June 2023 MBR The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Historical Fiction Shelf

Basque Poppies: Survival Under the Swastika
Francine Kosla
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798887290201, $19.00, PB, 234pp

https://www.amazon.com/Basque-Poppies-Survival-Under-Swastika/dp/B0BZXZH459

Synopsis: Joseph Vienney, his wife and teenaged daughters were patiently resigned to wait out the German occupation until conscience, opportunity and the enemy arrived at their door. Shackled by the Nazis living under his own roof, Joseph engineered one of the most ingenious missions of WW II. But unless he could flawlessly choreograph events, the reprisals against the Basque population could only result in its genocide.

Critique: Although a work of fiction, "Basque Poppies: Survival Under the Swastika" by Francine Kosla is based on the true accounts of a French Basque family during World War II. Enhanced for the reader with a section of black/white photos, "Basque Poppies" is a simply riveting read from cover to cover and, given today's resurgence of neo-Nazi and ethnic driven genocides, is a novel that holds lessons of the past that must not be forgotten least they drown the world in war once again. Of special value to readers with an interest in World War II Histories & Biographies, "Basque Poppies: Survival Under the Swastika" is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/academic library Historical Fiction collections.

The Old Lion
Jeff Shaara
St. Martin's Press
https://us.macmillan.com/smp
9781250279941, $30.00, HC, 480pp

https://www.amazon.com/Old-Lion-Novel-Theodore-Roosevelt/dp/1250279941

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" author Jeff Shaara accomplishes what only the finest historical fiction can do -- he brings to life Theodore Roosevelt who was one of the most consequential figures in U.S. history and peels back the many-layered history of the man, and the country he personified.

From the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century, from the waning days of the rugged frontier of a young country to the emergence of a modern, industrial nation exerting its power on the world stage, Theodore Roosevelt embodied both the myth and reality of the country he loved and led.

From his upbringing in the rarefied air of New York society of the late 19th century to his time in rough-and-tumble world of the Badlands in the Dakotas, from his rise from political obscurity to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, from national hero as the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War to his accidental rise to the Presidency itself, Roosevelt embodied the complex, often contradictory, image of America itself.

In gripping prose, Shaara tells the story of the man who both defined and created the modern United States.

Critique: Although a work of biographical fiction, Jeff Shaara's "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" stays true to the non-fiction elements of the life, problems, and achievements of Theodore Roosevelt. The result is a riveting and memorable read and one that is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Biographical/Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Jeff Shaara (https://jeffshaara.com) is the author of seventeen novels, including Rise to Rebellion and The Rising Tide, as well as Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure - two novels that complete his father's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, The Killer Angels.

Through Bitter Seas
Phillip Parotti
Casemate Publishers
www.casematepublishers.com
9781636243085, $24.95, PB, 286pp

https://www.amazon.com/Through-Bitter-Seas-Casemate-Fiction/dp/1636243088

Synopsis: Assigned to U.S. Navy Rescue Tug, the ATR-3X, not long after the German surrender in North Africa, Ensign Hal Goff and four other officers must support the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy, shepherding navy ships to and from the bitter fighting. With the Allied advance finally stopped cold along the Winter Line beneath Monte Cassino, Hal and his ship become part of the grueling invasion of Anzio and the seemingly endless stalemate across Anzio's bloody beaches.

Critique: With an impressive and genuine flair for a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling style, Phillip Parotti's new novel, "Through Bitter Seas" will provide his readers with deftly crafted and gripping World War II naval action thriller set in the Mediterranean Sea. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.49), "Through Bitter Seas" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community library World War II historical fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Phillip Parotti (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillip_Parotti) grew up in Silver City, New Mexico, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1963, and served four years at sea on destroyers, both in the Pacific and the Atlantic, before exchanging his regular commission for a commission in the U.S. Naval Reserve. In addition to a number of short stories, essays, and poems, Parotti has published three well received novels about The Trojan War.

Starring Adele Astaire
Eliza Knight
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9780063209206, $18.99, PB, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Starring-Adele-Astaire-Eliza-Knight/dp/0063209209

Synopsis: Adele Astaire was a glittering, glamorous star, dancing with her brother, Fred, endearing herself to audiences from New York to London. But although she is toasted by royalty and beloved by countless fans, Adele Astaire has dreams of a loving husband and a houseful of children. And when she meets Lord Charles Cavendish, her wishes may just come true -- but at what cost?

