Historical Novels Review | Issue 106 (November 2023) by The Historical Novel Society

H I S T O R IC A L

NOV EL S REVIEW

ISSUE 106

SCIENCE & SUPERSTITION The 18th-Century Setting | More on page 8

November 2023

F E AT U R ED I N T H IS ISSU E ... Spaces Left in the Archive Leila Aboulela's Fresh Perspective Page 10

A Tasty Morsel An Offering for Last Kingdom Fans Page 12

A Passage Fulfilled An Interview with Stephanie Cowell Page 12

From Page to Stage to Screen The HNS UK Conference 2024 Page 14

Dark Stories YA Author Steve Watkins Page 15

Historical Fiction Market News 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

Douglas Kemp <douglaskemp62@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Allison & Busby; Canelo; Penguin Random House UK; 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

Richard Lee

<kate.braithwaite@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Poisoned Pen Press; Skyhorse; Sourcebooks; and Soho

Marine Cottage, The Strand, Starcross, Devon EX6 8NY UK <richard@historicalnovelsociety.org>

Sarah Hendess

EDI TOR I AL BOA R D

Peggy Kurkowski

Managing Editor: Bethany Latham

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

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>

R EV I EWS EDI TOR S, U K Ben Bergonzi <bergonziben@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Birlinn/Polygon; Duckworth Overlook; Faber & Faber; Granta; HarperCollins UK; Little Brown; Orenda; Orion; Pan Macmillan; Simon & Schuster UK

Alan Fisk <alan.fisk@alanfisk.com> Publisher Coverage: Aardvark Bureau; Black and White; Bonnier Zaffre; Crooked Cat; Freight; Gallic; Honno; 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

<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

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

EDITORIAL POLICY & COPYRIGHT 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

EDI TOR I AL U P DAT ES

ISSU E 106 NOV EM BE R 2023 COLU M NS 1

Historical Fiction Market News Sarah Johnson

New Voices Jess Armstrong, Lucy Barker, Logan Steiner & Patrick Worrall | Myfanwy Cook

History & Film Bridgerton | Trish MacEnulty

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

Science & Superstition Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Robin Blake, Leonora Nattrass by Ben Bergonzi

Spaces Left in the Archive Leila Aboulela's Fresh Perspective by Lucinda Byatt

A Tasty Morsel An Offering for Last Kingdom Fans by Gordon O'Sullivan

A Passage Fulfilled A Conversation with Stephanie Cowell by Claire Morris

From Page to Stage to Screen HNS UK Conference 2024 by Tracey Warr & Katherine Mezzacappa

Dark Stories A Conversation with YA Author Steve Watkins by Trish MacEnulty

R EV I EWS 16

Book Reviews Editors’ choice and more

HISTORICAL FICTION MARKET NEWS Thanks to Larry Zuckerman for all his work as a reviews editor for the US-based team over the last three and more years. Larry stepped down from his role in late September. Peggy Kurkowski is the newest member of the editorial team, working with the publishers formerly assigned to Larry. Peggy is a longtime book reviewer based in Colorado, and her contact details and publisher list can be found on the masthead. We also have a new vacancy to announce. Sarah Hendess, the children’s and YA reviews editor, is currently wrapping up her work for the position. If you’re a US-based HNS member interested in overseeing reviews of children’s and young adult historical novels and/ or finding out more, please get in touch! Email me at sljohnson2@ eiu.edu for more information. Ideally a new editor could start as soon as possible and work alongside Sarah H to contribute content for February’s HNR. This is a volunteer role. Perks include free HNS membership and first picks on covering incoming review books, and training will be provided.

N E W BO OK S BY H NS M E M BE R S Congrats to our author members on these new releases! If you’ve written a historical novel or nonfiction work published (or to be published) in August 2023 or after, send the following details to me at sljohnson2@eiu.edu or @readingthepast by January 7, 2024: author, title, publisher, release date, and a blurb of one sentence or less. Space is limited, so concise blurbs are appreciated. Details will appear in the February 2024 issue of HNR. Submissions may be edited. In Vindicta by Mark Carlson (Milford House, Dec. 16, 2022), fourth and final novel of the Vengeance of the Last Roman Legion alternative history thriller series, the most impossible invasion in history has begun: two armies – one modern and armed with advanced weapons, and another carrying only swords and spears – are about to clash in a battle to the death. Immigrant, anarchist, midwife: Sue Stern’s The Girl from Kyiv (Red Bank Books, May 31) is a love story set against the backdrop of the 1905 Russian Revolution. Return to mysterious Measham Hall in Anna Abney’s The Messenger of Measham Hall (Duckworth Books, June), a page-turning tale of espionage and intrigue in the years leading up to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Susan Shalev’s The German Dressmaker (independently published, June 18), set against the backdrop of WW2 in Germany and England, is the unforgettable, heart-wrenching story of love, loss, friendship and survival involving Lily, a talented aspiring seamstress, and Heinrich, a charming major in Hitler’s Wehrmacht with a dangerous secret.

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

A young British woman meets and falls in love with a young German man, sweetly unaware the Great War is about to explode, in Gary Baysinger’s A Kind of Homecoming (See Square Press, June 21). In The Solace of Stars by Kathleen Ernst (Level Best Books/Historia, July 4), four months after her turbulent 1855 arrival, Pomeranian immigrant Hanneke Bauer’s fledging equilibrium vanishes when a dear friend finds her father dead from a vicious attack. Ged Melia’s Liverpool (Grosvenor House Publishing Ltd, July 6) tells the story of an Irish Catholic family’s survival in 1840s Liverpool. In The Mists of Middleham: An Alianore Audley Novel by Brian Wainwright (Self-published, July), Alianore and her husband receive a new commission from King Edward IV: he has heard that the Holy Grail is to be found somewhere within his dominions – and he wants them to find it! In Annette Kane’s debut novel, Dolly Butler’s Eight-Day Week (The Book Guild, July 28), a reckless cross-dressing detective is tricked by her mysterious lover. An enchanting boardinghouse tale, Henderson House by Caren Simpson McVicker (Inkshares, Aug. 1) serves up family and friendship with a side of romance as three middle-aged Oklahoma women struggle to embrace change, forgiveness, and love in May of 1941. Two sisters must reconcile the legacy of their family trauma and the complications of love and work in 1946 Detroit in The Bookkeeper: A Novel by Jan M. Walton (Windcove Publishing, Aug. 4). Jennifer Marchman’s The Mender (Independently published, Aug. 6), first in the Mender trilogy, features a lost time traveler, a Comanche warrior, and their love across clashing worlds. Book 2, The Captive (Independently published, Aug. 15) features a lost time traveler making a place for herself in 1836 Texas, while Book 3, The Guardian (Independently published, Aug. 15), features a reformed assassin choosing between loyalty and justice as she tries to stop her former partner from altering history. Mirrors & Smoke by Adrienne Stevenson (Equae books, Aug. 9) tells a story of courage, strength, and resilience of a woman caught up in the War of 1812 in Upper Canada. In Nancy Bilyeau’s The Orchid Hour (Lume Books, Aug. 10), Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered: having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library, but when a quiet poetry-lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia. War Angel: Korea 1950 by Mike Weedall (Outskirts Press, Aug. 15) tells the story of US Army Nurses through the eyes of one reluctant reservist operating room specialist; at a time when Army regulations precluded men from serving as nurses, this is the real MASH. Shimon Avish’s second novel in his series on ancient Jewish history, The Rebel’s Niece (MarbleStone Press, Aug. 22), is about the siege of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 C.E. and tells the story of Sarah, a mother of two young girls who find themselves trapped by the violence visited upon Jerusalem by the Romans and by the messianic aspirations of Sarah’s uncle, one of the leaders of the Jewish rebellion. In Night Train to Odessa by Mary L. Grow (Studio17, Aug. 23), unlikely allies join a young widow to search for her missing children in the

COLUMNS | Issue 106, November 2023

beautiful but beleaguered seaport, Odessa, during the Russian Civil War (1919 - 1920). England, 1645, and a young widow dares to hope her life may change for the better when she catches the eye of a wealthy Royalist, but others have different ideas, and nearly 400 years later, the valuable engraved ring he gives her is unearthed in an Oxfordshire garden, in The Woman in the Painting by Amanda Roberts (Independently published, Aug. 31). Babylon by Michelle Cameron (Wicked Son, Sept. 12) is a multigenerational biblical saga of captivity, romance, faith, and redemption, set against the Judean exile in Babylon. In Gary Baysinger’s Margaret’s Last Prayer (See Square Press, Sept. 20), a young woman’s courageous action is rewarded with a pair of matching amulets that may possess the power to shape her family’s destiny. In Dennis Tomlinson’s Burning House (Kindle, Sept. 20), Noah Marshall grows up in what is described as an all-Black town in Oklahoma, but the reality is a racial mixture and, knowing that, Noah voluntarily participates in school integration twice; racism hands him a torched home and a grand jury investigation. Lyn Squire’s Immortalised to Death (Level Best Books, Sept. 26) embeds an original solution to Charles Dickens’s unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood within the evolving and ultimately tragic consequences of a broader mystery surrounding the great author himself. In Brock Meier’s The Stone Cutter (Blue Sevens Pub., Sept. 30), an orphan rises as a gifted young sculptor in the fabulous city of ancient Petra, but a brilliant songstress distracts his progress, and a calamitous injury ends his career, sending him on a quest to find a powerful and mysterious object—its cost, more than he could possibly imagine. The Countess Game by Deborah Cay Wilding (Independently published, Oct. 1) is set amidst the Jacobite Rising of 1715 where acts of allegiance, betrayal and courage are seen through the eyes of a heroic young woman, cousin to the Pretender, James Stuart, as she straddles two worlds torn between family loyalty and the love of an earl pledged to King George. The country is changing, and her own world is being turned upside down; Homeward by Angela Jackson-Brown (Harper Muse, Oct. 10) follows Rose’s path toward self-discovery and growth as she becomes involved in the Civil Rights Movement, finally becoming the woman she has always dreamed of being. The Line of Splendor: A Novel of Nathanael Greene and the American Revolution by Salina B. Baker (Culper Press, Oct. 12) is the epic story of a self-educated Quaker from Rhode Island who rose to become a major general in the Continental Army and a national hero by resuscitating and then propelling the American states to victory in their War for Independence and the personal cost of that war. Marina Osipova’s The Drau River Flows to Siberia: The Victims of Victory (Self-published, Oct. 25) tells the story behind a sensational WWII historical controversy through the fates of two strangers whose lives converge on an isolated peninsula of a Siberian river, and who are connected to one another in inextricably entangled ways they do not yet realize.

In The Hunt by Griff Hosker (Sword Books Limited, Nov. 9), Gerald Warbow is needed, once more, by King Edward to hunt down the elusive William Wallace, who is the focus of the Scottish rebels and is seeking help in Europe, where Lord Edward’s Archer must fight off an increasing number of enemies to bring the rebel to justice. Wages of Empire by Michael J Cooper (Koehler Books, Nov. 30) is YA historical fiction that follows sixteen-year-old Evan Sinclair, who leaves home in August 1914 to join the Great War for Civilization, but little does he know that, despite the war raging in Europe, the true source of conflict will emerge in Ottoman Palestine—where the German kaiser dreams to rule as Holy Roman Emperor from Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. It’s Overboard in 1799 Wales in Misty Urban’s historical romance debut, Viscount Overboard (Oliver Heber Books, Dec. 2023), when an English viscount washes up in Newport minus his memory, and the Welsh healer who finds him decides not to tell him he owns the abandoned priory where she’s built a community of outcasts that he threatened to evict. There is only one known queen who ruled a kingdom on American soil: based on the true story of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, The American Queen by Vanessa Miller (Thomas Nelson, Jan. 30, 2024) is an unforgettable and triumphant story of courage, beauty, and second chances; long live Queen Louella Montgomery. In The Arsenic Eater’s Wife by Tonya Mitchell (Bloodhound Books, Feb 8, 2024), based on a real 1889 case, a young woman convicted of murdering her husband with arsenic is freed 15 years later and sets out to find who framed her, unaware the killer is after her. Neferura, princess and high priestess, and the only daughter of the legendary pharaoh Hatchepsut, must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the people of Kemet before everything crumbles at the hands of a tyrant in Neferura: The Pharaoh’s Daughter by Malayna Evans (Sourcebooks, Feb. 13, 2024). A serial killer is on the loose in Jazz Age Philadelphia in the debut historical mystery from Jenny Adams: A Deadly Endeavor (Crooked Lane, Mar. 5, 2024).

