Historical Novels Review | Issue 100 (May 2022) by The Historical Novel Society

H I S T O R IC A L

NOV EL S REVIEW

ISSUE 100

May 2022

HNS ANNIVERSARY The Society Celebrates a Quarter Century |

More on page 8

F E AT U R ED I N T H IS ISSU E ... Poesy & Precision Annabel Abbs & Victorian Cookery Page 10

A Wordsmith Revisited The Work of G.A. Henty Page 12

Fresh Takes on Old Tales Rewriting Arthurian Legend Page 13

Compelling Reimagination Danielle Daniel's Daughters of the Deer Page 14

Special Kind of People Louise Hare's Miss Aldridge Regrets Page 15

Historical Fiction Market News

25 YEARS 100 ISSUES

Page 1

New Voices Page 4

History & Film Page 6

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

H I S T O R IC A L

NOV EL S REVIEW ISSN 1471-7492

P U BLISH E R Richard Lee Marine Cottage, The Strand, Starcross, Devon EX6 8NY UK <richard@historicalnovelsociety.org>

EDI TOR I AL BOA R D Managing Editor: Bethany Latham Houston Cole Library, Jacksonville State University 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602 USA <blatham@jsu.edu>

Book Review Editor: Sarah Johnson Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920 USA <sljohnson2@eiu.edu> Publisher Coverage: Bethany House; Five Star; HarperCollins; IPG; Penguin Random House (all imprints); Severn House; Australian presses; and university presses

Features Editor: Lucinda Byatt 13 Park Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4LE UK <textline13@gmail.com>

New Voices Column Editor: Myfanwy Cook 47 Old Exeter Road, Tavistock, Devon PL19 OJE UK <myfanwyc@btinternet.com>

Douglas Kemp <douglaskemp62@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Allison & Busby; Little, Brown; Canelo; Orion; Penguin Random House UK (Cornerstone, Ebury, Transworld, Vintage, and their imprints); Quercus

Ann Lazim <annlazim@googlemail.com> Publisher Coverage: All UK children’s historicals

R E V I E WS E DI T O R S , U SA Kate Braithwaite <kate.braithwaite@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Poisoned Pen Press; Skyhorse; Sourcebooks; and Soho

Sarah Hendess <clark1103@yahoo.com> Publisher Coverage: US/Canadian children’s publishers

Janice Ottersberg <jkottersberg@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Amazon Publishing; Europa; Hachette; Kensington; Pegasus; and W.W. Norton

Larry Zuckerman <boyonaraft64@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Bloomsbury; Macmillan (all imprints); Grove/ Atlantic; and Simon & Schuster (all imprints)

Misty Urban <misty@historicalnovelsociety.org.> Publisher Coverage: North American small presses

R E V I E WS E DI T O R , I N DI E J. Lynn Else

R EV I EWS EDI TOR S, U K

<jlynn@historicalnovelsociety.org> Publisher Coverage: all self- and subsidy-published novels

Ben Bergonzi

EDITORIAL POLICY & COPYRIGHT

<ben@ruthrosa.plus.com> Publisher Coverage: Birlinn/Polygon; Duckworth Overlook; Faber & Faber; Granta; HarperCollins UK; Hamish Hamilton; Pan Macmillan; Penguin Random House UK (Michael Joseph, Penguin General, Penguin Press, and their imprints); Short Books; Simon & Schuster UK

Alan Fisk <alan.fisk@alanfisk.com> Publisher Coverage: Aardvark Bureau, Black and White, Bonnier Zaffre, Crooked Cat, Freight, Gallic, Honno, Impress, Karnac, Legend, Pushkin, Oldcastle, Quartet, Sandstone, Saraband, Seren, Serpent’s Tail

Edward James <busywords_ed@yahoo.com> Publisher Coverage: Arcadia; Atlantic Books; Bloomsbury; Canongate; Head of Zeus; Glagoslav; Hodder Headline (inc. Coronet, Hodder & Stoughton, NEL, Sceptre); John Murray; Pen & Sword; Robert Hale; Alma; The History Press

Reviews, articles, and letters may be edited for reasons of space, clarity, and grammatical correctness. We will endeavour to reflect the authors’ intent as closely as possible, and will contact the authors for approval of any major change. We welcome ideas for articles, but have specific requirements to consider. Before submitting material, please contact the editor to discuss whether the proposed article is appropriate for Historical Novels Review. In all cases, the copyright remains with the authors of the articles. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the authors concerned.

M E M B E R S H I P DE TA I L S THE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY was formed in 1997 to help promote historical fiction. We are an open society — if you want to get involved, get in touch. MEMBERSHIP in the Historical Novel Society entitles members to all the year’s publications: four issues of Historical Novels Review, as well as exclusive membership benefits through the Society website. Back issues of Society magazines are also available. For current rates, please see: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/members/join/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

H NS EDI TOR I AL U P DAT ES

ISSU E 100 M AY 2022 COLU M NS 1

Historical Fiction Market News Sarah Johnson

4 6

New Voices Profiles of authors Jody Hadlock, Colin Holmes, Peter Mann, and J. P. O’Connell | Myfanwy Cook History & Film The North Water | Bethany Latham

F E AT U R ES & I N T E RV I EWS 8

HNS 25th Anniversary The Society Celebrates a Quarter Century by Bethany Latham

Poesy & Precision Annabel Abbs' Novel of Victorian Cookery by Lucinda Byatt

Wordsmith Revisited A Retrospective of G.A. Henty by Jon G. Bradley & Sam Allison

Fresh Takes on Old Tales Rewriting Arthurian Legend by Katie Stine

Compelling Reimagination Danielle Daniel's Daughters of the Deer by Kristen McDermott

Special Kind of People Louise Hare's Miss Aldridge Regrets by Myfanwy Cook

R EV I EWS 16

Book Reviews Editors’ choice and more

HISTORICAL FICTION MARKET NEWS For authors: if you’d like your new or upcoming historical novel considered for review in HNR, please work with your publisher, as appropriate, to ensure that the relevant reviews editor receives a copy of the book (or electronic access). Our editors are diligent about requesting titles but don’t always receive everything we ask for. Our lead time is typically 3-5 months. For more details, please see: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/about-our-reviews/submit-abook-for-review/

N EW BOOK S BY H NS M EM BE R S Congrats to the following author members on their new releases! If you’ve written a historical novel or nonfiction work published (or to be published) in March or after, please send the following details to me at sljohnson2@eiu.edu or @readingthepast by July 7: author, title, publisher, release date, and a blurb of one sentence or less. Details will appear in August’s magazine. Submissions may be edited. Based on a true story of a unique friendship from 1840s New York, The Prisoner’s Apprentice by Cheyenne Richards (Betterest Books, Aug 24, 2021), follows young Albert Jarvis as he befriends Edward Rulloff, a physician, professor, linguist fluent in 27 languages—and serial killer. In Commissar: A Novel of Civil War Russia by D. V. Chernov (Troubador, Nov. 28, 2021), set in 1918 Moscow, Anna Sokolova is a CHEKA agent who works with a young American WWI veteran to hunt down a British spy; but as the political tide turns, Anna must decide the price she is willing to pay to save her country and not lose herself in the process. In Victorian Edinburgh, Reverend Frederick Black is held in high esteem, but is he as virtuous as he seems or is he hiding a guilty secret? This is the premise of Mary Grundberg’s The Divine (Corrennie Press, Dec. 6, 2021). A frantic letter from Lydia’s sister sends her and husband Will Rees to Boston in the winter of 1801, as Lydia’s father has been accused of murder, in Murder, Sweet Murder by Eleanor Kuhns (Severn House, Jan. 1). Lisa M. Lane’s Before the Time Machine (Grousable Books, Jan.) is a dual-timeline literary novel about a present-day historian researching H. G. Wells, young Wells becoming an author during the 19th century, and the conversation they have across time and space. The Romanovs were one of history’s most successful dynasties – but at what cost? Read more in Tamar Anolic’s Tales of the Romanov Empire (Independently published, Jan. 22). Set in first-century Israel, Masada: Thou Shalt Not Kill (MarbleStone Press, Feb. 1) by Shimon Avish, first in a series about ancient Jewish history, tells about Daniel, the son of a Temple priest kidnapped by assassins and forced to live with them on Masada, where he must

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choose to live as he was raised or adapt to the assassins’ code—until the Romans arrive and besiege Masada. In A Coat Dyed Black (Legacy House Press, Feb. 1), Don Pugnetti Jr. transforms a young Norwegian farmer into a courageous resistance fighter after Nazi Germany invades his homeland and steals his way of life. Third in her Choosers of the Slain trilogy, Ann Chamberlin’s Twilight of the Gods (Epigraph Books, Feb. 8) has battle-lord Odin amassing all his divine power against rebellious Brynhild and Thora, his former Valkyries. In Rex Griffin’s Moon of Black Hearts (Frontier on Fire Publishing, Feb. 15), Shad, a young slave of Muscogee/Creek Indians, becomes the warrior he never wanted to be when he runs for his freedom—straight into the butchery of the Civil War as it rips through Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). In Lord of the Eyrie by Katerina Dunne (Historium Press, Feb. 15), set in 15th-century Hungary, a Transylvanian nobleman’s struggle to balance his duty to protect his land from his relatives’ greedy hands and his duty to defend his country on the battlefield will come at a terrible cost. The historical fantasy novel The Hidden Saint by Mark Levenson (Level Best Books-New Arc Imprint, Feb. 22) takes readers to a world they’ve never encountered before, in which the vast sweep of Jewish myth and magic is completely real. S. Pitt reveals the human tragedy behind the colonization of Tasmania in Trouwerner (Firsthale, Feb. 28), a meticulously researched series of sixteen short stories chronicling the lives of one indigenous man and his kin from 1791 to 1835. Jane and Annie meet in 1845, at the start of the Irish Famine; they know the value of friendship and join forces to survive against a backdrop of famine, disease and cruel colonial rule. This is the premise of Bridget Walsh’s Daughters of the Famine Road (Amazon, Mar.) In A Kind and Savage Place by Richard Helms (Level Best Books-New Arc Imprint, Mar. 1), spanning half a century from 1952-1989, three teenagers are unwilling participants in a horrific event; the story examines the era’s dramatic racial and societal turmoil through the lens of one North Carolina agricultural community. In Murder at Old St. Thomas’s by Lisa M. Lane (Grousable Books, Mar. 6), a traditional Victorian mystery, the body of a famous surgeon is found, sitting upright, in an old operating theatre, and the bookish Inspector Slaughter must discover the killer with the help of his American sergeant Mark Honeycutt and clues from Nightingale nurses, surgeon’s dressers, devious apothecaries, and even stage actors. In Lady Odelia’s Secret by Jane Steen (Aspidistra Press, Mar. 7), second in the Scott-De Quincy Mysteries set in 1880s Sussex, Lady Helena Whitcombe’s artist sister Odelia suggests a magnificent commission to make her mark on Whitcombe House; Odelia’s bohemian world is built on fantasy and fairy tales, but shocking events expose the destructive reality of a great artist’s unusual lifestyle and a long-held secret. In Deadly Broadcast, #8 in Kate Parker’s Deadly Series (JDP Press, Mar. 8), during the blackout in the early days of WWII, newspaperwoman

COLUMNS | Issue 100, May 2022

Livvy is headed to Broadcasting House when she trips over the murdered body of a universally hated BBC engineer, a man reporting on the IRA for Britain’s spymaster. Beheld: Godiva’s Story by Christopher M. Cevasco (Lethe Press, Apr. 10) is a darkly twisted psychological thriller set in 11th-century England, exploring the legend of Lady Godiva’s naked ride. Set in Renaissance-era Greece and focusing on a gifted woman artist, a ruthless Scottish privateer, and an audacious plan that throws them together with dangerous consequences, Sea of Shadows (Artelan Press, Apr. 12) is book 2 in Amy Maroney’s trilogy of standalone novels, Sea and Stone Chronicles. A pair of resilient Southern sisters face separation and trauma at the hands of their sociopathic stepmother in Tapestry: A Lowcountry Rapunzel by Sophia Alexander (Onalex Books, Apr 16), sequel to the award-winning, turn-of-the-20th-century novel about their birth mother, Silk: Caroline’s Story. Robert N. Macomber ‘s newest Honor Series title, Code of Honor: A Peter Wake Novel (U.S. Naval Institute Press, Apr. 15), the 16th installment, is the story of how Asia and the world were forever changed by the Russo-Japanese War, how the U.S. Navy’s view of Japan changed from amused respect to growing worry, and how the foundation for today’s tensions in Asia were laid in 1904. In Frances Finkel and the Passenger Pigeon by D. M. Mahoney (Red Cardinal Writing LLC, Apr. 17), a young aviator and her homing pigeon join the war effort in this debut novel set in 1940s Oregon. Maya Rodale’s The Mad Girls of New York (Berkley, Apr. 26) is based on the true story of Nellie Bly, the Gilded Age’s most sensational stunt girl reporter who feigned insanity, got herself committed and escaped to write a shocking exposé. Set during the Great Depression and inspired by the people who once lived in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sheila Myers’ The Truth of Who You Are (Black Rose Writing, Apr. 28) is a saga that explores the lengths that people will go to protect their home and family. Alan Fisk’s novel Cupid and the Silent Goddess, set in the art world of sixteenth-century Florence, is being republished this month by Page d’Or Books. The original edition was reviewed in HNR 27. In Shadow of the Eagle (Canelo, May 26), Book I in The Borderlands series by Amanda Cockrell writing as Damion Hunter, Faustus Valerianus, son of a Roman father and a British mother, joins legendary general Agricola’s campaign to conquer the entirety of the British Isles, culminating in a devastating battle amongst Caledonia’s dark mountains, but Faustus must carry with him the call of his mother’s true people and his father’s restless shadow. In Catherine Kullmann’s Lady Loring’s Dilemma (Willow Books, May 27), the eponymous, erring heroine has been banished by her wrathful husband and forbidden any contact with her daughter, Chloe; when Sir Edward refuses to relent and allow Delia to return home, her first love, Lord Stephen FitzCharles offers her a new life on the continent, but will this mean losing Chloe forever? Robert Nolin’s Charani’s Dream (Blue Bin Press, Jun. 9) explores the dawn of modern psychiatry, when two doctors make an astonishing discovery that will alter the course of medical history in this powerful novel of a time when the self was still a mystery, and magic was real.

In Rilla Askew’s Prize for the Fire (Univ. of Oklahoma Press, Sep. 22), fifteen-year-old Anne Askew is determined to free herself from the cruel strictures of her married life; but this is the England of Henry VIII, where religion and politics are dangerously entangled, and a young woman of Anne’s fierce independence, Reformist faith, uncanny command of plainspoken scripture, and—not least—connections to Queen Katheryn Parr’s court cannot long escape official notice, or censure. Kris Waldherr’s Unnatural Creatures (Muse Publications, Oct. 4) is a gothic reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein from the perspectives of the three women closest to Victor Frankenstein: his mother Caroline, fiancée Elizabeth, and servant Justine.

N EW P U BLISH I NG DE ALS Sources include authors and publishers, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Marketplace, The Bookseller, and more. Email me at sljohnson2@eiu. edu or tweet @readingthepast to have your publishing deal included. Shawntelle Madison’s The Fallen Fruit from Their Orchard, following several members of a Black family that for two centuries has been cursed with the gift of time travel, and in each generation, at least one will fall through time with no guarantee of their return haunting those afflicted and the loved ones left behind, sold to Jennifer Baker at Amistad by Jim McCarthy at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. North American rights for Essex Dogs, the debut novel and first in an epic trilogy by bestselling medieval historian Dan Jones, set at the start of the Hundred Years’ War and following a company of English soldiers as they fight their way across France, sold to Terezia Cicel at Viking (US) by Georgina Capel at Georgina Capel Associates. Head of Zeus will publish the trilogy in the UK, beginning this September. A Tip for the Hangman author Allison Epstein’s second novel Let the Dead Bury the Dead, in which a woman with mysterious powers arrives at the Russian court in 1812 St. Petersburg, fueling division between the tsar’s second son and his lover, an imperial army captain, sold to Carolyn Williams at Doubleday by Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency, for publication in 2023. Bonnie Blaylock’s Light to the Hills, in which a young mother joins the WPA packhorse librarians and develops a deep connection with one Appalachian family, giving her the courage to share the truth of her past and ignite a path to justice against a dangerous con man, was acquired by Lake Union Publishing for publication in late fall 2022. River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, about a mother’s journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery, inspired by family history, sold to Kate Seaver at Berkley, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in spring 2023, by Rebecca Folland at Headline. Victorian literature BookTuber Katie Lumsden’s The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, gothic historical fiction featuring a young widow in 1852 England who flees her past by taking a post as governess in an isolated country house full of strange happenings, sold to Maya Ziv at Dutton by Karolina Sutton at Curtis Brown UK; UK rights to Jessica Leeke at Michael Joseph. A Woman of Pleasure, the first English-language release (trans. Juliet Winters Carpenter) from Akutagawa Prize winner Kiyoko Murata, set in Japan in 1903 and centering on a 15-year-old who regains her agency with the help of other women after being sold to a brothel, sold to Jack Shoemaker at Counterpoint via Shinchosha.

They Were Friends: A Novel of Ella and Marilyn by Denny S. Bryce and Eliza Knight, about the decade-long friendship between two legends, Marilyn Monroe and Ella Fitzgerald, sold to Tessa Woodward and Lucia Macro at William Morrow by Nalini Akolekar at Spencerhill Associates for Bryce and Kevan Lyon and Nalini Akolekar at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency for Knight. Bestselling author of the Lady Emily mystery series Tasha Alexander’s The Librarian of Leningrad, about a young woman trapped during the Nazi siege of Leningrad who must fight to protect her city’s literary treasures and ordinary people’s words and memories, sold to Hilary Rubin Teeman at Bantam Dell, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins & Associates. Lee Kelly and Jennifer Thorne’s All Will Be Revealed, pitched as a feminist take on Indiana Jones set at the turn of the 20th century, sold to Kimberly Carlton at Harper Muse, in a two-book deal, for publication in summer 2023, by Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Solomon’s Crown, the debut from British-American author Natasha Siegel, a queer, alt-history reimagining of medieval kings Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus, who fall into a forbidden affair and must choose between betraying one another for the sake of their legacies, or following their hearts, sold to Jesse Shuman at Bantam Dell, in a two-book deal, by Tara Gilbert at Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency. National Book Award finalist Laura McNeal’s The Swan’s Nest, exploring the love affair between poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, sold to Kathy Pories at Algonquin, by Douglas Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic. The Woman in the Obsidian Mirror by Veronica Chapa, pitched as a reimagining of the life of Malinalxochitl, a Nahua warrior priestessin-training who’s kidnapped and forced to work as Hernan Cortes’s interpreter, sold to Michelle Herrera Mulligan at Atria by Mariah Stovall at Trellis Literary Management.

OT H E R N EW & FORT HCOM I NG T I T LES For forthcoming novels through early 2023, please see our guides, compiled by Fiona Sheppard and Susan Firghil Park: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/guides/forthcoming-historicalnovels/

COM PI LED BY SA R A H JOH NSON Sarah Johnson is Book Review Editor of HNR, a librarian, readers’ advisor, and author of reference books. She reviews for Booklist and CHOICE and blogs about historical novels at readingthepast.com. Her latest book is Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre.

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NEW VOICES Drama, detailed historical fact, and a desire to entertain their readers can all be discovered in the debut historical fiction works of Jody Hadlock, Colin Holmes, Peter Mann, and J. P. O’Connell.

knew exactly what their clientele wanted: comfort and familiarity, enlivened by the merest dash of local colour. The fictional Ainsworth family in my novel Hotel Portofino have settled in Italy to escape their demons and realise wife Bella’s long-held ambition to open just such an establishment, never mind her husband’s reservations and the increasingly difficult political situation…” However, as O’Connell points out, “As everyone knows, closed worlds of wealth and privilege are magnets for drama. And in a hotel, as in a country house, you can go high and low, upstairs and downstairs, out into the grounds and then back inside into the most intimate of spaces - the bathroom and the bedroom.”

Jody Hadlock

Colin Holmes

photo credit: Trey Houston

Jody Hadlock found it more challenging to find a place, people, and a time that she wanted to write about. “I’d always wanted to be a novelist, but I didn’t know what I wanted to write about, what I wanted to say. When my husband and I were dating, we went to his hometown in East Texas to meet his parents, and while we were there, we drove over to Jefferson. We both love history and visited the town’s historical museum, where there was a full-page article on display about Diamond Bessie, published by a Dallas newspaper in the 1930s.”

Peter Mann

J.P. O'Connell

J. P. O’Connell has worked as an editor and writer for newspapers and magazines including Time Out, the Guardian, the Times, and the Daily Telegraph. His novel Hotel Portofino (Simon & Schuster UK/ Blackstone, 2022) is set against the backdrop of Venice’s Lido in the 1920s. As he relates: “In the early 20th century, there was no more fashionable place for well-heeled Brits to holiday than Italy. For some the attraction was austerely cultural: improving oneself by exposure to paintings, churches, and views, as Eleanor Lavish does in E. M. Forster’s A Room with a View. Others just wanted to have fun. Arriving at the Excelsior Palace hotel on the Venice Lido in August 1926, society photographer Cecil Beaton was thrilled to find a raucous, debauched world straight out of F. Scott Fitzgerald. He particularly loved the way all the women lounged around ‘in the most expensive pyjamas (with designs of dragons and birds of prey hand-painted in brilliant, sickening colours) and no shoes.’” O’Connell couldn’t help but be captivated by the time and place. “Along the strip of coastline known as the Italian Riviera, fun-seekers and culture vultures collided. Small fishing towns like Portofino and Santa Margherita expanded into resorts where grand hotels like the Imperiale Palace competed with smaller guest houses—what we now call ‘boutique hotels’—to attract the wealthiest, most glamorous visitors, from elderly ladies seeking a ‘change of air’ to athletic young flappers taking advantage of the abundance of local tennis courts; and from artists entranced by the dramatic scenery to gamblers who had won (and lost) fortunes in the nearby casinos at Sanremo and Monte Carlo. “Some of these hotels would have been run by English expats who 4

In Hotel Portofino O’Connell has, he says, “tried to make the most of this tantalising access and, hopefully, shine a revealing light on the Golden Age of 20th-century travel before the Second World War brought it to a close.”

COLUMNS | Issue 100, May 2022

The result was that the seeds of her novel, The Lives of Diamond Bessie (SparkPress, 2022), were planted because she “was immediately intrigued, partly because of the time period.” She explains, “I’ve always been fascinated by the 19th century—and I thought, ‘Why was this paper interested in a story that happened sixty years earlier in a tiny town three hours away?’ I had another question too, but I don’t want to give away the plot!” Hadlock embarked on her quest to uncover more. This took her, she relates, “down a years-long path of research and writing. I initially thought I would focus on telling Bessie’s story within the limited world of her occupation of prostitution and her relationship with the antagonist, but important things were going on in the background. One of them was the women’s rights movement.” When Hadlock learnt how Susan B. Anthony had given “a lecture on ‘Social Purity’ in Chicago in March 1875, during the same time that Bessie was living there,” she continues, “I knew I needed to expand my novel to address society’s view of prostitution. It was incredibly taboo, especially for a woman, to talk about such a topic in public. Prostitution was referred to as the ‘Great Social Evil,’ and women were solely blamed for entering the world’s oldest profession, when it was actually the lack of rights and opportunities that forced the vast majority of women into brothels.” So Hadlock “fictionalized Bessie’s attendance at Ms. Anthony’s lecture,” she says. “There’s no proof she heard it—but I like to think that Bessie was there, listening to the famous reformer stand up for members of the unfortunate class.” Colin Holmes, in Thunder Road (CamCat, 2022), chose an environment and period that he felt suited his main protagonist. As he points out, “Every good detective is insightful, curious, and hopefully a little brave. But one thing that shapes their journey in the

story is the location. The time period and location add dimension to the book and influence the characters. Even if you’ve never seen the film, it’s hard not to feel the 1920s San Francisco fog as Sam Spade negotiates his way around the Maltese Falcon. The waterfront and the mysterious MacGuffin arriving by sea are strong pulls on a character. Exotic imported goods coming from a far-off port flavor the story and position Spade in the reader’s mind as a man dealing with unusual circumstances in a dangerous location.” Thunder Road is set in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1947. For Holmes, “the black and white post-war era is a vintage setting for many noir stories, but that year is specific for this story because of the many unique coincidences that occurred that summer. Bugsy Siegel’s murder, the creation of the CIA, and the crash in Roswell create the basis for the plotline, but a good story is how a character reacts to those plot elements.” The central character of Thunder Road, he says, “is Fort Worth native Jefferson Sharp. And just as Fort Worth has many personas, so does he. The city prides itself as the ‘Place Where the West Begins,’ home to ranchers, horsemen, and a world-class rodeo. But just across town, Cowtown pushes the frontier of aerospace technology and builds leading-edge aircraft.” Holmes describes Sharp as “a former FWPD beat cop who’d just made detective when WWII remade him as an infantryman. But returning to Texas, he’s reduced to eking out a living as a livestock detective, camped out on the range, protecting a herd of cattle from rustlers. Sharp is a man whose life is guided by the contrasts of his hometown, from the backroom poker tables of Thunder Road to the ranch work, to his search for an Army officer who has vanished from the local airbase. A cowboy private eye trying to uncover post-war Air Force secrets could only happen in Fort Worth, and the contrasts of the city color the story and round out Jeff Sharp.” Peter Mann’s The Torqued Man (Harper, 2022) started when he was “idly reading through international brigade histories of the Spanish Civil War and came upon the name Frank Ryan. Ryan was an Irish republican and socialist who went to fight fascists in Spain, where he was captured and sentenced to life in Franco’s prison.” Astonishingly Ryan avoided this fate, because in 1940, Mann continues, “German military intelligence recruited him to help coordinate Irish operations for Hitler’s planned invasion of England. But Operation Sea Lion, as the invasion was called, never panned out and Ryan, after an abortive U-boat trip back to Ireland, was left cooling his heels in the Reich until he died of poor health in 1944.

“The question of how an anti-fascist and restless soul like Frank Ryan not only passed the time but wrestled with his conscience in Hitler’s Berlin was one that struck me as more amenable to the task of the novelist than the historian. This led me to the UK’s National Archives, where I read British military files and interrogation reports on Dr. Kurt Haller, an Abwehr agent who was Ryan’s spy handler in Berlin. Immediately, I became interested in the story—both the very limited one narrated in the documents as well as everything left unsaid and open to the imagination—of the relationship between the German spy handler and his Irish charge.” He took that idea and incorporated his longstanding interest in Thomas Mann, who “inspired me in the throes of graduate school to ruin hundreds of innocent pages of blank paper,” he says. “Add my grim fascination with Nazi doctors, whom I first read about in Robert Jay Lifton’s aptly titled horror show The Nazi Doctors, which led me to read further about the T4 medical killing program, then more recently about Hitler’s personal physician Morell in Norman Ohler’s Blitzed. Sprinkle in my vicarious trips through the Weimar underworld, my stints in Arthur Koestler’s many prison cells, and the testaments of quiet outrage in the Nazi-era writings of Victor Klemperer, Hans Fallada, and Friedrich Reck. Finally, top it all off with a love of the comic Irish novel à la O’Brien, Beckett, and Joyce, the boisterous prose of Brendan Behan, and the charming, twisted world of the Irish epic The Táin, and voilà!” Mann concludes, “The rest, as they say, is history, or rather fiction.” A sentiment which Hadlock, Holmes, and O’Connell might also apply to their forays into dramatizing historical fact and transforming it into fiction.

W R I T T EN BY M Y FA N W Y COOK Myfanwy Cook is an Associate University Fellow and ‘a creative enabler’. She is a prize-winning short story writer who facilitates creative writing workshops. Contact myfanwyc@btinternet. com if you have been captivated by the writing of a debut novelist you'd like to see featured.

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

HISTORY & FILM For the World Is Hell: The North Water

There’s something inherently fascinating about those white, icy spaces at the earth’s poles – an environment at once beautiful and lethal. It’s easy to be captivated by these places, while at the same time not deluding oneself into thinking one would have the fortitude to survive them. It’s safer to go the vicarious route, simply reading about or watching films set in such locales. I’ve previously shared, in this very column, a randomly sparked but apparently enduring interest in the 19th-century whaling industry. Thus, when I stumbled across a trailer for The North Water, which combines both of these things – whaling and the Arctic – my excitement was intense. (Absurdly so, perhaps.) The North Water is a limited series (a one-n-done, no commitment required) which, as far as I can tell, is only available on the American side of the pond through AMC+, a subscription streaming service; the BBC aired it in the UK. The 2021 series is based on a 2016 book of the same name by Ian McGuire. I missed the advent of this intriguing novel – it was longlisted for the Man Booker, made a number of “best books of the year” lists, and critics were effusive (“brilliant” seems to have been the Adjective of the Day). I always prefer to go book before film, for a few different reasons – it only seems fair to privilege the literary source material, but it also offers insight into the motivations and implications of that material’s adaptation for the screen – what was lost, what is gained in the film version. However, given that this column had a deadline and my library’s copy of the novel was checked out, I put a recall request in and resigned myself to screen before book this go round. The North Water, the series, was written and directed by British filmmaker Andrew Haigh, a choice that might initially seem incongruous. Haigh is known for intimate films that focus on a single protagonist, and he uses that lead character’s perspective to tell the story. He’s been quoted as saying that “Blocking is everything…I love how people exist within space and how they manage the space around them.”1 The way he places characters in relation to each other within the scenes of The North Water reflects this, and often provides

COLUMNS | Issue 100, May 2022

as much in the way of illumination as the dialogue (perhaps more; between the thick accents and growled enunciation, it’s tempting to turn on subtitles). While The North Water does have a primary protagonist, the work deviates from Haigh’s pattern in that it is not always from that protagonist’s perspective that the story advances, and this is really a tale with two major character foci and a large scope, completely divergent from Haigh’s typical subject matter. In the port of Hull in 1859, Irishman Patrick Sumner (Jack O’Connell) boards the Volunteer, taking a post as ship’s surgeon. His background is murky; through expository flashbacks, the viewer learns that Sumner has been cashiered out of his post as an army surgeon in India, where something more traumatic even than the “usual” horrors of war happened to him. The justifications he gives for a man of his education and abilities signing on to a whaleship are all convenient lies that fool no one. Sumner certainly doesn't snow the ship’s captain, Brownlee (Stephen Graham), who informs the surgeon that whalemen are “refugees from civilization," sensing that this is precisely what appeals to Sumner. Brownlee has a hidden agenda, and Sumner seeks a reckless escape, both in signing on to a whaler when he has little knowledge of the sea, and in the bottles of laudanum he keeps locked in his medicine chest. Meanwhile, harpooner Henry Drax (Colin Farrell) has also joined the ship’s complement. Before we ever see him aboard, we’re treated to a clear estimation of his character: the series opens as Drax finishes up with a prostitute in the dim streets of Hull, then heads directly for the nearest pub. After unsuccessfully trying to trade his knife and boots for a drink, another patron spots him a round to forestall the inevitable confrontation about to occur between Drax and the publican. When this benefactor refuses to buy him a second drink, Drax waits outside, stalks him through the streets until he happens upon a convenient location, then brains him with a brick in a dark alleyway before robbing him. One has the impression the robbery was just an afterthought, not the motive. While Sumner is the main protagonist and an engaging one, he's surrounded by an exemplary ensemble cast in the person of Stewart as Brownlee, First Mate Cavendish (Sam Spruell), kindly hands before the mast Otto (Roland Møller) and Jones (Kieran Urquhart), amongst others. Yet it is Drax who is foil and counterpoint to Sumner’s tormented soul (the series’ opening card is the Schopenhauer quote “For the world is Hell, and men are on the one hand the tormented souls and on the other the devils in it.”). Sumner is a bit of a Hamlet – thinking, thinking, self-medicating and thinking some more, focused inward on past wounds he continues to prod. Drax, by contrast, exudes amoral, casual menace. He goes about his whaling tasks with efficient brutality. At 5 feet 10 inches, Farrell is far from hulking, yet with a little extra weight (half of which may be beard) and some significant acting chops, he seems hulking in this production. Whether it’s clubbing helpless seals or exulting in the rain of blood from a whale’s last spouting as he drives his killing lance through its heart, Drax personifies savagery. His character is all the more frightening because his motivations are so mundane. So often in fiction, the antagonist is some kind of mastermind or, at the very least, intentionally evil. A great deal of our jurisprudence is based upon this concept of intent – regardless of what the result actually was, what did one mean for the outcome of one’s actions to be? It’s why statutes favor lesser sentences for unintentional manslaughter than for premeditated murder. The end result is the same: one human being is dead due to the actions of another. But without conscious intent, the offense is considered lesser. With

most fictional villains in less competent authorial hands, there are dastardly, complicated plans and wrongs inflicted simply for the sake of “being bad.” Drax is exactly the opposite. He is, like so many of our workaday criminals, guided entirely by impulse. As such, he is a chillingly realistic bogeyman. The fact that people get hurt is incidental; he forms no intent beyond what seems the best course of action to him in the moment. “Oh, I don’t intend too much,” Drax says cheerfully to Sumner, “I’m a doer, not a thinker, me. I follow my inclination…There ain’t a great deal of cogitation involved.” It’s what makes him incredibly dangerous. He acts, and remorse isn’t a concept he understands, so he’s never affected by conscience, or paused in his actions by consideration of their consequences. When a murder occurs onboard ship, it is the first in a series of events that quickly results in a taut tale of violence and struggle for survival. The crew eventually ends up on the ice, trapped and forced to overwinter. I hesitate to say more about the plotting of this Arctic thriller, lest I risk spoilers. But given the claustrophobia of life aboard the small whaler, combined with the harshness of the Arctic environment, the tension is palpable. The soundtrack is gripping, the rasp of the ice as it snaps groaning timbers, the squeak of boots slipping in whale gore. The cinematography is outstanding, from the framing of the shots to the sense of space (or lack thereof) and motion. The camera often closely follows the backs of characters – through the streets of Hull, up gangways to the ship’s deck, wending through crowded pubs – giving the viewer the feeling of tagging along behind as part of the action. The ship rises and falls with the swells of a storm, seawater spilling over the deck as the towering waves are framed behind, back and forth, spill and scupper out. Belowdecks, seasoned sailors guffaw at the first mate’s Michael Jackson lean in the same rhythm, effortlessly back and forth with the ship’s rolling; meanwhile, Sumner, alone in his cabin, tries to brace himself and brings up innards all the way to his shoelaces. Expansive overhead shots of exquisite sea and shore are juxtaposed with the tiny, dark interiors of the ship. After the seal hunt, a slow pan across the white expanse highlights pristine ice marred by the red-blood of skinned seal corpses, forlornly left to waste in their hundreds. Though not always a palatable one, it is a visual feast, and some of it is astonishingly beautiful. The North Water has the distinction of having been filmed the farthest north of any screen drama, in the Svalbard region beyond Norway, within the Arctic Circle. The setting feels so immersive because it’s real, not a sound stage water tank or CGI.

Sumner. Yet, as one critic noted, The North Water “is a very different creature to the usual prestige period piece… It is far more existential, a sort of anti-comfort viewing that seeks to unsettle rather than reassure.”3 It is the overall presentation of the piece, its commitment to realism, which makes it a standout, all elements coalescing into something unique. While the cast is uniformly good and O’Connell’s portrayal of the protagonist cannot be faulted, Farrell is a vitally important part of what makes this series what it is. More than one critic called him “unrecognizable,” meant in the best possible way: an actor who has transformed himself into the character he portrays. I felt a particular kinship with the critic from Vogue (a strange sensation), who noted his own obsession with seafaring epics and the cold, white places of the world, always looking to “happily set sail with a bunch of British and Irish actors who were all doomed to an icy death.”4 In The North Water, he found “a beautifully mounted, genuinely unnerving, and, in the end, nihilistically grim entry into this genre — I am sated once again.” Agreed. Though, glutton that I am, it doesn’t mean I won’t be keeping a constant watch for more Arctic epics wherever and whenever they may be found.

R E F E R ENC ES 1. Seventh Row website

https://seventh-row.com/directors-we-love/andrew-haigh/

2. Gabriel Tate "Colin Farrell on making The North Water: ‘It’s a relief that no one died.’” 28 August 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/tvand-radio/2021/aug/28/north-water-bbc-amc-colin-farrell-stephengraham-jack-oconnell-andrew-haigh

3. Katie Rosseinsky “The North Water review: Colin Farrell and Jack O’Connell lead a gruelling but richly rewarding period piece.” The Evening Standard, 10 September 2021. https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/ the-north-water-bbc-review-jack-oconnell-colin-farrell-stephengraham-b954694.html

4. Taylor Antrim

"The North Water Is the Latest Reason to Love Unbelievably Grim British TV.” Vogue, 14 July 2021. https://www.vogue.com/article/ the-north-water-is-the-latest-reason-to-love-unbelievably-grimPerhaps one can't put a price on realism, but filming in such a harsh british-tv environment has obvious drawbacks beyond the fiscal, for both actors and crew. To accomplish scenes filmed at only 500 miles south of the North Pole, the production used not only the Volunteer (actually a reinforced schooner named the Activ), but there were also W R I T T EN BY icebreaker and accomodation ships. A weather eye was kept out for polar bears as well as disintegrating pack ice floes, which could trap BE T H A N Y the actors and crew filming upon them. More than one crew member has remarked on the extremes and intensity of filming so near the L AT H A M pole, the punishing emotional and physical toll it takes. Farrell noted Bethany Latham is a professor, that, when filming finally wrapped and the ships began heading back librarian, and HNR's Managing 2 to civilization, "I’ll never forget the relief I felt that nobody died.” Editor. She is a regular contributor to NoveList and a The North Water is one of those rare offerings near equally praised by regular reviewer for Booklist. critics and audiences alike. There have been other relatively recent offerings compared to it simply by dint of setting and survivalist elements (eg, The Terror), but The North Water effortlessly outpaces them. Admittedly, it has its cliches: there’s an old Norse sailor (Møller's Otto) who is careful to relay his prophetic dreams and, at one point, Drax actually gives the “we’re not so different, you and I” spiel to

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

HNS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS For its 25th anniversary, the Society's members share what the HNS means to them In 1997, Richard Lee took it upon himself to establish in the United Kingdom a society for the furtherance of historical fiction. Beginnings were small and, by Lee’s accounting, inauspicious (members’ dues were solicited with an A4 leaflet plus his “(assumed) integrity and (implied) hard work”). From this, the Historical Novel Society has grown into an international organization that demonstrates a notable impact on the genre, those who write in it, and those who love to read it. This year, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of our founding, as well as the 100th issue of the Historical Novels Review. We thought a fitting marker for the occasion would be to allow the Society to speak for itself – to hear from membership about how the Society has affected them personally. Many answered the call, from authors to reviewers to reading enthusiasts (some all rolled into one). When it comes to the genre, members are effusive about how the Society has expanded their scope, especially through the tens of thousands of reviews published by HNR over the last quarter century. B.J. Sedlock says, “Writing reviews for the HNS has broadened my horizons, reading and reviewing books set in locations or periods I might not normally be drawn to for plain old recreational reading.” Melissa Warren notes her joy in finding inclusive YA authors like Chloe Gong and C.B. Lee, “The reviews and quarterly magazines help teachers and media specialists find new voices that expand representation and students’ understanding of history and themselves.” Gail Murray considers it a “privilege” to review for HNR, allowing her to “discover so many wonderful authors.” Julia Stoneham feels similarly, “I appreciate the variety of subject matter HNR offers me. HNR is well respected, highly valued, and A Very Good Thing.” Susan Lowell quotes Ursula K. LeGuin, “’The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp.’ But the best part: ‘The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story,’ and it’s my privilege to experience so many other writers’ living stories.” Author and reviewer Penny Ingham declares, “Membership has brought me so much pleasure over the last twelve years. Writing reviews for the Society has introduced me to so many authors I might not otherwise have come across.” Jasmina Svenne also notes this effect: “As a long-time reviewer, I have read some amazing books that I would probably never have bought if left to my own devices.” As an author, Ingham was thrilled to see her novel selected as an Editors’ Choice in 2010, and Svenne values the chances to connect, “I belong to several writers’ organisations, but if money became an issue, the HNS would be the last one I would give up. I have made several friends at the UK Conferences – two of them now very close friends – and I’ve twice had short stories published in the HNS anthologies.” Rebecca Cochran, a reviewer and former US Reviews Editor, echoes this theme of finding connection: “I was introduced to the HNS nearly 17 years ago. Becoming a reviewer combined my love of reading, historical fiction, and writing. Since then, I have met many wonderful colleagues, both during my time as reviewer and as an editor. Because of my passion for HNR, my daughter became equally intrigued with history, and has also reviewed books over the last several years. Through this bond, we have found new authors, learned so much, and continue to swap books back and forth.” J. Lynn Else, Indie Reviews Editor, says, “In my reading community, I don’t have many 8

FEATURES | Issue 100, May 2022

historical fiction fans to talk with. The HNS is a breath of fresh air! If I’m excited about historical fiction, I finally have other readers to chat with.” Edward James, a long-time UK Reviews Editor, also values the bonds he’s made: “HNR has been part of my life for the last 25 years. When the pandemic closed down all my other outside activities, my role as Reviews Editor became my only contact with the world beyond my immediate family. I have only met one of my reviewers in the flesh, but I think they have become my friends.” Katherine Mezzacappa shares a similar experience, “It’s been a godsend in the dark, isolating days of COVID, as I’ve made so many contacts. One author who is now a dear friend and confidante I met after reviewing her book.” Many authors, Mezzacappa included, talk about the inspiration they’ve found in the Society and its publications: “The Historical Novel Society has transformed my life as an author. The turning point for me was getting into the last fifteen in the Society’s New Novel Award in 2019 with a novel then called Merripen. With renewed confidence I redoubled my efforts to find an agent, the novel was offered to Bonnier Zaffre, and I am now writing my fourth for that publisher. Joining the HNS I would recommend to anyone serious about historical fiction. It’s not just a serious business though – being in the HNS has proved also to be immense fun.” The Society and its international reach has helped a number of authors realize their aspirations. Tessa Harris shares, “For years I’d sent off manuscripts to agents and never had any luck. Back in 2005 I wrote something that really excited me and that I felt could be ‘the one,’ but UK agents thought otherwise. I must have received about fifty rejections. I’d taken advantage of a free offer – sample copies of a magazine produced by the Historical Novel Society. Leafing through one, I realised that historical fiction was big in America, too. (I’m very often late to the party!) As my protagonist was an 18th century American anatomist, practising in London, it occurred to me that a US agent might be interested in my novel. Moreover, the magazine gave the names of American agents who’d done recent deals. Eagerly, I picked out an agent who, I hoped, might like my work. I hit the bull’s eye! Eighteen months later, I signed a three-book deal with Kensington Publishing for my debut, The Anatomist’s Apprentice. Twelve historical novels later, I’m still going strong, and it’s all down to the Historical Novels Review.” Members are enthusiastic about the tools the HNS provides to help them hone their writing. Christy Nicholas notes, “I have been a lover of historical fiction for as long as I can remember, but only recently started writing novels. I found the Historical Novel Society, and their articles and support have been incredibly helpful.” Karen Sandrick says, “As a relatively new historical novelist (my debut, The Pear Tree, appeared in 2017), I am constantly on the alert for ways to construct details of time and place so readers feel they have been transported to the past, find facts that fuel a powerful story, and blend actual events within a storyline to add perspective and understanding. And I find many answers to my questions as I read and review new historical novels for the HNS.” Brodie Curtis agrees, “Finding the HNS and the Historical Novels Review has been a much-needed accelerant to my writing as well as a huge boost to my overall appreciation of the genre. Content in the magazines has provided inspiration and given me deep appreciation of the talent of others, and my interactions with our superb HNR editorial team have been more valuable than I can say.” Elaine Stock, with her HF debut, We Shall Not Shatter, offers her appreciation for “all of the invaluable wealth of information for both authors and readers of historical fiction.” Janet Hancock, who

I AM VERY GRATEFUL to the HNS for providing a place for like-minded people to talk about the books they love to read and write. has been with the HNS since the beginning (she still has Richard Lee’s handwritten letter of welcome), says of reviewing, “As well as the thrill of a brand-new book – and sometimes a new author – it has been an excellent exercise in concise writing, valuable lessons for the published short story writer, novelist and poet I have become.” The Society has provided many with the opportunity to do what they love with a group of like-minded individuals. “The day I found the Historical Novel Society and the Historical Novels Review,” says Peggy Kurkowski, “I found literary love. I joined as a lover of historical fiction but found my calling as a book reviewer. Two years and 25 books later, I still love the work I do for HNS in reviewing the best new historical fiction titles on the market.” Kristen McDermott shares the excitement she felt interviewing Gregory Maguire for an HNR feature article, “and even more exciting to see the article appear in the November 2020 issue -- but still more exciting to have the publisher, HarperCollins, request permission to reprint the article in their “PS: Insights, Interview and More” section of the book (A Wild Winter Swan)! I’m so grateful to the HNR.” From old Society hands to greenhorns, members note how impactful gathering together is for them, allowing them to get involved – whether it’s attendance at local chapter meetings or Society conferences. Catherine Kullman remembers her first HNS Irish Chapter meeting: “This was a momentous occasion for me. I came out of my closet and admitted to complete strangers, many of whom were already published writers, that I, too, was writing historical fiction. The members of the group were both welcoming and encouraging. Seven years later, we are still together, after two HNS Conferences, several long Christmas lunches, and two years of COVID-prescribed Zoom meetings. I have lost count of the number of members’ books we have celebrated together. We interact regularly, supporting one another not only in our writing but also in our personal lives.” Long-time member, reviewer, and former HNR Managing Editor Sally Zigmond shares, “I wasn’t a part of the HNS at its birth, but I offered my services soon after. It may even have been when I attended an early UK get-together at Rockingham Castle, Leicestershire. I well remember the rapidly lengthening queue of Bernard Cornwell fans as I bade farewell to Richard having promised to edit the Historical Novels Review. I have many happy personal memories: an early UK Conference in London where I remember the splendid Carole Blake inspiring her audience to keep writing; a private HNS tour around Denis Severs’ House, Folgate Street, Spitalfields, London, where time stood still, yet it was as if its inhabitants over the centuries had only just left the room.” New member Trish MacEnulty says, “When I discovered the Historical Novel Society, I knew I had found a home. I went to my first conference last summer and was lucky enough to be chosen to lead a session. My most exciting discovery through the Society has been the incredibly helpful books for writers by Libbie Hawker (AKA Libbie Grant). I learned about those books through her session on outlining at the conference. I also got two full manuscript requests at the conference and as a result received useful feedback on my book.” “It’s hard to express how much the Historical Novel Society means to me,” says Clarissa Harwood, “but I will say that my first HNS conference in 2013 (St. Petersburg) changed my life. I found a group of warm, friendly history nerds very much like me! I was on such a high that weekend. There were so many interesting things going on and so many interesting people to talk to. Over the years I have

learned so much from my fellow HNS members. I am very grateful to the HNS for providing a place for like-minded people to talk about the books they love to read and write.” Linda Sittig’s first conference was in 2019 (Washington, D.C.): “I signed up to attend, going alone and knowing no one. My most vivid memory was the opening night Meet and Greet Wine and Cheese hour. I walked into the room and saw people dressed in costumes from various periods in history. There was a Viking, a WWI soldier, a Roman gladiator, an Egyptian princess. And I thought, oh my goodness, I have found my tribe!” The sense of community also resonates with Tracey Warr. “Up until the opening cocktails of the 2014 conference (London), writing, for me, had been a solitary experience. From start to finish, that conference was galvanising — from Bernard Cornwell’s after-dinner speech to presentations by Philippa Gregory and Diana Gabaldon. I was delighted to talk with many new and aspiring historical novelists like myself. Belonging to the HNS provides me with a framework, makes me feel validated and motivated as a writer in this genre. I think the open structure of the HNS, with volunteers and many ways to contribute and participate, is very enabling.” Alana White, who would go on to serve on the HNS’s Conference Board, remembers her first conference in 2005 (Salt Lake City). “Jitters. A fluttering in my heart. This was my first writing conference, my statement to the world: I want to write historical fiction. That evening, I made friends with people who would become mainstays in my writing life. Since that gathering, I’ve attended every North American Conference and watched proudly as that bi-annual event blossomed into the amazing conference of 2021 — going virtual, going big and, with the blazing talents of the conference committee and a host of volunteers, providing attendees with an uplifting experience at a time when we all needed sunshine in our lives. The inclusivity of this group makes me especially proud. When one succeeds, we all succeed; when one stumbles, we gather around with encouragement, whether at the conference, within one of our regional chapters, or through our HNS Facebook Group. So, yes, this is a love note to HNS and all those — beginning with our founder, Richard Lee — who are committed to our future growth.” Those of us fortunate enough to have found this community, which has grown exponentially over the last quarter century, are bound together by a love of the genre and excitement to see what’s next for historical fiction. Thanks to all the members who took the time to share their thoughts and help us mark this important anniversary.

