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Category Archives: Historical Fiction

The Librarian of Saint-Malo

01 Tuesday Feb 2022

Posted by truebooktalks in Adult fiction, Historical Fiction, Political fiction, Uncategorized

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Fiction, political fiction

by Mario Escobar

In these days of books on World War II and the holocaust being questioned and, in some cases, banned, I would like to suggest this novel. Escobar has given us a view of the French Resistance that is very unique. Although there are instances of sex, and of violence, the reader is not bombarded by them. We clearly see they exist, but the emphasis is on the growth of a young woman in spite of what she has to endure.

We see the events of World War II through the eyes of a French librarian, Jocelyn, who is tasked with the job of protecting the library of her town. We see her passion for protecting all texts, and we also see how the war changes her for the better.

Many Frenchmen went along with the demands of Germany to try to keep the Germans at bay and to save their own lives. Others tried passive resistance. While still others became an active part of resistance. Through Jocelyn’s eyes we meet her husband, Antoine, a policeman for Saint-Malo, who is forced to become a soldier for the French army. We see Jewish shopkeepers like Denis, who lose their businesses and in many cases their lives. We see Catholics, Protestants and Jews working together to try to save their country. We see others, like Mrs. Fave, who turns people into the German occupiers to gain extra food or favors.

We also see two different sides of the German army. One is Adolf Bauman, an S.S. officer who is assigned to live in her house. He is a rabid Nazi who wants to destroy the old history which Jocelyn is determined to protect. Bauman lives for cruelty. The other is Hermann von Choltiz, who is part of the military police of the Wermacht. His job is to find valuable art and books and to see that they are properly cared for and protected, usually by hauling things off to Berlin. He is a Nazi, but he is not interested in killing and enslaving people. He is really doing his job to the best of his ability without causing pain.

Jocelyn tells her story mostly through letters that she writes to the author Marcel Zola, not knowing if he would ever see them and respond. She begins by telling about her wedding and her lack of faith in God. By the end of the book, that has changed and she actually has a deep faith in God. This is NOT a preachy book. It simply shows you Jocelyn and her doubts and questions. Jocelyn takes drastic measures to save the most valuable books. She goes to Paris and becomes a member of the underground with an eye to passive resistance. Once, she is even captured and tortured.

In the end, it was the saviors of France, the Allies, who destroy the library in an effort to root out the Nazis in the area. Even as she is grieving for the loss of her town and her books, Jocelyn speaks the hard truth, “For four years, France had sold its soul to the devil, and he always requires full payment of a debt.”

Escobar tells us this: “Everything is made of words. We would not understand a thing without them. They define our feelings, fuel our ideas, and inspire our faith. Without them the world would be in silence.”

Although this book was written for adult readers, I would not have any reservations about giving it to a teenager who is wanting to learn about World War II. I highly recommend it for all high school and public libraries.

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The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

22 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by truebooktalks in Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Uncategorized, Young Adult

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Fantasy, Musicians, women

Many people know about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Few know about Nannerl Mozart, his older sister. She performed with Wolfgang, and possibly even had written some of the music attributed to him. The two of them traveled together and performed all over Europe until Nannerl was no longer looked upon by the audiences they performed for as a child prodigy. Nannerl lived at a time when any child prodigy – either male or female was praised and noticed; but when she became a woman, she had to begin the role of a woman – subservient to the men in her life. Nannerl’s performing ceased, and she had to take a back seat to Wolfgang.

This story takes on 18th century social norms, but it does not remain an historical novel. There are elements of fantasy rolled into the tale. Nannerl once said that she had but one wish – to be remembered forever. That wish almost became true due to a influence of a mythical being from the Kingdom of Back – a kingdom of fairy princelings and queens of the night. But when Nannerl learned the true cost of having her wish come true, she was faced with the most important decision of her life. It was a decision that no one could make for her – not mother, father, or a famous brother.

I wondered whether or not the author could pull off a merger of history and fantasy, but Lu did a superb job of doing just that. By the time I was well into the story I was immersed into the concept of a fairy being responsible fo I recommend this historical/fantasy for middle school and high school readers.

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Darkest Hour by Carolyn Tung Richmond

29 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction

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movie material, teen readers, war stories, World War II

2

darkest hour  As a spy of the Allies during World War II, sixteen year-old Lucie Blaise was not always the most proficient.  She had messed up two operations already, and the commander of Covert Ops was nearly ready to send her back to the U.S. before she could do any serious damage to the operations.

Then came the assignment to track down and interrogate a Nazi traitor who was offering the Allies important information about a new “weapon” than the Germans were about ready to release on the world.  Lucie and two other Covert Ops girls set out through France into Germany to complete this mission.