Ever since Violet Wood could walk she's wanted to dance on the London stage. Befriended by Adele, filled with ambition, she is more than willing to make the sacrifices it will take to becomes a star herself, and her rags-to-riches hopes are within reach. But the road to fame is never easy.

From the fast-paced world of roaring 20s New York to the horrors and sacrifice of wartime London, Adele's and Violet's lives intertwine, and each must ask themselves is fame worth the price you must pay?

Critique: A masterpiece of biographical fiction based on the life of the legendary Fred Astaire's relatively obscure sister, "Starring Adele Astaire" author Eliza Knight plays fair with the non-fiction aspects of Adele's life. An entertaining, even fascinating read from cover to cover, "Starring Adele Astaire" is an especially recommended addition to community library Historical/Biographical Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of anyone with an interest in women's fiction that "Starring Adele Astaire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212689946, $41.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Eliza Knight (https://elizaknight.com) is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and Novelists, Inc., and the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed.

In Feast or Famine
Mesu Andrews
WaterBrook Press
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com
9780593193785, $17.00, PB, 448pp

https://www.amazon.com/Feast-Famine-Novel-Egyptian-Chronicles/dp/0593193784

Synopsis: After four-year-old Asenath's mother is murdered by Egypt's foreign rulers, the child is raised to be a priestess by her overprotective father who is the high priest of Ra, Egypt's sun god.

For fifteen years, Asenath is sequestered in the upper levels of Ra's temple, convinced it is her destiny to heal the land by becoming queen to the next Egyptian pharaoh. But when Egypt's foreign king instead gives her as a bride to the newly appointed vizier (a Hebrew named Joseph) her entire world is shaken.

Beyond the walls of her tower, Asenath discovers treachery, deceit, and conspiracy that combine in forcing her to redefine her destiny and weigh where her true loyalties lie. Can she still trust the gods of Egypt? Or is Elohim, the foreign God of her husband, the one who will heal her nation during the feast and famine to come?

Critique: The newest addition to novelist Mesu Andrews simply outstanding 'The Egyptian Chronicles' series, "In Feast or Famine" is a compelling and inherently fascinating story that will have a particular appeal to readers with an interest in Biblical Fiction. Deftly crafted, entertaining, memorable, "In Feast of Famine" is unreservedly recommended, especially for community library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "In Feast or Famine" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Mesu Andrews (https://mesuandrews.com) is the Christy Award-winning author of numerous inspirational novels including the Treasures of the Nile series, the Prophets and Kings series, and "Potiphar's Wife", the first book in the Egyptian Chronicles series. Her deep understanding of and love for God's Word help her to bring the biblical world alive for readers.

Shadows We Carry
Meryl Ain
https://merylain.com
SparkPress
c/o Spark Point Studio
www.gosparkpress.com
9781684632008, $17.95, PB, 296pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-We-Carry-Meryl-Ain/dp/1684632005

Synopsis: "Shadows We Carry" is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Meryl Ain's award-winning post-Holocaust novel "The Takeaway Men". It follows Bronka and JoJo Lubinski as they find themselves on the cusp of momentous change for women in the late 1960s. With the United States in the grip of political and social upheaval, the twins and a number of their peers, including a Catholic priest and the son of a Nazi, struggle with their family's ancestry and how much influence it has on their lives. Meanwhile, both young women seek to define their roles as women, and as individuals.

Critique: Enlightening and evocative, "Shadows We Carry" by Meryl Ain deftly explores the experience of navigating deeply held family secrets and bloodlines, confusing religious identities, and the scars of World War II in the wake of revolutionary societal changes. Original, exceptional, fully engaging from cover to cover, "Shadows We Carry" is a compelling, thought-provoking, and entertaining read from cover to cover and unreservedly recommended for community library Jewish literature, family/women's domestic life fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Shadows We Carry" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99).

Editorial Note: Meryl Ain (https://merylain.com) is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. "The Takeaway Men" (her award-winning post-Holocaust debut novel), was published in 2020. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications and she is the author of two nonfiction books. A member of The International Advisory Board for Holocaust Survivor Day, she is the host of the podcast People of the Book, and the founder of the Facebook group "Jews Love To Read!" She holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from Hofstra University.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea
Patti Callahan Henry
Atria Books
c/o Simon & Schuster
www.simonandschuster.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781668011836, $28.99, HC, 368pp

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Book-Flora-Lea-Novel/dp/1668011832

Synopsis: In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone -- a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.