N E W P U BL I SH I NG DE A LS 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. You may also submit news via the Contact Us form on the HNS website. Dani Heywood-Lonsdale’s historical novel The Portrait Artist, set in Oxford and London in 1890 and centering on the mysterious emergence of a surprising new portrait by controversial painter Timothy Ponden-Hall, a man thought to have died decades earlier, as an art historian determines to uncover the true story about the painter and painting, was acquired by Bloomsbury (UK) publishing director Emma Herdman via Olivia Maidment at the Madeleine Milburn Agency. The Queen’s Daughter author Susan Coventry’s One That Loves and Knows, exploring the dawn of modern medicine in America, pitched as reminiscent of Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water, in which a late 19th-century Johns Hopkins surgeon with a devastating secret hires a strong-willed daughter of the confederacy to be his O.R. nurse—a woman with the determination and devotion necessary to

prevent his self-destruction, sold to Jaynie Royal at Regal House, for publication in fall 2025. Stacey Halls’ newest novel, The Household, about two young women at Urania Cottage, a safe house for “fallen women” established by Charles Dickens, plus two additional novels, were acquired by Zaffre and Manilla Press publishing director Sophie Orme via Juliet Mushens at Mushens Entertainment. Publication for The Household will be spring 2024. The Regency-era Canadian gothic novel The Third Wife of Faraday House by B. R. Myers, about a young socialite who discovers her wealthy fiancé has a wife who’s still alive, and the women join together to solve the ghostly mystery of the seaside manor, sold to Julia Elliott at William Morrow and Iris Tupholme at Harper Canada, for publication in August 2024, by Jill Marr at Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. Chanel Cleeton’s newest novel, The Havana Librarian, focusing on a librarian in post-revolutionary Cuba who defies Fidel Castro’s regime to save a mysterious book, sold to Kate Seaver at Berkley, in a twobook deal, by Kevan Lyon at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. The Murderous Mistress of Concord by Elizabeth Dunne, which sees Louisa May Alcott returning to Concord, Massachusetts, after literary success and getting drawn into solving the mystery of a rich spinster’s murder, sold to Verena Rose at Level Best, for January 2024 publication, by Cindy Bullard at Birch Literary. Louis Bayard’s The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts, following Oscar Wilde, his wife, and their sons, as they reinvent their lives in exile after his 1895 scandal, sold to Betsy Gleick at Algonquin by Dan Conaway at Writers House. Enola Spelled Backwards by Rachel Robbins, following two Jewish physicists who fall in love while working on a mysterious assignment, later revealed as the Manhattan Project, a story inspired by the author’s grandparents, sold to Jess Verdi at Alcove Press for fall 2024 publication.

OTHER NEW AND FORT HCOM I NG T I T LE S For forthcoming novels through late 2024, please see our guides, compiled by Fiona Sheppard: 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.

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

NEW VOICES

photo credit: Christy Lorio

Debut novelists Jess Armstrong, Lucy Barker, Logan Steiner & Patrick Worrall provide readers with new insights into the historical events and people that captured their imaginations.

Lucy Barker

Logan Steiner

Patrick Worrall

photo credit: One Eye Photography

Jess Armstrong

Lucy Barker’s The Other Side of Mrs. Wood (Fourth Estate/Harper, 2023) shows she has, as she says, “long been fascinated by the Other Side, and no period has embraced spiritualism more than the Victorians. “In a time when long-held scientific and spiritual beliefs were being challenged every day, why wouldn’t one be able to talk with the dead? Most mediums operating in Victorian London were women. The domestic setting of séances gave them respectability, enabling women to gain power and influence at a time when it was hard for a woman to cultivate either. “When I was thinking about story ideas,” she continues, “I kept seeing these lavish seances full of showmanship and mischief. I knew they’d be so much fun to write (and they were), but I also wanted to weave a story around them that went beyond our homogenous idea of the Victorian woman. I have an MA in Victorian Studies, and my research unearthed so many ordinary women succeeding under the constraints of a patriarchal society. It was really important to me that whatever characters I had running around my book, they had to be rooted in fact.

Logan Steiner’s novel After Anne (William Morrow, 2023) had its origins in her interest, as she states, “in the story behind the story: learning about the lives of creators of my favorite books, what they struggled with, and who they loved and why they wrote what they did. And no book touched me more deeply growing up than Anne of Green Gables. I read the Anne books many times, and I watched the CBC miniseries with Megan Follows each time I visited my grandparents in small-town Iowa.” Steiner was often called “an oversensitive kid, accused of taking things too personally,” she says. “I also narrated playtime, perpetually trying to convince my younger brother Ben to participate in my imaginings. Anne’s character showed me that the intensity of my feelings was okay, and that I was not the only one always dreaming up a story. “Although, like Anne, I have always wanted to be a writer, I went to law school knowing that I didn’t want to put the pressure of making money on my creative dreams. I have been a practicing litigator for the past thirteen years, and early on, my law career took my full attention. The deep pain of losing my brother Ben unexpectedly to a brain aneurysm motivated me to stop putting my creative dreams on hold.” When preparing to write her novel, she researched “the life stories of writers whose books have meant the most to me,” she continues. “Reading about the life of Anne’s creator Lucy Maud Montgomery (who went by Maud), I got chills. I knew I wanted to tell her story.” Steiner discovered that “Maud was a woman who not only died with secrets, but whose manner of dying was kept secret for generations. And yet she wrote such open, unfiltered characters. I felt pulled to understand: Who was this woman who edited even her private journals for later publication? What drove her to develop such lifeaffirming characters but to write at the end of her own life, ‘My position is too awful to endure and nobody realizes it’?”

Both of these women “were trailblazers,” Barker relates. “Agnes was known as the Flying Enchantress after she apported over the chimney pots of London from her home in Highbury into a séance held in Holborn. Florence was the first person in England to materialise a full spirit, her guide Katie King.”

Writing and rewriting Maud’s story have taught her, says Steiner, “more than I could have imagined about what matters in life, including persevering in the face of self-doubt and growing from pain instead of hiding it. Maud’s story also taught me how much of life’s narrative is out of our control—especially when marrying and having kids—and how difficult this can be for a writer who is used to controlling the narrative. But we always have control over where we put our attention and over the stories we choose to tell. I am forever grateful for the years I have spent in the company of Maud’s story.”

Agnes, Barker’s other main character, “was a well-established and

Patrick Worrall’s The Partisan (Penguin UK/Union Square, 2023) opens

Enter Agnes Guppy and Florence Cook, the two mediums whose reported rivalry inspired my story.”

brilliant medium when fifteen-year-old Florence first appeared in the early ´70s, and the catalyst for my story lies in the rumour cultivated by Nelson Holmes, an American medium who’d fallen out with Agnes. He wrote that Agnes had complained bitterly about Florence’s growing popularity and wanted to put her out of action with vitriol. While I doubt that Agnes had any nefarious designs on Florence, I could relate to her feeling threatened by the fearlessness of someone who had nothing to lose. Agnes couldn’t perform those risky stunts that Florence, with her charm and newness, was using to gain influential patrons: Agnes was too old and too reliant on her wealthy supporters for any slip-up to be tolerated. But equally she couldn’t allow herself to become irrelevant for the very same reason. This conflict—both personal and interpersonal—was nectar, and thus brilliant, established Mrs Wood and daring upstart Miss Finch were born.”

COLUMNS | Issue 106, November 2023

in summer 1961. It is a time when the Cold War is at its height, but what follows from a match in London between two young chess prodigies can be traced back to the Eastern Front during the Second World War. Worrall explains, “There is a classic creative writing exercise where the teacher shows the class an enigmatic photograph and asks them to write the story of the people in it. A photograph was the inspiration for my first novel, The Partisan.” The photo was “taken on the Eastern Front at some point during World War Two,” he says, “and I came across it unexpectedly in an exhibition about partisans in a fortress-turned-museum called Fort Nine in Kaunas, Lithuania. The real shot is as described in the book: three smiling teenage girls, all carrying guns they had stolen from the occupying forces of Nazi Germany. I never discovered their names, or what happened to them, but I have tried to imagine their story.” He points out, “Lithuania, a flat country with no natural defences, was invaded once by Hitler and twice by Stalin in the space of four years. The history of that period is necessarily tragic and complex. We still feel the reverberations today.” The history of the period is a complex one, hallmarked by political intrigue. “There were different kinds of partisans fighting in the forests of eastern Europe in the 1940s. Some were Jews who refused to go quietly into the darkness prepared for them by the Germans and their local collaborators. Other guerrillas across the Baltic states and beyond fought the Soviet occupiers long after the Iron Curtain descended. These Forest Brothers made swathes of eastern Europe impossible to govern until the death of Stalin in 1953.” As Worrall describes, “It’s here that Lithuanian history intersects with British history. One of many jolts of horror I experienced when researching this period came when I realised how many of those brave men and women had been betrayed to their deaths by my fellow countrymen. British intelligence was supposed to be helping the anti-Soviet resistance. Instead, the defectors who formed the Cambridge spy ring were passing on the identities of the rebels to the Russians.” Any time Jess Armstrong, author of The Curse of Penryth Hall (Minotaur, 2023) begins to write something new, one of the first decisions she makes “is the when and why of the setting because it plays such an integral part in how the main plot will unfold,” she reveals. “I knew before I ever set pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), that I wanted to situate The Curse of Penryth Hall between the First and Second World Wars—a tumultuous time marked by sweeping

cultural, political and technological change. It is difficult to convey just how deep of a mark the First World War left, and I wanted to try to capture those changes somehow in fiction. The second thing I always knew was that I wanted to incorporate folklore into the narrative. I kept returning to this palpable tension between tradition and modernity in the 1920s. I thought I could explore that by making my heroine a folklorist—to give her an internal conflict rather than an external one.” Only when Armstrong “was digging into research to understand Ruby Vaughn, my heroine, and pouring through accounts of 19th and 20th century folklorists, that I really honed in on what to do,” she relates. “I kept coming across these fascinating stories of cunning folk in Cornwall even well into what historians consider modern and industrial times. “There was something utterly captivating about these tales, and how different the stories and fates of these witches were to popular perceptions of witchcraft in the past. These figures were members of the community and often respected—if sometimes feared. This was a different sort of story, and the idea of juxtaposing this deep folkloric tradition with the post-war world took hold. I immediately created the character of Ruan Kivell, the village’s Pellar, as a contrast to my heroine. Ruby, as an outsider and the point of view character, becomes our lens into that world and into understanding the way people responded to the rapidly changing world around them. She wasn’t a part of this community—she was never meant to be—she was a modern woman of her age who was about to be thrown into the middle of a folktale of her own.”

W R I T T EN BY M Y FA N W Y COOK Myfanwy Cook is an Associate University Fellow. She designs and facilitates writing workshops and is an avid reader of historical crime fiction. Please do contact (myfanwyc@btinternet.com) if you uncover any debut novelists you would like to see featured.

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

HISTORY & FILM What Bridgerton Gets Right About Sex

If we had any doubt as to the primacy of sex and reproduction in this world, the opening credits show us a tree in full bloom, a bee buzzing among the flowers, reminiscent of Zora Neale Hurston’s description of the pear tree in Their Eyes Were Watching God, in which the blossoming tree serves as a symbol for young Janie’s budding sexuality. The story signals its sexual intentions within the first three minutes of the first episode when Lady Bridgerton wonders as to the whereabouts of her eldest son, Anthony. We’ve already been introduced to our heroine, the chaste and virginal Daphne, radiant in a billowy white dress and an almost translucent beauty. Cut to Anthony’s bare buttocks as he fornicates with a woman, not of his class, against a tree. To be clear, this appears to be consensual sex. And in keeping with the proscriptions of the female gaze, no part of the woman’s anatomy is visible — just her face in the throes of pleasure. The scene lasts just long enough to give the readers a visual take on Anthony’s character, which is the opposite of his sister Daphne. He is a virile rake, intent only on satisfying his lust.

