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Historical Fiction September 2017
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New and Recently Released |
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| The Daughters of Ireland by Santa MontefioreIn the aftermath of the Irish Civil War, Castle Deverill lies in ruins, while its previous inhabitants, cousins Kitty and Celia Deverill, and their friend Bridie Doyle, assess the lives they're now living and the difficult choices they've made out of necessity. Driven by lost loves, hidden regrets, and scandalous family secrets, this historical family saga is the 2nd book in the Deverill Chronicles, after The Girl in the Castle. |
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Birdcage Walk by Helen DunmoreIt is 1792 and Europe is seized by political turmoil and violence. Lizzie Fawkes has grown up in Radical circles where each step of the French Revolution is followed with eager idealism. But she has recently married John Diner Tredevant, a property developer who is heavily invested in Bristol’s housing boom, and he has everything to lose from social upheaval and the prospect of war. Soon his plans for a magnificent terrace built above the two-hundred-foot drop of the Gorge come under threat. Tormented and striving Diner believes that Lizzie’s independent, questioning spirit must be coerced and subdued. She belongs to him: law and custom confirm it, and she must live as he wants―his passion for Lizzie darkening until she finds herself dangerously alone.
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Devastation Roadby Jason HewittIn the last months of World War II, a man wakes in a field in a country he does not know. Injured and with only flashes of memory coming back to him, he pulls himself to his feet and starts to walk, setting out on an extraordinary journey in search of his home, his past, and himself. His name is Owen. A war he has only a vague recollection of joining is in its dying days, and as he tries to get back to England, he becomes caught up in the flood of rootless people pouring through Europe. Among them is a teenage boy, and together they form an unlikely alliance as they cross battle-worn Germany. When they meet a troubled young woman, tempers flare and scars are revealed as Owen gathers up the shattered pieces of his life. No one is as he remembers, not even himself. How can he truly return home when he hardly recalls what home is?
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Feast of Sorrow: A Novel of Ancient Rome
by Crystal King
Most Roman slaves are bought for a pittance; talented chef Thrasius has just been purchased for the unbelievable sum of 20,000 denarii by renowned gourmand Marcus Gavius Apicius. As Apicius' coquus (cook), Thrasius must create sumptuous spreads for his master's wealthy and influential guests. Such feasts are a key component of Apicius' strategy to achieve his cherished ambition of becoming Augustus Caesar's gastronomic advisor. But Apicius has as many rivals and enemies as he does supporters. Will his lust for fame and glory lead to his (and Thrasius') downfall? In addition to domestic and political drama, this debut also contains well-researched details of ancient Roman culinary traditions.
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Focus on: Biblical Figures |
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| The Secret Chord by Geraldine BrooksThis "psychologically astute" (Publishers Weekly) portrait of the biblical King David traces his astonishing rise from shepherd to bandit to warrior to king. Tasked with writing the life story of the now-aged ruler, the prophet Natan combines his own recollections with those of the people who either love David (despite his many flaws) or hate him (for betraying them in his quest for power). While The Secret Chord is primarily a character-driven story, it illuminates the landscapes and culture of Israel's Second Iron Age. |
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| Eveby Elissa ElliottWe've all heard the story of Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden, but what happened after that? In this novel, which combines Biblical characters and ancient Mesopotamian culture, Eve tells her side of the story. Still wracked with guilt for succumbing to Lucifer's temptation, Eve recounts how she and Adam wandered the world before settling down to create their own garden. Their success in cultivating the soil, however, is matched by their failure to manage their children. Daughter Naava falls in love with the prince of a neighboring city, which results in a clash of cultures that forces the family to flee, while Cain and Abel's lifelong rivalry turns deadly in this "highly original look at Original Sin" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Legend of Sheba: Rise of a Queen by Tosca LeeCast aside after her mother's death and father's subsequent remarriage, young Bilqis relies on her wits to survive life at court and claim her birthright as Queen of Sheba (Saba). But she meets her match when she journeys to Israel on a diplomatic mission to King Solomon, a man renowned for his wisdom. Fleshing out an enigmatic figure mentioned only briefly in the Bible and the Quran, author Tosca Lee presents a strong and independent female ruler worthy of her legendary status. |
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The Centurion's Wife by T. Davis Bunn and Janette OkeCaught up in the maelstrom following the death of an obscure rabbi in the Roman backwater of first century Palestine, Leah finds herself also engulfed in her own turmoil facing the prospect of an arranged marriage to a Roman soldier, Alban. Head of the garrison near Galilee, he has been assigned by Palestine's governor to ferret out the truth behind rumors of a political execution gone awry. Leah's mistress, the governor's wife, secretly commissions Leah also to discover what really has become of this man whose death and missing body is causing such furor. At its core, The Centurion's Wife unfolds the testing of loyalties between two young people whose inner searchings they cannot express, between their irreconcilable heritages, and ultimately between their humanity and the Divine they yearn to encounter.
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Wednesdays, October 4, 11, & 25 The Protestant Reformation - Three-Part Series 6:30 p.m. At the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, Dr. Lou Mitchell will present a three-part series on the events leading to this 16th-century religious, political, intellectual, and cultural upheaval. Wednesday, October 11 Intro to Microsoft Publisher 1:00 p.m. Learn how to use the versatile program Microsoft Publisher to create quick publications, newsletters, flyers, and more. Enroll online or at the library. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
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Wednesday, October 18 Creating Your Family's Personal History 6:30 p.m. You've taken a stab at organizing your family history, but it's overwhelming. What to do? Katie Murphy of Univoice History offers tips and strategies for family history projects that you can actually complete. Enroll online or at the library. Thursday, October 19 History RepEATs Itself 12:00-2:00 p.m. Sample of a variety of different foods from the Cranbury Women's Club and Historical Society's cookbooks of yore. Library staff and volunteers will be dusting off jello molds and chafing dishes to present foods your grandparents (parents?) loved to eat! Then stick around to make a kitchy craft Lucy Ricardo or Mary Richards would have been proud of. Enroll online or at the library (enrollment for craft portion only).
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Cranbury Public Library
23 North Main Street ~
Cranbury, NJ 08512 ~ Phone: 609-655-0555 ~ Contact Us
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