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Historical Fiction December 2021 |
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| Civilizations by Laurent BinetWhat it is: An engaging and thought-provoking alternate history of contact between Europe and the Americas that meditates on tantalizing what if questions about colonialism.
Starring: Freydis, daughter of Eric the Red, whose contact with Indigenous people in the year 1000 introduces new disease resistance and sailing technology; Atahualpa, ruler of the Inca Empire, who captures the ships of Christopher Columbus and uses them to travel to Europe. |
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| Small Pleasures by Clare ChambersWhat it's about: Journalist Jean Swinney's dull life in the suburbs of 1950s London gets turned upside down (for good and ill) when she's sent to report on Gretchen Tilbury, a woman who claims her daughter is the result of a virgin birth. |
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| The Lost Notebook of Édouard Manet by Maureen GibbonWhat it is: A character-driven and reflective story that imagines the final days of French artist Édouard Manet, who created his final masterpieces like A Bar at the Folies-Bergère while his body was ravaged by syphilis.
Read it for: The lush writing style, which deftly captures Manet's visceral, frenetic passion for life, love, and art.
Also available in eAudiobook on Hoopla |
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| The Prince of the Skies by Antonio IturbeWhat it's about: The life and work of French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, author of the renowned novella The Little Prince.
Why you might like it: Author Antonio Iturbe portrays the glamour and drama in Saint-Exupéry's life in an atmospheric tone and rich details. |
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| Palmares by Gayl JonesWhat it is: The haunting and incisive story of Almeyda, a young Black woman living in the titular Palmares, a settlement for escaped slaves in 17th-century Brazil.
Why you should read it: Palmares is another vibrant addition to the canon of historical fiction about the rich inner lives of people living in (and escaping from) slavery, and its setting underlines the wide breadth of experiences in the African diaspora. |
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| The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria MasWhat it's about: The disturbing world of 19th-century attempts to treat "hysteria" and the harrowing experiences of women living in a Parisian asylum.
Who it's for: Gothic fiction fans; anyone interested in spiritualism and stories of women's autonomy.
Also available in eBook on Hoopla |
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| Rizzio by Denise MinaWhat it is: A compelling, atmospheric thriller that revisits the violent murder of David Rizzio, the Italian secretary and royal favorite of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Why you might like it: Despite its fast pace and intricate plotting, Rizzio also presents readers with a cast of well-developed characters and explores what led them to commit their fateful crime.
Also available in eBook & eAudiobook on Hoopla |
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| The Stolen Lady by Laura MorelliWhat it's about: The efforts of two women, living centuries apart, who are charged with safeguarding one of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa.
Starring: Bellina Sardi, a Florentine servant who decides to save the unfinished portrait of her employer from the chaos of an anti-Medici uprising; Louvre archivist Anne Guichard, who partners with the Resistance to save the painting from falling into Nazi hands. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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