Historical Novels Review | Issue 30 (November 2004)

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS Review

Guy GAVRIEL KAY

PUBLISHED BY THE HISTORICAL OVEL SOCIETY© 2004

Founder/ Publisher: Richard Lee , Marine Cottage, The Strand, Starcross, D evo n , EX6 8 Y, UK ( hi s tnovel @ aol.com)

SOLA DER

EDITOR: James Hawking , 409 Co lony Woods Drive , Chape l Hill , NC 27517, USA (hawking(d) nc rr .com)

Contributions Policy: Please contact Sarah with ideas in the firs t instance. Pl ease note that the soc iety can o nl y pay for s hort s torie s. Le tt ers to the Editor: Plea se, if you want a reply , enc lose a s tamped , addressed envelope.

FICTIO EDITOR: Rich ard Lee, Marine Cottage , The Strand , Starcross , D evon , EX6 8 Y, UK. (histnovel @ ao l. co m

THE

HI ST ORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

CO-ORD INATING EDITOR (UK)

Sarah Bower, Tanglewood , Old Forge Close , Long Green, Wortham , Dis s, orfolk IP22 I PU (sarahbower@ c lara.co. uk )

CO-ORDINATING EDITOR (USA)

Sara h John so n , 6868 Knollcrest , Char lesto n , IL , 6 1920 , USA (cfsln(@eiu.edu) : Random House , Penguin, Five Star, Cumberland H o u se, Tyndale, Bethany Hou se

REVIEWS EDITORS (UK)

Sarah Cu thb ertson , 7 Ticehurst Close , Worth , Crawley, W Sussex, RH IO 7GN.(sarah76cuthberl@aol.com): Arcadia, Canongate, Robert Hale, Hodder Headline (inc lud es Hodder & Stoughton , Sceptre , NEL, Coronet) , John Murray Val Whitmarsh, 27 Landcroft Road , Eas t Dulwich , London SE22 9LG (vwhitmarsh @ fsmail.net)Allison&Busby , Little, Brown & Co, ( includ es Abacus , Virago , Warner), Ra ndom Hou se UK (includes Arrow, Ca pe, Ce ntury , Chatto&Windus, Harvill , Heinemann , Hutchinson , Pimlico, Secker & Warburg , Vintage) , Simon & Schuster (includes Scribner)

Ann Oughton, 11 , Ramsay G ar den , Edinburgh, EH I 2NA. (annoughton (w,ti scali.co.uk). Penguin (includes Ha mi s h Hamilton , Viking , Mi c hae l Joseph , Allen Lane), Bloomsbury , Faber & Faber , Constable & Robinson , Transworld (includes Bantam Press , Black Swan, Doubleday , Corgi), Macmillan (includes Pan , Picador , Sidgwick & Jackson). Sa ll y Zigmo nd , 18 Warwick Crescent, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8JA.(szigmond @fs mail.net) : HarperCollins UK (includes Flamingo, Voy age r, Fourth Estate), Orion Group (includes Gollancz , Phoenix , Weidenfeld & Nicolson , Cassell) , Pi a tku s , Severn Hou se, Solidus, Summersdale, The Women ' s Press, House ofLochar

Mary Moffat (C hildren 's Historical s - all UK publishers) , Sherbrooke , 32 , Moffat Road , Dumfries , Scotland , DG I I NY (s herbrooke@ m arys moffat.ndo .co. uk)

REVIEWS ED ITORS (USA)

E ll en Keith , Milton S E isen how e r Library, John Hopkins Univ , 3400 N Charles St , Baltimore , MD 21218-2683 (ekeith @jhu.edu) I larpe rCo llin s ( in c William Morrow , Avon , Regan , Ecco, Zandervan), Houghton Mifflin (including Mariner) , Farrar Strauss&Giroux , kensington, Carrol l&Graf, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Trudi J acobson , U ni versi ty Library , University at Albany, 1400 Wa s hington Avenue , Albany , NY, 12222, USA (tjacobson ra) uamail. al ban v.edu) Simo n & Schuste r, Warner , Little Brown, Arcade, WW Norton, Hyperion , Harcourt, Toby , Akadine , New Directions Il ysa Ma g nus , 5430 Ne th er land Ave # C4 I , Bron x, NY, l 0471, USA: ( good 1aw2@opton linc .net) S t Ma rtin 's, Pi cado r USA , Tor/Forge , Grove/ Atlantic

THE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY ON THE INTERNET: WEBS ITE: www.historicalnovclsocicty.org. WEB SUPPORT: Sarah John so n (ds ln raJ ei u .edu) NEWSLETTER: E mail M a rk Turnb ull (mark @ kingorparliament.com) for information on how to join our free fortnightly email n ews lette r. LIST SE RV E: J o in in th e discus s ion on the soc iety ' s internet li s tserve - http ://grou p s.vahoo.com/ group/ HistoricalNovelSociety II AT ONLINE: At the soc iet y website From time to tim e we will in vi te authors a long to field your questions.

1E 1BERSHIP DETAILS : Member s hip of th e Hi s tor ical Nove l Society is by calendar yea r (Jan uary to De ce mber) a nd entitles members to all the year's publications: two iss ue s ofSolander, and four iss ues of The Hi storica l ovels Review. Back iss ues of society maga z ine s are also avai lab le. Write for c urr e nt rates to: Marilyn Sher lock , 38, The Fairway, Newton Ferrers , Devon, PL8 l DP, UK ( ray.sherlock(i'i; macunlimited .ne t) or De bra Ta s h , 5239 Com m e rce Ave ., Moorpark CA 93066 , USA, tim arete(ii'ca rthlink nct or Teresa Eckford, 49 Windcr es t Court, Kan ata, ON , Canada K2T I BF (cd.ford (a sy rnp atico.ca), o r Patrik a Salmon , Box 185 , Turangi , ew Zea lan d.(pdrl indsay sa lmon @ xtra.co.nz)

OUT OF PRINT BOOKS

The fo ll ow in g are dealers in out of print historical no ve ls:Bori s Book s, Market Place , SturminsterNewton , Do rse t, DTI0 IAS , U K www.borisbooks.co.uk Dia ska ri Book s, 7 Southmoor Road , Oxford OX2 6 RF , chris.tyzack.btinternet.com , www.abebooks.com/home/ c hrist yzac k Forget-Me- ot Books , 11 Tamarisk Ri se, Wokingham , Berkshire , RG40 I WG .ju dith ridley @ hotmail.com Rach e l ll yde, 2 Meadow C lo se, Budleigh Salterton , Devon , EX9 6JN. rache lahvdc (a, ntlworld .com Kar e n Miller , 43 Trent Street , Relfo rd , Nottingham D 22 6 G Ka ren (a1Millerl 964freeserve.ro.uk Ro sa nda Books, David Baldwin, 11 White oa k s R oad, Oadby , Leice s te r LE2 5YL. dbaldwin @ themutual.net David Spenceley Books , 75 Ha rl ey Drive , Leeds, LS 13 4QY.davidspenceley @e mail.com

CO PYRIGHT remains in all cases wi th the au th ors of th e articles. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form , ll'ithou t th e ll'ritten permission of th e authors co nce rn ed.

THE IDSTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Issue 30 November 2004 ISSN 1471-7492

CONTENTS

Conference Report I Editorial I Forum 2

Anachrophobia 3

Frank Delaney 4

Miss Bridget Jane's Diary 7

Helen Castor 7

Saying Goodbye to Ourselves 9

Patricia Schonstein 10

Guy Gavriel Kay 11

Reviews 13

UK CONFERENCE REPORT

I could see it in their faces, the Saturday shoppers and matinee goers settling themselves into the station waiting room. Who's that crumpled looking woman dozing in the corner? Could she be an addict, a wino, some other undesirable? Should we send for the station master or the transport police and have her removed? Perhaps we'll wait somewhere else, or at least slide right to the opposite end of the bench.

I don't blame them. How, after all, can a girl expect to look after looping the loop in a Spitfire, kneecapping a Huron Indian, uncovering the secrets of a l 7th century lady's boudoir and delving into the finer points of male depilation in I 8th century Morocco, all in the space of 24 hours? Sustained throughout by red wine, malt whisky and very little sleep? Such is the plight of a refugee from the 2004 Historical Novel Society UK conference, held on the 2nd October at the New Cavendish Club in spitting distance of Marble Arch. A group of fifteen or so met on Friday evening to undertake a private tour arranged by Richard of the remarkable Dennis Severs' House in Spitalfields. Dennis Severs bought this seventeenth century

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weaver's house close to Nicholas Hawksmoor's sinisterly perfect Christ Church and lived in it much -as his predecessors would have done, without electricity or modem plumbing, and to open it from time to time to public view.

Touring the house, with its smells of cloves and oranges, stale port and wet laundry, and a muted soundtrack of church bells and street hawkers, is quite unlike going round a museum or re~reation of the past. It really is like stepping back in time. You walk into the downstairs parlour, and there is a powdered wig flung over a chair back, for all the world as though the master of the house has just come in from business and abandoned the hot, scratchy wig before going upstairs to greet his family. The bed is unmade in the master bedroom, the pillows still carrying the imprints of the heads of the Huguenot refugees who lay there, surrounded by the trappings of their success in their adopted country. All of us were quite subdued by its spell, though we revived pretty quickly under the influence of a good dinner in a neighbouring Italian.

Well over sixty delegates attended the conference proper on Saturday, and listened enthusiastically to entertammg and informative talks from our guest speakers, C. C. Humphries, Debbie Taylor, and Laura Wilson. Sex and violence were to the fore, as Chris Humphries took us through the finer points of fight "choreography" in novel writing, Debbie Taylor lifted the veil on goings on in an eighteenth century harem and Laura Wilson spared no details of the activities of the so-called "Blackout Ripper". Debbie Taylor and Elizabeth Hawksley gave excellent workshops on various aspects of writing historical fiction, and the day concluded with a round table discussion b~tween Chris Humphries, Laura Wilson, Janet Gleeson, Helen Rollick and Jane Jakeman on the subject of genre stereotyping. Our guests were fantastically generous with their time, all spending the entire day with us, chatting, signing books and happily giving us the benefit of their skill and experience. A warm thankyou to them all.

Over lunch, we had the added excitement of Erin Riley, producer of BBC Radio 4's Open Book programme, prowling among us with her tape recorder to get some vox pops for a show devoted to historical fiction, featuring Bernard Cornwell and Philippa Gregory. The programme attracts a weekly audience of around a million listeners, so hopefully the Society will get some good publicity and perhaps some new members as a consequence.

A big thankyou to Richard for organising the event, and to Towse for keeping us all in order. The New Cavendish Club was a great venuecomfortable rooms, good food, friendly staff and an understanding barman. I heard at least one delegate enquiring about joining before she left.

Oh, and finally, to those who were kept awake by the "roof garden party", abject apologies. It won't happen again (as long as we change the venue or it's raining next year!)

On the evening of August 31 5\ I got the opportunity to participate in an audio chat-cast about historical fiction. Never heard of a chat-cast before? I hadn't either, but after seeing the technology in action, I'm enthusiastic about the possibilities it offers visually-impaired readers to communicate with one another and with the sighted Internet world. David Faucheux, a blind librarian from Louisiana, was the host and moderator. The program was sponsored by the Mid-Illinois Talking Book Center, a regional library providing Braille and audio materials to the blind and physically handicapped in central Illinois.

Despite being an unabashed techie, I admit the format was completely new to me. After I signed on to the web site with my name and e-mail address, the program placed me into a sort of console that listed the names and contact details of the other participants. In this, I had an advantage, because most of the other attendees had to rely on audio cues to know who else was there. Although it's possible to take part in these chat-casts by typing what you

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want to say, you need a microphone to get the most benefit Imagine a telephone conference call that's facilitated by computer, and you'll have an idea how it works. Rather than traveling directly through telephone wires, everyone's voices are broadcast to everyone else via the Internet. Since I had only a keyboard and not a microphone, I turned on my speakers , sat back in my ch a ir , and prepared to enjoy the di s cu s sion . David began by introducing himself, the program topic, and some of the other regulars. A big fan of Gary Jennings, David started the conversation by talking about what attracted him to historical adventure novels. The dialogue then progressed to other topics and authors - Jean Auel, Steven Pressfield, Jean Plaidy, and many more Over the next hour, ten avid readers discussed their favorite historical novels, time periods, and writing sty les. At the same time, David took the opportunity to display historical fiction web sites on the computer screen. These included his personal recommendations plus some lists that were posted on the HNS web pages Aside from the technological wizardry, what impressed me most was the depth of knowledge on historical fiction that the participants shared. Diana Gabaldon was an audience favorite, but her penchant for lengthy books (i.e , nine or ten cas settes) in a never-ending series was too much for some readers to deal with. I would highly recommend these chat-casts for anyone, visually-impaired or not, who's interested in audio books. The Talking Book Center offers them regularly on a variety of topi c s.

As a consequence of this event, you 'II now find the text of Geraldine Pertiam's regular Audio Update columns for the Historical Novels Review posted on the HNS web site. This will make it easier for historical fiction readers, both sighted and not, to discover worthy new audio recordings. I'm grateful to Geraldine for granting us the permission to reprint her columns online.

For details on David Faucheux's audio web log Blind Chance, which

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discusses the latest in talking book projects, visit his web site at http ://www.teleread.org/blind/. You can either read his words on the screen or listen to the recorded audio version. And if you look at the web log entry for September 2, 2004, you'll find a Windows Media audio recording of the entire historical fiction discussion, which you can click on and listen to at your leisure.

CALL FOR REVIEWERS

We are currently seeking reviewers for our new online site, which will review selected e-books and other print-on-demand novels. If you're interested, please contact Bethany Skaggs (bskaqgs@isu.edu) to review adult titles, or Mary Moffat (sherbrooke@marysmoffat. n do.co.uk) for children's titles.

THE FORUM

From Jason Young, via email

I was pleased to see a black history topic in the last Review, and feel this should be a regular feature, to add diversity to your publication. Black history has often been the victim of selective telling, but looks at history from a fresh perspective, and remember, there have been black people in Britain since the Roman occupation.

Jason has generously contributed a great deal of material on black history for consideration, which will Jann the basis for an oc,;asional series on this fascinating and neglected area SB

From David James, Sutton, Surrey How typical of the ubiquitous Shakespeare to be witnessing the

Stratford players staging Goethe's Faust, in Susan Zabotolny's review of Grace Tiffany's Will (HNR August 2004)! Perhaps the young man, soon to play the Ghost in his own Hamlet, was also delighted by Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus (1947)?

It makes you wonder what some editors get paid for! SB

And again

Anyone who believes historical novels are tedious tomes written by fusty professors who spend their lives in research libraries should have been frog-marched into the HNS Conference last month. Fiesty , yes; fusty , never!

Having fought a duel (thanks to Chris Humphries) against a precolonial Canadian Indian and been incarcerated in a harem with Debbie Taylor, I took a welcome lunch break. After shaking hands with several smartly dressed chaps and sipping my claret like a good fellow, I found people staring at my identity badge. Whoops' I sudden ly realised I was in the wrong room.

After lunch, Laura Wilson turned me into a Battle of Britain pilot with a penchant for cutting up prostitutes in my spare time, then back to serious business for the plenary session. Heated discussion culminated in one delegate's insistence that we all go home and read the first page of Tristram Shandy. Jokes were cracked, collars loo sened and the language became a tad informal until our redoubtable timekeeper restored order.

Outside it was raining, and as I sheltered under the New Cavendish Club portico, a double rainbow appeared. It was the first I'd ever seen - and I've been to quite a few conferences.

Thanks to everyone.

From Annette Meyers, via email

I want to thank the HNS for reviewing my nove,l Repentences, in your May edition which my editor has just forwarded to me, and especially Eileen Charbonneau for her perfect understanding of my material. I don't think I'm supposed to thank her for her glowing words, but I'm going to do just that as well.

From Michael Hunt, via email

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I thought you might be interested in my experience, and views on, POD. My novel, 'Matab ele Gold, was published by Be Write Books It had very good reviews, but from a reader's, rather than a critic's, point of view The most gratifying have come from Book Crossing, where books are left in public places for finder s to read and pass on similarly For unknown authors , this site is a god-send , because the comments, which can be printed from the screen , are entirely unsolicited (hence they will be 'genuine').

POD is an entirely waste-free method of getting a book from printer to buyer without 'middlemen' taking large cuts on the way. It is not 'PUBLISH on Demand', which is entirely the province of the Vanity Press and, in the hands of a scrupulous publisher, is an acceptable alternative to mainstream publishing and book-selling, which has such a strangle-hold on literary creativity

My book was chosen on its merits (they take only a small proportion of manuscripts submitted, but they don't 'close the door' on a manuscript they believe can be improved) I received expert editing and was consulted at every stage in the process AT NO POINT WAS I ASKED FOR MONEY. Granted, sales of Matabele Gold have been modest, but it was made it clear from the outset that the sort of national publicity required for big sales was beyond their scope. Consequently, my book would not appear in bookshops unless I negotiated directly with them. However, I decided not to press this because of the huge percentage they demand - usually 300 to 400 % more than I receive in royalties , which is I 0%

A huge advantage non-subsidy P O D. has over main-stream publishing, is that both my books took years to write (four, and eleven , to be precise) To produce anything nearly as good again would take me a further few years. I believe no main-stream publisher would accept this. Therefore, I wouldn't like to be put under pressure to produce a book in twelve months, say, simply to receive an advance So, for me, the

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arrangement with BeWrite is nearly perfect. I now have two very nicely turned out books, of which I am -thoroughly proud, and I've had no down-side comments, even from unknown readers. Therefore, since I have no aspirations to become a full-time writer, and never have had, the P.0 D route has been ideal for me.

rm not suggesting that this route is for everyone, and it's unlikely to make more than a tiny dent in mainstream sales, but I believe it is a force for good , in that it gives roore hope to unkown writers than mainstream publishing ever will So, for you writers who aren't moved by the temptations offame and fortune, and who have developed the necessary skill and ability to write books, it is the ideal vehicle to enable you to look at your own creation and say, without facing accusations of vanity, 'I DID THAT'.

The Liberty Bodice and I go back a long way I spent my formative years in the shadow of J W Symington and Co, corset manufacturers of Market Harborough, Leicestershire. I have an A level in Fashion and Fabric for which I wrote a dissertation on 19th century underwear, so I can claim to

be a bit of an underwear anorak The Liberty Bodice, first patented in 1908, was, as the name suggests, a revolutionary garment that dispensed with the agonies of metal and whalebone and was specifically aimed at children and young women I'm sure I'm not the only (female) HNS member who can remember this horrid little stiff vest with its rubber buttons that perished with repeated washing

So you can imagine my despair when in the middle of reading a novel I find one of Florence Nightingale ' s nurses in the 1850s fastening her liberty bodice against the rigours of Scutari ' s snows I couldn't read any more All my faith in that novel had evaporated How could I engage with this plucky nurse when I could now so clearly see the very 21 st century author peering over her shoulder?

Okay, so you don ' t give two hoots about the finer points of corsetry and you've already dismissed me as a sad pedant. However, having read correspondence in these pages about Roman stirrups (or lack of), not to mention the correct way to load a Civil War musket, neither of which bothers me one wit, it's clear we all have our own personal niggles and woe betide any historical novelist who gets it wrong It's not so much that we wait, red pencil in hand, ready to pounce; it's more like sitting down to lose oneself in a favourite piece of music only to find there's an irritating clunk on the CD

Having got the Liberty Bodice off my chest, as it were, I'd like to say isn ' t actually little slips that get up my nose No , it's the all-toocommon habit of putting 21 st century heads onto historical shoulders. It's not always the writers' fault. There's a whiff of political correctness here Publishers and writers are running scared of being judged racist or ant-feminist. Therefore, if the hero is a white plantation owner in I 8 th century Jamaica, he has to believe that slavery is a sin . There ' s the Roman senator who wonders whether building an empire and subjugating others is morally acceptable It's the sixteenth century farmer's daughter who refuses to work in the dairy , dresses as a man and runs

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away to become a doctor. Of course, today, all right-minded people abhor slavery and everyone believes that women have equal rights to education etc, but most of the freedoms we take for granted today were hard fought and like an oil-tanker took a very long time to change course. I've never heard of a Tudor Society for the Protection of the Baited Dear or any medieval peasant who didn't relish the sight of traitors being hung, drawn and quartered.

And if there's a type of novel I loathe the most, it's the feisty female who happily crops her hair and strides through the city streets at night and expresses her feminist thoughts in public. I'm not saying that all women were happy with their domestic lot and there are indeed historical precedents, although I suspect that Dr James Barrie was more androgynous than purely female. Charlotte Bronte uses Jane Eyre to voice the dissatisfaction of the intellectual woman with a life spent embroidering useless artefacts, but even she cannot begin to contemplate becoming the mistress of a man who already has a wife. And remember, too, that Charlotte was writing at a time when, due to increasing industrialization and a population explosion, middle-class women had more time on their hands. Before that, they were simply too worn out to argue about their rights, as working-class women continued to be. The Suffragettes were a small minority of women and were despised as much by their fellow women as by men. And it's arguable that not only did they not win the vote for women, but actually delayed it.

Until fairly recently, people whilst not always agreeing with it, buckled down and didn't question that the Lord sat in his castle and the poor man humbly loitered at his gate. We still sing it today in All Things Bright and Beautiful, for Heaven's sake.

Of course, all historical fiction reflects the times in which it's written but care must be taken to avoid peddling the opinions of today's chattering classes.

THE STORYTELLER

Cathy Kemp talks to Frank Delaney about Ireland.

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Frank Delaney originated from a hamlet in the South Riding of County Tipperary, Ireland, though he now resides in New York. His early career was spent at the Bank of Ireland, following which he was a journalist and newscaster for RTE in Dublin. As his career progressed he moved to London in 1978, working for the BBC Radio 4 series, Bookshelf. During the following years he undertook a wide range of radio and television programmes, including his own television show, Frank Delaney on BBC2 and the historical series, The Celts.

Delaney has written a number of non-fiction works of which James Joyce's Odyssey reached the top five in the British best-selling charts, as did both The Celts and Beljeman Country. His historical knowledge has gained him invitations to lecture on historical and literary subjects, as well as contributing to numerous publications including newspapers and magazines.

The first book of his in fiction which I read was Sins of the Mothers, though this was by no means his first novel. Excluding his new release, Ireland: a Novel, Delaney can also command as his

own eight novels, one novella, and several screenplays of which Goodbye Mr. Chips was recently adapted for television by ITV.

This would appear to be the year of the great Irish historical novel with similarities linked between Frank Delaney's Ireland and Edward Rutherfurd's Dublin. Both, in my humble opinion, a rewarding read.

I understand that you saw an itinerant storyteller as a child and heard from your father of their role in previous generations. Did this experience of the 'Seanachai' inspire Ireland: A Novel or did you research through others before embarking on this book?

The presence, the figure of such a man seems - and feels - to have been part of my life and imagination for as long as I can remember. I've made substantial efforts to meet storytellers, I featured at least one on 'The Celts' television series that I wrote for the BBC and I also made a number of radio documentaries about storytellers. In other words the 'storyteller' has always been with me. But there was another dimension which was/is important in relation to 'Ireland: a Novel'; every tale I heard as a child, from a neighbour, a parent, a relative, even about the ordinary mundane things of life- it seemed to be couched in narrative form. In other words, the Irish, I think, take their lives and transform it into story, which is what I've tried to do here with the history of the country.

How did you approach the researching for the most recent event about the 1916 Rising?

The Easter Rising occurred in my parents' lifetime and this made it even more romantic. I had always been deeply interested in it the personalities, with so many poets among them; the near-mythic nature of it, this handful of virtually untrained men and boys taking on an empire; the thoughtless and tragic outcome. All through my life I had been reading about it, all the time wondering what it would have been like to have been there and

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when it came to addressing it in this novel, I tried to put it on the most accessible level I could devise right down 011 the floor of the General Post Office in Dublin among the ordinary men and women who fought in that Insurrection. What I most needed and the years of reading helped, I hope, to give me this was what I most sought: the combination of excitement and fear that those involved must have felt on Easter Monday, 1916. Are any of the characters based on real people from your past or present?

Obviously some of the historical characters who appear or are discussed did exist Strongbow, Brian Boru, St.Patrick, Brendan the Navigator, Parnell; as to whether I based any characters in the book on actual people that I personally knew, the answer has to be the same for this as for all of the novels I have written. Which is: I don't quite know whence my characters arrive, nor do I know who inspired them. Most of them, if they have any basis in reality, feel to me like composite characters a trait here, a smile there, plucked from memory and not always consciously.

Which came first, the stories or the storyline?

Impossible to answer tidily! I knew I wanted to connect the reader with certain major incidents, turningpoints, whatever, in Irish history occasions that had as much emotional or iconic resonance as historical significance. I also knew that I had to connect Ireland to its past through someone looking back on it The next component was to make that connection on two different levels because old people and young people take different views of things. I also needed to run a deep sub-theme discussing the 'accuracy' of history and its connection to the way we convert or recycle every fact we hear to fit into our own emotional view of things. The simplest answer perhaps is to say that once I established the characters, then the stories and the storyline began to 'manage' the novel for me, began to find their own direction and connections.

Do you find it difficult reconciling the author's liberty of expanding the story line for the benefit of the reader with maintaining historical accuracy?

The issue of difficulty never arose because I had a specific intent regarding the way history was to be rendered in this novel. I've always believed that we record 'Life'. so to speak in three ways by means of formal history, through archaeology and the poor relation the oral tradition. There's an Author's Note prefacing the novel that says, 'Beneath all the histories of Ireland, from the present day, through her long troubled relationship with England and back to the earliest times, there has always been another, less obvious reporter speaking the oral tradition, Ireland's vernacular narrative, telling the country's tale to her people in stories handed down since God was a boy.' By which I mean "Who " is more reliable, the academic historian discussing the events and the surrounding context of say, the Battle of the Boyne, or the handed-down, perhaps familial record of a soldier who fought there? The answer is neither is more reliable; they are totally different disciplines and each can and should feed off the other, so that the reader or enquirer coming to the subject today has the best set of information. What the oral record can do is touch the heart while the other two illuminate the mind. And touching the heart is something every novelist should must want to do. That is what a storyteller will also have done with any eye-witness record of any past event and I adopted many of the same principles. In the more 'historical' stories, I stuck to the broadly accurate outline of events but never felt afraid to introduce human and emotional colour

Did you find it necessary to visit the places mentioned in the stories to assist with your reproduction of the true elements associated with them?

I go to Ireland every year, at least once a year and I never fail to return to the places that have a hold on my heart (and my brain). But remember that the 'modern' element of this book is set initially in 195 I and goes up to 1966, so it was important to render it •

as it was then, as I knew it and not be caught up in the many ways Ireland has changed.

Sins of the Mothers was a powerfully moving story, which placed the reader in the position of being totally engaged in the outcome of events for the two main characters. Similarly the storyteller and the young Ronan O'Mara are so depicted in Ireland : A Novel that you rush your way through to follow their journeys. How long does it take for the inspiration of the character to formulate and do you have to change them as the story develops?

This, I think, is the most fascinating question asked of any novelist. I have no direct or complete answer In an interview once the English novelist, Alan Sillitoe, told me that he had invented a character who has a row with his lover, storms out of her house, goes down the pub, and meets two other men - who then charge into the novel as though Sillitoe had always intended them to be there I have characters in this novel and in all my other fiction who suddenly 'appeared'. Don't know where they came from; don't know how they got there. The odd thing is they tend to have more force than the carefully-planned characters. In the case of Ronan and the Storyteller, all I knew about them was that I needed two such characters; once I had begun to create them they took on a life of their own. Other writers had often told me of this happening; however cliched the idea may be, I now know it to be true it's a kind of delightful alchemy. And slightly worrying because you 're never quite sure what's going to happen next!

Is it possible that you consulted in some way with Edward Rutherfurd during/following the publication of his recent novel Dublin: Foundation? (The reason for this query is that both of your novels are presenting the history of Ireland in a similar way, an eminently readable format for everyone )

Oddly I have never met Edward Ruthe,furd (and I hope to remedy that deficiency soon) and indeed I spoke to him for the first time

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recently. He had been working on his novel for some time in fact I believe it's in two parts, and the first has just been published. All readers and writers interested in historical novels owe Rutheford a warm debt because he has generated such excitement with his books. I was living in London when Sarum came out and I still remember the excitement it stirred. On the subject of Ireland, he and I have been working in very different ways. He takes a very formal approach, with careful, methodical research and then feeds the researched facts very effectively into the mill of his novel whereas I am essentially interested (as he has been kind enough to point out) in the half-life between what actually happened in history and what account we choose to render.

During your own childhood did you improvise stories based on traditional lore to your siblings/peers?

I was always telling stories especially when trying to get out of trouble; one teacher said that my homework excuses should be published as fiction! It wasn't so much a case of telling the stories to my siblings or peers I think I preferred to read them and savour th em for myself; I do recall, however, telling my mother the story of any films I had recently seen but that formed the basis of another novel, Telling the Pictures, set in 1942

Your working career started in the Bank of lreland, followed by journalism At what point did you decide that you could have success as a writer or was it always your plan?

Difficult to say. My father was a moderately successful writer whose essays were gathered into books and published when I was very young and I remember the excitement when th e finished books arrived from the publisher. Also, I read all the time, everything I could get my hands on and I recall being as interested in the man who wrote the story as in the characters he created. I have no recollection of a specific moment when I said to myself, 'Ah that's what I'll do , I'll be a writer. 'As life went on it seemed inevitable - and friends have reminded me that I had THE HISTORJCAL NOVELS REVIEW

always said I went into broadcasting in order to learn how to write, because broadcasting, especially radio requires the same intimacy of communication that writing does.

Who or what has been your greatest influence in your writing career and why?

This is a 'Bible and Shakespeare' question but whereas I had no exposure to the Bible I was much exposed to Shakespeare and still am; not a week goes by without taking a good swig from his Collected. After that there's James Joyce Hitchcock said famously that 'to make a great film you need three things: a great script; a great script; a great script. ' Likewise for any writer there are three authors you must read James Joyce; James Joyce ; James Joyce He is the great teacher of how to do absolutely everything in writing. Then , I like Stevenson, Marquez, Thackeray, Jane Austen (naturally), Joyce Carol Oates, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, John McGahem, Edna O'Brien, William Trevor it's a long, variegated catalogue and I haven~ even listed the French or the Russians!

Do you have a favourite author in historical fiction?

Years ago, on a radio programme, we asked some eminent history professors to choose someone whose history was as valid as their fiction was excellent. The name that came up was Diana Norman, and the novel in question was Fitzempress's Law; I re-read it not long ago and it's perhaps even better now. She gives you the smell of the times, you're aware of the sulphur. Philippa Gregory has similar gifts I can't think of a novel of hers that I haven't relished. I have also much enjoyed the way Rosemary Sutcliffe treated history in fiction and she once gave me a terrific tip which was passed on to her by a correspondent from, I think, the Sealed Knot society who had replied to her letter asking some research questions. He said that he hoped she would distribute judiciously the information he gave her 'because, in a book, research should not lie around in pools, it should stain the entire fabric.'

As an ex-pat do you feel that your memory of your homeland continues to be valid in the 21st Century and if so, how do you maintain this?

By this I take it you mean the memory of my homeland within me? If so, it will always be valid; it is my root, the place I love, the land I return to in my head all the time and physically return not infrequently However, if you mean is the memory, i.e. , the past ofIreland still valid in the 21st century, and seeing as the question was prompted by my book, 'Ireland: a novel' I'd like to answer like this; The fact that Ireland is the subject of the book is due to the accident of my birth. The novel is, I hope, much more than a fictional treatment of my country's history it's also a discussion of whether there's ever such a thing as accurate history, it's an examination of the place that myth and story occupy in our lives and it's a book that has, I hope, universal application for anyone who everfelt they had a homeland.

www.patchword.com

Pamela Cleaver's interview with Eileen Ramsay (Review 28, May 2004) is now available to view on the Patchword website.

EXCLUSIVE!

TheHNSisthrilledto report that it has been given exclusive access to a unique historical document, recently discovered by intrepid researcher, Mandy Jones. We proudly present our first extract from:

Mtss "Brtv<getJall\.l's "Dtart1

JANUARY 1st 1815

Erotic encounters with earls 0, Flowers arranged 175, Glasses of brandy drunk I, Pinches of snuff taken 24

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Three o'clock

Ugh! Can't face another family New Year playing hunt the slipper and bullet pudding whilst Mama says, 'Poor Bridget, not married yet,' and Smug Married sister says, 'We've got an announcement to make. George and I are having another baby.'

Have decided to become a career girl. Am looking in Gazette for likely position. 'Sour old maid seeks skivvy to kick.' No. 'Mill owner seeks poor person to exploit.' No.

'Arrogant aristocrat seeks feisty virgin to be companion to sweet old lady? Apply Lord Horty, Yorkshire, England.'

YES!

Five past three

Sneak into library and write to Lord Horty. Celebrate with glass of brandy from papa's private store in desk.

Five o'clock

'Bridget! George and I have been thinking,' says Sister dear. 'When the new baby comes, you can live in our attic and look after it for us.' Did not rise to the bait. Reminded myself I will soon be a career girl with a hot boss. Smiled serenely and sneaked another cooking sherry.

JANUARY 2nd

Erotic encounters with earls 0, Flowers arranged 145, Glasses of cooking sherry drunk 14

Walked over to Rachel's house and told her about my plans to become a career girl. Rachel not impressed, but instead bemoaned the fact the new curate is married. She locked herself in the church with him and pointed out he'd compromised her so he'd have to marry her. whereupon he revealed the existence of Mrs Curate and five hopeful little curates. Told Rachel not to worry. She can find an arrogant earl to work for and be a career girl too.

THE ARTFUL PEN: Helen

Castor her love affair and with Family the Paston

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make no apology for giving prominence to a book of non-fiction, firstly because Helen Castor, in "Blood and Roses", her first non academic book, handles her material with a novelist's instinct for suspense and characterisation, secondly because this book is packed full of stories crying out for exploitation by fiction writers. Though Helen herself, the "sedate historian with the artful pen" says she has no plans to write a novel about the Pastons.

The Paston family, who rose from agricultural obscurity in mid fourteenth century Norfolk to become Earls ofYatmouth during the reign of Charles II, were in many ways typical of those \\ ho seized the opportunities created by the Black Death, \\hich killed an estimated half of England's population in an eighteen month period beginning in 1348. What is, however, unique about them is the almost miraculous survival of the personal correspondence of three generations of the family covering the period of the Wars of the Roses. In writing a family biography based on these remarkable letters, Helen Castor has woven a gripping tale of ambition, avarice, true love and bitter hatreds, courtroom pugnacity and heroism on

the battlefield, all seasoned by fascinating glimpses of everyday life in fifteenth century England. Do buy for me three yard1· and a quarter of such as ir pleases you rhar I should have, and ll'hat colour rhat pleases you, for in good fairh I hal'e done sought all rhe drapers' shops in rhis town and here is righr feeble choice, writes Margaret Past on from Norwich to her husband, John, in London. God keep _,·011 rhis Lent from lo/lardy of flesh. John Paston's second son, also called John, teases his older brother, exposed to the temptations of the royal court. Helen Castor's book concentrates on the letters of five principle correspondents, Judge William Pasion, the founder of his family's fortune, his son, John I and his wife, Margaret, and their two eldest sons, John II and John 111. ("I wish they had been a bit more imaginative in their choice of names," commented Helen ruefully during an excellent presentation to an enthusiastic and knowledgeable audience at Ottakers in Norwich.) When I had the opportunity to talk to her afterwards, my first question was whether or not she had a favourite. "I suppose I have a lot of favourites," she began, as diplomatically as if the Paston ghosts were sitting around the table with us in the bar at orwich Station. "I love Margaret, you can't not love Margaret, and I have so much respect for her, for everything she goes through." Margaret is certainly a fine example of women's capacity for multi-tasking. This great matriarch spent mo t of her married life and her widowhood holding her large, unruly family together in the face of all kinds of threats, from invasion of their estates to the humiliation of a daughter eloping with a family servant, in the absence of her husband and sons on legal business in London, at court or at war. In a letter of ovember 1448. she asks her husband, not only for a yard c!l broadclolh of black for a hoocl but also for crossbo\,·s, poll-axes and armoured jackets to defend their estate at Gresham from the predations of a greedy neighbour.

"But in my heart of hearts," Helen went on, "I would say the boys, John II and John 111, arc so

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Photograph of Helen Castor by Robin Farquhar-Thomson

engaging and I feel it's almost unfair to choose between them. If I had to choose one, I think I would choose John III. He's always the one who has to pick up the pieces. John II has this wonderful joie de vivre and flair, but he must have been absolutely infuriating." Yet the two brothers, John II, soldier, courtier and politician, and John III , a charming, popular man but endowed with sound common sense and financial acuity, at home in Norfolk running the family estates, were a formidable unit as their letters , full of humour and mutual understanding, make plain. They never displayed any jealousy of one another's achievements, and, although John lll 's marriage caused a temporary cooling of relations with his flirtatious eldest brother, it was quickly overcome. Many of the Paston letters quoted in "Blood and Roses" are profoundly moving in their clear expression of the common human experience of family life , but none more so, for me, than the letter written by John II I when he went to London to bring home the body of John II, dead of plague at only 37. / have much more to write, but my empty head will not let me remember ii, he writes, utterly bereft.

Helen's obvious wam1th towards her subjects met more of a challenge, she admits, 111 the character of the boys' father, John I, a stubborn, difficult man whose inflexible convictions and tactlessness in his dealings with others almost brought complete disaster on his family. I asked her how she had managed, as she does, to make him sympathetic. "I never felt, sitting down at my desk, how do I make this man sympathetic," she began. "In a way, he came to life as l was writing. One of the things about writing this story was realising how much more I had to learn as I wrote. That was particularly true of the whole Fastolf1 will. When I began, I

1 Sir John Fastolfwas a very wealthy knight, distantly related to Margaret Paston, whose estates bordered those of the Pastons and to whom John I became very close in the latter years of the old man's life. Although Fastolfdied intestate and without obvious heir s, John I spent the rest of his life trying to prove

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didn't know what I thought about whether the Pastons were trying it on or whether they had a genuine right, but the more I wrote, the more I felt I got to know John and realised that he believed what he was saying but couldn't make that imaginative leap to see that it might not look that straightforward to anybody else, and once I'd got that , I felt very sorry for him."

There is more than a little here of the "imaginative leap" made by fiction writers during the process of creating characters, especially, perhaps, for those of us who write fiction about people who were once real. Helen Castor does this extremely well While staying as rigorously close to her sources as a professional historian should (she is a Fellow in History at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge), her fluent narrative style nevertheless gives the Pastons and their lives the same qualities of suspense, empathy and intimate revelation you would expect from good fiction. As well as the family themselves, the book is full of minor characters who made my novelist's antennae quiver. William Worcester, for example, Sir John Fastolfs secretary, a complex, well educated man with interests in astronomy, medicine , geography, natural history , rhetoric and history as well as an encyclopaedic knowledge of his master 's affairs. Or Richard Calle, for fifteen years the Pastons ' estate manager before he eloped with John and Margaret's daughter, Margery. twenty years his junior. My favourite, though, and certainly one of Helen's, is Elizabeth Venour , addressed by John Pasion Ill, during one of his father's several spe lls in the Fleet prison , as "my fair mistress of the Fleet". Elizabeth Venour was warden of the Fleet during the 1460s , an unusu a I position for a woman to hold. Elizabeth also had a colourful love life, involving abduction, forcible marriage, divorce, and the subsequent annulment of that divorce " I was determined to get her 111 somewhere," Helen told me , "b ut I was also determined that the main narrative should have as much

Fastolrs intention of leaving hi s wealth to the Pastons.

momentum as I could give it, and I found it quite hard to digress into other people's stories along the way without slowing the pace of the Paston story down, so she ended up mainly in a footnote but I couldn't resist putting her in. It would be wonderful to give her story the treatment it deserves." Another walk-on part who Helen believes deserves centre stage is Thomas Denys, who became embroiled briefly in one of the Pastons' many disputes over property and was eventually murdered after a succession of misadventures. "I couldn't get that story in given where it fitted in the chronology without unbalancing the narrative, but maybe one day "

An obvious difficulty for the historian, which novelists usually regard as a godsend, is the paucity of infomrntion about people like Denys and Elizabeth Venour. Conversely, when I asked Helen if she had ever considered fictionalising aspects of the Paston story, she replied that she had not, because the way in which their personal voices had come down to us so clearly made fiction virtually redundant in their case. It is the survival of the letters which makes the Pastons unique, more than their experience of this turbulent, transforn1ative period of English history. "Typicality is a really difficult issue ," says Helen , " partly because we've got no-one else's letters. It's tempting to see them as standing for a whole class of people but it 's impossible to know for sure. My sense is probably that they're clearly very much part of their culture in tenns of their attitudes. Equally, they're part of a subset. They're new money, coming up very quickly. There are lots of those kinds of families in Norfolk [which had no single, strong overlord during this period and was economically one of the most vibrant regions of England] but in other parts of the country there are far fewer."