W R I T T EN BY BE T H A N Y L AT H A M Bethany Latham is a professor, librarian, and HNR's Managing Editor. She is a regular contributor to NoveList and a regular reviewer for Booklist.

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

POESY & PRECISION Victorian cookery for all

throughout – her strength of character, her honesty and her courage.” That emotional turmoil included her father’s bankruptcy and other sketchy personal details which provide the scaffold for this engaging novel. Between 1835 and 1845, Acton lived in Tunbridge, Kent, with her mother and Ann Kirby, the young girl she hired as kitchen maid and then her assistant. Abbs told me that Ann is completely fictitious, but “I had a few facts about her, namely that she appeared in three censuses (which started in 1801 and took place every decade) and then I had Eliza’s cookbook, so I had a good idea of what Ann had spent ten years doing. I used wonderful books on the history of housework and domesticity to help me understand her situation.” Writing poetry was barely socially acceptable for a gentlewoman, despite the number of Victorian women who did so: among Acton’s role models was L.E.L, or Miss L. E. Landon, who features briefly in the novel. But writing cookery books was even more demeaning; publishing was dominated by men, the chefs that mattered were men, and most earlier cookbooks had been written by men – with a few notable exceptions, like Hannah Woolley and Hannah Glasse. In the novel, Acton encounters Louis, a French chef in an aristocratic household, as a minor character, and another real-life figure, Alexis Soyer, who was a luminary of French cooking and fine dining at the Reform Club in Victorian London. Middle-class women rarely entered the kitchen, and in London society it was unheard of. Prompted by this situation, Acton set out to write everyday recipes for middle-class families, encouraging women to take control of domestic affairs, even when inexperienced. Abbs takes note of Acton’s stress on the tried and tested nature of her recipes, cooked repeatedly in the kitchen of Bordyke House with Ann Kirby’s help. “Our receipts … are confined to such as may be perfectly depended on, from having been proved beneath our own roof and under our own personal inspection. We have trusted nothing to others.” 1

Those with an interest in historical recipes will have heard of Eliza Acton (1799–1859), who is the protagonist of Annabel Abbs’s novel, The Language of Food (Simon & Schuster UK, 2022; William Morrow US, 2021 as Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship). Fewer may know that her first ambition was to write poetry, but it was her family circumstances that prompted her to turn to writing a cookery book, one that was eventually published in London, in 1845, with the long title Modern Cookery in all its Branches, Reduced to a System of Easy Practice, for the Use of Private Families. In a Series of Practical Receipts, which have been Strictly Tested, and are Given with the Most Minute Exactness. Acton’s aim was to encourage mainly middle-class women to do more cooking themselves and enable them to instruct poorly trained servants, setting out the quantities of ingredients to buy, as well as emphasising budgeting and avoiding wasting. Annabel Abbs is lucky enough to have inherited a copy of Acton’s first book from her mother-in-law. Acton’s Modern Cookery was followed by a book on bread. It was in these writings that Abbs found Acton’s voice: “not only in her two cookery books, but also in the volume of poetry she published, which confirmed that she had spent time in France and Italy, and that she had suffered considerable emotional turmoil. She also wrote quite vocal introductions to her cookbooks, which she updated for each edition. Her later voice was quite different from her earlier voice, but some elements endured

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Abbs offers a persuasive and sympathetic portrait of Eliza and Ann. Moreover, by imagining the reasons why Acton dedicated her work to “the Young Housekeepers of England,” Abbs offers a fictional closure to Acton’s personal turmoil. I asked Abbs about the structure of the novel, which is written with alternating chapters in which Eliza and Ann act as first-person narrators. Did she consider another way of writing the book? “No I didn’t consider any other option. It seemed to work from the very beginning! I had my characters so, other than fleshing them out, I gave most attention to plot, voice and prose.” The story straddles the nineteenth century, but Abbs hardly refers to contemporary events. I asked whether this a deliberate decision, so that the reader can focus on the lives of these two women? “It was a time of great change – with lots of fascinating local ‘events’ too, like the first train line opening in Tonbridge, the first street lighting and so on. But historical novels must wear their facts lightly and it seemed to me that Eliza and Ann would have been so deeply immersed in producing their tome, Modern Cookery for Private Families, that the outer world wouldn’t have intruded as much as it does for us today. I suspect many working people – and particularly working women with sick or bankrupt families – had very insular lives, and I wanted to reflect that. I also wanted to reflect the reality of being female – lives lived on a domestic stage with all its richness, but also with its sense of

I WANTED TO REFLECT the reality of being female – lives lived on a domestic stage with all its richness, but also with its sense of oppressiveness. oppressiveness. Not enough attention has been paid to these stories, in my view.” Abbs includes extensive details of the oppressive situations faced by many women, in sickness and poverty, mainly through the character of Ann Kirby and her family. In particular, Ann’s mother suffers from dementia and Abbs says that “I used my own family history (of dementia and of rural peasantry) to add meat to the bones.” Although the strand is secondary, it is a poignant exploration of the way in which mental health was understood and treated in the very early Victorian period. Nonetheless, it seems quite probable that Eliza Acton could have learned from Ann of the appalling diet that the poorest in society were compelled to eat. The conviction that everyone should be able to bake a loaf of bread led to her second book, The English Bread Book, published in 1857. Plagiarism is still a crux of modern-day cookery writers: how do you prove the originality of a recipe? In this respect, Acton’s work suffered more than most. Abbs tells me that “She blamed her later poor health on this, citing it in her last preface to Modern Cookery as ‘the unscrupulous manner in which large portions of my volume have been appropriated by contemporary authors without the slightest acknowledgement’. And blaming it on ‘strangers coolly taking the credit and profit of my toil’.” Within two years of Acton’s death, Mrs Isabella Beeton produced her compendium on household management, shamelessly continuing the plundering of Acton’s recipes by “cutting and pasting” them and claiming them as her own. Moreover, Beeton cleverly added a twist to the formulation of Acton’s recipes by moving the list of ingredients from the bottom, where Acton had placed them, to the top. This remains Beeton’s hallmark contribution to the modern recipe, but it was Acton who initiated the change. Acton’s revolutionary formulation in terms of quantities and measurements, her detailed cooking instructions, her precise timings, but also her poetic prose have been noted by many, from Elizabeth David to modern food historians. Abbs told me that she cooked from Acton’s books and others to add to her understanding of the setting of the novel: her research focused on the practical and the physical, overcoming problems of changing utensils, changing sensibilities and changing tastes – I didn’t ask whether she had skinned a squirming, slippery eel, but her description is convincing! “I really wanted to conjure up the feel of an 1835 kitchen, so a sense of ‘place’ was also very important,” Abbs writes. Adding that “I also visited as many historic kitchens as I could. Smaller houses (like Carlyle’s House in London) were more helpful than the Brighton Pavilion (which has an extraordinary kitchen).” Although Abbs does indeed wear her research lightly, it illuminates the story from within. “I often cook from her recipes,” she says. “Acton’s Family gingerbread is the best ginger cake recipe I know 3, and my mother has made Acton’s Christmas pudding all her life (we still have it every Christmas!). Other than some of the very obscure fish and meats (Corncrake anyone? Pike?), the ingredients are usually easy to source, and her instructions are easy to follow. I just have to remember that an old English pint is smaller than our current pint and that she used neither fan-oven nor fridge (or any other electric appliance for that matter!). But I’ve written myself a conversion chart

that includes some of her more obscure measurements (pottles and gills) as well as the more familiar pounds, ounces, pints and inches – and, of course, conversions from her wood or coal-fired range temperatures to my electric fan-oven. I also have to bear in mind that my dish might not taste like hers – she had freshly laid eggs, freshly churned butter and vegetables straight from the garden – unlike today’s that may have been sitting on a supermarket shelf for weeks! But if we want to understand how our ancestors ate, we really have to cook from the recipes they used… it’s a sort of living history and I love it!” Abbs’ compelling storytelling echoes Acton’s poetic prose in conjuring up the kitchens, the dishes and the lives of these women.

R E F E R ENC ES 1. I.E. Acton

(1845). Modern Cookery. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longman, p. xi. https://archive.org/details/b21531857 (accessed March 2022)

2. Ibid See Acton’s recipe for “Thick Light Gingerbread” in the online edition above, pp. 615-16.

W R I T T EN BY LUC I N DA BYAT T When not translating, Lucinda Byatt also writes and teaches topics relating to food history and women’s history at Centre for Open Learning, University of Edinburgh. @Lucy13Byatt

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WORDSMITH REVISITED BY JON G. BRADLEY & SAM ALLISON

George Alfred Henty died in November 1902 just several weeks shy of his seventieth birthday. Considered by many to be the ‘grandfather’ of the genre known as the youth historical novel, Henty’s popularity and influence have waned and waxed over the ensuing decades. How can the evident contemporary interest in his many novels be balanced against our own views and values? Henty brought his readers to geographic locations at a specific historical juncture. Sometimes exotic and even mundane, there was always adventure, intrigue and tension. Often adding to the historical realities, the protagonists had to right wrongs, solve mysteries, and extradite themselves from perilous situations. His were historical voyages of discovery aimed directly at that emerging new clientele in Victorian society – the young male reader. Henty brought his readers to Roman Britain, Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, Peruvian explorations, fourteenth-century Venice, Indian mutinies, gold mining in California, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Brahmin treasure, War of the Roses, revolution in Haiti, liberation of Italy, as well as ancient Egypt. Reading Henty then was, in many ways, exploring the sweep of history. Whatever the ever-changing lens through which Henty may be examined, there is no question that, in his time, he was a master of the historical novel with a readership that spanned the world. Not just the English-speaking world, as many of his novels were translated into several other languages. It might be illustrative to mention only a few diverse individuals so as to acquire a sense of his widely felt influence. British historian and journalist A. J. P. Taylor noted that “[Henty’s books] were my favourites.”1 Rabelaisian novelist Henry Miller noted that Henty was “…my favorite author…I must have read every blessed one before I was fourteen.”2 Novelist Graham Greene stated of Henty’s novels: “I particularly liked the dull historical parts.”3 Author George MacDonald Fraser, in his 2008 Flashman on the March, pays tribute to Henty by portraying him as the intrepid war correspondent that he had been. Commencing in 1867 with a single volume while in his mid-30s, Henty wrote a novel a year until the early 1880s when he really hit his stride as a novelist. Sometimes releasing three or more tomes per year, all in hardback with colourful covers, Henty continued this prodigious output right up until his death. Additionally, he wrote non-fiction (The March to Magdala), contributed short stories to The Boy’s Own Paper, and edited for a time the weekly Union Jack, with its ‘Boy’s Own’ type adventure stories. Until age and infirmities hindered such travel, Henty was always at the ready anticipating a call to head off to some far-flung adventure. As such, he was a member of an elite group of war correspondents who fed an ever-growing Victorian readership with tales of tingling contemporary adventure tinged with pro-British overtones. Henty travelled widely; including, Abyssinia, Ghana, Italy, Turkey and Spain to name a few. Trekking to these locations, especially in time of conflict, was not for the faint of heart but he did prepare. Henty was constantly prepared, and his travelling kit comprised all of the necessities for reporting from afar. Such elements included two revolvers and ammunition, at least one case of claret and another 12

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of brandy, favourite pipe and assorted tobacco augmented with the correct boots and clothing depending on location.4 Indeed, Henty travelled well, and one can just imagine the commotion when arriving in a strange place with this collection of personal necessities. W. G. Blackie, his main British publisher, stated that even in the early 1950s, a half-century after his death, they were printing 150,000 copies of various Henty titles per year. Further, the company indicated that their own records show that over three-and-a-half million Henty volumes had been printed by Blackie alone.5 Taking into account foreign printings (particularly in Australia and the United States where Henty had a strong following), especially after copyright expired, world-wide reasonable estimates place printed Henty novels around the twenty-five million mark! In a novel published posthumously, With the Allies to Pekin, Henty describes in detail an act of bravery that actually occurred in 1900. A Victoria Cross was awarded to young midshipman Basil Guy and this action was embedded in the novel. In the short span of time between the action actually occurring, the novel being written, Henty’s passing, the mother of the young man had written to the author in 1900 thanking him for penning such heroic novels that so positively influenced her son. No doubt heavily humbled by such accolades, Henty penned a long reply. In his letter to Mrs. Guy, he attributes his popularity to the fact that he writes his books as he would have told them. He does not actually write but “talks to his typewriter” (obviously via a typist) just as he would to his children. He stated that he considers it to be a fair day’s work if he can generate 6,500 words. He ended his letter with the telling comment: “Besides I am solely at being a boys’ book writer.” 6 As this twenty-first century winds its way, Henty’s novels and impact have not faded. His books are being reprinted and the second-hand marketplace is awash in editions of Henty’s volumes. More modern critics often view his novels as unrealistic renditions of complex situations narrated through stilted characters. Others have heavily faulted Henty for a plebian set-piece literary style that eschewed women and glorified, too often, imperialism. Whatever the character and cultural shortcomings embodied in his own times, Henty knew how to spin an engaging yarn. 7 It is for new authors to bring fresh perspectives to historical incidents and to introduce new characters – righting the balance of genders and enhancing the depth that is adolescent historical youth fiction. References: 1, Taylor, A. J. P. (1983). A. J. P. Taylor: A Personal Journey. New York, NY: Atheneum, p. 25. 2. Miller, Henry. (1969). The Books in My Life. New York, NY: New Directions, p. 317. 3. Schlesinger, Jr, Arthur M. (2000). A Life in the 20th Century: Innocent Beginnings, 1917 – 1950. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin, p. 68. 4. King, Ann J. (2015). G. A. Henty 1832 – 1902: Some Biographical Essays. Cambridge, UK: The Henty Society, p. 187. 5. G. A. Henty. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._A._Henty) accessed 2022-03-25. 6. King, Ann J. G. A. Henty 1832 – 1902, p. 602. 7. Dulin, Julia. (1998). “Victorian children’s books gain latter-day following”. The Washington Times, May 6.

Jon G. Bradley (jon.bradley@mcgill.ca) is a recently retired Professor from McGill University’s Faculty of Education. His research interests lie in curriculum development, history education, and boy learning. Sam Allison (s.allison1759@gmail. com) is a recently retired secondary level history teacher and a lecturer from McGill University’s Faculty of Education with a research interest in history teaching and learning.

FRESH TAKES ON OLD TALES BY KATIE STINE Arthurian legends occupy a great deal of space in Western fiction. Whether it is the love triangle of Arthur, Lancelot, and Guinevere, or the stories of Merlin, much has been written about Arthurian Britain. Spear by Nicola Griffith (Tordotcom/Macmillan, 2022) is a fresh look at this ancient tale. But how does one remake something new? As authors, we often recycle tropes, archetypes, settings, even genre expectations. In Spear, Griffith takes two ancient concepts, twining them together, adding a lens through which very few tales are told. As for Spear’s landscape, Griffith acknowledges that “the whole story cycle is fundamentally a national origin story: straight, white, male, privileged, nondisabled supremacism.” So how do we tell a story that is already tired? Instead of the Sir Percival we know as one of the knights of the Round Table, the main character of Spear is Peretur (an early iteration of the name Percival), the daughter of an anxious woman in hiding. At first, this doesn’t seem to be all that fresh—after all, from Mary Stewart’s books we have a cave in Wales. But in Spear, magic isn’t flowering in the forest, it is magic hiding a mother and daughter. The other twist here is not just the gender-bending aspect of Peretur being female. It is fresh because this detail is precisely beside the point. Who cares about anatomy when Peretur has bigger mysteries to solve; for instance, what happened to her mother that she won’t even tell Peretur her actual name until a third of the way through the story? As Griffith notes, “the origins of [Peretur’s] name made it possible to bring Welsh history and Irish myth into a largely English legend, to expand the centre a little.” The connection with the magical forest is a connection to original source material, as Griffith says: “…the original version of Sir Percival was supposed to have been raised in the wild by his mother.” When Peretur ventures outside of the protective magical borders and encounters the knights of the Round Table, she is enamored. Not at the sight of smelly warriors, but because she wants to be like them. As a descendent of the Tuath Dé, an Irish tribe of supernatural beings, Peretur has supernatural strength and ability. Again, not a new concept to have a half-god, but fresh because this is a female character where her gender is not relevant. Unlike modern female

superheroes whose backstories must provide extensive discussion about their non-brute strength superpowers, Peretur never questions her own capabilities. “This was a perfect way to create a Peretur/ Percival who was naïve,” Griffith says. “Unaware of the rules of power and privilege and other social guidelines: she could be poor, a woman, queer, without connections and wholly different, all while being utterly free to be strong, confident, generous and thoughtful without feeling inferior.” For this reader, it felt fresh to not have to delve into the question of whether she would be stronger if she were a man, or of threats to her person when she is found to be a woman, as Peretur is mistaken for a boy more often than not because of the armor she wears. Peretur acts as a knight and is therefore treated as one. Another aspect that made this a refreshing read was the acknowledgement that Christianity in Britain was not always the default. The time period is on the cusp of the cultural exchange, and as Peretur is of the Tuath Dé, the idea of a Christ figure is strange. The Tuath Dé have four magic objects: Peretur is in possession of one, the spear, and Peretur’s mother is possession of another, the cauldron. But because of the mixing of cultures, when Peretur hears about the Holy Grail, the cup that Christ drank from, she is confused. Finally, she connects the magic to the bowl she and her mother ate out of every day at home. The quest for the Holy Grail for King Arthur becomes Peretur trying to outrun her sire, the Tuath Dé god Manandán, to her mother and her home. In that quest, both perspectives of Christian and pagan are correct: what King Arthur refers to as the Holy Grail is the sacred magic bowl of the Tuath Dé. It is the same object, but centered by different myths. In some respects, we can see that as the larger metaphor for Spear. The fresh take here is centering female experience—but in a way that makes its femaleness the least important fact. This touches on the fallacy we often believe, that in order for one thing to be true, another perspective must be false. In Peretur’s world, few truly lose. As in life, there are rarely clearcut circumstances, as people are messy and unpredictable, and are changed by the society they keep. As Griffith notes, “We are social animals. If you want to effect change you build a movement, an army, a community—a group who relies on one another, needs one another, changes one another.” Peretur builds that community when she needs one, as we all do. This isn’t the traditional Hero’s Journey as outlined by Joseph Campbell, where, as Griffith puts it: “[A] traditional hero is untouched by the world—untouched by the changes he creates; untouched by the wreckage he leaves behind

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him as he strides towards his goal.” In our post-pandemic world, uncertain and traumatized as many readers are, a new way to honor the character’s past seems not just topical but rewarding. Every book does not need to be from a non-white, non-male perspective, but this reader believes that books that will find resonance with readers are those that adjust from the typical Campbell narrative structure (“a strong manly hero striding across the landscape bending events to his will”) to a narrative which acknowledges the journey thus far, and that one truth does not exclude another. Indeed, when Peretur returns to protect her mother, she finds that more has changed than just herself. And we readers have changed too. In our new post-pandemic world we must make room for how the world changed, how our family structures may have changed, how our own health changed. Griffith acknowledges that Peretur “knows that though she has to move on, her past will always be a part of her.” As it will be for us. That’s why we still turn to our comfort reads, like Arthurian legends, but why we also need the fresh take that acknowledges that we are no longer the people we were. Katie Stine writes award-winning Regency romances about women’s boxing as Edie Cay. Her first two books have won the Golden Leaf, the Next Generation Indie Book Award, the Best Indie Book Award. A Lady’s Finder came out in March. She is a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers.

COMPELLING REIMAGINATION BY KRISTEN MCDERMOTT

Danielle Daniel, Canadian author and illustrator of several children’s books about First Nations lifeways, makes her adult historical fiction debut with Daughters of the Deer (Random House Canada, 2022), a lyrical narrative about the “Brides of New France,” Algonquin women who married the French trappers and farmers moving onto their ancestral lands. Inspired by family stories of her ancestor, Marie, originally an Algonquin woman who married settler Pierre Couc, her genealogical research revealed surprises that connect her 17th-century subjects to our own time. “My mother and my aunts told me about Marie and Pierre,” Daniels explains, “and shared our genealogy with me. But I didn’t learn about Jeanne [their eldest daughter] until I had a conversation with my aunt, more than ten years ago now, about the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women in our country. I was very upset and feeling quite helpless in the face of all those disappeared women. That’s when my aunt told me that one of our own ancestors ...had been murdered by two settlers, making her one of the first murdered Indigenous women in four centuries of such violence. I was driven to learn more about her.” The result is a richly imagined rendering of the domestic life of the community formed by these intermarriages, centered on the TroisRivières region of Daniel’s native Quebec. The narrative is told from the point of view of both Marie and Pierre, and later their daughter Jeanne. “Choosing who should tell this story and in which voice was a long process. I experimented at first with the first-person voices of Marie and Pierre in alternating chapters. With each consecutive draft, it became clear that Marie’s experience and how colonization affected 14

FEATURES | Issue 100, May 2022

her on a daily basis was the thing that I had to focus on,” Daniels says, “so I kept her voice in the first-person and moved Pierre’s into the third.” The poignant narrative traces the consequences for the next generation of Marie’s decision to marry Pierre: “Though her daughter Jeanne carries most of the story in that last stretch of the novel, I still wanted readers to experience the story through Marie’s eyes and heart.” Daniels conducted “extensive” research into details on Algonquin and Weskarini lifeways, consulting “original documents from that period and texts written by Algonquin scholars held in several university libraries across the country.” She was also inspired by the “feminist academics and scholars named in my acknowledgements, particularly texts about women’s role in the fur trade.” The Couc family has been historically documented in Madame Montour & The Fur Trade by Simone Vincens, translated from the French by Ruth Bernstein (2011). Daniels, a native French speaker, also explored the town archives at Trois-Rivières. “That’s where I found the records of the court case against Jeanne’s attackers, which mention the act of violence and the names of the accused and witnesses involved, as well as the sentencing,” Daniels recalls. “After I saw that document, I knew that no matter how challenging it was, I would never be able to walk away from this novel—I felt compelled to give Jeanne a voice.” The voice she created for Jeanne draws on traditions surrounding “two-spirited” people, a term that covers both gender orientation and identity in many indigenous cultures. LGBTQ+ persons in pre-modern societies, rarely acknowledged in historical record, must often be identified more by absence than by presence: “I learned that Pierre and Marie had to pay an annual fine to the king of France because their daughter Jeanne remained unmarried. According to the king’s law, women in New France had to be married by seventeen and men by twenty-one. But when Jeanne was killed, she was twenty-two and still unmarried,” Daniels explains. “I asked myself why her parents would have paid that fine for five years when they had other children to care for. Was Jeanne unwell? Could she have had a physical or cognitive impairment? Or, maybe, she was two-spirited and loved another woman and refused to marry. It was Jeanne, the character, who took me by the hand and said, yes, yes, this is where we are going. Let’s go there. Follow me. And so, I followed her, and I am glad that I did because it allowed me to explore this great suppression of a deep and accepted love that was revered before the priests arrived.” Daniels mentions in the novel’s Acknowledgements that writing this novel was an “excruciating experience” that “scared” her, but that her ancestors “insisted” she write: “From the very beginning of the process, I felt them around me. Every time I wanted to stop, they nudged me forward, they urged me to get back to the story, they even appeared in my dreams. They wouldn’t let me go until their story was told. It’s my story, I know, but somehow I felt like I owed it to Marie, to Jeanne, and also in some ways to Pierre.” While, as Daniels notes, writing about the history of colonization is challenging because of the “painful and sensitive subject matter,” the novel succeeds because its focus is on the domestic lives of people and communities, their food, clothing, healing arts, and rituals, and on the diverse ways they learned to live together in the face of cultural erasure and oppression. Daniels approaches her role as a guide to this time reverently: “The other part of the struggle was to have to live in such a dire place in my imagination for so long, writing about painful subject matter, trying to feel everything my characters were feeling so my readers could feel it too. I needed to insulate myself while writing this book. I needed to set parameters to ensure I could do the hard work. This meant limiting the news I consumed and spending as much time in nature as possible to ‘fill my well’ so I could return to my writing desk.” The result is a detailed, intimate narrative of family life and female

I'M MORE INTERESTED in social issues than in serial killers. You can create a lot of drama around examining the reasons why people kill. friendship that will remind readers of bestsellers like Lauren Groff’s Matrix and Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist.

chance to forget the married lover who has just left her and for the opportunity to pursue her dream of a brilliant career in the theatre.

Kristen McDermott is a Professor of English at Central Michigan University and a regular book reviewer for Historical Novels Review.

For Hare, one of the reasons that she chose this setting was because she loves “the glamour of that period of travel,” she relates. “Often, on a weekend, I sit and watch an old episode of Poirot on TV (David Suchet is my favourite and I’ve seen every single one multiple times!). Also, I used to work in the travel industry and was lucky enough to stay in some famous hotels as part of my job – Raffles in Singapore, The Savoy in London, The Plaza in New York. I used to love going down to the bar and ordering one cocktail (all I could usually afford!).”

SPECIAL KIND OF PEOPLE BY MYFANWY COOK

The Lovely City (HarperCollins, 2020), Louise Hare’s debut novel, was greeted with an avalanche of praise. Not only was it a BBC2 “Between the Covers” pick, but it was also praised in newspapers, including the Observer and The Mail on Sunday, and in magazines such as Elle. Her novel was also shortlisted for the RDL Ondaatje prize. Her second novel Miss Aldridge Regrets (HarperCollins UK/ Berkley, 2022) is already receiving glowing reviews. Hare, originally from Warrington, now lives in London, having completed her MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. Place is clearly an important ingredient for her in creating a sense of time and atmosphere. When asked what is most important for her, the characters, the setting or the socio-political background of the period she is writing about, Hare explains that she usually starts off “with the main character and an idea of the story I want to tell,” she says. “For example, Miss Aldridge Regrets began as a short story set in a jazz club in 1949. Once I knew I wanted to explore the story more, I thought about the setting. Because the Queen Mary was such an icon of her time, and because the late ´30s was such an interesting period in history, I decided to move Lena’s story to that setting. I felt that those elements could enhance Lena’s personal history and would help me to explore the issues she has with race and class onboard the ship.” Setting for Hare is a key element in her novels, with Soho, an area in London, featuring strongly. Even today Soho, with its intriguing history, has a lively and vibrant air surrounding it. For Hare, writing about the 1930s and 1950s, “Soho is fascinating because it attracted people from all over. From the Huguenots, to Italians, to Black jazz musicians. It’s an area that has often had a bad reputation but has also been loved by so many.” In complete contrast to the seamier side of Soho, which in the past was home to strip clubs, “walk up” brothels and gangsters, and still is the home of Berwick Street market, one of London’s oldest markets, Hare has set much of the action for her latest novel on the Queen Mary. This was a conscious decision, and not just because of the journey and the fact that, for the length of its voyage, all the passengers on a Cunard White Star’s two-ship weekly express service could not leave the liner. Those passengers occupying the 711 first-class cabins naturally had a very different experience from those travelling in the cabin class and tourist class. Lena Aldridge joins the ship when a stranger offers her the chance to star on Broadway and a first-class ticket to New York. The timing couldn’t have been better for her, as she is looking for a

In Miss Aldridge Regrets, Hare wants to show Lena’s dilemma, and Soho made the ideal place as a starting point for the story because Lena is a mixed-race girl passing for white, “but has never had to hide her heritage in Soho because she’s accepted, even welcomed, for being mixed race. Of course, when she boards the Queen Mary, she knows she has to decide one way or the other, because in the US things are much different.” Hare’s first novel highlighted the life and times of Jamaican immigrants living in London through her main protagonist, Lawrie Mathews, who earns his living as a jazz musician playing in Soho’s music clubs by night. Novels can be used simply to entertain, but they can also be a way of transmitting knowledge and understanding about past injustices and discrimination. For Hare, writing novels does have this other dimension. “As a writer of mixed race, I want to use my own experiences to bring colour and authenticity to my work. Unfortunately, that means talking about what it is to live as a both a person from an ethnic minority and also as a woman. It’s not a conscious decision to talk about discrimination, but it’s impossible to ignore.” Crime is another feature that is central to the plots of both Hare’s novels. In Miss Aldridge Regrets, death and murder follow Lena into the sophisticated and glamorous life on board Cunard’s iconic transatlantic liner. Hare’s fascination with the crime genre came from, she says, “my mum’s love of crime fiction. When I was graduating from children’s books, I used to pick up whatever she’d been reading. My teenage years were spent with Agatha Christie first of all, then female PIs, such as Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshowski and Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone.” However, as she points out, “I’m more interested in social issues than in serial killers. You can create a lot of drama around examining the reasons why people kill. I’m not saying that their actions are forgivable, of course, but sometimes killers are just ordinary people who make a tragic decision, or who didn’t mean to end up killing their victim.” Completing a second novel within a short time frame is an exhausting process and so one way that Hare relaxes and recharges her creative batteries is to read. “At the moment I’m reading lots of fantasy: Sarah J. Maas, Namina Forna, and Tomi Adeyemi are recent favourites. I find that there are lots of similarities between the historical and fantasy novels that I love. World building is so important in both genres, and I love taking current issues and showing them in a new light.” Myfanwy Cook edits the New Voices column for HNR.

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REVIEWS ON LI N E E XC LUSI V ES Due to an ever-increasing number of books for review and space constraints within HNR, some selected fiction reviews and all nonfiction reviews are now published as online exclusives. To view these reviews and much more, please visit www.historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews

C L A SSIC A L ALEXANDER’S LEGACY: An Empty Throne Robert Fabbri, Corvus, 2022, £17.99/$28.95, hb, 414pp, 9781786498045

On the death of Alexander the Great, his ramshackle empire, built entirely on his personal charisma and extraordinary military talent, rapidly unravels. His famous ambiguous selection of a successor, “the strongest,” obviously divides his advisors and generals, and they swiftly begin to carve out chunks of territory for themselves. It is the time of the successor states, an era of intrigue and strife, of alliances made and broken, of slights growing to grievance and eventually blood feud. This is the latest instalment of an immense story with a vast cast, who unfortunately tend to have long, unfamiliar names that sound very similar. However, the character definition is excellent, and helps the reader to keep track of who is who. The best drawn is Eumenes, who is clever, deceitful, and yet extremely loyal to the Argead Royal house, although the derogatory term for him— “sly little Greek”—is rather overused. The title is a reference to his setting an empty chair at meetings to represent the absent infant grandchild of Alexander, the theoretical King of Macedon. Other top-notch characters are Olympias, Alexander’s harridan of a mother; and Antigonos, the elderly oneeyed warlord who is the main antagonist of the second part of the book. The period feel is excellent, and this is a book that is hard to put down. Martin Bourne

ROME’S END Fiona Forsyth, Sharpe Books, 2022, £7.99, pb, 224pp, 9798411868739

This novel is presented as the first Lucius Sestius mystery, so presumably there will be a sequel at some point. The time is 45 BC, and the place is Rome under the dictatorship of Julius Caesar, and those who know anything about Roman history will know that this doesn`t end well— “Et tu Brute?” and all that. Lucius Sestius is a young up-and-coming 16

lawyer, and he becomes embroiled in an investigation of corruption in an African region which mysteriously links to the Catilinarian Conspiracy of twenty years before. One issue is that many major events happen offstage, and the reader is told about them afterwards, removing a lot of immediacy and drama from the tale. The author has clearly done her research carefully and seems to have a thorough knowledge of Roman naming, customs, dress and rituals, but at times, for me, the story could be more compelling. Overall, this is an interesting novel which gives a flavour of its times. Readers will recognise many important names and historical events as the hero, a fairly naïve young man with a lot to learn, navigates the underlying corruption and machinations of this highly political world. Ann Northfield

SHADOW OF THE EAGLE Damion Hunter, Canelo, 2022, £18.99, hb, 302pp, 9781800326668

A young man, exasperated by his limitations of ambition and obligation, signs up as an officer of Emperor Vespasian’s legions. His family background, mainly his father’s legion service and his mother’s British origin, means he is thrust into the lower officer ranks of a new British campaign. Under Governor Agricola, he is tested and found true to find his own destiny in the army. But he’s accompanied by the shade of his father, who berates him for abandoning the family farm, choosing to discard his traditions in order to pursue a military career. Do his new-found talents in command of the Roman military might make up for his dissatisfaction with his origins? He has found his own place, rather than memories and tales? From the landing in Britain to the Orkneys, this is a well-written tale. Good research as well as clear description mean that the Roman presence in Britain is well presented. Alan Cassady-Bishop

THE RIVER THROUGH ROME Nicholas Nicastro, Independently published, 2021, $13.99, pb, 311pp, 9798454859695

As Nicholas Nicastro’s The River Through Rome opens, Nonius, a minor but talented engineer in the last days of the Roman Republic, is receiving a new commission—an urban aqueduct to bring water and respectability to a notoriously seedy quarter of the Eternal City. As he begins to oversee the tearing up of the Via Labia, routed through the townhouse of a Senator, Nonius sees a strikingly beautiful redhaired slave girl fetching jugs of water from a well. The girl, Amaris, belongs to the Senator, who has begun to make increasingly physical demands of her as she comes of age. Nonius’s

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growing infatuation gives the girl a potential escape route, endangering them both. Shifting between limited third person for each of Nonius’s and Amaris’s points of view, Nicastro’s novel depicts the cynical detachment bred into the Celtic girl as she grew up in the Senator’s house, revealing it as an intrinsically Roman trait. Only Nonius does not fully display it, preferring a more mathematical escapism that veers into naïveté. Rome itself, in its splendor and vulgarity, is the third main character. Both main human characters change in a realistic way as their fortunes rise and fall, and it is enjoyable to watch them and feel your sympathy for each of them deepen. What might first seem like a dry archaeology lesson more than a story is actually a perfectly balanced examination of a relationship only possible in this setting. This is a wonderful novel that makes the reader feel that they have been a fly on several Roman walls. As someone unfamiliar with the realities of daily Roman society, it was an immersive treat. The characters are vividly alive, even (or especially) at their most cynical. Due to the amount of blunt sexual imagery, it is appropriate for adults only. Irene Colthurst

1ST C E N T U RY THE WOLF DEN Elodie Harper, Union Square, 2022, $16.99, pb, 488pp, 9781454946540 / Apollo, 2021, £8.99, pb, 464pp, 9781838933555

74 CE. Once a doctor’s daughter before family tragedy forced her into slavery to a cruel pimp, Amara now lives as a whore in Pompeii. She is a She-Wolf, a “lupa,” marked by the cut of her clothes: “…they wear togas, the uniforms of men and prostitutes.” Amara’s luck might finally be changing, though, when she is invited to perform at the party of a rich freedman. Soon her talent with the lyre grants her nights away from the brothel. While she could never afford her own freedom, a wealthy patron could… but at what cost to Amara’s soul and her budding romance with a fellow slave? Life is harsh and crass, but Harper manages to keep the focus on the characters’ emotional complexity above the acts they must perform. The struggle for the women to keep their sanity by means of friendship and small kindnesses amidst terrible cruelty is starkly explored. The others in Amara’s situation are in different stages of slavery, from acceptance to hopelessness, but they all desire one thing: a choice. The enslaved men and women are well-drawn and uniquely positioned within their place in Pompeii’s bustling community, all combining to provide a richly colored canvas of this ancient society. Amara’s intelligence entangles her in her pimp’s business accounts, but this also provides her with opportunity. As her position grants her time outside the brothel, relationships change alongside Amara’s darkening outlook. Overall, the visceral storyline weaves a soul-stirring web

of intrigue. While it ends a bit more abruptly than expected, The Wolf Den is the first in a promising new series focusing on the marginalized voices of the past, and their hopes and dreams will resonate with presentday readers. J. Lynn Else

THE GRAND ANICUT Veena Muthuraman, Hachette India, 2021, 499pp, pb, 310pp, 9789351950592

Southern India, circa 50 CE: Marcellus, the scion of a wealthy Roman trading family, arrives in India to arrange for the purchase of pearls. During the journey, he befriends Vallavan, giving him a ride back to India. Marcellus hopes Vallavan will help with the pearl trading, but as soon as they set foot in India, things start going wrong—for Marcellus has managed to land in the middle of both a trade war between three kingdoms and religious quarrels between the old religion and the new, rising Buddhism. Marcellus’s plan to see the main king turns out to be complicated by the fact that the king’s off overseeing the construction of the Grand Anicut (a large dam), a project that interests the king far more than a trade agreement with faraway Rome. Full of kidnappings, assassinations, secret messages, switched identities, treachery, and trade wars, The Grand Anicut should have been a smashing good read. In fact, I wanted to like this novel far more than I actually did. The novel does have the advantage of being set in an unusual time and place, but I found the writing rather turgid, the story slow, and the historical details almost nonexistent. And there are some weirdly modern turns of phrase popping up, such as: “That would have blown my cover, Your Majesty,” and “he had pulled a rabbit out of his hat.” India Edghill

5T H C E N T U RY QUIRINIUS: Britannia’s Last Roman Erik Hildinger, Moonshine Cove, 2021, $18.00, pb, 378pp, 9781952439209

Quirinius: Britannia’s Last Roman details the disintegration of Roman authority and culture during the period from 459 to 491 AD. A provincial Roman noble, Flavius Quirinius takes up the call to fill the administrative and military vacuum left after the last legions departed from Britannia and ended Roman rule. He rises to power with a brutal fist, battling bandits and marauding invaders— including Saxons who were initially recruited as mercenaries to defend the region from Pictish and Scottish raiders. Quirinius’s successes in military campaigns culminate in his sweeping victory over the Saxon army in 482 AD. The novel reflects author Hildinger’s impeccable research, shown in scenes of cultural clashes and battles during the tumultuous period. In one scene, Quirinius is

appalled to learn that one of his father’s prized horses has been sacrificed by the peasants to the pagan Horse-Mother goddess; he had assumed most of them were Christians. However, I felt like a foreign traveler trying to navigate through the story. The backstory initially unfolds in drawn-out discussions at a monastery where Quirinius is waiting for supporting forces to battle the Saxons in 491 AD. The story then slips back and forth between earlier periods in his life and 491 AD, where nothing is happening except discourse until almost the end of the novel. Both past and present tenses are used. The novel provides some interesting background highlighting the turbulent period captured in Arthurian legend, but a reader needs to be alert to the signs designating the year and location of each scene to avoid confusion. Linnea Tanner

8T H C E N T U RY THE SAXON WOLF Angus Donald, Canelo, 2022, £9.99, pb, 384pp, 9781800321892

In AD 773, Bjarki Bloodhand, a legendary berserker, is now Fire Born and inhabited by a fierce spirit while he’s fighting. Bjarki fears his ‘gandr’ (a she-bear spirit), because his father went insane and was destroyed by his. This internal conflict determines his willingness or reluctance to fight in battle. Bjarki’s sister, Tor Hildarsdottir, is a respected sword-maiden, who seeks to liberate Saxony from the Christian Frank invaders. Two distractions to this goal are her problematic bear cub, Garm, and her unexpected attraction to a Saxon Lord, Widukind. This enigmatic warrior leader seeks to unite allies to drive the Frankish Empire from Saxony. This is an action-packed second book in the Fire Born Trilogy. It begins with a battle scene showing realistic tension followed by the gory portrayal of Dark Age warfare. Sword-maidens were accepted and feared as fully trained warriors, and Tor is convincingly portrayed as one of the best. Her strong character makes her scenes totally captivating in action, yet she has inner turmoil, which gives her character depth. Bjarki is a conflicted soul; he desires peace and fears the rage within that left uncontrolled will darken his destiny. Setting his novels in an inevitably bloodthirsty, battle-driven period of history, the author has strongly depicted a totally absorbing tale of ‘berserkers’ set against

the impeccable research of life in the 8th century. Tor’s and Bjarki’s stories are skilfully woven around the history of Charlemagne’s expansion of Christian faith and territory. This is a totally absorbing depiction of a wartorn age that will capture the imaginations and emotions of the reader, leaving a lasting impression that will stay with them until the final book is ready to enjoy. Valerie Loh

LEARWIFE J. R. Thorp, Pegasus, 2021, $25.95, hb, 304pp, 9781643138237 / Canongate, 2021, £14.99, hb, 304pp, 9781838852832

This challenging novel will invite comparisons to Lauren Groff’s Matrix. Like that novel, this one’s protagonist is an aristocratic woman forced to confine her political and psychological brilliance to the running of a medieval abbey. But this book is actually closer to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, a retelling of a Shakespearean tragedy from the point of view of a minor character. In this case, though, the character is one who never appears in the play: the unnamed mother of King Lear’s three daughters. J. R. Thorp begins at this point, awakening Lear’s nameless, faceless queen at the moment in which the death of the mad king and his three girls is announced. Like Stoppard’s characters, she tries to find a way back into the play—but that will require escaping the convent she was banished to for 15 years after the sin of bearing a third girl to the vengeful king she loved. Her memories flesh out Shakespeare’s characters: the selfish daughters, the charismatic king, wise and loyal Kent, the brilliant, emphatic Fool. But memory is tricky, and the novel plays with both history and literature in ways that reward the reader’s patience. Like Shakespeare, Thorp’s tale is anachronistic; it appears to be set in AngloSaxon England, even though the legendary Lear was identified by medieval historians as an heir of Brutus whose reign was concurrent with the founding of Rome. The politics of the novel are more Tudor than medieval, however, reminding the reader that these characters are Shakespeare’s, not history’s. Ultimately, this book forces the reader to confront aging and madness: an artistically ambitious, though somewhat labored journey. Kristen McDermott

9T H C E N T U RY A COUNCIL OF WOLVES Elizabeth Springer, Independently published, 2021, $14.99, pb, 384pp, 9798985285116

In England in AD 879, a council is being called to elect the new King of Mercia after the previous Lord’s mysterious death. West Saxon brothers, Edwin and Edmund, are called to represent the King of Wessex and extend an offer of peace to the future ruler. Due to the urgency, Edwin must leave the day after his wedding. His new wife travels

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to their new estate to find the hall in disarray and the cook aggressively secretive. During the council in Mercia, when a lord’s steward is found dead, Edwin sets out to discover the culprit. Is it connected to the king’s demise? A cold-blooded murderer might win the throne of Mercia if Edwin doesn’t find answers in time. Sometimes different characters echo one another, recounting events in the same order. For instance, on page 100: “Well, the fellow was last seen going to the latrine. But the latrine’s right there by the hall, so why he was found outside the enclosure by the edge of the wood is a mystery to me” and page 112: “… when I saw him last, he was going out to the latrine. But that would have been close to the hall. How or why he would leave the enclosure and wander about at the edge of the woods, I’ve no idea.” This happens to a lesser degree a few more times. Besides this, the historical aspects of the story are vibrantly explored. The mystery continues to build up layers as Edwin tries to sift through the events. Meanwhile, his wife Molly is learning to run a household with almost no staff and no family or friends to seek guidance from. Both characters are enjoyable to follow and drive the plot forward with their investigations. This is a well-researched story with excellent characterization and an enjoyable mystery! J. Lynn Else

10T H C E N T U RY THE KING’S CORPSE M. J. Jones, Penmore, 2021, $19.50/C$25.00, pb, 402pp, 9781950586912

Anglo-Saxon England, 979 CE. Tryff, a disreputable (albeit nobly born) Welshman, is ordered by the abbess, to whom he has sworn service, to find the missing body of her cousin, the probably murdered King Edward of England. Thus begins a series of misadventures as Tryff lurches from one challenging situation to the next, involving many surprising encounters, revelations, deceptions, brawls, imprisonments, escapes, even a marooning, to say nothing of drunkenness, storms, and plenty of mud and stink. An explanation for how the king died is offered and the body is eventually recovered, but the witness for the former is as unreliable as the bones and royal signet ring presented by Tryff to authenticate the latter. Especially since he has already established a very lucrative career as a skilled ‘Holy Thief— someone who makes sure saints are in the place they want to be’. This is ironic fiction, and since Tryff himself narrates the events, they are coloured by his entertainingly cynical point of view. The plot is episodic, but it moves at a brisk pace and serves as a vehicle for rough humor, amusing coincidences, and unexpected turns of events. Though it does ramble on rather too long, this is a lively romp and offers an unusual perspective on life in the Dark Ages, including the portrayal of strong women. Literary scholars will appreciate borrowings from 18

Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. King Edward was killed under mysterious circumstances in 978 and was succeeded by his half-brother Ethelred (the Unready). Since he was subsequently viewed as a martyr and saint (such designations were awarded rather freely back then), Tryff’s profession is highly appropriate. Cheerfully recommended. Ray Thompson

11T H C E N T U RY THE BOOK SMUGGLER Omaima Al-Khamis (trans. Sarah Enany), Hoopoe, 2021, $18.95, pb, 560pp, 9781617979989

The Book Smuggler follows a young bookseller’s travels and travails in an era when the Muslim Empire spanned three continents, and Muslims ruled much of the civilized world. Setting out from his home village in what is now Saudi Arabia, young Mazid al-Hanafi soon finds himself in Baghdad, where he impresses an important man by quoting poetry. Initiated into a secret sect, Mazid begins smuggling books by caravan and ship as he travels to Jerusalem, Cairo, and Almeria and Cordoba in Spain. His mission is to find the most learned people in each city he visits and to get works by giants such as Aristotle and Galen into their hands. In a world where books are hand-copied and traded and sold among the elite like baseball cards, Mazid sometimes functions as a scribe, sometimes copies and binds books, then sells them. Surviving on his wits, Mazid’s knowledge of medicine and philosophy, acquired from reading, gets him invited into influential homes and private libraries. Along the way, he encounters historical characters such as the half-crazed Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, whose destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Cairo in 1009 helped trigger the Great Crusades. Al-Khamis shows us the sounds and sights of a diverse Arab culture which included a functioning economic and trading system, an intellectual class, and the keeping of slaves. Her hero encounters disputes among Muslim sects, the amusements of the rich, and seductive women who pit Mazid’s faith and his love of learning against his sensual desires. The Book Smuggler is slow reading, but it has some lovely moments and an occasional touch of Arabian magic reminiscent of A Thousand and One Nights. It’s an exotic environment which seems quite true to its time. David Drum

IMPERIAL PASSIONS: The Great Palace Eileen Stephenson, Blachernae Books, 2021, $17.99, pb, 374pp, 9780999690727

In 11th-century Byzantium, John Comnenus comes to power as the second in command of the empire—though it is his ambitious wife, Anna Dalassena, who will rule much of the empire for decades to come. She takes

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on the official title of Caesarissa and thus begins a lifetime of political and social work. Her days play out in the public eye as wife to the emperor’s brother, and in her private life she guides her husband in prudent court maneuvering, all while bearing his children and managing palace operations. In the small moments of daily life, whether walking with the eunuchs who guard the women of the court or receiving secondhand reports of a rebellion, Anna nurtures relationships with many powerful factions, always conscious of her birthright and determined to see the empire ruled well, and ideally by a member of her own family. Stephenson’s novel portrays women’s traditional roles in the distant past and still presents the tale through a feminist lens, a strong combination. A sewing session clues Anna to a potential marriage that will shift the balance of power, and befriending the later emperor’s wife keeps her husband in the court’s good graces. Anna is a noblewoman who historically benefited from her social position and her machinations from within the social structure of Constantinople; it is incredibly interesting to watch a woman use the system in such powerful ways. Though her chief focus becomes her children and their struggles and triumphs, Anna is never passive, always empowered to drive the action of her own life. Structuring her novel as a political thriller with energetically charged dialogue, Stephenson brings the complex ancient world to life for modern audiences. Erin Page

THE BEAR OF BYZANTIUM S. J. A. Turney, Canelo, 2022, £9.99, pb, 380pp, 9781800321304

1041. Harðráði (Harald ‘Hardrada’ Sigurdsson), his second-in-command Valgarðr and the Varangian Guard, the Byzantine emperor’s personal guard, defeat the Bulgars at the Battle of Ostrovo. Six thousand strong, the Varangians comprise men from the northern Baltic and Rus, their Viking warrior skills hardened by battle. Halfdan, and his crew on the Sea Wolf, shadow Harðráði’s journey back to Constantinople, and the men eventually meet. Halfdan’s seer Gunnhild negotiates for the crew to join Harðráði’s Varangians, for which role they must feign allegiance to ‘the nailed god’ and swear an oath to the imperial throne. Constantinople is a new world for these men, and they have to navigate the new pecking order. Gunnhild takes a house in the city, and soon people are coming to her for healing. Her fame grows, and she is called to service the Empress Zoe herself. The emperor is ill, and Halfdan’s crew become embroiled in imperial intrigue. They find their oath of allegiance put to the test as a struggle for the throne ensues. Which thread in the weaving of the Norns is Gunnhild’s destiny? Leaping straight into the personal drama

between various commanders, this story is well written and full of fascinating characters with an exciting, complex plot. It’s a bit uncomfortable that there’s no clear protagonist; Harðráði is the eponymous ‘bear’, but the hero of the series is Halfdan, and Gunnhild seems to direct most of the action. Attention to the detail of these 11thcentury mercenaries’ lives really makes the story come to life. The details of Gunnhild’s Seiðr (Nordic magic) practice are fascinating. The battle scenes are choreographed and gory. All of the main characters here are taken from real history. Turney seems not just to know the period, but to understand it in the second volume in the Wolves of Odin Series. Susie Helme

12T H C E N T U RY THE EUNUCH Jonathan Kos-Read, Earnshaw, 2022, $18.99, pb, 346pp, 9789888769216 / 2021, £23.99, pb, 348pp, 9789888552870

This debut novel, set in Jin Dynasty (12thcentury) China, is a unique historical mystery. Most procedurals feature an arbitrary deadline imposed by superiors to quicken the plotting. This offering ups the ante—life is cheap in this incredibly complicated bureaucracy, no matter how high up the food chain the bureaucrat dwells. There is the usual territorialism and danger engendered by palace politics, mercenary jockeying for place combined with capricious culling by the emperor. Yet even investigative success can mean death if it uncovers certain perpetrators or tangentially offends the wrong person. Chief Investigator and Eunuch of Standing Gett must quickly navigate a complex mystery, the solving of which is secondary to staying alive in this environment. The result for him is a state of “constant, bone-crushing tension.” One of the emperor’s concubines is found murdered in a locked antechamber that would seem to leave the emperor as the only viable suspect. The emperor can murder whomever he chooses with complete impunity, so if he didn’t do it, why would someone bother to implicate him? The hierarchies in the court, in the harem, and especially racial between the reigning minority Jurchens and the Chinese, add depth and nuance to what is essentially a lockedroom mystery. Sense of place is strong. Gett is an intriguing protagonist, his motivations and thought processes engaging, and the prose is

skillful in its evocations (e.g., “The question… was in his mind like a heavy stone, rolling about and crushing his other thoughts”). This is an accomplished novel with a fascinating setting and appealing historical-cultural immersion—a standout in the genre. Bethany Latham

THE LADY’S KEEPER Coirle Mooney, Sapere, 2022, $9.99/£8.50, pb, 223pp, 9781800554894

In 1168, the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine is alive with entertainment and courtiers. Alice has brought her young niece Lady Joanna to the court at Poitiers for protection from Joanna’s father after the death of her mother. Joanna is enlivened by court life, but when she rejects a suitor and flirts with Henry, Eleanor’s son, the consequences threaten her virtue, and her exuberance dampens with the fallout. Instead of sending the women away, Eleanor brings them into her circle of attending ladies. The reader sees into the inner world of a royal court as Alice and Joanna wait upon Eleanor, dressing her and maintaining her vast wardrobe. They travel with her between her home at Poitiers, her place of contemplation at the Abbey of Fontevrault, and Christmas holidays with Henry II, her husband, at Chinon Castle. Joanna adores the music, dancing, plays, and falconry at Poitiers and Chinon, but her rebellious behavior challenges Alice and, unfortunately, calls to mind a spoiled teenager of today. Alice prefers the peace and quiet of the abbey and is jealous and possessive of her time with her friend Marie, Eleanor’s daughter, with whom she is in love. The history around Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II is a welcome piece of the novel. There were conflicts between the two over the titles and inheritance for their sons Richard and young Henry. Henry’s ongoing feud with Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, which ended badly, and his disagreements with the Pope and church are all read with interest. This is a light, pleasing read, even though too-modern language and sensibilities slip into this medieval world. This is the author’s debut and first in her Medieval Women series. I look forward to her next book, The Cloistered Lady, and continuing Alice’s story. Janice Ottersberg

13T H C E N T U RY THE CASTILIAN POMEGRANATE Anna Belfrage, Timelight Press, 2021, $15.99/£11.99, pb, 396pp, 9789198507218

When Robert FitzStephan and his wife, Eleanor (“Noor”), incur the wrath of Eleanor, Queen of England, they are placed in a horrible predicament. Robert is a captain in the service of King Edward I, and Noor is Queen Eleanor’s niece. They are exiled from England and sent abroad to Castile and Aragon as emissaries.