If you Google “Bridgerton” and “sex scenes,” more than seven million results pop up. The allure of those sex scenes undoubtedly contributes to the show’s popularity and its ranking as Netflix’s biggest hit ever. I don’t consider myself a prude, but I often find sex scenes on the screen tedious. In so many shows and movies, a couple meets and in the next scene they slam against a wall, ripping off clothes, and moments later boobs are bobbing as the man pounds away at the woman, moaning in ecstasy. Similar scenarios exist for samesex couples. Absolutely nothing in these scenes comes across as romantic or realistic.

What makes the sex scenes in Bridgerton different is the simple fact that in the story, sex serves an important narrative function, whether it is to reveal character or to further the plot. Sex in this instance is not a ratings afterthought, nor do the scenes indulge gratuitous “50 shades” fantasies. Sex is the story’s ignition.

As a contrast to Daphne, Anthony’s lover, Siena, first appears singing on stage in a red dress, her red mouth open wide with song. Her voice establishes her power and independence. Cut to her pushing Anthony against a wall in a reversal of the earlier sex scene. Here, the woman is the aggressor, and he the more-thanwilling subjugant. The actual sex act is not shown, but implied in a post-coital scene, drenched in soft light with rich red and gold colors. Obviously, Anthony has tender feelings for Siena, and this is not their first encounter, but he is too much a product of his upbringing to do the right thing and later breaks his promise to protect her, believing his duty to his family more important than his word to a wanton woman.

Bridgerton, of course, is no ordinary period piece. Envisioned by Shonda Rhimes, the show could be described as historical fiction on acid. The art direction showcases the glitz and glamour of aristocratic Regency England but with over-the-top performances and absurdly ostentatious design elements. (I’m quite sure no one in Regency England ever dressed with the élan — LOL — of the Featherington women.)

When Daphne meets her duke (it’s always a duke, isn’t it?), the story line follows the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers trope. The fireworks at the end of Episode 1 promise sexual fireworks to come. But of course, before that happens, we must have detours, obstacles, and moments of longing. In this interlude, the writers pull off a masturbation scene that actually seems appropriate. (I can’t be the only person who finds most masturbation scenes intrusive and cringey.)

However, the social structure of Bridgerton — in spite of its novel racial elements — is familiar to any reader of Jane Austen’s books, in which finding a suitable husband is a matter of life and death for upper class women. In this patriarchy, a wealthy woman’s sexuality must be submerged, her rights nonexistent. Her power lies in subterfuge. And yet Bridgerton brings to that structure a modern sensibility, which includes a female-oriented depiction of sex along with a few characters who resent and resist the constrictions of the society and thereby represent the modern viewer.

Because Daphne has grown up in a sexually repressed society, she has no idea what pleasures a future relationship may hold. The Duke exhorts her to touch herself at night when she is alone, and she does. Some reviewers have referred to her “piano playing” technique, but the director wisely focuses on her facial expressions. This scene provides us with a glimpse into Daphne’s innocence and also indicates her capacity for sexual pleasure.

Even shows which portray sexuality from a female perspective, or “gaze,” often interrupt the narrative flow with overly long, overwrought escapades that do little to further the story.

In this early sequence, we learn of Daphne’s mission to secure a suitable husband. “Suitable” for Daphne means more than a man with rank and wealth. She insists upon a “love match.” She tells her sister, “We will all need to find love one day…a love as pure as what Mama and Papa once shared.” Daphne knows exactly what she wants: a re-creation of her parents’ union with the resulting large and happy family. (Her target, the Duke, will not easily succumb, however. His goal is in direct conflict with hers: revenge against his father, to whom he has vowed to end their line.)

COLUMNS | Issue 106, November 2023

In most romances, the story ends with a wedding, but Bridgerton

twists this convention. Daphne and the Duke are married in Episode 5 of 8. The marriage, unbeknownst to Daphne, is only partially consummated because her new husband always withdraws before he can ejaculate and thereby impregnate his wife. In spite of her lack of sexual knowledge, Daphne senses there’s something wrong with the abruptness of their sex. Herein, dear reader, lie major plot points. How will Daphne discover his subterfuge? And what will she do about it when she does? Finally, will the Duke relent and give Daphne the family she so desperately desires? This conflict drives the narrative forward, and the sex scenes provide crucial plot information. Interestingly, in keeping with the female perspective, while we may have some full body shots of the newlyweds, the close ups linger on Daphne’s face because the story is also about her blossoming as a sexual being. The camera registers her discovery of the wonders of orgasm — even though as a male viewer pointed out to me, the sex scenes in Bridgerton still promulgate the fiction of simultaneous orgasm as a common feature of penetrative sex. A later scene featuring the duke performing oral sex on Daphne at least broadens the scope of her potential for orgasm. It is not until Daphne understands the wound behind the Duke’s reluctance to be a father that she learns to love him, warts and all, thereby dissolving his resolve to seek revenge on his father at the cost of his own happiness. And so in the final love scene, the marriage is fully consummated. The final shot of the season after the birth of their first child is of a bee flying near a window, reiterating what the story is all about — the birds and the bees. Some viewers have complained that Season Two does not meet some obligatory number of sex scenes and lacks the heat of Season One, but Season Two has an entirely different storyline and instead focuses on the obstacles to love and marriage for Anthony and Kate. In the ancillary story of Charlotte and King George, sex comes into the forefront because of the primacy of procreation for the royal family. But Rhimes would never have us believe that sex is for the purposes of procreation alone — even in the Bridgerton world. The sex scenes between Charlotte and George show the young queen developing into a woman of substance, power, and, most of all, compassion. Through these passionate encounters with her husband, she learns to love George, whose insanity creates a heartbreaking obstacle to their happiness. The story relays the message that while love is hard and relationships can be unimaginably painful, to be in such deep intimacy with another human being is worth the sacrifice. The popularity of Bridgerton and the romance genre in general exposes a longing for that which is in so little supply these days: anticipation, build up, and the steps that must be taken to ensure that sex is satisfying. As the intimacy coordinator for the show said in an interview, “We want to make sure we really are reflecting the female gaze. So we do see foreplay, and we can often make foreplay the star of the show. That’s the approach we take every single time.” Foreplay, of course, is not simply a sexual activity. Early in Season One, when Daphne and the Duke’s hands touch as they stare at his mother’s painting, the sexual tension is palpable. I am reminded of the hand holding scene between Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer in The Age of Innocence — one of the most erotic fully-clothed scenes in cinema. Perhaps the fascination with Bridgerton’s sex scenes is not really about the sex, but about what happens before the sex. An article in The Atlantic (Dec. 2018) by Kate Julian points out that young people today are having less sex than recent generations,

partly due to “hook-up” culture, partly due to the prevalence of porn, and partly due to other factors, such as depression and trauma. Body language expert Patti Wood told me that most young people no longer even know how to flirt. While a drop in sexual behavior among young people may have some positive outcomes, such as fewer teen pregnancies, Julian cautions, “Signs are gathering that the delay in teen sex may have been the first indication of a broader withdrawal from physical intimacy that extends well into adulthood.” One societal consequence of a lack of physical intimacy among adults is an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Obviously, people (especially women) still yearn for physical and emotional closeness even if they aren’t sure how to achieve it. The value in a show such as Bridgerton is not that it points the way backward to some patriarchal prison where women have no value outside of procreation, but that it helps viewers envision a world where love might blossom from friendship, where foreplay involves holding hands, and where sex and intimacy coexist like…well, like lovers. Postscript: On the other hand, there may be hope in the real world. I recently met a young woman who was seeing a young man of my acquaintance. When I asked if they were “an item,” she informed me, “Not yet. We’re still in the courtship phase.”

R E F E R ENC ES 1. Konstantinides, Anneta. “’Bridgerton’ director didn’t want the most sensual scene this season to feature penetrative sex, says intimacy coordinator.” Insider Magazine, Insider.com. https:// www.insider.com/bridgerton-director-no-penetrative-sex-intimacyscene-season-two-2022-4 2. Julian, Kate. “Why Are Young People Having So Little Sex?” The Atlantic. December, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ archive/2018/12/the-sex-recession/573949/ 3. Body Language Expert, Patti Wood, pattiwood.net. Personal Interview

W R I T T EN BY T R ISH M AC EN U LT Y Author of the Delafield & Malloy Investigations series, the historical coming-of-age novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press, Sept. 2023), and more, MacEnulty is currently working on a play about silent film star, Theda Bara. More info at her website: trishmacenulty.com.

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SCIENCE & SUPERSTITION Ben Bergonzi Talks to Laura ShepherdRobinson, Robin Blake & Leonora Nattrass

Dr Luke Fidelis. Notable for the depth of her research is Leonora Nattrass, whose three books set in the late 18th century, thrillers with a political edge, feature the same leading man, Whitehall secret agent Laurence Jago, but also a character modelled on that most 18th century of Englishmen, William Cobbett, the radical journalist whose distinctive diction translates very entertainingly to Nattrass’s character William Philpot. Cobbett’s long life took him well into the 19th century, and it may be Nattrass will follow him there in due course, though her latest book is set in 1796 – Scarlet Town (Viper, 2023; reviewed in this issue of HNR). I asked all three writers about why they chose the 18th century, and the issues that surround researching and writing in this period. What follows is in their words. Laura Shepherd-Robinson told me: “I have always been fascinated by the 18th century, and I don’t really understand why it’s been rather neglected until recently. On the one hand, it was a period of progressive change. Many of the ideas that flourished – the rule of law, liberalism, the scientific method, codified rights – are still very familiar to us today. But the 18th century also embraced the slave trade and the trade in women as sexual commodities. To me that clash of ideas felt like very fertile ground for writing novels – and one not without relevance to the world today. Plus, of course, the 18th century has the best fashions and the best parties. The Georgians, high and low, knew how to have fun! “When I was writing my debut Blood and Sugar (Pan Macmillan, 2019) several publishing professionals said to me that nobody would be interested in a historical novel set in the 18th century. British historical readers liked the Tudors, the Victorians and World War Two – anything else, and I could forget about a publishing deal! But I stuck to my guns.