The Pasion letters were first published , in edited form, in 1787 and were a literary sensation, the first print run selling out in a week. There have subsequently been fuller collections, but scholarly editions aimed at professional historians and

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

linguisticians. Anyone with an interest in English history, in its authentic, often fun n y, exas p erating voice, both heartb reakingly familiar and wonderfully strange, shou ld feel greatly indebted to Helen Castor fo r producing this eminently readable, lucid and compassionate biography from her many years of studying and falling in love with the Pastons. And very grateful to the Pastons for being so remiss about clearing out their old papers.

Sarah Bowe r "Blood and Roses" is reviewed on page32

Saying GoodBye to Ourselves

Sarah Johnson discusses why we shouldn't pigeonhole ourselves in our definitions of " historical fiction, " but also why we can't help doing it

As some of you know, I work fulltime as a reference librarian in a university library. Each autumn, when the freshmen arrive on campus, the librarians remark on how much younger the new students look than last year's crop. Of course, they're the same age as a lways, while we're the o nes who are growing older. Nobody really wants to admit that. Still, it is true that the age gap between the library staff and brand new university students gets wider all the time.

Each year, academics across the United States refer to the famous "Mindset List," produced by Beloit College in Wisconsin, to put themselves in the shoes of the young people that they're instructing. The list takes elements of history and popular culture and views them from the perspective of the younger generation. At my library, we print out each new edition as it's published, and place it at the reference desk for our own edification.

Most of today's new university students were born in 1985 or 1986,

and are considered the Class of 2007. Here are some history-based examples from recent years' Mindset Lists that describe their viewpoints. The details given in parentheses are my additions. For these students:

- Most of them know someone who was born with the help of a test tube. (Louise Brown, first test tube baby, born July 25, 1978)

- They have no idea that Americans were ever held hostage in Iran. (Last hostages freed January 20, 1981)

They have no meaningful recollection of the Reagan era, and did not know he had ever been shot. (March 30, 1981)

- There has always been an heir to the heir to the British throne. (Prince William born June 21, 1982)

- The drinking age has always been 21 throughout the country (USA). (National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, signed into law on July 17)

- The precise location of the Titanic has always been known. (Wreck discovered September I, 1985) 1

As its co-editor Tom McBride, Keefer Professor of the Humanities at Beloit College, states: "The Mindset List, among other things, is a reminder of that [new] world-a world that makes education a tougher yet more fascinating job than ever. In saying hello to the new generation, which [educators] labor mightily to understand, but with mixed results, they are saying goodbye to themselves."

Today's new university students have a vastly different perspective on the past than even people of Generation X - those individuals born in the 1960s and 1970s - do. Each generation has its own perspective on what connotes history, and it can be a very personal definition. It's an odd kind of culture shock. As historical novel readers, we're used to env1S1oning the lives of people who lived generations, or at least one generation, earlier than ourselves. It can be disconcerting to realize, via publications such as the Mindset List, that younger generations might feel about us the way we feel about, well, characters in historical fiction. According to the official HNS definition, a historical novel should

have been written at least fifty years after the events described, or have been written by someone who wasn't alive at the time. We acknowledge that this definition is arbitrary, because we can't please everyone. It benefits us to be precise After all, we can't review everything. But the more I think about people's varying definitions of "history," particularly those of the younger generation, it occurs to me that it benefits us just as much to be flexible.

This point became clearer to me when looking through the backlist catalogue of Scholastic, a major publisher of children's and young adult fiction They publish four series of fictionalized diaries of teenagers and older children who lived in different historical periods. I recently spotted one of the latest entries from the Dear America series, Ellen Emerson White's novel Where Have All the Flowers Gone : The Diary of Molly McKenzie Flaherty. Set on the American home front in 1968 Boston, Massachusetts, it describes one teenage girl's personal Vietnam-era experience as she volunteers in a military hospital, sees war protests firsthand, and fears for her brother, fighting for his country on the other side of the world . Is it set more than fifty years in the past? No. Was the author alive at the time the novel depicts? Yes. But is it historical fiction? Members of the novel's teenage audience, who were born nearly twenty years after the novel takes place, would probably think so.

I can also recall, while growing up, being fascinated by Judy Blume's 1977 children's novel Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself, about a ten-year-old Jewish girl from New Jersey who winters in Miami Beach with her mother and brother. Like any child of her age, her curiosity runs away with her at times. She dreams of swimming as beautifully as movie star Esther Williams, with her elegant bearing and super-white teeth. Having been deeply affected by the death of her cousin Lila in the Holocaust, Sally seriously wonders if her next-door neighbor may be Adolf Hitler in disguise. Back then, I didn't really care whether Blume's novel was

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"historical fiction" or not - I just thought it was a good story. But it did make me consider how World War II influenced the day-to-day lives of Jewish Americans, many of whom lost family members in concentration camps overseas. They didn't teach you about this sort of thing in school - how average people were changed by historical events - and they probably still don't. But this is what historical fiction is all about.

Lest anyone feel I'm being pedantic by selecting two children's books as examples, take Charlotte Bingham's The Moon at Midnight, a fairly new saga set in the fictional English fishing village of Bexham in 1962, over forty years ago. One of Bingham's main points was to show the contrasting values between members of the Greatest Generation and their children, who don't seem to care about the sacrifices their parents made for them during World War II. Reading this novel, its historicity is well evident, at least to a reader (like me) who didn't live through those events firsthand.

All of these thoughts were brought home to me via a discussion on the Internet discussion group rec.arts.books.hist-fiction, _ on which fans of the genre post messages about their interests. Several readers agreed that they couldn't conceive of "historical fiction" as anything set during or after World War II, because it was an event they lived through. On the other hand, historical fiction can be a valuable tool in demonstrating the differences between now and then, even if the "then" isn't that far away in actual years. Reading these novels can be a real eye-opener, showing us how many things - social conditions, politics, and the influence of contemporary events in our daily lives - have changed. It may be true, as Judith Schara Caldwell suggested in a recent letter to the editor, that many readers of this magazine prefer to read about eras long past. I enjoy this type of setting myself, and they're certainly popular with reviewers. But occasionally reading a novel set within the last forty years, one with significant historical content, brings home to me the fact that times have

changed considerably more than I might believe

Of course, there's another advantage to reading these novels. Thanks to historical novelists who write about the recent past, a past that many of us still remember well, we don't have to "say good-bye to ourselves," as the Mindset List suggests. We can relive those times just as often as we'd like - and we can introduce the younger generations to them, too.

1 The Mindset Lists for the past six years can be accessed online at the following address: http: // www.beloit.edu/- pubaff/mind set/03index.htm.l

BEAUTIFUL INTOLERANCE

Ann Oughton in conversation with Patricia Schonstein

I met Patricia Schonstein at the Edinburgh Book Festival where she was speaking as one of the voices of South African writers. She was born in Zimbabwe when it was Colonial Rhodesia and moved to South Africa when she married Don Pinnock. She has a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Cape Town. Her first novel , Skyline, was winner of the Sir Percy Fitzpatrick Prize. A Time of Angels, was runner up in the South African Sunday Times Literary Award for Fiction 2004. The Apothecary's Daughter, her latest novel, was reviewed in the August issue.

A.0: The Apothecary's Daughter is set in an imaginary country somewhere in N. Africa and at an indeterminate time, possibly the Renaissance period?

P.S: Yes, that was deliberate on my part as I did not want to be trapped by a particular place or a definite historical period or setting. I haven't been true to historical fact.

In that case how was your research conducted?

My husband is a travel writer for Getaway Magazine and he provides me with information and wonderful images. I used his experience of travels in Northern Africa and the desert as the background for this book

Your books luxuriate in seductive descriptions of colours, lush fabrics, rich surroundings, gorgeous food transporting the reader to another world. These scenes are reminiscent of an old master painting. You are fascinated by colour?

I think that in another life I would have been a painter. I love embroidery and handlingfabrics, all the textures and colours.

What drew you instead to writing?

I have always enjoyed writing, especially poetry but it was my experiences when we lived in Grahamstown in the 1980s that really started me writing seriously, consolidated my writing. From our windows we had a clear view of the black township. We watched the night raids. Black children had no access to libraries or books so I set up a pre-school which operated from 1984 until 1993. I took children from coloured families, black families and progressive white families sent their children to me; they all mixed. I wrote my own poetry and stories. No South African publisher would accept them because they featured black children so I set up my own publishing house.

Where did The Apothecary's Daughter come from. The initia.l idea and those wonderful characters?

I was working on something else when this narrative voice imposed itself. forced its way into my consciousness. I had to put the other work to one side and concentrate on what would become, The Apothecary's Daughter. It was very difficult to write and took over my life. When it was finished I had to go into a retreat.

As in your previous novel, A Time of Angels, the main themes are universal and eternal. The battle between good and evil, innocence

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and corruption, persecution and religious intolerance.

I studied the Spanish Inquisition, re ligiou s intolerance and the suppression of new knowledge These are common issues and ones that I have first hand experience of My father had to flee Czechoslovakia in the 1930s to escape the Nazi regime, my mother left her native Italy as a young girl. I put these issues in a novel wrapped in romance, texture and beauty in order to get across the big issues. Why are we intolerant of each other 's differences?

Is that why you feel that you have no home? I can't imagine what that must feel like

It's very strange. For years I didn 't have a passport

The Apothecary 's Daughter is such a carefully woven plot that it is impossible to guess the outcome. For instance, I did not suspect the true reason why Leonardo, although he seems to love Theodora, never consummates their marriage.

No one does. They assume that it was because of mutilation. The reader and Theodora are only shown the scars on his chest. I consulted a plastic surgeon for detailed information about this; how it would look

With the seduction of Theodora you cunningly seduce the reader but the ultimate success of the story lies in the fact that nothing is what it seems It is impossible to see the full picture.

As in life. No one ever sees the full picture nor do we fully understand the true character of people we are closest to , even the person you live with

Are you a disciplined writer?

Oh, yes I set aside time From seven thirty or eight o'clock I begin my writing day and work through until one In the afternoon I'll go shopping, prepare a meal and return to the computer in the evening and review what I did during the day I take nine months to THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

write the book, get it all down, then three months to polish.

Patricia Schonstein is currently working on her next novel, as yet, untitled but I, for one, look forward to its publication. For more information about Patricia Schonstein visit www.afsun.co za

PARALLEL UNIVERSES

Guy Gavriel Kay reflects on twenty years of alternative history with Teresa Basinski Eckford

The year 2004 marks twenty years since Guy Gavriel Kay published his first book, The Summer Tree, launching his career as a prominent writer of fantasy fiction. Born in Canada, he attended the University of Manitoba, earning a BA in Philosophy. He then studied law, but writing is now his full-time job His most recent novel is The Last Light of the Sun The Summer Tree and its sequels, The Wandering Fire and The Darkest Road, comprise the Fionavar Tapestry , a trilogy which established Kay's reputation and is still in print, well loved in High Fantasy circles. More recently, however, Kay has chosen to "work with fantasy to explore history." Tigana takes place in an alternate Italian Renaissance, A Song for Arbonne clearly draws its inspiration from medieval France and the era of the Cathars, while the story in The Lions of Al-Rassan derives much from the history of the fall of Granada in the late fifteenth century. Justinian and Theodora's reign over the Byzantine Empire serves as the backdrop for The Sarantine Mosaic's two books - Sailing to Sarantium and Lord ofEmperors. His ability to world build is one that has brought him many fans. His thoughts on the topic intrigued me: "I actually think I've been worldbuilding in a less formal way than many writers of more traditional fantasy. I'm doing variations on historical themes, not create-from-

scratch worlds. That's part of my 'process' I suppose in the last fifteen years, of using fantasy and history to sharpen the focus on themes I see as important today " The Jaddite religion, an interesting combination of Christianity and mythology, is a particularly fascinating aspect of Kay's world. I asked him about it, curious about what inspired it and how he came to use it as a common element in his work, starting with The Lions of Al-Rassan.

The Jaddite religion began as part of a sun/moon/stars set of faiths in Lions of Al-Rassan , where I was interested in the dynamic of three religions in a setting based on the Iberian peninsula before the Reconquista I wanted the interplay of faiths, without the tenets, to strip the story of religious prejudice When I came to do the Sarantine Mosaic and realised that I absolutely had to have a mosaicist as the central figure it seemed idiotic to abandon a religion built around a god of the sun and light - given that mosaic is an artform based on the play of light That's why I kept it for that pair of books. And it lent itself so well to many motifs for Last Light of the Sun (including the title!) that I didn't want to surrender it (or the options I gained by keeping the same overall 'world') in that book

Fans of straight historical fiction might wonder why he veils his historical setting, drawing from it but never actually using it directly I can say that one large element for m e is the distaste I feel for appropriating real figures and making use of them in fiction I am much happier with a Valerius and Alixana based on Justinian and Theodora: this seems to me to offer an up-front admission that we have no idea what the 'real' people were like in private with each other Using fantasy in this way feels both ethically and creatively liberating, for both author and reader

In an essay on his website, he expands on this theme:

Consider the works that involve real people - living or recently deadsaying and doing things the author has simply made up. There is no way to know if such scenes are true ,

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indeed, put more strongly, there is almost no way that they are true. Does this matter? Should it?

The examples are legion. We look at the real people interwoven with fictional ones in Doctorow's Rag1ime, we consider J.D. Salinger as a character in Shoeless Joe (and pass over a more recent tell-all about Salinger which purports to be non-fiction), we pause before the conlroversy regarding Michael Ondaatje's creative 'invention' of a life and personality and death for a very real person: Count Almasy in The English Patient

The question - or one question seems to me lO be this: are there limits, or ought there to be limits, to what writers offiction feel at liberty to do with real people and their lives? Does anything go, in fiction as in Cole Porter songs? 1

Speaking as one who enjoys seeing real people from the past brought to life, I can say that despite the fantasy elements employed by Guy Gavriel Kay they do not interfere overmuch with the historical atmosphere or disguise too heavily the historical people upon whom his characters are based. In The Last Light of the Sun, it becomes evident early on that King Aeldred shares much with Alfred the Great, from his childhood, unforeseen rise to the throne and legendary burning of the cakes, to his love of scholarship and academic debate. This book is completely different from Kay's earlier works in terms of setting. His reasons for the change reveal much about his method:

In this case, one thing that drew me was an awareness that the three previous novels had all been about exceptionally sophisticated, even decadent cultures. I thought it would be challenging and interesting to go to a setting and peoples where that kind of urbane civilization wasn't even a dream yet for most people. The north/ands, in Viking days, offered that. I wanted lO see if I could shape language and a form of telling the tale (using

1 Guy Gavriel Kay. "Home and Away". Retrieved September 16, 2004 from http :// www.brightweavings.com

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elements from the sagas) that would show that difference

The combination of history and fantasy is so well-balanced that it's easy for the historical reader to accept the subtle differences and revel in the richly textured world created by the author. Not that his ability to develop such a backdrop should come as a surprise, considering the writers and experiences that have influenced Kay over the years:

Harold Bloom has written that all writers essentially dance a dance with their artistic ancestors in writing. We are shaped as people and artists by so many different things: other books, friends, lovers, the times into which we're born, music, teachers Tolkien certainly sharpened my love offantasy, so did E.R. Eddison and Lord Dunsany. Dunnell, along with Mary Renault, is my own nomination for the preeminent historical fiction writer of our time. In Lady Dunnell 's case, I remain deeply admiring of her ability to reveal and showcase character within and through action scenes. I doubt anyone's ever been better. I can name other writers but they are almost a banal citing of giants: Shakespeare, Yeats, Tolstoy. In historical fiction, I loved George Garrett's novel of Ralegh, Death of the Fox, and the early works of Cecelia Holland. As a child I read Sutcliffe and Geoffrey Trease.

Kay's initial success came with verse, and he continues to write it today, having recently published a collection of his poems entitled Beyond This Dark House, which ranges from very personal observations to new and interesting interpretations of Guinevere, Orpheus and Cain, among others. They make for fascinating reading and are worth exploring.

Those readers unfamiliar with Guy's work who want to learn more would do well to visit his virtual home on the web, www.brightweavings.com The site is a treasure trove, including annotated bibliographies for some of his books, essays by the author, scholarship devoted to his work, news, reviews and discussion forums. When approached by a website designer

interested in building a web presence for his work, he admits he was at first reluctant:

Deborah Meghnagi, who now is an editor in a publishing house in Israel, but at the time was employed by a high tech company, did some adroit ann-twisting (a mixture of English politeness and Israeli persistence) and got me to give her a go-ahead to design a site. My condition/request was that brightweavings be, as much as possible, a place to showcase other people's talent and thoughts, Jpun out of what I've done.

I asked him if he thought it's important for an author to have a website, and found his opinion refreshingly different from those authors who see cyberspace as yet one more place to sell their books without really interacting with those who buy them:

Is it 'important' for an author to do this? I don't think in any larger sense it is, but it certainly does enable the shaping of a community, and the sections that offer basic reference/research materials have saved me a lot of time and made it much easier for students and others doing papers to get information they need. I remain deeply touched by the generosity and admiring of the intelligence of the community that has taken shape at brightweavings.

Kay's work has been compared to that of J R R. Tolkien Given the recent success of the film version of The Lord of the Rings, I wondered if he would like to see any of his books brought to life on the big screen?

Film discussions continue, pretty much as I type this. Authors have to approach the possibility offilm with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. Economically it can be enormously useful; artistically ii is an out-of-one's-control exercise, especially when we're talking about ve,y expensive epics. For what it is worth, the Hollywood impulse to talk to my agents is driven more by the resurgence of historical epic films than by the Tolkien/Hany Potter fantasies. We'll see.

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

REVIEWS

General fiction is classified by period. Within each section, the books are listed in alphabetical order of author.

Any books can be purchased in any country irrespective of where they are published. Unless a book is published in a different edition in the UK and the USA, no equivalent prices will be given, due to currency fluctuations. In case of difficulty in obtaining any book through bookshops or the internet, please use the HNS book ordering service. Details on page 46.

While the HNS takes every care to provide accurate and up-to-date information about the books under review, sometimes errors creep in. We apologise for these, and advise all our readers to cross-check our information with booksellers before attempting any purchase.

ANCIENT

GILGAMESH: A New English Version

Stephen Mitchell, Free Press, 2004, $24/C$35, hb, 240pp, 074326164X

As the epic poem opens, in about 2750 BC, Gilgamesh is the tyrannical king of the city of Uruk. The gods decide to curb his excesses by finding him a peer. They arrange for Shamat, a temple priestess, to seduce Enkidu, a superhuman wild man. Once humanized, he returns with her to Uruk and becomes Gilgamesh's inseparable companion. As both a defense of Uruk and a test of will, the two vanquish Humbaba, the monster of Cedar Forest. Next, after Gilgamesh insults the goddess Ishtar for unexplained reasons, they fight and defeat the Bull of Heaven. Suddenly, Enkidu has dreams of dying, and does so. Gilgamesh is inconsolable. Now that he is aware of death, he journeys in search of Utnapishtim, a man made immortal by the gods. Although he finds him, Gilgamesh is denied immortality. Instead, he is awarded a plant to restore his youth; unfortunately, it is stolen by a snake as he sleeps. Finally, he returns to Uruk accepting his mortality and truly sees life's beauty for the first time.

Stephen Mitchell's "version" renders this timeless classic access-ible in a vivid prose style. The book also contains a length y informative introduction and extended endnotes. This indispensable book is historical myth at its absolute best.

Gerald T. Burke

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

BIBLICAL

HE WHO LIFTS THE SKIES

Kacy Barnett-Gramckow, Moody, 2004, $!2.99,pb,396pp,0802413684

The Great Flood is over, and the world is rapidly rebuilding itself. Keren and her sister Sharah, great-great-granddaughters of the ark-building patriarch Noakh, grow up in an idyllic setting, surrounded by a loving family who is devoted to worshipping the Most High. But unrest is stirring. One tyrannical man has challenged and ridiculed the Most High, making himself king of a great city, temfying and conquering the other tribes. His arrogance is readily apparent in the name he gives himself: He-Who-Lifts-the-Skies. Keren is dedicated to the Most High, but Sharah, in her avarice, abandons her husband and infant to become the wife of the vicious tyrant. Keren is not so easily enticed, and she must struggle with all her strength, even risking death, to defy the great king.

Bamett-Gramckow has crafted a wellwritten and engrossing story that will appeal to readers of biblical fiction. She has continued the theme she introduced in the prequel to this novel, The Heavens Before, of a woman alone, struggling against all odds with only her faith to sustain her. Keren is a character that inspires admiration and respect, although other characters, Sharah in particular, can be overblown at times. An absorbing take on biblical history with an ending that will make the reader look forward to the third and final instalment in this trilogy.

Bethany Skaggs

RACHEL & LEAH

Orson Scott Card, Shadow Mountain, 2004, $23.95,hb,418pp, 1570089965

Third in Card's Women of Genesis series, Rachel & Leah is the story of the four women who become the wives and concubines of Jacob of the biblical House of Abraham. Through the viewpoints of Laban's daughters, Rachel and Leah, and their handmaidens, Zilpah and Bilhal1, the ancient world is opened to the reader. As they mature, the blind jealousies and insecurities that motivate their actions are slowly replaced with self awareness and acceptance of their lot with the help of God's words.

Orson Scott Card's biblical novels are strong in detail of the culture, beliefs and customs of ancient times, yet they are never sermonizing or overbearing in the religious sense. The women who vie for Jacob's attention are very human, and even if they seem whiny at times, one can empathize with their supposed injustices, especially selfpitying "tender-eyed" Leah. Readers can expect the author's fourth book in the Women of Genesis series to be just as well written.

Suzanne Crane

CLASSICAL

THE LEGATE'S DAUGHTER

Wallace Breem, Weidenfeld&Nicolson, 2004, £12.99, hb, 326pp, 0297848801 (UK). Rugged Land, 2004, $24.95, hb, 1590710193 (US)

The late Wallace Breem was the author of one of the most outstanding novels about ancient Rome, Eagle in the Snow. Sadly, The Legate's Daughter is not of the same quality. Curtius Rufus, the main character, is sent on a mission to rescue the kidnapped daughter of a Roman aristocrat. He encounters another significant daughter en route, that of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, now Queen of a client state. They have a brief affair, but whose side is she on? Rufus manoeuvres his way through danger, physical and political, knowing he will lose any support from Rome if the ailing Emperor Augustus dies. As if this were not enough, the poor man seems plagued by a perpetual hangover and thundering headaches, as well as heavy debts.

The descriptions of the locations are well researched and are excellent, but much of the book is in rather wooden dialogue, it makes for a fast but not deeply involving read.

This novel should be read as pure entertainment. The plot has unexpected twists, and a surprising finish. One is left feeling that there should have been both a prequel and a sequel.

Ruth Ginarlis

CHAMPION OF THE DEAD

Patrick Hatten, Hilliard and Harris, 2003, $16.95,pb,260pp, 1591330416

Ancient Athens is the setting for th is murder mystery solved by a welcome new sleuth, ldas, a metic (half-citizen). As such, our hero can involve himself with a wide breadth of characters, from the privileged to servant classes. He is wise enough to team up with Thales, a well-educated slave. The body belongs to the champion of the title, Lamachus, a boxer. His spirit haunts the story as Id as discovers both the killer and the true nature of the man he worshipped.

Along the way, the atmosphere of the time and place is wonderfully evoked with telling details, from the wrestlers' "almondeyed boys" to hair scented for a funeral and the hubbub of the ancient marketplace. It's nice to discover that some things never change, too, like hairdressers who have the dirt on everyone.

A hearty welcome to a new historical mystery hero. Here's hoping that this is the first of many adventures for Hatten 's ldas.

Eileen Charbonneau ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

THE VIRTUES OF WAR

Steven Pressfield, Doubleday, 2004, $24.95, hb,368pp,0385500998

Pub. in the UK as Alexander: The Virtues of War, Doubleday, 2004, £12.99, pb, 449pp, 0385607709

"I have always been a soldier" are the first words we hear from Alexander the Great in this new biographical novel. Driven by his daimon, Alexander strives for perfection in war, with the Persians and others in his path providing more of an outlet than an obstacle. The novel has little to say about Alexander's family or his wives or his eunuch or even Hephaestion, except to the extent he was a friend and reliable officer. The brother-in-law to whom Alexander narrates the story "prefers the bloody parts," so we hear much of warfare, particularly the cavalry at the center of every action. Even the horse Bucephalus comes alive as a savage warrior, and together he and his rider can tum the tide of battles involving hundreds of thousands. Yet Alexander is even more of a general than a warrior, and his key to victory is making sure that he always outnumbers the enemy at the crucial point, even when the overall numbers are greatly against him.

The key moment in this version of Alexander's life comes when Macedonian veterans refused to advance farther into India, and Alexander must consider turning back for the first time. He is made to realize that his conquests have done little to change the way people are governed except for the introduction of some new tax collectors. Alexander has no more interests in governing than would any other tornado sweeping through the plains of Central Asia. At the end, Alexander had come as close to conquering the world as anyone, but he recognizes the fundamental failure of his mission and the antipathy he had aroused in those who had been his friends.

James Hawking

THE JUDGMENT OF CAESAR

Steven Saylor, St. Martin's Press, 2004, $24.95,hb,290pp,0312271190

This tenth entry in the Roma Sub Rosa series takes Gordianus the Finder and most ofhisfamilia to Egypt in 48 BC. The family includes the young slave boys Mopsus and Androcles, a mute bodyguard Rupa left over from a previous case, an ill wife Bethesda who disappears into the Nile and an estranged son Melo who serves with Caesar. As is ever his fate, the relatively apolitical Finder becomes involved in the central events of Roman history, this time bearing witness to the beheading of Pompey and Cleopatra rolling out of her rug as a present for Caesar. Saylor brings fresh characterization to frequently visited material. His Cleopatra competes with her

younger brother Ptolemy for Caesar's sexual interest, and it certainly seems that this Caesar could go either way. Saylor has dealt with Caesar before, and his portrait is unusual in that it portrays neither a monster nor a demigod. In any case, he is rumored to be more than a tent mate to Meto.

The author's note gives us a useful summary of ancient and modem sources. A map of the Nile Delta and another of Alexandria enhance the excellent description of that most fascinating of ancient cities. As always, Saylor demonstrates mastery of the known historical facts and imaginative explanations for historical puzzles, usually in connection with the murder plot. The mysteriously murdered corpse does not make its appearance in this one until about two-thirds of the way through, but those who want a case to solve will have a conventional whodunnit, complete with clever clues and resolved with righteous reasoning.

James Hawking

AGE OF BRONZE VOLUME 2: SACRIFICE

Eric Shanower, Image Comics, 2004, $29.95,hb,224pp, 1582403600

Continuing the epic saga of the Trojan War - all of the Trojan War, including back stories, side myths, and other matter usually cut out in the aim of turning one of the greatest tales of all time into a quick loveand-war story - that started in Age of Bronze, Sacrifice deals with the period when the Greek forces strove even to reach Troy, only to find that the cost was higher than they had dreamed. Beginning with the arrival of Paris and Helen at Troy, and ending with the sacrifice of Agamemnon's daughter Iphigenia to gain a fair wind for the waiting fleet, Sacrifice is another work of art from author/artist Shanower. I can't praise this series highly enough: fascinatingly told, exquisitely detailed, emotionally charged, the Age of Bronze series is a must for all fans of historical novels, history, or epic tales. Extremely highly recommended.

India Edghill

WIDOW'S PIQUE

Marilyn Todd, Severn House, 2004, hb, £ I 8.99 ($28.95), 280 pp, 0727861174

Marilyn Todd's delightfully sparky and unlikely detective Claudia is back on the case again for a tenth outing. This time she is over the moon as at last it seems that somebody wants to buy her wine - and the customer is a king' There are other reasons for leaving Rome too as usual, so she is off across the sea to Histria. But when she gets there it is surprises galore, and none of them are pleasant. It is a beautiful place but why

do all the members of the royal family keep dying under mysterious circumstances? A young girl has seen a demon, and she has hardly got off the boat when she witnesses a murder herself. But nobody will believe her

I confess to enjoying this author's enjoyable mix of drama and comedy and this is one of the most entertaining tales to date. There is a lively cast of characters, the departure from Rome's familiar setting is a bonus and the plot kept me guessing. Claudia and Marcus continue to strike sparks off each other and make a diverting duo, and something new seems to happen on almost every page. One complaint though is the lack of a map; Histria is in modem Romania but we are not told this and yes, it is important to know where the story is set. Serious history buffs will probably find it not to their taste as anachronisms purposefully abound, but fans of a good whodunit will find plenty to praise This is an enjoyable story above all, and everything else aside this is what good genre fiction is all about. More please.

Rachel A Hyde

1st CENTURY

THE EAGLE'S PREY

Simon Scarrow, Headline, 2004, £17.99, hb, 306pp,0755301153

Perhaps just another Cato and Macro romp in I st-century Britannia? Convinced they're close to finishing off the British opposition, the Roman Army is confident of beating Caratacus. But the battle does not go to plan and recnmmat,ons follow, leading to ferocious punishment that puts the lives of Cato, Macro and their colleagues in peril. This book has many very tense, dark or brutal scenes, where I was drawn in and reading as quickly as possible to find out what happened next. In particular, I started to care about the fate of the lead characters, which makes this the best writing I've seen from Scarrow so far. More, much more, of this, please, Mr Scarrow! S Garside-Neville

r <l CENTURY

PERPETUA: A Bride, a Ma rty r, a Passion Amy Rachel Peterson, Relevant Books, 2004,$15.99,pb,394pp,0972927646

In Carthage of the 3rd century AD, Perpetua, the young daughter of a Roman nobleman and scholar, finds Jesus and enters a community of believers, promptly rejecting her father's pagan gods. She has little experience: "I'd studied for so long," she says, "Friendship, pain, joy, death, heroism, pathos. I'd never seen it in real life." At a

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

time when Christians are persecuted, her new beliefs are dangerous. Certain that her faith will soon be tested, Perpetua struggles with her own nature, with her sensuality and her desire for honor and pleasure.

Unfortunately , the reader knows what's coming. Over and over again, Ms. Peterson tells us that Perpetua is going to be martyred Lack of suspense, however, is not this book ' s only problem. Perpetua is plagued with flagrant historical errors (i .e. , stirrups did not come to the Mediterranean world until the 8th century , tea was brought west in the 16 t h ) There is a whole dictionary of anachronistic concepts : university, feminism , brainwashing, projection of ideas.. and a wearisome tendency to exhibit research by including unnecessary Latin words. The characters are predictable (all Christians angelic, all pagans bloodthirsty) , the twists in the plot poorly constructed. Its one saving grace 1s Perpetua's growing relationship with Jesus, but the obsessive quality of her yearning for martyrdom gives the novel an oppressive atmosphere. "The critics could not understand," Ms. Peterson writes, "many whole congregations are at a loss to identify the good in a passion that pushes us to throw away life " The author is right ; many did not understand then , and they still don't. It is a timely topic, particularly relevant since Perpetua is a historical character. But by presenting her argument in a one-sided fashion, by dismissing the views of other early Christian writers who condemned this "mania for self destruction," Ms. Peterson succeeds only in validating fanaticism. Troublesome, considering the times in which we're living

Adelaida Lower

4TH CENTURY

THE SONG OF THE GLAD IA TOR Paul Doherty, Headline, 2004, £18.99, hb, 309pp, 075530778X (UK)

Headline, December 2004, price unknown, pb,288pp,0755324072(US)

Rome in 313 AD: Constantine is emperor. The protagonist, Claudia, divides her time between working in her uncle's inn and spying for Helena, the emperor's domineering mother. Claudia's lover is a top gladiator but when his opponent collapses in the arena from poisoning he suddenly finds himself unpopular. Claudia must get to the bottom of this, find out who has stolen a holy relic at the Villa Pulchra and do a spot of sleuthing for herself.

A slightly more subdued Doherty than usual, this book might have appeal beyond those who love his heady cocktail of history, mystery and fantasy. Using a period

untouched by crime fiction (and largely by any other fiction) means there's plenty to enjoy. The religious climate for example, as Christianity replaces the pagan ways but only a few years earlier Diocletian was baying for Christian blood. Stir murder into the mixture and this is a rich and satisfying brew of plot, character and setting.

Rachel A Hyde

7TH CENTURY

THE HAUNTED ABBOT

Peter Tremayne, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2004,$24.95,hb,298pp,0312287690

Pub. in the UK by Headline, 2003, £6.99, pb,384pp,074726435X

This is the eleventh installment in the highly praised Sister Fidelma series created by prominent Celtic authority, Peter Tremayne a/kJa Peter Beresford Ellis. I've read all the others, and must admit that this is one ofmy favorites.

It is 666 A.O. Fidclma and Eadulf, both religieuses, are now a couple, not just traveling companions After leaving Canterbury and before they return to Ireland, Eadulf receives a letter from one of his childhood friends, Brother Botulf, insisting that Eadulf return to Seaxmund's Ham, his boyhood home, immediately. By the time Eadulf and Fidelma reach Aldred's Abbey, Botulf is dead, murdered hours before their arrival. From that point on, things begin to unravel, ultimately finding the couple imprisoned in the abbey and plotting their escape. Things are rotten at Aldred's Abbey, it appears.

This is the first Fidelma mystery where Tremayne focuses more on Eadulf, giving us a chance to learn more about his character, his Saxon background , upbringing and boyhood community. The sociopolitical tensions between Saxons and non-Saxons is evident - even Fidelma has a difficult time understanding cultural and political differences between her culture and Eadulfs. A highly entertaining and recommended read.

Ilysa Magnus

10 th CENTURY

111 tire August Review THUNDER GOD was listed under 1st century when it should have been 1(/h ce11tury. Apologies for our mistake-.

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

11 TH CENTURY

HOUSECARL/COLD HAND, CRUEL HEART

Laurence J. Brown, Paul Mould Publishing 2004, price not available, pb 292 / 346pp, 0952870843 (UK), 1586900048 (US)/ 1904959040 (UK) • These are competently written accounts of the adventures of Ranulf Redbeard, a prominent member of the household of Harold Godwinson, during the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and, in "Cold Hand, Cruel Heart", the rebellion of Hereward the Wake in 1070 -71. I found them, however, a predictable and unimaginative read. Though meticulous in tracking military manoeuvres, Brown has been selective in the use of his limited sources to the point where, regrettably, he has deprived himself of the extremely difficult and interesting stories there are to be told about this period. It is one of the joys and privileges of writing historical fiction to be able to take a particular viewpoint without any obligation to back it up other than through the integrity of one's storytelling. How much better these books might have been if, however, Brown had considered some of the recent scholarship on the swearing of Harold's oath to William of Normandy as represented in the Bayeux Tapestry, or had been aware that Hereward was not, it is now believed, killed in Ely but appears as a substantial landholder in the area around modem day Birmingham in Domesday Book, and is on record as having contributed troops to later military campaigns undertaken by William. The Norman Conquest and its aftermath is one of the most written about periods of English history, and any new novel about it must justify its existence by having something new to say. These two books do not.

Sarah Bower

A HOLLOW CROWN

Helen Hollick, William Heinemann 2004, £20.00,hb,863pp,043400491X

Emma of Normandy is the only woman to have been wife to two Kings of England, AEthelred the Unready and Cnut, and mother to two more , Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor, but as little is known about her as a person as most of the other leading figures of the eleventh century, whose personalities must almost entirely be gauged from their actions There is a contemporary biography, the Encomium Emmae, but this is an exercise in spin produced al her direction, and ignoring many aspects of her life, not least her first marriage, which is not even mentioned, her hatred of her sons by AEthelred and her possible role in the murder of one of them. [n making Emma the

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

subject of a historical novel, and in tryi ng to depict the person behind the bald historical record, Helen Hallick has set herself a difficult task.

Has she succeeded? In part, yes. A Hollow Crown runs to over 800 pages, and a novel of that length is almost bound to be uneven in quality. Some parts are very good; others, however, are more twenty-first century than eleventh. And if AEthelred was quite such a disaster as a ruler and man as Ms Hallick depicts him, how on earth was it that the adult sons of his first marriage did not seek to depose him" But, overall, it is an enjoyable read , and the pages kept turning.

Ann Lyon

1 3TH CENTURY

TH E GREAT SC OT

Duncan A Bruce, St. Martin's Press, 2004, $25.95 /C$35.95, hb, 352pp, 0312323964

I approached this story of Robert the Bruce with great hope and interest. The fact that Robert's descendant wrote this book intrigued me even more. Robert Bruce's story is well-documented. While Wallace started the insurgency against the Eng lish, Bruce ended it, in the process obtaining independence for Scotland and recognition of its sovereignty. Since we know the history, Duncan Bruce decided to tell the story of this great Scots national hero through David Crawford, a fictiona l character who becomes one of Bruce's closest confederates.

When Crawford narrates the book at age 84, it is solely in hindsight. As with many narratives told from that perspective - particularly when Davie joined Bruce at age 14 as his page - it unfortunately becomes a series of "first this happened," "then this happened," and "finally that happened." It's boring.

Yes, we get to see Bruce through the eyes of his most trusted man, engaging in military strategy talks, sleeping with a variety of his most beloved women (and there were several, to whom he was loyal and devoted in his own fashion), leading his men gloriously into battle, sparring with the Pope and his envoys.

There is no doubt that Robert was the savior of his nation. It is an exciting story, the stuff of which legend is made. But the writing is stilted and unimaginative. Famous words spoken by Robert Bruce at important functions are quoted in the midst of the English narrative, word by word in Scottish - probably from the Barbour annals throwing the reader off completely. If that was how Duncan Bruce intended to communicate the legitimacy of his sources and story, it was the wrong way

to do it. I'm actually sad that I was disappointed in this book.

Ilysa Magnus

HIDD EN HO N OR

Anne Stuart, Mira, 2004, $6.50/ C$7.99, pb, 376pp,0778320650

This enormously engaging romance is set during the reign of King John E lizabeth of Bredon is to travel to the Convent of St. Anne's. She believes herself to be thoroughly undesirable: she is taller than almost every man she knows, her red hair must come from the devil, she speaks her mind and is not in the least biddable, and her father certainly has never shown her any affection. Life as a nun is really the only option. Elizabeth will travel with a party that contains the King's bastard son, on his way to the convent to do penance for killing a young woman, and a number of monks who are not quite what they seem. Elizabeth finds herself strongly attracted to the man called Prince William, despite the danger. The story is laden with suspense, and readers will find themselves holding their breath as events unfold. Events that occurred during the Crusades play a key role in the plot, adding to the historica l detail present. Elizabeth is a wonderful character; many of the characters, both major and minor, are deftly drawn, and a pleasure to spend time· with, even if yo u are, as I was, sitting on the edge of my seat during much of the second ha! f of the book.

Trudi E. Jacobson

14 th CENTURY

CHAUCE R AN D THE HOUSE OF FAME

Philippa Morgan, Constable 2004, £16.99, hb, 340pp, 1841198 I 7X. P ub in US by Carroll & Graf, 2004, $25.00, hb, 320pp, 0786714662

In 1370 Geoffrey Chaucer and two young companions set off for Aquitaine, Chaucer hoping to persuade his former captor, Henri de Guyac to remain loyal to the English King. It 1s complicated for Chaucer because, during his captivity he fell in love with de Guyac's wife, Rosamund. When Henri dies during a boar hunt Chaucer realises that it is murder and there are numerous suspects and motives.

This is a deeply satisfying book combining the details of medieval life and politics with a complicated mystery. Danger and doubt abound laced with subtle irony and humour. The characters are well drawn and believable and the solution is unexpected. It is both intelligent and readable, an excellent first novel. This author is one to watch.

Marina Oliver

15 th CENTURY

T H E HA RP ER 'S QUINE

Pat McIntosh, Constable 2004, £ 16.99, hb, 300pp, 1841196959. Pub. in US by Carroll & Graf 2004, $25.00, hb, 288pp, 0786713496

This is Pat McIntosh's first novel in a proposed series featuring Gilbert Cunningham, a lawyer intending to take Holy Orders. He is the latest recruit to the growing ranks of the medieval detective genre

The setting is 15 th century Glasgow and the body of a woman is found nearby the Cathedral, (a work in progress at the time).She has fled from a brutal husband to live with a harper. As Cunningham investigates the body count mounts up and a very elaborate plot emerges involving inheritance and malice. Along the way he falls in love and questions his vocation.

This is a most enjoyable book, once the story gets going. The first 50 pages do contain some rather overly descriptive passages that slow the pace. Then the story takes off and carries on to a satisfying, if bloodthirsty ending.