Before they leave, Eleanor commands them to do two things: find a precious gem called the Castilian Pomegranate and give up their foster son, Lionel. They are not to return to England with him. The truth is that Lionel, whose true name is Gruffydd, is the son of the last Prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffydd. While abroad, they face constant danger and the ugliness of war. Will they be able to keep their family together? Will they ever return to England? The Castilian Pomegranate, second in the Castilian Saga, is the first novel by Anna Belfrage that I have read. When starting the book, I felt like everything was in medias res. Although I should have read His Castilian Hawk first, I found The Castilian Pomegranate to be a compelling and fascinating story that pulled me right in. I enjoyed the fictional characters and the depictions of the real historical figures. The overall pacing is decent, but there are moments where the story feels a bit slow. My favorite aspect was the intricate level of historical detail masterfully woven into the narrative. In fact, it makes me want to read Anna Belfrage’s other works. A nice final touch was the illuminating historical note at the end. Elizabeth K. Corbett

14T H C E N T U RY CONFESSIONS OF A JANISSARY Nicholas Downing, Flagship Fiction, 2021, $16.99, pb, 246pp, 9798458360883

Thirteen-year-old Mirko Popovic’s curiosity is aroused when Janissaries visit his Serbian village in 1373. They come to collect a special tax: one that takes the best and brightest boys, forces them to convert to Islam, and conscripts them into the elite soldier-slaves of the Ottoman sultan. Becoming one of the chosen is no “honor” for Mirko. The Turks slew his father; all he wants to do is to kill their sultan. But the die is cast, and no sooner does he join than he is forced to safeguard them. He feels like a traitor, but one Janissary shows it is an act of survival. During his training, Mirko befriends two boys, and they form an unbreakable bond. Together, they walk a fine line between Christian lives once led and their new lives as Muslims. They excel at what they do, but in their hearts, they remain loyal to their homeland. Each forges his own path; instead of killing the sultan, Mirko saves him. That one act leads Mirko to an ultimate betrayal in which he will either survive or die. Spanning nearly a quarter of a century, this is a story of faith, belief in oneself, treachery, love, and becoming a man. Downing vividly contrasts the Christian and Islamic worlds, drawing readers into the past. They may notice a number of misspellings, missing punctuation, wrong words, and places where historical or cultural details could be better woven into the story, but these do not mar this account of Mirko’s life and struggle to

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decide who he is and what he believes. Each minor character is unique and well-drawn. In the end, Mirko takes one of the first maxims he learns—Know thy enemy—and implements it with the strategic cunning that is the hallmark of his time as a Janissary. Cindy Vallar

WARRIORS IN THE SNOW Jonathan Lunn, Canelo, 2022, £9.99, pb, 368pp, 9781800328600

The bitter winter of 1356 finds Martin Kemp captain of a company of mounted archers in Edward III’s brief and ill-fated Scottish expedition known as the Burnt Candlemas. Kemp’s captaincy proves a brief one, however, when a spell of bad luck puts him on the King’s bad side. And true, Kemp lost half his men to a Scottish ambush—but has no fault for the fire that destroys his billet. Still, stripped of his rank and taken prisoner, he must watch as the blundering and blustering Sir Alexander Bulchett, the man actually responsible for the fire, is made captain in his place. To top it all, when the retreating English army is attacked, Kemp is left for dead, half-frozen, injured, and manacled. Luckily his Gascon friend, the knight Nompar de Savignac, comes back to find him; less fortunately, the two fall in with half a dozen of Kemp’s less pleasant archers, led by Bulchett, whose personal agenda does not contemplate getting safely back to England. Trouble ensues, of course—in the form of horrible weather, Scottish reivers, stupidity, superstition, and a mystical quest. Sixth in the Arrows of Albion series, Warriors in the Snow is full of action and perils. I must confess I found a few characters rather over the top, and the dialogue exposition-heavy on occasion. I like Martin Kemp, though, and even more his growing friendship with the (almost) unflappable, dry-witted, and honourable Nompar. Not perfect, but quite entertaining. Chiara Prezzavento

DARK HUNTER F. J. Watson, Polygon, 2022, £8.99, pb, 322pp, 9781846976117

May 1317. Bannockburn has been fought and won by Robert Bruce, who now calls himself King of Scotland. Berwick-uponTweed is on the English side of the border, but Edward II is doing very little to save it from an expected Scots invasion. Benedict Russell is in the garrison of Berwick. Suddenly there are problems. A young girl of good family is murdered, and there is also suspicion of a traitor in the town. Ben is tasked with solving the murder. Can he do this and even expose the traitor before either the town falls to the Scots or Edward arrives with his army to save them? This is a murder mystery set in very turbulent times in the wars between England and Scotland. All are suspects, and time is running out. The story is well told and captures beautifully the time and essence of the 14th century. It is winter, very cold and the privations of the garrison soldiers leave little to 20

the imagination. The characters, all fictitious, are realistically drawn. For lovers of historical fiction, this is a book to be enjoyed by the fire on a cold evening. Marilyn Sherlock

OSWALD THE THIEF Jeri Westerson, Old London Press, 2022, $5.99, ebook, 273pp, B09VJ57XV1

Aptly subtitled ‘A Medieval Caper’, Jeri Westerson’s new novel is a comical romp through early 14th-century London, centering on a heist to steal the crown jewels. Oswald is a handsome, likeable rogue, a tinker by trade, a thief and trickster and incorrigible ladies’ man. Fresh from the warm bed of a servant in the house of the wealthy Percy de Mandeville, Oswald heads to the solar to steal the lord’s treasure. When complications arise—a weighted, moving staircase, not to mention household guards—our intrepid thief leaves empty-handed, narrowly escaping capture by jumping from an upper-floor window and landing next to a body lying in the manor grounds. Shortly thereafter, de Mandeville (who claims he’s the Keeper of the King’s Wardrobe), pays Oswald a visit, accuses him of thievery and murder, and offers protection (and a small percentage) if Oswald steals the crown jewels for him. Backed into a corner by the conniving gentleman, our hero faces a conundrum: how to carry out an impossible theft whilst proving de Mandeville committed the murder himself. Along with Oswald’s best friend, Geoff, a bit soft in the head, but the best lock picker in all England; a wool merchant; a brawny blacksmith; a beautiful widow; and a devious alchemist—the game is on! But the Tower of London is heavily fortified, has formidable forty-foot walls, gates, portcullises, deadly traps, and double-sets of doors with doublesets of locks. How will a simple country lad from an obscure Welsh village accomplish his mission, and if he doesn’t, how will he avoid the hangman’s noose? An enjoyable, humorous, and diverting read with an unexpected twist, and worthy of a sequel. Fiona Alison

15T H C E N T U RY CITY OF LIARS Michelle Fogle, Legacy Imprints, 2021, $15.99/ C$18.50, pb, 308pp, 9781737953418

The home to which Joachim Déulocresca returns is not the same one that he left. Fear and hate, tinged with greed—all under the guise of devout Catholicism—permeate Barcelona. No one is safe, especially if you are a Jew. After his contact is burned at the stake, Joachim removes the badge marking his religion to become a Christian pilot in search of a new ship. The first Act of Faith is a powerful draw for devout Aularia Bautista. What better way is there to publicly demonstrate her Catholic faith? Her parents forbid her to attend, but

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willful naivete compels her to go. The autoda-fé and anger she witnesses horrify her, and she confides this to her tutor who offers her a “better” way to demonstrate her piety. Joachim and Aularia initially meet at the execution; their next encounter is at her home. Her father, a wealthy spice merchant, hires Joachim as his new navigator and agent. A shared attraction brings them together, while a confession nudges them to cooperate in helping Jews elude the Inquisition. But Barcelona is a city of liars, a place where everyone wears a mask. When the masks are lifted, Joachim and Aularia find themselves enmeshed in situations more portentous than expected and from which neither may escape. The depth of Fogle’s research is evident and seamlessly interwoven into a story that incorporates graphic depictions of prejudice, murder, betrayal, deception, Barbary pirates, and rape. Absent is an author’s note to explain why she uses “Señyorita” instead of “Señorita,” since the former is from the Tagalog language of the Philippines rather than the Castilian Spanish of Barcelona. While two first person viewpoints are initially disconcerting, Fogle deftly weaves a labyrinthine tale in which sectarianism is as relevant in 1487 Spain as it is today. Cindy Vallar

16T H C E N T U RY THE DARKEST SIN D. V. Bishop, Macmillan, 2022, £16.99, hb, 432pp, 9781529038859

Florence 1537. Cesare Aldo, Florentine crime-fighter in a city with many factions, is sent to investigate rumours that men have been seen climbing secretly into a convent. The more he asks questions, the more he finds the community of women riven by bitter rivalries. Matters come to a head when a naked man is discovered dead and covered in blood deep within the female community, suggesting one of the nuns must be the killer. Meanwhile, Constable Strocchi, on a visit to his home village, discovers the body of Cerchi, another officer of Florence’s criminal court, at the bottom of the Arno. Who killed him and why? Cesare Aldo is a fascinating character. A man with dark secrets of his own and a deep suspicion of the Florentine elite, he fights for justice among the disregarded and despised. Whiter than white he is not, which makes him the best kind of fictional crime-fighter. In this second novel in this gripping historical crime series, author D. V. Bishop continues to bring 16th-century Florence vividly to life. He is fast becoming a serious rival to C. J. Sansom and S. J. Parris with his page-turning novels. Highly recommended. Sally Zigmond

THE DANCE TREE Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Picador, 2022, £14.99, hb, 304pp, 9781529005219

Strasbourg, in the long hot summer of 1518.

A woman starts to dance in the market square. The dance is relentless, and soon she is joined by hundreds or thousands of others, dancing, without rest, until their feet are ripped and bleeding. Events of that year, when belief in God was absolute and His wrath was blamed for the dancing plague, have defied explanation. Set against the backdrop of this true phenomenon, The Dance Tree is the story of Lisbet, living on a farm and tending bees with her husband Henne and his mother. After the grief and anger surrounding a series of twelve miscarriages, Lisbet feels her husband no longer loves her. However, pregnant again, she finds help, friendship, and courage from her enigmatic sister-in-law, Agnethe, and her friend, Ida. Agnethe has returned from seven punishing years in a convent, where she was sent to atone for a sin which no-one will talk about. Once the secret is revealed, the author treats us to a superb historical journey, with central themes that are of importance in our modern world. Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a writer of rare talent. The story is compelling with realistic, wonderfully shaped, and diverse characters, both likeable and not. Lisbet’s pain at the loss of her children, denied graves, is palpable. Her understanding of Agnethe’s troubles arrives after much heartache and soulsearching. This is a page-turning, thoroughly researched, heart-rending story, with women at its front and centre. A true pleasure to read with excellent scene-setting, giving it a real sense of being there. Aidan K. Morrissey

ELIZABETH OF YORK: The Last White Rose (UK) / THE LAST WHITE ROSE: A Novel of Elizabeth of York (US) Alison Weir, Headline, 2022, £20.00, hb, 525pp, 9781472278036 / Ballantine, 2022, $28.99, hb, 544pp, 9780593355039

Elizabeth of York, whose marriage to Henry VII united the Houses of York and Lancaster after the Wars of the Roses, is not a neglected queen. Alison Weir herself published a nonfiction biography of Elizabeth in 2014, and Philippa Gregory novelised her life in 2016 in The White Princess. So what’s new to say about her? Frankly, not very much, but then we do not read historical novels to learn history but to experience it. There have been over 100 novels about Anne Boleyn, but they keep coming even though we all know how it ends. Paradoxically Gregory’s novel began shortly

before the princess became queen. Weir begins much further back, with Elizabeth as a frightened toddler taking sanctuary in Westminster Abbey while her father’s enemies occupy London. She does not become queen until over halfway through the book. Weir is too good a historian to stray from the historical record, and her interpretations of the enduring mysteries of the Princes in the Tower and the identity of Perkin Warbeck are not revisionist. Yes, the murderer was uncle Richard. Weir tells the story through Elizabeth’s eyes, narrating it in the first person. As with all her books, it is superbly readable and engaging. I doubt we will ever tire of the Tudors, not while we have novelists like Weir to bring them to life. Edward James

17T H C E N T U RY STILL LIFE Dodie Bishop, Independently published, 2021, £10.99/$12.99, pb, 366pp, 9798760133861

Antwerp, 1604: Clara Peeters, aged ten, is already a gifted painter when her mother dies in childbirth. The title Still Life refers to Peeters’ subject matter as an artist; her life, as imagined by Bishop, is anything but static. Fearful of following her mother’s fate, Clara renounces love in favour of painting—the man she loves and who loves her marries someone else—yet has to battle against an establishment that does not see art as a womanly undertaking. Her nemesis is a mayor who offers his patronage but tries to rape her; ultimately Clara faces charges of witchcraft and murder. Though Peeters was prolific as a painter, the author has needed to apply considerable artistic licence, but does this convincingly, for Bishop not only knows how paintings were made but evokes interiors in a painterly way: ‘Candlelight shone in the many mirrors – some old Venetian, others cheaper Amsterdam copies – arranged to make the room appear larger. The whole room glowed with light, the air heavy with the scent of hot beeswax and tobacco, a smoky miasma already beginning to form.’ Peeters’ ‘signature’, a tiny selfportrait reflected in a drop of water or on a polished convex surface, forms part of the plot. Other real artists cross Clara’s path, such as Johannes van der Beeck and Arent Arentsz; Frans Hals is glancingly mentioned. Clara emerges as single-minded and demanding of her pupils; she does not seem particularly supportive of her single female apprentice. Her story is deftly written, though repetitions of characters’ tics sometimes intrude (too much head tilting and lip-chewing), and in plot terms, a maidservant’s motivation to inform is inadequately explored. Still Life, though, is an absorbing portrait of a time and place and of a talented woman’s struggle against convention. Katherine Mezzacappa

THE HEMLOCK CURE Joanne Burn, Sphere, 2022, £14.99, hb, 338pp, 9780751581928 / Pegasus, 2022, $25.95, hb, 336pp, 9781639361694

The story is centred mostly in the Derbyshire village of Eyam, famous as the place where the residents agreed to quarantine themselves in 1666 to help stop the spread of the deadly plague. But the narrative has this voluntary isolation as but a tangential part of the novel. Mae Housley, in her mid-teens, is the focus of the story, living with her widowed apothecary father and struggling to persuade him of her abilities to blend herbs to produce cures and preventatives. When the plague arrives in their village, demand for their work becomes overwhelming. Mae’s mother died giving birth, and her father has a deeply intolerant view of women’s abilities and suspicions of their motives. As the tale advances, Mae uncovers some terrible truths about her father, knowledge that puts her existence at risk. Fortunately for Mae, she has some allies in the village who also come to see the truth and can assist her in her domestic struggles. The narrative is conducted by one of Mae’s dead siblings, which does sustain the overall impression of fantasy that the story possesses. Nevertheless, the tale is gorgeously described and poetic in its ambience and observation. The author demonstrates superb awareness of 17th- century medical practices and herbal knowledge, and the reader feels they are fully imbued in the bizarre and challenging life of 17th-century England. Douglas Kemp

UNFINISHED Kelly Evans, Eska Publishing, 2022, $10.99, pb, 329pp, 9781778022401

Unfinished tells the story of the remarkable 17th-century Italian painter Elisabetta Sirani, who became one of the greatest artists of her time but about whom little is known today. Elisabetta, the daughter of a prominent artist in Bologna, learns to paint from her father, who will not accept the fact that a woman can be as great an artist as a man. When a debilitating illness leaves him unable to hold a paintbrush, he puts her in charge of his studio but refuses to entrust her with the finances because he thinks that is a man’s responsibility. Elisabetta’s talent cannot be denied, and her art attracts noble and wealthy clients. Certain people doubt that a woman can create great art, so Elisabetta has to do demonstrations in front of an audience to prove that she really is the artist. Her fame soon takes its toll on her, physically and emotionally. Not to give away too much, but readers should not expect a happy ending. Author Kelly Evans makes Elisabetta’s art come to life for the reader, and the novel is filled with details about her technique. Evans makes it easy for the reader to understand Elisabetta’s creative process. Elisabetta could envision her paintings almost as soon as the patrons described what they wanted and worked very quickly without sacrificing

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the quality of her work. The book is not illustrated, except for the cover, but Evans’s website includes reproductions of some of the paintings she writes about. I also enjoyed reading about Elisabetta’s sisters and the other female students in her art studio. None shared her genius, but they all supported her, and she encouraged them to pursue their art. This book, although a work of fiction, is a wonderful introduction to an artist who should be better known. Vicki Kondelik

A FINE TAPESTRY OF MURDER Ann Marti Friedman, Headline Accent, 2021 (c2020), £9.99/$15.99/C$17.95, pb, 327pp, 9781786157522

Paris, 1676: An old veteran fishes a corpse from the malodorous stream that runs past the Gobelins Manufactory, the royal tapestry workshop. No one can identify the body, but Anne-Marie, the wife of the sculptor Niccolò, assists the doctor in his examination. The partially carved toy in the man’s pocket and his carefully mended shirt convince her that the nameless unfortunate has a wife and child someplace in the city, waiting in vain for his return. Despite the disinterest of the police and her husband’s concern for her safety, Anne-Marie insists on searching for the man’s identity. One quest leads to another, and Anne-Marie finds unexpected allies, as well as unsought danger, as she and Niccolò track a heartless killer. Seventeenth-century Paris comes alive in this well-researched and entertaining mystery. The world within a world of the Gobelins Tapestry Manufactory (still operating today) is vividly portrayed, as are the larger environs of Paris and the Royal Court. Anne-Marie is a stubborn, intriguing, and totally human sleuth, and the other characters are well drawn. Many of the people portrayed were actual personnel at the Manufactory or were Court figures. Friedman writes well, and the detailed descriptions of everyday life in this era add to the charm of the book. Perhaps as much thriller as classic mystery, A Fine Tapestry of Murder makes a fine read. Recommended for historical mystery fans and others who seek an immersive and suspenseful journey to the past. Susan McDuffie

THE SILVER WOLF J. C. Harvey, Allen & Unwin, 2022, £16.99, hb, 534pp, 9781838953287

The Thirty Years’ War (1618 – 1648) provides the backdrop for this exciting fictional debut. Despite the troubles of the War, Jack Fiskardo’s life is relatively uneventful until the day when his father is killed. His father was a skilled, very experienced soldier who became involved in the murderous politics of the time and was himself murdered. Jack and his mother struggle on, until one day he returns home to find that his mother too has been killed. Jack 22

swears to find the truth behind his parents’ deaths and to take revenge. His only clue is a tiny silver emblem of a wolf which he found in the hand of his dead mother. A clue undoubtedly, to the murderer’s identity, but also a potential threat to his own life. His search takes him across Europe, assisted by a disparate group of characters who provide protection and knowledge to survive in these bloody times. Some know more than they will say, but none provide any sort of clue to aid his need for revenge. With a taut plot and strong characters, this is much more than a simple story of vengeance. This is the first book in a series which follows the young man’s development from harbour rat to leader of men, and the effect he has on the people he encounters in his quest. Fast-paced and exciting, this is a very welcome addition to the genre. I can’t wait for the next instalment. Brilliant and highly recommended. Mike Ashworth

A NET FOR SMALL FISHES Lucy Jago, Flatiron, 2021, $26.99, hb, 331pp, 9781250261953 / Bloomsbury, 2021, £16.99, hb, 352pp, 9781526616623

London, 1609. Anne Turner, seamstress and mother of six with a much older husband and heavy debts, can’t believe her luck when she’s hired to make over Frances Howard Devereux so that she’ll entice her husband, the Earl of Essex. But even the most beautiful, vivacious young bride in England fails to please the earl, who abuses her because he can’t consummate the marriage. Worse, their strife poses political consequences, for Frances and her husband unite the country’s most powerful houses, also sworn enemies. So Mistress Turner, seamstress, is sailing in choppy waters. To her surprise, a friendship develops, as Frances relies heavily on Anne’s guidance. But she’s no easy charge and has dangerous tastes, in particular a deep, powerful attraction to Robert Carr, the king’s favorite. All eyes, and not just those of Frances’s boorish husband, are watching. The narrative intersects with that of The

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Poison Bed, Elizabeth Fremantle’s take on this infamous intrigue. But where Fremantle fixed on court politics and the tempestuous romance, Jago, though she follows those narratives, concentrates on the two women and a feminist theme. Does a woman wronged by her beast of a husband really have no recourse? Jago’s authorial hand is remarkably sure, especially for a first novel, and I admire her prose for its descriptive power and emotional content, with which she tells a riveting story. But despite my sympathy for Frances, I find less feminist substance concerning the daughter of an earl who marries another earl; Anne’s struggles carry more weight there. I’m also not persuaded of Anne’s venal side, which supposedly seduces her into taking risks. Even so, A Net for Small Fishes makes a fine literary thriller, a genre that requires both subtlety and narrative drive. Jago is an author to watch. Larry Zuckerman

THE TACKSMAN’S DAUGHTER Donna Scott, Atlantic Publishing, 2021, $15.95, pb, 366pp, 9781734924848

When the town of Glencoe erupts into violence on the morning of February 13, 1692, Cait Cameron barely escapes with her life. After hiding out in the hills, she returns to the scene of the slaughter to find her family dead, but respectfully buried by Edward Gage, an English soldier who disobeyed orders during the massacre and refused to fight. Edward is now a traitor to the crown and a wanted man. Cait, a brave girl skilled with a knife, is set on a path of revenge for her murdered family, and vows to go to Edinburgh to find and kill the Campbell clan member responsible for the attack. She plans to apprise the king of the slaughter done in his name, and seek reparation. The two set off on a journey fraught with danger, and although disguised, Edward’s face is on “wanted” posters in every town they pass. One notable person seeking his capture is Edward’s lecherous and debauched brother, Alexander, who, stubbornly nursing old grudges, is relentless in his efforts to get his brother hanged. Basing her novel on the history of the massacre at Glencoe, Donna Scott has gone to great lengths to include as much history and as many historical figures as possible, resulting in an engrossing narrative. Unfortunately, the story becomes less compelling as time goes on and doesn’t ramp up again until towards the end. I had some questions such as why Edward would shave his facial hair when it is a big part of his disguise. Cait’s best friend, Davina, is annoyingly gullible, and Alexander, a somewhat stereotypical arch-villain, has little to redeem him. But this is a romantic, high-stakes adventure of revenge, betrayal and political intrigue, and a satisfactory read. Fiona Alison

BEFORE THE FORTRESS FALLS A. L. Sowards, Covenant, 2022, $16.99, pb, 320pp, 9781524420802

In the summer of 1683, the nations of Europe are under threat of extinction at the hands of the invading Turks of the Ottoman Army. As that allconquering force is approaching Vienna, capital of the Holy Roman Empire, the emperor and some of the wealthy inhabitants flee to safer havens. Still, a stalwart military garrison and many of the city’s citizens remain behind to defend their home. Katja Schor, scheduled to leave with her wealthy parents, decides to stay when she learns her brother Xavier, a musketeer commander, is returning to defend the city. As she volunteers for aiding the defense in any way possible, she is unexpectedly reunited with a close childhood friend, Toby. Toby, a commoner, is now a woodworker craftsman and has joined the ranks of the combat engineers who perform counter-mining operations around the city’s perimeter. He and Katja pick up their childhood friendship, which rapidly develops into something much stronger under the stress of impending disaster. All three of them become integrally involved in defending their city from the besieging enemy and rampant disease while hoping relief forces from other Christian lands can save them before their ultimate destruction. This is a spectacular account of one of the most significant and decisive events of the last thousand years. It is a novel of romance and much more. The descriptions of combat above and below the ground are far superior and more accurate than other books of this type. The portrayals of the suffering of the innocent civilians and wounded soldiers are heart-rending. The entire plot takes place over just a few months as action and tensions incrementally increase until the climactic ending. Tough to put down and ultimately inspirational, this novel is heartily recommended. Thomas J. Howley

THE PLAGUE LETTERS V. L. Valentine, Serpent’s Tail, 2021, £8.99, pb, 408pp, 9781788164559

The plague is creeping through London, parish by parish. It is the summer of 1665, and those who can are escaping the city. Symon Patrick, the rector of St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, oversees the burials as

the death carts arrive laden with bodies to be dumped in the pits. Penelope is ill and homeless, filthy, and starving when she seeks Symon’s help. As the death count rises and more plague bodies arrive daily, Symon sees the body of a young woman with loose restraints, grids drawn around cuts and burns on her body, objects sewn in wounds— “foot of a frog, toe of a dog, claw of a cat, wing of a bat”—a plague victim tortured and her death hastened. As more bodies with the same mysterious markings turn up, Symon must find the murderer. What Valentine does exceptionally well is to merge the surroundings and atmosphere into the plot. She has given her characters life with lively, vivid descriptions, and witty, clever dialogue. Penelope, a small sprite of a girl, has recovered and now inserts herself into Symon’s investigations. She annoys him like a nit, shadows him, reads his mail, withholds letters from his beloved, and is free with advice. Symon is a kind, compassionate man distracted by his obsession with a married woman, and given orders by his household staff. A newly formed plague society of four men wants Symon involved in their plan to procure bodies for experiments to find a cure. The arrogant Dr. Burnett, university-educated physician; Mincy, the grubby, malodorous barber-surgeon; Greatrakes, mystic healer, flamboyant and overdressed; and Boghurst, drunken apothecary, are all suspicious characters, especially in Penelope’s eyes. What reads so natural is the humor offset with the dark truths of the plague and human suffering. This is an exceptional novel of the plague with a mystery and one-of-a-kind characters. Janice Ottersberg

PURGE Neil K. Wootton, Vanguard Press, 2021, £10.99/$13.99, pb, 355pp, 9781800161573

Set in England in 1645, Purge is a story of fear and superstition that grips a town into madness. Sarah Wenham’s wealthy husband died fighting for the king in a war in which Parliament will soon be the victor. When a witch hunter arrives and accuses her of witchcraft, Sir Richard Easeby is called upon to defend her. He has only days to prepare her defense within a town gripped by religious fever and poised to lay all their troubles on one woman’s shoulders. The story in this debut novel is well layered, promoting a sense of established characters instead of people with whom everything starts

from scratch. Wootton introduces characters within his large cast very well so it doesn’t get confusing as to who’s who. Personalities spring forth from the pages as their suspicions interconnect and weave together in chilling ways. It’s not hard to imagine the terror or persuasiveness a witch finder could hold over a town’s inhabitants, summed up well by Easeby’s observation of an acquaintance: “Swords he has never feared, but words terrify him.” The author is able to keep readers hooked throughout the arrest, trial, and ensuing events with a quick pace and high tension. As new truths emerge, more questions and suspicions twist the plot. Chapters are short but left me wanting more. Overall, a captivating story built upon solid research and very well-crafted prose. I’ll be keeping an eye out for what’s to come next for these characters. J. Lynn Else

18T H C E N T U RY THE FUGITIVE COLOURS Nancy Bilyeau, Lume Books, 2022, £9.99/$14.99, pb, 320pp, 9781839014666

The first historical thriller in Bilyeau’s series, The Blue, introduced Genevieve Planché, a Huguenot living in London’s Spitalfields who was coerced into espionage at a time of war between France and England regarding a sought-after blue dye. Now, in 1764, the countries are at peace, and Genevieve is married to Thomas Sturbridge, a celebrated scientist, and mother to young Pierre. She runs a workshop designing flower patterns for the silk-weaving industry, whereas Thomas is often away because he tutors the young son of the Earl of Sandwich. Genevieve still longs to be an artist and is excited when Sir Joshua Reynolds takes an interest in her and the work of her deceased grandfather. But why? And why is she still of interest to the French visitors to London who seem to know all about her and her past? Can Thomas have anything to do with it? Is her love for him fading away, and has another kind gentleman caught her eye? The author has written another historical mystery full of intriguing twists and turns and a vicious crime. My only caveat is her tendency for repetition and detailed explanation, both of which slow the action down. That aside, this is a cracking historical spy thriller. Sally Zigmond

HUNGRY DEATH Robin Blake, Severn House, 2022, $29.99/£20.99, hb, 281pp, 9780727890719

Winter of 1747 nears as Coroner Titus Cragg is summoned from his home in Preston to the English village of Warrington, where a farm family has been slaughtered. His friend, physician Luke Fidelis, is already in Warrington as a guest of prominent landowner John Blackburne, invited by a classmate he befriended during his foreign studies. It will

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take all their wits to solve these six deaths—plus another one unearthed during their visit. Complicating the investigation is the quasireligious view held by the late Kidd family, that of the little-known Eatanswillians, who practice free love and believe in the power of curses. Kidd’s surviving brother also proclaims himself a member of the cult, to the point of publishing explanatory pamphlets. The couple who rent the adjoining farm are also Eatanswillians and take a peculiar interest in ensuring Kidd’s farm doesn’t suffer any loss of income in the wake of the tragedy. Then there is the dead body discovered by Blackburne’s gardener beneath his hothouse; following the evidence leads Cragg and Fidelis to discover that the boggy soil preserved enough for them to detect a connection with the current deaths. Blake’s eighth entry in the series is a tour de force of medical expertise, religious explication, and courtroom drama. He invents the Eatanswillians and develops their entire worldview as a foundation on which to hang his plot and characters. He involves the inventor of a shorthand method to make sense of a key clue. All his characters exude an exquisite sense of time and place. An extremely satisfying mystery. Tom Vallar

THE HOMECOMING Anna Enquist (trans. Eileen J. Stevens), AmazonCrossing, 2022, $24.95, hb, 384pp, 9781542025447

This latest novel from the bestselling Dutch author is a long, lyrical meditation on mourning and identity. Elizabeth Batts Cook is the wife and collaborator to the global explorer Captain James Cook and his widow for more than fifty years. Such a long life might seem a blessing, but for a woman who outlived not only her husband but all six of their children by half her lifespan, memory and endurance become more of a curse. However, Elizabeth observes the world around her with painstaking attention, struggling to make sense of its beauties and its cruelties. The rhythms of this novel, captured in Eileen J. Stevens’ translation, are slow and intimate, which might frustrate some readers, but which capture Elizabeth’s complex inner life unforgettably. Most of the novel takes place in the suspended periods between Cook’s absences from his London home on the River Thames, as Elizabeth must repeatedly get to know her spouse all over again and help him connect with his surviving sons. This is accomplished through painstaking attention to the small tasks of homemaking, gardening, 24

and letter-writing, and to the emotionally and physically draining pregnancies that Elizabeth endures mostly on her own. It takes Elizabeth years to understand how her devotion to a man who loves the sea above all else has shaped her. After his dramatic death in Hawai’i in 1759, she dedicates her life to nurturing his reputation and writings. Her personal struggle to value her husband’s accomplishments while also wishing to protect her sons from the dangers of naval careers becomes increasingly poignant as the sea claims one after another of her loved ones. Like an 18th-century still life, this luminous novel captures in heartbreaking detail both the vibrancy of life and the poignancy of decay and loss. It is well worth the investment of time and attention it demands. Kristen McDermott

BEYOND THE LAVENDER FIELDS Arlem Hawks, Shadow Mountain, 2022, $26.99, hb, 384pp, 9781629729350

Marseille, France, 1792. During the French Revolution, Gilles Étienne, a former mariner and now a high-end soap manufacturer’s clerk, lives at home with his family while working to save money for medical school. He considers himself a Revolutionary, and attends Jacobin meetings at night after work. His employer’s daughter, Marie-Caroline Daubin, has come to Marseille to escape the violence in Paris. She and her family are middle-class Royalists, believing that the traditional ways of France represent the safest path toward a better future for the people. As the Jacobins turn more violent and mob rule escalates, Gilles becomes disenchanted with the rebellion’s course. Meanwhile, MarieCaroline and her family, while superficially law-abiding, are hiding secrets that could bring disaster to them all. Gilles and Marie-Caroline slowly and chastely fall in love, and come to realize that their political views are not as different as they seemed at first. Suspense and intrigue lead to an action-filled climactic chase through the streets of Marseille, as Gilles and his father struggle to rescue both families from the mob. This book is about love and about families, but mostly—and most importantly—about the dangers of mob rule suppressing freedom instead of advancing it. It should appeal to readers interested in French history and culture. There is a French pronunciation guide and glossary in the front matter of the book. Elizabeth Knowles

THE COLONY OF GOOD HOPE Kim Leine (trans. Martin Aitken), Picador, 2022, £18.99, hb, 542pp, 9781529014334

When the King of Denmark colonises Greenland in 1728, he forcibly marries military prisoners to street women, then sends them to service a settlement from which riches might be gathered and the heathen converted. It turns

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out that the Greenlanders are far better at survival and spiritual flexibility than the Danes. What promises to be a cosmic conflict between Christian ideology and heathen darkness, played out between the local shaman, Aappaluttoq, and the black-coated Lutheran priest, Egede, turns into unforgiving animosity when Egede takes and keeps the shaman’s only son. Their battle is driven by the shaman’s grief and Egede’s self-righteousness. Leine’s narrative, woven from archival and biographical research, is complex so we must trust the thread which he throws us, for this story has few straight lines. We experience the miasmic settlement from multiple viewpoints. The reader becomes Aappaluttoq, travelling in different characters’ pockets, passing from one to another without warning. The Greenlandic light, its mists and waters, are visceral, as are the colonists’ spiritual and physical torments. The name of the colony becomes increasingly ironic as the colonists all hope for different things. Their narratives immerse us in the casual cruelties of the 18th century, where deprivations and exploitation, especially of women, lead to physical and psychological breakdown. This is a rich novel of ideas to be enjoyed by readers who share Leine’s interest in the language of spirituality, in how the soul might reside in a name. The shaman’s name is always misconstrued. Luther’s German is set against Latin spells. Danes and Greenlanders ask common-sense questions of Christian philosophy, which exposes the inventiveness required of doctrinal inflexibility. Leine tests the boundaries of best intentions and customary evils, between ordinary human obsessions and insanity, in a world struggling with enlightenment. The evocation is harsh, beautiful, and unflinching. Louise Tree

AUSTENS OF BROADFORD Carole Penfield, Sycamore Lane Press, 2021, $16.95, pb, 369pp, 9781737807902

To anyone else in early 18th-century England, Eliza Austen (Jane Austen’s greatgrandmother) would appear to be the perfect daughter-in-law: she’s well-born, virtuous, sensible, pretty, and fertile, bringing forth a male heir and plenty of spares. Yet her fatherin-law, wealthy John Austen III, despises her. When tragedy strikes, Eliza discovers just how deep the old man’s spite runs. Based on an autobiographical document written by the real-life Eliza Austen, this novel is the third in Penfield’s Midwife Chronicles trilogy, the connection being that some of the characters from the earlier novels are Eliza’s dear friends (and, of course, midwives). While the characters (except for the villain) are likable and Penfield writes well, I found the book to be a bit of a hodgepodge. Most of the story is split between Eliza, whose story is told in the third person, and her young daughter Betty, who contributes a first-person narrative and who at age seven is made to inform a girl of her own age, “I lead a comfortably dull life in the small

village of Horsmonder.” Some lower-class characters pop in to add color to the story, and an omniscient narrator intrudes at one point. A character who has visions fits in rather uneasily with the Austenesque storylines concerning the gentry and primogeniture. This being said, however, there are some amusing and poignant moments here. Lovers of all things Jane Austen will enjoy being introduced to a formidable woman whose plight may well have influenced some of her great-granddaughter’s novels. Susan Higginbotham

WINCHELSEA Alex Preston, Canongate, 2022, £14.99, hb, 325pp, 9781838854843

Set in 1742 on the south coast of England, Winchelsea is a tale of smugglers and skullduggery on the high seas. But make no mistake, this is not Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. The closest it comes to ‘cosy’ is its description of the Mermaid Inn in Rye: “never had I seen so many scars, skin prints, eyepatches and eardrops.” (The Mermaid Inn actually exists, and is full of character to this day.) The story takes a much darker turn when young Goody Brown’s father is murdered and her mother is brutally mutilated. Swopping her skirts for breeches and her embroidery for a musket, Goody joins a smuggling gang and sets out in search of bloody revenge. The majority of the novel is written in the first person from Goody’s perspective, and it drips with atmosphere: Old Wynchelsea [sic] is ‘whelmed’ by the sea. Goody runs through the ‘quaggy’ marshes, and a gentleman’s periwig sits ‘like a great cauliflower on his head’. Three quarters of the way through the book, however, the story-teller changes to a far less interesting protagonist. For me, this seemed an unnecessary distraction, adding little to Goody’s character or motivations. Putting that quibble aside, Winchelsea is a dark and unsettling delight, and I would highly recommend it. Penny Ingham

PANDORA Susan Stokes-Chapman, Harvill Secker, 2022, £14.99, hb, 408pp, 9781787302884

Set during the cold wet year of 1799, in the Dickensian milieu of a struggling London shop of antiquities, this story’s protagonists are Dora (in full, Pandora) Blake, an orphan mourning the death of her antiquarian parents, her uncle and guardian Hezekiah, and his companion or ‘housekeeper’ Lottie. Young Edward Lawrence, keen to make his name as a historian via an important discovery, is referred by a mysterious stranger to Dora and Hezekiah’s shop. Dora is also striving firstly to launch herself as a jewellery designer, and then, with Edward, to solve the

mystery of the origin of the Grecian urn that Hezekiah has secreted in the shop’s basement. I was very engaged by Dora from her first appearance, sitting in a chilly attic creating brooches and necklaces from trinkets collected by her tame magpie. As the plot develops, she falls to the mercy of her uncle, who is driven by greedy obsession to worsening acts of duplicity and wickedness. Brutal but vulnerable, I found him a compelling character. Real-life figures such as Joseph Bramah, the locksmith, and Sir William Hamilton (tolerant husband of Nelson’s mistress) make important appearances. Distractingly, the editing is poor. For example, we have ‘axel’ for axle, ‘clean’ for cleaner, ‘purist’ for ‘purest’. Sir William Hamilton is referred to repeatedly as ‘Lord Hamilton’—a title he never actually enjoyed. The plot is propulsive, if a little clunky at times, and there are nicely observed descriptions of weather, setting and characters. Secrets emerge about the deaths of Dora’s parents, and there are even hints that this mysterious urn may indeed be the original Pandora’s Box of mythology. On the whole I greatly enjoyed this book, though I felt Edward the nominal hero was less interesting than the characters surrounding him. Ben Bergonzi

19T H C E N T U RY THE CONVICT’S WIFE Libby Ashworth, Canelo, 2022, £8.99, pb, 352pp, 9781800327610

The Convict’s Wife is an historical love story based on two real characters who lived in a village outside of Bolton in the north-west of England. Libby Ashworth has recreated their story from their letters that have survived. In the early 19th century, Thomas Holden, a hand-loom weaver, is arrested for swearing an oath. It was illegal to join forces or unionise against the government, and Tom is sentenced to be transported for seven years to New South Wales. Tom’s wife, Molly, is left behind to raise their small child, while her husband is locked up on a prison hulk, awaiting transportation. The enticing factor about this novel is Molly’s steadfastness in the face of real difficulties, both financial and emotional. For example, Isaac Crompton, the man who informed on Thomas, tries to persuade Molly to live with him, in the absence of her husband. Molly is determined to join her husband and works to save money for her fare to Australia. Molly must learn fast and earn fast if she is to join her husband. She tries different ways to earn money, first by working in a coal mine, then developing her skills as a weaver. Her struggle to achieve her goal takes the reader into the hard lives of women and men in early 19thcentury England. The love story at the heart of the novel shows not only the two young people, Molly and Tom, and their small child, but also the love and support the couple get from their families in their struggle to be reunited. Tom’s

parents are well-drawn and sympathetic characters and add depth to the fascinating story-world created in this enjoyable novel.