Compared to France, Scotland or America in the same period, England in the 18th century has formed the background to rather little recent historical fiction. Here, in England, we had neither battles nor revolutions, and from 1714 the Hanoverian kings, three Georges, reigned. In language which sometimes seems surprisingly modern, the period’s plays and novels provide the sense of a bluff, honest society, where smiles and tears could succeed each other rapidly. And yet, laugh as they might, these people lived under the “the bloody code”, a period of unparalleled legal cruelty. To explore the attractions and issues of writing the English 18th century, I talked to three historical novelists currently committed to working in this setting. Laura Shepherd-Robinson has written two novels set in the 1780s, whilst for her most recent, the intricate family mystery The Square of Sevens (Pan Macmillan/Atria, 2023), she chose the 1730s and 1740s. This book, whose main character is a girl with a talent for fortune-telling through reading playing cards, has risen high in the bestseller lists. Meanwhile, since 2011, Robin Blake has produced a successful series of crime novels – eight so far, the most recent being Hungry Death (Severn House, 2022) – all set in the 1740s and featuring Lancashire coroner Titus Cragg and his sidekick

FEATURES | Issue 106, November 2023

“I think my book has struck a chord with people today because, throughout history, people have turned to magic, superstition, or religion, in an attempt to provide certainty in an uncertain world. In a time before antibiotics, even the wealthy could die suddenly from disease or injury, transforming the lives of those who depended on them. Seen through that lens, it is hardly surprising that magic and superstition had such a powerful hold on the population. In the 1730s, the ‘men of reason’ in Parliament tried to combat the purveyors of spells and fortune-telling by making their activities illegal. But they were fighting a difficult battle. My main character, Red, is herself a fortune-teller, and despite the danger of the law, uses her skills to infiltrate two of the most powerful families in the kingdom. “I draw a lot of inspiration from my research. Not only does it help me tell the story in a convincing way, it also gives me ideas for character, plot, sub-plot and theme. People often talk about research as though it must be hard work, but for me, it’s like having a voice whispering in my ear, giving me great suggestions – and who wouldn’t want that? The history is also often far more interesting and incredible than anything I could make up. Many plot aspects which feature in The Square of Sevens – fairground wig dips, ornamental hermitages, electricity shows – came out of my research and my book is all the more colourful for it! “I am pleased to say I am staying in the 18th century for my next book: it is in the very early stages, so I cannot say too much, but it is set

ONE MUST ENTER into the mindset of people where virtually none of the things that obsess or offend us were of any interest to them, and vice versa. in a Piccadilly confectionery shop and features a woman running her own business; the novelist and magistrate, Henry Fielding; ice cream; and murder….”

it take and how expensive would it be to travel from London to Cornwall? I research these kinds of specific questions as I go along,

Robin Blake started by saying: “It’s kind of you to describe me as a pioneer [of 18th-century crime thrillers], though I’m not sure if it’s true. Perhaps it is, in the sense that there had not been many authors writing historical murder stories in the period immediately prior to industrialisation — police procedurals just before there were any police. I put it like that because there was a Georgian official whose specific job was to investigate unexpected deaths. This was the coroner (in my stories, Titus Cragg of Preston), whose historical role since at least Anglo-Norman times had been to determine if a tax were due to the Crown, namely the forfeiture of the property of a murderer (or self-murderer). So the difference between Titus and (let’s say) Brother Cadfael or Matthew Shardlake is that Titus is a specialist murder investigator, though very far from being a policeman. “As a writer I enjoy the challenge of historical fiction. One must enter into the mindset of people where virtually none of the things that obsess or offend us were of any interest to them, and vice versa. This task is sharpened by my having chosen to write in the first person of Titus himself. I need to find a way of giving historical context without Titus giving historical lectures. I have to write within two essential stylistic restrictions: that narrative and dialogue should strictly avoid anachronism, on the one hand, and fustian archaisms on the other. It gets easier with practice. “As a main character, the particular attraction of a mid-18th-century coroner was that he was thinking and working on the cusp of the triumph of reason over custom, and science over superstition. Those triumphs are far from complete in the 1740s, creating much useful narrative tension!” Turning to Leonora Nattrass, she told me: “My novels are based on my fifteen years of research on the period, to PhD level and subsequently as an academic. My specialist subject was political journalism and pamphlets, especially related to the English response to the French Revolution, which threw all former certainties into the air. So one answer to ‘why the 18th century?’ is that I feel almost as much at home in that period as I do in the twenty-first century, having swum in the language and ideas of the period for so long! “The reason I originally found the 18th century so interesting was two-fold: the explosion of creativity that marked the period, with the invention of the novel and the writings of the Romantic poets, especially Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Keats; along with the exciting sense of political change with the advent of the French Revolution. This is really the period where our modern ideas of liberty and human rights emerge in a form recognisable to us today, along with the left/right split in politics detached from the religious issues that had defined politics in earlier periods. Last but not least, the language of the period means that I can write in the authentic voice of the time – a voice I absolutely love.

as the need arises. Each novel is based on a real event, and for this the research is essentially the same as it would be in an academic context: finding out as much as I can about the event and the characters involved, even though I might subsequently take liberties with the real history or move the event to a new setting (liberties I try to address in the historical note that ends each novel). I much prefer original sources to secondary research and seek out contemporary documents where I can. Here is where the delightful details crop up that inspire whole characters and storylines in the novels, and the gaps in the narrative where fiction can slide in.” With their very different styles and approaches, these three novelists share a reverence for historical accuracy, and an understanding of the usefulness of research for story-making, which ensure that their fictions are not only gripping, entertaining reads, but also novels in the sense of being informative about those aspects of human nature which endure unchanged down the centuries. Their books are all fully rounded achievements where accuracy and imagination remain well balanced.

W R I T T EN BY BEN BE RGONZ I Ben Bergonzi is one of the UK team of review editors for the Historical Novels Review.

“I know how 18th-century people thought and talked without needing much new research to speak of. But of course, the moment you start writing a novel, a hundred practical questions arise: what did people eat and when? How did they put on their clothes? How long would

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SPACES LEFT IN THE ARCHIVE Leila Aboulela Tells Stories from a Fresh Perspective

aware of the language that each character was speaking or thinking in, whether it was Scots for the character of Robert, the artist, or Arabic for the main Sudanese characters.” For example, when we first meet Akuany as a young girl, she has survived a slave raid on her village, where she would have spoken the Shilluk language and perhaps other Nilotic dialects. In addition to the radical changes in her circumstances, she has to learn different languages and customs. The siege of Khartoum in 1884–85 was a major event in British colonial history, even though for present-day generations outside the Sudan it may have faded from historical memory. Aboulela’s novel is based on a radical subversion. “History is all about the big figures,” she says, “instead I look behind them to the footnotes, to the people in the margins.” Indeed, Muhammad Ahmad (known as the Mahdi) and Charles Gordon (the general sent by the British to put down the revolt) are virtual bystanders. River Spirit is a love story about the indestructible bond between a man and a woman that arcs through changing circumstances, and a narrative told not by those in charge of events but those who are buffeted by them. I ask Aboulela about her research: “The inspiration for the character of Akuany was a bill of sale in the Sudan archives at Durham University. I knew that slavery existed in 19th-century Sudan, but it was still startling to hold such a document in my hand with the names of the buyer and seller and the amount of money exchanged. I also found in the archives a petition regarding an enslaved woman who had stolen a piece of material from her mistress and ran away to join her former master.” Aboulela describes the find as a “gift for a creative writer”, because the “spaces left in the archive gives you room to imagine and expand the story.” She continues: “It made me want to put together a story about her, who she was before she acquired the slave name of Zamzam, and why she was so attached to her former master.”

Leila Aboulela’s latest novel, River Spirit (Saqi Books/Grove Press, 2023), is set in 1880s Sudan, when the country was torn apart by a revolutionary religious uprising led by the self-proclaimed Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam, and the Ottomans and Britain vied for control. Aboulela grew up there before moving in her twenties to Scotland, where she now lives. I began by asking whether she had written a story set in the Sudan before. “My novel Lyrics Alley, published in 2010, was set in the Sudan of 1950s. It was based on my family’s history, and the events it covered were within living memory of many of the family members I interviewed. River Spirit, however, is set in the 19th century, a crucial time in the political history of Britain’s involvement in Sudan, and so the research was much more formal and extensive. It helped that I am bilingual, and I could access Arabic sources.” It is through African languages, as well as Arabic, that Aboulela can access the sources to “tell our side of the story”, a native viewpoint. When I asked about the “voice” she hears while writing, she tells me that if a character talks a language other than English, then she often hears that first in her head: “Throughout writing the novel, I was

FEATURES | Issue 106, November 2023

Travel to Khartoum has become difficult since Aboulela left. “During my father’s last years I did go frequently, but before and after that there were many years when I didn’t go at all. Because of the war now, I can’t envisage going again, at least not for a very long time. For researching this novel, I relied on my memories and written texts. I did not visit Sudan at all.” At the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Aboulela was asked about the novel’s reception in the Sudan. She replied that the outbreak of war earlier this year has strangely evoked memories of the Mahdist Revolution, giving her book a fresh topicality there. “The followers of the Mahdi believed that he was the prophesied ‘Rightly-Guided One’ sent to herald the end of time and the imminent approach of Judgement Day.” I ask about their clothing, and Aboulela explains: “The patches on the clothes were an expression of the followers’ ascetism and rejection of worldly pleasures. The patches were meant to symbolize their chosen poverty and a lifestyle that, at least at first, was focused on religious values rather than material ones.” One of the outsiders in the story is Robert, a fictional character who paints Zamzam and is based on the historical figure of David Roberts, a Scottish painter. As readers will know, an “outsider” is also an important device since they can describe and provide background. Aboulela says she has always loved the real David Roberts’ work. “I first discovered him through my husband who studied in Cairo.

WITH HINDSIGHT scholars were the real heroes, although they were certainly not seen that way at the time. The university sold a David Roberts calendar with each month showing a different lithograph of Egypt. He never did travel as far south as Sudan, that was my fictional invention. There isn’t one real-inspiration for the painting of Zamzam, but Orientalist art is full of nudes and depictions of the harem.” She goes on to say that “Recently it had come to light that none of these Orientalist artists working in conservative Muslim societies would have had access to the living quarters of middle-class women. The artistic ‘harems’ are therefore fantasies rather than realistic depictions. As for the women posing for these paintings, they were either prostitutes or enslaved. Hence the idea came to have my fiction character Robert enslave Zamzam in order to paint her.” I am also curious to hear about the paints Aboulela describes. “Because he had not taken any art supplies with him, I interviewed the artist Sokari Douglas Camp, and she was wonderfully helpful, giving me insight into all the local materials Robert would have used.” [1] Robert is not the only European presence. However, only one chapter in this multi-voiced structure is reserved for the other significant figure, “Charles” Gordon. The decision to use his first name as the chapter title puts him at the same level as all the other characters. But I ask Aboulela about her choice of the notoriously difficult secondperson narrator: “I found it at first daunting to write from the point of view of General Charles Gordon, then suddenly the sentence ‘You like how they say your name ...’ popped into my head. And another after it, all flowing easily. So, I decided to continue with the second person.”

decisions and influencing the lives of those around them.” This is Aboulela’s most impressive novel to date, and I am keen to discover whether her next work will be set in the past. I know that earlier this year, she claimed to be “more excited by African historical novels than by any other genre.”[2] In reply, she says: “I was planning to write about the early years of British rule in Sudan. This was a time of rebuilding the city of Khartoum, and laying down the foundation of the country that I grew up in. Given the situation in Sudan and the inability to travel there, I have now abandoned the idea. Instead, I am writing about my Egyptian mother’s childhood and family.” It is good to hear that those “figures in the footnotes” continue to interest her. “For me Cairo is all about family life and people rather than a place,” she says. “Place has always featured as an important part of my writing. But I’m now exploring ways of writing that is not dependent on place. And, yes, indeed I will focus on women’s lives and family dynamics.”

R E F E R ENC ES 1. On Sokari Douglas Camp, see https://sokari.co.uk/about/ 2. Interview by Marie Grace Brown, 5 March 2023, https://merip. org/2023/05/animating-sudanese-history-an-interview-with-leilaaboulela-author-of-river-spirit

The novel is richly evocative of place and landscape. Starting with the Nile itself, the river of the title; its two branches – the White Nile running further south, past Akuany’s native village, and then flowing into the Blue Nile at Khartoum – are a constant presence. In contrast, there are the mountains, the swamps, the desert. The whole gives a “very embodied experience for the reader” – and the addition of a map really helps. Not all fall into line with the Mahdi’s teaching. Notably, Yaseen, son of a wealthy merchant who abandons his father’s trade to become a religious scholar. After attending Al-Azhar University in Cairo, he refuses to acknowledge the spiritual leadership of the Mahdi whom he sees as an imposter. “With hindsight, scholars were the real heroes”, claims Aboulela, “although they were certainly not seen that way at the time.” The Mahdi was “very parochial”, she says, “much less cosmopolitan that the Khartoum mercantile and scholarly elites.” While Yaseen is Aboulela’s most intriguing character, her book abounds with strong women – whether Akuany, or Yaseen’s highly educated wife Salha, or the freed slave Hadija. I ask how she was able to find such detailed accounts given that women, in particular, left few records. “That is certainly the case. I had to dig and pick up threads here and there. I never found a first-person account written from a woman’s perspective. But this does not mean that women were passive. During these civil wars they accompanied the armies. They cooked, nursed and set up market stalls when the army camped. Women also played a part in espionage. Actually the limited sources are an opportunity for the creative writer to fill in the gaps with fiction, giving these women voices and space. The important thing is not to see them or present them as mere victims. Even though their choices were limited, they are strong and vital, capable of taking

W R I T T EN BY LUC I N DA BYAT T Lucinda Byatt is Features Editor of HNR and is always keen to explore questions of language in historical fiction. She blogs occasionally at https://textline.wordpress. com/

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A TASTY MORSEL

unending warfare and mutual hatred, and undoubtedly that existed, but alongside it was a process of assimilation. The incoming Danes often took Saxon wives, and vice versa, and so a large proportion of the inhabitants of northern and eastern England became bicultural – and the effects of that are strong in the English language. In the end the Vikings were embraced by the English and disappeared into their joint DNA.”