But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister's disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.

Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby's. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel's future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora's disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?

As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.

Critique: Original, eloquent, riveting, memorable, "The Secret Book of Flora Lea" deftly showcases author Patti Callahan Henry's literary talents as a novelist with a genuine and impressive flair for the kind of narrative driven and imaginative storytelling talents that keep the reader's rapt and compulsive page turning attention from cover to cover. A novel that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after th book itself has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "The Secret Book of Flora Lee" is highly and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library History Fiction and Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted that "The Secret Book of Flora Lee" is also available in a paperback edition (Simon & Schuster, 9781668023136, $24.99), in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), and as a complete an unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9781797156002, $44.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Patti Callahan Henry (https://www.patticallahanhenry.com) is the author of fifteen novels, including the historical fiction (writing as Patti Callahan) Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis". In addition, she is the recipient of The Christy Award -- A 2019 Winner "Book of the Year"; The Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2020 and the Alabama Library Association Book of the Year for 2019, and the RNA UK finalist for Romantic Historical Fiction. She is also the co-founder of the Facebook weekly show Friends and Fiction.

Finding Home (Hungary, 1945)
Dean Cycon
Koehler Books
3705 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455
www.koehlerbooks.com
9798888240755, $21.95, PB, 378pp

https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Home-Hungary-1945-Cycon/dp/B0BYTPXKT1

Synopsis: For nine months in Auschwitz, eighteen-year-old Eva Fleiss clung to sanity by playing piano on imaginary keyboards. After liberation, Eva and the five remaining Jews of Laszlo, Hungary, journey home, seeking to restart their lives. Yet the town that deported them is not ready to embrace their return. Their former neighbors and friends resist relinquishing their newfound status and property, and they struggle with their roles as perpetrators, enablers, and bystanders during the Holocaust.

Longing for connection to her old life, Eva agrees to clean her former home, now the mayor's home, in return for practice time on her piano. As her profound experiences allow her to access music at a depth she didn't know existed, Eva's performances begin to affect those around her - with unexpected consequences.

Critique: Original, intriguing, deftly crafted, "Finding Home (Hungary, 1945)" is all the more impressive when considering that this is author Dean Cycon's first novel. With a special appeal to readers with an interest in World War II fiction and Jewish literature, "Finding Home (Hungary 1945)" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university library literary fiction collections. A novel that will linger in the mind and memory long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Finding Home (Hungary 1945)" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.49).

Editorial Note: Dean Cycon (https://www.koehlerbooks.com/writer/dean-cycon) is an author, lawyer, human rights advocate, and social entrepreneur who has lived and worked in over sixty countries. A passionate explorer of culture and history, Dean seeks out unexamined corners that illuminate the human condition. He has previously published Javatrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee, which was awarded the Gold Medal for Best Travel Essay by the Independent Publishers Association and has been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.

Coyote Weather
Amanda Cockrell
https://www.amandacockrell.com
Northampton House Press
https://northampton-house.com
9781950668168, $19.95, PB, 374pp

https://www.amazon.com/Coyote-Weather-Amanda-Cockrell/dp/1950668169

Synopsis: Coyote weather is the feral, hungry season in California, when everything is drought-stricken and ready to catch fire. It's 1967 and the American culture is violently remaking itself while the country is forcing its young men to fight in a deeply unpopular war in Vietnam.

Jerry has stubbornly made no plans for the future because he believes that, in the shadow of Vietnam, the Cold War and atomic bomb drills, there won't be one. Ellen's determined to have a plan, because nothing else can keep the world from tilting. And the Ghost just wants to go home to a place that won't let him in: the small California town where they all grew up.

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, and against a expertly re-created background of what it was like to be young adults in the American social, cultural, political, and economic turmoil back in the day. The characters are inherently interesting, the plot has more twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster, and the narrative storytelling style of novelist Amanda Cockrell will keep the reader's rapt and compulsive page turning attention from cover to cover. While available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.99), "Coyote Weather" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition for community and academic library Literary Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Amanda Cockrell (https://www.amandacockrell.com) is the former director of the MFA program in children's and adolescent literature at Hollins University. She's received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Reclaiming Mni Sota
Colin Mustful
History Through Fiction
https://www.historythroughfiction.com
9781736499092, $29.95, HC, 316pp

https://www.amazon.com/Reclaiming-Mni-Sota-Alternate-History/dp/1736499092

Synopsis: Samuel Copeland was just a teenager in 1859 when he and his family left Vermont for the promise of a new life in Minnesota. But life is harder and more dangerous than he expected. Devastated by the loss of his father at the hands of Indians and seeking to protect his brother, Samuel joins the Union army believing he'd be safe on the frontier.