Bridget Walsh

THE REDEMPTION OF PHILIP THANE Lisa Berne, Avon, 2021, $8.99, pb, 378pp, 9780062852403 / Pan, 2022, £8.99, pb, 416pp, 9781529078374

In this novel set in the English countryside in 1819, Philip Thane is up to no good. He is, of course, broke. When he approaches an elderly rich relation for cash, she agrees to an exchange: a speech must be delivered in Whittlesey for Plough Day. Off Philip Thane goes to Whittlesey with gritted teeth. The next day, he delivers a short, cringeworthy speech and tries to leave, but he can’t. He returns to Whittlesey, but when Philip Thane wakes up the next day, it’s Plough Day again. And again. Based on the same conceit as the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day, Philip Thane must go through the same day until he manages to become a person who can recognize that other people have souls, wants, and aims different from his own. Fortunately, Miss Margaret Allen, a wide-eyed bluestocking, is spared from remembering his behavior day to day because much of it early on is unforgiveable. This is an enjoyable, sweet read, ticking the boxes of a romp. Philip receives gratifying comeuppance as he first attempts to indulge his vices, only to learn that personal growth is more rewarding, and the struggle is the most important part of the journey. Katie Stine

THE SURGEON’S DAUGHTER Audrey Blake, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022, $16.99, pb, 432pp, 9781728228754

Set in the 1840s, when women were denied entry to British and American medical schools and doctors routinely succumbed to contagious diseases suffered by their patients, the story follows the brave struggle of Nora Beady, ward to renowned London surgeon Horace Croft. After ten years of training by Dr. Croft, Nora enrolls in the prestigious University of Bologna, Italy. Diphtheria, sepsis, scarlet fever, and tetanus are rampant. Countless women perish in childbirth. Nora faces arrogant, resentful and critical colleagues, except for her mentor, Dr. Croft and her supportive fiancé, Dr. Daniel Gibson. Chapters alternate between Nora’s study in Bologna and Croft’s practice in London. Under the commanding and competent Dr. Magdalena Marenco, Nora assists at a controversial and rarely performed cesarean section; preferable to the gruesome craniotomy, where the baby is killed and removed in pieces with a crochet hook to save the dying mother. Ether is new, and Nora’s talent for dispensing it serves her well. Today

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cesareans are commonplace saving 18 million lives annually. This novel is not for the faint of heart, with operations described in graphic detail, not in a gratuitous way but to highlight the historical context. Then instruments were wiped and placed back in the surgeon’s bag, hence the high rate of infection. A glossary of medical terms and diseases would have proved helpful. Dr. Marenco becomes Nora’s ally and encourages and tutors her. After hours on her feet before a panel of her professors, she gains her doctorate of the arts in medicine. Sought by Lady Woodbine, will her husband allow a cesarean to save his wife? If Nora fails, ruin follows. This is an intense, suspenseful, and insightful read about the challenges both women and doctors faced in the 19th century. The sweet love letters exchanged between Daniel and Nora and a picnic outing with expatriates add lightness and charm. Our heroine rises to the challenge with courage and determination. Gail M. Murray

THE COBBLER OF SPANISH FORT AND OTHER FRONTIER STORIES Johnny D. Boggs, Five Star, 2022, $25.95, hb, 230pp, 9781432887261

The settlement of Spanish Fort, Texas, situated on the Red River border with Oklahoma, holds little interest for historians. Nevertheless, it was the site of one of the most innovative boot-making establishments in America, and its secret weapon is now revealed to be… a Mexican who had never before made a boot in his life. This outpost on the Chisholm Trail served cowboys in the early 1870s who were both saddle-sore and footsore with custom-made quality footwear for their hardearned coins. The tale of how the Mexican gets the last laugh on his employer is just one of many intriguing tidbits in this volume. The 21 short stories include some set during the Civil War, others on the Southern frontier, and timeless cowboy stories. Several are award winners, while many simply illustrate a human trait or the vicissitudes of life. My favorites are the story of two generations who survive the winters of northern Arizona as told from the point of view of—believe it or not—a piano, and the one about the verbal battles between Buffalo Bill Cody and his wife over his largerthan-life exploits. Johnny D. Boggs is the best writer you’ve never heard of. He has won more of the prestigious Spur Awards than anyone else in history, and in 2020 received the Western Writers of America’s Lifetime Contributions to Western Literature prize. His dialogue makes this an R-rated book, which lends even more weight to its authenticity. Boggs’ prose brings America to life. Tom Vallar

THE HACIENDA Isabel Cañas, Berkley, 2022, $27.00, hb, 352pp, 9780593436691

Beatriz steps down from the carriage with her new husband Rodolpho. Hacienda San Isidro stands imposing and sinister before her, “a high dark wooden door set deep in white stucco walls… wrought-iron accents [and] high dark spikes on the front of the walls.” When Beatriz steps inside, “the air [is] thick and silent” and “the stucco swallowed even the songs of the birds.” Disrepair, cobwebs, a dead rat on the step, and cold, distrustful servants all leave her with a feeling of menace. The Solórzano family have been landlords of their Apan valley estate for many generations cultivating maguey (agave). Even though the Mexican War of Independence ended two years earlier in 1821, Spanish colonialism and class structure remain. The Solórzano family are Spanish hacendados ruling the native tlachiqueros and villagers for many generations—often oppressive and ruthless, especially to the women. This gothic novel will pull you in with vivid language and drop you into a sinister world. Reminiscent of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier in its setup, this story is infused with a much darker horror. When Rodolpho leaves, Beatriz is left alone to face the house with its strange happenings, dark secrets, voices of the dead, and hateful spirits. Nights of terror leave Beatriz sleepless but determined to take back her house from what possesses it. Beatriz can trust no one, but Andrés, a priest from the village, earns her confidence when she wants an exorcism to cleanse the house. Andrés is not only a priest, but a witch hiding his innate powers from the lingering reach of the Inquisition and those who fear the unknown. Cañas has created engaging characters in Beatriz, Andrés, and, yes, the house, but beware of blood and supernatural violence. The pages turn quickly to a faultless, satisfying ending. Janice Ottersberg

URSULA’S INHERITANCE Eileen Charbonneau, BWL, 2021, $16.99, pb, 284pp, 9780228619864

Civil War fiction welcomes a fresh approach in Eileen Charbonneau’s third book in her American Civil War Brides series, Ursula’s Inheritance. An extended family, with children and soldiers and a warmly welcoming widow in Gramercy Park in New York City, is a far cry from the gory drama of, say, Gone with the Wind. Yet the snugly sheltered household hides secrets that 14-year-old Penina Selby, caught pilfering from the herb garden, senses but can’t quite grasp. “How did a war widow live as comfortably as she did, people asked, with both negro and Irish servants waiting on her?” In fact, Penina finds far more to wonder at: the widow’s clever signals with her fan, the strange habits of the soldiers staying with her (they not only cook for her, they change the baby’s diaper!), and subtle violations

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of the outlines of life as she’s come to know it, as the child of a Jewish shopkeeping tailor. Charbonneau’s historical details are delicately painted and carefully accurate. Her presentation of them through the eyes of a girl on the edge of womanhood gives them a sparkle and freshness that’s unusual in historical novels of this time period. Threads of more secrets intertwine, until it’s clear that Ursula’s grief and pain involve more than simple widowhood, and Penina herself develops unexpected connections with this family that return to her a childhood she’s never experienced, while escorting her to the very edge of growing up. Wartime is terrible—but the domestic security of Ursula’s household, under her fierce protection, remains both tender and magical. Find warmth and affection threaded through each page of this appealing and surprising tale. Beth Kanell

THE MIDWIFE Tricia Cresswell, Mantle, 2022, £16.99, hb, 336pp, 9781529066869

In 1838, a woman is discovered close to death on the Northumberland moorland. Joanna (later known as Mrs. Sharp) has no memory of her past but seems to have an uncanny ability to deliver babies and tend to the sick. While in the 1840s Dr. Borthwick, a London doctor, is unfashionably hands-on with the birthing mothers he attends. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Mrs. Sharp and Dr. Borthwick, The Midwife explores the themes of 19th-century medicine and childbirth, of poverty and of wealth, while trying to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the story. Who is Mrs. Sharp, and what can the future hold for her? What is the secret that holds Dr Borthwick back? And will his match-making friends be successful? Tricia Cresswell is a former doctor, and her extensive knowledge of medical techniques and childbirth make this a fascinating read. She is fully aware of the horrors of giving birth in Victorian times, particularly for women in deprived and squalid surroundings. She also captures the difficulties caused by a reluctance to speak about natural processes. At the same time the author manages to create characters that the reader can engage with—not just Mrs. Sharp and Dr. Borthwick, but also some of the doctor’s forward-looking London friends, particularly Eleanor, the widow whose friendship poses a dilemma for him. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the device of the lost memory particularly satisfactory, and I thought that the novel could have worked perfectly well without it. And some details were unconvincing—for instance, I struggled to understand how in the mid-19th century it could take more than three weeks to travel from London to Newcastle by stagecoach. However, this did not detract significantly from my enjoyment of the story. Karen Warren

BREAKING THE MAAFA CHAIN Anni Domingo, Pegasus, 2022, $26.95, hb, 480pp, 9781643139265 / Jacaranda, 2021, £16.99, hb, 228pp, 9781913090760

Based on the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, known as an African princess and goddaughter of Queen Victoria, Breaking the Maafa Chain explores the lives of enslaved and free Black people in America, Britain, and Africa in the mid-19th century. Sarah, formerly Salimatu, is rescued from certain death in Africa and gifted to Queen Victoria. She sails to London on the Bonetta with John Forbes, who presents her to the queen and takes Sarah to live with his own family. Luckily, Sarah is quick to learn, and although she knows she’s different, she enjoys her German lessons with Victoria’s children and comes to look on John Forbes’s daughters as her sisters. Sarah’s older sister Fatmata, however, has met a very different fate. After their village was attacked and their parents killed, Fatmata had escaped with Salimatu and tried to keep her safe. But when the girls were separated, Fatmata was sold into slavery on a plantation in South Carolina. Fatmata, a fictional creation, and Sarah are dual narrators, allowing Domingo to vividly contrast their very different life experiences and explore Sarah/Salimtu’s earliest years. When a chain of events puts them both in London at the same time, they seem destined to meet at the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace of 1851, but in a story that doesn’t attempt to gloss over the horrors of slavery in America or casual racism in Victorian Britain, perhaps it’s fitting that there is no fairy-tale ending for the sisters. Indeed, there is much room for a sequel here; the girls are still young at the close of the novel, with both of their fates hanging very much in the balance. Kate Braithwaite

LIES OF OMISSION Kathleen Ernst, Level Best/Historia, 2021, $16.95, pb, 260pp, 9781685120276

This first in a series is set in 1855 Wisconsin, a tumultuous time of German and Irish immigration and Know-Nothing opposition to both. It’s also when the Fugitive Slave Acts made helping enslaved peoples on their travels to Canada a crime. Recent German immigrant bride Hanneke is thrown into the middle of it all, as well as her own family drama, when she arrives to join her husband Fridolin at their farm. But it seems she is a widow, due to her husband’s recent death. But Fridolin’s sister and the town believe Hanneke to be an imposter with no claim on the farm. They advise her to leave. Shocked by the death and her treatment, the almost penniless but resourceful Hanneke, a woman known for both thinking and talking too much, resolves to discover why her husband kept his marriage to her a secret to those in America, and what led to the suspicious circumstances of his death. She finds few friends in her efforts, outcasts

all: unmarried and pregnant Angela, tavern keeper; the young orphan Adolph; and a very reluctant deputy sheriff. Confounding mysteries abound in this taut and exciting tale. Lies and omissions flow from all, even Hanneke herself, and lead to both tragedy and triumph. I was sorry to leave Hanneke, her friends, and the wonderfully re-created town and farm. I look forward to going on another adventure in their company. Eileen Charbonneau

MAGICIAN OF LIGHT J. Fremont, She Writes, 2022, $16.95, pb, 352pp, 9781647423551

Readers may already be familiar with French designer René Lalique (1860 – 1945). In this tale, while studying art in London, he lodges in an old cottage on Foxhill Estate. There he meets Lucinda Haliburton, recovering after time spent in an asylum. She remembers little from her time spent in Egypt before being institutionalized: only her belief the god Anubis has followed her home. After all, mental illness runs in her family. As she and René grow closer, Lucinda finds a new medicine to help heal her instead of the bromide being slipped into her tea. Her doctor, however, doesn’t appreciate the attention René is showing Lucinda. He wishes to court Lucinda and sets in motion events that will change the lives of everyone at Foxhill Estate. Time and its movement through the storyline aren’t handled well. The last third of the book weaves back and forth in time, but transitions are absent. René or Lucinda could start a new chapter in the present, in the past on Foxhill Estate, or in a dream somewhere in between. The book’s final section is less enjoyable due to this inconsistency. I found myself quite drawn to Lucinda’s story as she struggles with mental illness and finding her voice while surrounded by men who place differing expectations on her. The time in Egypt is intriguing and a bit uncanny while she’s exploring a dig site. When she returns home, René is the only man who listens to her. Interwoven in the development of their relationship are questions of reality, mysticism, and the ancient Egyptian concept of Heka: magic. While exploring the life of René Lalique, Magician of Light also explores love, choice, and the consequence of each while weaving together the fate of two people in unexpected ways. J. Lynn Else

A BALLAD OF LOVE AND GLORY Reyna Grande, Atria, 2022, $28.00/C$36.00, hb, 384pp, 9781982165260

This is a novel about John Riley of the St. Patrick’s Battalion, deserters who escaped the U.S. Army’s contemptuous treatment of Irish and other immigrants during the Mexican American-War (1846-48), and then fought for Mexico. Grande also takes inspiration from a John Greenleaf Whittier poem about

Mexican nurses during the war and combines the stories. Riley experiences many instances of U.S. Army officers cruelly mistreating the foreignborn recruits who joined the army out of poverty and desperation. This leads him to swim across the Rio Grande to join his fellow Catholics on the Mexican side before war is actually declared. Ximena is the widow of a Mexican rancher, learned in native healing arts; she elects to stay and nurse for the army rather than flee ahead of the coming conflict. Mexico makes Riley an officer and gives him charge of the artillery, so he and Ximena often meet in the course of their duties. Riley has a wife back home in Ireland, but he nevertheless begins to fall in love with Ximena. Bad decisions by Mexican generals put the St. Patrick’s Battalion at risk of being captured by the Americans as they invade, and Riley is in danger of being hanged if he’s caught. Not much is known about Riley’s life, which gives novelists free rein to imagine what he was like. Grande makes Riley and Ximena’s romance very touching and gives him a sympathetic motive for his act of desertion. I was appalled at the treatment the immigrant soldiers endured, an aspect of the war not covered in my history classes in school. Parallels can be drawn between society’s attitudes towards immigrants then and now. There are about equal measures of military detail and romance, which will appeal to two categories of fiction fans. Recommended. B. J. Sedlock

THE LIVES OF DIAMOND BESSIE Jody Hadlock, SparkPress, 2022, $16.95, pb, 317pp, 9781684631179

In 1860s New York, Annie Moore is sent to a convent for fallen women after getting pregnant out of wedlock. After the nuns take her baby, she tries to find the child but ends up going into prostitution just to survive. She becomes Bessie and is soon highly sought after by men. She earns her own money, is showered with jewels, and gets the opportunity to travel. However, she longs for a different life. When the man who she thought would return her to respectability betrays her, she begins to seek revenge. Based on a true story, this is a captivating book with a surprise. The first half of this book stays very true to the real-life story, but then there is a supernatural element that begins midway through. It makes the novel even more interesting and unpredictable. As Annie, the main character is treated abominably by society and the church. As Bessie, she is used by men and madams but still finds a measure of success. After marriage, she eventually realizes that her husband has no intention of living a normal life with her. But by then it’s too late. We travel with Bessie to Chicago, New Orleans, Cincinnati, and Texas, and then into the world of the paranormal as Bessie seeks revenge. The magical realism aspect of this story really sets it apart. The plight of women in

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those times is evident, and the theme of revenge is explored. This is an intriguing combination of genres—true crime, women’s fiction, and the paranormal—all woven into a compelling historical novel. Highly recommended. Bonnie DeMoss

WHEN BLOOD LIES C. S. Harris, Berkley, 2022, $26.00, hb, 368pp, 9780593102695

When Blood Lies, book 17 in Harris’s Regency thriller series, takes place in Paris in 1815 when Bourbon king Louis XVIII has been restored to the throne of France, but not for long with Napoleon’s outsized presence lurking as a threat to some, and a savior to others. Set against this tense political backdrop, Harris’s murder mystery presents Sebastian with the most intensely personal crime of his career to solve when he finds his mother dying of a stab wound. The plot reveals many of the longsought family secrets about his parentage and his missing mother, but also brings profound grief for him. Given the importance of this novel in the overall series arc of Sebastian’s character, longtime readers of the series are going to find this gripping tale especially rewarding. However, Harris’s skill as a writer of fastpaced, glued-to-the-page, twisty plots makes this a spellbinder for anyone. The relationship between Sebastian and his wife, Hero, is endearing and fun to watch in action. Harris is especially good at presenting all the potential villains in a rich context of social ties and political alliances of Paris at that moment, so that unraveling who is the true villain is delightfully difficult but entirely fair to the attentive reader. Her deft descriptions of people and places bring this Paris to life. For example, here’s part of her description of the ex-galley slave “who somehow managed to get himself appointed head” of the period’s FBI equivalent: “His shoulders were broad and bearlike, his hands meaty, his head unusually big. Even the features of his face were exaggerated… he’d lived a hard life, having killed his fencing master as a youth…” Highly recommended. Judith Starkston

SPRING OF HOPE Cora Harrison, Severn House, 2022, $28.99, hb, 198pp, 9780727850515

A letter from Wilkie Collins as he lay dying in 1889 recalls an incident from 30 years before. It’s the time of the Great Stink, when members of Parliament could no longer hide behind lime 28

chloride-soaked curtains to keep out the foul odor emanating from the River Thames and its centuries of pollution. It is a time when Wilkie and his friend Charles Dickens meet engineers who are determined to find the materials and methods that will remove the “chains of disease” that kill thousands of babies in the first year of their lives. Spring of Hope is the fourth in the Gaslight Mysteries series that pairs Wilkie and Dickens as amateur detectives. Beginning in 2019 with Season of Darkness, the Victorian authors have found the killer of Dickens’ housemaid Isabella, exonerated Wilkie’s brother of murder, and solved a murder committed during a theatrical dress rehearsal. The Wilkie-Dickens pairing in this novel has little to do with a crime and its resolution. A murder does occur, but nearly three-fourths of the way through storytelling. Nevertheless, the absence is hardly missed. The narrative is driven by Wilkie and his relationships: his tenderness with his mistress, Caroline Graves, and her daughter Carrie, his patience with the often robust and voluble Dickens, his trepidation and careful preparation when traveling on unfamiliar terrain. The daunting engineering problems posed by the Thames and their possible solutions— an interceptor sewer, dredging, piping, carting away and selling sewage as fertilizer—lead readers to such locales as unsettling Maplin Sands and the “snorting, stinking, and deafening” workshop home of a dredger and hydraulic press known as The Boomer. Spring of Hope dwells not in the detective’s gray cells but the inventor’s ingenuity and the bonds of friends. K. M. Sandrick

A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS Adriana Herrera, HQN, 2022, $16.99, pb, 336pp, 9781335639844

In 1889, Luz Alana Heith-Benzan finds herself in a conundrum. The only way she can receive her inheritance is to marry—something she isn’t really interested in doing, as she has no desire to lose her independence. Instead, she sails from her home in Santo Domingo with her sister, two best friends, and several hundred casks of her family’s rum. She’s determined to enter the Exposition Universelle in Paris to make a name for her business and earn her own living. Unfortunately, a woman of color is the last person the businessmen of Paris will take seriously, and Luz is faced with many difficulties and setbacks. James Evanston Sinclair, Scottish Earl of Darnick, is determined to live a life away from the influence of his domineering and corrupt father. Focusing on a whiskey business helps him maintain a distance as he plots revenge with a conspirator. However, a complication ensues which requires Evan to take a wife. The fiery Spanish-speaking Luz Alana seems like an ideal choice. What better than a marriage

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of convenience so they can both receive an inheritance and get what they want? Readers will quickly recognize a familiar plot: an independent woman ahead of her time forging a new way, an incredibly sexy hero wooing her, miscommunication and trouble quickly resolved with passionate kisses (and much more). Steamy (and quite detailed) sex scenes take over. Most of the book focuses on the growing passion between Luz and Evan; lesser plot lines include Luz’s friendships, Evan’s encounter with his father, and the grand finale. An excellent read for escapism and hot romance; not so much for those hoping to learn about distilling in the 1880s. Rebecca Cochran

KINGSCASTLE Sophia Holloway, Allison & Busby, 2021, £8.99, pb, 348pp, 9780749027834

‘I have to inform you my lord… once the documentation is provided, that you are the fifth Marquis of Athelney.’ With which news Mr. Tideswell informed Captain Hawksmoor that he had inherited the family title and estates. Added to this, the terms of the fourth Marquis dictated that he must marry and provide a male heir within two years of his decease. Thus begins Kingscastle. It all takes place during the 19th century and follows the life of Captain William Hawksmoor as he adjusts from a career in the Royal Navy to life as one of the landed nobility and his aunt’s ideas of how that life should be run and whom he should marry. Characterisation is good in that there is a nice distinction between the locals and the lady of the manor, William’s aunt, who also expected him to marry her daughter, and the social standing of the day with the other characters. It’s an interesting story which twists and turns quite entertainingly through the problems William faces, including falling in love with totally the wrong woman according to his aunt. Do things come right in the end? Of course they do, this is typical of a Regency novel, but how is for the reader to find out. Marilyn Sherlock

A PERILOUS PERSPECTIVE Anna Lee Huber, Berkley, 2022, $16.99/ C$22.99, pb, 400pp, 9780593198469

All the necessary elements of a cozy mystery are present in the tenth installment of the Lady Darby Mystery series, this time with a Scottish Highland twist. It is the summer of 1832, and family and friends have gathered at Barbreck Manor in Argyll for a country wedding. Things do not get off to a good start when a potential art forgery is uncovered and a young maid is found dead. Luckily, two of the guests are renowned independent investigators Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage, who are there with their three-month-old daughter. As they reluctantly start an investigation, along with their intrepid servants Bree and Anderley, they find that almost no one is comfortable with their probing questions. If they are to make any headway in solving the

murder mystery, they will have to uncover the decades-old resentment and betrayal standing in their way. To further complicate matters, it is Keira’s own family they are investigating, and some surprising facts about her mother come to light, threatening to distract Keira from the real task at hand. Filled with atmosphere, suspense, and a bit of mystery, the story is a delight to read and has convinced me to go back and read the entire series. Shauna McIntyre

BULLETS AND SILVER Nik James, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2022, $8.99, pb, 288pp, 9781728233161

Colorado, July 1878. Twentyn i n e - ye a r - o l d Caleb Marlowe yearns to build out and settle down on a ranch he recently purchased. But his reputation as a lawman, expert tracker and crack shot won’t let him. First, the local judge wants Marlowe to take over as sheriff in the town of Elkhorn. Next, the judge would have been shot dead on the street, but Marlowe, walking next to him, spots the shooters just in time and guns them down. The attempted assassination is part of a larger scheme to tie up land rights in the path of a planned railroad line. Wealthy faraway businessmen hire locals for their dirty work. Interesting secondary characters confound Marlowe’s quest for justice. He learns his flesh-and-blood father is the lead hired gun and terrorizes farmers and ranchers to sell cheap. The feisty daughter of the town doctor has fled New York and an arranged marriage. Marlowe and she begin to bond. A family of Chinese immigrants flees race riots in San Francisco and treks on foot to Denver via backcountry trails to avoid white men. They help Marlowe recover from a snake bite, but in turn plea for him to guide them through the harsh land to their destination. This is the second novel in a new series by Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick, prolific awardwinning authors writing together under one pen name. Their skill shows. Page-turning action is balanced by heart-tugging quiet interludes. The land, its people, and animals all come across as real. The gunfights and other dangers are well-done. Though not overly complex or literary, this story will engage and send readers to the next in the series. Highly recommended. G. J. Berger

CHILDREN OF SUGARCANE Joanne Joseph, Icon Books, 2022, £9.99, pb, 288pp, 9781776191864

Madras, India, late 1860s: Shanti, a lowly village girl, fears marriage, despite having loving parents. It’s how things are. Girls must be married, and once married, no questions can be asked, no matter if the marriage proves abusive. It happened to her friend, and Shanti is terrified. Hence, when a trickster offers her indenture to Port Natal, Shanti runs away to life on a plantation in South Africa. She had dreamed of independence, to work, make money, and return to her beloved parents. But although “indenture” may not technically be slavery, it looks very much like it. This story highlights a lesser-known part of British colonialism: the shipment of thousands of indentured workers to other continents. Shanti’s experience of indenture is brutal. So much so, that the author warns in a fore-note that readers may finds some parts offensive. Unfortunately, the experiences— and attitudes—that Shanti suffers are those reported in the historical record. But Joseph need make no apology for her book. It is a work of brilliance. This sad history is brought to life through the hard choices of characters who live and breathe, laugh and love, leading me to keep turning the pages. Joseph leavens the trauma with lyrical writing, bringing landscapes vividly to mind with the deftest of phrases. Distressing events are treated in a poetic style that reaches the heart of the matter far better than any gruesome catalogue of injuries. We should be shocked by Shanti’s story. We should also accept that the past cannot be changed. But we could try to make a better future. Shanti’s life is redeemed by the power of love in all its guises, and the value of reconciliation. The characters’ love for each another still shines after the book is closed and gone. Highly recommended. Helen Johnson

BELLE NASH AND THE BATH SOUFFLÉ William Keeling, EnvelopeBooks, 2022, £9.99, pb, 288pp, 9781915023025

It’s 1831 in Bath, and Mrs. Gaia Champion’s cook’s soufflé has collapsed. Belle is tying his cravat in preparation for the party, while his “cousin” Gerhardt can’t take his eyes away from his own beautiful image in the mirror. Councillor Belle Nash of Gay Street is openly

a “bachelor”. He joins forces with the astute widowed Gaia to upset the status quo. The soufflé failure reveals a conspiracy of political corruption, and the crew set off on a madcap and often nonsensical investigation. The substandard grocer Hezekiah Porter and the dastardly Magistrate Wood are up to something. Mrs. Crust’s Pie Shop and the decidedly inferior Shirley Haytit’s tearoom become the spots for a stake-out. Add to the mix Molly Jenkins’ house of ill repute, some deadly crumpets and a royal pronouncement by Princess Victoria, and the day is saved. The soufflés of Bath will rise again. Satirical fun is poked at the social mores of 1830s Bath, and the characters are witty—the snooty Lady Passmore, who wouldn’t deign to arrive before lesser mortals; Gerhardt, who insists on wearing a wig, speaks English using German syntax and has an interest in regression therapy; Miss Prim, who takes her knitting everywhere she goes; Mr. Quigley, who wears a tea cosy for a hat; the beautiful young clerk Lucius Lush—joined by a gaggle of amusing cooks, maids and butlers. The very idea of setting the failure of a soufflé as the inciting incident is genius. The writing is lush. The humour is educated, witty rather than ha-ha, peppered with clever puns and literary and historical references. It has an old-fashioned feel to it, serving to bring the reader right into the period. This hilarious Regency satire is Book 1 of the Gay Street Chronicles. I can’t wait for the next. Susie Helme

DEVOTION Hannah Kent, Picador, 2022, £14.99, hb, 418pp, 9781509863914

Devotion starts as a beautifully written historical novel, set in Prussia in the 1830s. Hanne is an outsider to her close-knit, highly religious community. Persecuted for their faith, the villagers cling together and only warily accept strangers. But Hanne—a dreamy girl whose affinity with nature is dismissed by her family as unimportant when set against a life of hard work and faith—finds a true friend in Thea. Their friendship blossoms in the forest around the village, despite the rumours of witchcraft that surround Thea’s mother, a midwife with a sixth sense for when a baby will be born and a mysterious book of herbal remedies. When the community make the awesome, six-month voyage across the sea to Australia, where they hope to be able to worship in freedom, the two girls are drawn ever closer together. What happens aboard ship, and later on a new continent, is both beautiful and terrifying to Hanne, our narrator. Devotion is, at its name suggests, fundamentally a book about love in its many forms. At its heart is the exquisitely drawn relationship between Hanne and Thea, but it also explores with delicacy and depth the many different ways that mothers express their love to their children, the love between siblings, and the love of the natural world.

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The prose is superb, ringing with clarity and truth as well as intense beauty. It is also a book of surprises and marvels: a hymn to nature, to forests and the sea, and to the unexplored, unimagined wonders that may lie in store for us all. This is a magical, startling and memorable novel. Charlotte Wightwick

RIO HONDO Preston Lewis, Five Star, 2022, $25.95, hb, 373pp, 9781432891404

When Wes Bracken comes to New Mexico Territory after the Civil War, he has plans—for a horse ranch, a quiet life, and a prosperous future. The Lincoln County War changes all that. Burned out by one side, with his wife assaulted and his brother-in-law gunning for him, Bracken’s one chance to recover is starting from scratch on another abandoned homestead and trying to steer a neutral course between the two warring factions. They aren’t going to make it easy for him. Even friends like Billy the Kid often bring more trouble than help. His enemies are another story—they just want Bracken dead. But he is a hard man to kill, especially with his faithful wife Sarafina and his best friend Jace by his side. The only question is: can he dodge bullets and nooses long enough to outlast the war? Veteran author Preston Lewis delivers once again, with a powerful, finely crafted novel that puts the reader at the center of the action, but develops Bracken and the other characters well at the same time. Loyd Uglow

A WOMAN OF ENDURANCE Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa, Amistad, $26.99, hb, 341pp, 9780063062221

2022,

Puerto Rico, 1850. Pola is torn from her home on the west coast of Africa and sold into slavery. She works the sugar cane fields—just about the worst of the work a slave could be set to—and is used as a breeder, her babies torn away from her as soon as they’re born. She escapes and heads into the sea, planning to drown herself rather than continue such a life. But she’s pulled out of the water and taken to live on a different plantation, under far less appalling conditions. Although she now works in the sewing house rather than the cane fields, her life has turned her into ice inside, and she refuses to care about anyone or anything. Balancing Pola’s frozen emotions is Simon, warm-hearted and patient, who waits for years for Pola to see and believe in his love for her. A saga of faith, survival, and love, Pola’s story is portrayed in engrossing, evocative writing that kept me up almost all night finishing the book. The descriptions are vivid and beautiful, and there’s a touch of magic realism that never affects the cold reality of Pola’s life. But this is a very dark story, depicting Caribbean slavery in all its horror. Pola learns to endure and love, but the fact that some nice things happen on occasion doesn’t mitigate the harsh and precarious existence that slaves 30

endured. Recommended, with the following caveat: this book contains rape, torture, and the loss of infants, all grimly and authentically portrayed. India Edghill

THE ORCHID AND THE EMERALD Timothy David Mack, Blackstone, 2022, $29.99, hb, 482pp, 9781665046794

William Gunn travels to South America in search of a rare orchid said to possess great healing powers, both to satisfy the behest of his employer, the Duke of Devonshire, and to find a cure for the mysterious illness that has befallen his young daughter. Nate “Yankee” Bidwell leaves the U.S. to join Simón Bolívar, not so much to support the revolution but to seek his own fortune, which takes the form of a massive uncut emerald. The two men at first are rivals, facing each other in a duel in the jungle near the Magdalena River in the Spanish Viceroyalty at the northern tip of the continent. They grudgingly become allies as they face obvious enemies across a battlefield and work to uncover hidden ones. The Orchid and the Emerald is a sweeping tale of war and exploration in the Amazon and Andes of 1819. The narrative is heavy on adventure and light on character development and motivation. The snapshot shifts from place to place, which makes for a cut-to-thechase type of experience, with plenty of action sequences and villains at every turn, inducing an overall feeling of whiplash. Fine for lovers of nonstop flash and dazzle, but not for those who like to stop and smell the flowers or eye the facets of an exceptional gem. K. M. Sandrick

THE SHARP EDGE OF MERCY Connie Hertzberg Mayo, Heliotrope Books, 2022, $18.00, pb, 286pp, 9781942762874

Mayo brings readers into the dark side of medicine in 1890 Manhattan, where 18-yearold Lillian Dolan must overcome one obstacle after another as she aspires to become a nurse. For reasons Mayo unveils toward the end of the novel, Lillian and her 14-year-old sister Marie, whose mind was seriouslyaffected byscarlatina, have abandoned their mother and are trying to survive on their own in a tenement. To support herself and her sister, Lillian manages to find a job as an assistant nurse at New York Cancer Hospital, which treats women suffering from the late stages of the disease. After some difficulty, she secures daycare for Marie. At the hospital Lillian encounters unexpected challenges, including scorn from the nursing staff, assignment to the most disagreeable of hospital jobs, questionable attention from a pompous and creepy surgeon, and, finally, an ethical dilemma at the heart of the novel. Mayo interweaves Lillian’s experiences navigating her workday with her changing relationships with people on the margins of society, including

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

gay men, lesbians, and African Americans of varying social classes. Mayo is an accomplished writer, conveying emotion through gesture and posture, pacing her plot carefully, and adding the right amount of foreshadowing. She excels, too, at recreating a sense of New York in 1890— public transportation, the neighborhoods of Hell’s Kitchen and the Bowery, social class distinctions, and bias against women and groups perceived to be different. Occasionally, readers may sense that Lillian is too good to be true. More often, Mayo effectively shows how Lillian needs help from others to counter her own biases. Highly recommended. Marlie Wasserman

HARRIET Alice McVeigh, Warleigh Hall Press, 2022, $12.99, pb, 332pp, 9781916882331

This Jane Austen retelling stays charmingly true to Emma in character and, most impressively, in voice. Despite the title, the novel is only partly about Harriet Smith, the Highbury orphan in whom Emma Woodhouse takes an improving interest. Though she fondly recalls her summer spent with the farming Martin family, Harriet hopes Emma’s patronage will elevate her circumstances, and her dewy-eyed, dippy manner is a shrewd act. These chapters offer an intriguing study in Emma’s personality as Harriet accurately detects the other girl’s motives and impulses. While Harriet is too canny and self-interested to completely win the reader, it’s hilarious to see her play along with Emma’s attempts to matchmake her with the self-important Mr. Elton. More absorbing and poignant are the trials of Jane Fairfax, another genteel orphan who is sensitive, proud, reserved, and tormented by a secret. Her attachment to Frank Churchill is deep and sincere, formed during a holiday in Weymouth, but when they contrive to meet up in Highbury, the feckless Frank’s flirtations with others wound Jane deeply. Meanwhile, no one can guess where the desirable Mr. Knightley’s affections tend, though he plays an important if enigmatic role. The familiar action has a fresh appeal when seen from these new perspectives, as if revealing deeper layers to much-loved characters. The action is firmly rooted in Austen’s world, with appearances by the Crawfords of Mansfield Park and references to McVeigh’s Susan. The greatest achievement is how well McVeigh nails Austen’s voice—not just her style and turns of phrase but her droll insight into character and her vast, yet gentle amusement at human foible. As close to the original as it is possible to get, McVeigh is a gift for those of us who will never tire of Austenland. Misty Urban

CITY OF WONDERS Eduardo Mendoza (trans. Nick Caistor), MacLehose Press, 2022, £9.99, pb, 490pp, 9781529410082

Arriving in Barcelona in May 1887, with

exactly enough money to pay for a week’s rent and board and not a peseta more, thirteen-year-old Onofre Bouvila has no choice but to accept the risky and illegal job that his landlord’s daughter arranges for him, delivering leaflets for the Anarchists. His literacy skills are not up to scratch, so he has no idea what he’s carrying; but there’s nothing wrong with his brain, and opportunities abound in this bustling city preparing for a World Fair. Step by step his career choices make him more and more money, and less and less honourable… By 1929, and Barcelona’s second World Fair, he is Don Bouvila, and controls a great deal of the mob. And then he falls in love, and must find a way to escape everything and start life again with his lady… Eduardo Mendoza’s book is wonderfully evocative of 19th-century Barcelona—and indeed, tells us about the roots of the city, and the broader European and specific Spanish context in which it sits. By turns funny, fascinating, and occasionally gruesome, with richly detailed observation, this book reads like a highly entertaining combination of Dickens and Mervyn Peake. Written in Spanish, the work flows and engages; a tribute to the translation skills of Nick Caistor, as well as to the author. Even when Bouvila is at his worst, you have a sneaking regard for him; and you will cheer as he makes his highly risky disappearing attempt! Nicky Moxey

WESTLAND Michelle Muriel, Little Cabin Books, 2022, $25.95, hb, 408pp, 9780990938361

This sequel to Essie’s Roses is set just after the U.S. Civil War. Evie’s mother Katie, now dead, had been the owner of Westland, an Alabama plantation mostly untouched by the war. Essie Mae is a former slave, whom Katie took in and raised as a sister to Evie, and who has a knack for cultivating flowers, especially roses. Both young ladies struggle to overcome physical and mental trauma in their past, Evie at the hands of her cruel father, and Essie who had been kidnapped and raped before the war. They spent the war away from Westland but have now returned to celebrate Katie’s life and make decisions about their futures. Evie’s stepfather James thinks of selling Westland, but legal documents proving ownership are missing and long-buried family secrets begin to complicate the characters’ relationships. Descriptions, dialogue, and characterizations are wonderful in this novel, but I suffered from not having read Essie’s Roses first. The plot has many references to past events that I struggled to put together. A list of characters to consult would have helped, because people speak of someone else by first or last name alternatively, and I had trouble keeping track of who was who, and their relationships to the others. Still, I enjoyed the character of Delly the housekeeper, a fount of wisdom and pithy sayings, and the touching romance between Essie and Bedford Jarrell, whose past is one of the family secrets. The

language of flowers is one of the running themes, and the setting of Westland is a major driver of the plot. Katie’s last letter to Evie introduces another theme: “The key to happiness is forgiveness, forgiving ourselves most of all.” Read Essie’s Roses before Westland for maximum enjoyment. B. J. Sedlock

DEAD MAN’S HAND David Nix, Sourcebooks Casablanca, 2022, $8.99, pb, 312pp, 9781728239651

The Civil War has ended, but Jake Painter and other hardened soldiers with no family ties stay in the U.S. Army. Some former soldiers become vicious outlaws. In October 1867, Jake’s superior officer commands him and his men to slaughter two hundred innocent Native Americans. When Jake refuses, the officer orders Jake shot dead. Jake evades a bullet to the head but kills his superior. Jake’s men allow him to escape. Seven months later, Jake is captured in Missouri and, under military escort, chained to a wagon train of mostly farmers. The wagons are headed west to the U.S. army fort nearest his crime, where a quick court martial and hanging await. Jake has time and solitude to relive the mayhem of the Civil War and numb himself for what lies ahead. But other hard men, aware that the wagon train carries gold, intrude. They ride the same trail, pass the wagons and set an ambush far from any help. The wagon train passengers realize only Jake can prepare them to hold off the marauders. They free him and allow him to train them. The amateur fighting force has early success, but the odds grow worse over time. Several times Jake has a choice—ride away to freedom and leave the wagon train to fend for itself or stay and see it safely to the fort where he’ll hang. Nix deftly pulls together interesting farmers, outlaws and other characters. His oftenlyrical prose fits the wide-open landscapes, storms and floods. The preparations for battle by worried travelers, their wives and children, with only a handful of gunmen on their side, are compelling. The core question—whether Jake helping others will save him—builds to a can’tput-down ending. Highly recommended. G. J. Berger

THE FREEDOM OF BIRDS Stephanie Parkyn, Allen & Unwin, 2021, A$32.99, pb, 424pp, 9781760879389

As Napoleon continues his rampage across Europe, the lives of three young performers become intertwined in a series of adventures. Close friends Rémi and Pascal are forced to leave Gianni’s Comédie-Italienne theatre in Paris. Dodging conscription, they take to the road as tellers of tales. Meanwhile, Saskia’s mother has given her to a circus, where she perfects her contortionist skills only to be kidnapped by a sinister priest, simply known as Father. She escapes and meets Rémi and Pascal. While in Prussia, the trio encounter increasing antagonism towards anyone with

links to France. Combined with the impending publication of the Brothers Grimm book of fairy tales that could spell the end of the vagabond storyteller, they leave for Venice, where they are thrilled to be reunited with Gianni until events propel them once again to the road and the horrors of war. There are a few subtle echoes here of Scaramouche and other commedia dell’arte characters. Rémi is reckless and boastful, Pascal conflicted and cautious, while Saskia is brave and sharp-edged yet lives in constant fear of Father tracking her down. All three struggle with abandonment by their mothers and have romantic notions of returning home but must come to the realisation that home is not a place, it is with the people who share your journey. There are some links to the author’s earlier books, Into the World and Josephine’s Garden, but it is not necessary to have read either to appreciate this one. Initially, the narrative style may be distracting—Rémi tells his story in the first person while those of Saskia and Pascal are in third—but once immersed in this dramatic and colourful world of travelling players and a continent engulfed in conflict, it hardly matters. Another immensely satisfying novel from Stephanie Parkyn. Marina Maxwell

ALONG THE RIO GRANDE Tracie Peterson, Bethany House, 2022, $16.99, pb, 304pp, 9780764237294

Susanna Jenkins has a difficult life. First she lost her husband to influenza, and now she has to deal with her selfish family. Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Ragsdale have never known a moment of hardship. When Mr. Ragsdale is tricked out of money by a con man, they lose their standing in society and fall from grace. With nowhere to go, the Ragsdale family reluctantly moves to San Marcial, New Mexico, to manage the Grand Hotel. The hotel belongs to Mr. Ragsdale’s wealthy older brother, Harrison Ragsdale, who is teaching them a lesson. From the moment of arrival, the Ragsdales act as if keeping a hotel is beneath their dignity. Even though faced with many challenges, Susanna cannot deny her growing attraction to Owen Turner, her brother, Gary’s boss at the railroad company. Will the widow have the courage to open her heart? Along the Rio Grande, the first installment in the Love on the Santa Fe series, draws the reader in immediately. The vibrant and interesting world of 1899 New Mexico comes to life. Tracie Peterson has an amazing talent in rendering her characters to be so human and flawed. The characters and their struggles always feel so real. In the hardworking Susanna, who tries to make the best of her circumstances, there is much to admire. The same can be said of the happygo-lucky Owen, who treats Susanna with great kindness. While reading, one wonders how Susanna exercised such patience around her family. The overall pace of this story is steady, and it has a solid plot. From start to

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finish, Along the Rio Grande is a delightful story with relatable characters in a fascinating setting. Elizabeth K. Corbett

THE LOVING WRATH OF ELDON QUINT Chase Pletts, Inkshares, 2022, $18.99, pb, 377pp, 9781942645948

Farmer Eldon Quint, widowed father of two young sons, ekes out a living on the Dakota flatlands. In a blizzard in 1883, six riders shoot Eldon’s horse out from under him. The riders have mistaken Eldon for his outlaw twin brother, who has multiple dead-or-alive bounties on his head. The outlaw brother had taken the name of Jack Foss, but the brothers are still hard to tell apart. During that blizzard, Jack suddenly finds and rescues Eldon. The twins had not seen each other in years but now fight side-by-side and hold off the attackers. Eldon’s older son dies in the gunfight. Eldon vows to kill Jack for indirectly causing the death. Eldon and his younger son head out to bury the older boy’s body next to the mother’s grave in faraway Missouri. On the journey, Eldon brings up scattered memories of his and Jack’s childhood, of their brutal father, of the twins’ outlaw days, and Eldon’s troubled marriage. Father and son encounter larger than life secondary characters—among them a giant Native American renegade gang chief and a young woman trying to escape the renegade’s clutches. Pletts does a nice job of taking readers into the nature and causes of profound good or evil, deep love and blinding hate. Noble farmer Eldon contrasts with vicious outlaw Jack, but by the end that distinction is not as clear. The novel’s people, the harsh land, and the fights and wounds are often over-the-top but fit together. The dialogue is crude but terribly real. This intense story, while not for a PG audience and at times hard to follow with its many flashbacks, makes for a worthy addition to gritty Westerns. G. J. Berger

A SIN OF OMISSION Marguerite Poland, EnvelopeBooks, 2022, £12.99, pb, 430pp, 9781838172039 / Penguin South Africa, 2019, $9.99, ebook, 406pp, B07YL3DY2K

A heart-wrenching story elevated through luminous writing, Marguerite Poland’s fictional tribute to a historical Black South African missionary was shortlisted for the 2020 Walter Scott Prize in its original edition. In 1880, Stephen Malusi Mzamane, deacon at Nodyoba, a remote mission in the hills of the Eastern Cape, prepares for a difficult journey to inform his mother about his older brother’s death. Most of the novel, though, looks back to reveal the circumstances leading him to this point. Found in the Donsa bush while foraging for food at age nine, the boy baptized “Stephen” is educated at the Native College in Grahamstown and later sent to the Missionary 32

College in Canterbury, England, as part of the Anglican church’s plans to “Christianise the native.” Though Stephen excels with his assignments, Poland depicts, in evocative words ringing with truth, how his progress in the Church and life is agonizingly held back by the bitter, systemic effects of colonialism. As a member of the “heathen” Ngqika people granted the rare privilege of a British education, he must simultaneously confront others’ high and low expectations for his conduct. Readers can’t help but be moved by the internal conflict Stephen feels and his reactions to the burden of gratitude weighing him down. He also feels torn because his parishioners are from a different nation than he, and his superiors assume this doesn’t matter. All relationships are depicted with nuance: the two friendships Stephen cherishes across great distance; his challenging bond with brother Mzamo, once a promising scholar himself; and his preoccupation with a mysterious woman from a photograph. Respectful of her subject and his culture, Poland highlights the importance of Xhosa names and the language itself in Stephen’s world. Remarkable on a sentence level and as a fully realized portrait of an honorable man, this is literary historical fiction of a high order. Sarah Johnson

THE MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK Maya Rodale, Berkley, 2022, $17.00, pb, 336pp, 9780593436752

The talented Rodale does full justice to intrepid girl reporter Nellie Bly and her trailblazing exposé in this lively fictionalization. Desperate to get a byline in an 1887 New York newspaper, Nellie proposes going undercover to the asylum at Blackwell’s Island. The place is impenetrable to reporters, so Nellie will get herself committed—not a difficult feat in a society quick to dispose of inconvenient women. What she finds inside horrifies her: starvation, torture, and the broken spirits of women denied their humanity. Nellie must survive without going mad herself, and then she must get out, report her story—and go back to save the rest. Rodale’s Nellie is bold, inventive, and quick on her feet, remorseless in her ambition but tender in her empathy. Rodale breathes vivid life into Bly’s biography and incredible spirit as she battles her way into a publishing scene that barely offers a toehold for females. Combine crack writing and nail-biting suspense with humor, pathos, a dash of mystery, and a hint of romance, and you have an entertaining, intensely imagined glimpse into the making of Bly’s Ten Days in a Madhouse and the life of women in New York’s Gilded Age. Gloriously recommended.