An Offering for Last Kingdom Fans

For fans of Uhtred, the meat or mead of this book is a chance to return, however briefly, to much-missed characters. How was it for Cornwell to live again in Uhtred’s world? “It felt very comfortable – I’ve lived with Uhtred for most of the last 15 years, and it was a pleasure to meet him again!” In the three short stories Uhtred eats and grows from aspiring warrior to grizzled hero. “The First Victory” shows Uhtred as a youngster desperate to become a warrior but having to use his brains rather than his brawn to conquer his enemies. Readers see why Uhtred had a lifelong hatred of eels, and we even see Father Beocca again for a time.

BY GORDON O'SULLIVAN

Some news to get fans of Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom series salivating: its hero Uhtred has returned from feasting in Valhalla! Uhtred’s Feast (HarperCollins, 2023) is a historical cookbook from American chef Suzanne Pollak, mixed with three new short stories from Bernard Cornwell featuring the Saxon warrior. Cornwell said in a recent interview with the Historical Novels Review that Uhtred’s “meals, in the books, mainly consist of bread, cheese, ale and salted meats.” When he became friends with Suzanne Pollak, however, her passion for Anglo-Saxon cookery convinced him that they should “fill the gaps in my ‘menu’”. Did you know that “the first mention of apples in England was by King Alfred” or that “the Saxons made omelettes” or that parsley was considered a “poisonous flirtation with Satan”? In her useful historical background, Pollak explains how an Anglo-Saxon diet was driven by the seasons, with vegetables and summer fruit taking up central roles. Cereals like barley and wheat were also staples, with bread eaten at nearly every meal and ale drunk by all ages and classes. Fish was consumed by those living near water, while meat was mostly reserved for richer tables. Pollak also underlines that food preservation was “an indispensable part of Anglo-Saxon life” to “feed a household throughout a cold and barren winter” and as “lifelines for travellers on land and sea.” Rather than try to recreate dishes exactly as the AngloSaxons would have eaten them, in Uhtred’s Feast, the “recipes in this book represent the taste and spirit of the food of the time.” Bernard Cornwell found the process of being a co-author “incredibly easy … Suzanne is the expert and enthusiastically researched ingredients and cooking methods from over a thousand years ago – and I was more than content to let her do all that work – while she was equally content to leave the stories to me.” Chef Pollak puts her research to work with recipes ranging from Pease Pudding and Fermented Shredded Turnip to Juniper-spiced Boar Meatballs and Royal Beef Stew. And of course, no Anglo-Saxon cookbook would be complete without a recipe for King Alfred’s Cakes. Cornwell was a willing taster for some of Pollak’s history-infused recipes. “I’ve tried several, and they all worked out remarkably well – mainly because Suzanne cooked them and all I was supposed to do was enjoy them – which I did!” But does he think he’d relish AngloSaxon meals? “On the whole I think I’d survive very well on a Saxon diet … there are plenty of fruits, vegetables and nuts, and enough meat to provide protein and, being married to a vegetarian dietitian who isn’t averse to cooking meat, I think I qualify as a Saxon eater.” What about that Satanic parsley? “I’ve flirted with Satan for so long and can only think I have been poisoned by parsley – which I like.” But there is one food that sticks in Cornwell’s craw: “The one ingredient I detest, and regard as Satan’s foulest product, is carrots.” Uhtred’s Feast isn’t wholly about Anglo-Saxon cooking; there is a Viking flavour to the recipes, reflecting Cornwell’s interest in the interrelationship between Saxon and Danes in this period. The hero of his Last Kingdom series was, after all, both Uhtred of Bebbanburg and Uhtred Ragnarsson. Why is he fascinated by this cultural assimilation? “Because it is such a tangled relationship. Received history and, I confess, the novels, might give an impression of 12

FEATURES | Issue 106, November 2023

“The Gift of God,” perhaps the strongest story, sees a more mature Uhtred on a mission with King Alfred, although we also have a brief glimpse of Steapa and Uhtred’s beloved Gisela. When asked if he regretted killing off any of his characters too early, Cornwell responded, “perhaps I’d have been happier (and so would Uhtred) if Gisela had lived longer. I was fond of her and can’t even remember now why I killed her off.” Seeing Alfred and Uhtred reunited in this second story was a poignant reminder of how well-matched these two characters were. “The Last Shield Wall” features a new Viking adversary in Hoskuld and emphasises just how impressively Cornwell writes battle scenes. The older Uhtred fights not with the energy of his younger years but with the skill of hard-won experience: “I had feared age would slow me, but in truth age had equipped me.” Finally, in the Last Kingdom series Uhtred fought many Northmen, but which of his Viking enemies would Bernard Cornwell like to share a meal with? “Haesten and Guthrum, probably – they’re both treacherous and subtle, and would be amiable dinner companions. But if I had to choose just one it would be Skald – she would be endlessly entertaining.” Gordon O’Sullivan is a freelance writer and researcher.

A PASSAGE FULFILLED BY CLAIRE MORRIS Claire Morris Talks to Stephanie Cowell Some years ago I wrote a feature for the Historical Novel Society’s former magazine, Solander, on Stephanie Cowell’s historical novels, using the title “Of Artists & Actors, Musicians & More,” an acknowledgement that she finds inspiration in creative people. When I asked her about this at the time, she told me: “The world I know best and the struggle I know best is that of having an artistic goal at the center of your life.” So it is no surprise that her latest, The Boy in the Rain (Regal House, 2023), follows this same path. Unlike most of her other novels, which centre around historical figures like Claude Monet and William Shakespeare, this new book’s protagonist is a painter named Robbie who, despite

many struggles, becomes a go-to portraitist for Edwardian London’s elite.

published until after his death – almost 50 years [later].”

The Boy in the Rain is not, in fact, Cowell’s newest novel. She shares that “it was 39 years from first sentence to publication date.” For many years, the manuscript was hidden in her closet.

Two characters who might have shunned the couple do quite the opposite. The first is George the vicar, who was Robbie’s tutor and lives next door to Anton in Nottinghamshire.

“It kept almost selling, but another book was sold first and then a sequel, and the editor was not particularly drawn to Boy and loved my Elizabethan novels,” Cowell explains. “Then I wrote a novel about Mozart [Marrying Mozart, Viking, 2004] and one on Claude Monet [Claude and Camille, Crown, 2011], but both editors wanted more books about famous artists which would attract big sales. Finally, during the [COVID-19] pandemic, I was alone in my New York City apartment and decided if I could finish one more book, this would be it. A writer friend spoke of it to the editor of a small rising literary publisher [Regal House], and she fell in love with it and acquired it at once.”

“I think he accepted it because he could not change it,” Cowell says. “George likely hoped Anton would marry again and have children. But Anton and Robbie were his adopted family. He expected that one day they would grow out of it and go back to being like brothers. He never really understands it, but he adores them and that is above everything.”

So how did it all begin, 39 years ago? Cowell feels that the journey of this novel is “layered and mystical” and tells how she was at an old country house in upper New York State and saw two men on the wooden outer stair.

Cowell shares her thoughts on Louise. “When she visits Anton in his country house, she is having one of those ‘Oh, maybe we could make this work out!’ moments that sometimes happen when people are on the edge of divorce. And at that time, she does not see another love in her future. By the time she sees Robbie’s exhibition advertised, she is deeply in love with the violinist who will be her second husband. Then she sees Robbie both as her beloved lost brother, and perhaps also has a solidarity with him in that he also had had to walk out on the difficult Anton. She feels a little vindicated. Her husband is away often for his music, so helping Robbie begin as a portraitist is a lovely thing for her. She’s motherly and Robbie is a great guy friend. I imagine their friendship will go on always.”

“One was somewhat older,” she says, “and both were slightly opaque. Their clothing seemed to be Victorian or Edwardian. They were and were not there. I ran down the stairs to my friends by the stream, feeling as if I had been visited by another world. Some time later I confided [this experience] to other friends who made me a wager to write it.” The older man in question is Anton, a well-to-do social reformer who, when the novel begins, has moved away from championing the lower classes and attempting to redress their deplorable living and employment conditions. When he and Robbie meet, they both seem unsure about what their future might hold. But then they fall in love, and everything changes. Robbie finds the confidence to pursue his painting, and Anton reignites his passion for reform and reconnects to his socialist friends and causes. But this is England in the first decade of the 20th century, and the fear of serious reprisal meant their relationship could not be public. Cowell points out that only a few years before Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for his sexual orientation. As History.com puts it, “homosexuality was a criminal offense and serious societal taboo at this time in Britain.”¹ Cowell underscores the very real danger Robbie and Anton were in – daily – by having one of Robbie’s friends suffer the same fate as Wilde. “A rather wonderful coincidence is that the great novelist E.M. Forster began his novel about two men in love, Maurice, in 1913,” she adds. “His story could not published then, for fear of prosecution. It was not

And then there’s Louise, Anton’s wife. At the beginning of the novel, they are estranged, and eventually, they separate for good. Robbie cannot believe that Louise wishes to befriend him, but they soon become close, and he ends up living in her London house when he is not in Nottinghamshire.

Like all of Cowell’s novels, The Boy in the Rain is impeccably researched; the details make it clear that the characters inhabit Edwardian England. It is a book of big themes: equity and the power of love. “Something inside of me made me write this story,” Cowell says. “I love all my novels but this one in a special way, maybe because I had to fight so hard for it. For a while I thought I would never get it out into the world. All books and characters choose you, really. They show up one day and won’t go away.” Claire Morris is Web Features Editor for the Historical Novel Society. References: 1. The History Channel website. "This Day in History." https://www.history. com/this-day-in-history/oscar-wilde-is-sent-to-prison-for-indecency

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

FROM PAGE TO STAGE & SCREEN

BY TRACEY WARR & KATHERINE MEZZACAPPA The Upcoming HNS UK Conference

The next HNS UK conference takes place at Dartington Hall, Devon, 6–8 September 2024. The team of volunteer organisers is Tracey Warr, Richard Lee, Katherine Mezzacappa and Rebekah Simmers. “I was thrown in at the deep end in Durham, my first HNS Conference!” says Katherine, who was also part of the UK 2021 Durham conference team. “My role was finding speakers and advising on Durham because I used to live there.” “That’s why I wanted to stage the HNS 2024 conference at Dartington,” answers Tracey. “I worked and lived there for a decade and knew it had a rich history. In the Domesday Book, the estate was owned by a Saxon woman, then by the ill-fated John Holland, halfbrother to King Richard II, then by generations of the Champernowne family. We are holding the conference gala dinner in the medieval Great Hall. In the 1920s, when the estate had almost fallen into complete wrack and ruin, it was bought by an American heiress, Dorothy Elmhirst, one of the richest women in the world. One of our speakers is Anna Neima, who has written a book on Dartington’s modernist history.” “The Durham conference was such fun. There was such goodwill around it. I think the Dartington conference will be a friendly community too.” “That is a persistent thing with these conferences,” says Tracey. “At my first HNS conference at Westminster University (2014), I’d written one novel and didn’t know anyone or anything. People were very friendly. I went away with lots of connections. Dartington has a capacity of 240, which is a nice scale. There are spectacular landscaped gardens, glorious woodland and riverside walks, a pub and café. What Richard Lee has done with the society—asking people to contribute as volunteers—works, because people put something in and they get something out.” “At Durham,” Katherine adds, “there weren’t any speakers who sat on their dignity. They were pleased to share what they’d done, what they knew. Julie Cohen was motivational, talking about her writer’s journey and resilience for writers. Graeme Macrae Burnet is a great writer but gives himself no airs – conference delegates told me how helpful he was in side conversations. I think, too, the conferences help the status of historical novel writing.” “Historical fiction has always had a shaky status,” says Tracey, “despite Booker Prize winners. If you say you’re a historical novelist, some people immediately ask: Are they bodice rippers? When I wrote my first historical novel, I wondered if I should publish under a pseudonym. Eventually, I just thought, no, I’ve spent four years working on this, and I’m proud of it. It is important to me to find myself with other historical novelists, taking ourselves seriously. I don’t mean earnestly, but acknowledging the readers, the market, the craft, the research that goes into it.” 14