I am sure that Southern readers will forgive the Scots and Irish references that abound throughout. It took me quite a while to realise what 'usquebae' was. The inclusion of a glossary would have been a usefu l addition to this book. My guess at 'whiskey', (Irish, of course), wou ld have taken less time to decipher. The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed Ruth Ginarlis

A P OL O GY AND CORR ECTION

In th e August 2 004 iss ue, the review of PALLAS AND THE CENTAUR by Linda Proud app eared on p1 7 un der the wrong title ("Palla s and A th ena '~ - Our ap olog ies to the auth or and to any readers who may ha ve had diffic ulty findin g the boo k b ecau se of th is error.

16 t h CENTURY

THE S IREN QUEEN

Fiona Buckley, Scribner, 2004, $24.00, hb, 288pp,0743237525

This is the eighth installment in the Ursula Blanchard mystery series featuring the halfsister of, and sometime lady-in-waiting to, Queen Elizabeth I. Ursula also happens to have a talent for spying and putting herself in harm's way. It is 1568. Ursula is now married to her third husband, Hugh Stannard, an older, wiser and more stabilizing force in her life Ursula, Hugh and Ursula's fourteen-year old daughter, Meg, head off to the home of the Duke of Norfolk to meet a possible future

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

husband for Meg. This is just the beginning of a convoluted series of events involving Florentine bankers, Mary of Scotland, ciphers and a plot to seize Elizabeth's throne.

This 1s a well-written, intelligent mystery, full of fun twists, turns and surprises. All the historical players are wellfleshed out. Ursula, Hugh and Meg are sheer delights. The complex Ridolfi plot is handled with the expertise that few but Buckley has mastered. Highly recommended - even if you haven't read any of the others in the series. Ilysa Magnus

MURDERS AND OTHER CONFUSIONS

Kathy Lynn Emerson, Crippen & Landru, 2004,$17,pb,226pp, 1932009213

Susanna, Lady Appleton, is no ordinary crime-solver. She is a "learned" woman living in the 16 th century, who is married to a man "so loyal and so bent on advancement" that he may betray her. Her expertise in herbs and the untimely death of her sister have led Susanna to write "A Cautionary Herbal." As she unravels murders and intrigues, Susanna flies against the conventions of her time. At her side are the loyal Jennet, her very curious housekeeper, and Nick Baldwin, Lady Appleton's friend, who, upon occasion are also called on to crack cases.

The eleven stories presented in this book-five of them previously unpublished-introduce a fascinating mixture of fictional and historical characters. As the author writes in the introduction her "plots are always based on facts." Notes added at the end of each tale explain aspects of the society (from laws on marriage to Persian cats). Ms. Emerson is no romanticist: "I wouldn't care to live in the sixteenth century," she wisely says, adding "but it is a wonderful place to visit." Her tales illustrate the reasons for her interest and for her opinion. She reminds us that, back in those days, people believed that portents announced coming disasters, that 'base-got" babies died because they were "overlaid," and that one could be "planetstruck." There are twists, flashes of revelations, and some great titles. It's a fun, easy read.

Adelaida Lower

THE VIRGIN'S LOVER

Philippa Gregory, Touchstone, 2004, $24.95,hb,44lpp,0743256158

Pub. in the UK by HarperCollins, 2004, £17.99, hb, 0007147309

It is 1558. Bloody Mary has died, and Queen Elizabeth I has come to the throne at last. All of England rejoices - everyone except Amy, neglected wife of Elizabeth's favorite companion, Robert Dudley. As

Lord Robert's fortunes rise, and rumors spread about his intimacy with the Queen, Amy remains in the country, growing more despondent by the day. Robert chooses to stay at court, seducing Elizabeth and influencing her political decisions, while Amy busies herself with selecting a proper home for them to live in. She never admits that their love match was a horrible mistake.

Elizabeth's continued life as England's Protestant Queen faces numerous challenges. Her own advisers, William Cecil most of all, suggest she forget about Robert and marry for the good of the realm. Eventually Elizabeth, deeply in love but determined to rule: comes to realize she must place her country first.

The basic story may be very familiar, but that doesn't matter. Gregory infuses her characters with such life and personality that I nearly forgot how it was all supposed to end. One can't help but feel sorry for nai·ve, deluded Amy, yet despite her cloying behavior, she has a strong inner core that made me almost hope she might win Robert's love again. Of course, it was never meant to be, and this is made obvious from the start. A rich, enthralling novel of passion, betrayal, and power: what reader could ask for more?

Sarah Johnson

ALIKENESS

Sonia Overall, Fourth Estate, 2004, £ 16.99, hb,308pp,0007164726

The overriding impression of this book is its richness, the glowing colours of the artist's paints and the brilliance of the descriptions rendered in rich prose, highly charged with eroticism. At first Overall's language struck me as over-elaborate, but as the story progressed l found its rhythms and cadences mesmerising, adding significantly to the book's originality. The setting is Elizabethan London, a city that reeks of filth and rotting corpses, where Walsingham's spy-hounds are a constant and threatening presence. Elizabeth herself is ageing, dallying first with young Essex and then her 'Walter' Overall's plot weaves between fact and fiction, and the difficulties of the Elizabethan artists, Gower, Hilliard, Oliver, Marcus Gheeraerts and others, are clearly portrayed, rivalling each other for the attention of opposing factions at court, victims of artistic fashion and the need to pander to the whims of the ageing monarch.

After his fiancee is killed in a horrific accident, Rob, an ambitious young painter, decides to move to London from the depths of rural Norfolk. The court has no time for such country bumpkins, but with the help of friends and, more importantly, Mistress Katherine Joyce, a beautiful courtesan, he begins to make a name for himself and for his fine likenesses painted in oils on panels.

Their shared ambition stops short of the bedroom but Kat and Rob find other means to win powerful new clients, including Essex, Raleigh and the 'great intriguer' Walsingham himself. With the help of the quack and alchemist, Simon Forman, Rob produces new colours 'bottled from Nature'. However, Rob's rise to fortune attracts the envy of his enemies, both at court and among the Huguenot painters, in particular Marcus Gheeraerts, whose renowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth, commissioned for Ditchley, goads Rob to his final madness. A highly original first novel.

Lucinda Byatt

THE EYES OF DR. DEE.

Maggie Pearson, A & C Black, 2002, hb, 94pp, £8.99, 0713662050

It is 1581. Queen Elizabeth is on the throne of England and the old Roman Catholic faith has been replaced by the new Protestant religion but although the people are now free to worship God as they choose, provided they acknowledged Elizabeth as the true Queen; are loyal citizens and attend Church regularly otherwise there are heavy fines to pay; there are still plenty of people willing to risk their lives in plotting to remove Elizabeth, install her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots in her place and bring back the 'true religion'. Into this scenario comes Temperance Jones and Barnabas Saul. They have travelled from Cambridge to London looking for Robert Poley, Temperance's Uncle's secretary, whom Temperance thinks she is in love with and he with her. They are befriended by Dr. Dee who thinks Barnabas Saul is someone else and through this get embroiled in one of the catholic plots. Although this is a fictional story it gets right under the skin of the time in which it is set. Walsingham was Elizabeth's Spymaster, Robert Poley really existed and was keen to become one of Walsingham's spies. The characters are well drawn, the story has pace and the descriptions give a vivid picture of life in Elizabethan London. The Author's notes also give a good explanation of the background against which the tale is told and there is a useful glossary at the back.

Who knows whether the events portrayed in the book really happened or not but they certainly could have done Marilyn Sherlock

17TH CENTURY

HA voe IN lTS THIRD YEAR

Ronan Bennett, Simon & Schuster, 2004, $24.00,hb,256pp,0743258568

Pub. in the UK by Bloomsbury, 2004, £16.99,hb,256pp,0747562490

"Men must have mercy, for without mercy we are savages." So believed John Brigge's

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mother, and so believes John Brigge, a coroner m northern England in the early 17 th century. In contrast to Brigge's philosophy, John Briggc's friend the Master is slowly turning toward Puritanical justice, in his third year of rule. When a vagrant papist Irishwoman is accused of infanticide, the Master and other more severe town leaders have already determined that she should hang , but Brigge insists that proper procedures must be followed. As a papist and a moderate, Bri gge fears not only for future of his town, but now for his life as well. Will he give in to conniving and plots to save his family and his own neck, or stay true to his beliefs in mercy and justice? This was an absolutely riveting novel, which I was loath to put down. Bennett's writing accurately captures the voice of the time; the narrative flows as though John Brigge himself wrote it.

Yet the story resonates subtly with current events of the twenty-first century: fanaticism and its dangers know no historical constraint. Havoc in Its Third Year is not a peaceful tale; these were violent times and the violence within this story was sometimes unrelenting, particularly early in the book This gripping tale is not for the faint of heart or stomach.

L. K. Mason

YOUNG WILL

Bruce Cook, St. Martin's Press, 2004, $24.95/C$34.95, hb , 4 l 6pp, 0312335733 It is January of 1616, and Will Shakespeare, retired to Stratford-uponAvon, decides to confess his youth in writing. Will begins his story with his teenage pranks of stealing apples and poaching hares. When a deer is accidentally snared, he flees while his friend and accomplice Ned is arrested and jailed. He stays with an influential former teacher, Mr. John Cotton, who quickly becomes more than that. Then at Cotton's instigation , Will joins a traveling summer theatre company where he first begins to hone his skills. Two years later, he is back at Stratford and marries Anne Hathaway. Soon after, he is off to London where he becomes, in every way, an intimate friend of Kit Marlowe, a talented aspiring play writer and competitor. Thus begins his early adventures.

Bruce Cook's fictional account provides a lively, imaginative story of young William Shakespeare. He casts Will , Kit Marlowe, the Dark Lady of the Sonnets, and a host of other historical characters in a story of political intrigue, egotism, creativity, and intense emotional and sexual passion. A fascinating portrait of a foul, dangerous yet energetic London is the setting for the action

and intrigue surrounding young Will. This is fascinating historical fiction.

Gerald T. Burke

THE COUNTERFEIT CRANK

Edward Marston, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2004,$23.95,hb,257pp,0312319495

Set in rollicking Elizabethan London, The Counterfeit Crank gets its title from its most intriguing character, a Welsh beggar with a talent for feigning the falling sickness. Unfortunately, he all too soon becomes the dead body at the heart of this mystery, the fourteenth of the popular Nicholas Bracewell series featuring the merry band of players, Westfield's Men and their stalwart book holder.

The twin mysteries of solving the murder and figuring out what's ailing Edmund Hoode, the troop's talented playwright, neatly converge in the exciting conclusion. The details of social mores, criminal and forensic proceedings, and attitude towards the destitute are marvelous as are the snarling villains, colorful actors and their cohorts. But our hero contains neither faults nor doubts enough to keep him as interesting as he might be in this segment. This also bled the suspense and sense of real danger from his derring-do.

Eileen Charbonneau

BEN EA TH A MARBLE SKY

John Shors, McPherson & Co, 2004, $24.95, hb,324pp,0929701712

Set in the 17th century, this novel opens with the Mogul Empero r Shah Jahan 's <laugher, Jahanara, telling her granddaughters the story of her life while divulging to them their true identity as heirs to the throne of Hindustan. Until now, the granddaughters have been kept in ignorance of their true heritage in an effort to safeguard them from their brutal uncle, Aurangzeb, who usurped his father's throne and locked him away until his death. As Jahanara's story unfolds, we meet her father, Emperor Shah Jahan, whose deep and abiding love for his empress, Mumtaz Mahal, inspired him to build the magnificent Taj Mahal as her eternal resting place. We also experience the suffering of the royal family as a result of her uncle's avarice, both prior to and during a portion of his tyrannical reign.

The author has obviously done in depth research of the Taj Mahal and its history. ln addition to his fascinating storyline, he weaves in many details about the planning and building of this unique architectural masterpiece. From the exquisite white marble brought in from the quarries of Makrana to the gold and precious gemstones decorating it, Shors enables his readers to visualize the profound wonder of it all. He also depicts the political climate in a clear and concise manner so that readers can

better understand the Mogul empire that reigned supreme during this period of India's history. I can highly recommend this novel, a real page-turner throughout.

Pat Maynard

18 th CENTURY

THE LAMBS OF LONDON

Peter Ackroyd, Chatto & Windus 2004, £15.99,hb,216pp,0701177446.

We have grown to expect something special from the pen of Peter Ackroyd and this is no exception. Described as a work of fiction, it chronicles an event in the lives of Charles and Mary Lamb that culminates in Mary's madness.

Charles and Mary live with their parents in Holborn. Charles works as a clerk at East India House, a task endured solely to earn a living. Their father is in the initial stages of senile dementia while Mother has little time for the literary passions shared by her children.

For Mary, her looks and confidence marred by smallpox, life revolves around Charles and his access to the wider world. Poetry , the theatre and books dominate their interests. Into their lives comes William Ireland, a young man whose father runs a bookshop. William has made a momentous discovery, original works by William Shakespeare that are authenticated. Admiring of Charles Lamb, he seeks Mary's company to gain access to her brother. Essentially considerate, he treats her with that degree of interest which shows her 'what might still be' - an escape from the suffocating confines of her life. But William Ireland has his own agenda - to prove himself to his critical father. By opening the floodgates of Mary's stifled passions, there can only be one outcome.

From the first page I found myself sucked into the vibrant, dangerous world of I 8 th century London. The narrative is both scholarly and yet simple, and the discovery of the Shakespeare papers brings us into touch with Sheridan, Rowlandson, de Quincy and others, while at Drury Lane Theatre, Kemble and Siddons act out the newly discovered Vortigern, at the mercy of a volatile audience.

If the book lacked anything, it was length. I wanted to get inside the head of Mary Lamb, to know more of her feelings, her despair and perhaps her ultimate acceptance of her fate - or was it defeat? Like many well-known tales, I found myself hoping that this time of telling, something good would intervene to save the characters, but of course the outcome is history.

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There is always a certain darkness about Mr Ackoyd's writing and this tale provided just the scenario for his enviable talent.

Janet Mary Tomson

GUN BALL HILL

Ellen Cooney, Univ Press of New England, 2004,$25.95,pb,255pp, 1584653566

In 1774 coastal Maine, after the beloved Mowlan family is massacred by Tories disguised as Indians, family and friends gather to mourn. Their isolated lives disrupted, they finally wake up to British cruelty, oppression through taxes, and suffocating restrictions on the export of Maine goods. Each person sees the impending war in a different way. Winnie Goodridge, a longtime friend of the family, masks her anger by insisting on a foundry being built on the hill behind the Mowlan farm. She wants to produce gun balls to destroy the British fleet. Jossey Avens, sister of the murdered farmwife, is devastated and can barely function, but still dreads the thought of war. Her husband John, a minister, loses his belief in religion, deserts his ministry and helps at the foundry. Jossey's brother, Patrick, a rum runner, struggles to overcome his distaste for killing and his attraction to a woman who has left her Tory family because of the murders. Patrick's boat outfitted with cannon, he chases British frigates along the coast.

Cooney's prose is lively and often surprising. Each character is fleshed out, earthy, and full of quirks The major events of the time are woven into the story with ease . I enjoyed reading about these ordinary people grappling with terrible changes in their lives.

Diane Scott Lewis

BY THE MAST DIVIDED

David Donachie, Allison & Busby 2004, £18.99,hb,336pp,0749083506

John Pearce, the hero of Donachie's new series of naval adventures, is refreshingly different. Hornblower he is not, far from it. As a radical and sympathizer with the ideals of the French revolution, though he is repelled by the Terror, his· loyalty is far from unquestioning. I had never read Donachie before but if this is a good sample of his writing, then I shall certainly seek out more

Pearce is the son of a radical pamphleteer in the style of Tom Paine. He has lived in Paris with his father throughout the heady days of the revolution. But now his father is in danger, for since the coming of the Terror he has been out of favour with the revolutionary government. Pearce has come to England to negotiate his father's · return, but as a known radical he is pursued by the authorities. Tn flight from his

pursuers he is taken up by a pressgang. This is illegal since he is not 'bred to the sea', but he cannot of course escape by revealing bis true identity. He finds himself in the company of other illegally pressed men on a ship with an ambitious but incompetent captain who cares nothing for legality. Though the story moves somewhat slowly at first, we are gradually drawn into the life of Pearce and his comrades below decks. Notable, too, is the portrayal of the captain's young wife. This is historically accurate: there were indeed women aboard naval ships at the period and captains did take their wives to sea; but this is not usually shown, I think, in books of this genre. We see her becoming increasingly disillusioned with her husband and there is just a hint that there may be a relationship between her and Pearce in the offing, but that is for a future novel. Then the tale gathers pace and becomes a very enjoyable adventure. Speaking for myself, I can't wait to read the next in the series.

Neville Firman

LIFE MASK

Emma Donohue, Harcourt, 2004, $26, hb, 672pp,0151009430

Pub. in the UK by Virago, 2004, £14 99, hb, 368pp, 1860499805

In her latest novel, Emma Donahue (Slammerkin) lifts all her characters from the pages of history and draws obvious parallels between that age and ours An ongoing Revolution in France and the acts of terrorists are a part of daily conversation Prime Minister Pitt, constantly raising alarms about sedition, is presented as the Georgian version of John Ashcroft Against this backdrop, Eliza Farren, popular and respected actress, is courted by the wealthy, idle, and lovelorn Earl of Derby, who gave his name to the horse race. She welcomes friendly overtures from the widowed Anne Darner, aristocratically born and artistically inclined, who is a notable sculptress. When vicious gossip circulates about the women's relationship, Eliza shuns her erstwhile friend. She continues to live a double life, performing on the stage and appearing in society on the arm of her devoted earl. Meanwhile, the wounded Anne finds solace in a sturdier relationship with the lively Miss Mary Berry, protegee of Horace Walpole Eliza's sense of self-preservation, rewarded by her elevation to the peerage, finds its contrast in Anne's more private journey towards self-awareness.

An impeccably researched and insightful work, this novel deserves a warm reception by readers of quality historical fiction.

Margaret Barr

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

THE THIEF TAKER

Janet Gleeson, Bantam Press 2004, £12.99, hb,346pp,0593052609

This is a book about food and murder set in 18 th century London. A foodie story with delicious Georgean receipts and meals that to us seem banquets but to the Blanchards, renowned silversmiths of Foster Lane, they are merely the dinners and suppers of everyday life. It takes a household comprising many staff to maintain such standards and Mrs Agnes Meadowes is the cook who presides over the kitchen Circumstances on a single night change her quiet and ordered life of culinary activity into a tale of murder, mystery and deceit when an apprentice has his throat cut and a young and pretty maid disappears

It is not difficult to imagine Janet Gleeson poring over household guides of the period : how to prepare the dishes and the practicalities of instructing servants in their daily duties The author has a love of food and the aromas of roasting meats, oyster patties and syllabub titillate the taste buds as you read of ever more extravagant meals. However, Mrs Meadowes does not seem to be substantial enough to be a cook at a time when buxom was the shape of beauty. There is also a hint of implausibility in that she would be instructed by her master to assist in solving the mystery surrounding the household which meant dabbling into the dark and seamy underworld of London crime, particularly as her person would have to be compromised

This apart, it is a well-crafted story, enjoyable and racy with rogues and coves peppering the pages, imaginatively expressing the atmosphere of 1750s London Gwen Sly

THE CAPTAIN'S VENGEANCE

Dewey Lambdin, St. Martin's Press, 2004, $25.95/C$35.95, hb, 336pp, 0312315473

The twelfth volume in the Alan Lewrie naval series finds the intrepid Royal Navy Captain involved in Foreign Officesponsored undercover work in New Orleans during the French Revolutionary wars Lewrie's H M.S. Proteus had captured a prize ship, only to lose her and the crewmen he had assigned to her Taken by the 1799 equivalent of spoiled (and thoroughly homicidal) rich dilettantes from French New Orleans, Lewrie goes ashore as a soldier of fortune to recover his vessel. While on land, Captain Lewrie finds a bedmate in the amoral Charite, smashes a conspiracy of pro-Revolutionary forces, earns the respect of American agents, and (most importantly for our hero's bank account) makes a tidy profit in the bargain.

Dewey Lambdin's creation is far from a flawless man, but he is a naval officer committed to his country, his service, and

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

the sailors under his command The fact that he is utterl y helpless when confronted by his two pet cats and forever has his eyes on enlarging his purse only adds spice to an adventurer who always entertains his readers The fact that Captain Lewrie will sail again is blessed news

John R Vallel y

THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN

Walter Scott , Edinburgh Univ. Press, 2004 ( 1818), $ 79/£40, hb, 770pp (incl. notes on the text and a glossary) , 0748605703

First published in 1818 , The Heart of Midlothian is the story of the Deans sisters, dau ghters of a pro sp erous farmer of the Edinburgh countryside in the mid 1700 s. While Jeanie follows the straight-andnarrow path, Effie lives a freer life and suffer s the con s equences when seduced by a young man who lives outside the law. Arrested for thievery , he is unable to marry Effie before their son is born When the baby disappears , Effie is arrested for infanticide While there is no proof the babe has been murdered, it can be proven Effie concealed her pregnancy, which, according to the law of the time, is enough to condemn her Jeanie has the power to save her sister ' s life if she will cast aside her scruples and bear false witness in court . That is the bare-bones of the plot; however, the story is not so simple. The novel opens well before and ends well after Effie's trial , using her conviction and that of John Porteus (a government official also accused of murder with extenuating circumstances) to illustrate the political, judicial, religious, and social issues of the time The novel incorporates the life stories of the girls' father, Jeanie's betrothed, Effie's seducer , and many other characters both intimately and peripherally involved. Taking into account the leisurely pace of the plot, the morali z ing of the characters, and the heavy use of dialect (which made frequent recourse to the glossary necessary), this a difficult book to read . But no one picking up an early nineteenth century classic will be expecting light entertainment. The development of the characters and satisfying conclusion will reward the determined reader. I recommend the book to admirers of Scott and to those who, like me , have never read his work but always felt they should.

Sue Asher

THE SYSTEM OF THE WORLD

Neal Stephenson, Heinemann 2004, £16.99, hb,894pp , 0434011770

Daniel Waterhouse, Natural Philosopher , arrives in London hotfoot from the New World tasked with repairing the rift between Sir Is aac Newton and Gottfried Willhelm Leibniz On arrival he narrowly

avoids death by an 'Infernal Device'. It appears that while Queen Anne is dying and the succession is in crisis with the Tories and the Whigs fighting for supremacy, someone is plotting the destruction of several eminent scientists. Waterhouse and Newton join forces to uncover the villainous assassin and along the way attempt to decipher the riddle of King Solomon's gold.

Meanwhile, Eliza de la Zour has raised herself from the streets to the ranks of the nobility and now wields influence over Princess Caroline. 1n tum, master counterfeiter Jack Shaftoe's love for Eliza prompts him to plot the sabotage of Britain ' s monetary system.

At approaching 900 pages, simply reading The Sy stem of the World is an exhausting exercise, especially considering that it is only the third part of a trilogymaking War and Peace look like a novella. It is probably disadvantageous to attempt this book without first wading through the previous two novels, even with the inclusion of 'The Story So Far' summary It is also best to try and ignore some jarring anachronisms, especially within the dialogue, which the author has apparently deliberately included to appeal to the 21 st century reader. These points aside, this is a novel that lives up to its promise to provide plenty of thrilling action adventure, despite some uneven pacing.

The huge scope of the novel could seem like indulgent excess and it's true the narrative sometimes suffers from wordiness, but this indulgence is balanced by the frequently charming - if complex - tapestry of historical detail. It amounts to a pleasing pot pourri of scientific discovery, political machinations, criminal pursuits and eccentric characters. Well worth the time and effort.

Sara Wilson

1g th /19th CENTURY

NAPOLEON: The Sun of Austerlitz Max Gallo, Macmillan 2004, (trans. William Hobson) £10.99, pb, 310pp, 033390799X . First published 1997 by Editions Robert Lafont, Paris.

The second part of Max Gallo's successful quartet of novels opens with Napoleon reaching the age of thirty. The end of the eighteenth century sees the young soldier's return from Egypt as a general with immense political and military ambitions. The start of the nineteenth century heralds his appointment as First Consul of the Republic. This is the true beginning of Napoleon ' s legendary rise to ultimate power. Within five years he is crowned Emperor of France with Josephine by his

side as Empress. One year after that victory at Austerlitz confirms his might.

Like other rulers before him, Napoleon is to discover that the price of power is steep. Surrounded by enemies, maintaining only a fragile peace with neighbouring nations and determined to humble a hostile Britain, Napoleon must use all his intelligence and tactical genius ifhe is to survive.

Once again Max Gallo triumphantly takes historical fact and transforms it into a work of great imagination that brings alive the mind of Napoleon. This is a dramatic and emotionally charged novel that resonates with truth and authenticity.

Sara Wilson

PASSION

Jude Morgan, Review , 2004, £18.99 , hb , 536pp,0755304020

If I were the author of this superb book , 1 would be furious with the publishers for their trite and misleading publicity blurb sent out to reviewers , which leads the reader to suppose that the book is largely about the lives of Byron, Shelley and Keats told 'through the eyes of the women who loved them ' , women who were in love with 'geniuses' (not a word about the achievements of the women themselves) but who were 'inconsistent, difficult and hypocritical'. The blurb would be a useful text for a Gender Studies course, just to prove that gender inequality is alive and well and thriving in publicity departments' I only hope it doesn't turn female readers away because the blurb does the author a grave disservice, particularly since he is a male writing largely about females.

The tone of the book is neither patronising nor obscure and the writing is, fittingly, poetic - one reads of William Godwin carrying home the story of Mary Wollstonecraft's life 'like a brimming vessel.' Far from being a novel about the lives of Byron, Shelley and Keats through the eyes of women, it chronicles the lives of these women and their relationships with these men. There is also a vignette of Mary Wollstonecraft at the beginning of the novel, which is an almost perfect short story in itself Having read a great deal about Caroline Lamb and Mary Shelley, I was delighted to find that I enjoyed reading about them anyway. This is grown-up" literary historical fiction, so don't be put off by the publicity. Highly recommended.

Geraldine Perriam

SONG OF MIRIAM

Pearl Wolf, Hilliard and Harris, 2003, $16.95,pb,279pp, 1591330254

Song of Miriam is the tale of a young and beautiful Jewess destined to take her place among royal society in Russia. Set in Kiev,

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St. Petersburg, and Rumania during the reign of Catherine the Great and Alexander the First, the novel portrays the court politics of the times and the persecution suffered by Russian Jews during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries

Miriam is married lo an ambitious, coldhearted bu s ine ss man, Dov Zeklinsky . Through his business and political acumen, he mana ges to rise to the heights of influence al court , and Miriam is introduced into royal society. As her husband ' s interest in her wanes, the handsome and dashing Count Razovsky attracts her attention , and she cannot resist him Their passionate affair ultimately becomes disastrous to them both, as palace intrigue and Dov ' s ambition bring vicious enemies to their door

The novel's synopsis boasts a sweeping plot and grand drama. 1n my opinion, Song of Miriam does not live up to this claim. The plot is held back by too much telling. It reads as if it is primarily a historical text and educational course in Jewish culture and rituals However , it is an enlightening reading experience for those who wish to learn about the history of anti-Semitism in Russia during this period. This topic is one of the author's specialties, as she lectures nationally on "The Politics of AntiSemitism in the Eighteenth Century " And if one is seeking to understand Jewish culture, the book boasts a wealth of Jewish, Yiddish, and Russian terminology and cultural explanations , both italicized in the text , as well as in a glossary at the end.

Andrea Connell

19 th CENTUR Y

SONG OF MY S O UL

Ginny Aiken, Revell, 2004, $12.99, pb , 288pp,0800758757

1n 1893, Adrian Gamble , new owner of the Heart of Silver Mine, arrives in Hartville, Colorado, and promptly becomes a romantic target for the single women in town Just about the only woman who doesn't have matchmaking on her mind is a young widow, Phoebe Williams. Phoebe supports herself by running the company store; her main concern is keeping her job Because Adrian refuses to disclose any details of his past, lurid gossip abounds. Phoebe's husband was killed in a suspicious mine cave-in, along with the former owner and a number of Chinese miners. When the young widow of one of the Chinese miners shows up on Phoebe's doorstep and is later murdered, Adrian and Phoebe investigate. They uncover a deadly truth while falling in love

This is the second book in the Silver Hills Trilogy of Christian romance Ginny Aiken, a competent historical author, has

mastered this particular genre. 1n Song of My Soul, she shows how hypocrisy of "respectable" citizens who allow racial and social prejudice to cloud their judgment can nearly destroy Adrian and Phoebe's future happiness.

Audrey Braver

A B EGGA R AT THE GATE

Thalassa Ali , Bantam, 2004, $14/ C$21, pb, 320pp,0553381776

Pub in the UK by Headline, 2004, £10.99, pb,0747269807

A Beggar at th e Gat e continues the adventures of Mariana Givens, a welleducated, unorthodox young Englishwoman who was sent to India in 1838. Mariana's family hoped she would marry a British army officer. However , circumstances forced her into marriage with a native. It is now 1840, and Mariana journeys from Calcutta to Afghanistan, stopping in Lahore, where she hopes to get an annulment for her unconsummated marriage She has not seen her husband since their wedding two years earlier. She has endured slander and ostracism because of her marriage, and an annulment will make it possible for her to resume her former life with the improbable chance at a good British marriage. The problem is that Mariana will have to relinquish custody of her stepson She is tom by her attachment to the boy, who loves her; her own growing affection for her husband; and the possibility of personal freedom However, affairs of state in the form of a civil war interfere with Mariana's destiny.

Thalassa Ali is an American who lived for a time in Pakistan. Her writing is full of beautiful historical and visual detail. This is the second of a trilogy. The first, A Singular Hostage, is worth reading and will help the reader understand how the heroine arrived at her present situation.

Audrey Braver

M R TIM OTHY

Louis Bayard, John Murray, 2004, £12 99, hb, 384pp, 0719567017 (UK)

HarperCollins, 2003 , $24.95, hb, 400pp, 0060534214/ Perennial, November 2004, $ l 3 95, pb, 4 l 6pp, 0060534222 (US)

Mr Timothy is °Tiny Tim Cratchit from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol - all grown up now and a very different being from the innocent, pathos-riddled child with whom readers might already be acquainted Lou is Bayard's Big Tim is a creature of the night who dwells in a brothel and undertakes nocturnal work with a partner, plucking bodies from the Thames for the reward of what might be in their pockets and a finding fee from the authorities . Fortunately he has a stipend from Uncle

Ebenezer upon which he can fall back when work is sparse. Tim becomes embroiled in a mystery concerning two dead girls and a living one, all marked with a strange brand The live girl wrenches Tim's conscience and, aided by street urchin Colin, he sets out to protect her and discover the truth behind the mark on her arm .

This is a rewarding novel with a glorious employment of language It's accessible literary fiction with a wonderful, chilling, dark Victorian heart Fans of Sarah Waters ' Fing ersmit/z will love Mr Timothy, l guarantee it. Indeed, they mi ght even prefer it. l did.

Susan Hicks

RE D BLOOD, WHITE LIES

Louquitas Belloit, Jawbone, 2004, $14 95, pb,222pp, 1590940717

This historical novel recreates Florida during the Seminole wars. Set in the 1830s when Andrew Jackson was President, Victoria had emancipated the slaves in the British colonies, and Spain had ceded Florida to the United States, the novel does an excellent job of portraying these events at a personal level. Rene Risteau is a Huguenot who lives among the Indians when President Jackson declares, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." One of Rene's old friends , Chief Summer Sky, is laid lo rest, while another, Carlos Hernandez, is smuggling black slaves in and has turned against the Seminoles who shelter the runaways Rene's black friend, Coffee, must help his beloved Aleta escape to Andros Young Red Wing is Rene's student in the ways of nature . An unwanted war threatens their existence, a war over land, religion and retaliation. 1n writing of the legendary chief Osceola, author Belloit soft-pedals his participation. She doesn't mention that he led a raid on the train in lnglis, that he executed Charley Emathla for cooperating with the whites , attacked Major Dade with a thousand of the Unconquered , and killed all of his soldiers except for one That night he gave the medicine man the scalp of Indian agent Wiley Thompson. She portrays Osceola as a sympathetic victim who dies bravely in prison.

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Belloit uses good detail which shows her depth of research Her insights fill in the story and give fantasy free play Pen and ink illustrations add to the enjoyment. On the theme of war, she writes, "Rene realized that all men fight for the same things : the love of what is right , family, the land they love, and home." She has preserved the Seminole way of life for future generations. Marcia K. Matthews ISSUE 30 , NOVEMBER 2004

INTO THE PRAIRIE

Roseanne Bittner, Forge, 2004, $23~5 / C$33 95,hb,253pp,0765309807

This is the third installment in Bittner's Wes t ward Am erica series, which follows the fortunes of the fictitious Wilde family. Readin g th e first two books isn ' t necessary , as the auth o r puts an abundance of b ac kground information into the first chapter in an awkward conversation between two brothers who should already know the details they impart to one another.

Young Jonah and Sadie Wilde leave Ohio in 1810 to stake out land in the Indiana territory The prairi e 1s difficult to farm, the weath e r harsh , but th e ir lov e is binding. The territory 1s in di sput e w ith the local Shawnee a nd other trib es , who ms1st the treaty giving it to the whlle man was illegally obtained The great Indian chief, Tecumseh , peacefully tries to recover this land for his people , but is thwarted by the white governor, William Henry Harrison. Harrison promises the settlers that they will be safe from Indian raids The pace picks up when Sadie is kidnapped by the Indians and forced to become the wife of a young warrior , after believing her husband murdered. Bittner balances the story by also telling it from the Indian ' s point of view Bittner's prose is simple and unadorned as if written for a younger audience She tends to repeat information several times There arc minor inconsistencies in character names and dates But those who prefer a !tght, fast read will enjoy it, especially the second half with Sadie ' s struggles at the Indian camp Diane Scott Lewis

THE MIDNIGHT BAND OF MERCY

Michael Blaine, Soho , 2004, $25.00 , hb, 384pp, 1569473714

In I 893, Max Greengrass is a cub reporter in New York City trying to find his breakthrough news story. With the discovery of the corpses of four cats, Max thinks he has found a sensational piece to at least gamer him some recognition. Little does he realize that this epidemic of cat killings - committed by a group who call themselves the Midnight Band of Mercy - is connected to a larger , sinister scheme involving eugenics and the reform movement

The Midnight Band of Mercy did indeed exist in the early 1890s , but the mystery behind their works has never been solved Here, Blaine presents his own thoroughly researched account of their actions in this ri c hly detailed and absorbing novel. With his descriptions of the warring street factions and the growing economic crisis, Blaine has captured the ambience of a volatile city so vividly that the images remain after the last chapter ends. My one

quibble would be that early on there is sometimes too much detail, overwhelming the story and character development. This is a minor criticism; Blaine plunges the reader into New York City in the 1890s and once immersed in it, this reader found it hard to leave.

L. K. Mason

DEA TH IN THE AGE OF STEAM

Mel Bradshaw, Rendezvous Press, 2004, $18 95 / C$22 95, pb, 450pp, 1894917006

This literary mystery, set in I 856 Ontario and Quebec, focuses on a banker's quest to find his missing former love, the daughter of a prominent politician who died suddenly Isaac Harris always regretted not declaring himself to Theresa Sheridan before she married businessman Henry Crane three years earlier. Now he sees a way to make things right when it appears her husband is willing to give her up for dead when she disappears before her father's funeral. Certain she is in trouble, Isaac devotes himself to tracking her down.

This convincing portrait of life in preConfederation Canada holds many charms, from its snapshots of Victorian-era Toronto and various towns along the St. Lawrence River to its well-crafted mystery. Isaac is an appealing hero and detective, often falling into his discoveries, yet realistically portrayed. Theresa is a little more troubling and not entirely convincing , while the secondary characters range from stereotypical to bizarre

Though the story moves along quite well, the pace lags at times as the author occasionally immerses the reader in too many details Still, as mysteries go, this one held my interest and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about mid-19th century Kingston It ' s clear the author did his research, and those interested in this period of history should enjoy this fascinating combination of detective story and historical novel.

Teresa Basinski Eckford

SCANDAL

Pamela Britton, Warner, 2004, $5 99 / C$7.99 , pb, 335pp, 04466113 IX Anna, a market girl in Covent Garden, makes the acquaintance of Rein Montgomery, the Duke of Wroxly, when Anna ' s new design for a sail, currently in the form of a kite, descends and strikes him in the head. Rein is in the poverty-stricken area of St. Giles because his late uncle's will stipulates that he shall only inherit the uncle's fortune if he can survive for four weeks without reliance on his wealth or title. Rein pleads lost memory after the accident, in the hopes that Anna will take him in , at least temporarily Anna, who began life in better circumstances, has made a life for herself in St. Giles, though she doesn't completely fit in. She hopes to ensure better

times for herself and her grandfather by winning the competition for which she has designed the new type of sail. This Regencyset romance was a delight to read. Anna is intelligent and resourceful and a pleasure to spend time with The historical details are sufficiently evident to please those who prefer more, rather than less , history in their historical romances

Trudi E Jacobson

MacGREGOR'S LANTERN

Corinne Joy Brown, Five Star, 2003, $13 95 , pb, 392pp, 1410401111

Determined to live a life less ordinary, Margaret Dowling has not lived up to society's expectations of young women of her class. Inspired by the women's suffrage movement, she has resisted the prescribed notion that mamage and children by age 20 is the only course to choose from. Now 30, Maggie lives at home with her parents, and is satisfied in her career as a teacher However, when her father, a banker, brings home a prospective client, Sir Kerr McKennon of Colorado , her life takes an unexpected tum McKennon's spontaneous proposal of marriage and her subsequent agreement give Maggie the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to be true partner to her husband as he establishes his ranch in gorgeous South Park, Colorado, near Jefferson Their plans are cut short by tragedy, and Maggie must assert her rights to her husband's claims to realize her dreams of owning her own destiny.

It is obvious that the author studied and understands the elements that shaped the economic and political landscape of Colorado and Wyoming during the late 19th century. Her attention to detail in describing the physical landscape of South Park, and in the portrayal of her protagonist, shows the amount of care she has for her subject matter. However, despite all of this, there is just not enough dramatic tension to sustain interest. There is rich historical context, a love story, and an unsolved mystery, but Brown backs off from the decision to make the novel either one thing or the other Alice Logsdon

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

Kathryn Caskie, Warner, 2004 , $5.99 / C$7 99, pb , 337pp , 0446614238

Eliza's aunts are sponsoring a season for both her and her sister Grace. Grace cannot wait to find herself a husband, but Eliza is determined to get through her season unscathed so she can claim her small inheritance and leave for Italy to study painting. She has no use whatsoever for a husband, and is not even perturbed when she commits the terrible faux pas of sneezing on Queen Charlotte when she is

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

presented at court. However, her plans begin to go awry when she runs smack into Lord Somerton outside the Presence Chamber Eli z a ' s endearing and rather impish aunts are using their father ' s copy of Rules of Engag em ent to ass ist their nieces through the season . Entries from this handbook preface each chapt er and fittingly describe a tactic used therein While the characters are engaging and the author writes well , some situation s stretch the bounds of reality , and a few times the characters weren't consistent in their actions. However, the book has received universal acclaim , so those interested in Regency-period romances may w ant to fom1 th e ir own opinion and not rel y upon this rev iew er and her quibbles!

Trudi E Jacobson

BLOOD KIN

Henry Chappell, Texas Tech Univ Press, 2004,$27.95,hb,299pp,0896725308

In early I 836 Isaac Webb joins a company of Texas rangers , hoping to meet up with the rest of Sam Houston's rebel army before the final battle with General Santa Anna's army . Along the way , Is aa c encounters a pregnant widow named Catherine , who haunts his dreams Although the war ends, peace doesn't last long , for the Comanches raid western homesteads, killing the men and kidnapping the women and children. Isaac's ranging company reforms to confront this new enemy , and in the process Isaac becomes a man Circumstances bring Catherine and him together again, but opposing ideas on how to deal with the Comanches force them to make decisions neither wants.

This haunting novel of early Texas portrays the good and bad in people with clarity and realism. Decisions have consequences , and the characters , especially Isaac , mature as they cope with those consequences Chappell depicts this period of turmoil fairly, allowing his characters to show the prejudices on all sides. Blood Kin is an absorbing, but realistic introduction to the early history of the Tex.as Republic. Cindy Vallar

ONCE UPON A DIFFERENT TIME

Marian Coe (illustrations by Paul Zipperlin) , High Country Publishers, 2004, $12 95, pb, 144pp, 1932158537

In 1884 , two men set out on horseback to travel from Virginia to North Carolina. One of these men , essayist and travel writer Charles Dudley Warner, related their adventures in the Atlantic Monthly. In this slight book , author Marian Coe imagines what may have transpired during their travels - the unedited version, as it were To that end , she adds three others to her party : a spirited young woman from the North, her chaperone aunt , and a reserved Southern

guide. Feuds and romance develop along the journey as these five people brave rough terrain , weather , and occasionally strange, though hospitable, accommodations. The romance is easily predicted, but smoothly presented, and is not the main focus of this book. The sub-title of this novel is "An Appalachian Adventure inspired by the Writings of Charles Dudley Warner," and Coe indeed makes use of the information that he left behind, interspersing Warner's Atlantic Monthly articles with her own imaginings. Zipperlin's sepia illustrations are delightful and impart a sense that one is reading Warner's travel diary , sketches and notes mingled together. This is a gentle , charming tale , ea s il y read over an afternoon.

