November 2023 MBR The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Historical Fiction Shelf

Bomber
Len Deighton
Grove Press
c/o Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
www.groveatlantic.com
9780802161611, $17.00, PB, 496pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bomber/dp/0802161618

Synopsis: Skilled Royal Air Force bomber pilot Sam Lambert is exhausted, and his veteran crewmen have just been replaced by an inexperienced new team. Victor von Lowenherz, a German night fighter pilot who intercepts RAF bombers in his Junkers Ju 88, looks on with horror at the Nazi regime. And Hansl, a German boy in the small market town of Altgarten, sleeps at home. Lambert and his crew prepare for a bombing raid on the Ruhr area. It's a night that many will never forget.

Critique: Although a work of fiction "Bomber" by Len Deighton offers an historically accurate background to his masterfully written, inherently gripping, minute-by-minute account of what was to occur over the next twenty-four hours. Told from the perspective of protagonists on all sides and astonishingly precise in its depictions of planes, weapons, and behind-the-scenes war strategy, "Bomber" is novelist Len Deighton at his best as he presents unforgettable portrait of war, both in the air and on the ground. A "must" for the legions of Len Deighton fans, this edition of "Bomber" from Grove Press is highly recommended for personal and community library World War II fiction collections. It should be noted that this edition of "Bomber" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.67).

Editorial Note: Len Deighton (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Deighton) is considered one of the most important British espionage writers. He has written more than thirty books that range from historical fiction, dystopian alternative fiction, and brilliant nonfiction on the Second World War.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Johanna Van Zanten
Addison & Highsmith Publishers
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111022, $39.99, HC, 524pp

https://www.amazon.com/Between-Rock-Hard-Place-Occupation/dp/1592111025

Synopsis: "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" by Johanna Van Zanten is set in The Netherlands during World War II.

Jacob van Noorden is a military policeman with a wife and two children, and a third on the way, just assigned his first job as chief of a crew in a rural town, close to the German border. When the German army invades and moves through his town, Jacob and his crew have no defense. They can only watch the tanks rumble by without stopping.

As the Queen and cabinet escaped to Britain, their last direction is for all public servants to stay at their posts, as long as it serves the Dutch nation, and the occupier follows international laws. After a pro-German who slavishly follows all idiotic Nazi laws replaces Jacob's boss, all moral guidance must come from Jacob himself. As the Nazis open a prison camp in Jacob's jurisdiction but hire Dutchmen to run it, the ordeal begins.

Jacob's wife, Margaret, is German-born. His mother-in-law is an outspoken admirer of Hitler. Soon he learns that his wife's twin brother has joined the Dutch Nazi Party. Stuck with his family of mixed German-Dutch heritage, he joins the resistance as an informer. Jacob is forced to deal with the increasingly disastrous events of the Nazi regime's occupation. He learns that in the end that every action he takes, no matter how well-intentioned, has enormous, long-lasting consequences to those around him.

Critique: Although a work of fiction, author Johanna Van Zanten has based her novel, "Between A Rock And A Hard Place", on her own family's personal experiences of living through the German Occupation of the Netherlands from 1940-1945. This give her story a feeling of authenticity. Exceptionally well written and inherently interesting, "Between A Rock And A Hard Place" is a strongly recommended pick for community library Historical & World War II Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Between A Rock And A Hard Place" is also available in a paperback edition (9781592112814, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Johanna Van Zanten is an immigrant to Canada from The Netherlands. As she continued her job as a social worker, she discovered the life-altering gift of writing later in life when she began writing short stories. When some of these stories made the shortlist in contests and were published, she took courage and expanded into writing novels. Now retired from her day job, she enjoys her life writing, dividing her time between Canada and Mexico.

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men
Shauna Lawless
Head of Zeus
https://headofzeus.com/home
9781803282626, $29.95, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Children-Gods-Fighting-Gael-Song/dp/1803282622

Synopsis: 981 AD. The Viking King of Dublin is dead. His young widow, Gormflaith, has ambitions for her son (and herself) but Ireland is a dangerous place and kings tend not to stay kings for long.

Gormflaith also has a secret. She is one of the Fomorians, an immortal race who can do fire-magic. She has kept her powers hidden at all costs, for there are other immortals in this world -- like the Tuatha De Danann, a race of warriors who are sworn to kill Fomorians.

Fodla is one of the Tuatha De Danann with the gift of healing. Her kind dwell hidden in a fortress, forbidden to live amongst the mortals. Fodla agrees to help her kin by going to spy on Brian Boru, a powerful man who aims to be High King of Ireland. She finds a land on the brink of war -- a war she is desperate to stop. However, preventing the loss of mortal lives is not easy with Ireland in turmoil and the Fomorians now on the rise.

