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Historical FictionOctober 2014
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"It was the year 934 of the Hegira, the thirtieth year of my life, the fifth year of my bondage -- and I was at the edge of the known world." ~ from Laila Lalami's The Moor's Account
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Miniaturist by Jessie BurtonNewly married to prosperous merchant Johannes Brandt, 18-year-old Petronella "Nella" Oortman receives an unusual wedding gift from her much-older groom: an exquisite cabinet-sized replica of their home. Engaging the services of a miniaturist to craft furniture, dolls, and accessories for the little house, Nella starts receiving objects that she has not commissioned, ones that seem to hint at future events. In addition to these portents, Nella receives cryptic notes from the unseen artist, beginning with the message that "every woman is the architect of her own fortune." As eerie and suspenseful as it is richly detailed and atmospheric, The Miniaturist brings 17th-century Amsterdam to life. |
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| Henna House: A Novel by Nomi EveIn 1920s Yemen, the Imam's "Orphans Decree" proclaims that fatherless Jewish children must be adopted into Muslim families. Given her own father's rapidly declining health, five-year-old Adela Damari lives in constant fear of the Imam's agent, dubbed "the Confiscator," while Adela's family attempts to circumvent the law by arranging a marriage for her, for betrothed girls are exempt from the decree. During this time, Adela's life is shaped by the arrival of two cousins -- Asaf, the boy to whom she becomes engaged, and Hani, the girl who teaches her the art of henna. Exploring a culture mostly unknown to outsiders, this moving coming-of-age story also examines universal themes of love, loyalty, and betrayal. |
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| Neverhome: A Novel by Laird Hunt"I was to go and he was to stay," says Constance Thompson, recounting her decision to disguise herself as a man, leave her husband behind to tend their Indiana farm, and enlist in the Union Army as "Ash Thompson." Though Ash may be physically stronger than her spouse and more suited to military life, she finds the battlefield carnage tough to stomach. And that's before she's wounded in combat, captured by bounty hunters, imprisoned, and worse. For a very different perspective on the American Civil War, check out the spare, compelling Neverhome. |
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| The Moor's Account: A Novel by Laila LalamiBorn Mustafa ibn Muhammad, Moorish slave "Estebanico" was taken from his home in 16th-century North Africa by Portuguese traders and sold to Andrés Dorantes, who has chosen to accompany Spanish conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez on a voyage to the New World. While his master dreams of gold, Estebanico dreams of freedom -- even as its impossibility becomes increasingly apparent. Struggling to survive in the uncharted territory of La Florida, Estebanico witnesses the Europeans' brutal treatment of the Indians and wonders about his own fate. Based on a real-life, ill-fated expedition, The Moor's Account imagines the experiences of a man mostly omitted but not entirely erased from history. |
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| The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson SmithSet in the coastal North Carolina community of Beaufort in the years before and after the American Revolution, The Story of Land and Sea introduces a cast of complex characters living in troubled times. There's Asa, the devout widowed owner of the Long Ridge turpentine plantation; his spirited daughter Helen, who elopes with soldier and sometime-pirate John; the couple's daughter, Tabitha; and Helen's slave Moll, whose firstborn son, Davy, will accompany restless, grief-stricken John on a westward journey. Their stories, each compelling in its own right, intersect throughout this moving saga to form a rich tapestry that vividly depicts Colonial American life. |
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| The Paying Guests by Sarah WatersHaving lost both her brothers in the Great War and her debt-ridden father to illness shortly afterward, 27-year-old "spinster" Frances Wray and her widowed mother must take in lodgers in order to maintain their genteel house in South London. Their first "paying guests" are a young married couple, Leonard and Lillian Barber, whose working-class manners offend the sensibilities of Mrs. Wray but intrigue Frances, who bonds with lovely Lillian. However, as their friendship deepens into mutual passion, their relationship will be tested in every conceivable way. Fans of steamy, suspenseful novels steeped in historical atmosphere and rich in period detail should enjoy The Paying Guests. |
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| The Maid by Kimberly CutterMany are called, but few are chosen -- and by far the most unlikely choice to do God's work is an illiterate French peasant girl named Jehanne D'Arc, particularly when said work involves leading soldiers into battle. Guided by the voices of three saints, Jehanne knows that the Lord wants her to raise an army to drive the English out of France and place the Dauphin, Charles VII, on the throne. But first, she has to convince others of her divine mission. Set amid the bloody battlefields of the Hundred Years' War, this retelling of the life and death of Saint Joan of Arc "pays vibrant homage to this legendary woman" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Mary, Called Magdalene by Margaret GeorgeHaving created indelible fictional portraits of such notable women of history as Cleopatra and Mary, Queen of Scots, author Margaret George turns her attention to a fascinating, if elusive, figure from the Gospels: Mary Magdalene. In this imaginative yet well-researched biographical novel, Mary steps out of the shadows and comes into her own as a pivotal figure in early Christianity. Born in the small fishing village of Magdala, Mary is blessed -- or cursed -- from a young age with prophetic visions that cause her family to conclude that she is possessed by demons. Healed by Jesus of Nazareth, she makes the decision to leave her people in order to follow her new teacher. Kirkus Reviews calls this book "engaging and intelligent." |
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| Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen by Mary Sharratt"Tithed" to the church as an oblate in the early 1100s, eight-year-old Hildegard von Bingen spends the next 30 years of her life walled up in a tiny chamber adjoining a Benedictine monastery, where she serves as handmaiden to disturbed teenage anchorite Jutta. During her decades of imprisonment, Hildegard finds spiritual sustenance in her divine visions, as well as in her education, which allows her to master languages, musical composition, and the art of healing. However, as soon as she perceives an opportunity to escape her situation, Hildegard uses everything she's learned during her seclusion to advocate for her freedom -- even though by doing so she risks being branded as a heretic. |
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| The Hummingbird's Daughter: A Novel by Luis Alberto UrreaAuthor Luis Alberto Urrea draws upon Mexican history as well as his own family tree to tell the story of Teresa, La Santa de Cabora. Born in 1873, Teresita, the illegitimate daughter of 14-year-old Cayetana Chavez, a poor Indian girl, and wealthy landowner Don Tomás Urrea, becomes a skilled healer under the tutelage of "curandera" Huila. A horrific near-death experience bestows upon Teresita the seemingly divine power to cure disease -- which brings pilgrims to her door and attracts the attention of dictator Porfirio Díaz, who sees her popularity among the poor as a threat to his regime. For a fascinating portrait of an unconventional, modern-day saint, pick upThe Hummingbird's Daughter and its sequel, The Queen of America. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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West Babylon Public Library 211 Route 109 West Babylon, New York 11704 (631) 669-5445http://wbpl.us |
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