L. K. Mason

MORWELLHAM'S CHILD

Tania Crosse , Pan 2004, £5.99, pb, 48 lpp, 0330431943

Rebecca, daughter of the harbour master is in love with Tom , a young cooper, she disdains the handsome Captain , Adam Bradley Frustrated by her father's dictum that they must wait until Tom can support her, Rebecca rebels but her plans misfire.

This is an account of the troubles besetting the Quay on the river Tamar as the mines close and business declines set alongside Rebecca's story.

I did not warm to either the selfish, abrasive heroine nor the hero who was far too lenient with her . At times the plot verged on melodrama. Dialogue sometimes became stilted as characters used it to ex.plain matters to the reader rather than one another and the ubiquitous, 'tis', 'twere', 'twas', grated. The book needed better editing if only to correct the wrong use of lay for laid and prized for prised.

Marina Oliver

BREAKING THE LINE

David Donachie, McBooks, 2004, $16.95 / C$21.95, pb, 362pp, 1590130421 Pub. in the UK as Nelson : Breaking the Line, Orion, 200 I, pb, 4 l 6pp, 0752846817

As the third and final novel of this trilogy begins, Nelson returns to England following his rescue of the Neapolitan royal family. Accompanied by his mistress and her aging husband, Nelson •finds that the news of their affair has preceded them and that rumors are rife among his peers. To further complicate matters, Emma is also pregnant with his child. Thrilled at the though of impending fatherhood, and deeply disappointed in his reserved society wife and their sterile, childless marriage, Nelson opts for a separation . Although he continues to support his estranged wife and a number of his gluttonous family members financially, his heart remains with Emma and, following her birth , with his daughter, Horatia

The author has done excellent research of his subject matter . I suspect many readers will be appalled by the voracity of many of Nelson's supposed "loving" family members While lavishing in hi s fame, both before and after his death , they openly scorn his unorthodox behavior and take advantage of his generou s nature at every tum Due to this, as well as to Emma's inability to live within her means, both she and Horatia are destined to pay a very high price following Nelson ' s death. No doubt , this was the last thing Nelson would have wished for ; the resulting scenario could only have caused him to roll over in hi s grave , as the old saying so aptly expresse s. Highly recommended Pat Maynard

FIRE ALONG THE SKY

Sara Donati, Bantam, 2004, $27.00/ C$38 00, hb, 610pp, 0553801465

To be pub in the UK by HarperCollins, 2005, at £7.99

Over the course of three preceding novels, Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner have survived separation , deprivation , pirates, cultural prejudice, arson, and multiple murder attempts. Now, as their children reach adulthood and begin making important life decisions, their challenge is to let them go gracefully.

Oldest daughter Hannah has returned from the west without her husband or their son . Oldest son, Luke, a merchant in Montreal, is secretly working on behalf of the U.S. during the War of 1812 Son Daniel, eager to prove his manhood, joins the U.S. border militia under Jim Booke. His twin, Lily , also leaves Lake in the Clouds to study art in Montreal, while fighting her growing attraction to Simon Ballentyne, Luke's business partner . Gabriel is too young to leave home yet, but it's only a matter of time before his natural wanderlust leads him away as well.

Readers who are new to the series may at times feel lost. Those familiar with the series will note the shift of focus to the Bonner children Nathaniel and Elizabeth still carry weight in the multi-layered plot, just not all of it. The characters are complex and nuanced . Details of daily life on the edge of the frontier provide rich, contextual flavor , as do scenes set in the prison ward at the British garrison on Nut Island (though the author's note states that she has fiddled with historical dates and names in order to make them fit into her story) Finally, and most importantly for fans, the ending promises that more adventures are in store for all the Bonners.

Alice Logsdon

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

A WATERY GRAVE

Joan Druett, St. Martin's Minotaur, 2004, $23.95 / C$33.95,hb,288pp,0312334419

In August 1838, the US Exploring Expedition left Hampton, Virginia, to explore the South Seas. Lt. Charles Wilkes commanded six ships with a crew of 246, plus a contingent of scientists and artists. Joan Druett has set this tale aboard a fictional seventh ship, the Swallow, captained by George Rochester and carrying the expedition's linguist, Wiki Coffin.

Wiki, half American and half Maori, almost misses the opportunity to sail with the Expedition after being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time . Instead of being jailed for a murder he didn't commit, he impresses the chief investigator with his assessment of the few clues available. After being deputized, he is instructed to go back to his ship, watch the primary suspects, who also happen to be sailing with the Expedition, and report back ifhe finds any proof of guilt.

This novel has its attributes, among them being the vivid imagery used to convey life aboard ship. I don't know a spar from a keel , so the technical descriptions of shipboard activity were Greek to me, but I'd bet that Druett has it all right. In juxtaposing the ships' officers with the crew, she makes good use of the opportunity to compare the "civilized" with the "savage." I can't say that the identity of the killer is all that surprising, further , some plot developments are questionable For example, while it's possible that a sheriff at that time and place would be able to look past prejudice, release a dark-skinned suspect on lack of evidence, and then deputize him, I have my doubts. However, for those who like adventure mixed with light suspense, this will be a good choice. Plus, the ending leaves no doubt that there will be more Wiki Coffin mysteries to come.

Alice Logsdon

A REGIMENT AL MURDER

Ashley Gardner, Berkley Prime Crime, 2004, $5.99 / C$8.99, pb, 248pp, 0425196127

This is the second mystery for Captain Lacey, cashiered cavalry officer of the 35 th Light Dragoons While walking near the Thames one evening, he sees a woman, elegantly dressed, walk out alone along the span of a bridge still being built. Intrigued, he continues to watch. When the man she meets on the bridge pulls out a knife, he rushes to her rescue, and directly into his next case. It turns out that Mrs. Westin's husband, Colonel Roeharnpton Westin, has admitted to the killing of Captain Spencer in the rioting after the battle of Badajoz in 1812 However, Mrs. Spencer does not believe her husband, who has just died himself, was capable of such an act. She

believes several titled Army officers were responsible, and begs Captain Lacey to clear her husband's name. Subplots containing characters introduced in the first book, The Hanover Square Affair, add to the substance of this volume. Colonel Brandon, formerly Captain Lacey's commanding officer and now his enemy, plays a large role. Mrs. Brandon and the enigmatic James Denis also reappear. While this book can easily be read on its own, having the background of the first in the series adds to the reading experience. Gardner deftly evokes 1816 London. I hope this will be a long series-I am already looking forward eagerly to the next volume.

Trudi E. Jacobson

THE DIVINE HUSBAND

Francisco Goldman, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004,$24/ C$35.95,hb,480pp,0871139154 Pub. in the UK by Atlantic Books, 2005, £15.99,hb, 1843544040

Akin to Ernesto Sabato's On Heroes and Tombs, this novel is enormous in scope. But if Sabato paints the portrait of a country, The Divine Husband gleefully tackles a continent, weaving a tale that travels back and forth from Central to North America. Francisco Goldman's third novel is also about love, secrets, spirituality, and about a beautiful poem. Its wide-ranging landscape encompasses all aspects of 19 th century thought. Goldman's characters-indigenous and emigrants---come from all walks of life: clergymen, shopkeepers, entrepreneurs ... Foremost amongst them are Maria de las Nieves, an ex-nun who loves books, and Jose Marti, the Cuban patriot and poetwho in real life worked towards a better understanding among the American nations. Marti's ideals animate the novel.

It took Goldman eight years to write this book, eight years well spent. His narrative voice teases the readers, unveiling aspects of the story and then questioning them; it meanders, jumping back and forth in time, constantly wondering about the boundaries between myth and history, poetry and truth. Is it or isn't it? Did it really happen that way? Goldman, like Robert Graves, doesn't worry about contradictions between "fact and fact"; he revels in those contradictions. His is a rich language with exuberant descriptions and keen insight. Take for instance the scene between an outraged British diplomat and the tyrant, Rufino the Just, whom Goldman shows brazenly displaying his whip "fashioned from the member of a once prized bull." In contrast, only the tautness in the facial expression of the British minister suggests his "perceptible repugnance." Goldman leaves no doubt that these two men hate each other, and everything the other represents.

The Divine Husband is an unforgettable journey, an exploration of heritage, and a

passionate song of love for the land, the nations, and the spirit of the Americas.

Adelaida Lower

AHAB'S BRIDE

Louise M. Gouge, RiverOak, 2004, $12.99, pb,348pp, 1589190076

In 1837, when eighteen-year-old Hannah Oldweiler meets fifty-year-old Captain Ahab, she is completely smitten. The renowned whaling man soon succumbs to Hannah's charms. The slightly spoiled only daughter of a New Bedford ship-owner, Hannah has no trouble convincing her father that she and the captain should wed before his imminent departure. Upon his return, they leave New Bedford, and Hannah is now the mistress of Ahab's Nantucket home. Now pregnant, Hannah is convinced that Ahab will retire and enjoy family life, but that is not to be. Shortly after Timothy's birth, Ahab announces his plan to return to sea on the ill-fated Pequot Because of Ahab's legendary success, Hannah is welcomed into Nantucket society and enjoys the friendship of many other strong-minded and independent women. The women learn to take care of home, family and often businesses while their husbands are gone whaling; indeed, some of the voyages lasted up to five years. The novel comes to its inevitable conclusion with the loss of the Pequot on its second voyage.

This felt like more of a Christian romance than a historical novel; the characters in the book are always reminded of religion, piety, and God's influence in their lives, and it felt rather "preachy." The book is subtitled "Book One of Ahab's Legacy," meaning the author must be planning future books with Hannah and Timothy.

Lorraine Gelly

HALFPENNY FIELD

Iris Gower, Bantam 2004, £17.99, hb, 304pp,0593050835

This is Iris Gower's follow-up to The Rowan Tree continuing her new series set amongst the cattle drovers of Wales in the 19 th century.

It is 1833 and we meet Jessie Price travelling the drover's road to Smithfield Market in London. She is young and pretty and dreams of owning her own dairy, keeping cows and selling their milk.

Meanwhile the heroine of the first novel, Manon Jones is left with her husband's cruel family whilst he also goes to London on the drove but an unforeseen accident forces them apart.

Ms Gower's characters are simply and unsympathetically drawn and the dialogue is hasty and insubstantial. Scenes flash past like the flickering images of a magic lantern. It was a halfpenny for each head of driven cattle resting in a farmer's field overnight -

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

which explains the title of the book. Although there were trials, tribulations and sometimes , sadness , I was not sufficiently involved in the story to be moved.

Gwen Sly

THE WATER HORSE

Julia Gregson , Orion, 2004, £17.99, hb , 352pp, 075286579X Also available as a trade pb, £ I 0.99 , 0752865803

Catherine Carreg is the daughter of a yeoman farmer. Her childhood is spent running wild along the hills and shores of the Lleyn Peninsular, North Wales with her childhood fnend , Deio, the son of a cattledrover. When tongues begin to wag, she has to renounce her friend and knuckle down to being a young lady. When her mother dies in childbirth, a death she was unable to prevent, Catherine is determined to become a nurse but her father forbids it. So, disguising herself as a man, she joins Deio and his father on a cattle drove and ends up in London where she becomes one of Florence Nightingale' nurses. When Miss Nightingale decides to decamp to Scutari, Catherine is determined to accompany her, despite her youth and inexperience. Meanwhile, Deio sails for the Crimea with an assignment of horses for the army.

This novel began well, with its wonderful evocation of the rugged Welsh coastline and Catherine's home life. However , when Florence Nightingale appears on the scene, I was less happy. Most of the facts are lifted almost verbatim from Cecil Woodham-Smith's 1950 biography, but with very little context. There were also rather too many anachronisms to ignore

I feel that the Crimean War deserves better than to be used merely as a backdrop for a pretty ordinary love story.

Sally Zigmond

SAVANNAH, Or, A Gift for Mr. Lincoln John Jakes, Dutton, 2004, $23.95/C$35, hb, 288pp,0525948031

Following in the footsteps of the excellent Charleston, Jakes moves on to examine the siege and taking of Savannah in detail. As with Charleston , the Civil War as a whole is examined using a city and its inhabitants instead of a battlefield and soldiers to tell the tale. Hattie Lester, whose widowed mother is trying to hold onto a small farm just outside Savannah, is coming of age and is smitten with a young man about to "see the elephant" for the first time. The story follows Lhe trials and triumphs of her family and friends , which brings her into contact with none other than General William T. Sherman.

I'll state the obvious here: this story is exceptionally well written. Not that you'd expect anything less from this accomplished storyteller. Jakes is masterful at characterization and dialog. His stories are

always a pure pleasure to read, and Savannah is no exception. When you can hear the sounds and smell the odors, and when your heart beats faster as the battle approaches, you know you're reading a great novel.

Mark F. Johnson

SWEETWATER SEDUCTION

Joan Johnston, Dell, 2004, S7.50 /C$10 99, pb , 383pp,0440205611

In 1880 Wyoming, Miss Eden Devlin takes inspiration from the Greek comedy Lysistrata to convince the members of the Sweetwater Ladies Social Club to withhold their bedroom favors from their husbands until all the men agree to end the violence between the ranchers and nesters. As a spinster schoolteacher, however, Miss Devlin doesn't truly understand what it is she's asking the married ladies to sacrificeat least not until she finds herself in the arms of the dark, mysterious gunfighter Burke Kerrigan Hired by the ranchers to seduce Miss Devlin so they can get their wives back, Kerrigan quickly finds the tables turned as he melts in the arms of the most irritating, innocent, and educated woman he's ever tried to bed.

Toss in a dash of Romeo and Juliet romance between a rancher's son and a nester's daughter along with devilishly clever cattle rustlers, and you have a very entertaining, light romance to enjoy. The author has spun a tightly woven story with just the right balance of humor and suspense. I highly recommend this novel.

Debra Rodensky

SIXTY LIGHTS

Gail Jones, The Harvill Press 2004, £14.99, hb, 249pp, 184343 1955

This is the captivating story of Lucy Strange, who is fascinated by the patterns made by lights during her childhood in late 19 th century Australia. Bit it is as a young woman, whilst spending a year in India, that this fascination deepens into a passion for the new photographic technology.

As Lucy builds an independent life for herself in London within the confines of Victorian society, she finds the frozen images of people and place captured in her camera are given self-expression and transferred into solidity, provoking memories of love and loss. Immersed in seeing the world through the eye of a camera, she perceives visions of the future when colour will be used and events captured as they are happening. Recognizing that her life will be short, she leaves behind engraved sepia momentoes of those she loved.

Written in a moving and assured style with an economy of words, the author has skillfully illuminated the time and place of her novel, enhancing this by introducing

contemporaneous literary extracts, although I wish she had not given away the ending to the Woman in White

This is Gail Jones's first book to be published in Britain. Her earlier novel Black Mirror has won numerous awards in Australia but has yet to cross the oceans I look forward to its arrival.

Gwen Sly

WAR AT FIRE CREEK

Cameron Judd, Pocket Star, 2004 , $5 .99 / C$8.99, pb , 249pp , 0743457 I 02

Two brothers who fought on opposite sides during the American Civil War have united in a quest to find their long lost Uncle Patrick In this, the third book in what appears to have been a trilogy about the Carrigan brothers, the trail has led at last to Montana. There are no real-life historical events involved, not even in passing, but the flavor of the writing is that of the times, reminiscent not only of the pulp westerns of the 1920s and 30s, but also at times of the dime novels that preceded them, around the tum of this past century.

Unfortunately, their uncle has made a bitter enemy, and Liam and Joseph find themselves on one side of a raging range war, the origins of which have been kept secret by each of the primary adversaries involved The shadows of the past therefore continue to haunt the inhabitants of the present, a fact that, once realized, provides the story just the required hint of moral ambiguity it needs to strengthen its stature as a novel, rather than allowing its existence to be justified as just another fanciful tale of the Old West. This is not the Great American Novel, it should hastily be pointed out-it's not solidly enough written to say that-but there's more of an edge here than you might otherwise expect: judging a book not by its cover alone, you might say Steve Lewis

BIG IRON: Book One of the Golden Spike Trilogy

Jake Lancer, Pocket Star, 2004, $5 99 / C$8 99, pb, 279pp, 0743464931

If some traditional westerns being written today display little sense of time and locale , this effort makes up for it in spades. Jake Lancer, which I do not believe is his real name, also earned his spur's (so to speak) by writing books in the long- running Jake Logan "adult" western series, and for the most part he seems to realize that transporting the reader back into time into another era is part of what an author of a work of historical fiction is supposed to do

Let me use the word "overkill" here, in a deliberately double meaning What seems at first to be a conscious effort to describe Dane Bowman's surroundings and the people he meets in some detail gradually edges to what might generously be called

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ISSUE 30 , NOVEMBER 2004

padding. A scene in which a wagon containing the bodies of three former ruffians is brought into the town of Black Creek takes 24 pages to tell.

Bowman , by the way, is working undercover on the behalf of the Union Pacific Railroad, whose concerns are that their proposed cross-country venture is falling behind schedule. The notorious outlaw Harvey Kidd appears to be a problem that needs eliminating. And hence the other sense of the term. Bodies eventually start piling up like kindling wood, with intem1ittent indiscriminate killing the order of the day. The characters that survive are fun to be with, but surviving is no sure thing.

Steve Lewis

THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY

Katie MacAlister, Leisure, 2004, $6.99/C$8.99, pb, 338pp, 2939800699

Widower Harry, Marquis Rosse, seeks a marriage of convenience to provide a mother for his five uncontrollable children. He chooses "Plum," Frederica Pelham, an older woman with a bigamous marriage and the authorship of a scandalous sex manual in her own past to hide.

The synthetic yellow rubber ducky amid gentlemen's evening trappings on the cover (for which the author at least felt the need of adding an apologetic note) sets the tone. If such a thing has charm for you, this may be the romance novel for you. I am used, however, to witty repartee being half the chann of the Regency novel. This attempt lumbering with American modernisms leaves much to be desired in language and, following a disturbing new trend, depends on sex pure and simple for attraction between the couple. Sex also gets in the way of plot. Scandal, kidnapping and even murder are ill prepared, brushed quickly aside and so disjointed that it annoys like the peppering of salt shot. The conflict between the couple never gained the intensity needed to pull the reader through.

Ann Chamberlin

LOUISA AND THE MISSING HEIRESS

Anna Maclean, Signet, 2004, $5.99, pb, 293pp,0451211790

When Louisa's friend Dorothy returns from her honeymoon trip in Europe, she begins behaving oddly. After appearing to be impolite by missing her own welcome home tea, Dot promises to enlighten her friend the following day but is murdered before their discussion can take place. Suspicion is immediately cast upon Dot's husband, for in marrying Dot he married into great wealth. Or so he thinks

Louisa and the Missing Heiress is the first of a series of mystery novels whose main character is a fictionalized version of

Little Women author Louisa May Alcott. Set in 1854, this first book conveys the feel of the period, but with a character who's a lot like Jo March in charge of the narrative, it isn't a tale in any way typical of a young woman of the period. Louisa's forwardness makes the story very accessible for the average reader of today.

Anna Maclean's novel is a good mystery with historical flavor. The Louisa May Alcott connection is the only thing that really draws attention to itself. It's a gimmick, and an unnecessary one.

Janette King

WOLF MOUNTAIN

L.J. Martin, Pinnacle, 2004, $5.99 / C$7.99, pb,300pp,078601573X

The title refers to the last big battle between Sioux and Cheyenne warriors and the American army, which took place in Montana during the fierce winter of 1877. The action begins in October 1876, when brothers Colin and Kevin McQuade begin rounding up cattle to fulfill an army contract with the 5th Infantry, headquartered some 200 miles down the Yellowstone River, at the mouth of the Tongue River. Before they can even leave their ranch, however, a roving band of Hunkpapa Sioux, recent victors at Little Bighorn, attack the brothers, leaving Colin crippled by a gunshot wound. It is left to Kevin and his young nephew, Sean, assisted by two hired scouts from a friendly tribe of Assiniboine, to drive the herd through hostile territory. They know that if they fail to deliver their 200 head in one month's time, they will lose their home to their creditors in Butte.

This is pretty much standard western fare, with all the "types" associated with the genre. The culminating scenes are thorough, given the author's attention to historical accounts of the actual battle. There isn't a great deal of character development, and the dialogue is somewhat wooden, but the readers to whom this will appeal will probably not notice the lack. There is plenty of action and tension in the shifting plot, including scenes involving the family left behind at the ranch, the battle planning of both the Army and the Sioux/Cheyenne chieftains, and the nefarious schemes of the stock bad guys.

Alice Logsdon

POE & FANNY

John May, Algonquin, 2004, $24.95 / C$37.95, hb, 323pp, 1565124278

This interesting first novel by John May takes place in the literary world of New York City in 1845. Edgar Allan Poe is 36 years old and struggling to provide food and

shelter for his chronically ill child bride and her mother. He has recently quit his shortlived job as an assistant at the New York Mirror to become co-owner of a weekly magazine, the Broadway Journal The magazine is careening toward failure because Poe cannot afford to pay contributing writers and his own well of creativity is drying up. With the publication of The Raven he feels his troubled times are over, but are they just beginning? As he travels in the most popular literary circles, he meets Fanny Osgood. Poe is drawn to the vivacious and talented poet. As their attraction grows, his personal life crumbles into drinking binges and a threat of scandal. By the end of that momentous year, the Poes are destitute and must leave New York City. He is shunned by those who had admired him only months earlier.

Poe & Fanny is a fascinating look at the publishing world of pre-Civil War New York City when a poem like The Raven could be bought for ten dollars and copyright laws were waiting somewhere in the future. There is a thriving social scene inhabited by writers and those who celebrate them. Edgar Poe's infidelity has never been proven,· but Mr. May's story seems to be more than speculation. He has built much of his case from a study of the poems published by Poe and Fanny during that fateful year. These poems are printed at the end of the story for us to enjoy and ponder - evermore.

Susan Zabolotny

THE BUTLER D ID IT

Kasey Michaels, Harlequin Historicals, 2004, $6.50/C$7.99, pb, 400pp, 0373770065

In this Regency era farce, an unlikely selection of people converges at the London estate of Westham to enjoy the Season. Unknown to Morgan Drummond, Marquis of Westham, his butler, has been renting out the family mansion while Morgan has been away in self-imposed exile. The tenants include a ravenous seamstress spending some newfound money, an aged scheming adventurer, and the fatherless Clifford family who is seeking to wed beautiful daughter Emma to the Season's catch. When the Marquis unexpectedly returns, he is forced to act as Emma's guardian due to protocol and blackmail. An attraction born of threats and insults quickly occurs.

As true to a farce, the characters are exaggerated, and much of the action depends upon the physical foibles of the elder participants. Emma's feisty grandmother teams up with the adventurer to assist in his con game and is also blackmailing the gentry into sending eligible men to court her granddaughter. Emma's

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mother Talks In Capital Letters and lusts after the butler. The capitalization convention is initially annoying, but is ignorable since she is a lesser character.

Romance readers who like their romance silly and slapstick will find Michaels' effort delightful. Those looking for sweet and serious need look elsewhere.

Suzanne J. Sprague

THE CHRJSTKINDL'S GIFT

Kathleen Morgan , Revell, 2004, $14.99, hb, l7lpp,0800718712

Anna Hannack, a widowed mother of two children, is confronted with the task of caring for a wounded stranger rescued from certain death on a snowy December day. The story transpires in the German town of Wolffsburg, Colorado, in 1871. Ian Sutherland, a Scottish cowboy, has been shot and is unconscious when Anton , Anna's father-in-law, brings him to their home for medical attention. Anna immediately plans to keep her distance. Protecting the children, Eric and Rosa, from the stranger creates a difficult environment. Central to the plot is the children's request for a new father. Letters given to Sankt Nikolaus carry their wish. Throughout the story, the children ponder the possibility that this stranger could be that Christkindl gift.

This is an inspirational novella with a touch of mystery and romance. The easy-toread plot is rich with the generous return of Christian love. Morgan works with a passion for history and genealogy by using the given names of her ancestors. Several family favorite recipes are appended.

Jetta Culpepper

GOD'S HANDMAIDEN

Gilbert Morris, Zondervan, 2004, $12.99/C$19.99, £9.99, pb, 337pp, 0310246997

Gervase Howard is orphaned in 1851 at fourteen years of age. She is sent to live with her aunt and uncle on the estate where they work. There, she will help her aunt as a servant to the Wingate family. Despite her status, Gervase begins to have feelings for the eldest son, Davis, who is kind to her. Davis becomes engaged to a woman of hi"s own class. Because Gervase is a godly young woman and knows her feelings for Davis are wrong, she leaves the Wingates and enters the service of the Nightingale family. She is assigned as maid to their outspoken daughter, Florence. Gervase soon discovers she makes a fine nurse and enters into Florence Nightingale's world.

Although the plot of this story is predictable and the endings a little too neatly tied, the historical elements of Gervase's life with Florence Nightingale and the details of an army hospital make it a very interesting read. The characters are

endearing, and almost all have redeeming qualities that shine through in the end.

Nan Curnutt

RED & LOWERJNG SKY

Lynn Morris, Zondervan, $12.99 / C$19.99, £8.99,pb,303pp,0310227984

In 1888, the Livingstone children are still reeling from the loss of their mother in a riding accident. But President Grover Cleveland needs their father's help: Stockton is to become the American consul in Samoa, where Germany is testing its imperial power.

In Samoa, the · family meets Mavis Thoroughgood, British daughter of missionaries. She agrees to teach them the Samoan language and customs. When the islanders begin fighting each other, her home provides a safe refuge for the Livingstones. As the Western government representatives become involved in the conflict, Mavis and Stockton are thrown together more and more often. Will their attraction to each other overcome the obstacles of different social stations, family jealousies, and a terrible hurricane that upsets the balance of power on the island?

There is a minor problem with the back cover, as it gives the year as 1811 instead of 1888. Otherwise, I found it an excellent religious romance novel. The exotic setting and little-known historical events are real pluses. A bigger plus is the good characterization. Even the smaller children, who are in only a few scenes, have distinct personalities. I would enjoy reading more about this lively and humorous family.

B.J. Sedlock

THE INDIAN AGENT

Dan O'Brien, Lyons Press, 2004, US: $21.95, Canada: $32.95, hb, 288pp, J 59228244X (reviewed from an uncorrected proof)

This is the sequel to The Contract Surgeon which introduced the character of Valentine McGillycuddy, a US army contract surgeon who became a friend of Crazy Horse, the great Indian war chief. This book opens after Crazy Horse's death with McGillycuddy becoming the Indian Agent of the title on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. McGillycuddy has lived on the plains with the Sioux Indians, and is convinced that the only way they can survive against the pressures of encroaching white American culture is to adopt a life of farming. This, McGillycuddy argues, will lessen their dependence on handouts from the US Government, and make them less vulnerable to the changing priorities of the politicians in Washington D.C. who are using the Indians as pawns in their own political games. Not only does McGillycuddy have to battle with politicians

and corrupt traders, he is also in direct conflict with Red Cloud, the elected chief of the Indians, who continues to act as a focus for resistance to the Indian Agent's reforms even after he has been deposed as chief. McGillycuddy is a product of his own culture, and his sympathy for the Indians who struggle to adapt both physically and mentally to their new enforced way of life, is limited. The novel moves slowly and inexorably to its tragic climax at Wounded Knee This is both a thoughtful and thought provoking book.

Mike

Ashworth

TOGETHER IS ALL WE NEED

Michael Phillips, Bethany House, 2004, $12.99,pb,317pp,0764227033

"All night, all day, angels watching over me," a traditional hymn, exemplifies the conflict for Katie Clairbome, Mayme, and Emma as they again face losing Greene's Crossing Plantation in this fourth novel of the Shenandoah Sisters series. Having lost their families in a Civil War massacre, they have struggled to hide their problems, but this newest threat seems likely to destroy two years of hard work and a loving, faithfilled bond among the three women. Uncle Burchard Clairbome, brother to Katie's deceased father, obtains legal ownership of the plantation and is determined to evict Mayme and Emma.

Michael Phillips clearly depicts the post-Civil War era in which women were powerless over financial affairs and exslaves were still treated as they were before the war that gave them freedom "on paper." Faith, however, does not fail them. Two other uncles carry this plot, both caring individuals who will do anything to protect the teenage girls managing the farm. However, the weakness of Uncle Templeton might undo all that Uncle Ward Daniels achieves in solving the girls' problem. This novel is another tribute to righteous living and justice, exemplifying the practice of the former somehow creating the latter. Simply stated but powerfully effective, this indeed comprises another historical and inspirational novel to add to Michael Phillips' fine repertoire.

Viviane Crystal

COTTONWOOD

Scott Phillips, Picador 2004, £16.99, hb, 400pp, 0330493175. Pub. m US by Ballantine Books, 2004, $23.95, hb, 304pp, 0345461002

Bill Ogden lives a simple life in the quiet backwoods of Cottonwood running the local saloon, reading classical writings and avoiding going home to his wife whenever possible. Then a flash young entrepreneur named Marc Laval comes to town bringing his beautiful wife with him. For all his big

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plans, ambitions and wealth Leval needs Bill's help to transform the small town into a metropolis to rival Kansas City. This situation 1s somewhat complicated when Bill falls for Maggie Leval and she returns his affections. Matters really come to a head when a series of travellers begin to disappear only to be discovered buried in an orchard owned by the Bender family. A lynch mob sets out after the absconding serial killers but when Leval and Bill become separated from the rest events take a dramatic tum and Bill has to leave town fast with Maggie in tow.

Part Western, part thriller, part mystery, part romance, Cottonwood is a remarkable achievement from an original and talented writer. Scott Phtlhps recreates the America of the late 19 1 h century with razor sharp observation and laid back dialogue underscored throughout with a characteristic quirky black humour. This charming, intelligent novel offers tension, passion, exhilaration and laughter in equal measure. This is a novelist to look out for in future.

Sara Wilson

THE WIDOWMAKER, Book One:

Invitation to a Hanging

Robert J. Randisi, Pocket Star, 2003, $5.99/C$8.99, pb, 278pp, 0743476794

Robert Randisi is known for writing hundreds of books in various "adult" western series, including almost all of the Gunsmith series, and most of them published as by someone other than Randisi. The sex scenes are toned down considerably in this, the first of a new series under his own name, but if that sounds like a recommendation, you really shouldn't take 11 as one.

There is a smidgeon of historical background worked into this comeback adventure of John Locke, the marshal of Tombstone who was dismissed (for cause) a year before the fireworks at the OK Corral took place. Doc Holliday takes a small but active role, for example, and Wyatt Earp appears briefly at the end. Known for his drunken disappearance down into Mexico, Locke is hired to supervise the hanging of a notorious desperado in a small Texas town, but there are plans in the works that he does not know about.

There is a fair amount of witty banter that goes on-there's far more dialogue than usual in a western-but there's no sense of time or place, no skill in description, and Locke's grand plan to guard against the killer's gang as they come rescue their leader is one of the dumbest on record. Plot lines are either revealed too soon, and or as in the case of occasionally intriguing events and possibilities, simply go nowhere. Awesomely awful.

Steve Lewis

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

BIRTH OF A NATION

Julian Rathbone Little, Brown 2004, £ 16.99, hb, 439 pp, 0316725862

Diminutive, grossly hirsute Eddie Basham often witnesses great events, sometimes from uncomfortably close at hand. Abandoned by The Beagle on the Galapagos, he ecstatically bonds with the seal population and hallucinates on cactus juice. His "rescue" by a whaler is a horrible awakening which gives Eddie a foretaste of life on the American Continent. In the 1830s the physically challenged seldom receive compassion: he's beast of burden, whippingboy and pet. For the self-styled Generals on both sides of the Texan War he's the perfect spy. After surviving the desperate danger of The Alamo, working Missisippi steamboats as a rather incompetent gambler is scarcely less hazardous. His attachment to the dispossessed Cherokee leads to hardship and terror as hapless Eddie, striving to reach the east coast and a ship to Liverpool, is taken by merciless fate in the wrong direction: a journey he hoped to accomplish in weeks takes twenty years. Is the valiant little fellow welcomed home as he deserves? The prologue tells.

The descriptive passages that are an integral part of this enormously enjoyable book bombard the senses with beauty as well as horrors. Eddie is sharply, even obsessively observant and the narrative almost bursts at the seams with vitality. Mr. Rathbone generously provides a bonus of allusions for the reader to snatch at as the story speeds along.

Nancy Henshaw

DEUCES WILD

Dusty Richards , Pocket Star, 2004, $5.99/C$8.50, pb, 276pp, 0743475658

This first novel in a new western action series suffers from too many unrelated plot lines and a surprisingly passive hero. In the late 19th century American Southwest, U.S. Marshall Burt Green is ordered to Texas to track down the fugitive Indian scout known as Deuces. Green quickly hires One-Eye, an Apache tracker to assist him in the hunt. Green spends most of his time following One-Eye around, remarking about how much better the tracker is at doing the Marshall's job because of his Apache heritage.

In the meantime, the fugitive Deuces is running from a ten year sentence for the murder of a fellow Apache scout. While outwitting U.S. Marshall Burt Green, he manages to find time to fall in love, only to descend into madness when his beloved is murdered. Back home on the range, Green's good friend Pedro tries to protect Green's wife and ranch from raiders who have been rustling horses. Somewhere in middle of all this Green also tries to find the man who murdered his wife's first husband.

While the author provides enough dialogue to move the story along, his writing style sums up the action instead of showing it, leaving this particular reader unsatisfied. Unless you are a die hard fan of westerns and you have nothing else to read on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I cannot recommend this novel.

Debra Rodensky

A WOMAN SCORNED

Wendy Robertson, Headline, 2004, £ 18.99, hb,340pp,0755309421

In 1873 the whole country was agog with the trial of Mary Ann Cotton. Condemned by a hysterical mob and a salacious press, she stood no chance of a fair hearing and was summarily convicted of poisoning her lodger and two children and executed for her crimes. This much is fact.

ln A Woman Scomed, Wendy Robertson has taken the bare bones of the story and breathed new life into it. This is an account of the months leadin g up to the arrest of Mary Ann (here transformed into 'Marian') as seen through the innocent eyes of Victoria Kilburn, a sickly young woman restored to health by Marian's medicinal skills . . Appearances and reality form the underlying theme to this novel. Those that are her friends see Marian as a woman of essentially good heart, made hard through poverty, circumstance and bad luck. Those believing her to be evil cite that same lack of grief and emotion as proof of guilt. Two ways of viewing the same person and we can never really know what goes on in another's head.

This style of dramatic narrative, strongly supported by some superb characterisation, makes for a winning formula and all credit must go to Wendy Robertson's storytelling skills.

Was Marian Cotton guilty of murder? Ms Robertson leaves it up to the reader to decide - in the end it is all a matter of belief. Sara Wilson

MURDER IN A MILL TOWN

P. 8. Ryan, Berkley Prime Crime, 2004, $6.50/C$9.99, pb, 260pp, 0425197158

This mystery, set in 1868 in Boston and nearby Charlestown, is the second for Nell Sweeney. She is the governess to the Hewitt family, one of Boston's Brahmin families and the owners of the Hewitt Mill and Dye Works. The mother of a young woman who worked at the mill visits Mrs. Hewitt in great distress: her daughter Bridie has been missing for several days. Mrs. Hewitt asks Nell to look into the disappearance. Nell, soon accompanied by Will Hewitt, eldest son of the family, begins to unravel Bridie's story. Harry, another Hewitt son and manager of the mill, seems to be right in the middle of that story. Intertwined is a second

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

plot line involving Duncan , a threatening figure from Nell's past , and currently an inmate at Charlestown Prison.

While it is not necessary to read Still Life with Murd er before Murder in a Mill Town, the first Nell Sweeney mystery did provide a great deal of background that made this story resonate even more This was a quick read , but the characters , the setting, and the plot twists and turns all added up to a deli ghtful way to spend an afternoon.

Trudi E. Jacob so n

BELOVED ENEMY

Mary Schaller, Harlequin Historicals , 2004 , $5.25/C$6.25, pb, 296pp, 0373293011

Set during the Civil War in Virginia, Be lo ved Enemy breaks the boundaries of the romance genre. Julia Chandler's parents promise her hand to a man she wants no part of A humorous costume ball follows where Julia sets out to be "ruined" by a Yankee. Instead of finding a stereotypical rude Northerner, she discovers a true gentleman in Major Rob Montgomery. Although I giggled at romancy words like "manhood," Schaller does an excellent job of telling a historically correct tale within the confines of the Harlequin formula. Her scenes of the infamous Libby prison are quite accurate Definitely recommended for Civil War romance fans

Kim Murphy

MURDER ON NOB HILL

Shirley Tallman , St Martin's Minotaur, 2004, $23 95 /C$33 .9 5, hb , 280pp, 03 12328559

This is the first book in a new series set in 1880s San Francisco, featuring Sarah Woolson, one of the first women lawyers in California. Sarah has always dreamed of becoming a lawyer in spite of all the obstacles facing women in that profession. Her first client is Annjennet Hanaford, a young widow accused of murdering her wealthy husband. There appears to be an ironclad case against Sarah's client, especially after another wealthy man--one of Hanaford's three partners in a mining operation many years before---is murdered in Chinatown, and it turns out that Annjennet's lover has a connection to the second victim. No one but Sarah believes in her client's innocence But that does not stop her-w ith the reluctant help of a young associate attorney who is a potential love interest- from searching for the real killer. Sarah Woolson is a wonderful character- feisty, intelligent, and determined to get ahead in a profession that was practically closed to women at that time At times this book reminded me of Dianne Day's Fremont Jones novels, also set in San Francisco, although in a slightly later period, and featuring another independent

young woman making her way in the world. Murder on Nob Hill is a very promising beginning to what looks like an excellent new series.

Vicki Kondelik

SOME DANGER INVOLVED

Will Thomas, Touchstone, 2004, S22 95 / C$33.50, hb , 29 I pp , 0743256 I 82 This engaging mystery takes place in Victorian London , and marks the debut of Cyrus Barker, inquiry agent, and his new apprentice, Thomas Llewelyn. Thomas narrates, beginning with the rather extraordinary application process for the position The advertisement, which notes that typing and shorthand are required , rather forthrightly states , "Some danger involved in performance of duties." Since Thomas's predecessor was killed in the line of duty, this is a very real possibility Barker and Llewelyn's case involves the murder and crucifixion of a young Jewish scholar in London's East End. The Jewish community is fearful that an uprising against the Jews may be imminent, due to simmering resentment at the large number of recent Jewish immigrants.

The author has given an excellent feel for the time and the place---historical details abound. The glimpse into Jewish life at the time is most fascinating. Barker and Llewelyn 's relationship may have the feel of Holmes and Watson, or even Bruce Alexander's Sir John Fielding and his young assistant Jeremy, but Thomas's characters have very distinct personalities. Llewelyn is an engaging narrator, and piques our curiosity from the very start, when we learn that he has studied at' Oxford and spent time at Oxford prison, an unusual combination. This reader will be eagerly awaiting the next adventure of these intrepid inquiry agents!

Trudi E. Jacobson

WHITE HO RSES

Joan Wolf, Mira, 2004, $6.50 /C$7.99, pb, 384pp,0778320979

Veteran romance author Joan Wolf weaves a ragged and disappointing tale from promising raw material. In early 1813, Wellington requires an infusion of money in order to lead his army over the Pyrenees to Napoleon The War Office arranges for Lord Bradford to retrieve the gold-supplied by the Rothschild banking family in Holland and convey it across France in a wagon belonging to the traveling Cirque Equestre . In Brussels he aligns himself with Gabrielle Robichon, manager of the circus and chief performer. In order to avoid suspicion as they cross France together, Bradford will pose as her new English husband.

The tangled relationships between members of the polyglot circus troupe are marginally more interesting than the

romance between Bradford and Gabrielle , who share a bed platonically until the demands of the plot require a consummation Suspense about whether or not the gold will be safely delivered is negated by a throwaway resolution Trite and predictable, the story is packed with anachronisms. If not for the references to Napoleon and Wellington , this action could have occurred last year.