Critique: Of special and particular interest to fans of historical fantasy/folklore and alternative history fiction, the publication of "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" launches author Shauna Lawless' new fantasy Gael Song series that blends factual history with Irish mythology. All the more impressive when considering that it is her debut as a novelist, "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" is a fun and deftly crafted read from start to finish and will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next title in this original fantasy series. While unreservedly recommended for community/public library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans that "The Children of Gods and Fighting Men" is also available in a paperback edition (9781803282640, $16.76, amazon.com) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Shauna Lawless (www.shaunalawless.com) is an avid reader of Irish mythology and folklore. As an Irish woman, she loves that Irish mythology has inspired so many stories over the years; however, she wanted to explore the history and mythology of Ireland in a more authentic way. She lives in Northern Ireland with her family and can be followed on @shaunaLwrites

When We Were Enemies
Emily Bleeker
Lake Union Publishing
https://amazonpublishing.amazon.com/lake-union-publishing.html
Brilliance Audio
https://audiobookstore.com/publishers/brilliance-audio
9781662509889, $16.99, PB, 347pp

https://www.amazon.com/When-We-Were-Enemies-Novel/dp/166250988X

Synopsis: Camera-shy Elise Branson is different from the other women in her maternal line. Her mother is an award-winning actress. Her late grandmother, Vivian Snow, is a beloved Hollywood icon. But when Elise's upcoming wedding coincides with a documentary being made about Vivian, Elise can't escape the camera's gaze. And neither can her grandmother, even in death.

It's 1943 when Vivian, a small-town Indiana girl, lends her home front support to the war effort. As a translator in the nearby Italian POW camp, she's invaluable. As a celebrated singer for the USO, she lifts men's spirits and falls in love with a soldier. But behind this all-American love story is a shocking secret -- one that is vital to keep buried if Vivian is to achieve the fame and fortune she covets.

For Elise and Vivian, what's hidden (and what's exposed) threatens to unravel their lives. The heart-wrenching choices they must make will change them both forever.

Critique: As a novelist, Emily Bleeker has a genuinely impressive, narrative driven, and distinctive storytelling style that fully engages her readers from first page to last. Her latest novel, "When We Were Enemies" will have a special appeal to readers with in interest in comparative generational historical fiction at its very best. A memorable read throughout, "When We Were Enemies" is a highly recommended pick for community library fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "When We Were Enemies" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Brilliance Audio, 9781491556696, $19.99, MP3-CD).

Editorial Note: Emily Bleeker (www.emilybleeker.com) is the author of six novels. Combined, her books have reached more than two million readers. She is also a two-time Whitney Award finalist as well as an Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal best selling author.

Stories from War: Vietnam
John S. O'Connor II
Dorrance Publishing Company
585 Alpha Drive, Suite 103, Pittsburgh, PA 15238
www.dorrancepublishing.com
9798887294988, $28.00, HC, 134pp

https://www.amazon.com/Stories-War-Vietnam-John-OConnor/dp/B0C3K53MPL

Synopsis: A work of fiction but one that is solidly based on real incidents and real people, "Stories from War: Vietnam" vividly details the brutality of the Vietnam War through a series of short stories. From the horrors of war, the immense loneliness, to small moments of levity, each story is a reminder that soldiers, on both sides of a war, are people; men fighting for their lives and to make their way back home. Within these tales lies just a glimpse into a nightmarish world only a brave few heroes have ever witnessed.

Critique: A riveting, impressively crafted, and truly memorable read from start to finish, "Stories from War: Vietnam" by John S. O'Connor will have a special value to readers with an interest in the Vietnam War and the impact it had on the physical and mental well-being of the people who lived there and the men who fought there. Highly recommended for community library Military Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Stories from War: Vietnam" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.00).

We Are Like Fire
Mike Goodenow Weber
Independently Published
9798354671366, $12.45, PB, 317pp

https://www.amazon.com/Like-Fire-Mike-Goodenow-Weber/dp/B0CKW89DDJ

Synopsis: In 1958 and 1959, when few West Germans had yet reached moral clarity following Hitler's Third Reich, American psychologist Ren Prothero is inspired to help his German friend Dieter Ulrich break free from his society's Nazi past.

As Ren, Dieter, and their relatives and friends collaborate on theatrical plays, Ren also aims to bring fresh insight to their German audiences. As their performances about the tragic poetic genius Friedrich Holderlin move from Denver to Berlin and Frankfurt, will Ren's dream reach fruition or will his friends' Nazi nightmare come to haunt him as well?

