana Gabaldon!!!
Those books are great!
Elizabeth Ann, I have to do the same 'rationing' each time the newest book comes out... It's hard because I want to know what happens, but I read voraciously and if I didn't intentionally slow myself down I'd be through the book in a day!
You could also check out Stephen Lawhead. He has a few series.
The Song of Albion: 1) The Paradise War 2)The Silver Hand 3) The Endless Knot
The Pendragon Cycle: 1)Taliesin 2)Merlin 3)Arthur 4)Pendragon
The Dragon King Trilogy: 1)In the Hall of the Dragon King 2)The Warlords of Nin 3)The Sword and the Flame
Happy reading!
Thanks for this thread! I am always looking for new books to read and have a few new ones to check out now!
Faith
"All television is educational television. The only question is, what is it teaching?"-Fmr. FCC Commissioner Nicholas Johnson |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 08:57:58 AM
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Jill...I love it too (civil war era). Do you have any other suggestions for books from that time period?
I used to read alot about King Arthur (having lived in Cornwall, it all but surrounds you), but after Mists of Avalon, I haven't read much else about that time. My other fave about that time period, was given to me by a british beau--it was his favorite book growing up about arthurian legend, The Once and Future King, by T.S. White. I really loved that as well. I'll have to dig it up, now that I think about it.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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emma.birdwhistle
True Blue Farmgirl
187 Posts
Elizabeth Ann
Ontario
Canada
187 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 11:30:59 AM
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Oh, The Once and Future King is a wonderful book! My sister and I have enjoyed reading it aloud to each other. It's both funny and beautiful.
- Elizabeth Ann
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. - Thoreau
http://resolutelyoutmoded.etsy.com |
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Nancy Gartenman
True Blue Farmgirl
9093 Posts
Nancy
West Seneca
New York
USA
9093 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 12:31:44 PM
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After reading this I ordered THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH, USED FROM ALBRIS. So now my reading pile is out of control, but it looked like a good one.
NANCY JO
www.Nancy-Jo.blogspot.com |
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ashcordes
True Blue Farmgirl
197 Posts
Ashley
Roann
IN
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 6:28:30 PM
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Jonni,
I would love to read that if you're willing to send it on. I'll e-mail you my address, it sounds like it's right up my alley....I love stories based on reality!
Thanks! |
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ashcordes
True Blue Farmgirl
197 Posts
Ashley
Roann
IN
USA
197 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 6:30:01 PM
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| Jonni...just tried to e-mail you but it says there is no contact info for you...what should I do? |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 6:48:27 PM
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For those of you who like the Civil War period, how about "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara? It's the book that the movie Gettysburg was based on, but it is far superior to the movie. In the movie, all these guys look like they are wearing fake beards in the 6th grade play. In the book, they seem like real people with a childhood and a family, not to mention a long history of friendship with men they are now fighting. It's such a great book. Now I want to read it over again.
If you liked "Cold Mountain" and "March", you might also like "Andersonville" (forget the author's name). It's quite long and quite sad, though, I'll warn you now. I think Charles Frazier kind of ripped off this book when writing Cold Mountain, actually. |
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KJD
True Blue Farmgirl
402 Posts
402 Posts |
Posted - Apr 04 2007 : 7:06:44 PM
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| Love is a Wild Assault by Elithe Hamilton Kirkland - a book you'll never forget! It's more truth than fiction - real people during Texas' fight for independence - a biographical novel based on her records, letters, journals, court records and land deeds. I highly recommend this book! |
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Reading Room: Wanted: Historical Fiction Recommendations |
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Wanted: Historical Fiction Recommendations