Margaret Barr

20 th CENTU R Y AGAINST THE TIDE

Rosemary Aitken, Severn House, 2004, £ 18 .99($27 .9 5) , hb, 250pp, 0727860291

Comish twins Winme and Dora long to better themselves and escape from their violent and domineering father , a local trawler owner. Winnie opts for a dull marriage to a rich but dreary funeral director with a demanding snob for a mother. Dora, who wants to teach, loves Tom, a miner's son, her social inferior. In one terrible day, her father forbids her to continue with her beloved school job and Winnie cruelly spoils her romance. Tom emigrates Dora makes a good ifloveless marriage . Aitken uses her own Comish background to paint an evocative picture of the Duchy before the Great War. The tin mines are failing, the fishing industry is painfully modernizing and a lost day's work means a hungry family for many Particularly strong is the sense of class hierarchy : trade, farming, fishing with miners at the bottom A contrast is made with Tom's new life in Australia Not just the heat, dust and snakes but the bumptious freedoms in a new country.

To be pemickety, perhaps Tom and Dora are a little too good and her father and Winnie's mother-in - law too relentlessly unpleasant. But Aitken 1s a natural storyteller whose characters are set convincingly in their social period Her pacy novel travels to a predictable end by an enjoyably unpredictable rout~. Lynn Guest.

DARK ANGEL

Geoffrey Archer, Century 2004, £ 10 .99 pb , 342 pp , 1844138046

Schoolboy Tom Sedley 's older sister is ound raped and murdered In spite of a suspect being imprisoned for the crime, Tom is always uncertain as to the truth surrounding the tragedy Later, Tom fights in the Korean War , as does his childhood friend, Marcus Marcus has his own secrets to hide, and Tom begins to suspect that he may have had something to do with his sister's death The neurotic Binnie, the girl-next-door who once had a crush on Tom, reappears and may also be involved in some way.

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The book 1s certamly a page turner, but it 1s also a depressing story of war, graphically described , and the way jealousy and sexual obsession can destroy lives The characters are not particularly sympathetic, and there is a bleak sense of moral corruption throughout.

The reader wishes to know the outcome, but the exp en ence is neither pleasant nor uplifting A strong plot, but not for the squeamish Ruth Ginarlis

THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF ROARING TWENTIES WHODUNNITS

Mike A shle y (ed.) , Robinson 2004 , £7 .99 , pb , 534pp , 1841197513

Mike Ashle y's colle ction of 23 short stories of murder and myste ry from the 1920s vary in background , approach and perspective. From Annette Meyers' Tim ar Mortis, where bright young thmgs focus on having a good time , to the gritty world of boxing and underworld gangs featured in Kiss the Razor's Edge by S hots editor, Michael Stotler. They have in common the detail and rich atmosphere of the period coming across as authentic, whatever the setting.

This collection gives an excellent insight into the world of the 1920s on both sides of the Atlantic. Gillian Linscott's offering, The Day of Two Cars is set in a small village where the arrival of a telephone kiosk is a huge event with the residents' suspicions of it increasing when a dead body is found inside it. Th e re Would Have Been Murder by Ian Morson looks at crime set among the activities of some communist sympathisers against the background of the I 923 FA Cup The reference to the two white towers of the new Empire Stadium is easily recognisable to those who are familiar with Wembley Robert J, Randalisi ' s story , So Beautiful, So De ad , gives us the New York private detective with a nod towards the Western , featuring former lawman of the old West, Bat Masterson

While some of the stories have a fun approach others are darker, more intense. Characters are interesting throughout covering a wide range of personalities and approaches to the situations in which they find themselves Plotting is good with wellstructured crime fiction produced in a limited framework Tension is incorporated effectively holding the reader's attention from one story to the next. Mike Ashley has chosen his material well producing a good collection and an enjoyable read.

Mary Andrea Clarke

THE SECRET PURPOSES

David Baddie! , Little, Brown 2004 , £ I 6 99 , hb , 416pp,031685931 I

David Baddiel ' s third novel is a highly thoughtful and well -written story of the

experiences of a German-Jewish exile in England during WW 11. Isaac Fabian, a leftwing Jew from Konigsberg (now part of the Russian Federation and known as Kaliningrad), and his Aryan wife, Lulu , are refugees in Cambridge. Isaac is interned on the Isle of Man , along with many other Jewish refugees, simply because they are classified as German . Lulu avoids this and stays in Cambridge with their young daughter The separation causes problems for both of them, especially when a Minister of Information official, June Murray, arrives in Douglas on a private mission to find evidence of Nazi atrocities against the Jewish people. And Lulu discovers the complexities of trying to get her husband freed from internment.

As Baddie! admits in an afterword to the book, the novel is a mixture of historical fact and fiction , which can make things a little disorienting at times for the reader : a reference to a battle in the Great War 1914-18 in Arnhem in the Netherlands is a little confusing! Notwithstanding this , the general historical context is good and essentially credible. The narrative pace is sound and the literary quality has a pleasing depth. As might be expected from this author, there are also moments of pure comedy, as well as emotional insight. In short, an excellent novel.

Doug Kemp

CRESSIDA'S BED

Desmond Barry, Jonathan Cape 2004, £16 .99,hb,289pp,0224073486

British India I 931 and the call for independence is growing After Christina Devenish 's medical clinic is torched by extremists, she decides to visit her almost unknown father in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, where he is an advisor to the Shabdrung, their charismatic religious leader. She travels with a detachment of soldiers under Major Owen Davies, whose job as intelligence officer is to bring back Colonel Devenish, who is acting against British interests and refusing to return.

Christina and Owen have an affair But, once in Bhutan, their relationship comes under increasing train. Christina is affected both by her burgeoning relationship with her father and by her overwhelming spiritual and emotional response to the Shabdrung. She begins to distrust Owen How far will he go to force her father out?

Barry is interested in how people cope with moral ambiguities in a world that is disintegrating into chaos and our sympathies shift uneasily between the major characters as we, too, try to pick our way through this moral maze. My one caveat was that I couldn't quite believe in Cristina, who thought and acted more like a man than a woman. However, such was the power of

the writing, that I willingly suspended my disbelief.

Elizabeth Hawksley

A CERTAIN TRUTH

James Scott Bell, Bethany House, 2004 , $12 00,pb , 300pp,0764226479

In 1907 Kit Shannon Fox and her husband , Ted, are returning to Lo s Angeles from a belated honeymoon in Hawaii. Married six months previously, Kit, a female trial lawyer, couldn ' t get away earlier because of an urgent summons from a client. The last night on board , Kit and Ted dine with an unusual group of fellow passengers at the captain's table : Professor Faire, a philosophy teacher and avowed atheist ; newlyweds Wanda and Chilton Boswell ; and the groom ' s mother , Mrs. Glenna Boswell , among others. Boswell is rude and obnoxious, and he storms off to the gambling salon after an argument with Wanda. The next morning, when his body is discovered by Wanda in their suite, the young woman asks Kit to help her. The captain and the ship's doctor state that it is murder , and the captain detains Wanda for the Los Angeles police Kit agrees to represent Wanda.

This book didn't work for me as a historical novel; however, it was a fair courtroom drama. Written for a Christian press, the main characters, Kit and Ted, are devout biblical scholars and have establi s hed a biblical institute. This does not detract from the mystery , but I felt it was the main purpose of the book

Lorraine

Gelly

BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS

Louis de Bernieres, Secker & Warburg 2004, £17.99, hb, 625pp, 04362049. Published in US by Knopf, £25.95, 1400043417.

Readers familiar with Captain Corelli 's Mandolin will remember Mandras, Pelagia's disaffected fiance, who is cursed by his mother, Drosoula, and meets a violent end. Less memorable may be that Drosoula and Mandras were not natives of Cephalonia but had settled there 20 years earlier following the expulsion of all Christians when the Republic of Turkey was established. Birds Without Wings takes us to Eskibahce, Drosoula's village in SW Anatolia near to what is now Fethiye. Through vignettes and reminiscences the story of Eskibahce's inhabitants unfolds over the first quarter of the 20 th century, a collection of rural characters that de Bernieres does so well, Christians and Moslems living as they had done for generations, intermarrying, even praying to one another's saints

Yes, there is a lot of history in this book, wodges of it, including in 22 scattered chapters , a biography of Kemal Attaturk, founder of modem Turkey; I recognized

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Kinross's Allaturk in some of these early passages. Yet the history passages are written in the present tense, with wry humour, as the European Powers jockey for power and influence in the region: 'Lord Curzon goes post-haste to Paris where he has a bitter row with Poincare that leaves him weeping'. Has anythmg changed m 80 years?

I am one of the minority not bowled over by Captain Core lli 's Mandolin. I found this touching tale a better book , more plausible despite its length, repetitiveness and the author's reluctance to let go of his characters. I, too, was sorry to leave them, ordinary people caught in one of history's fault-lines, wondering what it was all about, why the 'great world' had to intrude and everything had to change.

Janet Hancock

THE GRAVE OF GOD'S DAUGHTER

Brett Ellen Block, William Morrow, 2004, $23.95 /C $36 .95, hb, 289pp, 0060525045

The Grave of God's Daughter is set in a western Pennsylvania town in 194 I, just before America's involvement in World War II. The heroine is the twelve-year-old daughter of a Polish family. The parents, both hard workers, struggle to make ends meet, but their money problems are complicated by the father's alcoholism and a family secret. Religion plays a big part in the household and prayers are offered up daily to an icon, "The Black Madonna." One day it is gone, and its disappearance never mentioned. The daughter finds it in a pawnshop and, vowing to redeem it, secretly takes a job as delivery "boy" for the butcher. The most hated woman in town is murdered. The solution to the mystery surrounding this event has a devastating effect on the narrator.

Ms. Block has written a beautifully detailed coming-of-age story to which almost everyone can relate, and tells it in a thirty-year flashback as the daughter stands by her mother's grave, remembering it as the moment in her life when everything changed. The author has a clear, concise narrative style, a pleasure to read.

Audrey Braver

CRIPPEN

John Boyne, Penguin 2004, £6.99, pb, 512pp,0141018550

The case of Dr Hawley Crippen is one of the most famous murder trials of the 20 th century. When suspicions are raised about the mysterious disappearance of Cora Crippen, Inspector Walter Dew visits 39 Hilldrop Crescent, Camden. ln the cellar he uncovers the gruesome remains of a mutilated body. The American born Dr Crippen has vanished, along with his lover , Ethel Le Neve.

Meanwhile, the captain of the SS Montrose en route to Canada becomes suspicious of two passengers, John Robinson and his son, Edmund. A wireless telegraph is despatched to Scotland Yard and Inspector Dew boards a swift ship to intercept the potential fugitives before they can evade justice forever.

The case may be familiar but John Boyne's slant on the story is refreshingly original. This is, first and foremost a work of fiction and anyone wanting to learn more about the facts should probably look elsewhere because Boyne does take several liberties along the way. That aside , Crippen is a genuinely entertaining mystery novel and gives a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a killer.

partnership with Mady, Lisette and longtime friend Konrad to find a way to get the family to freedom. Standing in their way is Konrad's vengeful brother Willi, and powers both overt and covert that he seems to command.

The pace is exciting, and lovely phrases like "never let her smile become a casualty of war" help to offset a few anachromstic clunkers like "we've always been there for each other." The main characters are by now old friends, but readers may wish Cavanaugh spent as much time with making both the antagonists and their philosophies as nuanced and interesting.

Eileen Charbonneau

INHERITANCE

The denouement is breathtakingly improbable - and audacious - although entirely unexpected. scepticism and just enjoy.

Sara Wilson

Suspend your

THE CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTERS

Benita Brown, Headline, 2004, £18.99, hb, 346pp, ISBN 0755301668

The Captain's Daughters, set in tum of the century Tyneside, has a wonderfully Dickensian flavour in its vivid depiction of the waterfront scenes, the contrast of the rough areas and the smarter parts of Newcastle, and the striking portrayal of the minor characters. Everyone in the book is alive and believable. It is Dickensian, too, in its use of amazing coincidences which are skilfully woven through the plot that tells the story of the two very different sisters and their adventures. Although Flora is the beautiful one, one's sympathy is always with sensible Josie whose loyalty to her feckless sister gets them both into scrapes, and it is Josie's common sense and willingness to sacrifice herself that gets Flora out of trouble. This is an absorbing read: Benita Brown's writing gets better with every book.

Pamela Cleaver

ABOVE ALL EARTBL Y POWERS

Jack Cavanaugh , Bethany House, 2004, $12.99,pb,38lpp,0764223097

The third and final book in veteran inspirational aµthor Jack Cavanaugh's Songs of the Night series views the life of the Berlin Wall through the hearts and minds of the survivors of his war-weary German Christian community. After the disabled orphans they cared for throughout the war were taken from them and placed in a home, Mady and Lisette are co-mothering the now-young woman Elyse in East Berlin But the crew gets back in touch, led by the indomitable Tomcat. American friend Colonel Matthew Parker also returns after a sixteen-year struggle to form a fractious

Lan Samantha Chang, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004, £12.99, hb, 302pp, 0297847961. pub in US by WW Norton&Co, $23.95, hb, 0393059197 This novel starts in Hangzhou (China) in 1925 and ends in America. It traces the lives of two sisters Junan and Yinan Set against the revolutionary history of twentieth century China is the equally turbulent relationship between the beautiful Junan and the bookish Yinan. Bound together by their mother's early death, their unity is destroyed by love. Junan marries Li Ang, a young soldier, to cancel out her father's paigo (gaming) debts. Despite herself Junan falls in love with him. Unfortunately, when the Japanese invade Junan sends Yinan to Chongqing to stop Li Ang from taking a 'second wife' Although Junan is the central character who affects the lives of her two daughters and everyone around I found the other characters were even more powerful. ln particular Li Ang, Hu Mudan the servant of Changi (Ju nan's mother) and her son Hu Ran who has an affair with Hong, Junan's eldest daughter. Hong acts as the storyteller of the lives of her family.

The skill with which this novel is written is magical. The historical background provides an interesting setting, but what makes this novel stand out is the quality of the writing. The lightness of the writer's touch enables you to breathe with the characters. This isn't just a well-written story, but it has all the hallmarks of a prizewinning novel. The balance of description, factual detail and characterization are all in harmony with each other and the result is a moving and memorable read Myfanwy Cook

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THE CHILDREN'S WAR

Monique Charlesworth, Knopf, 2004 , $24 95 , hb,384pp, 1400040094

Pub in the UK by Fourth Estate, 2004 , £ 12. 99 , hb , 00 07 150881

Toward th e end of this novel , Ilse, its main prota gonist , comments on reading about wars, emperors, warriors , and battles , say ing "Nobod y tell s you what happened to the children. " That topic- the effect of war on society ' s youngest and weakest- is what Monique Charlesworth, author of three other novels , seeks to address in her latest work

Be gi nnin g in the sprin g of 1939 , the story introduc es us to thirte en- year -old Ilse , a Germ a n-Jew ish gi rl , whom her mother send s away to safety Il s e is on her way to Morocco , a country she will love immediately and where, unfortunately, she will not be able to stay. Her tale alternates with that of a reluctant member of the Hitler Youth, Nicolai , who is back in Hamburg. As the war progresses, Ilse and Nicolai have to deal with growin g up , and with persecution and cruelty ln less adept hands, the shifting back and forth between the two protagonists might have been a problem. It is not The novel moves easily from Ilse to Nicolai, illustrating their perilous worlds, their disappointments and fears , showing us how they come to grips with abandonment, carnage , and less than perfect parents The ni ghtmari sh depiction of the bombardment and destruction of Hamburg and the sorrowful account of the steps that led French Jews to concentration camps could have also mad e thi s just another depressing story of economic and psychological devastation But somehow it's not Ms. Charlesworth infuses the pages with compassion , courage, and hope.

Adelaida Lower

THE LONDON BLITZ MURDERS

Max Allan Collins, Berkley Prime Crime, 2004, $6 99 / $9.99, pb, 260pp, 0425198057

The London Blitz Murders takes place in London over the course of a few days in February , 1942 As war rages on, a new terror arises in the city , and rumours of a modern Jack the Ripper circulate Into this grim situation comes Agatha Christie, working at University College Hospital as Mrs Mallowan. She offers to help pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury in his investi gations, and soon realizes that writing about murder and being involved in one are very different experiences indeed As in his previous historical mysteries, Coll ins has taken a real - life mystery writer and imagines how she may ha ve become involved in a true crime The author has been compared to Christie by some, and he has managed to capture her spirit well. Because this story is THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

based on factuaJ events, some readers (as I did) will already know the murderer's identity; however, this did not detract in any way from a highly enjoyable read. As a Christie fan, I felt as though I were revisiting her books once again.

L. K. Mason

1906

James Dalessandro , Chronicle, 2004, $24 95,hb,36lpp,0811843130

Most Americans have heard of the Great San Francisco Earthquake Some may even be able to pull the date out of the cobwebs of history class memories. But few are awar e of the scope of the disaster and how the damage and carnage was made many times worse by graft , incompetence, and greed before , during, and after the quake. Annalisa Passarelli is an opera critic for the Evening Bulletin. She's also working undercover for the city's most feared police detective; feared because he cannot be bought and is on a crusade to rid the city government of corruption This story opens just days before the fateful earthquake and, coincidentally, the planned arrest of the city's highest officiaJs.

Dalessandro's style is quirky yet entertaining. The author chose to write this story in both first and third person, with Annalisa playing the role of narrator. It's a combination that works, although it takes a bit of getting used to, especially when the point of view changes from sentence to sentence Still, the story is intriguing, the characters well written, and the main event. well, suffice it to say , it's unsettling.

Mark F . Johnson

ANTONIO'S WIFE

Jacqueline DeJohn , Regan Books, 2004, $24 95 /C$34.95 , hb, 434pp, 0060558008

In 1908, the renowned opera singer Francesca Frascatti comes to New York to sing Tosca at the Manhattan Opera House. Despite all her fame, she is haunted by the memory of the illegitimate daughter she had abandoned years before, and who is now believed to have immigrated to America.

Francesca hires Dante, a detective who poses as her lover, to search for her daughter before the girl's wealthy grandfather finds her and takes her back to Italy Meanwhile, Mina DiGianni, a young lacemaker who came to New York as a mail-order bride, becomes Francesca's dresser at the opera house; her friendship with Francesca and her increasing attraction to Dante provide the only escape from her life in the tenements with her brutal and unfaithful husband, Antonio. The way these two women's stories, with the various secrets they harbor, eventually come together provides the puzzle that lies at the heart of this excellent first novel by author DeJohn.

As she says in an author's note at the end of the book, she has based the novel on her own grandmother's search for her mother who abandoned her-a mystery that remains unsolved to this day , and which the author is hoping to solve

This book is exciting and enjoyable , with the plot resembling an old-fashioned melodrama where the villains have no redeeming qualities. As a long-time opera lover, I particularly enjoyed the background of the New York opera world in the early 1900s, which for the most part seems to be accurately depicted. But without giving too much away, I found the twist at the end implausible; the book would have been even better without it. Other readers may disagree. In spite of this one problem , I would recommend Antonio's Wife to anyone, especially people who love opera and mysteries.

Vicki Kondelik

DARK VOYAGE

Alan Furst, Weidenfeld&Nicolson, £12.99, hb, 26lpp, 0297849123 Random House, $24.95, hb, 1400060284 (US) 2004, (UK). 272pp, Alan Furst is an author whose books I have long intended to read, and "Dark Voyage" does not disappoint. This book should be filmed in black and white. It has a wonderful, gloomy "feel" for the strange half-world of espionage during World War Two.

Captain Eric DeHaan is recruited by the Dutch Intelligence Service to gather information about enemy shipping and communication His ship itself becomes a secret agent, with frequent changes of name. During the voyage various mysterious passengers are taken on board, and there is always the suspicion that one or more may be a secret agent. Nothing can be taken at face value, and this makes for a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere. DeHaan falls in love with a beautiful Russian refugee, but is their affair doomed from the beginning?

To read Dark Voyage is as enjoyable as watching Casablanca. Save it for a cold winter weekend. Useful maps are included Ruth Ginarlis

NEUTRAL WAR

Hal Gold, The Lyons Press, 2003, $22.95 / C$40.95, hb, 425pp, 1592280595 Neutral War is a thought-provoking story of Swedish neutrality and Japanese aggression as well as the relationship between two prominent men from both countries, set in the years preceding and during WWII. The novel is firmly rather than loosely based on actual events Told from the perspective of the Swedish Ambassador to Japan, it covers many events from Japanese history, from the infamous Unit 731 (a Japanese chemical ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

and biological campaign) to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. It is intensely researched and enlightening, especially when one considers the times we are living in , but this extreme devotion to conveying actual events adds to its slothful pace. The relationship between "the Ambassador" (whose name, if it was ever mentioned, eluded me even when I searched for it) and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is mature, intellectual and absorbing. Neutral War being a novel and not a textbook, this was an element I would have preferred and enjoyed to see expanded.

Yet this is a book of substance and astounding facts that feels at times frightfully close to today ' s reality. Despite its slow pace, this is an intelligent novel that isn't afraid to make a statement.

Wendy A. Zollo

THE CASTLEMAINE MURDERS

Kerry Greenwood, Poisoned Pen Press; 2004, $24.95, hb, 240pp, 1590581172

Of the thirteen Phryne Fisher mysteries, this one's the most recent, and the third to be published in the U.S. by Poisoned Pen Press, who should be commended for "rescuing" a series that the larger publishers have clearly wanted nothing to do with. After all, what market (they must have been thinking) exists in this country for books taking place in I 920s Australia? Their error, if intelligent, witty detective fiction has anything to do with it. But while the audience may be small, spread the word. Maybe we can boost the sales enough that the people with power will be encouraged to print the earlier ones as well.

Phryne (which rhymes with briny) is a liberated unmarried lady with a married Chinese lover named Lin Chung. Not too recently arrived from England, Melbourne is now her new home, complete with two adopted precocious daughters and a small staff of intensely dedicated servants.

A quick summary: a mummified body found in an amusement park ride, a small fortune in gold stolen from Chung's family in 1857, and Phryne's sister newly arrived from England, and very unhappy about it. All mixed and shuffied and combined with several mild doses of coincidence, as tales of this nature usually are. Well, truthfully, it's a whopper crf a coincidence or two, but it's highly forgivable, given circumstances that generate reading as pleasant as this, including some hugely interesting sidesteps into Australian history - the early gold fields, and the role of the Chinese in that regard. Steve Lewis

THE CONFESSIONS OF MAX

TIVOLI

Andrew Sean Greer, Faber & Faber 2004, £10.99, pb, 267pp, 0571220215 Pub. in US by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004,

This singular novel can best be described as a historical fantasy. Set mostly in San Francisco, the story is in the form of an extended letter of confession and explanation from the eponymous Max Tivoli to his son. Max is unique in that he has the misfortune to age in reverse. He was born with the physical infirmities of an old man of 70 and his body gets younger as he progresses in years mentally.

As the attentive reader soon perceives, this presents a number of intriguing challenges for Max, not the least of which is his long running passion for Alice Levy, with whom he has various entanglements at different stages of his physical and emotional maturity. The historical context is sound including a fine episode in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The literary quality of the novel allows the reader to accept the utterly make believe nature of the tale. It is a surprisingly moving and wistful story that makes one think hard about the nature of modem life.

Doug Kemp

JUSTICE FOR NONE

Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan, St. Martin's Press, 2004, $24.95 / C$34.95, hb, 307pp,0312324251

Vermilion, Illinois, is a real place, sitting firmly in the rural eastern com belt of the state. Though nearly deserted today, back in 1929 it was a decent-sized small town. Boyd Calvin -railroad man, war veteran, and former (involuntary) resident of the local soldiers' home - comes upon a man sitting calmly by the body of his recently dead exwife and takes off. Captured and thrown in jail for her murder, Boyd escapes to innercity Chicago with a black man falsely accused of rape, which leads to some gruesome scenes suggestive of The Jungle Boyd returns to Vermilion to face the music, and the book's remainder is a tense courtroom drama. Fortunately he has allies he didn't know he had, like Major Dale Hennessy, proprietor of the soldiers' home; Myrna Logan, sexy lady reporter with an attitude; and Claudie Falk, a feisty old woman who's known him since his birth. Hard-edged descriptions of seedy hotels combine with suspense and Prohibition-era shiftiness to fomi an admirable noir thriller, but the Midwestern small-town locale sets the novel apart. Nearly all the people seem to be stereotypical toughened characters with a heart of gold, but don ' t be fooled. The novel will keep you guessing until the stock market crash of October 1929, when nearly all of them head off into the slightly tarnished sunset.

Sarah Johnson

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

THE LAMENTS

George Hagen, Random House, 2004, $24.95 /C$35.95, hb, 373pp, 1400062217 Pub. in the UK by Sceptre, 2004, £12 99, hb, 034083272X

A baby is born to a quirky family in Rhodesia in the 1950s His mother Julia was the terror of her private school. She entrusts him to a mother whose premature infant is struggling. In a lyrical passage, author Hagen paints an expressionistic vignette of Mary and her accountant type , Walter She talks him into jumping into a fountain . She is his liberator. Mary absconds with Julia's baby, leaving little Will to his fate. Julia and Howard adopt the preemie and raise him as their own. When Howard obtains a job offer in Bahrain, the family moves to the first of their exotic locales, where they form brief but intense relationships with the locals. Julia has twin boys who inject an element of chaos.

She tells Will the Laments have always traveled. "You're a citizen of the world ," she reassures him, but he feels like a stranger. Alienation is the theme.

Ironic humor results from the alarmist letters Will writes to his grandmother, always picking out the nuttiest event to relate. She responds with doleful concerns which everyone ignores.

This tragicomedy sometimes proceeds with Hagen stacking the deck, breathlessly telling the lead-up to a disaster. Sometimes he shows great insight into the characters, as when Julia's mother stiffs the waitress, and Julia waits until her back is turned to add some quarters. Incidents in the family ring true, but the Laments are an eccentric bunch. Their travails are entertaining, but not hilarious. The author is an arbitrary god who creates and destroys with all the compassion of a Roman emperor.

Marcia K Matthews

ELECTRIC MICHELANGELO

Sarah Hall, Faber & Faber 2004, £10.99, pb, 340pp, 0571219292. Pub. in US by Faber & Faber2004,$,pb,288pp,0571219292

At the heart of this novel lies life in all its gritty and unbearable but unavoidably technicolour and vital reality. Sarah Hall shines a harsh and unbending light on reality and uncovers what is truly there ; a physical existence that is not always pleasant but which somehow manages to remain reassuring because of its capacity to survive.

The story follows the life of Cy Parks who, as a boy in Morecambe in the early 1900s grows up in his mother's guest house for consumptives . Hall's sensual descriptions make the bleakness of this north-west town and the tastes and sounds of the seaside resort tangible The salty air, fish and chip wrappers , raucous

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

amusements and leering spectators feel uncomfortabl y close.

Cy becomes a tattoo artist under the bullying and rough guidance of Eliot Riley, a drinker and brawler. With his training Cy mo v es to Coney Island in America and the riotous world of the funfair and the freak show wh ere he sets up as the Electric Michelan gelo. It s amidst this colourful and gruesome existence that Grace , a mysterious circus perfom,er commissions him to tattoo her whole bod y with eyes In the process Cy falls in love

This novel is g ut-wrenchingly physical at tim es and sad It is not always likeable but at the s am e time retains a human wannth that is capti vatin g. An unusual and rewarding read Emily Retter

FOLLOWING THE HARVEST

Fred Harris, Univ of Oklahoma Press, 2004,$27 95, hb , 282pp,0806136367

This comin g-of-age novel is set in the prairie state s in the summer of 1943. Will Haley , nearl y s ixteen, takes a summer job with his father 's tractor and combine crew , traveling north from Oklahoma harvesting wheat. Will has to contend with his father ' s drinking and a cousin on the crew with an eye for the ladies and a dislike of taking orders Will ' s adventures include a tornado, a nervous v is it to a brothel, side trips to the Cheyenne rodeo and Mt. Rushmore, and b e ing shot in the leg by his cousin during a rabbit hunt. Then at their last stop in North Dakota, tragedy strikes, and Will must grow up fast.

Harris is a former US Senator from Oklahoma, and has published two wellreceived mysteries. He drew on his own teenage experience with traveling harvest crews for this novel. His narrative style has a western storyteller's deliberate cadence. At first I found it rather one-paced, but the rhythm grew on me Some of the author's attempts at settings resemble a travelogue, rather than local color, such as laundry lists of the various buildings in the towns the crew passes through. Will's character has depth, with his ambition to rise above his farming background and go to college to become a lawyer. I enjoyed this slice of 1940 s Plains life

B.J. Sedlock

TALE OF A CERTAIN ORIENT

Milton Hatoum, Bloomsbury 2004, (trans . Ellen Watson, John Gledson) £14.99, hb, 207pp, 0747569061. Pub. in US by Bloomsbury 2004 , $24 50 , hb, 212pp, 074 7 569061

This, Milton Hatoum's first novel won the Jabuti Pri z e. (Brazilian equivalent of the Booker).

As Emilie, the matriarch of a large immigrant family of Lebanese, lies dying her relatives gather to pay their respects and say their individual farewells. They have returned to Manaus, in the heart of the Amazon, and their childhood memories, and memories are what this novel is all about. Family life, celebrations and tragedies, the connective tissue that unites human relationships, are discretely insinuated via the unnamed narrator. In the course of a few days entire lives are re-lived through the retelling of distant memories.

The scents, tastes and customs of another time and place are recreated in this beautifully written book that invites the reader to return to time and again.

Ann Oughton

SACRED TIME

Ursula Hegi, Simon & Schuster, 2003, $13.00,pb,244pp,0743255992

" it came to me that family is the most violent unit, and I felt certain that retribution would come from within my family." Ursula Hegi has moved from her customary German-focused stories to depicting a middle-class Italian family in the mid-20 th century. We meet Leonora and Victor whose attempt to help Floria and her twin girls, Belinda and Bianca, becomes tragic. The momentous act, its causes and effects are told from three points of view: Anthony, Floria and Belinda. Hegi has definitely captured the possessive nature of Italians as well as its invasive guilt, depression, and grief forever pervading their lives. The females in this novel are strong characters who explore their psychological as well as cultural history, determined to process the past in order to free their future.

Uncle Malcolm's crooked nature lands him in the never-named "elsewhere" (jail) while his wife, Floria, and daughters are bound to the charity of relatives. The rest of the family flourishes in the Italian food business. Indeed food in this novel is often the typical Italian panacea for mending arguments and restoring temporary harmony. Floria travels to a Genoese village in Italy where the largest structure is the church and "the cemeteries are situated where the earth rises to its highest point. To make it easier for the dead to start their way to heaven But first we h a ve to leave the dead." Most of the characters choose separation, divorce, and reunion as the alternative coping paths chosen to cope with loss.

Hegi hilariously captures Italian humor in the first fifty pages and occasionally after the trauma that changes everyone's lives. Readers who don't fear the exploration of the mind , body , and spirit will enjoy Hegi's latest story about family dynamics, albeit

weighed by heavy-laden attempts at recovery of that innate Italian joy.

Viviane Crystal

FALLEN ANGELS

Patricia Hickman, Warner Faith, 2003, $12.95, pb, 297pp, 044669101 I Fallen Ang e ls, the first novel in the Millwood Hollow series, takes a somewhat lighthearted approach to a dark time in American history and makes for an enjoyable read. The year is 1931; many desperate people are struggling to survive. The protagonist, Jeb Nubey, is running from the law when he becomes saddled with three children who have been abandoned by their father ' s girlfriend. Seeking shelter from a storm, Jeb and the children spend the night in a small church in Nazareth, Arkansas The following morning he is awakened by the "pillars" of the church and circumstances get away from him before he has the opportunity or the inclination to rein them back in The children convince him to assume the identity of the long-awaited preacher, Philemon Gracie, a widower with three children The congregation is so happy to have a preacher at last, they are quick to overlook any shortcomings. Much of the humor in the book centers around 13-year-old Angel as she teaches Jeb to read the Bible and helps him to prepare his sermons. As the months go by, the children come to believe they really are a family and Jeb grows to love the Bible and caring for his flock. When the attraction builds between him and the local schoolmarm, he begins to regret his charade. The faith of the congregation and their ability to forgive are put to the test when Gracie arrives to claim his rightful place in the church. Ms. Hickman has written an enjoyable novel about the Great Depression and the power of redemption. She does a good job of conveying the thoughts and feelings of the children in her story. I'm looking forward to the second book.

Susan Zabolotny

THE WIN D Y HILL

Harriet Hudson, Severn House, 2004, £18.99 ($28.99), hb, 264pp , 0727860283

A contemporary heroine becomes interested in her great-aunt when she inherits an intriguing cookery book written by that lady, initially a lowly kitchen maid, then chef, then wife of the owner of Crandene Castle In researching the past Rachel is helped by two men, but is their interest in her or in the cookery book, and if the latter, why? What secret does it hold so that the present owner of the Castle is anxious to prevent her even possessing it?

Switching from past to present , showing the great-aunt's life while Rachel is unravelling the mystery, this is a satisfying read, with an intriguing puzzle, though there

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could be too much of the present-day for readers who want undiluted historical fiction.

Marina Oliver

JOSHUA'S BIBLE

Shelly Leanne , Walk Worth y Press , 2003, $23 95 /C$34 95 , hb, 352pp , 0446530328 In the mid st of the Depression , Joshua Clay , a young minister and college student, receives a rare opportunity to become a mis s ion a ry to the people of South Africa. Joshua is African American, but the South African government has restricted the entry of African Americans to their country because th ey felt they came only to stir up trouble Jo s hua is specially chosen because of his leadership and peacemaking abilities. Maybe this is where God would use that gift.

Joshua is honored by the trust his benefactors place in him, and awed by the natural beauty of Africa, but he feels uncomfortable with the obvious racial segregation he experiences. Joshua soon meets a young Xhosa teacher, Nongolesi, who helps him understand the struggles of her people. When he asks his mission if he can help the Xhosa by publishing a bible in their own language, he is told it is not allowed Soon he is only allowed to preach mission- approved sermons Joshua begins to doubt the wisdom of his benefactors as he sees the effects of apartheid and resettlement on the Xhosa people. He begins to question God's purpose in bringing him to this beautiful but turbulent land.

Well written and carefully researched, this novel is compelling. The injustice of apartheid is seen through the human eyes of Joshua Readers can easily understand the difference between people of true faith and those trying to use religion to mask injustice The novel is hopeful in tone, despite the brutal truth it portrays.

Nan Curnutt

VOICES AIRY

Catherine Karp, Coachlight Press, 2004 , $15.95,pb,304pp , 0971679045

Catherine Karp hits the literary nail on the head with her latest novel , set in 1918 America World War I is raging, and people on the home front live in fear of the deadly Spanish Influenza. Voices Airy begins as Lucy Crumb buries her beloved father and sets out by train for San Diego, California, and the home of her sister, Rosaline On the train, the wealthy Anna Milne and her thirtyone-year old brother, Joseph, befriend Lucy and see her safely to her journey's end.

Joseph , a brilliant architect before the war, suffers from his time at the front and the death of his beloved fiancee, Clara. He lives in a drug-induced haze from large doses of

bromide, used to suppress the spirits of dead comrades who torment him every night. Rosaline, a former prostitute, provides consultations and seances in her home for those seeking contact with deceased loved ones. She tells Joseph that she has the power to make him well again. He is soon won over when Clara appears to him in her wedding dress telling him "You are forgiven. Now find another." He promptly marries Rosaline, but his unspoken love for the shy and virtuous Lucy exists at the core of his being. Lucy believes her sister to be a fraud and begins fighting to save Joseph from the debilitating existence his wife and sister have created for him.

This is a powerful love story and an excellent study in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which would not be identified by name until seventy years after Joseph struggled so hard to overcome this affliction.

Susan Zabolotny

FIRST, DO NO HARM

Larry Karp, Poisoned Pen Press , 2004, $24 95, hb, 274 pp, l 59058 l 30X

Homefront Hobart, New Jersey during World War II and modem New York share the setting for this troubling tale of family secrets. When twenty-eight year old Martin Firestone finally decides to settle into a career as a doctor, his famous and eccentric painter father takes him out for a very long lunch to explain why medical school is not a good idea. The sixty-odd year old story he tells of the relationship with his own father becomes the tale within a tale, fueled by venomous outbursts and alcohol.

We learn that Martin's father as a teenager once followed the path of a healer, too - as an extern to his own extraordinary physician father . We learn, too , that Martin's grandfather committed crimes, ranging from forgery to murder, which Martin's father and his girlfriend Harmony uncovered in the summer of I 943. There are missing links that Martin must discover before the story resolves.

This mystery transcends its genre to become the cautionary tale that the title suggests. Its tone is by turns tender, seedy and gritty. First , Do No Harm is compelling, visionary and haunting Eileen Charbonneau

A NURSE IN CONFLICT

Gillian Kaye, Robert Hale, 2004, £18 99, hb, 2 I 9pp , ISBN 070907606 I

The story begins on a hospital train making for Dunkirk. Sister Laura attends to the wounds of a young officer, and at Dunkirk they escape together. On his next leave Christopher persuades her to marry him. After three days they are posted abroad separately. When she

returns a year later, there is no news of him Laura goes to his family home, where she is rebuffed by his brother and mother who can't believe she is really married to Christopher Finally they accept her. When her married brother-in-law, Nicholas, comes to town , he seduces Laura, who realises it is Nicholas she loves, not Christopher. By the time she finds she is expecting Nicholas's child, Christopher is dead and Nicholas is a prisoner of war of the Japanese . She has the child and pretends it is Christopher's until Nicholas comes home and is divorced by his wife. Then she tells him the nephew he dotes on is his son. Apart from the dramatic beginning, I found the story farfetched

Pamela Cleaver

BLOOD ON THE WOOD

Gillian Linscott, St.Martin's Minotaur, 2003 , $24.95,hb,3Ilpp,03\2331487 Pub. in the UK by Time Warner, 2004 , £6.99,pb,0751533998

What a delightful protagonist I have just met in Nell Bray! Suffragette, translator in early 20th century London, she is bright, resourceful, realistic, independent, unburdened by romantic inclinations yet fully developed and truly of her time . Travelling to the Cotswolds to recover a painting bequeathed to the movement, Nell becomes involved in a country house type murder. Contrary to this classical form of mystery however, the story is embedded fully in the social life and beliefs of that era which Linscott excels in transforming as the present for the reader. Using her wits, Nell will manage to solve the crime , allowing us at the same time to encounter a panoply of interesting characters, settings and ideas, while building a fascinating story.

The only drawback for me is inherent in amateur sleuth mysteries - when one wonders how many corpses a nonprofessional person can encounter and why so many people readily confide in the heroine. However, these are very ministerial in light of fun and well -written novel Linscott has written. Highly recommended, whether or not you're a mystery fan Nicole Leclerc

THE BLACKPOOL HIGHFL YER

Andrew Martin, Faber & Faber 2004, £10 99,pb , 336pp,0571219012

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

When an attempt is made to derail the excursion train from Halifax to Blackpool suspicions focus on a whole succession of possible wreckers. This list grows longer as Jim Stringer, the fireman, tries to uncover the truth as he wonders who might have been the target. In following up various theories and sometimes wild suppositions he uncovers some murky aspects of life in the seaside towns and variety halls. ISSUE 30 , NOVEMBER 2004

With a wealth of detail about the railways in 1905, this novel will appeal to steam railway buffs as well as crime aficionados Martin knows the railway's historical details intimately and also accurately captures the atmosphere of a dreary mill town, the home life of inhabitants, and the atntudes of young men.

Marina Oliver

MURDER IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

Amanda Matetsky, Berkley Prime Crime, 2004, $6.50/ C$9.99, pb, 308pp, 0425197166

Paige Turner, the intrepid but unfortunatelynamed heroine of Murdere rs Prefer Blondes, is back in her second outing, amateur sleuthing in 1950s New York City. It 's Christmas, 1954 , and Terry Catcher, her late husband 's war buddy , has come to Paige looking for her help in finding his sister's killer. All Terry has is his sister's secret stash of diamonds and a few names to go on In memory of her husband, Paige takes the case, enlisting both Terry and friend and neighbor, bohemian painter Abby Moscowitz, in aiding her investigations. Her efforts to keep her activities hidden from her boyfriend Detective Dan Street and her boss and co-workers at Daring Detective (the magazine where she is more dogsbody than reporter) cause tension, and Paige discovers she 1s getting dangerously close to the truth when attempts arc made on her life.

Matctsky is especially adept at bringing 1950s New York to life, when the old order was starting to change. The Beats are pem1eating Greenwich Village, and Abby is a cheerful proponent of free love, but at Daring Detective, it's still an old boys club where Paige must get there before the men to make the coffee - and woe betide her if she is not. The murder mystery mystery takes a backseat to this evocative portrait. I look forward to Paige's third adventure.