Critique: Mike Goodenow Weber's first novel, "Renaissance Radio", compelled his readers into the very heart of the lived experience of the Jazz Generation. His next novel, "We Are Like Fire" takes us into the depths of the World War II Generation's struggle -- events that still speaks to us today: After the darkness of Fascism and authoritarianism in human souls, minds, and cultures, how can people step into the light of their full humanity? A timely, fascinating, and critically relevant read given the new rise of the same forces that once resulted in the genocide of the Holocaust, "We Are Like Fire" is especially and unreservedly recommended pick for community and college/university library Historical Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "We Are Like Fire" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.45).

Editorial Note: Mike Goodenow Weber (https://mikegoodenowweber.substack.com) has worked with more than 700 elected leaders from 45 states on policy, communications, or both, including writing 2,000 speeches. He began his literary career as a researcher for author Marilyn Ferguson and writing for the Brain / Mind Bulletin, the internationally influential journal about consciousness, psychology, and human potential. In 2007, he published his book "Visionary Behavior: Creative Intelligence in Action".

From the Fires Scattered There
Kammeron Polverari
Warren Publishing
www.warrenpublishing.net
9781957723952, $28.95 Hardcover/$15.95 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Fires-Scattered-There-Kammeron-Polverari/dp/1957723955

Readers of literary World War II fiction will find From the Fires Scattered There to be unusually compelling and revealing in its focus on the devastating Tamiami Champion train wreck in North Carolina in 1943. It took over seventy lives and reflected the diversity of individuals whose lives were either ended or forever changed by the incident.

Kammeron Polverari sifts through these lives with the astute eye of an observer who brings readers along for a rollicking ride on the rails of death and revelation. The passengers on this train of inevitability react differently to their circumstances, which contrast nicely in a riveting story that embraces all manner of lives and perspectives. As the vivid events unfold, readers receive powerful contrasts in attitude, perception, and lives joined in a flash by a terrible accident that tests their values before, during, and even after the fact.

History, havoc, and philosophical and psychological revelations permeate this powerful story's anticipated (and concurrently unexpected) courses as the characters make life-or-death decisions in disparate, unpredictable manners. It is equally time for readers of historical novels, World War II history, and powerful good reading to choose this book. Libraries will find From the Fires Scattered There a powerful, phoenix-like saga of death and rebirth that operates on many levels, thus appealing to a much wider audience than historical fiction usually reaches.

Danish Connection
Keith Thye
www.keiththye.com
Classic Day Publishing
9781598493429, $9.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Danish-Connection-Dansgaard-Family-Saga/dp/1598493426

Danish Connection follows the Dansgaard family in a historical saga that embraces an obscure fact of Danish history to vividly recreate eight decades of the twentieth century in Europe and America. Torn asunder by two world wars in Europe that fragment nations and family ties alike, family heads make impossible choices to preserve their lives while severing and reinventing their connections to the past and each other. Novel readers might anticipate that a historical work steeped in Danish and world history and sporting over five hundred pages will be a slog to read, but Keith Thye's talent lies in convincingly and compellingly delving into the hopes, challenges, motivations, and inner and outer forces that drive patriarch Bjorn (and other family members) to engage in confrontations and conversations that change their perspectives.

From the blossoming romance between Bjorn and Frieda to the secret surrounding her roots that draws them ever closer to danger through the subterfuge they propagate to survive changing circumstances, readers become thoroughly immersed in the evolving situation in Europe and the changes it brings to the world. Whether describing struggles with personal depression to POWs, immigration to America and the secrets which continue to drive life choices, and an eventual quest to bring together the fragmented Dansgaard family, Thye's attention to psychological as well as historical developments keeps readers thoroughly engaged in the choices and changes this family experiences as wars and peace buffet them. Bjorn's booming businesses interests and how he keeps his finances afloat even during times of struggle also adds an unusual element of financial inspection and savvy to the story that keeps the family grounded in its financial as well as emotional survival tactics. Hopefully, lost sons will return to the family fold. Hopefully, lost opportunities will blossom again. They do - albeit in different, unexpected ways that keeps characters and readers on their toes.

It's no easy task to create a work steeped in social and cultural inspection, personalizing the history of a group of characters that each find their lives affected not only by uncontrollable past influences, but choices in present-day perspectives and living. Thye's story is highly engaging and well-detailed. His ability to juxtapose history with psychological growth and family connections creates a work accessible not only to the usual audience of historical fiction readers, but to those whose genres usually lie outside that fold. Any who look for engrossing and epic stories that appear complex on their surface will find Danish Connection highly accessible and entertaining.

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