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Misty Urban

WILD SALVATION Alfred Stifsim, Two Dot, 2022, $21.95, pb, 320pp, 9781493064243

Black cowboys made up a significant part of the westward movement of the late 1800s, and their histories have gradually emerged, and even more gradually have gained interest. In this frame, Wild Salvation paints in the backstory of a Black man simply named Johnson, on the run from an accusation that could cost his life. In his favor, Johnson is strong and healthy, and every new settlement needs more working men, especially those who’ll take orders from others. Stable work looks safe enough—until Johnson becomes part of a law-enforcement posse and finds himself both under fire and exposed. At the same time, Margret, a white woman looking for her own experience of the West, confuses him deeply, until in his irritation he reminds her that she’s free to go home. Which is the opposite of his own life. Moreover, he’s got an angry Pinkerton agent on his tail. Although this is a debut novel, Stifsim’s background in American history and natural resources, along with his published short stories, provide a solid foundation for this desperate tale of one escape after another. Expecting shoot-outs in this genre? Johnson and the men on his track, not to mention the women who seize his loyalty, provide plenty of them. The litter of dead bodies may put off some readers, although Western fans can be more accustomed to this. Follow the plot for its insights into the West. The romance involved doesn’t quite mature and has awkward twists, and the book is longer than its plot really sustains. But the saddle time and cattle drives, as well as the majesty and dangers of the challenging landscape, are spot on, and the effort to examine the Black Western experience is timely and worth pursuing. Beth Kanell

THUNDERER Julian Stockwin, Mobius, 2022, $26.99/ C$32.99, hb, 384pp, 9781473698840 / Hodder & Stoughton, 2021, £20.00, hb, 400pp, 9781473698840

Europe, 1812. Napoleon has assembled an army over half a million strong. Will he invade England? Or Russia? This is the 24th novel in the Thomas Kydd naval series, which follows his career from pressed man at the start of the Napoleonic Wars. By now his dazzling successes as a fighting captain aboard frigates have earned him fame, knighthood, and captaincy of a 74gun ship of the line. Though unenthusiastic at the shift in command, he decides to make the best of the opportunities it presents despite the challenges: devastating storms, dangerous foes, and the resentment of crewmen and superior officers who believe he was unfairly promoted. These he overcomes through a combination of tenacity and initiative, skill, and good luck as he sails from blockade duty in the Bay of Biscay to escorting convoys in the Baltic Sea and attacking enemy ships along

the way. He even transports the Russian Tsar Alexander to negotiate an agreement with the Swedish crown prince. The extensive descriptions of conditions aboard ships and the use of specialized naval terminology and jargon may confuse some readers, but it also builds a vividly realized world in which they can become deeply involved. It isn’t long before the plot starts to move at a more urgent pace, and though it slows when the focus shifts to wider political developments, these do provide a valuable context for the action sequences. In the light of recent events, reading a novel about Napoleon’s invasion of Russia inevitably evokes another level of irony, as one contemplates similarities to and differences from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thoughtprovoking and strongly recommended, especially to those who enjoy books of high adventure set in the age of fighting sail. Ray Thompson

THE BEE AND THE FLY: The Improbable Correspondence of Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson Lorraine Tosiello and Jane Cavolina, Clash Books, 2022, $19.95, pb, 266pp, 9781955904032

What if Louisa May Alcott and Emily Dickinson secretly wrote to each other for twenty-five years? In this epistolary novel, the collaborative effort of Lorraine Tosiello and Jane Cavolina, it’s the reclusive Emily who sets the correspondence, and an enduring friendship, in motion in 1861 when she seeks professional advice from Louisa, who has finally experienced a taste of literary success. Assuming the voice of a renowned author— nay, two renowned authors—is a formidable task, and Tosiello and Cavolina perform it well, evoking the distinct styles of the two subjects and allowing their vastly different, but complementary, personalities to shine through. Nonetheless, I found this novel lacking somewhat. I wanted the correspondents to tell each other more about the significant events in their lives: Louisa’s stint as a nurse in the Civil War, for instance, is disposed of in just a few short letters. Likewise, I wanted to know more about the women’s relationships with other people: Louisa enthuses about Ladislas Wisniewski throughout one letter, only to never mention him again, and Emily’s friend and possible fiancé Judge Otis Phillips Lord gets short shrift as well. Mabel Loomis Todd, the femme fatale of Amherst, at first appears destined to play an important role in the novel but remains in the shadows. By contrast, the prologue, where a present-day narrator tells us more about herself than we need or care to know, could have been trimmed by half with no harm to the story. Still, this is an enjoyable novel about female friendship, family, fame (or the lack thereof), and the creative process by coauthors who clearly respect and admire their subjects. As

a bonus, a generous selection of Dickinson’s poems is included, and the authors’ note and the end notes offer further illumination. Susan Higginbotham

TO DISGUISE THE TRUTH Jen Turano, Bethany House, 2022, $15.99, pb, 347pp, 9780764235337

1887 New York City. Eunice Holbrooke, owner of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, is thankful for her heavy widow’s veil when a man she once shot comes to her agency trying to locate her. He uses her birth name, Eugenie Howland. Arthur Livingston promised Eunice’s grandfather he would look out for her, and he doesn’t believe she killed her grandfather and went to Europe. Before Eunice can agree to look for herself, she goes undercover at Blackwell’s Island Insane Asylum, where a good bit of mayhem ensues. Eventually Arthur learns who Eunice is, and the two decide to solve her grandfather’s murder. They travel, along with Eunice’s mother, Arthur’s grandfather, a Pinkerton agent and most of the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency employees, to Montana, Eunice’s birthplace, childhood home, and where her grandfather was murdered. This is the third in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency series, and not having read the first two, I had some trouble keeping all the characters straight. The mystery itself is well-disguised and intriguing and, as with all Turano novels, the characters are quirky and the situations ridiculous and fun. In places, the story dragged a bit as (I’m guessing) readers got to find out what was going on with the leads of past stories in the series. In this clean Christian romance, Turano doesn’t overwhelm the reader with religious morality. A crazy and fun romance and mystery. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

MERCIA’S TAKE Daniel Wiles, Swift Press, 2022, £12.99, hb, 198pp, 9781800750692

1870s: The Black Country, in the West Midlands of England, once part of the AngloSaxon kingdom of Mercia. Michael is a miner, determined that his six-year-old son, Luke, won’t suffer the same fate. No, his son will go to school. But school costs money. So Michael works at two mines, one exhausting shift after the other. He is quickly sacked from the new job, but even so the effort nearly kills him. Then he strikes gold. He digs it out with his stall mate, Cain, and they agree to take it to the pawnbroker and share the proceeds. What follows is a story of murderous greed, faith, pride, love and the land, Mercia, that both gives and takes. When I read the first page, my heart sank: no quotes around the dialogue, and both the dialogue and text written in the vernacular of the Black Country. An example taken at random: ‘Ye get em when theym fresh, so iss easy to transport em, so they woe fall apart.’ (p 44). By the end of the second page I noticed nothing other than the beauty and power of

the language. When you are reading, you are with Michael down in the hell he has to work in; you share his horror at the sight of children, both girls and boys, covered in cuts, bruises and open sores as they labour under the most dreadful conditions; and you understand his determination that his son should have the chance of a better life. The book is both gritty and lyrical; gutwrenching and heartening. It’s quite short, and I wish it wasn’t. This is a book that you will always remember for the language and the deep emotions it describes and evokes. Beautiful. Marilyn Pemberton

FOUR TREASURES OF THE SKY Jenny Tinghui Zhang, Flatiron, 2022, $27.99/C$37.99, hb, 336pp, 9781250811783 / Michael Joseph, 2022, £14.99, hb, 416pp, 9780241533024

Despite being named for a tragic heroine of legend, Daiyu has a happy childhood in 1880s China. Growing up in a fishing village, she has firm but doting parents, who teach her to love nature and respect others. But these are dangerous times, and one day, her parents flee without warning, leaving Daiyu in her grandmother ’s care. Soldiers come looking for the fugitives, which bewilders Daiyu; what could her parents have done wrong? And soon, it’s too dangerous for her to remain in the village, whereupon she’s sent to fend for herself in a seaport, where she’s kidnapped and shipped to a San Francisco brothel. To survive this ordeal and those that follow, Daiyu retreats within her tragic alter ego. To be precise, she literally and figuratively swallows her original self and holds her inside. What a compelling metaphor, an attempted antidote to the bitterness that life forces down her throat. But the alter ego also represents the identity that Daiyu may never show anyone, for fear of exposure and punishment. As a result, she won’t let herself trust or love; dreadful as her physical sufferings are, the emotional deprivation is worse. Zhang’s beautiful, limpid prose penetrates surfaces to illuminate the shadows or currents beneath without self-consciousness, the mark of excellent literary fiction. The author intends to redeem the largely forgotten history of American bigotry and violence against the Chinese, and in that, she performs a great service. But if you read this brilliant, disturbing novel, be prepared to see humans at their worst: All the white characters are racist, and few of the Chinese have much to recommend

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them, either. Yet Daiyu’s constant struggle over whether to live fully, and how, prevents Four Treasures of the Sky from becoming a polemic or a tract. This is an important book. Larry Zuckerman

20T H C E N T U RY THE STONE WORLD Joel Agee, Melville House, 2022, $27.99/ C$35.99, hb, 272pp, 9781612199542

All of us were children once, of course, but most of us can no longer feel what it feels like to be six. Joel Agee is the exceptional writer who can. In this remarkable debut novel, The Stone World, Agee not only creates a convincing six-year-old narrator but also places the boy solidly in a fascinating milieu: a multi-national household of the expatriate intelligentsia who lived in Mexico in 1947. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say Agee “re-creates” the dissident, artistic community and the child’s consciousness of it, as this is an autobiographical novel. Young Pira (“Peter” pronounced by Spanish speakers) lives in a sensuously detailed world with his American violinist mother, Martha, and his German stepfather, Bruno, who writes. Volcanos loom over their tropical home; Zita the maid washes clothes in the nearby river; Pira explores and observes. Through his clear eyes, we vividly experience love and near-death, friendship and grief, games of marbles and intellectual breakthroughs. Sometimes he also visits his secret “stone world,” an imaginary underground universe. The adult reader perceives additional dimensions here. For example, Pira puzzles over his parents’ use of the word “party,” which doesn’t always seem to mean “fiesta,” although we do catch a glimpse of a beribboned Frida Kahlo at a festive Communist dinner. In truth, Trotskyites are butting heads with Stalinists, and Bruno’s idealistic yearning to return to political action in Germany will soon pull the family away from Mexico. Agee is the son of the renowned writer James Agee, although they never really knew each other. Joel Agee is also the author of acclaimed nonfiction, including a memoir entitled Twelve Years: An American Boyhood in East Germany. An award-winning translator, he adroitly mixes Spanish and English in this lyrical, haunting historical tale. Susan Lowell

ENEMIES & ALLIES Alan Bardos, Sharpe Books, 2022, £7.99, pb, 274pp, 9798418188113

The Johnny Swift novels form only part of Alan Bardos’ literary achievements, although they are probably the best known of his works. Enemies & Allies, set in 1916, is a classic espionage novel, loaded with complexities and with an intriguing cast list. Some, like Mata Hari, will be familiar to the reader; others, whether factual or not, bear evidence 34

of research, captivating observation and even, in some cases, of flashes of welcome humour. “Johnny” is the “drunken anti-hero” whose sexuality seems to be based on personal gratification rather than emotional involvement, raising issues with which his creator does not engage and which would probably involve an altogether different piece of work. So... with spies, counter-spies and champagne, the action bowls along like an express train, full of incident and leaving very little room for any exploration of Johnny’s character. Some concern regarding his parentage smoulders distantly but never really ignites. This strand of the story seems incidental and even slightly distracting. There is the potential for a strong human interest story here, but Alan Bardos chooses not to go there. The espionage plot is expertly and satisfactorily handled, and what little we are told of Johnny’s family history is plausible and intriguing, yet he remains an enigma, an outline only. So that one wants either more. Or less. This novel is a pleasure to read on many levels, but on others it does not ultimately deliver. Julia Stoneham

LAST DANCE ON THE STARLIGHT PIER Sarah Bird, St. Martin’s Press, 2022, $28.99, hb, 432pp, 9781250265548

“Welcome to Galveston. Playground of the Southwest,” greets visitors to Galveston Island, Texas, in 1932. Sarah Bird shares the riveting story of Evie Grace Devlin’s life during the Great Depression. Evie, a scholarship student at St. Mary’s Hospital, hopes to bury a dark past in vaudeville and find her calling as a nurse. But when misfortune strikes, she’s swept into the world of dance marathons. Sarah Bird masterfully develops the characters in this first-person, gut-wrenching account of a young woman struggling to fulfill her lifelong dream. In nursing school, Evie becomes “pinky promise” friends with Sofie Amadeo of the infamous family that “owns” the island, with their illegal booze and gambling racket. The despicable actions of Evie’s mom, Mamie, and the director of St. Mary’s are wellscripted, offensive, and appalling. Devilishly delightful Sister T from the nursing school and later dance partners Cleo and Zave add to the suspense and relief like the fifteen-minute breaks in dance marathons. Bird’s vivid portrayal of Evie’s life leads readers on an exhausting whirl of dance marathons through West Texas, Chicago, and back to Galveston’s iconic landmarks, the Hollywood Dinner Club, Buccaneer Hotel, Guido’s, and Starlite Palace. “Newsies” keep readers up to date with the Lindbergh kidnapping and the nomination of FDR in the upcoming election. Sensory observations of a bayou, the “oily rag/rotten egg smell of the refineries,” and Bird’s use of shoes —blackand-white spectator wingtips, high-heeled

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Mary Janes, and white bucks, to symbolize the wealthy in the box seats —are examples of exquisite prose. Bird’s theme of “love that rescues a person” shines like a spotlight on the dance floor. So as the vaudeville saying goes, absotively, possolutely read Last Dance on the Starlight Pier. Dorothy Schwab

THE PARIS SHOWROOM Juliet Blackwell, Berkley, 2022, $16.99, pb, 464pp, 9780593097878

During World War II, the Nazi-allied Vichy regime deported Jews from France to concentration camps while sending other prisoners to forced labor camps within Paris to sort furnishings and other goods stolen from Jewish homes and businesses, part of the Third Reich’s plan to deprive Jews of their property. Juliet Blackwell opens her new novel in one of those labor camps—the Lévitan department store. Capucine Benoît, a designer of elaborate fans, has been sent there following her arrest on suspicion of being a Communist. Although worried about her deported father, Bruno, and guilty about being estranged from her daughter, Mathilde, Capucine is determined to survive. An acquaintance’s affair with a Nazi officer allows Capucine to parlay her design skills to advantage and negotiate favors in exchange for help decorating the friend’s apartment. In chapters alternating between Capucine’s first-person and Mathilde’s third-person viewpoints, the novel captures cleavages in France during the Nazi occupation around moral questions dividing families and rupturing friendships, while painting a vivid portrait of what life might have been like for those imprisoned in Paris. Collaborationists, like Capucine’s in-laws, aid the Germans while resistance fighters, like a friend of Mathilde’s, brave mortal danger to support the allies, actions that lead Mathilde to change. Inside the store, friendships form, rituals are sustained, and love blossoms. Blackwell has done her homework to bring characters and setting alive, evoking not only the Vichy years, but also the interwar years, when people commingled across racial and class lines in the Montmartre jazz clubs, an intermixing later condemned by the Nazis. At times, the research overwhelms the story, giving the impression that the writer tried to pack everything she’d learned—about fans or jazz or Purim—into the narrative, regardless of whether it served the story. Despite some implausible turns of character and a too-neat ending, the novel is entertaining. Kathleen B. Jones

THE LIONESS Chris Bohjalian, Doubleday, 2022, $28.00/ C$37.00, hb, 336pp, 9780385544825

1964. Hollywood movie star and American sweetheart Katie Barstow decides to take a small group of friends and family with her and

her new husband on an African safari. The guests number twelve, plus their hired guide and a large crew of African helpers. After a few amazing days of sightseeing and phototaking, disaster strikes. Heavily armed men with Russian accents kidnap the group, placing the Americans into two vehicles that drive in different directions, and making the native Africans climb into a large truck which heads toward a possible forced-labor mining camp. A prologue makes clear that not many of the Americans get out alive. The group is large, so I worried about keeping track of who each character was, but this story is skillfully and creatively organized. Each chapter is in third person from the perspective of one of the kidnapped characters. The thrilling tale of what is happening after being kidnapped by Russian agents in the dangerous Serengeti is paired with the characters’ reminiscences of their childhoods, their past glories and agonies, how they met their friends, what their dreams are, and more. The character development is excellent, and the plot gripping. Bohjalian’s descriptions of the Serengeti’s animals and dangers are captivating. The glimpses of 1960s La-la land are a remarkable contrast to the 1960s East African political upheavals. Highly recommended. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

MATILDA’S SECRET Corina Bomann (trans. Michael Meigs), AmazonCrossing, 2022, $14.95, pb, 541pp, 9781542016827

Having lost both her parents, 17-year-old Matilda is all alone in the world. Then she gets a shocking surprise when a countess, Agneta Lejongård, shows up at her school in Stockholm. Not only is the countess there to see Matilda, but she has been named her guardian. Matilda finds herself whisked away to the Lion Hall estate and a whole new life, although she already had a future planned with her boyfriend, Paul. As Matilda settles in, she begins to learn more about her own mother, who had actually lived at Lion Hall. She also befriends Agneta’s son Ingmar, although his twin brother Magnus wants nothing to do with her. Will Matilda get to realize her dream of going to business school and opening a business with Paul? Or will her new life change everything? This is book two of The Inheritance series, a saga that spans from 1931 to 1945. The first part of this book reads like a fairy tale. A city girl of humble means finds herself living on the estate of a count and countess,

and becomes part of a world where she has a lady’s maid and learns to ride a horse; but family secrets eventually come to light. The way Matilda handles painful truths and her choices afterwards make for a compelling read. As World War II begins, we hear news of the war through Matilda. Although Sweden remains neutral, the Nazis still greatly influence politics and business, and this directly affects Matilda and Lion Hall. Resentment, honesty, and forgiveness are major themes in this book, and are handled well. The characters are welldeveloped and realistic, especially Matilda and Agneta. This is a compelling saga of a young girl, her coming of age, and a family riddled with secrets and mistakes. Highly recommended. Bonnie DeMoss

A TALENT FOR MURDER Matthew Booth, Level Best/Historia, 2022, $16.95, pb, 288pp, 9781685120801

A Talent for Murder is a stylish 1930s lockedroom murder mystery, with a disparate mix of characters, all of whom have histories they are not prepared to divulge. All lie when questioned, all have reasons for wanting the murdered man dead, but not all have clear reasons to be there. The victim is a despicable villain, which makes the time and the place significant, since any one of them could have done away with him sooner. The setting is a richly appointed mansion, at some point owned by a necromancer-warlock, and now the singular home of Sir James Ravenwood, a collector of macabre artifacts. The action takes place during a weekend house party, designed to unveil Sir James’s latest acquisition—a knife thought to have slain a vampire. Behold, the murder weapon! Everett Carr is quiet and unassuming, an observer, the proverbial amateur sleuth, and his approachable manner catches people off guard. He’s a marvellous protagonist, overshadowing most of the other characters, and there is sure to be much more to be learned from and about him. This is a descriptive, well-paced mystery evoking an aristocratic era of polite behaviour and deceptively genteel conversation. It is complex and takes a bit of untangling, because of the character connections, which appear on the surface to be vague or nonexistent. The author’s fascination with all things Sherlock shines through Carr’s logic and deductive reasoning. Although the police inspector concedes that Carr has uncovered valuable evidence, the fact that it is Carr who reveals the murderer at the gathering of suspects, doesn’t quite ring true, although taken in context, it is understandable why the author chose that route. That said, this is a very well-written first in series and a recommended read for mystery lovers. Fiona Alison

SISTERS OF THE SWEETWATER FURY Kinley Bryan, Blue Mug Press, 2021, $14.99, pb, 323pp, 9781737915201

With a strong sense of verisimilitude, Bryan takes readers into the raging heart of a historic event best experienced through fiction: the devastating Great Lakes Storm of 1913. As November settles in, during what’s been a lowcasualty shipping season thus far, three sisters with deep roots in the region quietly endure the weight of marital and family expectations, not realizing how high the stakes will soon be raised for their very survival. For the last decade, Sunny Colvin has cooked alongside her husband Herb, ship’s steward, aboard the steel freighter Titus Brown as it plies Lake Huron. When she hears a café is for sale in her home of Port Austin, Michigan, she fears disappointing Herb with her yearning to purchase it and leave shipboard life behind. Sunny’s younger sister Cordelia, a newlywed wanting to know her stoic lakecaptain husband Edmund better, joins him on his journey across Lake Superior. Back in Port Austin, a picturesque town on Michigan’s “Thumb,” oldest sister Agnes Inby, a widow of thirty-six, spends her days painting pottery and caring for her difficult mother, not letting herself dream about anything more, such as her unexpected feelings for the lighthousekeeper’s sister, Lizzie. Adding to the already palpable tension of suppressed words and desires, the storm erupts at sea. This is a real hang-onto-your-seat read. The action is nonstop intense as Sunny and Cordelia endure howling winds and freezing temperatures as water seeps in and fills their living spaces while the ships pitch from side to side. Inside at the Port Austin Life-Saving Station, where she grew up, Agnes prays the building will continue to hold. Bryan illustrates the interior lives of early 20th-century Great Lakes women as adeptly as she describes a ship’s layout and the visceral experience of this destructive storm. Sarah Johnson

IN THE FACE OF THE SUN Denny S. Bryce, Kensington, 2022, $15.95, pb, 320pp, 9781496730107

In late May 1968, when Francine “Frankie” Saunders climbs into her Aunt Daisy’s gorgeous new Ford Mustang, her aim is to flee Chicago and her abusive husband. She fears for her safety and that of the unborn child he doesn’t know about. Frankie barely knows Daisy, an irreverent, weed-smoking woman of

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nearly sixty who’s been estranged from Daisy’s mother for forty years, but she desperately needs Daisy’s help. On the wild road trip these two Black women take to Los Angeles, across two thousand miles with many bumps and detours, Frankie hopes to learn what caused the argument between Daisy and her mother. Daisy has another motive in mind for the journey’s end: revenge against someone from her past. These two characters and their world jump off the page in radiant detail: their contrasting personalities, their distinctive looks (Daisy resembles a film star with her cateyed sunglasses, gingham dress, and perfect makeup), and their approaches to navigating America just two months after Martin Luther King’s assassination. A second narrative, set in 1928, follows twenty-year-old Daisy Washington as she works as a chambermaid for LA’s Hotel Somerville, a prestigious facility catering to the Black elite. After her mother suffers a mental and physical breakdown, Daisy, a would-be journalist, aims to keep her younger sister, Henrietta, out of trouble while collecting celebrity gossip for a friend’s newspaper column. Both threads of this propulsive story ultimately lead to the same destination: the revelation of the terrible event that divided the Washington sisters. In her second novel, Bryce shines light on notable people and events from American history, from civil rights activists Drs. Vada and John Somerville and the actor Stepin Fetchit to the painful wounds of Tulsa. The scenes are cinematically vivid, the language fresh and vibrant, the characters complicated and real. Sarah Johnson

THESE DAYS Lucy Caldwell, Faber, 2022, £12.99, hb, 271pp, 9780571371303

1941: Belfast endures four nights of the Blitz, seen through the eyes of two sisters, doctor’s daughters from a comfortable home. Emma, a First Aid volunteer, has a secret, passionate affair with another woman and yearns for her family to recognise that she can be capable and useful. Her engaged sister, Audrey, sees married life as a possibility to be someone, though that someone is defined only by her husband’s name. Neither sister is able to express her innermost thoughts to those closest to her; their mother too nurses an unspoken love. Caldwell, in this, her fifth novel, captures the era in the smallest details: washbasins with rubber plugs, women civil servants sacked on marriage, tense train journeys back 36

from neutral Dublin with purchases hidden from merciless customs men. This is how a historical novel should be: research evident through her characters’ eyes, in what they see, hear and touch, but never suffocating them. The bombardment of Belfast is told with unflinching compassion, contrasted with the brief near-idyllic remission of the family’s youngest child, sent into the country for safety. Apart from the boy’s encounters with refugees from the city sleeping rough, the war there seems a long way off. Do not read this book seeking nostalgic pluckiness under fire, the stock in trade of so many WWII novels. There is dauntless courage here, yes, alongside grinding, debilitating terror and hopelessness; it was impossible to read this book without Ukraine’s agony in mind. A further modern resonance comes in Churchill’s fussing about a statue of a dead Unionist—when the need is to shelter the bombed out and retrieve corpses from the ruins. ‘Belfast is finished, people say. There is no way we can come back from this.’ But this is Belfast, and so come back they will. Katherine Mezzacappa

THE FORGOTTEN Mary Chamberlain, Oneworld, 2021, £14.99, hb, 338pp, 9781786079077

London in the Spring of 1958. Betty Fisher (born Bette Fischer) and John Harris, a school teacher, meet at a Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament gathering and start a romance. All well and good, but from the start the reader is given hints about the intricacies of their respective back-stories, complexities that arise from the Second World War. Bette Fischer was twelve and living in Berlin with her family in April 1945 when Germany’s capital was occupied by the rampaging Soviet forces. John was a new and naïve 2nd Lieutenant in the British Army, given a commission as a German translator and deployed as part of a team to locate and remove secret documents and interview leading military scientists from Germany in the immediate aftermath of the Nazi regime’s collapse. Both Bette and John witnessed and were part of the traumatic barbarities of the end of the Second World War. The routine rape of German women by occupying Soviet forces has a profound effect upon Bette’s life as a child and her transition to adulthood. The plot hinges upon an astounding one-ina-million coincidence. Such quirks can happen in life, but they do rather stretch credulity a little. It is odd that John Harris, not any other linguists in the text, seems not to know the difference between translation and interpretation, even though that is his specialism. It is a well-plotted story, that is set firmly in the horrors of end-ofwar Berlin as well as England in the late ´50s, poised between the inheritance of the War and the country teetering on a new era in the Sixties. It is a pleasure to read and to enjoy the narrative and professionally told story.

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Douglas Kemp

COMMISSAR D. V. Chernov, Matador, 2021, £9.99, pb, 408pp, 9781803138152

Delivery of a dispatch leads to the Romanovs’ executions. The messenger is Anna Sokolova, a young woman whose brother died in a demonstration at the Winter Palace and who believes that choices made are always black or white. Knowing she plays a role, however minor, in the murders causes her to transfer into the counterterrorism branch of the Cheka, the Bolshevik security agency. In 1918, she hunts for an elusive spy, who goes by many names and may be in league with the British. With talk of guns and an underground army, as well as an influx of Allied troops and two assassination attempts, stopping the spy becomes paramount. Anna teams up with an American Army captain tied to the American Red Cross. but the pursuit requires an alliance with an anarchist who has vowed to kill all White Russians, Allies, and Bolsheviks. It also requires Anna to choose between blindly following orders or staying true to her principles. Chernov adroitly depicts the complicated factions threatening Russia. He shows the brutality of war and how the policy of Red Terror came to be. Commissar centers on the hunt for Sidney Reilly, and is the first book in the Anna Sokolova series. It also incorporates a significant laying of groundwork for future titles. There are some editing issues that still need resolving and there are times when the many characters, both historical and fictional, become muddled, but the various points of view emphasize the period’s confusion and convolution. The story isn’t as engrossing as other novels set during this time, but readers are invested in the characters and what happens to them by the story’s close. Loose threads are tied up, and the end twist will intrigue readers to see how Anna deals with a personal dilemma. Cindy Vallar

OUR LAST DAYS IN BARCELONA Chanel Cleeton, Berkley, 2022, $17.00, pb, 320pp, 9780593197820

Palm Beach, 1964. Isabel Perez is stuck in a marriage to a man she doesn’t love, but her pragmatic nature appreciates the safety and security it offers, and she has no desire to change it—until she goes to Barcelona to find her sister, Beatriz. Despite a bitter argument and family rift, Isabel loves her sister deeply, and it’s unusual that nothing has been heard from her in some time. In Barcelona, Isabel meets Diego, who frightens her a little because, like Beatriz, he’s involved in a world of subterfuge. But as their ease in one another’s company grows, Isabel knows she is in danger of abandoning everything she holds sacred. With emotional turmoil threatening to overwhelm her, she returns to Palm Beach and the dependable normality of marriage and family. There she confronts her mother about a photograph, putting a lie to her mother’s claim

that she (Isabel) has never been to Barcelona, and paving the way for a 1930s backstory. Isabel’s world is immersive from the outset, and the novel is hard to put down. The author’s effortless prose is addictive, the sentiments resonating deeply, and there’s a touching sadness that pervades the text, one of shattered dreams, lost hopes, unrequited love, and lives filled with what-ifs. Exploring poignant themes–societal expectations for women, barriers to women’s education, fear that life has no purpose, how we are shaped by both what we have survived and what we leave behind–the novel sheds light on the dangerous politics of 1930s Cuba. Art becomes Isabel’s sanctuary as she paints her emotions onto canvas and comes to understand that family and loyalty mean everything but are diminished without passion and the ability to follow one’s heart. This is a highly anticipated continuation of the Perez Family series and an impressive story of a family in exile. Fiona Alison

A BRILLIANT NIGHT OF STARS AND ICE Rebecca Connolly, Shadow Mountain, 2022, $26.99, hb, 320pp, 9781629729923

On April 15, 1912, Arthur Rostron, the captain of the Carpathia, is awakened and notified of a distress call from the Titanic, which has struck an iceberg and is in grave trouble. Rostron immediately begins to strategize the response of his ship, which is over four hours away. Although he is not sure of the amount of damage, he is determined to get the Carpathia to the aid of the Titanic’s passengers. Braving icebergs himself, he pushes the Carpathia to the limit in order to assist. On the Titanic, Kate Connolly is enjoying her time in third class with newfound friends. But in the middle of the night, strange sounds lead her out into the corridor looking for answers. She eventually finds the ship is in trouble, and she has very little time to escape. Although third-class passengers are not warned or helped in any way, she manages to make it to a lifeboat, from which she watches the Titanic sink. Will rescue come in time? In alternating chapters, we follow Captain Rostron as the Carpathia attempts a heroic rescue, and Kate Connolly as the survivors try to stay alive, praying for help. We learn of heroes like the captain, and then of others who did little or nothing to help. We suffer with the freezing and cry with the bereaved. But we also salute a man who did what he could to

bring others to safety. Although there is much historical fiction out there about the sinking of the Titanic, this is a unique and inspiring look at the rescuers from the Carpathia, who managed to bring over 700 people to safety. It is also a tragic and heartbreaking look back at that terrible night. Highly recommended. Bonnie DeMoss

THE PARIS NETWORK Siobhan Curham, Bookouture, 2022, $12.99/ C$16.99/£10.99, pb, 412pp, 9781803140407

Jeanne’s world suddenly twists after attending her mother’s funeral. She is shocked to discover that the woman she just buried was not her biological mother, a secret kept all these years by her father. Why did he feel the need to continually live this deception and withhold Jeanne’s own personal ancestry from her? Jeanne’s astonishment continues when she finds a hidden battered tin box that, among other items, contains the deed and key to a long-shuttered bookstore in a small village outside Paris. What is she to make of these revelations? The reader is now intimately engaged in a historical search. Who was Jeanne’s mother, how did she meet and become pregnant via an American flyer in occupied territory, why the lengthy secrecy, and how did she die? Also intriguing: how did French-born baby Jeanne make it to the U.S. while her mother did not? Via alternating narratives, the reader discovers the woman known as Laurence. Her lifestyle as a small bookseller with a penchant for poetry enthralls. At the same time, we experience her anguish as her town is steadily stifled via German control. Her fierceness and loyalty to her own country come to the fore as she battles the occupiers in her own way. Jeanne rediscovers a modern world where her mother’s store has been carefully sheltered for decades. The heroics of long ago are laid bare and past atrocities relived. This emotionally charged novel highlights singular strength and provides some comfort to relatives, and offers a possible positive future that reconciles past and present. Jon G. Bradley

MURDER IN THE PARK Jeanne M. Dams, Severn House, 2021, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 224pp, 9781448307142

Elizabeth Fairchild is a privileged young woman living at home in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1925 with her overbearing mother and loving but dominated father and is tended to by caring household servants. Elizabeth was widowed at the end of the Great War and then lost the couple’s only child, causing her to retreat into an aloof existence at home, leaving the house rarely, for pursuits like church choir and philanthropy. When a local antiques dealer who is one of Elizabeth’s few friends outside the family is murdered, outrage propels her out of her shell to seek justice. Oak Park comes alive as Elizabeth follows

leads, with nods to its famous sons Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright, and the rising Prohibition-era influence of Al Capone and the Chicago mob. Elizabeth is determined to right a wrong and finds that her educated, enlightened attitudes towards people of color and for religious tolerance are not shared by all, with the narrative presenting nuanced explanations of sensitivities and intolerances of the time that are instrumental to Elizabeth’s search for the truth. She is portrayed with a breezy politeness as proper as her servings of lemon cookies and tea, and there is a comfortable rhythm to her character arc. Her investigation gathers momentum, and Elizabeth blossoms with her household capabilities (beloved house servant Susannah teaches her how to make coffee and boil potatoes among other kitchen tasks), reengages with a former best friend, enters into a slow-burn romance, and doggedly drives her search to conclusion. Author Jeanne Dams is a prolific mystery writer, most notably with her Dorothy Martin series. Brodie Curtis

THE END OF NOWHERE Patrick Dearen, Five Star, 2022, $25.95, hb, 223pp, 9781432888541

An old fashioned—in the best sense of the words—Western tale of redemption and selfdiscovery, set in the volatile border territory between America and Mexica at the time of Pancho Villa and border bandit raids. Everyone has a plan for the gifted 25-yearold journalist, Jack Landon; his boss, his father, and most terrifyingly of all, his girlfriend. His flight from these “destinies” leads Jack to the border, where a chance encounter upends his world. In a tough world where the bandits are evil, and the supposed lawmen just as dangerous, Jack finds a purpose and a calling at a village called Hope. Dearen’s plot is lean with an unexpected twist at the end, his prose parsed, and his character arcs believable. The result is a rewarding read with genuine pathos. Dearen brings the Texas border of that era, and actual historical events, into life in a way that educates and moves. Iain Stewart

DEADLY DIRECTOR’S CUT Vicki Delany, Berkley, 2022, $8.99/C$11.99, pb, 304pp, 9780593334393

This is the second in Vicki Delany’s delightful mystery series featuring Elizabeth Grady, the manager of a Catskills resort in the 1950s. Elizabeth has come to the Catskills to help her mother, a former Broadway dancer, manage the hotel. When Oscar-winning director Elias Theropodous arrives at the resort to film a movie, Elizabeth is glad of the extra income, but dismayed by Elias’s demands. When Elias dies after being poisoned at a dinner for the cast and crew, Elizabeth decides to investigate in order to save her hotel’s reputation. At first it seems the film people had no reason

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to murder the director, because they all want the movie to be a success, but it turns out that many of them have secrets which would give them possible motives for murder. Elias grew up in the Catskills, not far from the hotel, and Elizabeth begins to wonder if someone in his past is out for revenge. Delany makes you feel as if you were in the Catskills, with vivid details of life at a summer resort, including the outdoor recreational activities, the dinners, and the entertainment. Elizabeth is a strong protagonist, a woman doing a job that was usually reserved for men in the 1950s. Several guests make negative comments about a woman as a hotel manager, and she fends them off admirably. She also has a complex relationship with her mother Olivia, who left Elizabeth to be raised by an aunt while Olivia pursued a Broadway career. Their shared experience at the hotel has drawn them together. Elizabeth, a World War II widow, has two love interests, a newspaperman and the manager of the rival hotel, but she is hesitant to pursue either relationship because of her disastrous marriage. I look forward to reading future books in the series. Vicki Kondelik

A GOOGLY IN THE COMPOUND Boman Desai, Independently published, 2021, $17.99, pb, 430pp, 9798716256620

India, September 25th, 1945: A family gathers around a breakfast table. Each is on an annual pilgrimage to the Sanjana ancestral home, Truth Cottage, in memory of Kavas Sanjana, the first husband of Dolly, and elder brother of her second. The scene around the breakfast table is split into five acts, each followed by a detailed backstory of the diners. This novel is like a mosaic or jigsaw puzzle, not complete until the last piece is placed in its correct segment. A Googly in the Compound is an exceptionally well researched novel which delves deeply into lives and prejudices of people living in, or connected with, India in the years leading up to the end of the Raj. The author tells us that this is a retelling of an old tale he heard from his story-telling grandmother with much added, from a range of different stories and research to develop the characters. The story is, by its nature, very slow moving, and many of the conversations are perhaps too detailed and do not move the story forward at any pace. Too many sentences begin with the Indian expression ‘Arre,’ which Desai tells us (in his very helpful glossary at the end of the book) means ‘Oh, ah (an exclamation)’; however, when there is so much conversation, the constant repetition of this said by different persons in the same conversation jars a little. Also, when a word is used twice in quick succession, Desai joins them into one word, so we have ‘Yesyes,’ ‘Nono,’ and ‘Comecome.’ In one sentence we have ‘Dollybaby, pleaseforgive, pleasepleasepleaseforgive!’ Spanning three generations and several decades, this is an intriguing novel that deals 38

with complex issues within a Parsi family in India during a period of change. Aidan K. Morrissey

THE LADY OF ZAMALEK Ashraf El-Ashmawi (trans. Peter Daniel), Hoopoe, 2021, $18.95, pb, 398pp, 9781649030764

In 1920s Cairo, ambitious young Abbas rises to power in the shadowy underworlds of prostitution and construction. After getting involved in the murder of a wealthy businessman—an actual historical event for which four men were arrested—he flees to his home village and plots how to find and take advantage of the untold wealth the man had hidden away. Abbas’s life becomes intertwined with the murdered man’s widow and even more with his estate in the affluent suburb of Zamalek. His sister Zeinab soon joins him there and becomes his sometime partner and eventual nemesis. Through the next decades, they amass fortune and gain prestige through violence and manipulation. While Zeinab longs to be accepted by the women of the social world she aspires to, Abbas ruthlessly cuts his way through competition. The story is told first in the alternating voices of the brother and sister, and then also of his daughter Nadia, her high-ranking military husband, and a neighbor who was Nadia’s first love. When it works well, the jumps in narration, as well as back and forth in time, nicely fill in pieces of a puzzle, but in other instances, it is a challenge to sort through names and the sequence of events. Even in revelations at the end, several matters are not satisfyingly concluded. It is unclear why Nadia’s first husband wanted to marry her—or what exactly was intended by naming her after the murdered man’s daughter. Jewels that were arbitrarily lost are never found. The original Nadia never shows up. The sweep of Egyptian history and the portrait of class, social norms, and values are fascinating, though the movement of the plot is somewhat mechanical. Abbas’s casual brutality and Zeinab’s more hidden machinations seem to have little motivation beyond greed and desire for status. Martha Hoffman

THE ROSE VILLA Leah Fleming, Head of Zeus, 2022, £18.99, hb, 387pp, 9781801108799

The Rose Villa is a gorgeous read, a historical romance spanning the years between 1918 and 1944. The two protagonists, Kit and Flora, battle their own troubles to live a meaningful life impacted by both World Wars and the Spanish Civil War. Flora served as a VAD nurse in France during the First World War. Her brief romance with Kit, a wounded soldier, is discovered, and she is sent home to Glasgow in disgrace. Kit, her lover, remains in France and lives a vagabond life as an artist for many years, as he struggles

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to come to terms with the after-effects of his experiences during the war and his heartbreak over Flora. Flora and Kit meet again during the Spanish Civil War, helping refugees cross the border into France. They rekindle their romance and work together in the South of France during the Second World War, helping displaced people and refugees. Separated once more, Kit works with the French Resistance while Flora takes refuge in Spain. Will they ever find each other again? Leah Fleming brilliantly describes the settings in this novel. Readers will feel they could walk with Flora through poverty-stricken Glasgow in the 1920s, and journey with her to the luscious Languedoc. The main characters are strongly depicted, and you will enjoy this love story between Kit and Flora, whom fate has determined to keep apart. Bridget Walsh

THE SALT FIELDS Stacy D. Flood, Lanternfish Press, 2021, $15.00, pb, 128pp, 9781941360491

It is 1947, and Minister Peters is getting ready to board a train called The Dawn Lightning in South Carolina. Despite his name, he is not a minister. He is headed out of the South and towards a new life. Minister’s family was once enslaved and has experienced generations of loss. This continues in Minister’s life. Having lost his wife to unfaithfulness and murder, and then his daughter to drowning, Minister wants to take that train to the end of the line and leave the South behind for good. He meets three other passengers on the train. Carvall is a soldier who has just gotten out of the Army. Divinion and Lanah are a couple with questionable motives. These four lives interact in such a way that Minister will never be the same again. Stacy D. Flood has a rare talent for writing scenes that stay with you and a unique ability to create lasting pictures in your mind. Even something many people have done, like leaving home, becomes extraordinary: “For those I’d left behind I knew my voice was only a memory, and I knew that this place, my home, would forget about the rest of me as soon as my shoes left the pebbles beneath them.” His description of nature brings it alive. “Further out in the water appeared the silhouettes of two children, a boy and a girl, holding hands, but as I passed by, gaping, I recognized them as simple tree trunks. Not ghosts, not observers or judges or the abandoned or the lost.” The scenes from this book vividly explode in your mind, and the writing evokes powerful emotion. This work is special. I highly recommend this

novella to anyone who wants to read the work of a talented author. Bonnie DeMoss

GOODNIGHT, VIENNA Marius Gabriel, Lake Union, 2022, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 380pp, 9781542035231

Katya, daughter of Russian nobles who fled the Bolsheviks, dreams of practicing medicine, but her impecunious parents, now living in Paris, arrange for her to work as a governess for a widowed Austrian businessman. Her childhood friendship with the frail son of doomed Tsar Nicholas has, in their minds, qualified her to care for Thor Bachmann’s troubled 12-year-old daughter, Gretchen, who is a gifted pianist. Katya arrives in Vienna months before the 1938 Anschluss. She brings Gretchen to Dr. Hans Asperger, the Nazi sympathizer who diagnosed children on the autism spectrum. As the Nazis tighten their grip, Thor disappears as a result of a critical remark against Hitler. Asperger recommends that Gretchen be sent to Germany as part of the genocidal Aktion T4 program, and Katya, who has managed to connect with the child and allay her anxieties, must now find a safe harbor for both of them. Her journey takes her high into the Austrian Alps and to the home of a Jewish surgeon with a disabled sister who he wants to smuggle out of the country. What begins as an unlikely romance between a reluctant governess and her gruff employer turns more complex and gripping as escape routes open up, only to be closed off again. As the Nazis swiftly move to incorporate Austria into the Reich, Gabriel ramps up the tension with realistic and harrowing details. His portrayals of real historical figures, including Asperger, rely on his imagination but contain truth. Asperger did collaborate with the Nazis and carry out their murderous policies, though his reputation, like many other Nazis and collaborators, was rehabilitated after the war. At the same time, Gretchen emerges as a compelling secondary character as her relationship with Katya deepens, and she becomes an active participant in her own salvation. Lyn Miller-Lachmann

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY Bonnie Garmus, Doubleday, 2022, $28.95, hb, 400pp, 9780385547345 / Doubleday, 2022, £14.99, hb, 400pp, 9780857528124

Garmus tells a familiar story in a completely original voice in her delightful debut novel. Billed as a cross between The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Mad Men in tone, the narrative follows the up-and-down career of dedicated scientist Elizabeth Zott, whose struggle to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of chemistry labs in the early 1960s leads her to national fame as a television cooking star. Zott is an unforgettable protagonist, logical and literal and utterly herself even when up against the horrifying sexism of her chosen

profession. However, the novel is told from multiple points of view, including her lover, the equally brilliant chemist Calvin Evans, her precocious daughter Mad, and her heroic canine companion, Six-Thirty, as well as a large cast of supporters and detractors. The plot is complex, full of different ingredients that, like a recipe, seem chaotic until they all come together in the end. The novel deftly mixes comedy and tragedy, with only one very clear villain: the patriarchal culture of mid20th century America, the days of which are numbered because of women like Zott. This is historical fiction that takes a witty rather than realistic approach to its subject; for this reason, the ways the plot tends to strain credibility might be a problem for some readers, and the ending definitely feels rushed and over-telegraphed. But for those who admire a confident, bone-dry, and hilarious authorial voice, this novel achieves the difficult task of being both sharply satirical and heartwarming at the same time. Kristen McDermott

SHADOWS OF BERLIN David R. Gillham, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022, $26.99, hb, 416pp, 9781728250441

Set mainly in New York City in 1955, with flashbacks to Berlin during WW2, this is the story of a young Jewish woman who managed to escape death at the hands of the Nazis. Mentally and emotionally, however, she has suffered damage that affects her ability to settle into the ordinary daily life of a married young woman in New York. Born Rashka Morgenstern, her first name has changed to Rachel and her married name is Perlman. She has a husband who does his best to understand her struggles, although he and his family have problems of their own. In addition to her fight to survive the Nazi persecution of Jewish people as a child, she had to wrestle with a fraught relationship with her mother, a noted artist. Rashka herself shows artistic talent, but even in the safety of her New York City family, she finds herself unable to conquer her own demons and find expression through art. The focus of this novel is the story of a young woman’s struggles with pain and guilt. Rashka’s experiences while under tremendous pressure still torment her, although she is safe in a new country. The author takes this period of mental suffering and envelops it in the unique environment of the postwar Jewish community in New York City. Gillham’s characterization of these people at this time and place is both humorous and sensitive, but his portrayal of Rashka’s problems, which should be more intimate and immediate, is in fact more distant and diagnostic. While many words are spent describing them, they seem to be viewed objectively rather than with feeling and insight. Valerie Adolph

TWO STORM WOOD Philip Gray, Harvill Secker, 2022, £14.99, hb, 352pp, 9781787302617

The Great War continues to be a fertile source of fiction for writers, even over 100 years after the cessation of hostilities. This is not unwarranted, however, as the extraordinary upheaval that the War created and inflicted on its participants and society represent an abundant and often alluring focus for fiction writers. The narrative of this novel is not linear, and told from the perspective of various characters, so that the reader, certainly at first, needs to be attentive to understand what is going on, particularly in the first few pages as these provide a good indication of the subsequent plot development. Amy Vanneck, a well-connected and privileged young woman, decides to go to the battlefields of France in March 1919, accompanied by her friend Kitty Price, to look for the remains of her fiancé, Captain Edward Haslam, who was reported as missing in action in the final year of the War. Amy is an independent, spirited female, desperately grieving her fiancé and wanting to recover his body, even though this egregious act causes consternation within the army in France tasked with combing through the battlefields to recover and identify Allied corpses. Amy’s investigations indicate that Edward’s death was related in some way to an old trench HQ that was termed the eponymous Two Storm Wood; indeed, something outrageous and deeply disturbing occurred there that the Army initially wanted to suppress. As Amy continues to look for Edward’s remains, there is a parallel investigation into just what happened at Two Storm Wood and who was responsible for perpetrating the atrocity. As the mystery deepens, Amy gets sucked into an extraordinary set of events. The writing is poetic and literate, a pleasure to read as the author re-creates the haunting and depressing battlefields of northern France, only just beginning their recovery from the devastation of the conflict. Douglas Kemp

SUMMER SECRETS AT BLETCHLEY PARK Molly Green, Avon, 2022, £7.99, pb, 448pp, 9780008479879

September 1939, and Dulcie—known as Dale—Treadwell is a junior reporter on the Kensington Evening Post. She longs to write about ‘real’ news, but her editor believes her female brain is good only for garden fêtes, children’s parties, and church jumble sales. When Hitler invades Poland, she stands on Westminster Bridge and witnesses the lights go out across London. Here she meets dashing American journalist, Glenn Reeves. While dreaming of her American, Dale, a crossword enthusiast, receives a mysterious invitation, informing her she has won a competition. She is required to sign the Official Secrets Act, and despatched to

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Bletchley Park. At Bletchley, Dale makes new friends—and enemies— and undergoes a series of adventures, difficulties, and successes. The book is very easy to read, and I enjoyed learning about Dale’s code-breaking work at Bletchley. However, the story is predominantly one in which Mr Darcy-like characters behave in unrealistically romantic ways. Dale’s problems are often swiftly solved by the support of a friend and a cup of tea. The war touches Dale, but doesn’t really hurt her. Recommended for readers who like romances peopled by fantastic men, ever-supportive girlfriends, and a nostalgic war setting largely sanitised of pain and death. Helen Johnson

JOURNEY TO PARADISE Paula Greenlees, Arrow, 2021, £8.99, pb, 420pp, 9781787466166

1949. Gerry and Miranda Lewis relocate to Singapore, where Gerry’s new Colonial Office posting includes a bungalow in the posh expat area. Gerry settles easily into the snobby whisky-heavy lifestyle, but Miranda, who conversely feels she should befriend locals, to serve a purpose, volunteer perhaps, also suffers anxieties caused by the earlier loss of their only child, Harry, not even two. Unjustly blaming herself, she desperately wants to keep secret her subsequent petty shoplifting. Although well-intentioned, an incident next door involving an expat neighbour’s baby shames Miranda and causes outrage, incurring Gerry’s wrath. Things deteriorate further and their marriage’s widening cracks become chasmic. Meanwhile, as the cocktail-laden lunches and garden parties continue, Miranda meets paediatrician Nick, who initially offers a shoulder, then a spark. Against backdrops of social division, brutal political murders and violent anti-British uprisings fuelled by anger at the ease of the Second World War Japanese occupation, the pair rapidly become as closely involved as she and the now-womanising Gerry have become distant. Nevertheless, more romantic complications ensue and we’re kept guessing, Miranda’s search for happiness mirroring the tumultuous times. The portrayal of child loss issues, exhibited as Miranda’s inability to tell her own truth, is very sympathetically written; moreover, as she gains courage from her new horizons, although ever mindful of her misfortune, hope waxes while sadness wanes. Greenlees’ personal knowledge of Singapore is evident in vivid descriptions of climate, location, flora and fauna, bringing realism and authenticity to her narrative where interwoven threads, in this, her first novel, present a most interesting read. Simon Rickman

THE UNIFORM G. Gruen, Writers Bureau, 2021, $8.99, pb, 190pp, 9781737333418

The Uniform is a historical thriller set across

Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Austria during the Second World War. It follows David Korda, a Hungarian Jewish medical student, who has the misfortune of taking his final exams in Prague as the Germans march in. He is expelled and eventually pressed into slave labour. David keeps himself going by practicing medicine as best he can. After five years of ‘grading roads, laying rail ties, and mining salt,’ his end finally looks near when he is ordered to Ebensee concentration camp, which is a virtual death sentence. However, a glimmer of hope emerges when he is taken to treat a horse for a senior Gestapo officer, an opportunity David seizes for all it’s worth. This is an intriguing parable of the human spirit, of how someone who is completely powerless, at the bottom of the pile, can overcome a ruthless and cold-blooded enemy with just their wits and courage, necessity being the mother of invention. The prose has a melodic black humour that underpins David Korda’s resilience and his will to survive, even when there is no hope. David suffers a neverending litany of disaster that racks up the tension, with obstacle after obstacle, as he battles to overcome adversity in this edgy and thoughtfully written book. Alan Bardos

THE CICADA TREE Robert Gwaltney, Moonshine Cove, 2022, $18.00, pb, 334pp, 9781952439247

In the summer of 1956 in Providence, Georgia, an ominous and widespread infestation of cicadas appears to be ushering in a preternatural series of portentous events. Eleven-year-old Analeise Newell lives simply in an extended family with her mother, often absent father, and family helpers, young Etta Mae and Etta’s grandmother, Miss Wessie. Analeise is a precocious pianist and white, while Etta Mae, who has an extraordinary singing voice, is Black. When the two combine their musical talents, the results are almost celestially exquisite. The delightful and charming girls seem inseparable as they work and play under the watchful eye of Miss Wessie. This youthful harmony is disrupted when Analeise makes the unexpected and ill-boded acquaintance of the hauntingly beautiful and wealthy Mayfield family. Mrs. Mayfield’s touch stunningly impacts Analeise and seems to release unearthly abilities in her. From that moment, matters spin wildly in weird and increasingly malevolent ways toward a cataclysmic culmination. Through it all, the cicadas’ presence plays in the background like a thunderous crescendo. Billed as Southern Gothic fiction, this outstanding novel struck me as a superbly crafted psychological thriller, a combination of Edgar Allan Poe and the best of the early works of Stephen King. It features great Southern dialogue throughout, especially when the girls and Miss Wessie are carrying on together. Miss Wessie is an exceptionally likeable character whose early warnings about