Ellen Keith

TWILIGHT OF FURY

Joe Matlock, Hilliard and Harris, 2004, $17.95, pb, 26lpp, 159133070X

Well researched and with riveting action sequences, Twllight of Fury provides a galloping story of finding honor, sacrifice and love during the harrowing days of the firefights in the skies of World War II. The love story is between Tom MacMillan, an impoverished mid-western farrn boy turned medical student turned fighter pilot, and Molly Masterson , a weary, starchy British nurse with a particular distaste for "overpaid, oversexed and over here" American men. Their fractious first meeting is predictable and plays toward the stereotype as they paste each other with long winded lectures. But their shared troubles mature and deepen them both. Mr.

Matlock's wnting style may be rough in spots, but the storytelling is a riveting pagetumer. The novel's welcome visual aids and historical notes are top notch.

Eileen Charbonneau

THERE IS A WIDENESS

Mark McAllister, RiverOak, 2004, $ I 2.99, pb,253pp, 1589190106

Depression came to East Texas long before the stock market crashed, but Luke Robertson supports his ailing mother and younger sister after his father dies. When oil is discovered, he takes a job in the oil fields. Before his mother dies, he promises to take care of Marty. But that is before March 18, 1937. Shortly after three o'clock that afternoon over three hundred children and teachers die in an explosion at the high school in New London. Devastated, Luke leaves Texas forever.

Ten years later something compels Luke to return to the cemetery where his sister is buried There he meets Russ, the caretaker. To Russ, the words on the headstones are just names. In anger, Luke tells his longburied story so Russ will know who each of the children were and how their loss impacted him and the entire town. Russ, however, has his own secrets, one of which ties directly into the deaths of Marty and her friends.

There Is a Wideness is a powerful and inspirational retelling of the devastation wrought in 1937. The reader feels Luke's agonizing despair, Russ' frustration, and both men's struggles to find peace and renewed hope. Mr. McAllister's story evokes strong emotions, in part because his own mother stood outside the school the day it exploded. His book, which vividly transports the reader back to a Texas oil town of the thirties, dares the reader to put it down.

Cindy Vallar

GRAB BAG

Derek McCorrnack, Akashic, 2004, $14.95, pb,203pp, 1888451599

Grab Bag is two collections of interconnected stories, or perhaps vignettes would be a more accurate term. McCorrnack's impressionistic style makes it difficult to provide a meaningful plot summary, but I'll try. The first section, "Dark Rides," is set in a backwater Canadian town in the 1950s. Teenager Derek works at a carnival, poses as a scarecrow in a haunted cornfield for Halloween, struggles over a history report, and other norrnal-for-the-era activities. But Derek is gay, and must also endure harassment at school, plus risk exposure when a doctor suspects his secret and sends him for aversion therapy.

The second part, "Wish Book," seems to be set during the Depression. The narrator, a young gay man, has a number of unusual experiences: reporting on livestock at a fair, being the "Living X-Ray" in a sideshow (he is very thin from having TB), sculpting cheap carnival prizes, and serving as a hospital attendant, a cake decorator, and an elf answering kids' letters to Santa. But plot isn't the book's strong point. McCorrnack is skilled at vivid, punchy imagery: "The sky looked like an eye shadow sample. Black Plum. Pink." He likes short sentences and spares the verbs, producing a fast read. Several stories share themes of Halloween, carnivals, and disease, giving the book a dark, Gothic tone. There are several sex scenes.

Readers expecting conventional narrative fiction should look elsewhere. But like modem art aficionados who think representational paintings are boring, adventurous readers will find rewards in this acclaimed Canadian author's work.

B.J. Sedlock

AMAGANSETT

Mark Mills, Putnam, 2004, $24.95, 416pp, hb,0399151842

Pub. in the UK by Flamingo, 2004, £10.00, hb,0007161891

The year is 194 7, and Amagansett, a small fishing village on Long Island, is undergoing many post-war social changes. The wealthy have begun to move in and claim the region as their summer playground. They clash often with the local men whose very survival depends on the unpredictable waters of the Atlantic. Conrad Labarde, a decorated soldier and secondgeneration Basque fisherman, keeps company with the ghosts of war and his deceased loved ones. The day he ensnares the body of a woman in his fishing net, his world turns upside down. We learn early on that she is the beautiful New York socialite Lillian Wallace, a member of one of the elite summer families and a sister to Manfred Wallace, an ambitious and ruthless man deterrnined to enter the New York political scene. Her relationship to Conrad and the depth of their love are revealed to us in bits and pieces as the story unfolds and the suspense builds. The coroner rules her death an accident, but the instincts of Tom Hollis, local cop and forrncr New York detective, say otherwise. He knows most of the answers lie with Conrad, who stays one step al1ead of him in the investigation and spoon-feeds him just enough clues to keep him involved. Hollis is led to the climatic scene, but must watch from the sidelines as Conrad forces the murderer's hand and puts his own life on the line in order to take his revenge.

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVrEW

Amagansett is a debut novel by screenwriter Mark Mills. It is an engrossing ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

story with many wonderful characters, and I kept thinking how nice it would be to see it played out on the big screen.

Susan Zabolotny

THE LAST DAY OF THE WAR

Judith Claire Mitchell, Pantheon, 2004, $24.95,pb,384pp,0375421661

Did World War I end on November 11, 1918, or did it continue to play out years after that well-known date? The Last Day of the War explores the idea that the fallout from war continues long after the trenches empty and the guns are laid down. It does so by shedding light on a lesser known section of WWI history: the massacres of Armenians living in Turkey and the deportation of the remaining Armenian population in 19 I 5-16.

Dub Hagopian is an ArmenianAmerican who becomes involved in Erinyes, an organization bent on revenge. Yale White is a restless eighteen-year-old from St. Louis who changes her name and lies about her age and her Jewish heritage so she can volunteer in the YMCA canteens in Paris. Through their love story and intrigues, this novel shows what life must have been like in France during the uncertain days of early I 919. Both Dub and Yale are complex characters, not entirely likeable but very, very human. Yale seems unable to tell the truth about anything; she fabricates the person she would like to be and feels no compunction about doing so. Dub wrestles with loyalty to his maltreated people, and a desire to live in peace and worry about nothing more earth-shattering than baseball. Secondary characters such as Brennan, Yale's adopted sister, and Raffi, Dub's compatriot, are equally complex, which adds to the sense that these are real people with real problems living in a real world, not a literary one.

The Last Day of the War is not heartwarming fiction, but it is thoughtprovoking and unique. I think readers will be clamouring for this author to publish a second novel.

Claire Morris

BLOODLINE

Fiona Mountain, Orion, 2004, tpb, £10.99, 279, 02072403444. (also available in hb, £17.99, 0752841122)

In this the second outing of Natasha Blake, ancestor detective, first seen in Pale As the Dead, she finds herself accepting a commission from Charles Seagrove to research the family tree of his granddaughter's fiance. Is he just a snob or is he concerned that she doesn't make a mistake?

When Natasha's research unearths that one of his ancestors was hanged for murder, she wonders what impact this will have. However she is not prepared to discover the

old man's murdered body nor the strange note pushed through her letter-box on her return home. Are there secrets in Mr Seagrove's own past?

Unable to give up the puzzle, Natasha finds herself drawn into the Charles Seagrove's life, which very soon concentrates on his activities during the Second World War. Very soon, too, her own life in danger.

Fiona Mountain has hit on an ingenious twist in crime fiction and Natasha Blake is a plausible amateur detective. The writing is pacy and the world of genealogy is well portrayed. I have now ordered the first book in the series and hope Fiona will entertain me with more of Natasha's adventures.

Sally Zigmond

A DIRTY DISTANT WAR

E.M. Nathanson, Cassell Military Paperbacks, 2004, £6.99 ($9.95), pb, 484pp, 0304365688 Re-release.

John Reisman is the central character in this action packed military ad venture story set in Burma and Vietnam in 1945. Many readers and 'cinemagoers' will already be well aquatinted with Major Reisman's exploits from 'The Dirty Dozen' in which he led a successful mission on a chateau in Rennes.

This time he is working with the OSS again, but without the assistance of his convict team. His objective is to infiltrate the network of warlords who rule a remote corner of south-east Asia, which is under Japanese occupation. From Reisman's parachute jump and touch down on the Burmese side of the Salween river to the explosive final scenes in 'Viet-nam' the novel is packed with treachery and conflict. The author has included a useful map showing the Japanese and French positions. It is a brilliant read for anyone interested in the Second World and in particular Indochina. It also casts light on America's subsequent fateful involvement in the area.

Out of a large cast of characters that include officers of the French Colonial Army and Kachin (hypenlas) tribesmen the one that stood out for me is the Kachin 'boy' Ben Saw. Amazingly he retains a cheerful outlook on life despite the massacre of his family by the Japanese.

The thorough historical research that underpins this novel is visible on every page. It encompasses tiny details such as the Burmese battle map printed on silk to the rise of power of Ho Chi Min.

This novel is both for the reader who enjoys an action-packed story and also for those who are interested in factual information about a distant geographical area of conflict at the end of the Second World War.

Myfanwy Cook

THE FALLS

Joyce Carol Oates, Ecco/HarperCollins, 2004, $26.95/C$37.95, hb, 496pp, 0060722282

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Pub. in the UK by Fourth Estate, 2004, £17.99, hb, 0007185146 Niagara Falls, 1950, is the "honeymoon capital" of America for happy newlyweds, and miserable ones, too. Mrs. Ariah Erskine was married less than twenty-four hours when her husband, Reverend Gilber1 Erskine, threw himself into the Falls afte1 one night of wedded agony. Stunned, Arial, stands waiting for the body to be recovered.

She is guarded by Dirk Burnaby, lawyer friend of the worried hotel owner, who finds himself intrigued by the "Widow Bride ol the Falls." After identifying the twisted body of her husband, Ariah collapses intc Dirk's arms. Less than a month later, the confirmed bachelor marries this "doomed figure in a Wagner opera," despite religiom objections from her parents and social objections from his formidable mother Love gives them four children, and Dirk's hard work makes them rich. Until a woman in black asks Dirk's legal help to fight the physical devastation in her neighborhood. an area dubbed "Love Canal." Obsessed with justice, Dirk risks all to fight the "depraved indifference" of the chemicai companies, the boast of Niagara City citizens. He dares to "go outside the family' to help "the others," and it seals his doom. The Falls is a compelling and comple~ story of a family conflict in which a mother loves so much yet hates so deeply, she screens her children from her past b) erasing their heritage. Yet children mus1 pursue the truth; they need its redemption Ms. Oates is an incredible storyteller givin~ us characters so real, so human, we knov. them beyond the printed page.

Tess Allegra

HEIR TO THE GLIMMERING WORLD

Cynthia Ozick, Houghton Mifflin, 2004, $25.00,hb,310pp,0618470492

History is less important than character ir this literary novel. 1930s New Yod provides the setting for a penniless refuge( family fleeing the Nazis. Professo1 Mitwisser studies an ancient Jewish sec· called the Karaites, which emphasizei scripture rather than rabbinic interpretatior of it. Rose Meadows, recently orphaned, hai nowhere else to go, and applies for a post ru Mitwisser's assistant. But the Mitwisse1 household is no refuge for the homelessthey are equally rootless. After months witJno salary, Rose learns that their entin income is dependent on the handouts• of ar absent benefactor, James, who, she is told was once the children's tutor. Mrs Mitwisser, a noted scientist in he1

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 200~

homeland , is so depressed at the family's being "parasites" that she takes to her bed . Eventually, James comes to visit, and Rose learns that as a child he was the model for his father ' s world-famous children's books about the Bear Boy He has rejected the legacy by being a drifter and giving his wealth away But the Mitwissers pay a price for James' generosity , when more than one life is ruined as a res ult.

Multiple th emes of parasitism abound : hom e les s Ro se li vin g off the Mitwis sers , the Mitw issers off James ' s money, James's father milkin g his childhood for gain Also alienation : the plight of 1930s German intellectuals living in an alien America, James alienating himself from his heritage, Rose feeling out of place in the Mitwissers' world Complex themes , numerous multifaceted characters , and the odd cliflhangin g plot element create echoes of a Victorian novel in the reader's mind. I admired O z ick's craft , but could not warm to the characters, and finished the book not feeling much empathy for them and their various fates

B.J Sedlock

A COLD TOUCH OF ICE

Michael Pearce, Poisoned Pen Press , 2004 , $ 24 95 , hb ,22 6pp , 1590580656

This is Michael Pearce's thirteenth Mamur Zapt mystery set in Cairo in 1912 when the Briti sh governed Egypt. The Mamur Zapt is the head of the secret police and is a Welshman , Captain Gareth Owen. An Italian man 1s found murdered ; the murder leads to qu estion s of ethnic unrest. As the murder inves ti g-dtion progresses , Owen discovers a major gun smu ggling conspiracy He races against time to stop an explosive situation from occurring which could start a major war and endanger thousands of lives . Not having read any other Mamur Zapt mysteries , it took a long time to get familiar with the characters Several of the characters have appeared in the other mysteries , but not much background is provided in this installm ent to familiarize a new reader with them I also felt there was inadequate historical background provided to give a clear view of the political situation in Egypt during the time period. I was left struggling through half the story before many of the characters and political foundation m~e s ense. O verall , ho wever , I enjoyed the my stery , whi ch had several twists and turns. Kathy Kin g

SHOULDER THE SKY

Anne Perry , UK : Headline, 2004 , £16 99, hb , 31 lpp , 755302867

US : Ballantine, 2004, $25 95, hb , 352pp, 0345456548

The second in a series of five, Perry's grippin g tal e of murder and mystery is set

largely between life in the trenches of 1915 and England. Joseph Reavley, serving as an army chaplain at the Front , stumbles across the mysterious death of a young war correspondent. It is murder, not the consequence of war, and Joseph considers it his duty to discover the culprit. Having suffered the loss of his parents to a murderer in No Graves As Yet (2003, reviewed in Issue 25) because of the discovery of a plot said to involve the British royal family and the Kaiser, Joseph and his siblings are once again caught by the machinations of the 'Peacemaker' . The scenes of war are graphic and haunting , the book beautifully written, the tale of murder in the trenches wholly believable However , I was not completely convinced by the continuing story of the Peacemaker.

Linda Sole

THE EGYPTOLOGIST

Arthur Phillips, Random House, 2004, $24.95,pb , 394pp, 1400062500

To quote one of the characters, this is a tale of "an odd-duck inheritance task, then it was a missing-person case with a dozen different clients, then a double murder, a prenuptial background investigation , then a debtcollection case, and suddenly quite a different double murder " Sound interesting? You haven't heard the half of it.

Set in 1922, the story is told through letters, telegrams, and journal entries The novel ' s chronically unreliable narrators raise as many questions as they attempt to answer, in addition to unwittingly providing darkly amusing humor at their own expense. Professor Ralph Trilipush is an Egyptologist obsessed with Atum-hadu, alleged last pharaoh of the chaotic Thirteenth Dynasty. Trilipush risks his career and his future father-in-law's riches to search for the tomb of this legendary king, whose name translates as "Atum is Aroused " Having based his professional reputation on translating and publishing a series of pornographic poems purportedly written by Atum-hadu, Trilipush leaves his fiancee behind and sets off for Egypt in search of his pharaoh's tomb. In the meantime, an Australian detective in search of a wealthy businessman ' s illegitimate child begins trotting the globe as his simple case turns into the pursuit of a murderer Or two.

As the two storylines dovetail and the novel moves towards its unavoidable conclusion, the reader is introduced to communist librarians, adulterous circus performers, opium-eating socialites, Irish gangsters, and even the great Howard Carter himself. Though the correspondents in the novel aren't clever (or sane) enough to put all the pieces together, the reader will have no

trouble The end of the novel may not come as a surprise, but in this case, getting there is more than half the fun. Tragicomedy, murder mystery, call it what you will-The Egyptologist is a terrific read . Bethany Skaggs

THE ODDITY

V. B Price, Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2004 , $24 95,hb,362pp,2003026971

The novel begins on April 29, 1992 Listening to his car radio , Lowe! Briscoe hears the "not guilty" verdict in the Rodney King beating trial. A riot erupts in Los Angeles, and he is dragged from his car and brutally assaulted. Next, the novel flashes back to June 23, 1949, and we are introduced to Hana Nicholas , a wealthy eccentric living in Alburquerque, New Mexico Thus begins the threats of the story about their relationship, randomly explored over 45 years Hana , a social pioneer and tireless community volunteer, becomes mentor to the sensitive young Lowe!. Their brief relationship ends when Hana is abruptly placed in protective custody then sentenced to a mental institution where she dies nine years later He cannot come to terms with the vague reasons and motivations as to why Hana, who was the most insightful, sensitive, and creative character he bad known, was abused by society This haunts him his entire life V B. Price has crafted a wonderful novel that the title aptly reflects. The protagonist is at odds with the world and himself, and rightly so Price explores the experience of living in a society where everything seems relative , and it is difficult to discover any meaningful truth. It is an intentionally disorienting novel, but that is its appeal.

Gerald T. Burke

THE FIRST DESIRE

Nancy Reisman, Pantheon, 2004, $24, hb, 304pp,0375423087

Reisman eloquently draws the reader into this touching saga, which draws upon the deepest emotional aspects of a family's life She delivers a beautifully written story, based on the fictional Cohen family, that will pull at your most sensitive heartstrings Her characters all "desire" a similar questto disappear and blend into the fabric of the surrounding world We observe the lives of these individuals and their pursuit of varying modes of invisibility : physical, emotional, mental , and social. Each chapter highlights the perspectives of a particular family member (including the father's mistress) and provides their personal feelings, their comings and goings (often many), and their points of view pertaining to tl1e other family members . The author profoundly brings you so close to the characters' feelings and the tensions they

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

experience that you almost feel like you are right there with them.

This story spans over two decades of the early twentieth century (1929-1950) and is set in Buffalo , New York. While some historical events, like the Depression and World War II, are included in the book, the author's main focus is in exploring the inner emotional voices of the characters.

Carol Anne Germain

A TIME OF ANGELS

Patricia Schon stein , Black Swan 2004, £6.99, pb, 238pp , 055277 l 66X. (First published b y Bantam Press 2003) When Primo Verona, a professional magician and soothsay er has the gift of clairvoyance , so sharp that he claims to have predicted his mother's death whilst in the womb He is brought up by his father and widowed aunt, both holocaust survivors, and is influenced by their storytelling. When Primo's wife , Beatrice leaves him for Pasquale Benvenuto, old friend and delicatessen owner, Primo puts a spell on Pasquale's shoelaces so that they keep unfastening themselves. Primo continues with his spells so that Pasquale's fruited breads turned bitter and the salamis sour. Beatrice does not return to him and Primo increases the severity of his spells until Satan himself is forced to intervene

This is a story concerned with the universal themes of good versus evil, religious intolerance, man's inhumanity to man but there are no distinct divisions. No one is trul y innocent. This small Jewish community allowed their sons to become embroiled in an unjust war . Throughout, the reader is treated to the wonderful colours and tastes of delicious food As some enjoy the good things of life others starve and die. A thought provoking read.

Ann Oughton

IN THE HOPE OF RISING AGAIN

Helen Scully, The Penguin Press, 2004, $23.95 /C$34.50, hb , 3 l 2pp , 1594200254

Part One, The Father, begins with "Epithalamium" (nuptial song). The ethereal narrative voice describes a young couple, Charles and Regina, settling into a rural cabin. It evokes the slowness of life in the South in 1919. The next chapter, "Pax Mobilia" (peace in Mobile) takes us back to the end of the Civil War when Regina ' s father Colonel Riant inherited the Mobile Chronicle. His business enterprises made him wealthy Mother Riant spoiled her four sons but resented her daughter, who had a special relationship with the Colonel. Regina and he share a feeling for the metaphysical. He remembers his dear departed who have gone to their rest "in the hope of rising again." His sons are indistinguishable, confirmed bachelors too

indolent to run a business. The themes of family and spirituality are brought out in lyrical passages such as a description of the wedding: "They moved like puppets in a dream."

The nursemaid, Camilla, thinks "Every girl baby needs two mothers, a black one and a white one." She remains faithful to Regina, who treats her as an equal in good times and bad . Regina is a good woman who endures all of life's vicissitudes without losing her compassion for others. At times Scully gives a viewpoint to another character, but only to add a dimension. Her sentences are like soap bubbles. She juggles words to show the delicacy of feelings in a dialog, then limns a horrific scene of gore. This is an amazing achievement for a young author's first novel.

Marcia K. Matthews

TO THE LAST MAN

JeffShaara, Ballantine, 2004, $27.95 / C$39.95, hb, 709pp, 0345461347 ln his latest masterpiece, Shaara turns his keen insight into the minds of those who fought World War I, the war to end all wars. What was it like for heroes of the air such as Lafayette Escadrille ace Raoul Lufberry and German ace Manfred von Richtofen? How bad was it in the trenches for a doughboy like Marine Corp private Roscoe Temple? And how heavy was the burden of command on the shoulders of General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing? This story follows these soldiers from the onset of war to the stalemate of the trenches and finally, for those who survived, to the armistice.

As in all his amazing works , Shaara once again takes the raw clay of history and molds a work of fine art. His descriptions of battle are palpable Sounds, smells, and emotions are all right there for the reader. The tension of the planning rooms and the conniving power plays of the leaders of both sides show us that little has changed in the history of warfare, save the lethality of weapons. The author pulls no punches and does not attempt to gloss over shortcomings m any camp. It makes for fascinating reading.

Mark F. Johnson

ICE ROAD

Gillian Slovo, Little, Brown 2004 , £14.99 , hb , 544pp,0316727490

Gillian Slovo, daughter of South African anti-apartheid activist Joe Slovo, writes about the sweep of politics and its impact on ordinary lives. In this her tenth novel , she turns to Soviet Russia with an epic tale of idealism gone wrong, set against the political turmoil that engulfed Leningrad in • the 1930s.

Irina Davydovna, survivor of the ice ship Chelyuskin, which sank in the Arctic Circle, returns to Leningrad to find herself caught up in forces beyond anyone's control. In beautiful and chilling detail, the author captures the essence of the time - the arrest and dispatch of factory worker , Kol ya; the suffocating marriage of Natasha ; her doomed love affair with an Americanas Stalin turns against the city , the purges begin and nobody can be sure of safety The use of the present tense and multiple viewpoints creates greater immediacy

The last part of the book takes place during the siege of Leningrad , in I 941-2 Readers who are familiar with Helen Dunmore ' s The Si eg e will find it interesting to compare the two treatments lee Road ends on a moment of hope, a testament to the human capacity and will to survive, the realization that love for another can be more powerful and profound than blind loyalty to an idea.

An interesting story of ordinary people who swallowed the Soviet lie, then found themselves caught up in it.

Janet Hancock

633 SQUADRON: OPERATION RHINEMAIDEN

Frederick E. Smith, Casselll, 2004 £6.99 ($9.95 / C$14 95), pb, 279pp, 0304366226, Re-release

This is the second in Frederick E. Smith's series of novels about the exploits of 633 Squadron. It has an edge of credible tension, not surprising, given that the author saw active service with the RAF during the Second World War.

The unit is now a wreck after successfully undertaking a terrifying mission into Norway. With the deaths, camaraderie and trust have been smashed. A brooding sense of depression has settled on the base at Sutton Craddock. In their anguish the older members of the unit, the survivors , resent the appearance of the new recruits and fear the future

However, their previous success has led to them being selected for another special mission. This time they are to fly into the heart of industrial Germany, in daylight, to destroy a target.

A new squadron leader is brought in to revive the unit. Moore , brave , intelligent and perceptive has to build a new spirit, that 'indefinable camaraderie of the fighting man that transcends fear, self interest [or] the love of women'. But not everyone in the squadron can hide their fears for their loved ones.

Smith's strengths are in his descriptions of the inner turmoil of his characters , of the flying and his period dialogue. This story transcends its obvious time and place and

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

reveals war's savagery. A great read, highly recommended Paul

F Brunyee

THE PEARL DIVER

JeffTalarigo, Doubleday/Nan A. Talese, 2004, $18 95, hb, 237pp, 03855 I 0519

It is 1948 when a nineteen-year-old pearl diver, who later christens herself Miss Fugi, is discovered to have leprosy. Miss Fugi is forced to begin life anew at the Nagashima Island Leprosarium. Those separated from society due to leprosy do not always cease to be vibrant people; they can be as full of life as anyone else. Regrettably, the visible signs of the advanced stages of this awful illness do not inspire respect for any infected person. Through tiny glimpses, the leprosarium community proves to be a mirror of the social order outside. Miss Fugi's skill in underwater swimming renders the short distance between Nagashima and the world beyond a manageable challenge. Brief visits and strolls along another world's beach tempt her to escape into freedom. Keeping her secret visits a source of stress relief, Miss Fugi returns to those needing the care only she can deliver. The cure finally arrives, but society fails to let them return to society, making leprosy a continued stigma.

In reporting the history of Nagashima Leprosarium, the author compassionately and creatively tells of a diverse group of people brought together in exile by a common fatal illness. This study in human behavior and society will make readers consider their own value system. This is an easy-to-read story that will cling to one's thoughts. Using clear and concise sentence structure, the story comes together as an outstanding representation of a time and people, one well worth reading by anyone not familiar with either.

Jetta Culpepper

VICTORINE

Catherine Texier, Pantheon, 2004, $24, hb, 336pp,0375421246

Pub. in the UK by Viking, 2004, £12.99, hb, 336pp,06709l505X

Imagine if, years after having established a family, a long lost lover magically reappears in your life. What if your domestic life is not as perfect as you had hoped, and you are offered a second chance for romance and exotic adventure? What would you choose?

This is the theme of Victorine, a novel billed as a blend of fact and fiction and based on the little the author knew about her eponymous great-grandmother. Victorine makes this decision, and it is up to the reader to decide if it is the correct one. Her story is told during a single day in 1940 and consists of flashbacks to different periods. It

is set in both the provincial French town of Yendee and exotic, mysterious Frenchoccupied Indochina in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The book exhibits a dark and foreboding atmosphere from the very beginning. It is clear what Yictorine's choice will be, and it is also clear that there will be no fairytale ending. Her struggles between duty and independence, tradition and freedom, and longing and regret are honestly and starkly depicted and elicit the reader's sympathy regardless of how one feels about her decisions. The other two main characters are vividly, if a bit stereotypically, portrayed. Yictorine's husband Armand is distant and self-serving, while her lover Antoine is, of course, handsome, romantic and adventurous.

Overall, the book is readable, and the plot is intriguing. The writing style is a bit too detached for my taste, but others may feel differently. Perhaps I am quibbling over a minor personal annoyance, but the entire text is based on conversations between characters, yet there isn't a quotation mark to be found. The dilemmas Victorine faces in her life are definitely food for thought and will keep the reader pondering for quite awhile after finishing the book.

Andrea Connell

MURDER ON MARBLE ROW

Victoria Thompson, Berkley Prime Crime, 2004, $21.95, hb, 313pp, 0425196100

Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt orders Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to investigate the very serious murder of Mr. Gregory Yan Dyke, a successful business leader and prominent social member of New York at the tum of the twentieth century. Historically, everyone concerned about this crime fears it is the work of a group known as the "Anarchists," an organization determined to bring about social change by violent means. The potent connection to contemporary terrorism immediately rises in the reader's mind.

However, as Malloy begins his investigation, and is joined by a former lover, Sarah Brandt, also a member of a prominent New York family, Malloy discovers that just about everyone who knew Yan Dyke had a reason to commit the outrageous crime. Yes, the Anarchists were involved, but not as the reader will expect. A bit of Anarchist history is included in the novel, but more fascinating are the psychological and social attitudes of these notorious members, as well as the interesting social connections that forge their ideology and actions.

Victoria Thompson spins a taut plot, constantly engaging and never failing to draw the reader more deeply into the complex schemes and actions of both the

guilty and innocent. It's a great "who-doneit" read.

Yiviane Crystal

THE QUEEN OF THE BIG TIME

Adriana Trigiani, Random House, 2004, $24.95/C$35.95, hb, 258pp, 1400060060 Pub. in the UK by Simon & Schuster, 2004, £12.99,hb,272pp,0743239288

Roseto, Pennsylvania, was named by Italian immigrants in the 1800s after the town they came from. Trigiani's novel recreates every detail of that town down to the placement of the houses and who lives next to whom. In 1924, Nella Castelluca, third of five daughters, lives with her family on their farm outside Roseto. Unlike her older sisters, she longs for education beyond the seventh grade and wishes to be a teacher. Her parents assent, and she goes to school in Roseto, making friends and falling in love with Renato Lanzara. After the death of his father, Renato leaves Roseto and Nella, and her dream must be deferred when her father is injured and she takes work at the local blouse factory. There she meets, first resists, and then falls in love with Franco Zollerano, her opposite in temperament and attitude. Trigiani, author of the Big Stone Gap trilogy, was born in Roseto, the subject of a medical study which concluded that its low rate of heart disease was due to its supportive social structure. With this fictional tale, she lends credence to that conclusion. A loving Italian-American community surrounds Nella and supports her as her life takes a different tum from the one she had imagined. Although sentimental, the novel is never saccharine. The real world does intrude into this microcosm of Italy with World War II, and Nella has a tartness and single-mindedness that makes her realistically imperfect. Roseto is a tempting place to visit.

Ellen Keith

AN APOLOGY FOR AUTUMN

David Turrill, Toby Press, 2004, $19.95/C$29.95/£14.99, hb, 437pp, 1592640907

Jim Gudsen's older brother Herkimer was always destined for something greater than an ordinary life. Devout from an early age, Herkimer knew his future involved pain, and he continuously suffered from strange accidents. As a child, Jim, the narrator of the story, was jealous of the attention bestowed on Herkimer for both his perceived destiny and his injuries. But combat time in the Vietnam War eliminated Jim's jealousy while also destroying his faith. When Jim returns to the Saginaw, Michigan, area in the late 1960s, he eventually finds Herkimer's belief in God infectious. Jim becomes an increasingly less skeptical participant as ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

Herkimer leads his unorthodox congregation through trials and miracles as he attempts to save his wife Meg from cancer.

Herkimer's flock is populated by what the judgmental would label as the sinners of society. Individuals engaged in adultery, pornography, prostitution, exotic dancing, and even murder are accepted as they begin to believe in miracles and that there are no coincidences As cigarettes are lit and extinguished, understanding and tolerance beyond that allowed by the Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod become second nature and former strangers become family.

Turrill's fluid writing style creates an atmosphere perfect for his characters' debates over troubling topics such as homosexuality, premarital sex, literal interpretations of the Bible, and whether or not Christianity is the only path to salvation. Although the constant human struggle to both understand life and be happy is prevalent in the novel, the absurdity of some of the situations keeps the book from becoming morose.

No apology is needed for this incredible novel. Style, content, and characters blend to create an engaging novel that entertains while asking us to consider that there may be more than one path to knowing God and being saved.

Suzanne J. Sprague

THE JN-BETWEEN WORLD OF VIKRAM LALL

M. G. Vassanji, Knopf, 2004, $25.00/C$35.95, hb, 384pp, I 400042 l 6X Pub. in the UK by Canongate, 2004, £14.99, hb, 439pp, 1841955388 Vic (Vikram) and his sister Deepa are eight years old when the story begins. They are displaced Indians living in Kenya at the time of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, 1953. Kenya is also in turmoil in its struggle for independence. Vic and Deepa have a group of close friends, both African and British. After a gruesome murder, the family moves to Nairobi. The story jumps ahead to the 60s, 70s, and the 80s. Vic is drawn into political and financial corruption, while Njoroge, their African playmate, succeeds in the volatile political scene and falls in love with Deepa.

Most of the story is narrated by Vic from a home in Canada, to which he fled when the corruption scandal began. We see the past through the lens of his memory until the end, when he returns to Nairobi to face the truth.

M. G. Vassanji has written a marvelous story of individuals caught in a rapidly changing, multi-cultural world. It is a story of hope, despair, failure, and love. The historical complexity of the story's setting is skillfully woven throughout. The well-

written novel is an insightful look at the post-colonial world.

Gerald T. Burke

A CENTURY OF NOVEMBER

W. D. Wetherell, Univ. of Michigan Press, 2004, $24.00, hb, 164pp, 04721143 IX Evocative. Haunting. Engrossing. These are the words that echoed through my mind as I read this wonderful novel. Set in the closing weeks of WWI, it traces the journey of a recently widowed apple-grower who, after learning that his only son was killed in Flanders, sets out to find him. It's a journey that takes him acros$ Canada by train as the Spanish flu epidemic is starting, then across the Atlantic by ship to England. There he discovers his son had a girlfriend, Elaine Reed, who is likely carrying their baby. A young woman determined to discover the last resting place of her lover. Following on her heels, Charles Marden finds himself in a place worse than hell, the very recently abandoned battlefields of Europe, a place of pilgrimage and death.

Told in a combination of first and third person, this tale of love, loss and hope plunges the reader into a chaotic and heartwrenching period. From its opening on Vancouver Island to its closing on the battlefield of Ypres, it takes the reader along with Marden through richly detailed prose, powerful imagery and a riveting narrative. Marden himself is a highly sympathetic protagonist. We want him to find Elaine. Even more, we want him to find some kind of peace. Losing his wife and son in such quick succession has cast him adrift, and in his search for Elaine we sense a quiet desperation for some return to normalcy, once he has seen where his son died and met the woman who carries his grandchild. The secondary characters are many, and while few of them occupy more than a few paragraphs or a few pages each, they all come alive and serve a purpose, especially the battle-scarred veterans who refuse to leave the trenches in which they'd fought for so long. Very highly recommended. Teresa Basinski Eckford

SONG OF THE HEART

Helene Wiggin, Severn House, hb, £ 18.99, 0727861263

I thoroughly enjoyed this wartime romance set on the fictitious Hebridean island of Phetray, whose coastline and location are reminiscent of Tiree. Minn Macfee, a cottar child, grows up with the burden of knowing that she was 'born to shame and no father'. Life on Phetray is desperately hard and there are few joys for Minn. Anguish is added to hardship when her only friend, Agnes, is drowned in the treacherous waters of the bay. The young girls had been taught to swim by Agnes's older brother Ewan and

the horror of the accident forms a lasting bond between them. This attraction has fatal consequences as their passions grow, but international and personal events conspire against them, moving them apart with the relentlessness of the island's strong tidal currents.

When Ewan is reported missing, Minn rushes into a hasty wartime marriage, whose inappropriateness is brought home to her when she leaves the island and travels to Blackpool, a filthy city whose sea and inhabitants are as alien as her husband. Her second marriage is also built on deception, not helped by her husband's black market activities. The bond between Ewan and Minn continues to torment them both until events reach a climax many years later, back on Phetray where it all began.

The description of Ewan's time in France, both during and after the war, seems also to have been carefully researched, adding authenticity.

The excellent characterisation and vivid local details give this story credibility and lift it beyond the ordinary 'romance' genre. To be recommended.

Lucinda Byatt

WAGES OF SIN

Penelope Williamson, Warner, 2003, $7.50/C$9.99, pb, 480pp, 0446613835 A sequel to Mortal Sins, Wages of Sin embroils New Orleans homicide cop Daman Rourke in two frightening investigations: the crucifixion of a beloved but controversial priest and the stalking of his lover, silent movie star Remy Lelourie. Teenage girls who are members of Remy's fan club are brutally raped and murdered. Rourke's investigations uncover the seamiest side of life in New Orleans: corruption in the Catholic Church; a father pitting his daughter against her mother; a secret kept by the dead priest; and a public execution of a black teenager attended by the Klan.

Williamson pulls out all the stops to make this a lurid, page-turning thriller. Both sex scenes and torture scenes are described in graphic detail. This book is the definition of over-the-top and is not for those easily offended. 1920s New Orleans is as much a character as anyone else, wllh its debauched atmosphere permeating the book. I can't imagine it taking place in any other setting. While it's difficult to deny the passion between Rourke and Remy, both they and other characters in the book are opaque and cold despite the book's efforts to give off heat. Nevertheless, as Williamson sets up a cliffhanger at the end, I'll be back for the third installment.

Ellen Keith

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

WHILE I DISAPPEAR

Edward Wright, G P. Putnam ' s Sons , 2004, $25 95 / C$38 , hb , 324pp , 039915 I 982

Set in postwar Los Angeles, While I Dis app ear is Wright ' s second novel fe aturing fom,cr B-w es tem actor John Ray Hom and his fr iend Joseph Mad Crow The Indian had been Hom ' s sidekick in the movies , but now the washed-up a ctor works for him , collectin g gamblin g debts for Mad Crow ' s casino , and li v ing rent-free in ex change for carctaking duties on a rundown estate While rou ghing up a man who as sa ulted Mad Crow's niece , Hom is st artled to see a former costar , Rose Galen , drunk a nd d ow n on her luck A mi xture of c uri os it y anJ sy mpath y prompts Hom to reac h o ut to her a nd th en he finds he r murdered Anxiou s to do right by Rose, he reestablishes his contacts in the Hollywood studios to discover what in her past led to her murder.

Wright captures the mood and atmosphere of postwar LA perfectly, especially the shabbier side where people • are on their way down rather than their way up . It ' s popul at ed with recogni z able Hollywood types- the character actress who can ' t get work as a leading lady, the hamm y older actor reflecting on past glories, the director whose string of successes is behind him-and there's a nod to the famous Fatt y Arbuckle rape scandal in the secret that haunts Rose Horn is a laconic and eni gmatic but intriguing hero Tl11 s novel re ad s like a good film noir.

Ellen Keith

MULTI-PERIOD

FEAR OF DE SADE

Bernardo Carvalho, Canongate, 2004, £7.99, 13Spp,pb,1841954969

This slim volume features two events, linked by the central characters' addiction to the life of the Marquis de Sade. The first half is written in dramatic form, a dialogue between two persons, the Baron of Lachafoi, who at the time of the French Re volution finds him self in prison. He knows onl y that someone has died and he cannot remember whether he is the perpetrator. Ostensibly alone , a disembodied voice presumed to be de Sade explores the events leading up to the baron ' s present predicament.

In the second story , told in narrative form, a childless couple come to the reali sation that their marriage, devoid of any posnive purpose, can only survive if the raison d ' etre is horror. To this end they pursue a bizarre and chilling counterattack ultimately resulting in a death.

This strange and uncomfortable book probes the workings of the human mind when emotion rather than reason leads the players into a labyrinth of weird connections. The writing has that excitable, repetitive style that reflects the confused state of mind of the characters.

I suppose that the epithet psychological thriller could be applied but the words disturbed and eerie come more easily to mind.

Janet Mary Tomson

IRELAND: A NOVEL

Frank Delaney, Time Warner 2004 , hb, £1 7. 99, 316725978 Published in US by HarperCollin s Feb 2005, $26.95, 00605 6 3486

" Bejaysus , that's grand craic" Frank Delaney ' s latest novel is absolutely that! Following the history of Ireland through from the dark ages in the medium of an itinerant storyteller, known in gaelic as a Seanachai, the reader has both fact and fable inserted to colour the word picture. The storyteller enraptured his audience before mass media overtook the imagination and through these methods informed the people of Ireland about historical fact as well as entertaining myths and legends. To have a storyteller grace the hearth of your home was an honour and your entire family, together with your near neighbours, would gather for an evening's entertainment. So it is in Delaney's story, with the colourful character who wandered the highways and byways, stopping fortuitously at Ronan's home one evening. Ronan is nine years old and is bowled ove1 by enthralling tales like the building ofNewgrange and the foolishness of King Conor of Ulster . His enthusiasm for the storyteller is not shared by his mother who considers the content of the stories to have a poor moral code, so the storyteller is told to move on. This affects young Ronan badly and thus begins his quest to follow the storyteller, an obsession to find him again

Finding an itinerant who has no particular agenda proves a difficult task Ronan discovers many places and people who know of the storyteller from previous visits but not his current whereabouts. On his travels these people share the stories with Ronan that the storyteller imparted to them, so his bank of tales grows whilst the old man continues to be elusive The reader is supportive of the young man's quest since the reports of the storyteller's health become less encouraging as the years rush by

An engaging story with many a tale told and a final twist with regard to Ronan's own history

Cathy Kemp

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

URSULA, UNDER

Ingrid Hill, Algonquin Books, 2004, $24.95 / C$38 95, hb , 476pp, 1565123883 Pub . in the UK by Jonathan Cape, 2005, £10.99,pb,488pp , 0224075012

Ursula Wong is the title character in Ursula, Under. She is an endearing, precocious twoand-a-half year-old , half Chinese-American , half Finnish -American only child On an excursion with her parents in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan , she has fallen down a mineshaft This is the central plot around which is woven a tapestry of short stories about Ursula's ancestors, beginning in China of the third century BC. They are used to illustrate the degrees of relation ship of the people connected by this tragic occurrence The traged y also brings together Ursula's longestranged grandparents The rescue in the final chapter, with all the efforts that go into a successful recovery, would be electrifyingbut the flow is interrupted by segues to outside characters who have no family connection and, in at least one instance, no emotional involvement.