These types of assignments are always dangerous, but the girls nearly get themselves killed several times.  How they found the spy and then were able to destroy the lab where the weapon was being created is only a part of the story of espionage and intrigue. Lucie discovers that Covet Ops has a mole, and she must figure out who that is before someone dies.

The reader should be ready for a thrilling adventure as he/she sits down to read.  The fact that there actually were many real-life women operatives during World War II makes what might seem fantastical come to life.  I recommend the purchase of this book for readers in grade 7-13.

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Forbidden by Eve Bunting

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by truebooktalks in Ghost stories, Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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Fiction, movie material, teen readers

forbiddenBunting has told us a chilling tale based on events that really happened off the coasts of northwestern Scotland. In the story, Josie Ferguson goes to live with her father’s brother and his wife in an isolated village that people from other towns have little to do with.  Her relatives are emotionally cold to her, but they have accepted the responsibility to care for her until she reaches eighteen – not out of any sort of love, but because they will get money for doing so.

A young man named Eli shows up at her uncle’s home and she is drawn to him because he has a way of dealing with the family’s dog – a dog that had bitten her when she tried to go outside one night. Eli takes her to his aunt’s home to get the bite treated before it can get infected.  His aunt, rather cryptically, tells her that she cannot get emotionally involved with Eli because he is a “reporter” and is “forbidden.”

She manages to isolate the dog one day when her aunt and uncle are out on their fishing boat and goes into town to see if she can find at least one sympathetic ear.  She finds that the townspeople are as strange as her aunt and uncle, and that they have  some sort of secret which ties them together.

The entire town engages in “wrecking,” the practice of stripping wrecked ships of all saleable items that can be saved from ships that have been wrecked on the rocks of the firth.  Technically nothing can be salvaged as long as an animal or a man from the wreck was still alive.   That did not stop the “wreckers;” they just made sure that no one was breathing.

Josie finds out that her uncle and aunt are tied into the wreckers, and they actually lead ship to their destruction, but with Eli’s help, she manages to escape their grasp before she must take part in “wrecking.”

This is a fantastic ghost story, one of the best I have read lately.  The setting reminds me of Wuthering Heights, but the plot is different.  I think teen readers will greatly enjoy this tale.

 

 

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Assassin’s Masque by Sarah Zettel

17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Young Adult

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Fiction, History, teen readers

assassin's masque

Just when Peggy Fitzroy thinks that things might be going her way, what with her father turning up and her ex-fiancé finally out of the picture,  a new problem arises in the form of a mysterious woman. This woman seems to be known by her uncle’s mother, and Peggy believes that she could definitely be dangerous.
The Jacobites are coming ever closer to causing a rebellion that would remove George II and his family. Peggy has pledged her loyalty to the royal family, but events occur which make them doubt her allegiance. She begins to mistrust Mr. Tinderflint, the man who got her the position as a spy in the court. Who is really trustworthy, and who is lying about everything, is the point of this novel of the Palace of Spies series.
I recommend its purchase for those who already have the first two books, but this story can stand alone if the others are not available.

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17 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Mystery and Suspense, Young Adult

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Fiction, History, mystery, teen readers

Peggy Fitzroy continues her spy game for the court of King George II as a lady-in-waiting. She finds that the man who was betrothed to her, and who tried to rape her, has returned. She tries to find out who are the real dangers to the royal family and to herself. Her uncle is still trying to run her life – even though he had kicked her out of his home and a strange man, named Johnny Leroy becomes an unexpected part of her life. This second novel of The Palace of Spies is a stand alone, but it will make the reader want to go back and read The Palace of Spies, the first book of the series.
I think teens who are interested in strong female characters, and who like spy stories will enjoy this series.
dangerous deceptions

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Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A, Nielson

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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Fiction, History, Mythology

mark of the thief

This book is a clever combination of mythology, history and fantasy. This is the first of the stories of Nic, a slave boy working in the mines of Rome.  He is approached one day and commanded to go into an area of the mine where other miners have disappeared.  His task is to retrieve the bulla that used to belong to Julius Caesar.  A bulla is an amulet given to a baby boy when he is born.  It is dedicated to a particular god and shows the protection of that god until the boy becomes a man.  Then he puts aside the bulla, a mark of putting aside his childhood, and takes his place as a Roman citizen.

This particular bulla has magical powers which Nic can enhance because he, too, has magical powers.  He did not know about these powers until he comes in contact with the bulla.  Nic finds that the reason the other miners had not returned was that the treasure of Caesar was being guarded by a griffin. Nic calls the griffin Caela, since she is from the skies. She helps him escape because she recognizes his magical powers.

How Nic manages to thwart a powerful senator, how he survives the gladiator fight, and what he learns about the power struggles in Rome are the main themes of the story.  Even though the story does have a satisfactory conclusion, the promise of more exciting tales lies at the end of the book.