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

the Mayfields are unfortunately unheeded. With prose that includes phrases concerning “phantasmagoria” and “desiccated appendages,” the book gradually reveals secret after secret until finally giving up the last one. Readers won’t be disappointed. Highly recommended. Thomas J. Howley

FREE LOVE Tessa Hadley, Jonathan Cape, 2022, £16.99, hb, 318pp, 9781787333673 / Harper, 2022, $26.99, hb, 304pp, 9780063137776

London’s leafy suburbs towards the end of the so-called Summer of Love in 1967, and f o r t y - ye a r - o l d Phyllis Fischer finds her own different brand of love. Upper middle-class with two children and married to decent upstanding Roger, an Arab specialist in the Foreign Office, she embarks upon an entirely unplanned and, for her, unprecedented love affair with a much younger tyro writer—Nicholas, a son of friends of theirs. Nicky is cynical, scruffy and self-consciously radical. The quotidian, comfortable family life of the Fischers is portrayed with telling precision and intelligence, located firmly in the mores of late ‘60s swinging Britain—despite the changes in society, a time of relative bourgeois certainty and comfort. As Tessa Hadley says in her acknowledgements, she wanted to capture “the spirit of those times”, which she does with elegance and authenticity. But as Phyllis’s infatuation with her young lover grows, she begins to take risks, fully absorbed in her new passion, and she discovers that while we may well have been entering a new permissive age of hedonism, quotidian complications are always there even for the new age, and to amend the familiar truism—there really is no such thing as free love. Phyllis makes a sudden decision which has immense ramifications for herself and her family, and we see how she and those close to her have their lives turned upside-down by this hasty choice. Tessa Hadley writes with elegance and precision and captures those now long-distant days that were so different from life today. Douglas Kemp

MISS ALDRIDGE REGRETS Louise Hare, HQ, 2022, £14.99, hb, 368pp, 9780593439258 / Berkley, 2022, $27.00, hb, 368pp, 9780593439258

In this historical murder mystery, Louise Hare takes readers aboard the Queen Mary in 1936. She weaves in themes of racism, class division, and politics and sets them against a

glamorous backdrop of Jazz Age music and romance. Protagonist Lena Aldridge, who is dual heritage but can “pass” for white, is offered a role on Broadway and a first-class ticket aboard the Queen Mary as she sails for New York. Lena jumps at the chance. Her entertainment career in London has foundered, and she is struggling to stay afloat singing in the Canary Club, which is not much more than a Soho dive. Her married lover has decided to call a halt to their affair, and then her boss is poisoned and dies at the club. Also mourning for her much-loved father, Alfie, Lena has little to keep her in the UK. Once Lena embarks, the plot centres around the Abernathy family, a wealthy and in the main unlikeable bunch of people she meets her first night on board. But murder seems to follow Lena, when a character is poisoned in a similar way to her former boss. As she falls under suspicion, she starts digging, finding out more than she bargained for. Louise Hare’s second novel is a lovinglytold yarn. She creates a likeable main character in a mystery which does not airbrush uncomfortable truths about the past. Instead, race and class are well integrated into the plot, although the theme of “passing” could have been developed even further. At times the pace feels slow, with long descriptions, particularly of food, that interrupt rather than deepen the sense of atmosphere. There is a lot to recommend in this homage to the Golden Age of mystery writing, but it could have benefited from a sharper editorial knife to bring out the kernel of an intriguing book. Katharine Quarmby

COCHIN FALL Liz Harris, Heywood Press, 2021, $12.99, pb, 372pp, 9781913687120

In 1930s colonial India, the lives of women and girls are strictly monitored. Clara and Lizzie, two young women returning from several years in boarding school in England, are ready for romance but find their opportunities to get to know potential suitors are limited by their concerned parents and the constant presence of their ayahs, who act as both maids and chaperones. Clara believes herself in love with Lizzie’s brother George, her childhood sweetheart, while Lizzie has her eyes on Lewis Mackenzie, the handsome, but perhaps unsavory, assistant to Clara’s businessman father. Harris evokes the sights and smells of the island of Cochin very effectively, and the snobbery and etiquette of the period and place are developed through her characters and events. As well as an interesting introduction to India between the wars, the story is an entertaining romance. Misunderstandings abound and as Clara fears George is not as passionate toward her as he might be, she fails to recognize that there are two other men in Cochin who are more than a little attracted to her. Moonlight assignations and a side plot about drug smuggling thicken the plot and

keep the pages turning. Will Clara find the right husband, or will her family all suffer when her reputation is under threat? This enjoyable novel is the second in a series of four standalone novels in Harris’s Colonial series. Kate Braithwaite

A LIGHT BEYOND THE TRENCHES Alan Hlad, John Scognamiglio, 2022, $15.95/ C$21.95, pb, 368pp, 9781496728449

In 1915 the first chemical weapons attack, loosed by the German Army at Ypres, injures German soldiers in a case of “friendly fire,” and gifted Jewish pianist Max Benesch is blinded in the assault. In Oldenberg, Anna Zeller works as a nurse but is inspired by Dr. Stalling and his idea of using German shepherds to guide blinded veterans. She saves the life of an injured dog, nurses it back to health, and strives to become a guide dog trainer. Anna’s fiancé, Bruno, fights for his country, developing and deploying chemical weapons. He fears Anna will reject him if she learns of his involvement in these heinous activities. When Max is accepted into the guide dog program he has given up on life and his love of music. Can Anna, together with the injured dog Nia, help him find meaning again? What of Bruno, his crisis of conscience, and his future with Anna? Hlad weaves these individual stories together while shedding light on the broader tapestry of the First World War and Dr. Stalling’s revolutionary guide dog training program for the blind. The novel puts a human face on the suffering endured by civilians, veterans, and soldiers, and proves an entertaining and instructive read. Thoroughly based in fact, Hlad’s characters, along with the difficult choices forced upon them and their emotional entanglements, draw the reader into this tragic period to find that, despite the brutal horrors of war, some hope beckons at the end. Readers who enjoy learning about forgotten episodes in history, animal lovers, and fans of war fiction will enjoy this book. Susan McDuffie

ANGEL OF ALTA LANGA Suzanne Hoffman, Under Discovered Publishing, 2021, $20.00, pb, 544pp, 9780997235920

Piemonte: Hoffman’s debut novel spans the period of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 to 1946 and the rebuilding of a shattered, warweary rural community. The author of the nonfiction Labor of Love: Wine Family Women of Piemonte, Hoffman has now employed that expertise to provide the basis for what is essentially a double love story against a backdrop of extraordinary events—in homage to those who shared their stories with her of sheltering Jews under Nazi occupation. At the end of the Great War, the Sicilian boy Francesco, an Arbëreshë speaker (of ethnic Albanian origin), makes the long journey north to Piemonte to work as a farmhand, where he falls in love with his employer’s daughter

Sara, the ‘angel’ of the title. Theirs is not a straightforward story, for along the way he rouses the implacable jealousy of Cinzia, Fascist sympathiser and ultimately policewoman under Mussolini’s regime. The other lovers are Luca, a young lawyer, and Doretta, daughter of a wealthy Jewish family in Turin. Her father is a veteran of the Great War and a loyal member of the Fascist party who refuses to believe (until it is too late) that Il Duce will embrace Nazi anti-Semitism. Embrace it Mussolini eventually does, depriving Italian Jews of the right to an education, to employ Gentiles and many other restrictions—marriages between Jews and Gentiles are also made illegal. A half-deranged Fascist officer is obsessed with Doretta, with tragic consequences. Hoffman doesn’t just know her history. She is also keenly aware of the linguistic and dialect variations of pre-Telescuola Italy and writes beautifully of the landscape of Piemonte, the changing seasons of the rural year, and the poignancy of displacement: ‘One stuffed dog and the pewter miniatures were all that the children had left of their past. They had even left their identities behind.’ Katherine Mezzacappa

THUNDER ROAD Colin Holmes, CamCat Books, 2022, $24.99, hb, 384pp, 9780744304978

It’s 1947 in Fort Worth, Texas, and “pissant c o w b o y ” Jefferson Sharp, former police officer, Special Ranger, WWII combat infantry veteran and, most recently, private detective, is going through a tough time for all kinds of reasons. He’s just been divorced and fired from his latest job. By apparent chance, in a drinking establishment he runs into a wartime army buddy, Jerry Cartwright, who is the date of Jeff’s childhood friend, Veronica. The two veterans tell her how each saved the other’s life during combat. Soon however his newly re-discovered friend, now an Army Air Force Major, turns up missing. Jeff is hired to find him. His quest takes him to the exotic venues of Roswell, New Mexico, newly established Las Vegas, Nevada, and odd points between. His traveling companion is Veronica, the childhood friend who shares a special kinship with him from their earliest days. He must deal with a somewhat tarnished Hollywood cowboy movie star, a sketchy newspaper reporter, a locally connected business manager, the Chicago mob, a newly minted and shady U.S. Intelligence agency, and his likeable landlord, an elderly woman with whom he shares boozy lunches. All of this ultimately delivers him

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to an even more bizarre and otherworldly culmination in his search. This genre-defying and enormously entertaining romp is Mickey Spillane meets Whitley Strieber meets Woody Allen. I can’t remember when I’ve had so much plain old fun reading a book and just didn’t want it to end. The dialogue is classic late ‘40s, as are the nostalgic descriptions of people, places and things. Las Vegas has one traffic light, which makes it a burgeoning metropolis compared to Roswell. Sharp is constantly feeding dimes into pay phones to make calls. Air conditioning is an exotic novelty, as people relish being immersed in “refrigerated air.” My highest recommendation. Enjoy the ride! Thomas J. Howley

FORBIDDEN CITY Vanessa Hua, Ballantine, 2022, $28.00, hb, 368pp, 9780399178818

Chairman Mao is dead, and Mei is watching the exuberant celebrations in San Francisco with satisfaction. At one time she was within Mao’s inner circle, and now she looks back from 1976, to her time with Mao. Mei is fifteen years old in 1965, taught to idolize and worship Chairman Mao. When a government official arrives in her remote Chinese village to select a girl to serve the revolution, Mei’s dream as a revolutionary hero may come true. She is brought to Mao’s compound in Shanghai with other chosen girls as an entertainment troupe. In reality, they are for Mao’s pleasure. Mei’s initial feelings of disgust and revulsion after she is violated don’t change her devotion to him, but change to love as she becomes his favorite mistress. Mao’s popularity suffered from his disastrous failure with the Great Leap Forward and resulting famine. His distrust of the President, his second-in-command, and his paranoia of capitalism seeping into society initiate a plot to shift favor back to him by agitating university students to turn against the President. Mei plays a role in executing the plot. The student uprising takes on a life of its own, beginning the Cultural Revolution. Hua portrays Mao as an innocuous leader and not the tyrant of history, but we are seeing him through Mei’s disillusioned eyes. We are given a glimpse into the unfolding violence only as Mei observes it, but her eyes begin to open as she awakes to the reality. This fictionalized, inside view from a Mao devotee is compelling. Outside this world, Mei could be seen as foolish and star-struck, but she is a victim of the insidious propaganda campaigns and the culture around her. Her growth and gradual realization of the truth of the real Mao turns her into a fierce woman of strength. Janice Ottersberg

SCARLET CARNATION Laila Ibrahim, Lake Union, 2022, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 319pp, 9781542020756

Scarlet Carnation is the fourth in Ibrahim’s series of historical novels that started with Yellow Crocus. This volume jumps to 1915 in the San Francisco Bay area and follows the 42

granddaughters of the original characters, Lisbeth and Mattie, as social issues of the day manifest in their lives. May, a young white woman not long out of high school, lives with her mother and grandmother Lisbeth, but aspires to marry her beau and settle into a comfortable life as an anthropology professor’s wife. When reality shatters her dream, May forges a new path with the help of her extended family, including her cousin Naomi, a middle-aged Black midwife. Naomi, Mattie’s descendant, is a full character with her own arc, and her point of view alternates with May’s in different chapters. She longs to buy a home with a yard for growing vegetables and room for her kin under one roof. But just when she thinks she’s caught hold of the brass ring of homeownership, she finds her efforts undercut by racist housing policies. As in Ibrahim’s other novels, pressing social themes—birth control, eugenics and disability, segregation, “passing,” and World War I— figure prominently in the narrative but never feel gratuitous. There’s no need to have read the previous three volumes to appreciate May’s and Naomi’s grit and courage, symbolized by the red carnation women wore during the war. The author also provides a genealogical chart of the two entwined families for reference. Paula Martinac

A FATAL OVERTURE Kathleen Marple Kalb, Kensington, 2022, $26.00, hb, 320pp, 9781496727251

This third novel in the Ella Shane series opens during a cold New York January in 1900. Ella has achieved opera diva status and owns her own theatre company. At a time when married women subordinated their lives to their husbands’ wishes, Ella must confront her looming engagement to Gil Saint Aubyn. Gil, a British duke, is also a London barrister. Will he let her pursue her career on two continents? Other complications jump in. Gil’s mother and her two sisters suddenly knock on the front door of Ella’s townhouse. Next, a man’s dead body lies fully clothed in the bathtub of the sisters’ hotel suite. Gil’s mother and her sisters are booted out of the crime scene and settle in Ella’s home. Then Gil himself shows up. The parallel murder investigation and courtship take twists and turns. A female news reporter claims to have been the killer. Ella and Gil fight over the formal post-marriage contract specifying her allowed time away from London. Rumors surface that Gil is in danger. Through it all, Ella prepares for charity performances, works on her company’s future tour, and manages a bustling household, despite the main housekeeper leaving for her own marriage. Kalb’s central theme of women struggling to find their own purpose in a male-dominated world plays out fully. Even the dead man in the bathtub fits that theme. The resolution of the murder is both surprising and sensible. Strong-willed Ella and Gil compete for control but truly love each other. Along the way, Kalb immerses readers into high-society teas, food

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presentations, clothes, and customs of the Gilded Age. Fans of Ella Shane will enjoy this newest period piece. G. J. Berger

THE HALF-LIFE OF RUBY FIELDING Lydia Kang, Lake Union, 2022, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 381pp, 9781542020084

Anchored in Brooklyn, New York, in the fall of 1942, The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding offers the reader a most implausible tale centered around a mysterious woman who dabbles in poisons, the overall situation overshadowed by the beginnings of the Manhattan Project. Siblings William and Maggie Scripps, both emotionally damaged individuals with unresolved histories, coexist in the same small family house and lead separate lives. While each is caught up in the general anxiety with the United States becoming involved in a global war, they independently deal with their own challenges in strange, unconnected ways. Will’s comment, “The war did funny things to people. It made them live harder and fiercer” sets the scene for the curious events that unfold. Finding a woman unconscious under the stoop of his house—why his house, with his special job? —was not an everyday occurrence. This is especially disconcerting as Will works for an ultra-secret project that uses uranium. Maggie, struggling to find her own place in this newly evolving wartime world, is drawn to the strange, newly found lady. Uncomfortable with alerting the authorities, against the advice of her brother and common sense, she feels a need to offer solace. Compounding the life complexities of brother and sister is Maggie’s insistence on writing long, insightful letters to her mother who had died by suicide. These conflicting and unresolved scenarios are further complicated by death, intrigues, poisonings, hidden spies, and long-forgotten relatives resurfacing. From beginning to end, this is a complex, intertwined narrative with a less-than-satisfying denouement. Jon G. Bradley

PALACE OF FLIES Walter Kappacher (trans. Georg Bauer), New Vessel Press, 2022, $16.95, pb, 135pp, 9781954404021

In this melancholy, atmospheric novella, Hugo von Hofmannsthal (1874–1929), the former darling of fin de siècle Vienna, returns to a spa near Salzburg to revive his flagging genius. But Bad Fusch is no longer the place to inspire his talents as a poet, essayist, and librettist. The First World War and the ensuing crisis have transformed the setting’s splendor and beauty into decay and seediness. When H. (as he is called in the story) faints, he is tended by a young physician who reminds H. of himself as a young man. But instead of serving as his inspiration, the doctor is duty-bound to lavish his attention on a demanding baroness. Forced to rely on his own company and besieged by a growing cacophony of buzzing and humming

flies, H. thinks back on his career and contemplates his impending death and the degeneration of his once shining reputation. Evoking Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice, Palace of Flies seems to belong to a different era. A revered artist, whose existence has been both fascinating and privileged, and whose output was in the past steady and prodigious, finds himself reduced to inactivity in his later years. At a site that saw him creating great works, he wastes his time observing ‘regular’ lives and fates, from which he remains disconnected. Since the novella is replete with references to Hofmannsthal’s works and biography, lovers of his operatic collaboration with Richard Strauss will find much to interest them in this ‘portrait of the artist as an older man.’ Hofmannsthal’s love of the humanities and his ambition to promote the arts as a panacea against political violence are bound to speak eloquently to modern readers. Elisabeth Lenckos

BELLE GREENE Alexandra Lapierre (trans. Tina Kover), Europa, 2022, $28.00, hb, 480pp, 9781609457587

Alexandra Lapierre’s account of Belle da Costa Greene, the librarian largely responsible for the Morgan Library in New York, will astonish and impress readers. Belle Greene is a historical figure, well-known in cultural circles in New York during the first third of the 20th century. Largely self-taught, she soaked up knowledge from book and art connoisseurs throughout the world. J. Pierpont Morgan, who hired Greene to manage his library, trusted her to bid on his behalf at auctions. Greene interacted with a parade of celebrities, including Bernard Berenson, one of her many lovers. As Morgan increased Greene’s salary, she amassed wealth unheard of for a single woman of her era. While building her career, Belle Greene passed for white. Greene, her mother, and her siblings made a pact to distance themselves from their light-skinned father, Richard Greener. He was a celebrated African American, the first to graduate from Harvard. He had abandoned the family, giving them an opportunity to reimagine their background, their names, and even their ages. Lapierre depicts Greene as brilliant, deceitful, and disloyal. The novel stays close to the facts of Greene’s life, so readers will see no transformation, with one exception when she is in her forties. Without the usual arc of change to frame her story, Lapierre instead expertly builds tension over the question of how Greene’s Black identity will be discovered. Readers have a sense of that at the beginning, but not until the end does Lapierre detail the dramatic conclusion to the family’s decision to pass. Belle’s story, as told by Lapierre, is compelling and well-crafted. Readers uninterested in the history of rare books and art might find some sections tedious, but most

will be intrigued by Greene’s participation in the world of collectors. Marlie Wasserman

WHAT IS WRITTEN ON THE TONGUE Anne Lazurko, ECW Press, 2022, $19.95/ C$24.95, pb, 330pp, 9781770416192

After being released from a Nazi work farm, Sam returns home only to be quickly drafted and sent to Java as part of the Netherlands’ military force to regain control of the colony. Believing he is there to recover what belongs to his country, Sam finds himself caught in the middle of the Indonesians’ fight for independence. Guerilla warfare soon becomes less than heroic. Even before he falls in love with Sari, Sam begins to question his loyalties and purpose, and wonders what makes him any different from the Nazis. The story opens in 1947 with 20-year-old Sam stationed in Java, an island in the Dutch East Indies though he “has seen little of the country they’re supposed to be fighting to reclaim.” Lazurko’s writing creates a graphic picture not only of the beauty of the country but also the physical toll the heat, humidity, insects—not to mention the warfare—take on the Dutch soldiers. The history is well presented for those readers (myself included) who know little, if anything, about Indonesia’s fight for independence. Interspersed between the chapters set in Java are Sam’s experiences, written in first person in notebooks he kept hidden during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, from 1943 to 1945. These flashbacks give context to Sam’s conflicting emotions and reflections. The tragedies of one war repeat a few years later. He sees, firsthand, the terror his squad imposes on the Javanese. He knows the atrocities he commits because he is ordered to do so. Though set in a specific time period about two specific wars, this story is timeless. It addresses questions still asked today: Who are freedom fighters, who terrorists? Who are occupiers and who peacekeepers? Meg Wiviott

HER LAST BETRAYAL Pam Lecky, Avon, 2022, £8.99, pb, 368pp, 9780008464875

The second book in Pam Lecky’s Sarah Gillespie series set in World War Two sees Sarah allied with a new partner in espionage. However, the American she has been paired with seems arrogant, overbearing, and dismissive. He also doesn’t trust Sarah, convinced that as she’s Irish she’s not genuinely supportive of the war effort. Having got off on the wrong foot, it’s no surprise that Sarah grows suspicious of her partner when she learns of a possible mole within the Secret Service. Having to work undercover and unsure of who to trust, Sarah really proves her abilities as a spy as she leaves the sleepy

Hampshire town she has come to call home, for further adventures in the London blitz and rural Wales. Pam Lecky once again brings her excellent storytelling skills to bear on aspects of the home front that have rarely been explored in fiction before, such as collaboration between the IRA and the Germans, and the infiltration by fascists of nationalist movements in Wales. While the plot is full of the twists and turns that a fan of historical adventure will enjoy, Lecky’s writing is at its best when she is exploring characters; their motivations, conflicts and the qualities that make them human. I’m very much looking forward to the next instalment in the series. Lisa Redmond

FRÄULEIN: Struggle for Identity Jeffrey T. Leonards, Piscataqua Press, 2021, $18.99, pb, 414pp, 9781950381739

Much has been written in fiction and nonfiction about the atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II. Fräulein delves into the lesser known but equally appalling dark waters of the Nazi euthanasia program begun as the German army poured into Poland with its infamous blitzkrieg. Annika Tritzchler is born into a typical German Lutheran family. But when her biological father dies and her mother marries a Jewish physician, Annika’s future is turned upside down. A brilliant, passionate and tenacious woman, Annika is driven to succeed in the male-dominated field of psychiatry where women are treated with skepticism and disrespect. Not only does Annika achieve her goal of becoming a licensed physician, she falls in love with a Jewish doctor, Pasha, with whom she plans a wonderous future. But with the intensifying of the war, that future collides with reality. Pasha vanishes from her life, while Annika is assigned to a facility whose function, unbeknownst to her, is to eradicate all mentally disabled Germans. When she refuses to participate, Annika finds herself condemned as a half-Jew and winds up in a concentration camp. Fräulein ably depicts the horrors of the euthanasia clinic and the camps. Your skin will crawl when you witness, along with Annika, the gassing of the innocent and when you sit with her under the interrogation lamps of her Nazi persecutors. But fiction can take you to places where non-fiction leaves off. There were times when I felt Fräulein could have been less clinical and more visceral. I wanted to feel more pain when Annika’s patients, Max and Elsie, were dispatched and when her relationship with Pasha abruptly ended. By focusing more on Annika’s most important relationships and delving even more deeply into her horror and guilt, Fräulein would have left the nonfiction behind and entered the realm of truly powerful, gut-wrenching fiction. Peter Clenott

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THE PORCELAIN DOLL Kristen Loesch, Allison & Busby, 2022, £16.99, hb, 384pp, 9780749028602

1991. Rosie is a young doctoral student at Oxford. Until the age of eleven, she was Raisa, and lived in Moscow with her Russian parents and elder sister. When her father and sister were murdered by a contract killer, Rosie and her mother fled to England. Rosie’s reclusive mother is drinking herself to death, her only companions a collection of porcelain dolls and a book of fairy stories she claims to have written. Rosie has the chance to spend three months in Russia as assistant to an acclaimed Russian dissident author who lives in England but has a reason to return to the land of his birth. Rosie hopes she will find the man who shattered her family. 1915. In Petrograd, Tonya is the young bride of a businessman. Pampered, restless, with little to do, she goes for early morning walks and is drawn into the revolutionary movement. How these two storylines relate is the substance of this novel of secrets, revenge, and redemption, through Stalin’s purges, the siege of Leningrad, and the gulags. The two timelines are clearly laid out, although a map would have been appreciated. The writing has beauty, lyricism, and a sense of place and era. However, the more Rosie discovers in Russia, the more convoluted and anecdotal the narrative becomes, the less substantial the characters, with elements of mystery, fantasy, thriller. I finished the book in confusion, which saddened me after the promising start of quality literary historical fiction. Janet Hancock

LUCIFER’S GAME Cristina Loggia, Lume Books, 2021, £14.99, pb, 338p, 9781839012846

Rome, 1942. Cordelia Olivieri needs to leave Italy because her Jewish heritage puts her in danger. Father Colombo passes information to the British from inside the neutral Vatican City. Lieutenant-Colonel Friedrich Schaeffer must discover who is giving away details of the German supply convoys to North Africa. Linking them all is the British SOE agent, codenamed Lucifer, operating deep undercover among the Roman Blackshirt squadristi. Cordelia is drawn into playing “Lucifer’s game” in order to secure her escape, but her growing love for the German officer imperils them both. Throw into the mix a truly devilish villain with his own interest in finding the spy, and a personal vendetta against Schaeffer, and we have the bones of a muscular and dangerous spy thriller told from several unconventional perspectives. The plot is full of twists and jolts, and it did keep me turning the pages. However, the constant in-scene headhopping between characters, major and minor, disrupts the flow of the narrative, as do parts of the structure—too many breaks for scene-setting and background detail, along 44

with the complex, flashback-heavy nature of the early chapters. For much of the narrative, we do not know the name Lucifer is using in Italy—Guido— but we have scenes throughout where he is referred to as Lucifer even when the viewpoint character would know him only as Guido, or just as an anonymous Blackshirt. Stylistically, the novel can feel at times overwritten. The author makes use of a number of words that jar in the narrative, e.g., discombobulation (p.89), which feels too “comic”; and the heroine’s “impalpable” (flimsy? clingy?) skirt (p.185). Other words such as “telluric” (p. 94), “boutade” (p.121) and “exsiccation” (p. 128) had me reaching for the dictionary. This is a shame because the core of the novel is strong. Mary Fisk

A GOOD YEAR Polis Loizou, Fairlight Books, 2022, £7.99, pb, 144p, 9781914148057

1925, rural Cyprus. This book tells of Loukas and his wife Despo, married only a year and expecting their first child—please God a boy— any day. Their life is simple; he tends a vineyard, and she keeps house and tries to keep their marriage together, not understanding why her husband seems so unhappy and unexcited about the imminent birth of their child. Their story is told over twelve chapters, the twelve days of Christmas, this being the time, according to local folklore, when the kalikantzari are released from Hell to wreak chaos on good Christian folk, only returning underground on the day of Epiphany. Despo’s actions, like those of all the villagers, are dictated by superstition, and she is desperate that her child is not born while the demons are abroad. Her days and nights are plagued by fear and her disappointment at the lack of support from her husband. But Loukas has his own internal demons to contend with. He is drawn to an Englishman, a newcomer to the island, and his guilt is tearing him and his marriage apart. The final chapter, “Epiphany,” is appropriately named. This is a small book but an absolute gem. It’s a simple tale that tells of complex beliefs, fears and emotions in a language that is beautiful and lyrical. This book is a must for readers who are interested in folklore and superstition, in the history of Cyprus and its people, or who just enjoy reading a beautifully written book about a very different place and time. Highly recommended. Marilyn Pemberton

THE KEW GARDENS GIRLS AT WAR Posy Lovell, Putnam, 2022, $16.00/C$21.99, pb, 448pp, 9780593419717 / Trapeze, 2021, £8.99, pb, 400pp, 9781409193319

Another war has taken over Europe, and Kew Gardens is once again recruiting women to keep the gardens running. Daisy, newly

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married and missing her husband who has joined the RAF, needs something to keep her occupied. Beth, a trained nurse, wants nothing more than to become a doctor, but her father is set against it. The unlikely pair from very different backgrounds are chosen to build a victory garden allotment at Kew Gardens and demonstrate to the women of London that they can feed their families from their back gardens. With Daisy’s extensive gardening experience and Beth’s determination to prove herself in any situation, the two women generate plenty of attention for the victory garden. When Daisy finds herself keeping a big secret and Beth finds comfort in a man that most find inappropriate for her, they must lean on each other for support. But when the bombs start to rain down on London their lives start to unravel and they lose sight of the one thing that can get them through it all. Will they repair their relationship in time to save Daisy and help Beth reach her dream of becoming a doctor? Once again, complex relationships and overarching social issues unite in this sequel to Posy Lovell’s The Kew Gardens Girls. It’s a wonderful novel that can be read on its own, and fans of the first book will be delighted to become reacquainted with Louisa and Teddy, Ivy and Jim, and a number of other reminiscences from the first novel. Shauna McIntyre

VELOCITY OF A SECRET Violet Marsh, Montlake, 2022, $12.95, pb, 448pp, 9781542027632

In 1918, wealthy American socialite Rose Van Etten returns from her Great War Western Front ambulance service, where she learned of a spy ring from one of her dying English soldiers. Not long after, she is threatened by men on the beach near her house. Indications point to espionage, and she suspects the Viscount of providing secrets to the Germans when the German fleet was sequestered in the Orkney Islands during WWI. She must find a way to uncover the truth. Did the inhabitants of Frest in the Orkney Islands collaborate with the Germans, and would they continue to do that after the war? To gain access to the place and deepen her search for espionages, she manages to purchase the islands of Hamarray and Frest in the Orkneys. During her initial tour of the islands and her new estate, she meets the ruggedly attractive Thorfinn Sinclair, who shows her his sheep farm and the mill which overlooks the harbor. This novel captures the reader from the first heart-stopping page. Its fascinating scenes of country life in Scotland and the layers of tension and romance between Rose and Thorfinn Sinclair make for a fast-moving and memorable historical novel. Readers adore stories that instruct them about Scottish history, culture, and lore, and Violet Marsh’s vibrant storytelling and charming setting details do not disappoint. Highly recommended. Gini Grossenbacher

DECEMBER ’41 William Martin, Forge, 2022, $27.99, hb, 304pp, 9780765384249

In the sunny wonderland of Hollywood, a German assassin begins a thousand-milelong journey to take out America before it can enter the war against Germany. His target? President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the annual lighting of the National Christmas Tree. William Martin’s propulsive thriller lays the tracks for an epic manhunt that will dictate the future of the nation. In the searing days immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the nation is on edge, and so is FBI agent Frank Carter. Tasked with rooting out German sympathizers plotting mischief against America, Carter gets intelligence from Hollywood script reader Kevin Cusack, who poses as a Nazi sympathizer in the Los Angeles German Bund organization. Cusack, deflated by his prospects and stung by a recent jilting, quits his job to return East on the iconic Super Chief train leaving L.A. On the same train is Martin Browning, a calculating and highly skilled assassin heading to Washington, D.C., to kill the president, having already killed several people in L.A. unlucky enough to know too much. A man of many aliases and backstories, Browning has the perfect cover in Vivian Hopewell, an aspiring actress giving up on a dream. For the price of a free ticket back home, Hopewell agrees to pretend they are husband and wife, not certain of Browning’s intent but too intrigued by his kindness to care. When their paths cross on the Super Chief, and secrets begin to leak, one more murder escalates the hunt for the mysterious Browning, while another man makes a desperate journey to clear his name. Reviving the best of L.A. noir and the heyday of Hollywood with slick dialogue, clever comebacks, and dogged detective work, December ’41 is a bullet train of thrills speeding to an unforgettable conclusion. Peggy Kurkowski

TO FIND HER PLACE Susan Anne Mason, Bethany House, 2021, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 9780764235207

In 1943 Toronto, Canada, young Jane Linder hurries from home to her job as acting director at the Children’s Aid Society. Following her divorce, and with her brother away fighting in the war, Jane is left alone and needs her job to care for her ailing mother. At an emergency meeting of the board, she is informed that they, having noticed some irregularities in the accounts, have hired an independent advisor, Garrett Wilder, for an assessment. While Jane wants to apply for the vacant managing director’s position, Garrett also desires that job. He cannot perform physical work due to a war injury and needs to contribute financially to save the family farm. Jane and Garrett work together to sort out the accounts’ issues, which initiates their romance. Just when Jane

thinks that her problems are over and she has found her place in life, her ex-husband reappears with an exciting proposal. Although this is the second novel of Susan Mason’s Redemption’s Light series, it is skillfully structured as a standalone. Mason notes the novel is based on actual events at the Toronto Children’s Aid Society, which she, living near Toronto, was able to research in some depth. The fictionalization of some of the real characters is well handled, and the introduction of fake accounting and bribery issues adds appeal to the plot. The norms of WWII-era Toronto are well portrayed, such as how the stigma of divorce would exclude a woman from promotion, and how adoption by an unmarried person met with disapproval. The problems of placing a delinquent child in foster care are depicted well. Although there are some unexpected plot twists in the story, it is mainly an inspirational novel, with frequent religious allusions that will appeal to readers of that category. Waheed Rabbani

HOW TO FIND YOUR WAY IN THE DARK Derek B. Miller, Doubleday, 2022, £16.99, hb, 354pp, 9780857527516 / Mariner, 2021, $26.00, hb, 368pp, 9780358269601

As the Second World War looms, a young Jewish boy in the United States, Sheldon Horowitz, loses both his parents, one after the other. His mother’s death was an accident in a theatre fire, but Sheldon thinks that his father was murdered when another driver runs the truck they are both in off an empty road. But nobody believes him—at first. Sheldon takes his own kind of revenge, framing an anti-Semitic family that stole from his father. Sheldon’s widowed uncle takes him in, and he moves from rural Massachusetts to Hartford, Connecticut and is warned to leave the past behind him. His cousin, Abe, disagrees, and together the boys start on a mission to discover the truth. Eventually that quest takes Sheldon to a Jewish-owned hotel in the Catskills, back to his childhood home and eventually on to New York. This clever, poignant novel is a prequel to Miller’s debut in 2013, Norwegian by Night. There, Sheldon is far older, but here, as a young boy of only 12 when the novel starts, the losses he has experienced are raw. Miller’s skilful rendering of the threat of fascism sets the scene for an entertaining book that has heart but is also realistic about life for Jewish people in 1930s New England. Sheldon, his cousin and his friend Lenny are outcasts, but that identity also gifts them a perilous freedom. The middle part of the book is set at a Catskills resort, where Sheldon works as a bellhop with his friend Lenny. It is an outstanding section, in which a strolling company of characters dabble in comedy, infidelity and thievery— and where Sheldon gets embroiled in the consequences of his impetuous actions. This is a lovingly crafted novel, with a light

touch examination of anti-Semitism, revenge and love whilst also being a coming-of-age story. Katharine Quarmby

THE REINDEER HUNTERS Lars Mytting (trans. Deborah Dawkin), MacLehose Press, 2022, £16.99, hb, 430pp, 9781529416060 / Overlook, 2022, $28.00, hb, 448pp, 9781419759772

Butangen, Norway, 1903: two decades have passed since the events recounted in Mytting’s first novel in his Sister Bells trilogy, The Bell in the Lake. Pastor Kai Schweigaard still mourns the death in childbirth of Astrid Hekne, descendant of the conjoined twins in memory of whom the two great bells of the village’s demolished stave church were cast. One of the bells hangs in the old church, reconstructed in Dresden; the other lies at the bottom of the lake, where legend says it cannot be raised but by two brothers. Schweigaard has educated Astrid’s surviving son, Jehans, one of the reindeer hunters of the title. The other hunter is an Englishman, Victor Harrison. The two young men’s diverse motivations encapsulate the gulf between their two worlds: Jehans and the villagers must eat, whereas Victor seeks a fine head and antlers to grace his Northumberland home. Yet when the older inhabitants of Butangen catch sight of the Englishman, they are convinced they are seeing a ghost. Jehans and Victor are drawn to each other until a bitter estrangement, yet even at a distance their stories entwine. The stubborn and headstrong Jehans, with the support of the practical and indomitable Kristine, reveals himself to be a talented and farsighted engineer and she an astute and instinctive businesswoman. Victor becomes a fighter pilot; it takes the Spanish ‘flu epidemic at the end of the war to reunite the two friends. The first novel of the trilogy was a hard act to follow, but Mytting has triumphed again with this sequel. As in the earlier novel, Deborah Dawkin is a sensitive translator. The books can be read as standalones, but there is a different richness in the combination, just as there is in the sound of two bells rung together rather than apart. Katherine Mezzacappa

THE SIXTEEN TREES OF THE SOMME Lars Mytting (trans. Paul Russell Garrett), Overlook, 2022, $28.00/C$35.00, hb, 416pp, 9781419762277 / MacLehose Press, 2018, £8.99, pb, 416pp, 9780857056061

Norwegian author Lars Mytting presents a story of a young man searching not only for his identity but for the true meaning of the few memories of his early childhood. He remembers the love of his mother in her blue dress and his small wooden toy. He has been told his parents were both killed in woodland near the Somme battlefield in France and that he was missing for four days after that.

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He was then sent to Norway to live with elderly relatives. The young man—his name in English is Edward—searches for the truth of his family’s story in Norway, the Shetland Islands, and France. His search takes the reader back to the battles of WW1 and its aftermath and to WW2. He faces conflicts not only with his feelings for the two young women he finds attractive but also with the different stories and perspectives he hears about his family’s history. The only truth appears to lie in the beautiful wood and the master craftsman who carved it. Conceptually this novel delves into deep themes of love and revenge, and these are represented by the trees, their wood, and the craftsmanship that produces objects of great beauty. The plot is complex, with twists and unexpected directions. The characters Edward meets are carefully drawn, yet the novel lacks much of the immediacy and intrigue one might expect from the themes that are developed. Similarly, the settings, from the stormswept Shetland coast to the war-devastated woodlands of France, could be full of impact; instead, they are as flat as Edward’s potato field. The many facets of this wide-ranging literary novel will give pleasure to the conscientious reader. Valerie Adolph

THE BLUE BUTTERFLY Leslie Johansen Nack, She Writes, 2022, $16.95, pb, 352pp, 9781647423476

When I saw that this novel was about Marion Davies, I knew I had to read it. I wanted to know the real story behind the woman who was the model for Susan Alexander, the film character who brings down Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane, and what a story it is! Davies grows up believing she has only one option for financial security: to find and marry a wealthy man. She catches the eye of the wealthiest man in the world in the form of William Randolph Hearst — a newspaper publisher, a movie mogul, and a builder of castles all in one. The problem is that he is already married with five sons. This fact does not stop him from relentlessly pursuing the blue-eyed blonde, promising that someday he will marry her. He doesn’t. Instead, he lives two lives—one with his family and one with Marion and her family. While Davies does enjoy Hearst’s money, she has the misfortune of also being in love with him. For Marion, the humiliation of being the mistress is excruciating, but she’s clever and hardworking and eventually makes a name and fortune for herself on the silver screen. Nack has chosen a wonderful subject for a novel. The book reads as if it really is Davies’ autobiography. The actress was not highly educated, but she was smart and spirited, qualities that make the reader root for her. This story is also a timely reminder of what women would have been up against in Hollywood. Marion Davies was no simpering Susan Alexander. She was a brave and complex 46

figure, whose true potential was stifled by a powerful, overbearing man. Trish MacEnulty

THE SECRET WORLD OF CONNIE STARR Robbi Neal, HQ Fiction AU, 2022, A$32.99, pb, 384pp, 9781867207825

As Connie Starr is born screaming her head off in Ballarat in 1934, her mother, Flora, knows that there will be “more chaos in the world than before,” and Connie will be at the heart of it. Connie is both capricious and ethereal, yet she can also be sneaky, mischievous, and embarrassingly frank as she observes her family and their friends from her perch in a lemon tree where she communes with angels and demons. Her father is Joseph, a Baptist minister who struggles to contain Connie and her siblings, Thom, Lydia, and Danny, as they try to forge their own paths in life. The ups and downs of other families—the Mabbetts, the Mitchells and the Finchleys—criss-cross with the Starrs, creating an enthralling patchwork of human drama set against a background of war and its after-effects. Each character’s story is beautifully delineated, whether it is Thom’s misplaced determination to be different, Lydia’s starstruck romance with an American serviceman, or Flora’s sense of “the unfilled places in people’s souls” as she supports Birdie Mabbett through grief and her trials with a philandering husband. When Connie herself falls prey to one of her demons, everyone binds together to protect her. The research on everything from wartime rationing to polio treatment to religion and politics wears the lightest of touches, yet the historical evocation of time and place is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Plus, the morality and societal attitudes are honest and faithful to 1940s/1950s Australia, which makes it even more believable. Connie’s secret world is definitely memorable and worthy of your time. (If this novel receives the success it deserves, Ballarat might need to prepare for an influx of fans keen to visit the real locations.) Marina Maxwell

VOTING DAY Clare O’Dea, Fairlight, 2022, £7.99, pb, 160pp, 9781914148071

Switzerland, 1959: a referendum is taking place on whether to grant women the vote, but one in which only men can take part. Farmer’s wife Vreni has finally rebelled; on the eve of

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a major operation, she refuses to make the sandwiches she has always made for the men working in the polling station. This momentous day in the country’s history—though Swiss women were not finally enfranchised until 1971—is seen through Vreni’s eyes; those of her daughter Margrit; Esther, a cleaner of Jewish Yenish origin; and Beatrice, a hospital administrator. Appropriately, the two older women’s stories are told in the past tense, the younger women’s in the present. All four lives are linked in some way, for Esther’s child has been taken into care and placed with Vreni’s family, where the boy’s material needs are met but he is not shown affection. The coming together of these four women in a Bern hospital does not, however, feel like a forced coincidence, but more an acknowledgement of how all four women have in different ways been thwarted, of their dreams, in the workplace, and in love. O’Dea writes of the experiences of her characters with great empathy and compassion as well as with impeccable historical accuracy; their continued disenfranchisement is about something more even than the denial of the right to vote. Two-thirds of Swiss men voted in 1959 against extending the franchise to their wives, daughters, sisters and mothers, yet these four very diverse women, their lives coinciding for the first time on that day of crushing disappointment, manage in the end to achieve something quite remarkable—and full of hope—through their own solidarity. Katherine Mezzacappa

A CAST OF FALCONS Phillip Parotti, Casemate, 2021, $22.95, pb, 278pp, 9781636240886

Lieutenant Devlin Collins of the British Royal Flying Corps comes from a family of the AngloIrish Ascendancy, settlers who were sent to the north of Ireland in the 17th century. But since his father is the youngest and will not receive an estate inheritance, the entire family moves to New Jersey to find their own fortune. After being trained as a mechanical engineer, in 1916 Dev finds himself back in British territory helping a family business. He feels compelled to join the English forces as a pilot in the ongoing Great War. Expecting to be sent to France, he instead is posted to Egypt, where the British are trying to hold off combined German and Turkish attempts to take the Suez Canal. The good news is that a British pilot’s life expectancy is greater there. The bad news is their planes are much inferior to the enemy’s. Dev’s mechanical training comes in handy, as it is a constant battle to keep his unit’s obsolescent craft airworthy for combat action. He also has an opportunity to meet a charming American girl on leave in Cairo. The young pilot then goes on to balance his time between flying reconnaissance and bombing missions and wooing his intended. This is a realistic account of early combat aviators operating in a time and place littlecovered in historical works. Lawrence of

Arabia makes a brief appearance. I found the first half a bit dry and slow, but the second half happily picks up as action, both romantic and military, accelerates nicely. Billed as the story of an Irish American pilot, I found the dialogue to ring much more upper-class English even when only Americans were conversing. Heartily recommended for both aeronautics aficionados and Anglophiles. Thomas J. Howley

BREAD AND BUTTERMILK Helen Payton, Hiraethog Press, 2021, £9.99, pb, 355pp, 9781739913502

1922. On Easter day in Carreg-y-Bedd, Denbighshire, Minister Ellis conducts the special Sabbath service in Ebenezer chapel; Gypsies arrive on the village common; and the corpse of World War I veteran Gwyn Parry floats to the surface of Pwll Berw pool. Gwyn’s closest friend, Twm, the eldest son among Emyr and Mali Tudor’s five children, is the first to find Gwyn’s body. Twm’s determination to discover whether Gwyn’s death was accident, suicide, or foul play structures the book, but this is not a murder mystery; it’s a larger portrait of a Welsh village’s struggle to adjust to the loss of a generation. Twm’s many reminiscences about pre-War Carreg-y-Bedd recall the lost Evan, the leader of the trio in which he and Gwyn were followers, and one of the many village boys who died in France. The book also reflects on the difficulties of young survivors trapped by old values. Twm, his older sister Bethan, and his younger sister Caron struggle to find a path forward in a world the war has changed, hampered by their mother’s uncompromising refusal to let go of her belief in farm and chapel. The strength of this lengthy novel is the fine research on which it is based. Payton convincingly portrays planting, harvesting, lambing, shearing, gardening, gathering, cleaning and cooking, carefully demonstrating the connection of endless labor to the certainties of chapel religion. Another strength is the depth of the book’s characters, particularly Mali, the matriarch whose criticism threatens to smother every ember of independence and talent in her children. Her portrayal is pitiless, and the shocking result of her self-righteous blindness, as described in the fifty concluding pages, is extremely powerful. Laura C. Stevenson

TAKE MY HAND Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Berkley, 2022, $27.00, hb, 357pp, 9780593337691

Take My Hand illuminates a horrendous national shame of the recent past. In the early 1970s, more than 150,000 low-income women and girls, predominately of color, were sterilized by tubal ligation. Millions more received the contraceptive Depo-Provera, then unapproved by the FDA and carrying significant side effects. Medical professionals systematically bullied and lied to clients

about both procedures. Girls as young as nine were permanently sterilized without parents’ informed consent or sometimes even knowledge. Readers familiar with Nazi “eugenics” practices and the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study in which nearly 400 Black men were given syphilis as human guinea pigs will see parallels. The novel follows Civil Townsend, a young Black nurse at a Montgomery, Alabama, family planning clinic, eager to offer fertility choices which she believes will help lift women from poverty. Discovering brutally coercive practices and blatant racism, Civil throws herself into the case of Erica and India Williams, eleven- and thirteen-yearold sisters whose illiterate father was pushed to consent to “shots” and then discovers his children have been sterilized. When Civil turns whistleblower, her life is upended. Patterned after a successful lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center, we see her tireless work with a young lawyer to reveal these practices and change federal policy. Perkins-Valdez interweaves Civil’s involvement in the Williams case and the larger legal battle of 1973 with her own journey of redemption and return in 2016. Now a respected ob-gyn, she seeks to re-connect with the Williams girls and those who shared her struggle. Readers may find the 2016 chapters more distracting than illuminating, and Civil’s own motivations are sometimes murky, but as our nation lurches towards racial justice, Perkins-Valdez holds up an essential story of where we’ve been. Pamela Schoenewaldt

THREE DEBTS PAID Anne Perry, Ballantine, 2022, $28.00, hb, 304pp, 9780593358733 / Headline, 2021, £8.99, pb, 336pp, 9781472275271

For those of us who love a legal thriller mixed with a murder mystery, Perry’s latest Daniel Pitt novel provides the perfect rainyday pleasure. Taking place in the gloom of winter in 1912 London, a sinister atmosphere pervades throughout the story. Daniel Pitt is the lawyer son of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt, the protagonists of another of Perry’s series. In this novel, Daniel shares the stage with his friend, Inspector Ian Frobisher, and his love interest, Miriam fford Croft, a budding forensic pathologist. The presence of these two intelligent and sensitive characters substantially enhances the pleasure gained from reading the book. While Daniel figures out the legal maneuverings to save an ill-tempered, but brilliant former professor from public humiliation and possible financial ruin, Ian is on the trail of the “Rainy-Day Slasher,” so dubbed by the press for slashing his victims during rainstorms so violently that one character protests, “It doesn’t rain like this in hell. If it did, it would put out all the fires.” Miriam, meanwhile, is in the morgue with her mentor, the fierce Dr. Hall, puzzling over the mutilation of the victims’ corpses, testing her mettle for the first time in the “real world.”