WaabiskiMakwa was still a boy in 1850 when his father perished at Sandy Lake because of the negligence of U.S. government officials. Seeing his way of life crumbling around him, WaabiskiMakwa leaves his home to mourn his father and seek a new way, one that includes his lost-love, Agnes.

Seeking their own solutions, neither Waabi or Samuel could see the collision course their paths had been set upon by a world in conflict. War was in their future and it was inevitable. But when war breaks out, and their cultures collide, so do their individual paths. Though they can't stop the war, maybe they can help each other.

Fueled by years of mistreatment and seeing the opportunity provided by the War with the South, Dakota spokesman Little Crow and Ojibwe leader Bagone-giizhig, join forces in an effort to reclaim their Native lands. Spurred by early victories over Fort Ridgley and New Ulm, the Dakota-Ojibwe Alliance heads north to Fort Snelling, the beacon of American strength in the region. Once thought impenetrable, the fort and its small group of volunteer militia fights to hang on when a new enemy arrives from the West.

With the publication of "Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862" by novelist Colin Mustful the true and lasting results of history are challenged. Acting as individuals, striving to protect ourselves and our families, it's impossible to understand our role and impact in the much larger march of time. The United States is an abundant, beautiful land filled with wealth and opportunity, but its history is scarred by inequity and loss. What if the defeated became the victors? What would that mean for the world today and how would that illuminate the wrongs of the past?

Critique: Simply stated, "Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862" is an inherently fascinating read from first page to last. One of those unusual novels that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after the book has been finished and set back upon the shelf, "Reclaiming Mni Sota" is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community and academic library Historical Fiction, Native American Fiction, and Literary Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Reclaiming Mni Sota" is also available in a paperback edition (9781736499085, $17.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Colin Mustful (https://www.colinmustful.com) is an independent historian, author, and publisher. His work, which includes five historical novels, focuses on the tumultuous and complicated periods of settler-colonialism and Native displacement in American history. He has a Master of Arts degree in history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. He is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press that publishes compelling historical novels that are based on real events and people. As a traditional publisher, he works with authors who want to share important historical stories with the world.

Lockett and the Devil's Path
T.J. Johnston
Vivus Historical Press
9798218066765, $13.99 Paper/$3.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C12JXTRC

The Lockett Civil War series of novels continues to expand with the latest volume, Lockett and the Devil's Path, which moves through battles in Tennessee as it presents a historical reenactment of Civil War events. A historical background section at book's end (and a shorter introduction which places this volume in perspective) details the dramatic events and twists of the Tullahoma Campaign of 1863 in Tennessee. Captain Lockett is in charge of a ragtag band of men who face impossible challenges during the war. He commands an odd but effective group that has a reputation for a kind of diversity neither North nor South has seen in military companies. Intrigue, involvements between conscripted men and civilians of both sexes, and traps and treason affect these mercurial relationships as battles shift balances of power and impact lives.

Lockett walks a dangerous path with little chance of success, yet he refuses to give up. His perseverance creates both a legend and a conundrum as he sticks his neck out for others and defends those who seem undeniably guilty for their trespasses. From secret meetings with Confederate officers to facing the life and death moments of battle, Lockett's world comes alive ... as does Anna Tucker, who finds herself in the strange position of being a Confederate spy enamored with a Yankee soldier a year after she is saved from a Union trap by his efforts. T.J. Johnston builds his story on the firm foundations of historical fact, adding the emotional connections and relationships that give history a realistic, compelling flavor. These connections allow even non-historical fiction readers to access and enjoy the scenarios and conundrums that test men and women attempting to survive and engage with each other during Civil War times.

Clashes of belief and heart set the stage for another drama in which Anna, James, and others find their convictions and attractions tested. Libraries and readers seeking Civil War novels firmly rooted in history and spiced with vivid events will find Lockett and the Devil's Path both enhances the series as a whole and stands nicely alone for newcomers to Lockett's adventures.

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