I was a little upset at the anachronism with the mention of “blasting” in the mines at the first of the book.  Blasting as a form of mining could not have occurred until after the 9th century when the Chinese developed gunpowder. The Romans sometimes used fire in mining as a way of making the rocks crack, but that is not the same thing as blasting.

I do recommend this for middle school readers.  It may get them to want to learn more about Roman mythology and/or history.

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Jefferson’s Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

26 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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historical fiction, movie material, Sally Hemmings, teen readers, Thomas Jefferson, United States

jefferson

Although this book has been out for several years, I had not read it.  It caught my eye the other day, and I thought I would try it because the students in one of the classes in my town are doing research into African Americans.  This is one that should be added to that list – if not required.

It is, of course, the story of the children of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings. However, it is more than that. It is an unusual look into the dichotomy of a man who would pronounce that “all men are created equal” in The Declaration of Independence, post a copy of that document in the lobby of his home, and yet deny his own flesh and blood the parental support that they so desperately wanted.

It is a sobering, eye-opening look into the institution that was slavery in the U.S.  The scenes are horrifying in many instances, but they are necessary to present the true picture of life in Virginia during the time of slavery.

The characters are well developed.  The author did extensive research into the Jefferson family and slavery, and she did a masterful job in presenting this piece of historical fiction to us. She does not use any dialectal language in the story.  The characters come alive and seem very real to any reader precisely because they are not different in speech or behavior. They speak, love, suffer, and die the same as any other person.  To do less with them, would be to reduce their humanity.

I did not know that Sally Hemmings was, in fact, a half-sister to Thomas Jefferson’s wife, thus the aunt of his daughter, Martha.  Martha tried to pretend that no connection to her family existed between her family and Sally’s. Yet, it was one of her daughters who taught Sally’s children to read and write.

While I knew that a mixed-race child born to a white woman was considered free, although they may still be considered black, and that a mixed-race child born to a slave was considered a slave, I did not know that a person of 7/8 white blood was considered white, but they could also be considered a slave because of the skin tone of their mother. Very confusing to me.

This book is well worth anyone’s time. I highly recommend it.  I do not know why it has not been made into a movie.

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Curses and Smoke by Vicky Alvear Shecter

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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Fiction, History, Pompeii, Roman Empire

Curses and Smoke Any lover of historical fictional or a fan of love stories will want to read this book. Shecter, author of Cleopatra’s Moon, has once again given the reader of historical fictional a fascinating look into the past.

She has thoroughly researched the events of the eruption of Vesuvius, the lives of the people living in and around Pompeii and Herculaneum, and the Roman society as a whole.  She has included a wonderful set of notes at the end of the story so the reader may be able to see the sources of her story and of her characters.

The two main characters, Tag and Lucia are from two very different social strata.  Their lives are intertwined because Tag’s father is the physician for Lucia’s father and for the gladiators at his school. Lucia, is supposed to marry a much older man, but she wants to understand the causes of the natural mysteries she has begun to notice, and she definitely does not want to marry an old man.  Lucia has been taught to read, but she remains the property of her father and will later be the property of her husband; therefore, her wishes are of no importance. The love between Tag and Lucia develops as Vesuvius sends out more and more warnings about the coming eruption.  But, the people of Pompeii have never experienced an eruption, and they ignore the coming doom of the town.

The reader will come away with a realistic view of life and love during the first century.  Pompeii itself is a treasure of the past, but Shecter has put together other pertinent information that will expand the knowledge of the reader about Roman and its people’s. The book is suitable for grades six through twelve although adults will also enjoy it. I can easily recommend its purchase.

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Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

01 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by truebooktalks in Historical Fiction, Young Adult

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History, teen readers

Scan0028       Lady Thief is the second book of the Scarlet series. These books are a retelling of the Robin Hood stories with a big twist. The reader of the first will know that Scarlet is also known as Will Scarlet, but Scarlet is in reality Maid Miriam. She came to be known by Robin Hood’s band as Will Scarlet in the first book. In this tale Lord Gisbourne, the man she was forced to marry, but a man she doesn’t love, is competing with Robin Hood for the title of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Scarlet really loves Robin Hood, of course, but she can’t do anything about that love because she is already married and does not want to add the sin of adultery to her soul.

When the royal court, Queen-mother, Eleanor of Aquitane, and Prince John come to Nottingham to name the new sheriff, Scarlet learns more about her family and about her connection to the royal family. She learns of the high price she must pay continue to keep Robin Hood safe.

This is a fast-paced, suspenseful story that will leave the reader hoping the next one comes out quickly. I recommend its purchase, especially if you have already have the first.

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