Daniel becomes involved in the case because of his growing affection for Miriam, but none of them seems able to solve it or figure out what a blind priest has to do with the murders. The solution to the crimes comes on yet another stormy night and brings with it more than one surprise. The gloomy wintry atmosphere of 1912 London is a character in its own right. This series gets better with each installment, as Daniel comes into his own as lawyer, and as Miriam’s presence in his life grows. But my favorite character, whom I hope we’ll see more of, is without a doubt the widowed police detective Ian Frobisher. Trish MacEnulty

ONE-SHOT HARRY Gary Phillips, Soho Crime, 2022, $24.95, hb, 288pp, 9781641292917

Harry Ingram knows the “rules” for a Black photographer in Los Angeles in 1963: cover events and people of your own color and get your journalism into newspapers like the Eagle with its Black male target audience. Watch how you stand up for yourself. Malcolm X and Dr. King might be able to take a stand, but you don’t have their backup teams. Still, Ingram has experienced wartime fighting in Korea, where sometimes the color line didn’t mean as much. When white fellow veteran Ben Kinslow dies in suspicious a car crash, Ingram is on the spot to catch photo evidence before the police provide one of their routine attacks on Blackness. Struck with a nightstick and with his camera smashed, angry and sad, Ingram knows he’s got to avoid becoming a headline himself, like “Crazed Photographer Shot Down Like a Mad Dog.” But the experience sends Ingram—his buddy Ben used to call him “One-Shot”—into an investigation that endangers his life, his living, and even a politically active girlfriend. Had Ben become a threat to L.A.’s corrupt power brokers? Is there any way to prove the connection, while protecting both integrity and his own survival? Author Gary Phillips has a well-established career writing private eyes, rich with events near and further from the Civil Rights Movement. In One-Shot Harry he tackles L.A. of 1963 as a historical homage to the movement, as well as to the musicians of the time. Even Harry Ingram began as a composite inspired by Harry Adams (19181988) and Arthur Fellig (1899-1968), with a shot of intrigue and darkness from Phillips. Early chapters are heavy-handed with historic details, and then the well-paced plot takes over for a richly satisfying PI read. Beth Kanell

THE HALF LIFE OF VALERY K Natasha Pulley, Bloomsbury, 2022, £14.99, hb, 373pp, 9781408885215 / Bloomsbury, 2022, $28.00, hb, 384pp, 9781635573275

I didn’t know they wrote books like this anymore: it is a good, old-fashioned Cold

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

War thriller, with a secret Siberian research laboratory conducting sinister experiments, a massive nuclear disaster that has been covered up for seven years, a disaffected scientist, ruthless KGB men, lots of science and gadgetry, a complicated plot which travels at breakneck speed and a dramatic if somewhat implausible denouement. I don’t think there has been anything like it since Davidson’s Kolymsky Heights (1994). The book is advertised as an historical adventure based on real events, which is true to the extent that the nuclear accident at the heart of the story did take place in 1957 and was not admitted until 1989 and the research facility was real and still exists, although as far as we know there were never any human radiation trials (but who knows what secrets are still buried in Siberia?). Otherwise all the characters and events are fictitious and, viewed dispassionately, the story is quite ridiculous. What makes you want to believe it are the characters, above all Valery Kolkhanov himself, the prisoner-scientist who is sent to work in the secret lab, and the KGB officer, Shenkov, who becomes his lover. There are also memorable minor characters, such as the pert little six-year-old girl dying of leukaemia. Valery is no daring secret agent; he is a reclusive scientist who finds himself trapped in an inhuman situation which forces him to become a killer. This is a thriller with a moral dilemma at its heart. Edward James

WHEN SHE DREAMS Amanda Quick, Berkley, 2022, $28.00, hb, 320pp, 9780593337783 / Piatkus, 2022, £9.99, pb, 336pp, 9780349432281

Passion, danger, intrigue, and murder return to glamorous 1930s Burning Cove, California, in this sure-handed winner. By now, Quick has perfected her formula. Take a beautiful woman with a psychic talent and a haunted past; here, Maggie Lodge, whose talent for lucid dreaming has fascinated doctors and terrified her family. Match her with a seasoned, skeptical man with a few scars of his own; here, Sam Sage, ex-L.A. cop turned private detective after a failed marriage and high-profile case. (Sage is indeed a call-out to Sam Spade, and the references to Dashiell Hammett and hard-boiled detective fiction pay off in the end.) Put the two together to solve a mystery that quickly begins to unravel, and watch the sparks fly. Maggie hires Sam to discover who is blackmailing her boss, an advice columnist called Aunt Cornelia, by implicating her in a past death. The blackmailer wants to meet at a conference introducing the Guilfoyle Method, meant to unlock the power of the dreaming mind. Maggie suspects the Guilfoyles are cons, and she’s not happy to see the doctor who tried out his mind-opening drug on her without her consent. But when a woman is murdered at the opening reception and an imposter posing 48

as Aunt Cornelia flees the scene, Sam and Maggie are on the case. Passion follows the palpable attraction as these two intelligent, well-matched leads play off one another’s skills. Characters from past Burning Cove books appear but don’t take over Maggie and Sam’s story, which stays lively with new twists, more deaths, and an increasingly desperate killer who has put Maggie and Sam in their sights. With slick, precise prose, humor mixed with engaging suspense, and a truly likeable set of lovers, this is another terrific read from the always-entertaining Quick. Misty Urban

THE WHALEBONE THEATRE Joanna Quinn, Fig Tree, 2022, £14.99, hb, 558pp, 9780241542835 / Knopf, 2022, $29.00, hb, 560pp, 9780593321706

Cristabel Seagrave and her half/stepsiblings, Flossie and Digby, are largely left to bring themselves up during the inter-war years in a country house in Dorset. Tales of adventure fire their imagination, and when a whale is beached near their home, Cristabel claims it for herself and eventually converts its bones into an outdoor theatre. But as WWII approaches, it becomes clear that none of the trio is comfortable in their allocated role and that war might provide opportunities to forge new identities—as long as they can survive. This is a charming and moving debut novel from a talented writer. Even minor characters are well-developed—often idiosyncratic but always believable. There is a good deal of humour in the earlier parts of the novel, as the children navigate the strange world of adults— both feckless socialites like Digby’s parents, Willoughby and Rosalind, and bohemian types like Russian artist Taras or American poet Myrtle. But the book grows darker and more poignant as war overshadows the youth of all three protagonists. The children are, perhaps, a little precocious. (How many four-year-olds would understand the Iliad? How many six-yearolds know the word ‘travesty’ and can use it correctly?) There’s a tiny historical error in one of the flashbacks: there were so many recruits in 1914 that men who wore glasses were rejected on medical grounds (and many fit and healthy men were put on waiting lists because of a lack of uniforms, weapons, barracks and instructors). I quite like the experimental layout of the type during some key scenes, though some readers may balk at it. There are also some lovingly acute descriptions of nature, like the ‘sea foam popping on pebbles’ on the shore. I’m looking forward to seeing what Quinn comes up with next. Highly recommended. Jasmina Svenne

THE RESISTANCE GIRL Mandy Robotham, Avon, 2022, £7.99, pb, 410pp, 9780008453411 / Avon, 2022, $16.99, pb, 432pp, 9780008523763

It is 1942, and Norway is occupied by Nazi troops. In Bergen, Rumi Orlstad is consumed

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by fury at the death of her fiancé and, blaming his wartime work for his loss, she vows to have nothing more to do with the Resistance. But when she meets Jens, a British agent, she is reluctantly drawn back to clandestine activity. And then an old friend is caught up in a sinister Nazi plot. Despite her antipathy, Rumi knows she has to fight for her friends, her family and her country, whatever the cost to herself. The Resistance Girl deals with two aspects of the Second World War that have not often been tackled in fiction: the role of the Norwegian Resistance, and Hitler’s infamous Lebensborn policy, which aimed to breed “racially pure” Aryan children. The story is gripping and doesn’t spare the reader in describing the hardships of living in an occupied country. However, I felt that the writing could have been more vivid (more showing and less telling). I also found the story slightly disjointed, the two themes taking a while to come together, and I thought the discovery of the true purpose of the maternity home would have been more shocking if the author’s note at the start of the book hadn’t already told us what to expect. These criticisms apart, I enjoyed this novel. Karen Warren

THE GOD OF THAT SUMMER Ralf Rothmann (trans. Shaun Whiteside), Picador, 2022, £14.99, hb, 240pp, 9781529009835

Originally written in German, this is an intriguing insight into the final months of the Second World War in Europe through the eyes of a twelve-year-old German girl, Luisa, evacuated to escape the Allied bombing of her home city, Kiel, to the supposed safety of a relatively nearby farm, with her mother and sisters. The farm is not too far away, as Luisa is able to cycle to the city in search of her sister who, from Luisa’s viewpoint, disappeared suddenly and mysteriously. Juxtaposed with Luisa’s story are intermittent recollections of a long-dead, much older person, reflecting on a 17th-century war fought in the same region, and the effects of war. These shorter chapters are written in a completely different style and, although enlightening, tend to slow the pace. In its English translation, the novel is an extremely well written literary description of the horrors of war and not only for those who are engaged in the fighting. Pain, suffering, death, and cruelty surround the young protagonist throughout. Luisa’s ‘haven’ is reliant on the largesse of her brother-in-law, a salacious, self-centred bully who uses his position as an SS officer to get what he wants from whoever he wants at a time of his choosing. Finding refuge in her books, Luisa has to suffer more than any child should, and has to grow up too quickly. Rothmann has created a world collapsing in on itself, as the bombs and artillery shells rage around it. By using the vignettes from the ancient war, he cleverly shows the reader the savagery of all wars which cannot be seen from

the experiences of a young girl. This novel is worth persevering with even if it is not an easy read, due both to its subject matter and literary writing style. Aidan K. Morrissey

RED HEAVEN Nicolas Rothwell, Text Publishing, A$32.99, pb, 378pp, 9781922458049

2021,

Winner of the Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Award for his novel Quicksilver, Nicolas Rothwell’s Red Heaven is a nostalgic meditation on the legacy of relationships while growing up. The story begins in Switzerland in the late 1960s and focuses on the male adolescent narrator’s relationship with his two bold, charismatic aunts. Both these well-drawn characters take him under their wing as a protégé and educate him on their ideas and values, which alter his path to adulthood. Aunt Serghiana Ismailovna, an esteemed filmmaker, is the clever, glamorous, and supremely cultured daughter of a Soviet general. Aunt Ady Palafy is a disenchanted actress and singer married to the Viennese composer, Novogrodsky. Both aunts exist in a state of exile and treat the boy as an inheritor of their values, culture, and learnings from their pasts. Full of literary parallels, symbols and ideas rather than dramatic movement, Red Heaven stretches the boundaries of fiction. The legacy of art history is present along with a clear meditation of the relationship between western and eastern European culture in this dialogue-heavy book. Geopolitical happenings unfold on the periphery, with the Prague Spring of 1968 altering the course of life at the glamorous Alpine Grand Hotel. The setting adds to the rarefied feeling of the story’s world. This is further heightened by the host of characters who entertain highly nuanced discussions about art, philosophy, and truth. At stages, this makes the book feel less like a work of fiction and more like an avant-garde approach to criticism. However, it is difficult to not be impressed by Rothwell’s rich understanding and appreciation of art history and philosophy that traverses from Tarkovsky films, to Rousseau’s Confessions, to Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and more. I enjoyed Rothwell’s attention to the history of ideas and admired the rich character development. Georgia Rose Phillips

THE SCHOOL FOR GERMAN BRIDES Aimie K. Runyan, William Morrow, 2022, $16.99/£9.99, pb, 384pp, 9780063094208

The School for German Brides examines the impact of social and political beliefs on the lives of three young women living in Germany in 1938 and beyond. Hanna Rombauer, following her mother’s unexpected death, has been sent to live in Berlin with Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Otto, who are Hitler supporters.

Hanna’s aspiration is to study medicine at university, following in her mother’s footsteps. Hanna is befriended at school by a second teen, Klara Schmidt. Klara’s parents, active in the Nazi Party, have grand plans for Klara to marry an SS officer. Runyan’s discerning insights into the strained social settings the teens are thrust into will cause readers sincere stress and angst. Events hosted by Charlotte and Otto and the deplorable, disgusting plans that involve Hanna are unimaginable. Thirdly, Mathilde Altman, a “Mischling” (of mixed Jewish and Gentile heritage), is an amazing seamstress, and she and her mom live in fear for their safety. They earn a meager living at a fabric shop while Tilde’s dream of studying law disappears. The story is filled with historical details and political views of women’s “duty” to Germany. Young girls, groomed to be in service to the Fatherland, are encouraged to join the BDM— Bund Deutscher Mädel (Band of German Maidens), which is part of the Hitler Youth. The “schools for German brides” teach that “motherhood is your sacred duty… the very reason you were born.” Hanna, Klara, and Tilde cross paths at the school for brides, the luxurious Villa on Schwanenwerder Island. Each young woman is at a crossroads, facing life-changing decisions. Runyan’s novel is compelling and intriguing as readers find out how the girls serve their country and find one last gesture to honor the memory of their friendship. Dorothy Schwab

LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTINGALE Katharine Schellman, Minotaur, 2021, $27.99, hb, 320pp, 9781250831828

A murder mystery set in New York City in 1924, Last Call at the Nightingale features the saucy Vivian Kelly. She and her sister, who grew up in an orphanage, now work in a grim dressmaking shop and share a tenement flat. At the end of their workday, the proper Florence stays in, but Viv heads out to the Nightingale, with its illegal liquor, lively band, and best of all, dancing. Schellman re-creates the vibrant and dangerous Jazz Age, where Prohibition has given rise to a new criminal class. With her Black waitress friend Bea, Viv discovers a corpse in the alley behind the club and gets involved in discovering who he was, who killed him, and why. Trust is hard to come by, as everyone seems to lie or misrepresent themselves. The reader is pulled into Viv’s wild life, admiring her spunk and sharp repartee but worried for her safety. It’s not just bootleggers that take the law into their own hands, and Vivian both witnesses and is part of intense fight scenes. The no-nonsense woman who owns the Nightingale insists on being addressed as “Ms.,” some fifty years before the term is spelled that way. Pronounced “miz,” it gives women like her a freer identity. Freedom runs rampant at the Nightingale,

where Black, Irish, Jewish, Chinese and every other identity mix, where sexual preferences can be ambiguous, and where rich and poor mingle to blaring music, champagne, gin, and the ever-present amber liquid. As with the Nightingale club, the mystery plot crosses lines of class, gender, and ethnicity. This novel plays with our expectations and keeps our attention on every fast-moving page. The author’s note elaborates on Schellman’s research into the history of this volatile era. Highly recommended. Jinny Webber

THE DOLPHIN HOUSE Audrey Schulman, Europa, 2022, $27.00, hb, 308pp, 9781609457846

The Dolphin House is based on the true story of the 1965 Dolphin House experiment. In this story, Cora, a young deaf woman, finds that she has a strong connection to dolphins, particularly those being held captive in a lagoon that serves as a holding pen of sorts for gruesome experiments. Dr. Blum, the head researcher, discovers that Cora has an aptitude for communicating with and training the dolphins. In order to save the dolphins, she agrees to be part of an experiment where she lives with one of them in a type of pool house, called an “homarium,” and establishes a relationship while teaching the dolphin to speak English. The Dolphin House is a unique story, intriguing, while at the same time odd, strange, and a bit disturbing. The way it is written is distracting; there are long, meandering sentences that would be more appropriate as footnotes as well as a bulleted list. Despite this, I was drawn into the story, which is not only about the experiment, but also makes social commentary about disability and the demeaning treatment of women during this time. A novel that will definitely give readers food for thought. Andrea Connell

THIEVES OF PARIS Helen Schwartz, Independently published, 2021, $15.99, pb, 442pp, 9798527353198

Max has grown up on the Rothschild estate outside Paris, his mother a servant to the family. He feels a strong allegiance to the son who he played with as a child. It’s 1940, France has just surrendered to Germany, and Max has promised the Rothschild son he will save Baroness Betty, a valuable family portrait, from the Nazi art looters. In doing so he gets caught up with Zionists smuggling Jews out of Paris. I have to admit that I might have given up on this book after the first chapter if I hadn’t been reviewing it. There’s a lot of backstory and flipping back and forward in time, which was very confusing and required disentangling to follow. However, I’m glad I persevered because this is a fascinating and, at times, very exciting read. The author has done her research well, apart from one slip up about skunks (which are not found in the wild

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in Europe). We feel the fear and trepidation as Parisians emerge onto their streets after the Germans have taken over, and the desperation of Jewish people as they try to find work and food. We also see Max develop from a rather unpleasant thief (he’s spent time in prison for car theft) to a man with a conscience who wants to help his Jewish fellows. Rose Valland, the Frenchwoman who courageously kept a record of all the art looted by the Nazis, has a role in helping Max to become a better person and we get an insight into her work with a clever melding of fact with fiction. Overall, this was an enjoyable and informative novel with a beautiful cover, and it kept me page-turning to the end. V. E. H. Masters

M: SON OF THE CENTURY Antonio Scurati (trans. Anne Milano Appel), Harper, 2022, $29.99, hb, 784pp, 9780062956118 / Fourth Estate, 2021, £18.99, hb, 784pp, 9780008363192

Benito Mussolini prepares to speak to a small group of people in Milan’s Piazza San Sepolcro on March 23, 1919. His eyes have been opened. The Great War has set the stage for realignment: “those who were and those who will be.” He recognizes the future belongs to him and others like him. M: Son of the Century follows Mussolini from that speech in the early days of fascism to the one he makes before the Chamber of Deputies in Rome asserting his supreme power as prime minister in 1925. The narrative comes from many perspectives: those of fascists and their supporters, such as poet and WWI hero Gabriele D’Annunzio; socialists like the socalled Lenin of Romagna, Nicola Bombacci; and the king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III. Already an international bestseller, M has been translated into 40 languages. It is also highly prized. The novel won the most prestigious Italian literary award, the Strega Prize, in 2019. The language is exquisite, descriptive as well as lyrical. Characterizations are multilayered and complex. Observations of people and places are insightful. This is not an easy read, however. The writing is often dense with detail, and while historical details add resonance, they at the same time tend to slow down the action. Many of the characters are unfamiliar, leading to interruptions in reading to resolve the question: just who is this again? The popularity of the novel attests to its relevance. In these complex, dangerous times, readers seek understanding. M, the first of four novels about Mussolini from author Scurati, lifts the veil that hides the disaffected, their smoldering resentments, and the violent paths they choose. K. M. Sandrick

BEYOND THE WIRE James D. Shipman, Kensington, 2022, $15.95/ C$21.95, pb, 370pp, 9781496736710

There is no shortage of novels about the Holocaust, each of them recounting the 50

unspeakable horrors of Nazi extermination camps and the suffering of millions of Jews and others deemed subhuman by the Nazis. What is frequently overlooked in these novels, however, is the story of those prisoners who revolted against the Nazis, even when knowing their resistance was futile and could only end in their deaths. Shipman seamlessly blends historical fact with fiction as he recounts the 1944 revolt at Birkenau in the Auschwitz concentration camp in which 250 prisoners attempted to escape. Hundreds of miles behind German lines, surrounded by electrified fences, guard towers, hundreds of heavily armed SS soldiers, and an unfriendly civilian population, the revolt was doomed for failure. A few managed to escape the camp but were shortly recaptured. No one managed to gain freedom. That revolt is at the heart of this novel. When Jakub Bak arrives at Auschwitz, he is pressed into service as a Sonderkommando whose job is to sort through the clothing of prisoners killed in the gas chamber looking for valuables, then to move the bodies from the chamber to the crematorium. Only two things keep Jakub alive—his promise to his murdered father to survive and his love for Anna, a prisoner in the women’s camp. As the plot to revolt begins to take shape, Jakub is reluctantly drawn into it, as is Anna. While the plotters face impossible odds, they must also face the reality of Jewish informers who would sell them out to better their own circumstances and chances for survival. This is an authentic and gripping novel one should not miss; it is highly recommended. John Kachuba

FRONT PAGE MURDER Joyce St. Anthony, Crooked Lane, 2022, $26.99, hb, 304pp, 9781643858982

In this series debut set in WWII small-town Progress, Pennsylvania, we meet Irene Ingram, editor of her father’s newspaper, the Progress Herald. Much has changed in Irene’s young life: her fiancé is away at basic training about to be sent off to war, and her dad has decided that his calling is as a war journalist in the Pacific. Dad has wisely left the paper in Irene’s strong and smart hands—an unusual decision considering the pushback from some because Irene is young, female and inexperienced. But it becomes obvious that Irene can more than handle herself. When one of Irene’s reporters, the headstrong and often unmanageable Moe Bauer, is found murdered, and a Jewish shopkeeper is robbed and terrorized by a

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

stranger, Irene begins to recognize that something of a far more threatening nature is afoot in Progress. While Irene pens her stories of local interest, helps plant a victory garden, and gives her sister Lily support and guidance, she also investigates what seem like disparate but irrefutably connected pieces of a horrific story. As in many towns and cities across wartime America, there are undercover bunds popping up with insidious goals and spewing anti-Semitic hatred. Progress is not being spared. I was held in the grip of St. Anthony’s storytelling. The characters are marvelous creations, fully fleshed out with intensely personal feelings. Irene is a gem, but so are the secondary characters, particularly the women who are assertive and smart. Will these women passively return to their prewar roles when the men come home? Likely not! What first seemed to be a nice cozy mystery is far more and compels me to highly recommend it. There is a lot here to think about, and it’s done with a soft touch. Front Page Murder is well worth the read, and I look forward to the next installment. Ilysa Magnus

SINS OF THE FATHERS Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter, Skyhorse, 2022, $29.99, hb, 432pp, 9781510769427

Thebondsofearlyfriendshipsnapirrevocably for Friedrich Richard and Adolf Hitler in this meticulously researched and urgent sequel to Wolf by co-authors Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter. Sins of the Fathers begins in 1934 as Hitler achieves the chancellorship of Germany and enacts his plans for rearmament, expansion, and the purging of Jews from Germany. Bent on a personal vendetta from the first novel, Friedrich’s sketchy past continues to dog his heels as his actions raise questions among leading lights in the Nazi echelon. But as liaison to the Führer, Friedrich is under the protection of “Wolf,” whom he convalesced with in a WWI field hospital. Sealing their close ties are the deep secrets they share: Friedrich Richard’s amnesia from a bomb blast doesn’t allow his ancestry to be traced for “purity,” and the name he was given in hospital by a well-meaning doctor was from a dead German Jewish soldier. Adolf, on the other hand, suffered from a gas attack that blinded him; but hidden doctor reports diagnose Adolf as having suffered “hysterical blindness” with signs of psychopathy. Stern and Winter deftly bring to life both the monsters and the saviors of these years, a veritable who’s-who of pre-war Germany in the 1930s as they portray a friendship breaking on the rocks of anti-Semitism and megalomania. Disillusioned with a man he no longer recognizes, Friedrich goes undercover to help protect his Jewish friends and plan a military coup against Hitler. But after almost 20 years of amnesia, Friedrich experiences his first, shattering memories. As Sins climaxes into Kristallnacht, Friedrich experiences one last bomb blast from his unknown past. Historically

accurate and immersive, Sins of the Fathers is an intensely satisfying sequel sure to set up a smashing third act readers will eagerly await. Peggy Kurkowski

EVIL IN EMERALD A. M. Stuart, Berkley, 2022, $16.99, pb, 368pp, 9780593335482

In book three of this mystery series set in 1920s Singapore, British widow and suffragist Harriet Gordon is rehearsing in an amateur theatre production, only to find her amateur detective talents in demand after one of her fellow actors is murdered. As a reader, it was disheartening to be introduced to Harriet (not having read the first two books) as a woman whose “heart skipped a beat” in close quarters with a handsome man. No one would begrudge our heroine her thrill, but must it manifest as the cliché of clichés? If the reader is willing to overlook such prose, they’ll find Evil in Emerald moves along without much friction. The characters are generally likable and good, or unlikable and bad. Occasional respectable kisses and hugs throw in touches of romance. Stuart’s portrayal of colonial Singapore industry and politics creates a sturdy infrastructure for the book, with plenty of immersive details. The solving of the murders takes place too often, though, as dialogues in vague surroundings, with no action save perhaps a teacup being lifted or a beard being stroked. The theatrical element and Harriet’s backstory drew me to the book, but neither seemed to take a central role. Harriet herself is sidelined: hobbled by boring social concerns and a subplot that upstages the crimes she’s enlisted to solve. Well into the book, Harriet’s friend, Inspector Curran, is pulled into dangerous family secrets—not only his own, but his wife’s. Given the popularity of the first two of Stuart’s Harriet Gordon mysteries, and the mystery developing around Curran’s families, I suspect this volume is a bit of a dip, with better to come in future. Jean Huets

FOR THOSE WHO ARE LOST Julia Bryan Thomas, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 384pp, 9781728248547

Imagine being given 24 hours’ notice to evacuate your children or let them face the wrath of Nazi occupation. In June 1940, over 5,000 children were evacuated from Guernsey. Thomas’s focus is on the lives of two of them and the impact of this split-second decision. Amid chaos and anxiety at the harbor, islander Ava Simons reluctantly trusts her husband’s judgment in placing Henry, age nine, and Catherine, age four, in the care of Henry’s teacher. Childless Lily Carre trades places with her sister, Henry’s teacher. Taken with blonde, cherubic Catherine from the outset, Lily later watches Henry board the train for grimy industrial Manchester as she absconds with his little sister. We’re shocked she could

abandon Henry. Yet Thomas creates sympathy for Lily, who has been trapped in a violent, abusive marriage. She tells herself she is protecting this innocent child, hiding her real motive from even herself, having yearned for a daughter. She makes no effort to remind the child of her parents in Guernsey. Thomas’s extensive research realistically conveys life under Nazi occupation: harassment, isolation, medicine and food shortages, and constant fear of reprisal or impressment in a camp. Ava worries constantly about her children. One scene is particularly poignant as she picks up smooth rocks at the sea as Catherine does the same in Cornwall, not knowing why she collects rocks. And when the war ends, what then? I could empathize with the richly drawn characters, their grief and guilt. This is Thomas’s second novel (see also Penhale Wood) featuring a grieving mother searching for truth. What a compelling story of love, courage and forgiveness. Highly recommended. Gail M. Murray

THE FINDER OF FORGOTTEN THINGS Sarah Loudin Thomas, Bethany House, 2021, $15.99, pb, 352pp, 9780764238352

Summer 1932. Handsome 28-year-old Sullivan “Sulley” Harris drifts from town to town in West Virginia, claiming expertise as a dowser. When his well locations come up dry, he scampers away in the night. Sulley’s most recent victims elect schoolteacher Jeremiah Weber to run him down and retrieve the money they paid. At Sulley’s next stop, postmistress Gainey Floyd takes a liking to him and recommends him to a local fruit farmer desperate for more water. Sulley does find things—a misplaced watch, a lost coat button, underground water, and people gone missing. Gainey, attractive and charming but old enough to be Sulley’s mom, hides that as a teen she gave up her newborn son for adoption. Jeremiah has been evading a marriage of convenience to a local widow. These three main characters are drawn to the real-life greatest US workplace disaster. Able-bodied men flock to a dig site called Hawk’s Nest Tunnel. The mountain’s silica infects lungs, often disabling and then killing in mere months. Many dead are thrown into unmarked graves. Soon Sulley, looking for opportunity, snoops around the tunnel’s work camps. Gainey goes there to comfort workers taken ill. Jeremiah keeps following Sulley and meets Gainey. Thomas effectively presents the conditions

of the tunnel, the brutality of bosses, the laborers taken ill, and families wondering if sons or husbands will come back. Sulley, Gainey, and Jeremiah’s deepening connections to each other and those they help ring true. The novel would be stronger if shorter and with fewer repetitive descriptions and details—from lip biting to cart rides and coughing spasms. However, overall the journeys of the three main characters set against the tunnel disaster make for a hearttugging and interesting story. G. J. Berger

MURDER ON MADISON SQUARE Victoria Thompson, Berkley, 2022, $26.00, hb, 352pp, 9780593337066

Part of the fun of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight Mysteries series is delving into littleknown historical territory. In this book she explores the early world of electric cars—the technology that “might have been”—as well as the agony that was often caused by New York’s restrictive divorce laws. When a wealthy woman comes to private investigator Frank Malloy for help framing her husband for adultery so she can divorce him, Frank turns her away. However, he has some misgivings. The woman’s desperation piques his and his wife’s curiosity. When the husband in question, a manufacturer of electric cars, is killed soon after his wife’s inquiry, she seems to be the obvious culprit. Frank and Sarah Malloy along with their sidekicks, Gino and Maeve, investigate the matter and discover that the unhappily married woman isn’t the only one with reasons to murder her husband. When another murder occurs under the widow’s own roof, the foursome must act quickly before the body count increases. This book, like others in the series, is a quick and easy read with lots of surprises and playful banter between our likeable protagonists and their assistants, but it also deals with some dark subject matter. I won’t give away the main twist of the story, but suffice to say, readers won’t be weeping over the loss of the electric car manufacturer even if they do regret the untimely demise of the electric car so long ago. Trish MacEnulty

THE TWIST AND SHOUT MURDER Teresa Trent, Level Best/Historia, 2022, $16.95, pb, 212pp, 9781685120702

First in the Swinging Sixties mystery series, this is a light cozy murder mystery set in the small town of Camden, Texas, in 1962. Dot Morgan’s career choices as a young woman seem to be nurse, teacher, or secretary. Dot wants to go to business school, but it’s difficult for women to get admitted, so she opts for secretarial school. While attending classes, she encourages her father to run for city council. He ends up running against Anson Manning,

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wayward son of the town’s wealthiest family. Dot decides to join the Camden Ladies’ Club to try and gain political support for her father’s campaign. Unfortunately, she gets everything but help and is faced with a murder mystery when one of the town’s elite is found dead. This is an entertaining read full of smalltown politics, gossip, and scandal. Dot is a strong character who dreams of a career in business, a tough goal for women in the 1960s. The supporting cast is engaging and fun. While some of the characters are over the top, anyone who has lived in a small town knows that this is pretty close to reality. The mystery has some twists and turns, and I felt transported to the 1960s through music, movies, and social references. For example, Dot eats at a hamburger stand with golden arches for the first time and sees The Music Man in the theater. The ‘60s are just beginning, and so is this series. I look forward to more installments. Bonnie DeMoss

Yuri Vynnychuk (trans. Michael M. Naydan and Alla Perminova), Glagoslav, 2021, €19.99/£17.99, pb, 224pp, 9781914337284

If you think all East European novels are long, slow, and heavy, you have not encountered any of Yuri Vynnychuk’s historical crime stories. Set in 1938 in the Ukrainian city now known as Lviv, they read like novels set in Chicago or Los Angeles by Raymond Chandler or Mickey Spillane. The central character in The Night Reporter is Marko Krylovych, an investigative journalist who does his research after sunset in the drinking dens of Lviv. The book is written almost entirely in dialogue—quickfire exchanges with few speeches. Description is short and crisp. The story is about gangsters, corruption and murder. The women are beautiful and as ruthless as the men. Lviv, then Polish, is living in the shadow of the forthcoming war, and there are hints of this in the story, but basically this is a straightforward crime novel and a good one. Edward James

POLLAK’S ARM Hans von Trotha (trans. Elisabeth Lauffer), New Vessel, 2021, $16.95, pb, 160pp, 9781954404007

What would compel a man to dither about and ponder his past accomplishments rather than entrusting his life to friends, seeking shelter, and preparing for being spirited to safety? In this challenging situation, our protagonist muses about Rome’s cultural heritage and his own contributions rather than his security—and possibly life. This puissant metaphorical novella brings the reader into the horrific days as Rome falls under German occupation in the fall of 1943. Once viewed as sacred, and spared most ravages of the Second World War, Rome now witnesses its Jewish population suddenly being rounded up and transported to concentration camps. It is a time of upheaval. And so begins the demise of Austro-Czech classical archaeologist and museum director Dr. Ludwig Pollak. Preparing to be saved from deportation, Pollak recounts the many accomplishments of his classical life. The reader is immersed into that rich compendium of classical antiquities; including the enduring and engaging mystery of the incorrect replacement arm on a statue of Laocoön. Drama ensues as his savior attempts to focus his attentions on safety while Pollak appears distracted, as if almost afraid to vacate his own cultural past. If he leaves, will he lose his identity? This deeply personal and emotional narrative is sprinkled with numerous encounters with dukes, crown princes, barons, cardinals and popes, juxtaposed against a contemporary situation with past glories. It’s truly an exciting foray into antiquities, their preservation, restoration, and cataloguing but also a penetrating view of a human agonizing over an unprecedented state of affairs. It is clear that Pollak occupies a special place within this lexicon of experts, but are his musings for naught? Jon G. Bradley

THE NIGHT REPORTER

ALL THE WHITE SPACES Ally Wilkes, Atria/Emily Bestler, 2022, $27.00, hb, 368pp, 9781982182700 / Titan, 2022, £8.99, pb, 496pp, 9781789097832

Josephine chafes against the only role her parents and Edwardian society allow: lady. She envies her two older brothers, especially when they head off to war in France. Jo is kept informed by letters from their best friend and comradein-arms, Harry, who doesn’t downplay the horrors. When neither of her brothers returns, Jo convinces Harry to abscond and pursue her brothers’ planned adventure: accompanying James “Australis” Randall, legendary explorer, on his expedition to the Antarctic. Jo transforms herself into “Jonathan,” stowing away on the Fortitude, Randall’s ship. Once discovered, Jonathan does his best to prove invaluable as a “spare” hand so Randall will allow him to remain with the expedition. This new life is an exhilarating game to Jonathan, but Harry is cognizant of the danger. When tragedy occurs in the ice-packed Weddell Sea, the explorers must overwinter at an encampment built by a German expedition—one that vanished without a trace two years prior. There is something… unnerving about the abandoned camp, a place of things half-seen, things that begin to call as the permanent darkness of a long winter descends. In the vein of offerings such as Dan Simmons’ The Terror, this polar novel fosters the assumption that it’s nature one has to worry about—crevasses, storms, starvation, freezing. Yet that becomes the least of the expedition’s worries: it is the unnatural that threatens. Wilkes does an admirable job of building tension and using the claustrophobia of cabin fever to her atmospheric advantage. There’s a substantial cast, not all carefully drawn, but enough depth to allow for emotional investment in the main characters. The aftermath of war, isolation, secrets, an aurora at once beautiful and sinister—the novel

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

exploits these elements to create a creepy read for fans of all those frigid, white spaces. Bethany Latham

THERE WAS A TIME George H. Wittman, Casemate, 2021, $24.95, pb, 312pp, 9781636240442

In summer 1945, Major John Guthrie, though hoping for some R&R—possibly in Paris—after serving with the American OSS during the liberation of Europe, finds himself on another assignment in Kunming, China. Along with a small group proficient in French, he is parachuted into North Vietnam to work with Ho Chi Minh’s Viet Minh against the Japanese. While assisting the communists, they must deal with complex politics and other groups, such as the Vichy French, all vying for control of Indochina. However, while the Americans are under Washington’s instructions to offer no assistance to the French, they help Ho Chi Minh to oust the Japanese. Minh, in turn, uses this support to establish himself in Vietnam. The events of the narrative take place some twenty years before the Vietnam War. Despite working in the Indochina Branch in 1954, George Wittman, a former soldier and a CIA intelligence officer, acknowledges that he only heard of the OSS’s involvement with Ho Chi Minh years later. He bases his novel on actual events and has purposely chosen fictional characters for his narrative, incorporating his experiences from military service and covert operations. Hence this historical novel, written much like a thriller, holds our interest considerably more than a history text might. The at-times humorous dialogue and the descriptions of the settings transport us to the era. One can easily imagine a movie based on the novel’s scenes, with similar edge-of-theseat excitement. The novel aptly illustrates the ever-changing political relationships between nations and competing factions within them. It was a time when a friend could become a foe, and enemies could turn into friends. The novel should interest readers unfamiliar with events in Indochina during the closing days of WWII. Highly recommended. Waheed Rabbani

THE LUNAR HOUSEWIFE Caroline Woods, Doubleday, 2022, $28.00, hb, 320pp, 9780385547833

A novel within a novel is tricky business. For one thing, both stories must be compelling. Secondly, they should be mutually relevant, each one somehow illuminating the other. Fortunately, Caroline Woods succeeds on both fronts in this stylishly written novel set in the Cold War era. Louise Leithauser is a neophyte writer in New York City in 1953. Luckily, her boyfriend, Joe, is the co-founder of a hip, new literary magazine, and through this connection, she rubs elbows with the likes of Truman Capote and James Baldwin and even scores an interview with “Papa” Hemingway. Louise tries to hide her past as a waitress and her lower-class family background, but it turns

out that some of her literary friends have much worse things to hide. When she overhears a conversation, implying that certain editors are involved in some skullduggery with the CIA and FBI, she finds she can trust no one. With a brother missing in Korea, Louise has already begun to question the U.S. government’s role in international conflicts. The only way she can make sense of the situation is through writing what appears to be no more than a silly romance novel about a woman on the moon. But she soon realizes her book contains “things I didn’t even know I was writing about until I’d written them.” Both the suspense and the tongue-in-cheek, Hitchcockian tone propel events forward. The fact that the plot is inspired by “the true story of the CIA’s use of American arts and letters as propaganda during the Cold War,” as Woods explains in her author’s note, makes the book even more fascinating. Trish MacEnulty

M U LT I -P E R IOD THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE Kimberly Brock, Harper Muse, 2022, $26.99, hb, 478pp, 9781400234202

In this novel, author Kimberly Brock weaves a multigenerational story based on the supposed descendants of the real-life Eleanor Dare. Dare was the daughter of John White, colonial governor of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island at the end of the 1580s (in the present-day Outer Banks of North Carolina). History recorded only that Eleanor Dare gave birth to the first English child born in the colonies, Virginia Dare. Sometime later, all Roanoke colonists vanished, including Eleanor and Virginia. The main narrator is Alice Young, a 15thgeneration descendant of Eleanor. Alice’s daughter Pennilyn is about to turn thirteen and inherit the Dare legacy. However, the gift, which promises visions, contains untold stories of tragedies and betrayals. The story is set at the end of WWII, and Alice’s young husband has been killed overseas. Raising her daughter now alone, Alice decides to bring Penn back to Evertell, the family’s abandoned estate outside of Savannah, Georgia. Alice wants Penn to see her birthright, and Alice needs to confront old fears from her childhood. She also wants to retrieve Eleanor Dare’s Commonplace Book, which has been handed down through the generations and stowed away on the Evertell property. The author paces the plot well with vivid details that made me feel that I, too, was wandering the estate at Evertell. And I appreciated that the story was well researched as I read the pages from Eleanor Dare’s viewpoint as she flees from Roanoke Island to points unknown. The characters are unique and carry their own human flaws that make them come alive and feel believable. I rooted for each of them as they strove to find their place in a complicated family history. My

only wish is for a map showing Eleanor’s trek. Highly recommended. Linda Harris Sittig

ANDAL’S GARLAND Helen Burns, Odyssey Books, 2021, $14.99, pb, 290pp, 9781922311344

The telling of this story of the goddess Andal and her sensuous love poetry engages all the senses with a feast of colors, flavors, smells, and sounds of southern India. Modernday Marcus and Saisha make many spiritual journeys to India from their Australian home. Marcus, immersed deeply into his spirituality, chooses to free his mind and body through celibacy, leaving Saisha yearning for a child and physical intimacy. On one of their Indian trips, she buys an ancient book of poetry that enraptures her. Over 1200 years ago, Andal had poured out her love and yearning for the indigo-skinned god she desired into the songs and poetry that now Saisha keeps with her always. As she struggles with Marcus’s emotional and physical abandonment, Saisha plans a trip back to India on her own to Srivilliputtur, the birthplace of Andal, with the desire to “step into every celebration of her short life.” Centuries earlier, Visnucitta tends his luscious flower gardens, of which he gives as offerings to his god Lord Tirumal, a god of many names, among them Krishna, Narayana, Govinda, and who takes 1,008 forms. He and his wife, Varaji, have longed for a child. While out tending his gardens, he hears a cry. An infant laying in the red soil lifts her arms to him. Andal has arrived to be raised by this childless couple. She is the incarnation of the earth goddess. She grows up influenced and spellbound by her father’s songs and poetry. The story moves between Saisha’s exploration of spirituality and Andal’s mystical life. Both women’s stories equally hold interest. The plot is minimal and can become obscured under the weight of descriptive narrative and an overabundance of spiritual rituals, pageants, and ceremonies, but the writing is first rate. Anyone interested in India’s lore and spiritualism would enjoy this read. Janice Ottersberg

THE DRESSMAKER’S SECRET Lorna Cook, Avon, 2022, £7.99, pb, 378pp, 9780008379094

2018. Following the breakdown of her marriage, Chloe has decided to take a belated gap year in Paris, to work in a friend’s vintage clothes shop and try to find out what her grandmother isn’t telling her about the war years, when she worked for Coco Chanel and lived at the Ritz amid high-ranking Nazi officials and officers. 1941. Orphan Adele is grateful to Mademoiselle Chanel for keeping her on as her assistant when other staff members have been dismissed, but she is growing

increasingly uneasy about the lavish lifestyle of her employer, amid the hardships other French people experience during the Occupation. A chance encounter with an American doctor and her intervention in a tragedy she witnesses in the street could change her life forever. Lorna Cook’s fans will know what to expect from her latest novel: two slow-burning romances unfolding in parallel in different time periods. For once the historical strand is the stronger of the two, maybe because more is at stake, and I like the fact that Chanel is neither demonised nor whitewashed in Cook’s depiction of her. There are a few clumsy sentences, the odd grammatical error (mostly the usual suspects: may/might, who/whom, sat/ was sitting and one bizarre use of ‘she’ where ‘her’ would be correct) and the occasional malapropism (consensus, milieu, juxtaposition, salacious) that the copy-editor and/or proof-reader should have picked up on. I also find the occasional Americanisms grating (‘snuck’, ‘out the window’, ‘gift’ used as a verb), but that’s probably just me. The title too is misleading, bearing in mind that the dressmaker in question is a secondary character, and her secret is revealed in the first chapter. But on the whole, this is a well-written, engaging novel, a love letter to Paris past and present. Jasmina Svenne

THE UNRAVELLING (UK) / THE WOMEN OF PEARL ISLAND (US) Polly Crosby, HQ, 2022, £14.99, hb, 326pp, 9780008358457 / Park Row, 2021, $16.99, pb, 352pp, 9780778311140

This story, with episodes set in the 1920s, 1950s and 2018, is less a historical novel and more a beautifully rendered meditation on life and grief. In 2018, Tartelin Brown leaves everything behind for a job as assistant to an eccentric old woman. Marianne Stourbridge lives alone on an imaginary small island off the east coast of England. She is a lepidopterist: she studies butterflies and moths. But she uses a wheelchair. Miss Stourbridge trains Tartelin to use the ‘killing jar’, so she can trap butterflies for Miss Stourbridge’s studies. As she hunts for the lovingly described butterflies, Tartelin discovers that the island hides secrets—as does Miss Stourbridge herself. Conveniently for plot purposes, there is no electricity or phone signal on the island, cutting Tartelin off from everyone and everything she has known before. Readers initially learn more about Miss Stourbridge than does Tartelin, as the narrative is interspersed with episodes from Marianne’s earlier life. While Tartelin’s pursuit of secrets drives the plot forward, the book lingers on the atmospheric island, shimmering in the heat haze. It becomes a symbol for isolation, for

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life, death, difference and change. For anyone who has visited the east coast, with its military posts of the 1940s and 50s eroding into the sea, the island and its sense of abandonment and melancholy is vividly recognisable, more real than the story Crosby has spun around them. The historical aspect lies in the changing economic fortunes of England’s east coast that form the backdrop to Marianne’s long life. The characters live vividly through their individuality, emotions, and connection to the island. I was not surprised by any of the plot twists; they were clearly signalled. But I enjoyed my stay on the island, a world apart. Helen Johnson

ALL THAT WE HAVE LOST Suzanne Fortin, Head of Zeus, 2021, £8.99, pb, 9781800243781

It is 2019, and after her husband’s death Imogen Wren decides to follow their joint dream and move to France, against the advice of friends and to her ex-mother-in-law’s despair. The abandoned chateau in Brittany that Imogen manages to purchase possesses secrets from WW2. This narrative moves in alternate chapters between 1944 and 2019. Both narratives are equally engaging. Both are impressively plotted. They hold mysteries which cross from past to present and keep a reader glued to the page. The novel reminds us with the distance of time that not all German soldiers were bad people in themselves, though the Breton villagers do have long memories. The novel is, importantly, an ode to the courage of those who lost their lives aiding the Resistance. It is a beautiful story about courage, haunted by ghosts from the past. Imogen is cleverly constructed. She is a healing catalyst and, in turn, her broken heart is healed. The chateau’s restoration is a challenge, but she will discover that her father’s words ring true: Papa always told us that to be brave doesn’t mean you have no fear, it just means you can move forward in spite of that fear. This is an excellent dual-time novel and a memorable one. Readers who enjoy the genre will love it—as did this reviewer. Carol McGrath

THE DUST BOWL ORPHANS Suzette D. Harrison, Bookouture, 2022, $11.99/ C$15.99/£9.99, pb, 360pp, 9781803140803

When tragedy strikes on a nearly broken farm in Oklahoma in 1935, a family sets out for California along with thousands of other Dust Bowl migrants. Faith and her sister Hope have been separated from their family and left to fend for themselves or risk taking the help of fellow travelers. When Faith is forced into an impossible situation, the two girls flee to what they anticipate is finally a safe haven. As they try to reconcile themselves to a life without their family, they make a dreadful discovery that ultimately leads to a kind of redemption. In modern-day California, Zoe is 54

heartbroken and feeling adrift after realizing her husband is a cheat. She focuses all her energy on curating a photo exhibition to highlight the experiences of African-Americans who migrated to California during the Great Depression. While working on the exhibit, she sees a photo of a young woman who looks just like her. Determined to follow the trail of the photograph and see if she can fill in the blanks about her maternal grandparents, she tracks down several people in the photo. While she doesn’t end up finding the answers she was looking for, what she does find is surprising and heartwarming. Highlighting an overlooked gap in the historical record, this powerful tale of determination and survival is somehow both heartbreaking and uplifting. A very satisfying read. Shauna McIntyre

THE WEDDING VEIL Kristy Woodson Harvey, Gallery, 2022, $27.00, hb, 406pp, 9781982180713

This sweet multiperiod saga imagines the lives of four women linked by a wedding veil said to guarantee a happy marriage. For modernday Julia Baxter, the family’s heirloom veil gives her the courage to jilt a cheating fiancé. While Julia takes off for the British Virgin Islands to get a tan and flirt with a handsome architect, her widowed grandmother, Babs, uproots to a senior living complex to escape a house full of burdensome memories. As Julia and Babs encounter new love interests and explore new futures, alternating chapters explore Edith Dresser’s 1898 marriage to George Vanderbilt and her struggle, after his death, to raise her child and maintain his vast estate of Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. The most poignant storyline belongs to Cornelia Vanderbilt, the sheltered daughter of one of America’s richest families, who finds that marriage, children, and Biltmore are, in the end, not enough to satisfy her deep longing. As the four women find the courage to follow their dreams, the two timelines move toward solving the mystery of how a wedding veil very similar to the one Edith Dresser wore might have come into the hands of Babs’s mother. Harvey treats her subjects with gentle care, smoothing their trials with wisdom and hope. The history of Biltmore is a big part of the story, an inspiring monument to and constant financial drain on one of America’s most famous families. The women’s support and care for one another are the most appealing feature; Edith loves her daughter, even as Cornelia grows more restless, and Julia and Babs encourage each other in their new ventures. With its lavish central symbol and peek into Vanderbilt history, The Wedding Veil has a strong, sentimental allure.