While Ingrid Hill's a lmost poetic prose paints a beautiful word picture, the book as a whole is sometimes sophistic Interesting in their own right, the short stories break the tension. The reader does not feel the mindnumbing agony that must paralyze any parent whose child is in jeopardy.

Audrey Braver

BLACKBIRD HOUSE

Alice Hoffman, Doubleday, 2004, $ I 9.95 / C$27 95, hb, 225pp, 0385507615 Pub in the UK by Chatto & Windus, 2004, £12 99,hb,0701175133

Just before the Revolutionary War, a fisherman builds a cottage on the remote tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for the woman he loves. Their youngest son befriends a blackbird and insists on taking it with him on his first fishing trip with his father After father and sons are swept away in a fierce gale, the bird, now completely white, returns to the farm and becomes a haunting symbol of loss and renewal. In diverse tales, subsequent residents of the cottage, now known as Blackbird House, struggle with love , betrayal and redemption. A ghostly white blackbird is spotted by a few down the years. So little time is spent with these often fascinating characters, it's difficult to invest a lasting emotion with them , but Hoffman's writing is lyrical and will keep you interested.

Diane Scott Lewis

THE TREE BRIDE

Bharati Mukherjee, Hyperion, 2004, $23 95 , hb, 304pp, I 401300588

Present and past entwine in The Tree Bride as Tara Chatterjee, a modem Indian woman

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

living in America, seeks the truth behind her family's stories and traditions. Investigating the story of her ancestress Tara Lata, who in 1879 was married at the age of five to a tree -an act that freed her rather than binding her to a human husband's demands-the modem Tara also discovers other stories of the lon g-vanished Raj. Through the lives of Tara Lata, the Englishman John Mist, and others who created and destroyed in British India, Tara Chatterjee learns that truth and tradition are not always what they seem

As always, Mukherjee's writing is elegant and evocative, and sweeps her readers into whatever time and place she wishes to take them (However, some of the details were less than accurate: I'm sure Mukherjee did not actually intend to imply the Black Hole of Calcutta incident took place during 1857.) Those who read Desirable Daughters will recognize Tara Chatterjee from that novel, and will be glad to meet her again.

India Edghill

GILEAD

Marilynne Robinson, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004, $23.00, hb, 256pp, 0374153892

To be published in April 2005 by Virago at £16.99, hb, 1844081478

John A.mes, a third-generation preacher, is dying of heart disease. lt is 1956 and he decides to ~rite a journal of his life for bis seven-year-old son. He married late in life, and , at seventy-six, wants to pass along wisdom that be will not be able to share in person. He tells stories of his grandfather who left Maine, filled with the spirit of the lord, to fight for abolition in Kansas and then in the Civil War, returning partially blind. There are also stories about the conflict between his pacifist father and his smoke and brimstone grandfather. In addition, the theme of fatherson relations is further explored in stories of his best friend John Ames Boughton and his unruly son, named after him.

Marilynne Robinson has written a remarkable meditation. John Ames' reflections on his solitary, yet never lonely life, is vibrant with intense observations of the seemingly mundane but quintessential human experiences. The story balances the radiant pleasure of living with the stark awareness of mortality. The consistent tone of the novel is one of enduring joy. This is an extraordinary book.

Gerald T. Burke

TIMESLIP

TIME'S CAPTIVE

Kate Lyon, LoveSpell, 2004, $5.99 /C$7.99, pb,326pp ,050552602-6

Modem-day Kris Baldwin is quite satisfied with her life until her Comanche grandmother casts a spell that transports her into the late I 9th century American southwest. Confused by her situation, Kris tries to ally herself with Black Eagle, a handsome warrior with her ancestors' tribe Believing that Kris possesses strong medicine and can tell his people how to defeat the white men, Black Eagle hauls Kris before the war council. Kris tries to convince her people that the only way to survive is to sunender and live out their lives on the reservation. This knowledge only angers the council. and Kris finds herself in more danger than ever. Feeling like the Greek heroine Cassandra, doomed to always speak the truth but never believed Kris tries to fit in with The People'. wondering if she will ever return to the present. And if she does, can she live without the man she loves?

The author doesn't shy away from the either the harsh facts of history or the cruelty that men can inflict on women or each other. Instead, she has crafted a wellwritten story that uses these tragedies to tell a wonderful tale of love and hope Highly recommended.

Debra Rodensky

HISTORICAL FANTASY

JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR. NORRELL

Susanna Clarke, Bloomsbury USA, 2004, $27.95,hb,800p~ 1582344167

Pub in the UK by Bloomsbury, 2004, £17.99,hb,800pp,0747570558

It's the year 1807, and magic is virtually dead in England. Self-taught scholars study theory, but no one actually practices the art anymore. No one, that is, until Mr. Nonell decides it's time to raise the standard of British magic beyond the purely theoretical. Once he's established himself as the only true magician in England, he discovers there is one other. He agrees to take this new magician, a younger man called Jonathan Strange, as his student.

Norrell and Strange hold different opinions on the practice of magic, for they are very different men. Norrell finds it's easily within his power to shape Strange's education by withholding information, since Norrell has, by then, systematically stockpiled almost all of the important magic

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

texts But this deliberate truncation of hii training is something Strange canno overlook

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is i wonderful, fascinating book. It's told in ar easy style, reminiscent of the period exploring the changing relationship of thes< two magical men. Author Susanna Clark< practices sorcery of her own by persuadin! her readers that magic could be real even i it isn't common-place. When Strang< announces he will study magic, he's giver th e same regard as he might if he wen planning to study medicine. But, as with al practical studies, we come to learn that th< seemingly boundless power of magic has it: limitations even in expert hands.

Janette King

BRILLIANCE OF THE MOON: Tales ol the Otori, Book 3

Lian Heam, Riverhead, 2004, $24.95 / $36, hb,328pp, 1573222704

Pub. in the UK by Macmillan, 2004, £12.99 hb,200pp, 1405041358

This exciting conclusion to Heam's trilogJ of an alternate feudal Japan wraps up th, action but leaves plenty of room for 1 sequel. Star-crossed lovers Takeo an< Kaede have married, against near! ) everyone's wishes, but they face a long roa< to happiness. Takeo is cognizant of th, prophecy that he will have "four battles t, win and one to lose" before the Otori land rest securely in his possession. He als, knows that he will eventually face death a the hands of his illegitimate son, who wa born to his former paramour. Kaede' former betrothed, Lord Fujiwara, doesn' accept her marriage and stops at nothing t, avenge this insult to his honor. Throughout i all, the elegant landscape of feudal Japan take center stage, with formal rituals and clas distinctions guiding everyone's behavio1 Historical fantasy readers will relish the !ates volume in a fascinating saga.

Sarah Johnson

WINTER ON THE PLAlN OF GHOSTS: A Novel of Mohenjo-Daro Eileen Kemaghan, Flying Monkey Press , 2004,$20 / C$25,pb,254pp,0973401206 Talk about exotic settings! We know so vel) little about prehistoric Indus Valle) civilizations that the author has built he1 story from translations of seal inscriptiorn and archaeological findings. The decline o the River Cities is a mystery, but th, historians specializing in the area believ, that some major event caused a one, flourishing civilization to gradually com apart. So Winter on the Plain of Ghosts i the very highest form of speculation, fillin1 in with believable possibilities where 111 actual knowledge exists. It starts with

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 200•

bang, a child in danger of being sacrificed to a cruel religion, and the first part of the novel has the most compelling pace. Once arnved in the city of Meluhha, the action revolves around the corrupt priesthood that controls the society, and it becomes less of a personal story and more of a saga. The saga, however, 1s chock full of sorcery, demons, dancing, storytelling, music, merchants and wamors and the ancient battle between good and evil. The priests push the common people too far. Revolution brews while the annual floods cause devastation, once when the waters nse and again when sickness arises from the heat and damp. There are barbaric atrocities, but there 1s kindness and beauty as well. History fans will enjoy this version of an ancient city, with its grounding in research, while those who just like a good fantasy will find the historical background no impediment to reading it as one.

Mary K. Bird-Guilliams

ANCESTORS OF AVALON

Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana Paxson, Viking, 2004, $25.95/C$37.50, hb, 363pp, 0670033146

Pub. in the UK by Voyager, 2004, £ 17.99, hb,384pp,000713843!

In 1982 Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote The Mists of Avalon, a retelling of Arthurian lore from a feminist perspective. Bradley, eventually assisted by Paxson, continued this series until her death in 1999 - leaving Paxton as heir to the Mists legacy. This prequel begins as the islands of Atlantis sink into the sea. Among the boats of refugees are Tiriki and Micail, married Guardians of Atlantis, who are prophesied to rebuild the temple. In the confusion, they become separated and Tinki's boat drifts north to the desolate Tor, away from Belsairath, an area already inhabited by previously displaced Atlanteans. Micail's vessel finds Belsairath, and he is convinced by Prince Tjalan to coordinate the construction of megaliths that, unknown to Micail, are to help them enslave the land's current occupants and recreate the opulent Atlantis kingdom.

While not even Bradley's own subsequent Mists novels are as complex and moving as the original, Paxson's effort is commendable as she builds upon references Bradley made to the Atlanteans in previous novels. Along the way, Paxson gives a reasonable explanation of how these people from Atlantis came to Britannia, how they integrated with the native residents to forrn the mysterious Avalon, and how and why the megaliths of England were formed.

This novel is required reading for those addicted to the Mists series. However, the novel is accessible on its own and will be fascinating to anyone intrigued with the

mystery of Britain's megaliths or lost continent of Atlantis mythology.

Suzanne J.

Sprague

THE FIRST HEROES: New Tales of the Bronze Age

Harry Turtledove & Noreen Doyle (Editors), Tor, 2004, $25.95/C$35.95, 368pp,hb,0765302861

This collection of fourteen Bronze Agerelated stories is certainly eclectic, ranging from time-traveling people to time-traveling places to mythological characters and more. The stories also range from easy and fun to read to tedious and painful. For example, Brenda Clough's "How the Bells Came from Yang to Hubei" portrays a strong sense of ancient Asian warfare and the value of the arts. However, while the story is a lovely portrayal of Asian history, it lacks an interesting storyline. S. M. Stirling's "Blood Wolf' is well written and blends historical information from severa l eras, from the late Bronze Age up through modem times. However, the reader has to be sure to read the entire introduction or the story makes little sense. ~oreen Doyle's "Ankhtifi the Brave is Dying" is a challenging story about the recollections of an Egyptian hero. Harry Turtledove's "The Horse of Bronze" is a fine example of this author's excellent fantasy writing. The mythological characters and Bronze Age setting, and attention to the details of each, make this a fun and intense story.

The collection is a fascinating look at how various popular authors can be challenged to successfully or unsuccessfully write for a specific project. The authors certainly showed imagination in attempting to write for this collection. However, as a whole the book is very hard to read. Unless someone happens to love every author in this book, it isn't worth the effort for the few decent stories.

Alycia Harris

ALTERNATE HISTORY

GRANT COMES EAST

Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, Thomas Dunne, 2004, $24.95, hb, 404pp, 0312309376

In this second of a series, General Ulysses S. Grant is recalled to Washington and ordered by Lincoln to take command of all the Union forces and to destroy Robert E. Lee's army before Washington itself falls into Confederate hands. Having decimated the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, Lee advances on Washington and Baltimore, racing against time and the impending onslaught of a revenge-minded, rebuilt

Union force. Meanwhile, Grant attempts lo rebuild an army and reign in commanders who are more concerned with what their post-war status will be than they are with winning the war. Here is another superbly written alternate history by the same team of authors who wrote Gettysburg. Like that fine work, this one is spellbinding and well researched. There's also a fascinating, between-the-lines morality play at work here, which theorizes that no matter how well the CSA did militarily, their inescapable moral flaw, slavery, was destined to be their downfall. In a series of conversations with Secretary of State Judah Benjamin, Lee grapples with the question of slavery and his role in helping to preserve an institution he feels is wrong, versus his role as a military commander. Thoughtprovoking reading, to be sure.

Mark F. Johnson

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA

Philip Roth, Houghton Mifflin, 2004, $26.00,hb,39lpp,0618509283

Pub. in the UK by Jonathan Cape, 2004, £16.99,hb,0224074539

This alternate history takes the premise that Charles A. Lindbergh defeats Franklin Roosevelt in the 1940 presidential election, and quickly implements a series of antiSemitic and pro -Nazi policies. While filled with a wealth of period detail, and populated by a number of actual historical figures, the story itself is rambling and fails to make its fictional viewpoint characters - a middleclass New Jersey Jewish family - come alive. Includes chronology and biographies of actual historical persons and events.

Rosemary Edghill

NON-FICTION

SYMBOL OF COURAGE: A Complete History of the Victoria Cross Max Arthur, Sidgwick & Jackson, 2004, £25.00,hb,552pp,0283073519

The Victoria Cross is awarded for, 'most conspicuous bravery, or some daring or preeminent act of valour or self-sacrifice or extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. 2004 is the 150th anniversary of the VC and this book gives details of every conflict and every VC holder, from the Crimean War to the Falklands. A moving and fascinating, well researched account.

Ann Oughton

THE LOST GERMAN SLAVE GIRL

John Bailey, Atlantic Monthly, 2005, $25, hb,288pp,0871139219

Salome Miiller claimed to have no memory of how she ended up as a slave in 1840s New Orleans. Was she a German immigrant

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

separated as a child from her family and fellow travelers, then kept and sold as a slave by an unscrupulous bayou landowner? Or was she an unscrupulous light-skinned slave, manipulating the legal system and the emotions of an immigrant community all too willing to rescue a long-lost child of their own?

In the slave-holding states, it was cornmon to keep a slave who looked white, yet unconscionable for a white person to enslave another. But how were the courts to tell the difference between a woman who looked white and a woman who was white? 1n truth, the idea of blackness was just as crucial as color itself. Author John Bailey traces the many legal precedents the court used to establish its decisions as the case dragged through appeals and questions concerning Salome herself and the fates of her children.

Salome MUiier's case was tragic, but no more tragic than the fates of everyone else held as slaves. Her story is particularly interesting because it demonstrates the cruel, arbitrary nature of slavery, and the state's elaborate attempts to impose fairness on a system in which fairness was the last concern.

Colleen Quinn

HELOISE AND ABELARD: A TwelfthCentury Love Story

James Burge, HarperSanFrancisco, 2004, $24.95,hb,288pp,0060736631

Pub. in the UK by Profile Books, 2004, £8.99, pb, 1861974825

This new biography of a passionate love story, which has traveled through nine centuries, reveals the recent discovery of eight early letters: five from Abelard and three from Heloise. Their interesting provenance is detailed in James Burge's enthusiastic introduction. Such a discovery clearly adds to his fervor in telling this fascinating story of the exceptional Heloise, who became Abbess of Paraclete monastery, having been cruelly separated from her Abelard and their young son. Excerpts from Abelard's letters of dispute with Church officials (which led to his heresy trial) are included, mingled with details and drawings from twelfth-century France, giving the reader a compelling sense of life at the time. The passion, spirit and devotion of this starcrossed couple come through on every page. Highly recommended.

Tess Allegra

CA TULL US: A Poet in the Rome of Julius Caesar

Aubrey Burl, Constable 2004, £ 16.99, hb, 258pp, (poems trans.by Humphrey Clucas),184119526X

Born some time around 84 BC near Verona, Catullus came from a wealthy, influential family. His early poems were about love but

in maturity he produced writings of sharp wit and social comment. In Rome Catullus lived the high life. After his failed love affair with a married woman, Clodia he stopped writing and died in obscurity.

Outrageous in his own day Catullus's poetry still oozes sensuality for the modem reader. His entire output might have been lost had not a single book of I 00 poems been discovered in the 14th century. He is remembered today by having Verona airport named after him.

Ann Oughton

ALEXANDER: The Hunt for a New Past Paul Cartledge, Macmillan 2004, £18.99, hb, 270pp, 1405032928. Pub. in Us by Overlook Press, "hb, $28.95, 352pp, 1585675652

Another book on Alexander - but this is well worth the read. Paul Cartledge sets out to disentangle the man from the myth using ancient and modem sources.

Alexander emerges as an egocentric ruler convinced of his destiny from youth, deeply religious and, 'a not quite Greek thing'. Some interesting questions are raised. If he had lived longer would Rome have emerged as the next super power? An accessible, fascinating read.

Ruth Ginarlis

BLOOD AND ROSES

Helen Castor, Faber and Faber, 2004, £20, hb,347pp,0571216706

This absorbing account of a family living through the Wars of the Roses is based on a remarkable collection of private letters exchanged between three generations of the Pastons, a family of Norfolk gentry, between 1455 and 1485. It gives a vivid and detailed evocation of the late mediaeval world, highlighting both its differences from and similarities with our own experience of family life. Picking her way with assurance through arcane and complex property disputes, Castor also gives us more familiar pictures - requests for shopping from London, parents exasperated by their teenage children, brothers teasing one another about their amorous adventures, husbands and wives arguing and making up. The major historical developments which form the backdrop to the Pastons' accounts of their lives are recounted clearly and seamlessly woven into the text. Several excellent illustrations support the narrative. My only quibble is with the end notes, which are grouped by chapter numbers though the chapters themselves are listed by name, making referencing a little tedious at times. By and large, though, a fascinating book and an invaluable resource for anyone wanting to know more about England during this period.

Sarah Bower

THE

HISTORICAL

NOVELS REVIEW

RISING SUN AND TUMBLING BEAR: Russia's War with Japan. Richard Connaughton, Cassell! Military Paperbacks, 2004, £7.99 ($29.95), pb, 0304366579(0304361844)

Are you looking for a half forgotten war in an exotic location in which to set your next historical novel? Or do you merely wish to check the facts on the last one you read? Then these are the books for you.

The Dodecanese campaign of 1943 has already inspired The Guns of Navarone, while Captain Corre/Ii 's Mandolin is set in the parallel events in the Ionian Islands. Briefly, the Italian surrender in 1943 left the Italian occupied islands in Greece open to whichever side could seize them first. The Germans grabbed the biggest island, Rhodes, leaving the British to take the smaller islands. The Germans had the airfields and the airpower and the British were condemned to gallant and inevitable failure, although this small campaign hardly merits the title 'a great British defeat.'

Anthony Rogers calls his book Churchi/1 's Folly but there is very little about Churchill or the political and strategic background to the campaign. This is a battle book, a chapter for each day. There arc copious first hand accounts of the combat and some exciting escape stories.

Richard Connaughton is former head of Defence Studies for the British Army. Some years ago the Staff College at Camberly was selling off old stock from its library. Connaughton bid 50p for a volume on the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) and found he had bought the archive. The result is this superb little book.

Parts of the story have been told before (notably Richard Hough's The Fleet That Had To Die, about the battle of Tsushima) but this is a masterly synthesis of the political, strategic, tactical and personal dimensions of the whole conflict, all in 347 pages. This was the war that sowed the seeds of both World Wars, so don't ignore it if you are interested in 20 th Century history. My abiding memory is of the Russian mother who could not read the telegram telling her of her son's death, nor could anybody else in her village, so she went to the railway station to find a traveller who could read it for her.

Edward James

ONE FOURTEENTH OF AN ELEPHANT Ian Denys Peek, Doubleday 2004, £ 18.99, hb, 514pp, 0385607407. Pub. in US by Pan Macmillan 2003, $39.95, pb, 500pp, 0732911680

This is a personal memoir of life and death as a PoW captured by the Japanese and forced to work on the Burma-Thailand Railway. The title is the name Denys and his

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

comrades gave themselves because of the work they were forced to undertake in appalling conditions. It is a tale of courage, undying friendships and, above all, of survival. This book deserves an index which is unfortunately lacking.

Ann Oughton

VANILLA: Travels in Search of the Luscious Substance

Tim Ecott, Michael Joseph 2004, £16.99, hb, 268pp, 0718145895. Pub. in US by Grove Press 2004, $24.00, hb, 278pp, 0802117759

The vanilla orchid bean, prized for its unique flavour by the Aztecs was a botanical mystery. It only grew successfully in Madagascar and had to be fertilised by the bee. ft took a twelve-year-old African slave to perfect pollination by hand in 1841. Sought after by apothecaries, perfumers and gourmets vanilla is more valuable today than at any time in history. It is at the centre of a multimillion-dollar trade and men have been murdered for a few kilos.

Ann Oughton

THE COFFEE HOUSE

Markman Ellis, Weidenfeld&Nicolson, 2004,£18.99,hb,304pp,0297843192

As an avid coffee-drinker, I fell on this book with delight. I knew a bit about the famous coffee-houses of London where the City of London with its giant insurance and banking corporations, had its beginnings. However, I was woefully ignorant of how Europe discovered coffee and transformed it from a strange glass of bitter brew, called coffa, to the modern multiplicity of espresso, cappuccino and latte, which as the author points out, is more about milk than coffee. From the early days to the fifties' bars, where sex, coffee and rock'n'roll became the epitome of cool and today's Starbucks, this book reflects our changing attitudes to this most exotic of drugs, whose use exceeds that of even alcohol or tobacco. Fascinating. Sally Zigmond

YOU DID WHAT? Mad Plans and Great Historical Disasters

Ed. by Bill Fawcett and Brian Thomsen, Perennial Currents, 2004, $ I 2.95/C$17 .95, pb,320pp,0060532505

When it comes to this book, it wasn't a mad plan; it was a pretty good one. And it doesn't quite end in disaster-it just never really pans out. As the title implies, this work of nonfiction examines various faux pas, from major catastrophes to slightly ridiculous blunders. The book includes everything from the abduction of Helen of

Troy to the Watergate scandal, and the subject matter naturally lends itself to a few well-placed jibes. When performed correctly and at someone else's expense, sarcasm can be extremely amusing. However, like an out-of-tune violin, this book doesn't quite hit the right pitch. The premise is excellent, but the writing falls flat. Rather than adding a touch of worldly wit, the book's snide tenor comes off as annoying and a little childish. The information itself is interesting, and the fault lies entirely in the style of presentation. Given the human penchant for idiocy, the editors should have no trouble finding a wealth of material with which to perfect the writing style for their next offering.

Bethany Skaggs

RACE TO THE POLE: Tragedy, Heroism, and Scott's Antarctic Quest

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Hyperion, 2004, $27.95,hb,480pp,0401300472

Fiennes delves into Robert F. Scott's fatal (yet successful) race to the South Pole in 1901 and again in 1911 (the deadly expedition) and debunks many of the modern-day falsehoods presently associated with Scott. In a thoroughly researched, gripping narrative, Fiennes insightfully uses his own numerous Antarctic experiences to evaluate Scott's amazing undertaking. It is this that sets the book apart: the author's ability to distinguish approximately why and how the Scott expeditions failed and, to a greater extent, succeeded in their many goals. Fiennes' knowledge, familiarity and proficiency with the "cruelty" of the Antarctic literally bequeath Race To The Pole a tremendous credibility and readability.

Wendy Zollo

THE BOYS' CRUSADE

Paul Fussell

UK subtitle: American Gls m Europe: Chaos and Fear in World War Two, Weidenfeld&Nicolson, 2004, £9.99, pb,0297646931

US subtitle: The American Infantry in North Western Europe 1944-1945, 2003, Modern Library, $19.95, pb, 0679640886

The 'boys' were the teenage conscripts who formed the bulk of the US infantry which fought its way across NW Europe from DDay to VE-Day, the campaign which Eisenhower baptised 'The Crusade in Europe'. This is not, however, a systematic history of the campaign, but rather a series of short (often very short) impressions to highlight the downside of the victory, not simply the chaos and the fear but cowardice, desertion, 'friendly fire', poor training, inept leadership and black-marketeering. Paul Fussell fought through the campaign as a

junior officer, so he should know. However, I did not get the emotional feel of the campaign as well as in many works of fiction (e.g. Band of Brothers by Stephen Penrose). Perhaps this is where historical fiction scores, 'show it, not tell it'.

Altl1ough Paul Fussell denies that his work is a 'pacifist text', it is difficult to know if his anger is directed at all wars or just this campaign. It is a short book, probably too short for the message it is trying to convey.

Edward James

THE SW AMP OF DEATH

Rebecca Gowers, Hamish Hamilton 2004, £14.99, 256pp, 0241141680

In 1890 Reginald Birchall conned Douglas Pelly and Frederick Benwell into investing in a farming project in Canada. On their arrival it soon became apparent that Birchall was not the successful farmer he claimed to be. When Benwell's corpse was found in a swamp Birchall was accused of his murder and the trial became one of Canada's most celebrated criminal cases of the day.

This fascinating account, written by Pelly's granddaughter, is as gripping as any work of fiction and shows that 'trial by media' is no modern phenomenon.

Ann Oughton

WlLL IN THE WORLD: Bow

Shakespeare Became Shakespeare Stephen Greenblatt, Norton, 2004, $26.95/C$39.00, hb, 384pp, 0393050572

Pub. in the UK by Jonathan Cape, 2004, £20.99, hb, 022406276X

We all k11ow who William Shakespeare was-a prolific writer born in Stratford-onAvon who traveled to London to make his fortune with words. Most ofus can probably still quote a few lines from the speeches in Hamlet or Julius Caesar that we were required to memorize in eighth grade, but whose lines would Shakespeare have learned as a schoolboy? What do we really know about him as a person? It turns out that much of his life story is not known, and that the facts about Shakespeare that do exist have taken centuries of digging to reveal. Noted Shakespeare scholar Stephen Greenblatt comes to the rescue with an eminently readable biography of the Bard. Greenblatt effectively weaves context and conjecture, telling, for example, how likely it was for a young William Shakespeare to have seen, and indeed acted in, plays ranging from Latin classics (with the immoral bits expurgated, of course) to contemporary morality pieces. In learning about Shakespeare's life we also learn about religion, the queen, the country of England, and much more, and it is all deftly explained as Greenblatt gives us the big picture

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

surrounding one of the biggest voices in the English language Highly recommended.

Helene C. Williams

THE LAST DUEL

Eric Jager, Random House, 2004, $24.95, hb,256pp,0767914163

Pub. in the UK by Century, 2004, £14 99, hb,320pp,0712661905

A few days after Christmas 1386, a crowd gathers at a Paris monastery to watch two men fight to the death in a judicial duel. Jean de Carrouges and Jacques LeGris, one a knight and the other a squire, had once been fast friends. Now LeGris is accused of raping Carrouges ' s beautiful young wife, and the two men must engage in mortal combat, allowing God to prove whose cause is just. But more is at stake than just the lives of the combatants . If LeGris loses or confesses, he forfeits his reputation and his life; but if Carrouges is killed, his case is proven false and the chief witness in that case, his wife Marguerite, will be burned alive for perjury.

Though it reads like a thriller, the fact that this work is nonfiction makes the material even more compelling. Jager gives just enough background about the law and social mores of the Middle Ages for the reader to understand the subtleties of the events, without slowing down the nail-biting tension created by this well-written, gripping story. The reader won't be able to put this book down until one of the combatants lies dead upon the field.

Bethany Skaggs

ARTHUR, KING OF THE BRITONS

Daniel Mersey , Summersdale Publishers Ltd, £9.99, pb, 255pp, 1840244038 King Arthur is all things to all men, a man for all seasons, the once and future king. Here, Daniel Mersey concise account takes us through the myth, the history and later reinterpretations, such as Tennyson and the Pre-Raphaelites and twentieth-century books and films. He gives a succinct account of recent scholarship and ends with a glossary of names and places in the story along with a detailed bibliography and a list of useful websites. An index would have been helpful, though.

If you are already well-versed in the 'Matter of Britain', then you won't find much that you don't know, but if you are starting out on your quest, you will find it indispensable Sally Zigmond

CODENAME TRICYCLE

Russell Miller, Secker & Warburg 2004, hb, £16 99,290pp,0436210231

This is a book for espionage enthusiasts. For the non-specialist, the career of Dusko Popov, Second World War double agent, playboy and serial channer, possible inspiration for James Bond, is interesting, but insufficiently compelling to justify a fulllength book. I found the details of the way the 'Double Cross System' - the scheme by which the British 'turned' captured German agents and used them to feed disinformation to their former employers - fascinating, but long before the war was over I was finding Popov's relentless party-going and womanising tedious.

Ann Lyon

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HISTORY OF DUELLING

Duncan Noble, Ken Trotman 2004, £7.50, pb,44pp, 190507400X

This is a useful booklet packed with inforrnation about duelling in Europe from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century, and concluding with some interesting thoughts about modern social behaviour which might be described as displaced duelling. It is, however, marred in places by uncorrected grammatical errors (I found two on the first two pages) and at least one glaring historical error when a duel which took place in 1270 is said to have occurred during the reign of Henry II (died 1188).

A good, quick reference guide if used with discretion, comprehensively indexed. Perhaps rather expensive at £7.50 for a roughly bound paperback pamphlet.

Sarah Bower

ELIZABETH'S LONDON

Liza Picard, St. Martin's, 2004 $27.95 hb 342pp, 0312325657 , , , UK: Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2003, £20 00, hb, 320pp, 0297607294/Phoenix, £7 .99,pb,368pp,0753817578

The subtitle of this book is "Everyday life in Elizabethan London," which describes the contents perfectly. Drawing upon contemporary sources and extensively footnoted, the book is divided into two sections: The Place (the river, streets, buildings, furniture, gardens) and The People (health, foreigners, food and drink, marriage, education, etc.). Three appendices cover words and pronunciation; currency, wages and prices ; and a sample Elizabethan invoice This is an eminently readable and most enjoyable introduction to the topic, by a very non-stuffy historian

Trudi E. Jacobson

CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: Leros and the Aegean, The Last Great British Defeat of World War Two

Anthony Rogers, Casselll Military Paperbacks, 2004 . £7.99 ($29.95), pb, 0304366552 (0304361518)

WANTED MAN: The Forgotten Story of Oliver Curtis Perry

Tamsin Spargo, Bloomsbury 2004, £10.99, pb, 240pp, 0747570388 Pub. in US by Bloomsbury, $22.95, 1582342288

In 1892 a masked man raided an American Express train as it travelled through New York State, gained access to the money car and stole a fortune in money and jewels

This daring exploit captured the imagination of the public, especially when another, similar robbery took place only five months later. The conductor was shot and Perry captured He spent most of his life in prison and institutions for the criminally insane.

This is an extraordinary story about a remarkable man The author reveals the childhood experiences that fashioned a brilliant, complex, flawed man and through him shows the appalling conditions for prisoners.

Marina Oliver

BLENHEIM, BATTLE FOR EUROPE:

How two men stopped the French conquest of Europe

Charles Spencer, Weidenfeld&Nicolson, 2004,£20,hb,0297846094

The blurb on the cover of this book points out that Charles Spencer is best known for the speech at the funeral of his sister, Princess Diana. The contents demonstrate that he is also an accomplished and scholarly historian His claim that it 'stretched my limited scholarly pretensions to the full' is surely over-modest.

The book celebrates the 300 th anniversary of the battle of Blenheim Like many anniversary publications it over-plays the importance of its subject. Had the French won they would have brought the War of the Spanish Succession to a speedy conclusion by forcing the Austrians to accept the Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne. As it was the war continued another nine years and ended with the Austrians accepting the Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, with some territorial compensations It was ever thus with the dynastic wars of the 'Age of Enlightenment'

Yet even the cynical poet Robert Southey admitted 't'was a famous victory', and Charles Spencer tells the story elegantly and well. It has been done before by Churchill and Trevelyan, but bears retelling.

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

The book is beautifully illustrated, but please could we have had a campaign map?

Edward James

THE DEVIL KISSED HER: The Story of Mary Lamb

Kathy Watson, Bloomsbury 2004 , £16 .99, hb , 237pp, 0747571090. Pub. in Us by Jeremy P.Tarc her, $24.95, hb, 240pp, 1585423564

At the age of thirty-one Mary Lamb killed her mother in a fit of insanity She was to suffer from recurring bouts of mental illness for the rest of her life necessitating periods of incarceration in mental institutions. During her lucid periods Mary Lamb wrote children's stories and, together with her brother Charles, entertained such literary lions as Coleridge, Wordsworth and Hazlitt. This well-researched biography gives a sympathetic insight into an extraordinary life It is unfortunate that the publishers did not think it necessary to include the essential index

Ann Oughton

CHILDREN'S & YOUNG ADULTS'

JANUARY 1905

Katharine Boling, Harcourt, 2004, $ I 6.00, hb, 170pp, 0152051198

The tales of pre-teen twin sisters Pauline and Arlene change off, chapter by chapter, in this novel geared for readers ten and older. Born into a poor factory family that couldn't feed one extra mouth, let alone two, each struggles with hatred for the other and jealousy for her life. Which was the baby who was one too many? Pauline, the "perfect one" in Arlene's eyes, gets to go to twist threads in the mill from dawn to dusk, be with her friends and bring money home with sometimes something left over for sweets. Arlene's club foot makes her special, in Pauline's eyes. She doesn't have to get up in the cold and dark, be groped by the mill boss and deal with the difficult social life of friends She gets to stay home and cook and keep house for the family, the easy jobs.

Arlene helps with a birth in the townanother baby that is one mouth too many. Then a young boy, Jimmy, working on Pauline's loom , 1s grievously hurt and the boss says Arlene , club foot or no, must come and take a sweeper's job to take up the slack. In his fall, Jimmy hurt Pauline's foot so badly that the next day, when they both crawl out of bed in the bitter dawn, both girls must wear one of their brother's shoes and clump along together to the mill.

This harrowing introduction to the horrors of the Industrial Revolution is beautifully written, illustrated with a couple

of photos of child factory workers. And thank goodness for the Afterword that lets us know that the photographer who'd been lurking about was going to do something about the child labor laws. Ages IO+ Ann Chamberlin

NIGHT BOMBER

J Eldridge, Puffin, 2000, £3 .99, pb, 119 pages. ISBN 0141307242

This book is from Puffin's 'Warpath' series - books which are part fact books and part war stories. The stories are fictional but based on real-life events. Detailed information notes, pictures and diagrams are also included 'Night Bomber' is about the V-2 threat and the British raid on Peenemunde in 1943.

The factual part is placed at the beginning and the end of the book First there are notes which explain the importance of Peenemunde - the Nazi weapons research station on the Baltic coast where research into the V-2 rockets (or flying bombs or Doodlebugs as they were later called) was carried out. The RAF raid with its subsequent devastation, delayed the research by four months - a delay which was to prove vital. If the V-2 rockets had been used earlier then Britain could easily have lost the War.

Along with these factual notes are maps, diagrams and tables. Then in the middle of the book are photographs of bombers with the technical specifications underneath.

The actual story is told in the first person by nineteen-year-old Flight Engineer John Smith. He has twice escaped from crashed aircraft when the rest of the crew were killed and much of the story revolves around accusations that John is jinxed and brings bad luck. Then comes the Peenemunde raid. Does John manage to disprove the jibes of jinx?

An exciting story combined with a short but comprehensive fact book This little book gets everything right.

This book is probably aimed at the ten to fourteen age group but I would say that it will be of use to anyone wanting to learn about the Second World War. The facts are so well explained that many adults could learn from it. Very highly recommended.

Mary Moffat

THE BLOOD STONE

Jamila Gavin, Egmont, 2004, £10.99, hb, 401pp. ISBN 1-4052-0927-5

To be published in the US by Farrar Straus Giroux, September 2005, 0374308462

In 17th century Venice, a fabulous diamond, the Ocean of the Moon, is cut by the jeweller Geronimo Veroneo, who

later disappears while on a trip to India, where he'd hoped to make his fortune. Fourteen years later, news comes of Veroneo's capture by an Afghan warlord, with a plea to his son to bring the diamond as ransom.

But the diamond attracts many predators. Veroneo's unscrupulous son-inlaw Pagliarin, who has been left in charge of the family, will do anything to stop Veroneo's son, Filippo, leaving Venice with it. Can Iqbal Khan, who has come with the ransom message, be trusted? It is plain that he has his own agenda. And what of the merchant Rodriguez, who was Veroneo's friend? He, too, is on the diamond's trail.

Filippo's trek is a personal Odyssey as well as a mission to rescue his father. His journey takes him to the court in Agra, a palace of deadly secrets, where many are determined to stop him seeing the Great Moghul, the only man who can order Veroneo's release. Filippo will need all his wits, courage and strength if he is to succeed in his task.

This gripping story illuminates the cosmopolitanism, business acumen and vitality of the age. It is also a patriarchal world; Veroneo's wife and daughters are powerless to overrule Pagliarin's wishes. On the minus side, I occasionally lost track of the plot, though it's true that I raced ahead, desperate to tum over the pages. And there were some anachronisms, for example, "He dropped a bombshell " and some jarring modem slang, e.g. "Are you OK?"' Considering the author has an obvious feel for language, these are surprising lapses. Recommended. I 1 plus. Be prepared for a roller-coaster of a read.

Elizabeth Hawksley

I enjoyed reading 'The Blood Stone.' It has some good characters and an original plot. At first it was a bit boring, but it got better after Carlo was attacked. Towards the end it twisted and turned and I couldn't tell who was good and who was bad . Although this made it more exciting, it also made it more confusing I couldn't follow the parts where it changed from first to third person. 7/10.

Lucy Beggs aged twelve and a half

I think it's very well written, although found the changes of tense and person confusing and off-putting. The book demands, perhaps, too much of the reader for inadequate reward - after quite a marathon, everyone is either dead, missing or deeply unhappy; the fact that the Taj Mahal is a vague reminder of the diamond isn't really sufficient recompense

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

In terms of the Eastern content, it's faultless. All the details rang true, and the atmosphere was created very well - the heat, noise, smells, colour and general chaos. Historically, too, I think it's spot on, though an indication of the 17th century date would have helped. But would a young reader from the West understand that Hindustan is India, or that a 'Muselman' (pronounced more like Mooselmahn as opposed to Muscleman) is a follower of Islam?

Prem Beggs

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPARROWS

Marian Hale, Henry Holt, 2004, $16.95, hb, 256pp,0805075844

Sadie's life in Missouri suits her just fine, but the family cannot survive in the droughtplagued land. Daddy decides they will be better off in Texas. Like many children of the Depression, Sadie must leave her best friend and the home she loves for a new Ii fe where children work alongside adults and homes barely resemble the ones they left. The difference is that Sadie's father has no legs , but he has a fierce determination to provide for his family. It is a story of compassion, perseverance , and strength of character.

Texan Marian Hale has crafted a wonderful middle-grade novel of the Great Depression set at the Arkansas Pass Seawall, just twenty miles from her home. Her first chapter draws us right in and we never leave. Hale's intimacy with the subject is evident as she creates characters that are convincing and genuine. We feel Sadie's heartache as she describes leaving her home: "Home disappeared behind us, looking crisp-fried like Mama's hash-brown potatoes, and all I could think about was how you can't start a new life without the old one dying first."

Hale has the gift of all good historical fiction authors: creating a setting that allows the reader to leave the present and live for the duration of the book in an earlier time period. She uses all of our senses to grab us into Sadie's life at the Seawall. We smell the shrimp at the cannery , taste the pancakes Sadie must bring to school , and feel the winds of the storm that hit the Seawall community.

The Truth About Sparrows , Hale's first novel , is a jewel. I am anxious to see what comes next. Ages IO+

Nancy Castaldo THE VANISHING POINT

Louise Hawes, Houghton Mifflin , 2004 , $17 .00 / C$24.95 , hb, 240pp, 0618434232 This fictionalized biography recounts a year in the life of Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontana. Teenager Vini is an only child, her mother having suffered multiple

miscarriages. Desperate to fulfill her desire to paint , Vini conspires with her friend , Paolo, to bring her work to her father's notice. Prospero Fontana is thrilled to find his daughter has both the soul and the talent of an artist and welcomes her to his studio But all is not well in the Fontana household. Lavinia falls victim to a childhood disease and must live with the possibility she will never see again, while her mother's latest pregnancy leads to tragedy.

With careful research and a deft hand, Ms. Hawes convincingly recreates the Renaissance period, full of colour , noise and politics. Similarly her characters, especially Vini and her father, leap from the page and grab our attention. The story starts slowly , but picks up speed about halfway through as the various plot threads, including a romance between Vini and Paolo , come together. My one real quibble was the author's use of present tense , which I found rather distracting. Still, as an introduction to art and history , few parents could go wrong buying this for their teens

Teresa Basinski Eckford

BLOOD TIES

Rosemary Hayes , Puffin, (Australia) , 200 I, (no price marked) , pb , I 83pp , ISBN 0141304146

'Blood Ties' by Rosemary Hayes was an intense and colourful read. The book is about an Australian girl named Kath Sutton who is diagnosed with leukaemia in the early years of her life. Through a series of vivid dreams, Kath uncovers her Grandma Kathleen's past, which up to a point has remained unknown. As Kath's Gran died at the beginning of the book, the only way she can tell Kath about her past is through flashbacks in Kath's dreams.

