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Historical Fiction October 2022 |
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| Midnight on the Marne by Sarah AdlakhaWhat it is: an intricately plotted love story set during an alternate history version of World War I that invites readers to ponder the weight our choices carry for the world around us.
The setup: French nurse (and erstwhile spy for Britain) Marcelle Marchand has a chance encounter with American soldier George Mountcastle and the two fall in love. But when Marcelle's latest mission goes wrong, Germany gains the upper hand and occupy France, which threatens any future she and George might have had together.
For fans of: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. |
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| The Ghetto Within by Santiago H. AmigorenaStarring: Polish Jew Vicente Rosenburg, who moved to Buenos Aires in 1928 to start his now-thriving furniture business; his mother Gustawa, whose letters from Poland grow increasingly infrequent once she is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto in 1940.
Read it for: introspective Vicente's lyrical reflections on his heartbreaking situation and overwhelming feelings of powerlessness.
Inspired by: the life of author Santiago H. Amigorena's grandfather. |
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| Big Red by Jerome CharynWhat it's about: Underemployed wannabe gossip columnist Rusty Redburn takes a public relations job at Columbia Pictures, where her knack for keeping tabs on stars gets her noticed by company president Harry Cohn, who decides to offer her a new assignment.
The mission: work as a personal secretary for high-profile couple Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth, all the while reporting back to Cohn on his company's two biggest stars, whose public and private behavior has been growing increasingly volatile.
Reviewers say: Big Red is "an intimate, fly-on-the-wall look at a legendary, tumultuous romance" (Booklist). |
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| The Last of the Seven by Steven HartovWhat it is: an atmospheric and well-researched story of survival and revenge, inspired by the true story of the Special Interrogation Group (SIG), a British army unit composed of German-speaking Jewish volunteers sent on sabotage missions behind Nazi lines.
How it opens: Dragging a gangrenous broken leg and wearing a Nazi uniform, George Henry Lane, the sole survivor of an SIG detachment, stumbles out of the desert and turns himself in to a the British military.
Read it for: the visceral, stirring descriptions of the physical challenges the characters endure and the welcome moments of gallows humor. |
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| Benevolence by Julie JansonWhat it's about: Born just as the British Empire was expanding into Australia, Darug girl Muraging's well-meaning father agreed to send her to the Parramatta Native School, where she would endure years of abuse and efforts to erase her cultural identity.
Is it for you? Benevolence doesn't shy away from the dark realities of colonialism and the violence Muraging has to endure, including sexual abuse.
About the author: Indigenous Australian writer Julie Janson is a playwright and novelist whose previous work includes Black Mary Gunjies and The Light Horse Ghost. |
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| Bronze Drum by Phong NguyenWho it's about: Vietnamese national heroines Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, who led their people in rebellion against Han Chinese domination until they were defeated and executed in 43 CE.
Why you might like it: Though the Trung sisters are near-legendary figures in the Vietnamese cultural imagination, author Phong Ngyuen breathes life into Trac and Nhi, turning them into real, flesh-and-blood people.
Reviewers say: "Though the path to victory is riddled with obstacles, the Trung sisters’ determination and skill earn their place in history. Gripping historical adventure" (Booklist). |
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| The Manhattan Girls by Gill PaulWhat it is: an atmospheric, character-driven look at the inner lives of a remarkable group of women who live and work in 1920s Manhattan.
Featuring: Broadway star Winifred Lenihan; Jane Grant, co-founder of The New Yorker; Pulitzer and Bancroft prize-winning history writer and novelist Peggy Leech; the one and only Dorothy Parker.
Read it for: the unsurprisingly witty narration, which alternates between each character; a more nuanced portrayal of Dorothy Parker than readers might be used to, which sheds light on her insecurities and fragile ego. |
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| Moth by Melody RazakWhat it's about: In this gritty, character-driven debut, the Partition of India tears society apart while the clash between new and old ideas tears one high-caste Hindu family apart.
How it starts: Though worldly university professors Bappu and Ma think that 14 would normally be too young to marry, they arrange a marriage for their daughter Alma hoping it will protect her during the anticipated Partition upheaval. When the wedding is later called off, questions of honor and obligation start dividing the family against itself.
Reviewers say: "An exceptional novel that is historical fiction at its finest" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Soviet Sisters by Anika ScottWhat it is: an intricately plotted, atmospheric spy thriller sisters, secrets, and Cold War paranoia.
Starring: Marya, who has spent 9 years in a gulag after being convicted for espionage; Marya's sister Vera, a state attorney who finally gets the courage to officially reopen her sister's case.
For fans of: the novels of Kate Quinn, especially recent titles like The Rose Code and The Alice Network. |
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| The Wild Hunt by Emma SeckelThe setting: a rugged little island off the coast of Scotland, just after World War II.
The premise: Leigh Welles has lived on the mainland for years but decides to return home after her father's sudden death.
The problem: When Leigh arrives she's surprised at the cool detachment her brother treats her with, and in the wake of wartime losses, the other islanders are turning increasingly superstitious and distrustful of outsiders and each other. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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