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Misty Urban

AND BY FIRE Evie Hawtrey, Crooked Lane, 2022, $26.99, hb, 289pp, 9781643859934

Detective Inspector Nigella Parker of the Crime Investigation Directorate partners with London Metro policeman Colm O’Leary when first a wood effigy and days later an actual body are found burned at sites commemorating the Great Fire of London. In the days before and shortly after the fire in 1666, Margaret Dove, maid of honor to Queen Catherine of Braganza, and fireworks maker Etienne Belland investigate the murder of a friend and bookseller, his body found just outside the burning crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Writings from Christopher Wren himself describe his plans to raise St. Paul’s and London from the ashes of the fire by whatever means may be necessary. And By Fire neatly transitions from present to past, highlighting contrasts yet reinforcing similarities. The storyline resolves both a current and a historical mystery, juxtaposing modern day investigative techniques (CCTV footage, forensics) against the only tools available in 1666 (careful observation and scientific thinking) to reconstruct events and identify a culprit. Lead female characters operate in societies with decidedly different attitudes about their qualifications and roles, yet they must wrestle with familiar challenges: conflicts between personal and professional expectations, duty, and love. At the same time entertaining and enlightening, the narrative reveals how established monuments to the past sometimes keep inaccuracies alive and how largely forgotten events and figures can fester. K. M. Sandrick

THE NIGHT SHIP Jess Kidd, Canongate, 2022, £16.99, hb, 375pp, 9781838856502 / Atria, 2022, $28.00, hb, 400pp, 9781982180812

The Night Ship is based on the story of the Batavia, the Dutch East India ship which was wrecked on a group of coral reefs off the coast of Western Australia in 1629. Over the last 40 years it has been the subject of several books, telling the horrifying story of internecine murder among the survivors. Jess Kidd’s book is not principally about the shipwreck or its aftermath. The ship is not wrecked until page 255, and its history is only one of the two time streams. The Batavian time stream centres on a young girl, Mayken, who is travelling to the East Indies in the care of her nurse to join her father. The contemporary stream (1989) centres on Gil, an autistic Australian teenager who is sent to the islands where the Batavia was wrecked to join his grandfather, an elderly fisherman, after his mother’s suicide. The blurb says the fates of the two protagonists ‘are inextricably linked’, but I don’t see this, although there are echoes between the two sad tales. One can read them just as well as separate stories, both

very poignant and evocative. The beauty of the book is its sense of place, and they are bizarre places indeed, both of them squalid, uncomfortable and dangerous with some nasty inhabitants. The best passage is when Mayken escapes from her nurse to explore the dark, crowded, verminous lower decks of the great ship. Intercontinental travel was not for the faint-hearted. Edward James

THE MAYFAIR BOOKSHOP Eliza Knight, William Morrow, 2022, $16.99/£9.99, pb, 432pp, 9780063070585

Nancy Mitford comes to life on the page in this dual-timeline story about Nancy’s personal pursuit of happiness before and during WW2, and a modern-day book curator looking for her own direction in life. Although one of the ‘bright young things’ of London society and a successful novelist and socialite, Nancy Mitford’s life was far from straightforward. In The Mayfair Bookshop, we follow her disappointments in love and in writing, as well as the complex challenges presented by her siblings—most notably her sister Unity, a close associate of Hitler, and another sister, Diana, who left her husband for Oswald Mosley, the leader of the Fascist party in Britain. In the contemporary storyline, Lucy St. Clair, an American book curator and Nancy Mitford fan, jumps at the opportunity to work in the Heywood Hill Bookshop where Nancy worked in WW2, and hopes to track down the story behind the mysterious inscription written by Nancy in a first edition Lucy has inherited from her mother. Fact and fiction, and historical and contemporary settings, are neatly blended in this story. Nancy’s character engages, and the scenes of the blitz in London are particularly compelling. The ups and downs of Nancy’s marriage and her desire for children bring Mitford’s private life to the fore, but her writer’s journey is not forgotten as she writes anxious letters to friends such as Evelyn Waugh, worrying over her career. Although Lucy’s story is less compelling than Nancy’s, her detective work is enjoyable to follow as she seeks out a key friend of Nancy’s during her war work. Recommended. Kate Braithwaite

THIS FIERCE BLOOD Malia Márquez, Acre Books, 2021, $19.00, pb, 232pp, 9781946724441

Three generations of women are profiled in three different time periods, and three different places in the United States. They all have one thing in common: they are members of the Sylte family. The settings go from 19thcentury New England to early 20th-century Colorado, to present-day New England. The first woman, Wilhelmina, forms a strange and mysterious connection with a mountain lion, and feline presences affect the other two women as well. Josepa is a Hispanic healer targeted by a local priest for trying to help her

people. Ecologist Magdalena is surrounded by science and the mysteries it both solves and leaves unsolved. Glimpses of their lives open the reader to vivid places and times, from the stoic farmers of the East to the Southwesterninfused society of Colorado. The women’s stories are about more than the land or its creatures. They are about how passions for work and family demand to be fulfilled, and more, how our brief lives are filled with the terrible beauty of romantic love, and the comfort and pain of children and family both. Márquez’s prose is both beautiful and addictive as it carries the reader away into past times and through the hopes, dreams, and tragedies of one family’s women. Xina Marie Uhl

I, MONA LISA Natasha Solomons, Hutchinson Heinemann, 2022, £14.99, hb, 384pp, 9781786330109 / 2022, $28.95, hb, 400pp, 9781529151299

I, Mona Lisa is a beautiful love story. It is historical, beginning during the Italian Renaissance, and is narrated from the firstperson point of view. The surprising opening of the novel informs the reader that the narrator is none other than Da Vinci’s portrait of the Mona Lisa. At first, it seemed strange to be reading from the point of view of a painting. However, I was quickly hooked. The character of Mona Lisa is strong, and in this story, she has a voice that can be heard not only by the reader, but also by a very few artists. Her creator, Leonardo Da Vinci, takes her with him throughout his life, and she witnesses his meetings with other artists, kings, and pontiffs throughout the Renaissance period. The story is narrated in chronological order, although at certain points the narrative circles back through time. This was the only aspect of the novel that I thought was not needed, as I felt it interrupted the flow. However, it certainly did not spoil my enjoyment of this unusual novel. Anaspectofthewritingthatisreallybeautiful is the use of imagery throughout. Solomons’ use of language is poetic and artistic, for example: ‘Bowls of heaped mulberries lay on the table, their seeping juices staining the wood and everyone’s mouths and blackening their lips and teeth so they leered like lepers’. Beautifully sensual descriptions bring alive the Italian countryside, and the cultural world during the Renaissance and beyond. Reading this novel was a fascinating way to learn about Da Vinci’s close associates, and his competitors, for example, Michelangelo. This is a beautiful love story, begun in the 16th century, about the enduring relationship between the artist and his creation. Also, it is a love story to art and artists. Bridget Walsh

THE DOOR-MAN Peter M. Wheelwright, Fomite, 2022, $16.95, pb, 384pp, 9781953236470

The Door-Man is a complicated novel comprising human and natural history, fact

and fiction—and large quantities of all of them. It is strongly regional, mostly set in New York City and upstate New York. Based on historic events, its timeline encompasses most of the 20th century, and its elaborate chart of family relationships includes both “lineages by birth” and “lineages by belief & circumstance.” The town of Gilboa is located in the Catskills southwest of Albany. In the 1920s, while constructing a dam and reservoir to supplement the NYC water supply, workers discovered many enormous, fossilized trees dating from the Devonian period (about 385 million years ago): the world’s oldest known petrified forest. The episode caused contention and had personal and political repercussions involving a wide cast of country and city characters, who provided the inspiration for Wheelwright’s ambitious novel. Our narrator is Piedmont Livingston Kinsolver III (one of many memorable names here, including Lincoln Lincoln, Reasonable Pelt, and Rembrandt Stikkey). He’s both an actual doorman near Central Park and a man who opens doors into the intricate story of three interrelated families both scarred and enlightened by the flooding of Gilboa. The novel jumps back and forth in time between 1917 and 2013, with occasional glances at the Devonian period. In a nutshell (or a fern spore), The DoorMan reminds us that everything is connected, from a glass of water in Manhattan to the origins of life on earth. The nephew of environmental guru and writer Peter Matthiessen, Wheelwright is something of a Renaissance man: architect, professor, and novelist. In The Door-Man he has created an impressive structure of fiction and nonfiction, both of which contribute to its power, grace and truth. Susan Lowell

THINGS PAST TELLING Sheila Williams, Amistad, 2022, $25.99, hb, 352pp, 9780063097070

Momma Grace could be as old as 112; no one knows her real age for sure, but there is no question that she has lived a long and eventful life. Born in Nigeria in the mid-18th century, she is captured in a harrowing raid with her sister when she is eleven years old. Aboard a slave ship headed for the Caribbean, she is renamed Maryam, her real name never to be spoken again. She is forced to grow up fast and faces the abuse and trials a child should never have to endure. She is briefly free, taken in by an African pirate named Caesar, only to be recaptured and sold to a plantation owner in Virginia. Resilient and refusing to be broken, she learns how to heal people and becomes a midwife. Though still enslaved, these skills are very valuable and earn her a bit more freedom than others experience. She eventually finds love but has many losses in her life and has to start over again and again. This is a truly character-driven novel that explores how people define themselves, the creation of family and home, and the

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importance of memory and language. The descriptions of what a human can endure are vivid and raw, but so are Maryam’s triumphs. This is a very personal and emotional story based on historical figures and stories passed on to the author by her grandmothers. Fans of historical epics won’t be able to put this book down. Janice Derr

T I M E SL I P A RIP THROUGH TIME Kelley Armstrong, Minotaur, 2022, $27.99/ C$36.00, hb, 352pp, 9781250820006

Armstrong’s novel requires the suspension of disbelief: a woman nearly murdered and left for dead wakes up 150 years earlier. Just before she’s attacked in an Edinburgh alley in 2019, Police Detective Mallory Atkinson has fleeting images of a girl in the same alleyway wearing period dress and crying for help. She awakens in a strange bed in the body of that very woman, Catriona Mitchell, a maidservant in Edinburgh in 1859. The murder mysteries each feature a hemp rope used to strangle victims. Although this story resembles Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series with time-travel in Scotland and modern knowledge of medicine brought to the earlier period, Mallory finds herself in mid-Victorian times rather than Jacobite. She wants to return to her own era, her dying grandmother in Edinburgh, and her job in Canada. But she doesn’t know how, so as Catriona, she may as well learn about 19th-century forensics and perhaps help her employer, Dr. Gray, a physician/undertaker, and his detective friend, in solving murders. She develops a friendship with her employer’s sister, a chemist. Mallory discovers that pretty as Catriona was and just nineteen, her character was dubious. Can Mallory rectify the damage she’s done, while blaming her personality change on the attack, which affected her memory? What if Catriona is now in her body, wreaking havoc on her 21stcentury life? Besides being a dual-time murder mystery, A Rip Through Time is a psychological thriller. Armstrong’s varied characters, lively writing style, and complex plot tempt us to binge read. In Catriona’s body, Mallory observes limitations of the class system; prejudices, as Dr. Gray is half Indian; and particularly what’s allowed women in Victorian England, and how they connect female stereotypes in fiction. The ending suggests a sequel, which I look forward to. Highly recommended. Jinny Webber

HEX Jenni Fagan, Polygon, 2022, £10.00, hb, 101pp, 9781846975684

At 12 noon on 4 December 1591, fifteenyear-old Geillis Duncan was hung as a witch in Edinburgh. She was one of over 70 people, mainly women and girls, who were implicated and executed in the North Berwick witch trials. 56

In Jenni Fagan’s novel, Iris comes to Geillis from 2021, via a séance and astral travel, to hear her story of brutal torture on the last night of her short life. Geillis is Iris’s ancestor, and they hold ‘a conversation between witches across time’. The 11 short chapters of this slender book parcel out the half hours of the night as Geillis and Iris stave off the relentless approach of morning with accounts of themselves, and care for each other. Geillis describes how her employer David Seaton and nine other local men accused and tortured her. She claims that Seaton wanted someone to denounce the heiress Euphame MacCalzean so that he could get his hands on her money. Euphame was burnt at the stake at the beginning of 1591, on the testimony of the brutalised Geillis. The vicious atmosphere of fear of women is stoked by King James. Iris tells Geillis that modern women are still being abused and killed, having their souls clipped, and bestowing their lives to this world, ‘most often unseen’. Geillis and Iris discuss how ‘women dim their light lest they be offensive to men’. Fagan gives us extraordinary images, such as a vision of hundreds of witches sailing in cauldrons in Berwick Bay or a patchwork of flayed women’s skin breathing and pulsing on the ceiling of the dungeon. Silence is complicity, and Geillis tells the truth of Seaton’s motives and violence to a priest and calls it out to the crowd who have come to be entertained by the hangings, but nobody listens. Written in lucid prose, no word is wasted in this taut story. Hex is an extraordinary prose poem to the brutality, abuse, and repression of women through centuries to the present. Tracey Warr

H I STOR IC A L FA N TA SY WRIT IN BLOOD Julie Bozza, LIBRAtiger, 2021, $20.00, hb, 328pp, 9781925869309

The Wild West gets a queer retelling in this inventive historical with a hint of fantasy. Three point-of-view characters based on real white men of the 1880s—Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Johnny Ringo—cross paths again and again on their way to the vivid setting of Tombstone, Arizona. With robberies, arrests, skirmishes, card games, and sex stitching it all together, the plot follows the basic historical facts but isn’t the point of Bozza’s novel. Instead, she delves into her characters’ personalities and secret demons, offering creative insights into men who have passed into legend. In Bozza’s hands, lawman Earp suffers from ennui and yearns to settle down with his wife and brothers. “I’m tired of arresting people for things I don’t care about,” he complains. Gambler Holliday is a Shakespeare-quoting bisexual whose touching bromance with Earp proves a bone of contention with commonlaw wife Kate Elder, a well-to-do prostitute.

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Outlaw Ringo, a hard-drinking loner and poet, has visions in which he couples with a handsome spirit he fears is the devil incarnate come to claim his soul for killing a man. The three narratives wind slowly together toward the inevitable Gunfight at the O.K. Corral of 1881, which is over in what Earp calls “the grimmest half-minute” of his life. But the famous gunfight isn’t really the novel’s climax, with more than a fourth of the book remaining after the shootout. The pace doesn’t drag, though, because readers care about the men involved—especially tortured Ringo, whose grim end delivers a gut-wrench. What could have added to the novel is a keener sense of the women in the historical record; the author gives intriguing glimpses of their independence, but they come off flat compared to the fleshed-out men. Paula Martinac

THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT Mary F. Burns, Word by Word Press, 2022, $13.95, pb, 375pp, 9798402398092

This is the fourth book in the John Singer Sargent/Violet Paget mystery series. The amateur sleuthing pair of artist John and writer Violet, who wrote under the name Vernon Lee, make a great combination. These lifelong friends are drawn into an archaeological mystery when John receives a package from an acquaintance, Moses Shapira. Shapira had recently been accused of promoting a fake manuscript of the ten commandments, with an eleventh commandment added! Is the package of leather strips that John received an original, or is it a fake? Not long after receiving the package, John and Violet learn of a suicide that could actually be a murder. In alternating chapters, we follow Moses Shapira as he discovers and tries to verify the manuscripts, and Violet and John as they investigate a possible murder and the origin of those same artifacts. This book can be read as a standalone. The duo of John and Violet as amateur investigators is delightful. Their friendship and Violet’s insight make for an entertaining read. Their travels revolve around the arts and their investigation. Violet is an excellent narrator, and the book includes snippets about her work and John’s paintings. The fact that they were real-life friends who traveled extensively makes the books even more authentic. The mystery is intriguing and multi-layered. With Moses, we travel with Bedouin guides into the deserts of the Middle East, searching for treasures. With Violet and John, we visit Rotterdam and search for clues into a mysterious death. This is a captivating and multi-layered mystery with absolutely endearing main characters. Bonnie DeMoss

FLINT AND MIRROR John Crowley, Tor, 2022, $26.99, hb, 256pp, 9781250817525

John Crowley’s Flint and Mirror brims with

fascinating, well-crafted history. Sadly, the accompanying magic feels less essential. The story is primarily set in 16th-century Ireland following Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the English throne. Her father, Henry VIII, had already begun England’s shift to Protestantism and conquest of Ireland. Much of its population remained staunchly Catholic, however, and Elizabeth sought to finish bringing the isle to heel. Crowley’s protagonist is Hugh O’Neill, heir to a line of Irish royalty. Flint and Mirror tells the tale of O’Neill’s long life in a short span of pages, chronicling his early days as an English ward—brought to London under the premise that “like an eyas [nestling] falcon, a young Irish lord if taken early enough might later come more willingly to the English wrist”—his rise to power in Ireland, and his eventual rebellion against his former colonial benefactors. There’s much to admire here, especially the prose. Yet Crowley casts Flint and Mirror as a historical fantasy without making the fantasy consequential. The two objects in the title are magical artifacts given to O’Neill during his youth. One is of Irish origin; the other, English. But despite suggestions that they might allow him to summon mythical allies to his aid or spy on his enemies, we never see him wield these powers in meaningful fashion. Mostly, the magic in Flint and Mirror serves the symbolic function of explaining O’Neill’s conflicting loyalties (and perhaps doubles as a larger metaphor for Ireland’s fraught relationship with England). To repeat, though, Crowley’s writing is beautiful—more than good enough to keep me going through the sections where I wondered whether Flint and Mirror should have been straight historical fiction. Genre quibbles aside, this is a book worth reading in full. Nick Wisseman

WRATH GODDESS SING Maya Deane, William Morrow, 2022, $27.99/£20.00, hb, 464pp, 9780063161184

Buckle up for the Fall of Troy once again, this time reimagined through the eyes of Achilles, who grew up as male-to-female transgender and is transformed into the female warrior demigod daughter of Athena. A l m o s t drowned as a child while raised by her vicious Myrmidon family, she lives for two years on Skyros with the Aphrodite-protected transgender priestesses known as kallai and finds love in the arms of Damia, their princess.

Athena intervenes, turning her body female just as Odysseus comes to recruit her in the Greeks’ thousand-ship endeavor to return the kidnapped Helen. Achilles jumps on board, and the rest is (rediscovered) history. There are scores to be settled, loves both carnal (with Agamemnon and the warrior Brisewos) and platonic (with cousin Patroklos and his Egyptian sorceress wife Meryapi, whose banter with Achilles is especially enchanting and lends levity to some grim proceedings), many battles to be fought, even motherhood. And behind all, the gods: looming, revealing mysteries and ever conniving in their blood-soaked schemes. They have a worthy adversary. The wine-dark sea takes on extra luminescence in this stunning re-creation of the Fall of Troy. Deane’s Achilles is unforgettable, as are her deep ties to friends and enemies alike. Written in the brilliant tradition of Mary Renault, Wrath Goddess Sing achieves its own epic standing. A tour de force not to be missed. Highly recommended. Eileen Charbonneau

ALL THE SEAS OF THE WORLD Guy Gavriel Kay, Berkley, 2022, $28.00, hb, 528pp, 9780593441046 / Viking Canada, 2022, C$36.00, hb, 528pp, 9780735244719 / Hodder & Stoughton, 2022, £22.00, hb, 512pp, 9781529385175

Rafel ben Natan and his business partner, Nadia bint Dhiyan, have been hired by two ‘fiercely dangerous’ corsairs to help assassinate the khalif of Abeneven. This sets in motion a series of events, which culminates in the capture of the corsairs’ city by a combined fleet from the cities and nations upon which they have mercilessly preyed during their savage careers. How this happens is revealed by following the progress of Rafel and Nadia as they struggle to negotiate, and survive, the perils they encounter. This is historical fantasy, set in a world similar in many respects to the Mediterranean Sea and its bordering states. Kay has explored it in earlier eras, starting with his equivalent to the early Byzantine Empire in Sailing to Sarantium (1998); here events are set later, just after the fall of Constantinople in the late 15th century. Spain and its Inquisition, rival Italian city states, an aggressive Ottoman Empire, Janissaries, corsairs raiding from North African ports, persecution of Jews: all have their readily identifiable equivalents,

and this approach to the material allows Kay to explore the wider political context with greater freedom. This is an involving novel, full of thoughtful insights, particularly into how coincidence can influence the outcome of events. Stylistically, it tends to be discursive as a result, but the focus upon Rafel and Nadia (or Lenia Serrana, when she reclaims the name she bore before her abduction and slavery) not only provides a helpful narrative link to guide us through a complex world, but also shows the impact of these wider issues upon ordinary people, those innocents who suffer from wars, raids, religious prejudice, abduction, slavery, repression, and harsh punishments. It was a cruel age. Highly recommended, and a timely reminder of the need to oppose injustice and oppression whenever it emerges. Ray Thompson

QUANTUM GIRL THEORY Erin Kate Ryan, Random House, 2022, $28.00, hb, 272pp, 9780593133439

Based loosely on the December 1946 disappearance of Paula “Paul” Welden, this novel muses on Paul’s many possible lives after her disappearance, and her efforts to remain undetected. In 1961, drawn by a ‘missing’ poster for a young white girl (confusingly nicknamed Paul), Mary Garrett finds herself in small-town Jim Crow South, enticed by the hope of temporary food and lodging while she imparts her visions to grieving parents, as she’s done many times before. Danger threatens in the form of a menacing local sheriff as Mary divines too much, including a connection to two missing Black girls. This is a disturbing book, edgy, raw, a difficult, sometimes frustrating read which is open to interpretation as to context and meaning. Mary is a lost soul, plagued by memories of hers and/or Paul’s previous lives. Although she evokes pity, she is not a sympathetic character and is easy to dislike in a cast of unlikeable people. In her visions Mary sees flashes of family history, often unpleasant, often involving indictments of parents. The novel uses time with abandon, making it hard to keep track of where we are and with whom. The crossover between Mary’s personal memories and those of the missing girls blurs the line between reality and the imaginary. Fortunately, the chapters delineate name, place, and date. It doesn’t do to overthink the novel, as its maze-like complexity hinders most attempts to unmask its secrets. I could find no fault with the quality of the writing, which overflows with an unrelentingly harsh but profound truthfulness about humanity, but my overall impression is that the author is the only one who knows what is going on. I was left as baffled by the end as I am by the science of quantum physics, and the conclusion provided no satisfactory resolution for me. Fiona Alison

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C H I LDR E N & YOU NG A DU LT LOYALTY Avi, Clarion, 2022, 9780358248071

$16.99,

hb,

352pp,

One spring day in 1774, thirteen-year-old Noah Cope watches members of the Sons of Liberty drag his father from their Massachusetts home and tar and feather him for being loyal to the King of England. After Noah’s father dies of his injuries, the Sons of Liberty return for Noah, beating him brutally when he cannot reveal the names of the town’s other secret Loyalists. Noah and his family then flee to Boston where they believe the British Army will protect them. To earn money to support his family, Noah takes a job at a tavern frequented by John Hancock and Samuel Adams and passes information he overhears to the British Army. He befriends a fellow employee, a free Black boy named Jolla, who challenges him to question everything he’s grown up believing. In Loyalty, Avi has taken a unique position on the American Revolution: Both sides were wrong. Through Noah’s eyes, readers see the brutality the Sons of Liberty perpetrated against anyone who disagreed with them but also the oppression wrought by the British. Noah’s friendship with Jolla makes him question how both sides can claim to support liberty while they both enslave Blacks. Avi compels readers to see beyond the traditional black-and-white narrative of the Revolution, and his depictions of the misinformation that spread on both sides feels current. While the formal writing style is period appropriate, it holds readers at arm’s length, making this book more suited for advanced middle-grade readers than for reluctant readers. Parents may also want to be aware of graphic violence in several scenes. Overall, however, this book is a timely, thoughtprovoking piece from a middle-grades master. Sarah Hendess

LONG ROAD TO THE CIRCUS Betsy Bird, illus. David Small, Knopf, 2021, $16.99/C$22.99, hb, 246pp, 9780593303931

1920. Twelve-year-old Suzy Bowles lives on a farm in Burr Oak, Michigan, with her large family including her grumpy granny, annoying slightly older brother, and lovesick older sister. She doesn’t understand why so many of her friends and family are content to spend their lives in the same nowhere place; Suzy wants to travel the world. When her “lazy” uncle, who managed to get 58

out of town, moves home with a wife and baby, she is dumbfounded—but he wakes early every morning to go somewhere and doesn’t get home until lunchtime. Why? Suzy follows him and learns that he is training on ostrich to pull a cart next to a horse. The ostrich, named Gaucho, is one of a flock of ostriches owned by the remarkable Madame Marantette who, as a younger woman, raced horses and traveled with a circus. Eventually, Suzy weasels her way into this experiment and learns to ride Gaucho. But will they be able to get the rascally Gaucho to trot beside a horse by the time of the county fair parade? and will Suzy ever get out of Burr Oak? Suzy’s narration is strong and colorful, using time-appropriate phrases like “hunky-dory” and “crew of biddies.” She is a tough, strongwilled character that readers will cheer for, and her quirky family, friends (and animals!) make for a great cast. I was surprised to discover in the end material that Madame Marantette was based on a real person of the same name who did ride in the circus and (spoiler alert!) train an ostrich to pull a cart next to a horse. A delightful read. Ages 8-12. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

MEDUSA Jessie Burton and Olivia Lomenech Gill, Bloomsbury, 2021, £14.99, hb, 224pp, 9781408886939

Fourteen-year-old Medusa is living happily on the shores on the edge of Night until she accidentally angers the goddess, Athena. Athena punishes Medusa by turning her hair into live, writhing, venomous snakes. An outcast, Medusa flees with her dog and two sisters, and they live alone on an island for four years. Then a boy called Perseus and his dog sail up, and Medusa’s life changes dramatically. This is best-selling author Jessie Burton’s retelling of the Medusa Greek and Roman myth from Medusa’s point of view, with powerful illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill. The myth might be well known, but Burton’s feminist reiteration gives it an extra spin, dissecting themes of abuse, power, sexism, familial and romantic love and the tyranny of beauty. It will certainly cause debate among 11-year-olds, who the book is recommended for, but also widens the appeal to older readers. On the island, Medusa is desperate to speak to Perseus, but does not want to show herself. She may be coming to terms with her snakes, who are named and react to her emotions, but she is certain Perseus won’t. She remains hidden in a cave, as an intrigued Perseus sits at the entrance. They strike up a friendship, hidden from Medusa’s sisters, telling each

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

other about their lives. Love starts to develop, but then Perseus’s real mission is revealed. The denouement is powerful. Great for fans of Madeline Miller and Natalie Haynes. This is one of those special books that you will want to keep on your shelves or hand down to younger generations. Kate Pettigrew

THE WEEK AT WORLD’S END Emma Carroll, Faber & Faber, 2021, £12.99, hb, 308pp, 9780571364435

This middle-grade novel is set in October 1962, when the world was on tenterhooks, waiting to know whether it would continue to exist due to the Cuban missile crisis, a time and subject rarely tackled in children’s literature (the only exception that comes to mind being David Almond’s The Fire-Eaters) and very relevant in today’s international situation. The reference to ‘world’s end’ in the title refers both to this threat and to World End’s Close, the local context for the action of the story. Stevie finds a mysterious stranger in the coal shed, and the well-constructed plot involves unravelling their identity against the background of concerns about what is happening in the wider world. The father of Stevie’s friend Ray is an African American working at a local airbase, and this enables the interweaving of references to American culture and politics, including the growing civil rights movement, into the story. Attitudes towards the political situation on the part of different characters form a strong thread throughout the novel. Ray’s father’s faith in President Kennedy is severely shaken. Stevie’s sister Bev becomes a strong supporter of peace protests and brings family and friends along with her. Most significantly, Stevie herself finds her voice after reading a letter left for her by her late father in which he explains about the illness that led to his death and encourages her to speak out publicly about what she believes in. From the start, period details are wellevoked by mentions of contemporary furniture and fashions, Mods and Rockers, Lambretta scooters, listening to the Beatles on the radio, watching Z-Cars on television and a number of cinematic references. The warm relationships between the well-drawn characters and the conversational style mean that, although the subject matter is serious, this is not a heavy read. Ann Lazim

BILLIE SWIFT TAKES FLIGHT Iszi Lawrence, Bloomsbury, 2021, £6.99, pb, 320pp, 9781472988171

The year is 1941. In a field near her home, twelve-year-old Billie Swift witnesses the crash of a Spitfire fighter plane. Billie has a huge interest in aircraft and indeed would love to become a pilot. It is therefore not surprising that Billie becomes fixated on a question: has the pilot survived the crash? Seeking

an answer to this question, Billie visits the airfield at White Waltham. By lying about her age, she succeeds in joining the ATA, the Air Transport Auxiliary, whose pilots had the task of delivering aircraft to combat bases. At this stage of the book, the credulity of the reader is tested to the limit. Billie’s mother apparently believes she is still at school, while in reality she is learning to fly combat aircraft. Billie notices that one of the ATA pilots is behaving suspiciously. For a start he has a car which is much more expensive than his position would suggest. And when Billie searches his car she finds a list of many different foods, suggesting that he is engaged in black market trading. The remainder of the novel explains how Billie progresses in the ATA. The text contains a great deal of information about the different aircraft the ATA pilots were ordered to fly, the different characteristics of the different planes. It also describes the relationships developing between the members of a service whose efforts were crucial in the war. It emphasises, for example, the difference in the wages paid to male and female pilots. Lawrence provides a glossary of the reallife people mentioned in the book. Rebecca Butler

THE SILENT UNSEEN Amanda McCrina, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2022, $18.99, hb, 320pp, 9780374313555

Making her way back to her Polish village in 1944 after years of forced labor under the Nazis, 16-year-old Maria hides from Soviet troops in an abandoned hayloft, where she witnesses them shoot a prisoner and in return, she kills all but one soldier. The wounded prisoner is Kostya, a courier for a Ukrainian nationalist group who has endured the violent bullying of both his cousin, a commander, and his cousin’s rival within the group. Not knowing that the wounded teenager is Ukrainian and the sworn enemy of the Poles, she rescues him and shortly afterward meets up with her older brother, Tomek, who she’d believed to be dead but is a London-trained secret resistance operator known as a “silent unseen” for the Polish Home Army. Tomek believes he can use Kostya to gain leverage with the Ukrainian resistance against the Soviets, but when he disappears on a mission to connect with Kostya’s cousin, Maria and Kostya, who have become attracted to each other, journey together through a war zone to find him. In this companion to her acclaimed Traitor, McCrina makes complex histories and alliances accessible to readers of middleschool age and up. With fast-paced action and vivid description to satisfy fans of war novels, and psychological intrigue to engage readers of spy fiction, this novel will appeal to a broad audience. This is a smart book with characters readers will root for, not only Maria and Kostya (and their unlikely romance) but also Tomek and other resistance fighters and allies who manage to hold onto their

humanity in the face of extreme cruelty and violence. Observers of today’s conflicts involving Russia and the sovereign countries of the former Soviet Empire will appreciate this novel’s exploration of the roots of those conflicts. Lyn Miller-Lachmann

THE VALLEY OF LOST SECRETS Lesley Parr, Bloomsbury, 2021, £6.99, pb, 288pp, 9781526620521

Twelve-year-old Jimmy and his naïve younger brother, Ronnie, are evacuated from wartime London to the safety of a small rural mining village in Wales. Surrounded by strangers in this tight-knit community, Jimmy is reluctant to bond with the kind couple who house them. Jimmy is homesick, protective of Ronnie, and is challenged by his unreliable friend and a surprising new ally. When he discovers a skull hidden in a tree his world becomes scarier as the mystery is unravelled. This is a beautifully written fast-paced story that grips the heart with the myriad of emotions these rehomed children experience. Poignant for today’s young reader, as the wartime drama highlights the horror, and the effect global events have on every aspect of these young people’s lives. The setting is easy to visualise, as is the contrast with the city life they have left behind. The village culture and pace are so different from what these children are used to, which is another divide for some of the villagers and Jimmy to bridge, understand and build trust. Many topics are addressed as Jimmy’s story is revealed, such as: bullying, bigotry, anxiety, loss, the burden of secrets kept, and changing friendships. All are sensitively explored as the adventure unfolds. The totally credible characters capture reader empathy as the issues are explored honestly, but ultimately the book leaves the reader with understanding as prejudices are overcome, lies are uncovered and the mystery of a death that has shadowed a life for years is explained and resolved. This heartfelt novel entertains young and older readers alike, leaving a lasting impression of hope. I think it will do so for many years to come. Highly recommended. Valerie Loh

NORTHWIND Gary Paulsen, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2022, $17.99/C$23.99, hb, 246pp, 9780374314200

In his author’s note, three-time Newbery Honor winner Paulsen says he was working on this story his entire life. Inspired by Paulsen’s grandmother’s tales of her native Norway and his own sailing journey up the west coast of North America, Northwind takes readers on a classic Paulsen adventure. At an undefined point during Viking times, a twelve-year-old orphan named Leif lives with a group of abandoned sailors in a land inspired by both Norway and the American

Northwest. When a cholera outbreak sweeps through the camp, Leif flees aboard a canoe, heeding an old man’s advice to keep traveling north. As he paddles farther and farther north, Leif encounters bears, whales, whirlpools, and hunger, each time finding the strength and resourcefulness to protect himself and to grab hold of that most slippery of emotions: joy. This lyrical bildungsroman does hearken back strongly to Paulsen’s best-known book, Hatchet—especially in the scene where Leif learns to adjust for refraction when spearfishing—but Northwind is much more ethereal and less concrete, written in a style somewhere between traditional prose and a novel-in-verse. And Leif’s journey is different from that of Brian’s. Rather than trying to get home, Leif is searching for home. Due to its mystical style, Northwind may not appeal to middle-grade readers as widely as some of Paulsen’s other works, but adults who grew up on Paulsen’s tales of adventures should definitely take a look. The literary world lost a giant when Paulsen died last year, but with Northwind, he left a beautiful parting gift. Highly recommended. Sarah Hendess

THE ROYAL REBEL Bali Rai, illus. Rachael Dean, Barrington Stoke, 2021, £6.99, pb, 131pp, 9781781129425

Subtitled ‘The Life of Suffragette Princess Sophia Duleep Singh,’ this book relates this remarkable true story from the protagonist’s point of view. Sophia Duleep Singh was rarely referred to in histories of the British women’s suffrage movement before the 2015 publication of a biography by Anita Anand. Sophia’s grandfather was a powerful and respected ruler in the Punjab. Due to British imperialism, her family was driven away from India and moved to England, where Queen Victoria became her godmother. The first section of the story takes place in England between 1884 and 1893. Readers gain insights into their lives, which were both privileged and circumscribed. Some years after the death of her parents, Sophia and her sisters returned to India, location of the book’s second section, where they were hurt and angered by the dismissive reception they received. As she learned more about how her family lost everything and the desire and determination of the Indian people for independence, Sophia decided to return to England where she believed she could do more to further this. In the third and final part of the book she describes her political work, initially helping Indian lascars, sailors stranded in London, and subsequently joining the Women’s Social and Political Union, taking a very active role in the campaign for women’s suffrage in Britain, for which she has been recognised at last. The decision to have Sophia tell her own story rather than make this a third-person narrative makes this book very accessible, and great care has been taken by a publisher that aims to make books that are ‘superreadable’. This volume is enhanced by the lively drawings running across the foot of the

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pages, relating to and differentiating each section. An excellent addition to suffragette biographies for children previously dominated by the Pankhursts. Ann Lazim

THE SHIP OF CLOUD AND STARS Amy Raphael, illus. George Ermos, Orion Children’s Books, 2022, £7.99, pb, 329pp, 9781510108417

This is a bright, visually attractive novel which blends information, adventure and fantasy, ably illustrated by George Ermos. Nico Cloud, undervalued at home and keen to become a scientist like her mysterious aunt, Dr. Hamilton, runs away to sea by hiding in her aunt’s ship, the Anthos. Apart from the fact that she is a stowaway, more serious problems are revealed: her aunt, Dr. Hamilton, has no money and may be forced to cease exploring. But Nico has plans, and her interest in fossils and story leads to a quest to find the fossilised seeds of the mythical Tree of Hope, a discovery which will lead not only to an acknowledgement of the need for a global seed bank, but enable a better future for all humanity. This is a book, and a heroine, with grand ambitions. This novel has everything for young readers: storms, pirates, a feisty female narrator who can hold her own with both, and a cute kitten named Astra. Its sometimes-heavy weight of exposition is given pace and humour by a cast of sympathetic and diverse characters, and its underlying theme that girls and science are compatible is timely. Life on the ship is vividly described: the bread room where Nico hides is ‘lined with silver’—the walls covered with tin to deter rats. Warm moral precepts are evoked: like a ‘flock of sand martins … travelling thousands of miles across land and sea’ the humans ‘make it because they aren’t alone’. One slight criticism is that in a book intended to enthuse young readers with science, more research into what was known in 1832 might have been helpful, as both dinosaurs and the millions of years of deep time that now constitute common knowledge were then unknown. Recommended for 8 – 12-year-olds. Jane Burke

THE DEEP ENDERS Dave Reardon, Bonhomie Press, 2021, $18.95, pb, 276pp, 9781642506433

Upon opening Dave Reardon’s book, I was skeptical, since as a tenth-grade English teacher, I select novels that expand representation. However, this author deftly names his hero at the start of the novel, and it is not his white protagonist, Murph Turner. While sixteen-year-old Murph is a compelling character, his best friend Banjo Hero brings the book to life. The pair meet on Murph’s first day in his new home. Murph’s mother sent him to live with his father in Broome, Australia, after their neighborhood was destroyed during the attack on Pearl Harbor. She stays behind to care for the wounded. Her son makes the 60

6,000-mile trip alone with the hundreds of other World War II refugees who fled from Hawaii to Australia. Banjo befriends this new kid, and when Japanese planes appear a second time in Murph’s life, it is Banjo Hero, a fourteen-year-old Aboriginal boy, who saves the day. Banjo’s story is the story of Broome, a wild and lawless pearl-diving town. He navigates the beauty and peril of his home nimbly. His sense of humor, love of M-80 firecrackers, and endless energy allow him to conceal a dangerous secret. When Murph discovers that secret, he quickly learns how ubiquitous and often deadly racism can be in the context of war. Reardon humanizes the people of Broome during their worst moments. He focuses on the residents impacted by the brutality of war and the brutality of a town rooted in slavery. I highly recommend this book for ages 12 and up. Melissa Warren

ANATOMY: A Love Story Dana Schwartz, Wednesday, 2022, $18.99/ C$25.99, hb, 352pp, 9781250774156

In Edinburgh in the early 19th century, it was unheard of for a young lady to even think about becoming a surgeon. Medical science was advancing, but there was still a vast difference between physicians who used plants, herbs, and simple medicines, and surgeons with their scalpels, knives, and saws. And these surgeons, eager to learn and experiment, needed bodies to work on. Preferably alive, but recently dead would do. But the well-bred young Hazel Sinnett passionately wants to be a surgeon. Inevitably she meets Jack Currer, a so-called resurrectionist, who makes his living digging up recently buried people to sell to surgeons and their students. They fall in love, although Hazel is working feverishly hard to try to pass the examination to become a surgeon. The “Roman plague” hits Edinburgh, and Hazel finds herself running what is in effect a small hospital treating poor people and trying, with Jack’s help, to find a medicinal cure for the plague. Grave-digging, surgical procedures, and experiments make an unusual setting for a novel, but the author has crafted a compelling tale based on a rather gruesome period in Edinburgh’s history. Not a story for the squeamish, this is a realistic depiction of life in a university city 200 years ago. Poverty forced people to earn money in ways that repelled them; discovery meant severe punishment while surgeons were lauded for their work. The author points this out while absorbing the reader in a poignant love story of two people separated not only by money and class distinction but also by education and the expectations of society. It is a multi-layered novel, engrossing and beautifully researched. The world of gravediggers and crudely performed surgeries is one that readers seldom encounter but very hard to forget.

REVIEWS | Issue 100, May 2022

Valerie Adolph

THE MERMAID IN THE MILLPOND Lucy Strange, illus. Pam Smy, Barrington Stoke, 2022, £6.99, pb, 120pp, 9781800900493

‘Sometimes the only way to save yourself is to save someone else’ is the theme that flows through this mystical story set during the Industrial Revolution. Eleven-year-old Bess, who has just lost her mother, comes to work in a rural cotton mill where conditions are desperate. Beaten and under-fed, the child-workers are told by the ‘gaffer’ there is a vicious mermaid living in the weir pond, so that they don’t try to escape. But soon Bess meets the mermaid and realises that she too is an unhappy prisoner… The story is told in the first person, using simple sentences close to the voice of a child— ideal for reluctant readers. The hazardous world of the cotton mill is quickly evoked with well-chosen details and language. “I have to watch for when a thread snaps and fix it fast— before the great metal frame of the spinner comes clattering back towards me,” Bess explains. Lucy Strange has a gift for creating unusual, layered characters which hook the reader in. Bess herself is sharp-tongued and self-centred at the beginning, making for a particularly interesting narrator who we warm to as her back-story unfolds. The mermaid with her webbed hands and sharp teeth is more monster than traditional mermaid and adds a wonderful level of tension to the story. This novella is beautifully produced by Barrington Stoke, on their dyslexia-friendly, cream-yellow paper that here adds to the sense of menace and oppression. Pam Smy’s illustrations, reminiscent of wood-cut prints, are a perfect complement. This is the first book by Strange that I’ve read, and her huge skill in writing this haunting yet emotionally satisfying tale within such a short format leaves me immediately wanting to read more. Job done, I’d say. Suitable for 8+ Marion Rose

DARK FORTUNE Theresa Tomlinson, The Old Print Workshop, 2021, £7.99, pb, 256pp, 9780995583221

Whitby, Yorkshire, 1861, after her fisherman father is injured in a storm, teenage Lina Raw must leave school and scavenge on the beach to make a living. Anything to avoid the horror of the workhouse, where her family would be separated. Things go from bad to worse, and Lina ends up sentenced to hard labour in the county gaol. But Lina is determined to turn her life around. Whitby’s steep cliffs, crowded with workshops, sheds and tenements, come to life as Lina takes any work she can get, to keep her family together. The harshness of Victorian poverty is the backdrop to a story that is firmly anchored in a sense of place, with Whitby’s jet jewellery industry a prominent part of the story. The book is written for young adults, and, I’d say, is aimed at the younger end of this group. Plot

lines involving disability, drug addiction, sex and prostitution are delicately handled. In the middle section of the book, the sheer number of different jobs that Lina tackles begins to look like a list from a textbook on economic history. But the story is clearly written, has a happy ending, and brings Victorian Whitby vividly to life. Helen Johnson

IRONHEAD, OR, ONCE A YOUNG LADY Jean-Claude van Rijckeghem (trans. Kristen Gehrman), Levine Querido, 2022, $18.99, 432pp, 9781646140480

In 1808 Ghent, 18-year-old Constance has little interest in being a young lady and none in getting married. When her parents decide to marry her off to a much older man, “Stance” tries to conform. But marriage to a loathsome and abusive criminal, even if he has paid off her father’s debts, is not a life Stance will tolerate. She runs away to join Napoleon’s Fourteenth, having assumed the identity of her recently conscripted neighbor, Binus. Disguised as a man, Stance finds the freedom and camaraderie for which she has longed. Despite the harsh life, her fears of being discovered, and the terrors of war, Stance thrives. She earns the respect of her comrades and the nickname “Ironhead” after surviving a gunshot to the head and finds the beginnings of love after an amorous encounter with a woman. Unfortunately, Stance’s abandoned husband sends Stance’s timid younger brother Pier after her. Pier succeeds in bringing Stance home, though not in the condition anyone expected. Severely wounded in battle, Stance suffers severe PTSD. But this is not the end of Ironhead. In time, Stance recovers and embarks on a new life to be lived on her own terms. The alternating chapters between the fiercely independent Stance and the entitled, pious Pier first feel like two distinct stories, but Van Rijckeghem twists the two narratives together into a seamless story. The reader follows the siblings through their relationship from animus to respect, caring, and support. Stance’s gender fluidity is compelling and subtle, making it an integral part of her character. Pier’s maturity is a natural and welcomed progression. Written for young adult readers, the scenes of war are graphic but not gratuitous. This is a wonderful story filled with horror, joy, sadness, and hope of the possibility of finding one’s true self. Meg Wiviott

KEMOSHA OF THE CARIBBEAN Alex Wheatle, Black Sheep, 2022, $12.99, pb, 288pp, 9781636140001 / Andersen Press, £7.99, pb, 320pp, 9781839131219

In 1668, young Kemosha, an enslaved Jamaican, is sold away from the plantation

where she and her brother Gregory have toiled for a new master, to work as a tavern wench. She knifes a man who had paid her owner to sleep with her, runs, and is sheltered by Ravenhide, a free Black man. He teaches her to survive, including swordplay lessons. Kemosha becomes skilled enough to make a bet with her master, outlasting him in a sword fight to win her freedom. Kemosha longs to buy the freedom of Gregory and friend Marta from her original plantation. The only way she can earn money is to persuade the famous Captain Morgan to let her accompany Ravenhide on one of Morgan’s pirate voyages, for a share in the booty. She’s kept on the ship during the raids but is horrified when she witnesses the murderous aftermath. Kemosha desperately wants to escape the madness, to an island she dreams of where she and her loved ones will be free to live as they like. Will the semifriendly white navigator from the pirate ship help her find such a place, or will he betray her and steal her money? The book is recommended for ages 12 and up. Young readers will love the swashbuckling heroine, though some may find the Jamaican patois used for Kemosha’s thoughts and dialogue a bit of a struggle. Once I got used to it, I liked how it immersed me in the exotic setting. Kemosha finds romance with Isabella, a runaway hiding in the mountains, and hopes to take her along to the fabled island. The descriptions don’t shy away from depicting violence. The ending foreshadows a sequel. I recommend this book as an exciting addition to young readers’ historical fiction choices about strong, resourceful women of color. B. J. Sedlock

WHEN WINTER ROBESON CAME Brenda Woods, Nancy Paulsen 2022, $16.99/C$22.99/£12.99, hb, 9781524741587

Books, 176pp,

Los Angeles, 1965. Eden Coal is a young teenage African American girl who loves to play the piano and create her own compositions. She can’t wait for her cousin, Winter Robeson, to visit from Mississippi. Winter is distracted from the beach, museums, and fun places Eden and her family take him because he is trying to find out what happened to his father. Mr. Robeson moved to the Watts area of Los Angeles ten years ago and then disappeared. Watts isn’t far from the Coals’ home, and Eden is excited to help solve the mystery. They check out the Watts Towers, find the house where Winter’s father used to live, and get some tips from a neighbor. When the 1965 Watts Rebellion breaks out, Eden worries about a friend in the Watts area and is shocked that police are patrolling her neighborhood too. Eden and Winter are unique and interesting characters, the mystery of his father creates good suspense, and the historical event is vividly brought to life through Eden’s

narration. This book is written in free-verse poems that don’t (to me) feel like poetry; the chapters are short, and line breaks occur after most sentences. There is a lot of dialogue, but the dialogue is in italics and has few dialogue tags, making it difficult to tell who is talking. Eden matches the daily events of her life to musical ideas, listing the appropriate terms: rallentando or poco a poco. Unfortunately, these terms are not italicized as one would expect. This is an excellent story hidden beneath the book’s awkward, non-standard formatting. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

GOLD MOUNTAIN Betty G. Yee, Carolrhoda Lab, 2022, $18.99, hb, 288pp, 9781728415826

In Yee’s stunning debut novel, teenager Tam Ling Fan watches one night in the late 1860s as her father, the local magistrate of their town in China, is arrested on fabricated charges. The family’s only hope of earning the money needed to free him is the contract Ling Fan’s twin brother, Tam Jing Fan, has to work on the transcontinental railroad in America. But when Jing Fan dies of influenza, Ling Fan disguises herself as her brother to fulfill the contract herself. After a nauseating sea voyage to California, Ling Fan sets to work on the railroad, dodging all the dangers of the job, including explosions, tunnel collapses, and the sometimes-violent racism of white Americans. The stakes shoot higher when a fellow worker discovers and threatens to expose Ling Fan’s secret, and she has to fight not only for her job but also for her life. Yee has wrapped an emotional, pageturning story around a plucky, courageous protagonist. Though brave and determined, Ling Fan is no Mary Sue. She struggles with fear and anger and sometimes makes bad choices, but she ultimately works through them to do the right thing. Yee also doesn’t shy away from illuminating the racism against not only the Chinese workers on the railroad but also the Native Americans through whose land the railroad ran. In a world conditioned to see everything in black and white, Yee challenges readers to see the nuance of life, especially when it comes to the motives of other people. Perfect for fans of Jamie Ford and Stacey Lee, this young adult novel is highly recommended for teens and adults alike. Sarah Hendess

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

CONFERENCES

The Society organizes biennial conferences in the UK, North America, and Australasia. Contact Richard Lee <richard@historicalnovelsociety.org> (UK), Jenny Quinlan <jennyq@historicaleditorial.com> (North America), or Elisabeth Storrs <contact@hnsa.org.au> (Australasia).

A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

Historical Novels Review | Issue 100 (May 2022)

Articles inside

Book Reviews

Fresh Takes on Old Tales

Compelling Reimagination

Wordsmith Revisited

History & Film

HNS 25th Anniversary

New Voices

Special Kind of People

Poesy & Precision