FEATURES | Issue 106, November 2023

“You are finding your tribe really,” Katherine agrees. “The HNS is an inclusive organisation. There are speakers with big names, people who publish independently, people who publish with smaller publishing houses and people who haven’t published yet. The whole gamut is there. The industry input helps that as well because people have the opportunity to pitch.” “Yes,” says Tracey, “and the bookstall is important. I always leave with more books than I should.” “The new competition can engage the whole spectrum of writers— from unpublished to mid-career. I first got involved in the HNS because there was a novel competition. I made the last 15 and dined out on that. Well, I got an agent on it. A competition is a good pull.” “The majority of competitions are for short stories or poetry, so we wanted this one to address novelists,” remarks Tracey. “It’s for the first three chapters of a novel. Full details will be on the website on 1 November. It’s not necessary to attend the conference. Anyone, anywhere, can enter but the overall winner will be announced at the conference gala dinner. I got into publishing historical fiction through a competition too. I didn’t win. I was runner-up, but I got a publishing contract. The process is helpful: making the text the best you can, having a deadline, having some recognition. That was a great kickstart for me.” Katherine says, “I really like the conference theme. Tell me how you arrived at ‘From author’s page to stage and screen’.” “It was Rebekah’s idea. It is a theme that can be interpreted broadly. It’s not just about film rights or converting a book to a film. We were already talking to Bernard Cornwell and Diana Gabaldon, who have well-known TV adaptations from books. The full programme will be released on the website on 31 October 2023, and early bird registration opens on the same day.” “Coming for the conference isn’t a holiday—or perhaps it’s a busman’s holiday,” says Katherine. “But location is important. The excursions are popular, especially if people are coming from elsewhere. They offer the possibility of doing some research. They are bonding experiences—being on a coach together. Dartington’s location lends itself well to excursions, which could touch on anything from Agatha Christie to King Arthur. We’ll have an online part too. How do you see that running?” “We will stream the keynotes from the Great Hall and at least one strand of the parallel sessions. We will have an appealing programme for online attendees and a dedicated convenor to look after them. Full details will be available when registration opens.” “What will you do when all this is over?” asks Katherine. “Go back to writing my new medieval murder mystery series with a female troubadour sleuth. What about you?” “I’ve just published a new book. Another Katie Hutton. And I’ve got more in the works. Looking forward to finding the tribe at HNS2024.” https://hns2024.com. Sign up to the Facebook group and for the quarterly newsletter. Tracey Warr: https://meandabooks.com; Katherine Mezzacappa: h t t p s : / / w w w.w r i t i n g . i e /m e m b e r - a u t h o r s / ka t h e r i n e mezzacappa/

THERE ARE various ways to elide the realities. Yet I wanted an honest and frank exploration of what went on in the concentration camps. I wanted to see if my publisher would let me tell the real story.

DARK STORIES BY TRISH MACENULTY A Conversation with YA Author Steve Watkins Steve Watkins, author of the young adult novels On Blood Road, Juvie, What Comes After, Great Falls, the middle-grade novels Down Sand Mountain, Sink or Swim, and the ‘Ghosts of War’ series, has sold more than 1.5 million books. A former professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, his most recent book, Stolen By Night (Scholastic, 2023), tells the story of a French teenager named Nicolette who, along with her friend Jules, resists the Nazi occupation of Paris by committing acts of vandalism and creating pamphlets to disseminate information, even though her own father supports the occupiers. One night she is snatched off the street by the Nazis. Her friends and family have no idea what has happened to her. “Night and fog” — the Nazi practice of “disappearing” their enemies — is one of many tactics used to cow the populace. Watkins was inspired to write the story after reading about the myths of the French Resistance: “There’s this romanticized trope that all the French were part of the Resistance from day one,” he said. “But many French citizens thought the Germans would bring a needed discipline to their country.” He was struck by the fact that there were three million cases of French people reporting their neighbors to the Nazi authorities. “It was a sinister climate,” he said. The storyline of young rebels fighting an oppressive occupier is ideal for a young adult novel since, according to Watkins, it was principally young people who resisted the oppression of the Nazis. “Teens were the driving force. They were on the front lines, disrupting the occupation by defacing Nazi signs and symbols and sharing information from illegal sources.” Present-day events also inspired Watkins to write about the teenage fighters.

honest and frank exploration of what went on in the concentration camps. I wanted to see if my publisher would let me tell the real story.” In Stolen by Night. one of the topics Watkins avoided was the sexual abuse that a female prisoner would have endured. Nicolette is young and half-starved. Forced to watch other prisoners hang, she is given the gruesome task of disposing of dead bodies. Eventually, she winds up as a server in the officers’ mess hall, which offers her a measure of protection. “I read a lot of the transcripts of the Nuremberg trials, which were just unspeakably horrific. I had to be as honest as I could, but at the same time, write at an appropriate level for young readers,” he said. “A good editor is helpful. I didn’t want to sugarcoat or romanticize what happened in the camps, and my editor helped me straddle that line.” Watkins wound up writing YA novels by accident. His first book was The Black O (University of Georgia Press, 1997), a nonfiction account of racism in corporate hiring practices. Then he wrote a novel set in Thailand during a military coup. “Nobody wanted any piece of it,” he said. So he wrote Down Sand Mountain (2008), a coming-of-age story set in 1966. His agent didn’t think she could sell it, but a young woman who had just started at the agency picked it up and sold the book to Candlewick Press. “I didn’t realize I was writing YA until we sold it,” Watkins said with a laugh. The book went on to win the Golden Kite Award for Young Adult fiction. After spending several years as a court-appointed advocate for children, Watkins found he was well suited to write stories for younger readers. “I would investigate and write reports. I heard stories and had lots of experiences working with young people,” he said. These experiences gave him a sense of children’s lives and what young people wanted to read. He wrote his next three or four books for young adults, and eventually Scholastic wanted to work with him. Watkins describes a varied landscape for writing for young people today. He said that a lot of publishers are looking for the “crossunder” book, those that appeal to more than one group.

“Two of my daughters were involved in the Black Lives Matter protests. Young Americans were putting themselves out there, getting arrested, and tear-gassed. They got a crash course in the mendacity of people in power when they saw protesters falsely accused and arrested,” he said. “All of that spoke to me as I was getting into the mindsets of Nicolette and Jules. Of course, the stakes were vastly higher in World War II.”

“If a book is both young adult and middle grade, that informs some of the decisions,” he said. “A YA book may have decent sales, but if it also appeals to middle graders, then the sales can be much greater with classroom and libraries picking up the books.

After she disappears, Nicolette winds up in Natzweiler-Struthof, the only German/Nazi-run concentration camp on what is now French soil. Watkins said the camp did not have the notoriety of the other camps because it was smaller, and yet the conditions were brutal, involving forced labor and pseudo-scientific medical experiments. More than 22,000 prisoners died in the camp system.

YA and middle grade books provide an avenue for inspiring the next generation.

“The things I write about in the camp are all factual, including the medical experiments,” he said. “The challenge is to honor the sacrifices of those people who were tortured, abused, and killed.” The other challenge, Watkins acknowledged, is how to write about such dark subjects for a young adult audience. “There are various ways to elide the realities. And yet I wanted an

“There’s also some of that going on with YA and adult publishing,” he continued. “Some writers create a YA version of their adult books.”

“Young people care about issues and see them in an existential way. One of the things that historical fiction can do is whet their appetite to learn more. My responsibility as a writer is to offer a perspective and a challenge to take the information and run with it,” he said. “As writers we open doors.” Watkins is currently working on another historical YA novel and edits the online magazine, Pie and Chai. Trish MacEnulty's historical YA novel, Cinnamon Girl (Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama) came out in September 2023.

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

battles, and entrancing characters. Another beautifully written story by Connilyn Cossette.

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

A NC I E N T EGY P T WARRIOR KING Lauren Lee Merewether, LLMBooks Publishing, 2023, $16.99, pb, 468pp, 9781737905042

Written as an ode to the women behind the throne and set during Egypt’s 2nd Intermediate Period, Warrior King is about a family who sacrifice all they have to reunite Kemet. In 1575 BCE, the native people of Kemet have an uphill battle if they hope to reunite the upper and lower lands. Their weapons are inferior, their resources are scarce, and loyalty from the Upper Kemet princes is divided. With her husband slain, Queen Ahhotep is forced into difficult choices, some of which will come at great personal cost, for the crown. Do the gods agree that her lineage is truly the divinely appointed ruling family, or will they see her weaknesses and make her pay the ultimate price: eternal death? Merewether takes a deep dive into the hard choices the mothers of kings are forced to make. This is a tightly woven political and family drama. The plot doesn’t need a lot of battle scenes in order to feel the emotional impact and tension of war. The prose is magnetic and visceral. The characters are well-developed, and their trials entrancing. This is a beautifully researched story. Only a few things felt out of place. First, eye-rolling was not a convention of annoyance until the 1980s. Second, while karkade (hibiscus) tea is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus (1550 BCE) for its medicinal properties, the tea cup and saucer (origins: ancient China), as far as I know, wasn’t an item in ancient Egypt/Kemet at this time. Otherwise, this is one of the most vivid and authentic-feeling books about ancient Egypt/Kemet that I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommended! J. Lynn Else

BI BL IC A L BABYLON Michelle Cameron, Wicked Son, 2023, $18.99, pb, 432pp, 9781637587614

Babylon tells the heartbreaking story of the Judean exile in the 6th century BCE. Sarah is a beautiful young Judean woman whose life 16

J. Lynn Else

is turned upside down the day the ruthless Babylonians arrive. She and her people are immediately pressed into slavery and forced to walk to Babylon. The Judeans face unspeakable horrors on the cruel journey and in the alien land. This book focuses on the lives of Sarah, Seraf, and Uri, along with many other characters, during their time in Babylon. Babylon is a beautifully crafted masterpiece that tells the story of the Jewish people from their own perspective. Therein lies its beauty. I was blown away by Cameron’s strong characterizations, and it was fascinating to learn about the cultures of the Judeans, Babylonians, and Persians. The story is filled with rich descriptions of temples, palaces, ancient customs and traditions, and politics. The pacing is steady overall, but there are times when the story becomes a bit slow. This is an engrossing read, and I will definitely read books by this author in the future. Elizabeth K. Corbett

VOICE OF THE ANCIENT Connilyn Cossette, Bethany House, 2023, $16.99, pb, 352pp, 9780764238918

The newly appointed King Saul has called the men of Yaakov to battle. Four cousins answer the call, despite only one of them being of age. Worse, Avidan must hide that he’s a Levite and thus exempt from enrolling in the army. When the youngest cousin goes missing, Avidan is the only one who will search while his other cousins follow the army instead. Along the way, Avidan meets up with Keziah. Disguised as a boy, Keziah is fleeing from a cruel man whose intent in marrying her is to take her father’s land. While her disguise doesn’t fool Avidan, her horse would help him cover more ground, so he plays along. United by necessity, Avidan and Keziah find comfort together amidst the losses weighing their hearts. But can they admit their secrets and their growing feelings before going their separate ways? Able to be read as a standalone, Cossette’s new series The King’s Men includes characters from her Covenant House duology. Cossette’s novels always raise up the voices of women and their influence on biblical-era society. Grounded in sublime research, the character mindsets feel authentic while also finding strength in ancient times and the limitations therein. This story focuses on stories and how disconnected the tribes of Yaakov are from their history. Avidan recounts the tales that teach those around him, including Keziah, about God’s love; Keziah has only learned stories of God’s wrath. It’s almost as if the author is placing herself in her own story as the character of Avidan with his charming narratives, immersive settings, exciting

