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Historical Fiction November 2019
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The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt
by Burt Solomon
1902, Pittsfield, Massachusettes: Theodore Roosevelt had been president for less than a year when, on a tour in New England, his horse-drawn carriage was broadsided by an electric trolley. Was it an accident or an assassination attempt…and would there be another “accident” soon?
What transpires: John Hay, the Secretary of State, finds himself in pursuit of a would-be assassin, crossing paths with luminaries of the day, such as best-pal Henry Adams, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan, Mark Hanna, and (as an investigatory sidekick) the infamous Nellie Bly, who will help Hay protect the man who wants to transform a nation.
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| Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis1977, Uruguay: Citizens live under a brutal military dictatorship that's especially hostile to women and the LGBTQIA community.
Featuring: Romina, Flaca, Anita (a.k.a. "La Venus"), Paz, and Malena, a group of cantoras (slang for "lesbians") who decide to live together in a remote beach shack in Cabo Polonio. Over the next thirty-five years, their lives move back and forth between Cabo Polonio and Montevideo, the city they call home. The women will be tested—by their families, lovers, society, and one another—as they fight to live authentic lives.
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The German house : a novel
by Annette Hess
1963, Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials: Caught between societal and family expectations and her unique ability to speak truth to power, a young translator fights to expose the dark truths of her nation’s past.
Meet Eva: propelled by her own conscience, she joins a team of fiery prosecutors determined to bring the Nazis to justice—a decision that will help change the present and the past of her nation. As Eva becomes more deeply involved in the Frankfurt Trials, she begins to question her family’s silence on the war and her future.
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| The Sound of the Hours by Karen Campbell1943, Italy: When the U.S. Army arrives in her village, Italian orphan Vittoria "Vita" Guidi meets and falls in love with African American GI Frank Chapel.
Why you might like it: In addition to the novel's wartime romantic drama, detailed descriptions of the Tuscan landscape rendered in lyrical prose immerse readers in its setting.
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| The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-Min Lee; translated by Chi-Young Kim1954, Seoul, South Korea: Although the Korean War armistice was signed a year ago, most citizens of Seoul still battle to return to some semblance of normalcy. Conditions are dismal.
An unexpected kinship: When Alice J. Kim, a typist at an American military base in Seoul is tasked with translating for Marilyn Monroe during her 1954 USO tour, she finds the Marilyn she meets, while just as dazzling and sensual as Alice expected, is also surprisingly approachable. As Marilyn’s visit unfolds, Alice is forced into a reckoning with her own painful past. |
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| Where the Light Enters by Sara Donati1880's, Manhattan: Two female physicians, an uncommon phenomenon at the time, are suffering with loss. Sophie is mourning the death of her husband, while Anna has just lost custody of the three orphans she and her detective husband were fostering.
The murder mystery: A serial murderer is posing as a surgeon, mutilating women seeking abortions. Unable to ignore the plight of New York's less fortunate, these intrepid cousins draw on all resources to protect their patients.
Though this family saga and murder mystery is a sequel to The Gilded Hour, it can be read on it's own. |
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| All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana TrigianiIntroducing: novice nun Alda Ducci, who becomes the personal secretary of Hollywood star-on-the-rise Loretta Young.
What happens: Alda and Loretta become fast friends, but their bond is strained by Young's scandalous personal life, which includes an out-of-wedlock pregnancy that must be concealed from the public eye. |
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| The Girls in the Picture by Melanie BenjaminStarring: silent film actress Mary Pickford and screenwriter Frances Marion, whose (complicated) friendship underpins their enduring creative partnership.
Read it for: an engaging story anchored by strong female characters, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the early years of America's film industry. |
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| He by John ConnollyStarring: Stan Laurel, music hall entertainer turned movie star.
What it's about: the comedian's early struggles and eventual stardom, his decades-long creative partnership with Oliver Hardy, and his complicated personal life.
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| The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins ReidWhat it's about: Reclusive cultural icon Evelyn Hugo taps journalist Monique Grant to write her tell-all biography. But why?
Read it for: the much-married, larger-than-life Evelyn, whose single-minded pursuit of fame and fortune took her from Hell's Kitchen to Hollywood. |
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| Stars over Sunset Boulevard by Susan Meissner1938: Violet Mayfield and Audrey Duvall become friends while working as secretaries at Selznick International Pictures, which is producing Gone With the Wind.
2012: When a hat worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind is accidentally donated to her vintage clothing boutique on Sunset Boulevard, Christine McAllister sets out to find the rightful owner and uncovers long-hidden secrets. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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