Kath has been told that she will soon die from leukaemia unless a bone marrow transplant is performed quickly However, Kath has a rare tissue type and so far has failed to find a donor. Will she find a donor? Will she live or will she die ? These were just some of the que s tions I repeatedly asked myself as I read.

The vivid flashbacks made me realise how much today ' s world has developed. When Grandma Kathleen was part of Barnardos (in the 1940s and 50s) she lived in squalid conditions and seemed to be treated like a slave. Having been transported to Australia, Kathleen found herself in a completely new world. Everything was different: the animals, the weather and, above all, the surroundings.

Barnardos was a charity that took in homeless orphan children. When Grandma Kathleen was only four years old her mother died of starvation and

illness, therefore Kathleen was taken into Barnardos. Kathleen suffered bullying from the carers and was sent to Australia to start a new life. Everyone she loved was taken away from her. She wa s separated from her only friend, Enid Robinson, who, later in the book , was killed. Kathleen tried to forget about h e r past and therefore did not tell anybody about it, apart from Kath.

Later on in the book we find out that Grandma Kathleen had a twin brother who died on the same day as her. The only drawback about this book is that it never explains why the twins died on the same day. I felt that Rosemary Hayes could have examined this and perhaps given some explanation. All in all , I enjoyed reading 'Blood Ties ' as it let me compare the world now to how it was sixty years ago.

Emily Granozio, age 13

FANNIE IN THE KITCHEN

THE HISTORICAL OVELS REVIEW

Deborah Hopkinson, ancy Carpenter (illus ), Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004 , $6.99 / C$ I 0.50, pb, 06898 I 965X

This delightful children's tale is based on a young girl, Marcia Shaw , learning to cook from the infamous Fannie Merritt Farmer Hopkinson includes quotes , recipes (slightly changed), and tips from the 1896 and 1906 editions of the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, works revised by Farmer. Fannie in the Kitch en also highlights many long forgotten cooking particulars, such as te s ting eggs for freshness, which was once a nece ssary component of cooking. In the story, Fa1111cr emphasizes to young Marcia the importance of measuring precisely. These tricks and practices provide a very authentic historical element to the book. By the time Fannie leaves the Shaw household (Fannie ' s real life employer) , Marcia is well on her way to becoming quite a cook. Carpenter's illustrations are mouthwatering and will tempt readers of any ag e into the kitchen! Ages 4-8

Carol Anne Gennain

RAIDERS FROM THE SEA: Book One of Viking Quest

Lois Walfrid Johnson, Mood y , 2003 , $7 99 , p~ 199pp , 0802431127

MYSTERY OF THE SILVER COINS: Book Two of Viking Quest

Lois Walfrid Johnson , Moody , 2003 , $7 99 , pb, I 87pp, 0802431 135

THE I VISIBLE FRIE D: Book Three of Viking Quest

Lois Walfrid Johnson, Moody , 2004, $7 99 , pb , l 90pp , 0802431 127

In this series of in s pirational young adult novels, Lois Walfrid Johnson has penned an ISSUE 3 0, OVEMBER 2004

earnest but strained story of tenth century lr e land and Norway. Brianna O ' Toole saves a young stranger from drowning only to realize, too late, that he's a Viking raider. Taken captive, Bree calls on her faith for the courage to face certain slavery, forget her ange r, and forgive Mikkel - the young Viking who'd captured her. During the sea voyage to Norway, they sail into a violent sto rm The Vikings call upon their gods in vai n ; only when Bree calls upon Jesus do the waves and wind s ub s ide. Thus she earns th e Viking's curiosity, and wary respect.

In the seco nd book, the ship reaches Norway where Bree escapes into the countryside. After being hunted down , Bree is accused of s tealing Mikkel's bag of silver coi ns. Bree - an hone st girl - denies the theft. She h e lps Mikkel di scove r the true thief. Though she wins his re s pect , she still does not win her freedom. She struggles to acce pt her fate even as s he receives quiet messages from God that she will become a "lig ht unto the nation s."

In the third book , Bree is given as a slave to Mikkel's mother. Bree plans to esca pe , but the arr ival of her brother , Dev , causes new complications. Mikkel imprisons Dev , claiming him as a slave, in a dispute th a t can't be resolved until the vi ll age e lder s meet in the s pring O ve r the long Norwegian winter, Dev and Mikkel grow strong in friendship and tru st. Meanwhile, Bree explains Jesus to the fam ily , b y reading from a bible stolen from th e monastery at Glendalough. She also indirectly he a ls Mikkel 's father of lepro sy. These acts ea rn the gratitude and friendship of the Vikings. When village elders meet , the young Iri s h s lave s are granted a co nditional freedom.

In thi s evangelical Christian series, there's no talk of Mass , sac raments, the Euc h arist o r the saints - or any aspect of ear ly Iri s h Catholicism. Yet despite thi s, and a few a n achron is m s (potatoes in I 0th century Ir e la nd) , these book s are clearly born of the deepest of sentiment, and provid e a w hol esome and heartfelt alternative to more wo rldl y yo ung adult fiction Ages 9-12 Lisa Ann Verge

JUST BINNIE, Dick King-Smith , Puffin , 2004, hb , 171 pp,£ 12 .99 ISBN 0-141-38003-9 1912. Seventeen-year-old Binnie Bon e is living with he r sib lin gs in affluent circumsta nc es in Somerset. Then comes news that their parents have died in the Ti tan ic disaster. 'Will her courage hold the family together?' asks the blurb. Luckily, Mr Bone lea ves a large incom e and there are plenty of se rvants to do the work, so Binnie doe s n't , in fact, have to lift a finger.

The tone of this book is extraordinarily old-fashioned. It reminded me of Angela Brazil's 'Patriotic Schoolgirl', where simple faith in God, class distinctions and patriotism reign supreme. When the First World War breaks out, her two older brothers (one under age) join up with no protest from Binnie - true to life for the period, but I'd have expected something which questioned the assumptions of the time for today's young readers. Back in England, everything continues as normal ; Grandpa Fea, for example, retains his smart car and chauffeur. Rationing is never mentioned.

The First World War was a time when servants abandoned the large country houses in droves , either for the armed forces or for better paid jobs in some munitions factory It was also a time of new ideas : expanding opportunities for women (Binnie doesn ' t even do war work), a loosening of the old class structures, and the spread of Socialism None of thi s gets a mention I found it all too stiff upper lip (the love scenes between Binnie a nd the local vicar were laughably stilted) and there were no real conflicts to keep the reader's interest. I was longing for the family money to di sap pear , as in Edith Nesbit's 'The Railw ay Children' ( 190 7) , so that the Bone children could le a rn to cope with real hardship and be challenged by new ideas. No such luck.

Elizabeth Hawksley

If I hadn't been sent it , I'd have bought it because it's got an attractive cover and title - but they don't give anything away , so it's a complete myst e ry. It's quite long - it took me two day s to read and I'm 9 and a very good reader. I would recommend it to 8 - IO year olds, but an early 7-year-old reader might be able to manage it. For plot , characters, love line etc., I would give it 8/10.

Ra c hel Beggs aged 9

ALMOST HOME

Wendy Lawton, Mood y, 2003, $5.99, pb , 143pp ,0802 436374

Part of th e publi s her 's Daughters of the Faith se ries , A lmost H ome is the s tory of 13year-o ld Mary Chilton , o ne of the I 02 souls on the famous 16 20 voyage of the Mayflower. Mary , uprooted once already from her home in England, d ec ides to leave Holland with her Sep ara ti s t parents and others to establish a co lony in the still largely unexplored New World. In this time of upheaval and uncert a inty , she finds her faith in God sore ly test ed, as the voyage and landing are fraught wit h difficulties The author's accurate descriptions of the

Pilgrims ' life in Holland , of conditions on board ship, of what the colonists found when they landed at Plymouth, and insightful portrayals of some of the more notable passengers, combine with a highly readable narrative to create a believable story of early America Lawton's Mary is a sympathetic character, a strong-willed, caring and loving young gir l, whose greatest desire is to find a place to belong. Although marketed as a juvenile title, adults can read and enjoy this compelling tale of faith and courage as well. Ages 8-12

Michael l. Shoop

THE HALLELUJAH LASS: A Story

Based on the Life of Salvation Army

Pioneer Eliza Shirley

Wendy Lawton , Moody , 2004, $6.99, pb, 160pp, ISBN 0802440738

This biographical novel tells the story of Eliza Shirley, a lieutenant in the newly founded Salvation Army who brought the movement from England to America in 1880. She was only sixteen years old at the time. In this straightforward and inspiring account, the author pre se nts a clear if somewhat stereotyped picture of the downtrodden mill-and-mine population in Coventry, England The inner conflicts of the young Eliza are convincingly portrayed as she is moved to join and then lead these soldiers for the Lord. The book is written in an age-appropriate style for children eight to twelve years o ld , highlighting a sample of difficult vocabulary words that are defined in a glossary at the back The s tory is interesting enough to carry both the history and moral lessons. My eight-year-old daughter read it first and asked if we could get other books in the Daughters of the Faith series. After reading it myself, I enthusiastically said yes. Ages 8-12

Sue Asher

When a group of preaching women, or " Hallelujah Lasses ," come marching into Coventry , Eliza Shirley's hometown , even the most drunk , evil and rough characters become good, or "co nverts " as the Hallelujah Lasses called them After going to an open air meeting and helpin g her best friend Beck's cousin, Eliza couldn't keep away from them. Soon enough, s he and Beck are singing for them , then joining the Hallelujah Lasses' preaching group. When the group leaves Coventry and Eliza cannot go with them , she and Beck a re forced to split up Their only hope is to rejoin as fullfledged Hallelujah Lasses in America. I'd g ive it an 8 out of 10.

Lila Asher , age 8

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30 , NOVEMBER 2004

RANSOM'S MARK: A Story Based on the Life of the Pioneer Olive Oatman Wendy Lawton, Moody Publishers, 2003, $6.99,pb, 138pp,0802436382

This moving story recounts the captivity narrative of Olive Oatman, a thirteen-yearold pioneer who struck out with her family to reach California in the summer of 1850. The Oatmans suffer one disaster after another until the wagon train disbands and her family struggle-5 on alone through dangerous Indian territory. The tension builds until the inevitable Indian attack occurs and Olive finds herself and her younger sister Mary Ann to be the only survivors The renegades take the two girls hostage, leaving their massacred family behind This makes it a somewhat heavy read for those at the lower end of the 8- 12 year-old target age range

The heart of the story centers on Olive's faith, understandably tested by the many trials she must endure She and her sister long to be ransomed, but when their deliverance comes it is not white friends who rescue them but Topeka, daughter of a Mohave chief. Although it is a solemn and sad tale - her troubles do not end when she goes to live with the Mohaves it is ultimately uplifting. Olive learns to see God's faithfulness in the ways each new crisis provided another example of her ransom.

Sue Asher

Olive Ann Oatman thought escaping from Indians would be easy when she ransomed herself for her little sister in a game of wild Indians. But she found out the hard way that it was easier said than done With no family, trail, or house to go back to when captured by the Yavapai Indians, Olive worked hard to take care of her little sister Mary Ann. Life as a Yavapai slave was hard work and Mary Ann was getting very frail. Eventually they were rescued by the Mohave Indians. There they found out that their older brother Lorenzo might be alive! Is the rumor true or will Olive be a Mohave forever?

Lila Asher, age 8

JIM DAVIS, John Masefield , Chicken House, 2002, £4 99, paperback, 215 pages. ISBN 1903434645

(US) Kessinger Publishing, 2004, pb 120pp, ISBN 141912756X This book was first published in 1911. Devon during the Napoleonic Wars. The orphaned Jim Davis lives with his aunt and uncle on the south coast of Devon where he comes in contact with a band of smugglers

One of the smugglers, a Marah Gorsuch, who is also half gypsy, befriends Jim and teaches him how to tie

knots and how to rig a toy ship. Then Jim stumbles on the smugglers' hideout - a large cave in the cliffs with a sea entrance for a lugger. So that there will be no danger of Jim betraying them the smugglers decide to make Jim one of themselves. He is to make two voyages with the smugglers and then they will let him go home because by that time he will be a smuggler himself and so they will be able to trust him.

Jim sails with them on two voyages to France but before they can release him the smugglers are surprised by the soldiers when they are unloading a cargo There is a fight and at the end of it Jim finds himself wounded, alone and penniless He just wants to get home but first he has to elude the soldiers and preventive officers and he knows he could be hanged if caught.

The blurb on the back of the book refers to it as a 'page turner.' But this modern expression does not do the book justice True there is plenty of action but there is far more to the book than that. John Masefield was an expert at conveying atmosphere. Of course. Well he did become poet laureate later. Jim's ride through the snow stonn, the smugglers' hideout in the hut among the gorse bushes, the sea cave - all scenes to be lingered over and enjoyed.

It is really good to see such a fine book back in print.

Comes with an introduction by Michael Morpurgo.

10+

Mary Moffat

BEW ARE, PRINCESS ELIZABETH

Carolyn Meyer, Gulliver/Harcourt, 200 I, $5.95,pb,214pp, 780152045562

Published in the UK by Collins, 2003, £4.99, pb, 240pp, 000715030X

In this installment of the "Young Royals" series, Carolyn Meyer has penned a breezy account of the early years in the life of Elizabeth I. Beginning at Henry Vill's death in 1547, and ending with Elizabeth's ascension to the throne in 1558, the novel covers the most exciting events of the time. Unfortunately, Elizabeth, the only point of view character, lives a life apart during these years. First, she is pushed aside by courtiers vying for power during her weak half-brother's reign After the young king dies, Mary takes the throne. Elizabeth-next in line for the crown and thus a dangerous rival-is intentionally kept at country estates, or comfortably "detained" in London Tower. Only through gossipy secondary characters do we hear of Queen Mary's marriage, the burning of heretics, and various intrigues of the court. This

structural difficulty may not have been so pointed, had Elizabeth the young princess been portrayed, in bud, as the clever, sharp and politically ruthless queen she later came to be. This Elizabeth is a soft, kind princess, and thus a far easier character for the target audience to embrace. Ages 12+ Lisa Ann Verge

DOOMED QUEEN ANNE

Carolyn Meyer, Gulliver/ Harcourt, 2002, $5.95,pb,230pp, 780152050863

In this installment of the "Young Royals" series, Carolyn Meyers weaves a riveting morality tale around the life of Anne Boleyn. From her youngest days, Anne has envied her older sister Mary- a blond temptress and a mistress of kings. Raised in the courts of Europe, Anne soon learns to better her own sister in feminine wiles When her father secures her a position in the English court, she quickly puts her skills to work. She encourages King Henry VIII's attentions even as she denies him the ultimate surrender. Ultimately, she wins the king's love, marries him, and becomes queen-at the cost of great social and religious upheaval. Yet, after three pregnancies, she bears the king only one daughter, not the son he craves. Soon Anne is framed for "treason" and beheaded to make way for the king's next fancy . Parents should take note : the subject matter, though handled deftly by the author, still concerns a brazen young woman sexually ensnaring a king, and thus may not be appropriate for the younger set of the book's target age group. Anne is vibrantly portrayed as a fierce and determined character, but she is no role model. Her life story is a cautionary tale of the price of pride and blind ambition Ages 12+

Lisa Ann Verge

MARY, BLOODY MARY

Carolyn Meyer, Gulliver/Harcourt, 1999, $6.00,pb,227pp , 0152019065

Pub in the UK by Collins , 2003 , £4 99, pb, 240pp,0007150296

This story gives voice to Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII, as a young adult. Mary begins by expressing her anger at being promised to King Francis in 1527 when she was just 11, and the apple of her father's eye She tells her audience, "I can't believe my father would pledge me to that disgusting old man!" She soon realizes that her temporary betrothal was only the beginning of her troubles. Mary blames Anne Boleyn, the woman whom she believes is bewitching her father, for her change in status from heir to the throne to bastard and servant to her half-sister,

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ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

Elizabeth. Through all of her trials, Mary is separated from her mother and everyone she knows and loves. She watches as many of the people who defend her are put to death for their loyalty Carolyn Meyer does not concentrate on Mary's later life when religious intolerance labels her "Bloody Mary ," but focuses on the difficulties of growing up unwanted and in danger of her life This is a well-written book, easy and interesting to read, by an accomplished young adult author. It is part of the Young Royals series. Ages 12+

Nan Curnutt

PATIENCE, PRINCESS CATHERINE

Carolyn Meyer, Gulliver/Harcourt, 2004, $17.00,hb, 198pp,0152165444

Carolyn Meyer continues her Young Royals series with this novel about Catherine of Aragon, who became the beloved, and then unwanted, wife of England's Henry VIII Opening with her exile in a dank and cheerless castle , Queen Catherine reflects back on her journey from Spain to England, her brief marriage to Prince Arthur and then the years of uncertainty while, as a young widow, she waited for others to decide her fate. Her patience seems to have been rewarded when she finally marries the young Henry VIII and becomes queen of England. Elated with such happiness and love, Catherine would hardly realize that her golden king would become her merciless persecutor. As with all her novels, the author does an excellent job bringing to life the court, customs and politics of Tudor England. Although Patience, Princess Catherine is categorized as young adult fiction, adults will also enjoy this well researched historical story. Ages 12+

Suzanne Crane

SURVIVORS,

Elisabeth Navratil, O'Brien, 1999, £4.99, 220pp, ISBN 0862785901 (same in USA) Survivors tells the true story of the voyage of Michel Navratil and his two children, Lolo and Momon, on the Titanic in 1912 . Survivors is written by Michel Navratil's granddaughter. Navratil kidnaps his two sons from his wife, Marcelle, to start a new life in New York. Travelling under false names and passports, they board the Titanic. Michel is nervous throughout the voyage that he may be arrested, for taking his children He becomes even more uneasy when he hears a young girl telling her mother of a terrible dream she had in which the Titanic sank Navratil wonders what would happen if the ship did sink, with two children who do not even know their real names

During the journey all three Navratils explore the splendour of the mighty vessel, making many new friends along the way. These include some of the richest men and women in the world.

On the 14th April, the Titanic hit a massive iceberg, which damaged the front of it, letting water flood in. Michel, Lolo and Momon get trapped in third class, and are too late to board a lifeboat, most of which had left half-full. All hope seems lost, when four canvas boats are found. Lolo and Momon leave on one, leaving their father on the sinking ship Lolo was distraught at leaving his father behind, but still hopes he can survive. Michel perished in the half frozen sea, when the ship finally sank. He is found weeks later, kept afloat by his life jacket. Lolo and Momon arrived in New York, after being rescued by the Carpathia. They have no father, and do not know where their mother is. They are eventually tracked down, after many days of despair. Marcelle sees the boys' picture in a newspaper . She knows her children are safe and sound.

I really enjoyed 'Survivors'. It gave a very realistic view of life on the Titanic. I think it is better because the author knew the two survivors. Though some of the story had to be improvised, and a few characters invented, it is still very realistic It is a haunting story, with many facts added in the footnotes. An epilogue tells of the children's rescue by their mother. The postscript tells how the writing of 'Survivors' came about. A thoroughly interesting read for children and adults, especially for those who have an interest in the Titanic.

Charlotte Kemp aged 13

THE EYES OF DR. DEE.

Maggie Pearson. A & C Black,.2002 £8.99, 94pp . ISBN 0713662050

It is 158 I. Queen Elizabeth is on the throne of England and the old Roman Catholic faith has been replaced by the new Protestant religion but although the people are now free to worship God as they choose, provided they acknowledged Elizabeth as the true Queen; are loyal citizens and attend Church regularly otherwise there are heavy fines to pay; there are still plenty of people willing to risk their lives in plotting to remove Elizabeth, install her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots in her place and bring back the 'true religion'. Into this scenario comes Temperance Jones and Barnabas Saul. They have travelled from Cambridge to London looking for Robert Poley, Temperance's Uncle's secretary, whom Temperance thinks she is in love with and he with her. They are befriended by Dr. Dee who thinks Barnabas Saul is someone else and through

this gets embroiled in one of the catholic plots.

Although this is a fictional story it gets right under the skin of the time in which it is set. Walsingham was Elizabeth's Spy-master, Robert Poley really existed and was keen to become one of Walsingham's spies. The characters are well drawn, the story has pace and the descriptions give a vivid picture of life in Elizabethan London. The Author's notes also give a good explanation of the background against which the tale is told and there is a useful glossary at the back.

Who knows whether the events portrayed in the book really happened or not but they certainly could have done Marilyn Sherlock

THE WHITE RIDER - A Tom Marlowe Adventure

Chris Priestley, Doubleday, Random House Children's Books, 2004, £10.99, hb, 185pp, ISBN 038560694

This book is the second Tom Marlowe adventure following the successful debut novel, •Death and the Arrow'.

The book is set in London I 7 I 6 at a time when Jacobite rebels are being hunted and executed as traitors to their country. No one wants to raise suspicions against themselves of being connected with the Jacobite cause for fear of being accused of treason, and the vile punishment this would bring.

Against this background rides the mysterious highwayman 'The White Rider' No one knows if he is man or monster, demon or ghost, as his skeletal face terrifies his victims. He is said to have the power to kill his victims by merely pointing at them. Tom's mentor, Dr Harker, is fascinated by witness reports of the highwayman's attacks. However, it is Dr Harker's actions that give Tom cause for concern, as he overhears private conversations between his mentor and his friends. Unsure as to where his loyalties lay, Tom is even more confused when his father arrives from America.

This book is a very enjoyable read. The story moves along smoothly and swiftly with ever more complex twists and turns to the mystery. The historic detail is woven skilfully in throughout the story giving the reader a realistic impression of what life was like within eighteenth century London. Each character is both believable and interesting. I look forward to reading further books by this author.

Val Loh

VOYAGE OF THE SNAKE LADY

Theresa Tomlinson, Corgi Books, 2004, £5 99, paperback, 336 pages, ISBN O 552 55163 5

This is the sequel to the Moon Riders about a tribe of warrior nomadic women who

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

travelled around the Black Sea area performing ritual dances. After the fall of Troy the Moon Riders settle down in a village on the southern shores of the Black Sea This book tel ls of their capture by the son of Achilles, their successful attempt to free themselves and their voyage across the Black Sea to its northern shores.

Then follows details of how they try to make a home in this new land. They find a herd of wild horses and use their ancient skills to tame them. They make contact with some local tribesmen who show them how to survive a winter much harsher than any they have been used to. Then Myrina learns that her friend Iphigenia, whom she believed drowned when washed overboard, is still alive but in danger. Myrina determines to save her and there follows an exciting story of a rescue from ritual sacrifice.

The first part about establishing a camp and making contact with the other tribe is exceptionally good. The description of how they tame the wild horses is particularly interesting. Theresa Tomlinson has researched this part very carefully and what animal people will notice is that the methods of these ancient riders are very much in tune with modem methods of animal training. This section also provides material to give the imagination some work. Here the reader can stop and imagine the Moon Riders and the tribesmen roving over the Steppes. Very refreshing when so many modern books suffer from an obsession with pace.

In writing this book Theresa Tomlinson has done a great deal of research - both about the legendary Amazonian women and the Ancient Greeks and the book comes with a historical note and a rough sketch map.

Thrilling, authentic, imaginative, original - very highly recommended 12+

Mary Moffat

TREAD SOFTLY

Kate Pennington, Hodder Children's books, 2003, £5 99, pb, 246pp, ISBN 0340873434

'Tread Softly', by Kate Pennington, offers a sensational read about romance and murder. The book is set in a memorable period of Elizabethan history when the Catholics and Protestants were fighting for their own importance. The main character is Mary Devereux, a young girl of about fourteen. One night Mary overhears a secret plot to kill the Protestant Queen Elizabeth and bring Catholics to power. Having heard these

words, Mary's life is immediately put into severe danger.

Mary is a highly talented seamstress and therefore is ordered to embroider a cloak by her visiting master's nephew, Sir Walter Raleigh. As the story unfolds we learn about Mary's past. The simplicity of Ma1y's character and her love of nature add to the story and show how even simple pleasures can be made complex by politics and religion.

Kate Pennington has written this book as beautifully as the way Mary embroiders. The careful texture of the words also reminds me of embroidering. The book creates a moving and realistic picture that every reader will love.

Emily Granozio, 13

Kate Pennington is the pseudonym of highly acclaimed children's writer Jenny Oldfield. ' Tread Softly' marks an exciting new departure in which the author draws on her background in art and history, choosing to write here about a favourite period of Elizabethan history. The plot she creates offers a clever slant on a story that every schoolchild will know: how Sir Walter Raleigh threw his cloak onto the ground so that Queen Elizabeth could step safely across the puddle. Pennington recounts the story of thirteen-year-old Mary Devereux, the daughter of Sir Sydney Campemowne's tailor and herself a talented seamstress and embroideress. Mary's mother died in mysterious circumstances when she was a child and she now witnesses her father's assassination after he had overheard the treacherous plotting of tl1e papist house steward. In terror of their own lives, Mary and her boisterous cousin both escape: Hal sets sail from Plymouth to journey overseas, and Mary becomes seamstress to Walter Raleigh, whom she met when he had recently visited the Campemowne's home in Devon. Mary travels to London with Raleigh and undertakes to finish the cloak her father had started to make for him. Her work on the cloak is exquisite and her initial reaction to Raleigh's grandiose gesture is one of complete disbelief, followed by despair. Pennington's knowledge of the period is cleverly woven into the story which leads to an exciting climax. The main characters - Mary Devereux, Walter Raleigh and the treacherous Hugh Trevor - are all extremely credible and clearly portrayed. This is a compelling and highly enjoyable read.

Lucinda Byatt

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

THE FIFTH OF MARCH: A Story of the Boston Massacre

Ann Rinaldi, Gulliver/Harcourt, 2004 (cl993),$6.95,333pp,0152050787

The Fifth of March is essentially a preRevolutionary War tale about tl1e value of forming our own choices and the uncertainty that accompanies growing up. Rachel Marsh is a twelve year old indentured servant at the beginning of this novel. She is as lucky in her establishment as she is ill-fated in her sole remaining family member, the crucial, predictable, corrupt and wicked Uncle. She is (and was in reality) the nursemaid to John and Abigail Adams. Abigail , an intelligent and forward thinking woman, mentors the young Rachel with books and unfettered opinions . While she is on her quest "to better herself," she meets up with many of the pivotal figures of the Boston Massacre, such as Henry Knox, Sanmel Adams and Paul Revere Central to Rachel's saga is her friendship with a young redcoat who becomes involved in the Massacre, causing Rachel even more confusion as she makes her mind up about liberty, civil actions and personal and national freedom and identity.

Rinaldi writes in a compelling and colorful fashion without drawing on dramatics. The Boston Massacre and its consequences are presented in an evenly flowing and captivating way that should keep a young reader's attention. Ages 10-14 Wendy A. Zollo

FINISHING BECCA

Ann Rinaldi, Gulliver/Harcourt, 2004, $6.95,pb,356pp,0152050795

One of the best features of this young adult novel is the fine descriptive contrast of poor and wealthy in its American Revolution setting. Becca's family lost its wealth when her silversmith father died and in reduced circumstances has no buffer from the treacherous currents of loyalty in the young nation. Becca has a brother with Washington at Valley Forge, a clever mother who sews and makes her cloth dyes for those still affluent in the city, and a stepfafuer whose loyalties are hidden even from his family When she takes a position as maid to Peggy Shippen, she finds that more money doesn't always make things easier. The Shippen parents are hard pressed to remain neutral, good Quakers, and cope with fueir very different daughters. Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold as historical characters remain fascinating as infan10us traitors. This book recalled to mind another by the prolific young adult writer Betty Cavanna. It was called A Touch of Magic and also featured an eyewitness to the Shippens and fue romance between Peggy and Benedict. Touch of Magic was much

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

more of a teen romance, but both books thoroughly delight with details of food, dress, parties and flirtation in wartime Philly , and I remember the early book fondly Finis hing Becca is much more about her development as a person, the "finishing" of the title only superficially referring to the preparation that young girls received for their coming out, but instead Becca is looking for missing pieces which will allow her to find meaning in her life, to become complete. Very enjoyable for both adults and teens Ages 10-14

Mary K Bird-Guilliams

OR GIVE ME DEATH: A Novel of Patrick Henry's Family

Ann Rinaldi, Gulliver/ Harcourt, 2003, $17 00 , hb, 226pp, 0152166874. This young adult novel is based on Patrick Henry's family and set between 1771 and 1778 Rather than focusing on this founding father's adventures, Rinaldi brings his family to life utilizing two sibling voices: Patsy and Anne Henry. Patsy, the eldest daughter, describes the tragedies, problems, and secrets of the family, including the devastating mental breakdown of Patrick's wife, Sarah In contrast, the highly spirited Anne provides a more heroic view of family members and even credits her mother for the infamous patriotic quote, "give me liberty or give me death." This energetic girl strives to keep peace in the family and frequently asks herself "do you tell the truth when it will hurt someone you love?" A hard question for anyone, yet much more difficult for a child to answer. Rinaldi sets up a nice tension between the two sisters , which strongly engages the reader. While the author took many fictional liberties in the development of this story, it is clear that she did do her research. Her final notes highlight the historical facts utilized in writing this enjoyable tale Ages I 0-14 Carol Anne Germain

A RIDE INTO MORNING: The Story of Tempe Wick

Ann Rinaldi, Gulliver/ Harcourt, 2003 (c1991), $6.95, pb, 353pp, 0152046836 Rinaldi bases her story on the Morristown, New Jersey, legend of Tempe Wick. In the bitter winter of 1780-81, the Pennsylvania Line of the Continental Army is encamped on her family ' s land While the soldiers respect their commander, General Anthony Wayne , they have been severely deprived of food , clothing, adequate shelter, and haven't been paid for a year Soldiers planning mutiny request the use of Tempe's horse, in order to give their leaders more status and credibility. Will she aid the mutineers, or side with the officers?

The book is narrated by Tempe's 14year-old cousin Mary, in an attempt to make the story more relevant to young adult readers. I thought that that choice lost the tale more than it gained, because it results in additional distance between the reader and Tempe. I also found some parts of the story slow-moving, and it was longer than it had to be. However, as supplementary reading to school textbooks on the Revolution, it has value, breathing life into historical characters. Rinaldi did extensive historical research, providing an afterword detailing her methods, information on the characters' fates after the story ends, and a bibliography. Ages 10-14

B.J. Sedlock

TEETONCEY

Theodore Taylor, Harcourt, 2004, $17/ $C23.95, hb, 208pp, 0152052984

TEETONCEY AND BEN O'NEAL

Theodore Taylor, Harcourt, 2004, $17/ $C23.95, hb, 230pp, 0152052968

THE ODYSSEY OF BEN O'NEAL

Theodore Taylor, Harcourt, 2004, $17/ C$23.95, hb, 248pp, 0152052992

Harcourt has reissued the Cape Hatteras Trilogy, first published in the 1970s. Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina at the end of the 19th century, they tell the story of castaway Teetoncey and Ben O'Neal, the boy who finds her In Teetoncey, twelveyear-old Ben, son of Rachel and late surfman John O'Neal, discovers a girl, unconscious on the shore after the wreck of the Malta Empress. He and his mother take her in and nurse her back to health although she remains mute, unable to tell them who she is and where she is from Nicknaming her Teetoncey, Banks-speak for "small," Ben tries to find out who she is. When Teetoncey and Ben O 'Neal begins she has regained her memory and her speech and is discovered to be Wendy Lynn Appleton, of London, England. Ben and his mother attempt to keep her on the Banks and out of the clutches of the English consul, while Teetoncey enlists Ben and his friends to help her recover her father's riches from the wreck of the Empress. The Odyssey of Ben 0 'Neal finds Ben, now motherless, trying to go to sea as a cabin boy, having safely, he thinks, seen Teetoncey on her way back to London. Teetoncey, however, has other plans, and Ben's getaway won't be as clean as he would like

I read these books as a child when they were first published, and they engaged me as much now as they did then. The Outer Banks in 1898 was a remote and wonderful place. Accessible only by boat, its inhabitants have their own vocabulary-

"fleech" and "mommicked" being just two of the new words I learned . Taylor has a keen ear for both dialect and dialogue and each character comes memorably to life. He also shares how deeply the sea is in the blood of each of them, except for Ben's mother Rachel, who fears and hates it for taking her husband and another son. While I loved the developing relationship between Ben and Teetoncey, Taylor h\15 plenty here for boys as well about ships, salvage, and going to sea. I'll be sharing these books with my nephew when he is old enough. Ages 912

Ellen Keith

FINDING SOPHIE,

Irene N Watts, Floris Books , pb, 138pp, 0-86315-374-7

This book begins with a brief resume' of the two books that have preceeded this one, 'Goodbye Marianne' and 'Remember M.' It is the third part of a trilogy detailing the story of Sophie Mendel, a Jewish child born in Berlin in the time leading up to World War II.

Having lived through the Birmingham Blitz myself I could relate to the rationing and food scarcities endured by Sophie and her friends, not to mention the shudders we all felt when a bomb dropped too closely for comfort.

The writer describes all the difficulties of life in wartime Britain perfectly as I remember much the same in the Midlands. I remember the joy of VE Day (victory in Europe) and the parties we bad. It is easy to feel sympathy for Sophie when the war ends and she waits to hear if her parents have survived life in Nazi Germany but the story finishes on a suitably upbeat note.

I can recommend this book to anyone whose child is studying this period at school and wants to know how life was endured during World war II Jan Shaw

LAST TRAIN FROMKUMMERSDORF, Leslie Wilson, Faber and Faber, 2003, £9.99, hb, 250pp, ISBN 0571219128 (UK &US)

Set near the end of the Second World War, this novel covers the feelings of young people during the War. It shows their views on Hitler, the Nazi regime and other countries like Russia and Great Britain. The opening paragraph is both gripping and powerful. The reader is brought straight into the action through examining the characters' feelings and actions during a battle with the Russians. Once you have read the opening paragraph you are hooked, and you do not

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

want to put the book down until you have finished.

The two main characters are Hanno and Effi. Hanno, the son of a policeman, was a member of the Hitler Youth until he saw his twin killed and most of his companions. After this he was on the run, when he meets Effi. Effi is a streetwise girl from Berlin who lived with her aunt since her mother died, but she was forced to run away when the German Army burnt her aunt's cafe. As you read about Effi and Hanno 's gripping adventure you share their joy and heartache.

In some places the book is hard to follow and understand, you do need a substantial amount of knowledge about World War II. What makes this book an interesting read is that it gives an excellent insight into the German civilian's knowledge of the war. It raises the point that the Germans knew some things about the concentration camps and what had been happening to the Jews. Leslie Wilson based the book on his family's experience of the War and their thoughts on the Nazis. Although this was his first children's book, it is truly fantastic. I would recommend this book to any young person who is interested in the Second World War and for those who are studying it, it is a great read and you come away feeling that you have a wider knowledge of the war and the German civilian's opinions on it.

Annemarie Simmons age 14

SOUND

down is the thin characterisation of the women in the case, particularly Queen Alexandra. Gerry O'Brien reads the story well. Recommended for those who like Edwardian whodunnits .

Geraldine Perriam

ELIZABETH & MARY: COUSINS, RIVALS, QUEENS

Jane Dunn, read by Louise Fryer, ISIS, £23.99, 16 cassettes, 0 7531 1953 6

For anyone interested in the Tudor period, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots or the politics of the time, this audio is an absolute must. Jane Dunn explores the familial, regal and personal ties linking the two queens, looking at their backgrounds, upbringing and insecurities. Thoroughly researched, the book draws on a variety of sources and blends the personal, the political and the cultural for a rounded and grounded history of this ever-fascinating episode in Britain's history. Well read by Louise Fryer (not an easy task with non-fiction), it's an excellent listen. Highly recommended.

Geraldine Perriam

LATEST RELEASES

Lyn Andrews

Fred Archer

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Michael Dobbs

Francis Durbridge

Katie Flynn

Alan Furst

Kathryn Haig

Sylvia Hamilton

Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Billy Hopkins

C.C. Humphreys

Meg Hutchinson

Anna Jacobs

GOODNIGHT SWEET PRINCE

David Dickinson, read by Gerry O'Brien, Soundings, £19.99, 9 cassettes

This is the fictional account of the death of Prince Eddy, the elder son of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The novel accounts for the death as murder. Lord Francis Powerscourt is asked to investigate. More deaths occur. Powerscourt must tread a fine line between seeking the truth and keeping the story secret. As a detective story, the narrative is reasonable, if a little unexciting but as an alternative theory it is fascinating, since Prince Eddy's foibles have been well-documented (he has even been named as Jack the Ripper by a few authors). The one thing that lets the story

THE HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Jeannie Johnson

Alexandra Jones

Sheelagh Kelly

Deryn Lake

Claire Lorimer

Robert Ludlum

Philip McCutchan

Walter Macken

Beryl Matthews

Michael Niemi

Pamela Oldfield

Matthew Pearl

Love and a Promise

By Hook and by Crook (non-fiction)

Josephine and Harriet Gloriana

Never Surrender

The Tyler Mystery

Two Penn'orth of Sky

Dark Star

Shadows on the Sun

The Gleemaiden

The Oak Apple

Going Places (non-

fiction)

Jack Absolute Pauper's Child

Twopenny Rainbows

Like an Evening Gone

Glengarth

For My Brother's Sins

Death at the Apothecaries' Hall

Chantal

The Tristan Betrayal

Captain at Arms

TheBogman

A Time of Peace

Popular Music

Intricate Liaisons

The Dante Club

K.M. Peyton Flambards

Claire Rayner

Chelsea Reach

Nicholas Rhea Constable Along the Riverbank

Susan Sallis The Pumpkin Coach

Judith Saxton The Bright Day is Done

Helga Schneider Let Me Go: My Mother and the SS (non-fiction)

Leslie Thomas Waiting for the Day

Nicola Thome Coppitts Green

Janet McLeod Trotter Return to J arrow

Jeanne Whitmee All That I Am

T.R. Wilson Master ofMorholm

Valerie Wood Far from Home

Richard Woodman Dead Man Talking

Sally Worboyes Down by Tobacco Dock

It is always worth visiting the Isis website for special offers. Check the website: www.isis-publishing.co.uk for details. New Titles released January to March 2004:

If you would like to receive the regular Update brochure from Isis with the full list of new titles, please call (01865) 250 333. This is also available in Large Print.

To contact Isis / Soundings, or to obtain a full catalogue contact the publishers at: Isis Publishing Limited

7 Centremead

OsneyMead

Oxford

OX2 OES

Tel: 01865 250 333; E-mail: audiobooks@isis-publishing.co.uk

Website: www.isis-publishing.co.uk

Geraldine Perriam ... AND

VISION

KING ARTHUR (Certificate PG 12)

Dir: Antoine Fuqua, screenplay: David Franzoni, starring: Clive Owen, Keira Knightley , loan Gruffudd, Ray Winstone

ISSUE 30, NOVEMBER 2004

The premise behind King Arthur is an interesting one. Based on recent research, it tells the story of how an exceptional soldier, Lucius Artorius (Clive Owen), steps into the power vacuum created by the retreat of a waning Roman empire and successfully defends Hadrian's wall against an army of Nazi-like Saxons with his five loyal knights. Just the kind of improbable stuff legends are made of. What the film aims to do is to make this unlikely victory seem plausible, thanks to a charismatic leader, who would become one of this countries best loved myths.

Despite a promising and ambitious plot, the dialogue causes havoc. At its best it is adequate, at its worst, laughable. When Lancelot asks Artorius "How many times have we snatched victory from the jaws of defeat?" you want to answer, "Not as many times as we've heard that line". Despite aiming to give substance to the man behind the myth, Artorius' every over-blown word makes him less and less real. A strong cast (Ray Winstone, Kiera Knightley, loan Gruffudd and Stephen Dillane to name but a few) struggles to make the lines seem credible, leaving no room to create any memorable characters.

This is a real shame. Under the surface is a good, interesting take on the King Arthur myth. In one of the film's best scene,s Artorius stands at his huge round table with only a half dozen knights. After 15 years of serving Rome, they are all that's

left. Here we have the legend's most iconic image shown in a subversive light. Then there's the final battle. Suddenly we switch to the invading Saxons' perspective. We see a single knight emerge mysteriously from thick smoke. A gate opens and the Saxons pour through it into a trap, enabling Artorius' handful of knights to scythe their way through the bewildered Saxon shambles. In the build up prior to the battle we have seen the simplicity of Artorius' plan, but by showing the battle through the enemy's eyes, director Antoine Fuqua lets us see how rumours of a legendry super warrior began. But again the dialogue undermines the gritty, brutal ilJusion and neither Ray Winstone's roguish charm, Knigbtley's fearsome smouldering nor Owen's reluctant heroism can save this film. Guy Charles

DO SEE

Stage Beauty: Richard Eyre's poignant and funny examination of love and gender identity on the Restoration stage, starring Billy Crudup (Billy Elliott) and Claire Danes (Baz Luhrrnan's Romeo and Juliet).

TROY (reviewed last time) is released to DVD and video in October.

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