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

LILITH Nikki Marmery, Alcove Press, 2023, $18.99, pb, 336pp, 9781639105717 / Legend Press, 2023, £18.99, hb, 372pp, 9781915643681

Feminist in outlook and tone, Marmery’s well-researched novel relates the creation, banishment, and subsequent wanderings over time of the legendary Lilith, the first wife of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Carefree and happy in the Garden, Lilith discovers a side of her husband she doesn’t like. In desperation, she appeals to the Holy Mother, Asherah, for help, which makes God so angry that he forces Lilith to leave the Garden. Fleeing to the sea and confronted by angels, Lilith refuses to return to Adam and is replaced by God with Eve. Given Wisdom, Lilith tempts Eve in trying to save her from authoritarian servitude and becomes determined that all should know about the Mother (aka the Queen of Heaven). She travels through centuries and cultures, searching for justice for the Mother and spreading the truth of Creation. In her search, Lilith identifies—in error—women whom she believes could be the prophet foretold, including the notorious Queen Jezebel and Jesus’s follower Mary Magdalene. Lilith herself undergoes enlightenment as she attempts to regain her rightful place in Paradise. Strong female characters dominate the narrative, and Marmery has made them multifaceted, flawed, and with distinct voices. Her male characters, including Adam and Noah, generally come off less than stellar. The relationship between Lilith and her outcast angel lover Samael adds interest, and Marmery’s skill at weaving in other characters and plot threads keeps the reader engrossed. Imaginative, provocative, and timely in Lilith’s attempts to bring balance into a world based on inequality, this novel both entertained me and was thought-provoking in its subject. Lilith, whether demon, angel, or something in between, is an engaging character in her journey to set things right in the world. Michael I. Shoop

C L A SSIC A L AN UNEXPECTED ALLY Sophia Kouidou-Giles, She Writes, 2023, $17.95, pb, 192pp, 9781647425555

In this novel set during the archaic period of classical antiquity, Circe knows Odysseus must leave her soon. In her dreams and in the sailor’s stories, she learns about Glaucus. Glaucus shares similar interests and is an immortal. Hoping he may be someone to fill her heart after Odysseus leaves, Circe travels to his home. They meet, but it’s clear he’s in love with a mortal woman named Skylla, even though Skylla does not return his affection. Forlorn, Circe returns to her island of Aeaea. Yet, while she walked away from a love not returned, another immortal will seek revenge

with disastrous consequences that only Circe will be able to mend. While Circe’s story is well-known, the author offers readers a new twist in An Unexpected Ally. This re-spun tale is about how love changes a person—both figuratively and literally. Only a few moments shook me out of the narrative, one item being Circe quoting Sophocles’s Antigone, which was first performed in 441 BCE. Our tale is set at the time of The Odyssey, which (while debated) is hundreds of years prior. The second item is that eyerolling wasn’t a convention of annoyance until the 1980s. Originally on a quest to win Glaucus’s heart, Circe instead journeys to save a woman who has suffered at the hand of a spurned god. Kouidou-Giles’s novella is a tale of women taking back their stories. The prose is mesmerizing and the journey heartfelt. Few legends of this time end well for women, and this novella is a refreshing glimpse of ancient world beauty, sisterhood, and new beginnings. Recommended! J. Lynn Else

2N D C E N T U RY THE HOLLOW THRONE Tim Leach, Head of Zeus, 2023, £20.00/$29.99, hb, 301pp, 9781800242920

Set around Hadrian’s Wall in 175 CE, The Hollow Throne picks up the story of a Sarmatian formation in the Roman army, and the indigenous tribes originally settled to the north of the wall. The Sarmatians, under their Roman leader Lucius, have cleared the area alongside the wall driving the Votadini off their lands while an old enemy – the Painted People – has regrouped and is pressing southwards. On top of the narrative of the warring tribes, the story develops the relationships between the Romans, the Sarmatians, and the tribes, alongside the personal interactions of the leaders who have considerable history between them covering battles, betrayal, and love. With a Druidic talisman as a catalyst, the setting of the plot is varied and full of colour. The tension and the twists and turns in the storyline kept me engrossed to the end. A most enjoyable read. Sean Churchfield

5T H C E N T U RY BECOMING ST. PATRICK: His Slavery Eric Foster, Matador, 2022, £11.99/$19.99, pb, 440pp, 9781803135403

‘Hail Glorious St. Patrick, dear saint of our Isle’ is the opening line of the Irish hymn to their patron saint. This excellently researched and brilliantly inventive novel shows that the early years of one of the world’s famous saints was anything but glorious, and he certainly was not sainted on his first, enforced, trip to the Emerald Isle. Patricius, born of a wealthy family in the

north-west of England, is snatched during a daring raid of Irish marauders and taken back to Ireland. He is sold as a slave to a king from the west and told, in no uncertain terms, that ‘no slave has ever escaped from Ireland.’ He is trained as a shepherd, and in the pastoral hills he finds solace, friendship and love. At times he wonders if he should stay in Ireland, be content with his life, and become a freeman. However, God has other plans! After six years, a divine message tells him his boat is readied, and he makes the perilous overland journey south and east and finds a port and a ship to take him to Gaul. However, his troubles are not over, and it takes time, trials and tribulations before his emotional reunion with his parents. For this reviewer, what makes a good historical novel great is when the author tells the most accurate story possible from historical references and fills the gaps with excellent time-relevant characters and events. Eric Foster has done this and more. Sticking faithfully to the story of St. Patrick, written in his own words in his Confessio, the author creates a highly believable pagan Ireland whose hills, way of life, and occasional battles are filled with fabulous characters and believable dialogue. This is a book to be proud of and a pleasure to read. Aidan K. Morrissey

THE BARBARIAN Douglas Jackson, Bantam, 2023, £20.00, hb, 368pp, 9781787634824

It’s 406 AD, Roman Britannia is going to pieces, and former Lord of the Wall Marcus Flavius Victor is in trouble. It’s hardly a novel condition to the man who once pulled a dangerous gambit that saved Britannia, but left him with an unsavoury reputation. Now Marcus’s doubtful past is catching up with him, though, and everyone wants him dead – including Honorius, the Emperor of the West in faraway Ravenna. The only hope seems to come from old friend Stilicho, Honorius’s powerful father-in-law – but, before he can move west and join Stilicho, Marcus must rescue his son, captured in a Saxon raid years ago… Will Marcus and his ragtag cavalry band find the boy – not to mention their way across the ravaged remnants of the empire? And what dangers await them in Ravenna? In tackling this most fascinating time, the 5th century, when Rome was crumbling under the pressure of Barbarian invasions and its own weight, Jackson does a great job of showing the unsettled feeling, the political turmoil, and the difficult plight of those generals who were of Barbarian origin – like the fictional Marcus and the historical Stilicho. That said, I found the story a little episodic in places, and couldn’t warm to the characters (Brenus and Anastasia especially baffled me – and I have to wonder at Valeria’s military role). Still, an enjoyable portrayal of an interesting period. Chiara Prezzavento

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MENEWOOD Nicola Griffith, FSG, 2023, $35.00/£30.00, hb, 720pp, 9780374208080

Menewood is a sequel to Griffith’s earlier novel, Hild, and the reader will get the most from it by having read Hild first. But even alone, Menewood is a brilliant novel as well as a craft class in world-building, as crucial to a historical novel as it is to fantasy or science fiction. The seventh-century Britain of Griffith’s novel is so fully realized that we feel as if she had been there, observing, as Hild does, everything from the smallest of wild things to the ambitions of kings. Menewood continues the story of the woman who would (far beyond the end of this novel) become St. Hilda of Whitby, abbess and advisor to kings. Almost nothing is known of Hild’s early life before she joined the Church. Griffith has constructed a fiction to fit the few known facts, revolving around Hild’s determination to protect Menewood, her hidden valley in what is now West Yorkshire, and its people from the ravages of both invading kings and her own family, a tangled royal dynasty most often at war with itself. In the process Hild becomes both warrior and kingmaker, navigating the ambitions of rival lords and the equally ambitious factions within a church only tenuously established among the kingdoms of Britain, often distrusted by kings as likely to wear Thunor’s hammer around their necks as a cross. To help the reader navigate this unfamiliar world, the front matter provides three maps, a family tree for Hild and the rival branches of her family, and a cast of characters necessary to untangle the many unfamiliar and often similar sounding names of the early English. The back matter includes a useful glossary. Highly recommended. Amanda Cockrell

8T H C E N T U RY KELLS Amy Crider, Univ. of New Orleans Press, 2023, $24.95/C$32.95, pb, 401pp, 9781608012503

The Book of Kells, the beautiful Gospel manuscript created by early Celtic Christian monks, serves as the tableau upon which this story unfolds. Its characters swirl around each other much as the illuminations on the manuscript do, crossing paths, separating, and then intersecting again throughout the world of their lifetimes. The story of how The Book of Kells came into existence springs from the tale of Connachtach, the monk who is the driving force behind its inception. He sets in motion the need to find lapis lazuli, a necessary ingredient for making blue ink. This quest is championed by a monk who survived the Viking raid on Lindisfarne, and a young man who is a potential future monk from Iona. Their expedition takes them from rocky coasts to oceans, forests, mountains, and deserts

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of sand. Wonder is mixed with terror as they travel. Interwoven with their tale is a parallel story of Connachtach’s sister and blind niece. Their quest starts as a hope for a miracle cure, but rapidly becomes a perilous journey. The two women face deprivation and violence, but also resilience and kindness along their way. Interspersed throughout these travels comes a growing understanding of the value of a monk’s life and the work that flows from it. The Book of Kells comes to truly represent collective sacrifice, reverence, and ultimately love. This lyrical novel offers a tantalizing glimpse of a world that existed long ago. Readers will be awed at the ability of humans to persevere against enormous odds in order to create works of great art that have endured for centuries. Highly recommended for anyone interested in Celtic history. Karen Bordonaro

9T H C E N T U RY THE NEEDLE OF AVOCATION G. M. Baker, Stories All the Way Down, 2023, $15.99, pb, 301pp, 9781778066375

Set in 9th-century Northumbria, The Needle of Avocation offers something of a timetravelling experience, immersing the reader more or less immediately in the long-lost past. Our protagonist is the young Hilda, a renowned embroideress—even if she scoffs at people who praise her needlework as the best in the entire kingdom. How can they possibly know that, unless they’ve seen every single piece of embroidery around? But she finds solace in her craft, moments of escape from a life where she has always played second fiddle to her eldest, oh, so beautiful sister, Elswyth. Even now that Elswyth is gone, purportedly abducted by Vikings—not that Hilda believes this: she is of the firm opinion the abduction is a story concocted by her parents to hide the truth—she continues to cast a very long shadow. It is because of Elswyth that Hilda must wed. She’d prefer not to, despite the fact that her groom is the son and heir of an ealdorman. But the marriage is important to her father—and her grasping mother, who is all for climbing up the social ladder. As Elswyth is no longer around to marry, it falls to Hilda to do her duty, no matter that all she wants to do is sew, preferably in a convent. Engagingly written with beautifully developed characters and a vividly depicted, well-researched historical backdrop, The Needle of Avocation is a little gem brimming with life and colour. And Hilda—well, who can possibly resist this serious, brutally honest but socially awkward teenager, who over the space of a week leaves childhood behind to blossom into a young but determined and brave woman? Not me! An absolutely wonderful read. Anna Belfrage

UHTRED’S FEAST Bernard Cornwell with Suzanne Pollak, Harper, 2023, $32.00, hb, 288pp, 9780063219366 / HarperCollins, 2023, £22.00, hb, 288pp, 9780008352929

Experience the Anglo-Saxon world during the Dark Ages when a united Britain was but a dream in the midst of ongoing conflict with the invading Danes. Uhtred’s Feast by Bernard Cornwell with chef Suzanne Pollak offers a rare glimpse into the culture and cuisine of the society. The book is structured in three parts which are entitled: 1) Home, 2) Land and Water, and 3) Storage. Each part is further divided into categories of historical background, recipes, and a scene of Uhtred at various stages throughout his life. The historical background of the AngloSaxon rural community provides insight on challenges farmers faced growing crops and managing animals such as pigs, sheep, chickens, and cows to sustain themselves and to pay “food rent” to the local lord. The recipes are based on meat and plants that were readily available. Recipes include smoked pig’s head, juniper-spaced boar meatballs, and foraged mushroom omelette. The short story told in each part is a bonus that gives the reader a flavor of Cornwell’s beloved Last Kingdom series. For anyone interested in trying a recipe from the Dark Ages, Uhtred’s Feast offers a sundry of recipes for a celebration steeped in rich traditions and engaging tales about a pagan warrior’s first victory in childhood, his relationship to the Christian King Alfred, and a battle in his later years. Linnea Tanner

COLUMBA’S BONES David Greig, Polygon, 2023, £10.00, hb, 183pp, 9781846976261

Iona, 825 AD, and a gang of Vikings raids a Celtic monastery. In one brutal day, a multitude of characters is reduced to three survivors: an ageing Viking, a novice monk, and a peasant woman. As seasons sweep over the island, the pragmatic, brutal world-view of the Viking clashes against the other-worldliness of the monk. The Viking is baffled by a God who doesn’t defend himself but entranced by the brilliant, intricate illuminations in the book the monk produces. The monk agonises over his survival, believing his murdered brothers to be martyrs, but is horrified by Viking bloodshed. The woman, kept busy keeping the others fed, is untroubled by theology. Everyone knows that the raiders will return,

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

seeking the reliquary containing St Columba’s bones. But nobody knows its whereabouts, as the Abbot secretly buried it. To Vikings, it’s enough silver bullion to retire. To the monk, it’s miraculous power. To the woman, it’s irrelevant. The question is, how to survive when the Vikings return? This is a jewel of a book, sparkling like the seas around the island. Each word vivifies the island, its natural life, and the inner lives of its inhabitants. Greig’s writing is fashionably free of speech marks, speech and thought merging, as the physical and spiritual merge on this Holy Island. Spiritual angst is well researched but concise, and leavened by humour. The humour renders characters relateable, highlighting issues we all recognise. The ageing Viking, his belly spreading, struggles to run up the sandy beach. His ship-mates’ nicknames, expressed in modern English, are prosaic: Shorty, Bloodnose – although we never learn how Fuck-a-Whale got his name. Recommended for readers who enjoy seeing recognisable, fictitious humans bringing history to life. Helen Johnson

11T H C E N T U RY QUEEN HEREAFTER (US) / LADY MACBETHAD (UK) Isabelle Schuler, Harper Perennial, 2023, pb, $18.99, 352pp, 9780063317277 / Raven Books, 2023, £14.99, hb, 384pp, 9781526647252

This deep dive into the origin story of Lady Macbeth transports the reader to 11thcentury Scotland, a time steeped in religion, superstition, factions and fighting. It’s a man’s world, but Gruoch, granddaughter of a king and daughter of a prince, is not content to be a submissive player in her own life story. Her pagan grandmother has whispered to her of a glorious future, and Gruoch believes she is destined to be a queen. Although attracted to her handsome cousin, Macbethad, Gruoch thinks a union with King Malcolm’s son Duncan offers a better chance for her royal ambitions, and it’s hard to know if it’s her belief in her destiny that drives her, or her innate ambition making her believe it’s her destiny is to be a queen. Schuler has created an immersive world where violence is the norm, and ambition is almost synonymous with survival. Gruoch is tough, and a credible precursor to Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, toward whom enjoyable nods are made as the story unfolds. It’s worth emphasizing that as an origin story the novel only covers Gruoch’s early life and marriages. Duncan, according to Shakespeare at least, was an old man when Macbeth murdered him, and Queen Hereafter stops many years short of that. If there is a sequel in the works, I’d certainly be interested in reading more of Gruoch’s story. Kate Braithwaite

12T H C E N T U RY

BROTHERHOOD OF WOLVES Daniel Colter, Sapere, 2023, $12.99/£11.99, pb, 380pp, 9780854950355

What price revenge? This first book in a new series examines the question in the context of the Templar knights on Crusade in the Middle East. The story is built around the dying King Baldwin and the defense of Jerusalem in the late 12th century. The journey of Finn, the flawed hero, towards a better understanding of himself parallels our understanding of his world, the way the Templars worked together and how they fought Saladin. The battle scenes and the supporting cast of the brotherhood are characterized well. The sole female character in the book is developed more in her absence than in the handful of pages she appears in. We get to see disaffected Templars as well as disaffected Mamelukes (Christians taken at birth or a young age and trained by the Sultan’s armies into an elite unit), thereby illustrating the shifting loyalties of the time. I can best describe this book as a grownup version of G. A. Henty’s stories for young boys, including a lot of grit, angst and selfrecrimination. The series will continue in a second book. Kishore Krishna

14T H C E N T U RY OLAV AUDUNSSØN IV: Winter Sigrid Undset (trans. Tiina Nunnally), Univ. of Minnesota Press, 2023, $17.95, pb, 352pp, 9781517915414

Norway, early 1300s: This last volume of Sigrid Undset’s tetralogy, Olav Audunssøn, recounts the final years of Olav’s life; his relations with his son, Eirik, and his daughter, Cecilia; and the insidious manner in which events from Olav’s earlier life impact them as the years pass and his life draws to a close. As this book opens, Olav gives shelter to a young stranger, Aslak Gunnarssøn. While Aslak stays at Hestviken he and Cecilia form a tentative attachment, but Olav refuses to consent to a betrothal. Eirik unexpectedly arrives home, bringing his friend Jørund to stay. Olav then considers betrothing Cecilia to Jørund, while Eirik allows his emotions for Olav’s foster daughter to overcome him. Ramifications of these events echo down the years. Olav, emotionally constrained and tormented by his own past, strives to live an honorable life and find some peace in his relations with his son and daughter, until a final crisis forces him to confront unconfessed misdeeds. Although I have not yet read the three earlier volumes in this series, I found Winter a deeply absorbing read. Tiina Nunnally’s sparsely elegant translation does full justice to Sigrid Undset’s panoramic vision of medieval

Norway: the landscape and climate, social structures, family relations of the wider culture, and the internal struggles of Olav and his children. Enough backstory is contained in this final volume to allow it to be read independently, but I feel that reading the other three volumes first would have added richness to my experience. I look forward to doing just that, and catching up with Olav’s earlier life. With such a nuanced hero, accomplished author, and skillful translator, that will prove no hardship. Recommended. Susan McDuffie

15T H C E N T U RY THE LOST PRINCE Ethan Bale, Canelo, 2023, £9.99, pb, 368pp, 9781800329706

Sir Giles Ellingham, illegitimate son of Richard III, and Sir John Hawker, a veteran dedicated to Sir Giles, flee Venice by the connivance and money of Maria Hunyadi. Her price? To help her on a personal and dangerous quest. To rescue her father, reported killed nine years ago, from a mountain imprisonment. Her father – Vlad Dracula, the Impaler. Joined by a small band of mercenaries, vagabonds, and ruffians, they must journey through hostile territories and beat off various factions that would oppose them for many reasons. But does the fierce Maria actually tell the truth? Is her father still alive? This novel is an involving story, with strong characterisations, vivid location descriptions, and a fast pace. Much is seen through the eyes of several of the main characters, apart from Maria Hunyadi herself, who remains elusive yet dominant throughout. The complex politics and loyalties of Europe in the 15th century are simplified yet important to the drive of the story. A great representation of the setting. Alan Cassady-Bishop

16T H C E N T U RY BURNT OFFERINGS Danielle Devlin, Polygon, 2023, £9.99, pb, 330pp, 9781846976162 It is 1589, and King James VI of Scotland believes himself to have been the victim of witchcraft. This leads to a frenetic routing out of crones and sorceresses, and one of those caught up in the mayhem is Besse Craw. She is the daughter of a healer and the wife of an unreliable and brutal man who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. When Besse is taken to Edinburgh’s Tolbooth prison, she finds herself fighting not just for her own life, but also for her mother, her daughter and her unborn child. Burnt Offerings is based on true events. Besse is a fictional character, but her mother is the all-too-real Agnes Sampson, a midwife and healer who was at the centre of the

notorious North Berwick witch trials. No grisly detail is spared: we follow several unfortunate women (and one man) who are tortured and put to death in the most appalling manner. It all builds up a picture of a world in which women have little power, living in fear of men and subject to their whims. As the narrator notes, charges of witchcraft are sometimes random, and an accused woman could be ‘guilty of nothing more than fending off the advances of men’. I felt that the author could have made more of the metaphor of the loaded dice, in this context as applicable to the witch hunter as to the gambling den. And, although there is a strong dose of realism in this novel, I wasn’t entirely convinced by the characters of the two men in Besse’s life, or by the events leading to the story’s conclusion. However, the book will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about this shameful period of history. Karen Warren

THE BURNINGS Naomi Kelsey, Harper North, 2023, £14.99, hb, 448pp, 9780008534769

Naomi Kelsey’s gripping debut novel is based on the 16th-century North Berwick Witch Trials and centres around two real historical figures: Geillis Duncan, a Scottish midwife, and Margareta Vinstar, a lady-inwaiting to Princess Anna of Denmark. Geillis and Margareta meet when Princess Anna is betrothed to King James VI of Scotland. Anna’s journey to Scotland is delayed by storms, so James sails to her. His ship is caught in bad weather, but in the febrile atmosphere of the times, the storms are said to have been conjured up by witches to stop the marriage. James is determined to investigate. Geillis looks vulnerable, as her knowledge of herbs and potions can be misconstrued as witchcraft. But Margareta has problems too. She is caught up in political machinations involving Francis Stewart, the Earl of Bothwell (nephew of Mary of Queen of Scots’ third husband), a challenger to James’s throne. This could be solved by her mistress, Anna, giving birth to James’s son, but James prefers to spend time with his male favourite. Can Geillis’s knowledge of herbs help Anna get pregnant? There’s plenty of spying and betrayals going on around the two women amid the witch trials. Can they trust each other and, if they can’t, what will they do to survive? The book is told from Geillis’s and Margareta’s points of view, and both characters are equally compelling. The interactions between James and Geillis are chilling. The book is obviously well researched, but be warned, it contains scenes of rape and torture. At 448 pages, I felt some areas could have been tightened, but it is a moving and fascinating novel about a horrific period of history. Kate Pettigrew

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THE CONJUROR’S APPRENTICE G. J. Williams, Legend Press, 2023, $17.99/£9.99, pb, 288pp, 9781915643414

It’s 1555, and Mary Tudor sits on the throne. Dr. John Dee and his secret apprentice, Margaretta, are investigating the murder of a servant boy. Clutched in the servant’s cold hand is a letter that could implicate Princess Elizabeth in a conspiracy. Dr. Dee is looking for a way to restore his family’s wealth and believes solving this crime will help him earn favor at court. He can’t do it without Margaretta, though, who has an uncanny ability to pick up on people’s feelings. Then another body is found, and each victim unveils a different gruesome clue hinting at darker intentions. Dr. Dee will use all the tools at his disposal, including tarot and crystal readings—methods that are dangerous to even speak of. When danger lurks close to their door, Margaretta will put her own safety at risk to keep those she cares for safe. Williams tangles a complicated web for our main characters to unspool. The plot is packed with gristly twists, political intrigue, and religious persecution. Williams’s strong research shines in this debut novel. The one thing that took me out of the period was when characters were eyerolling; this wasn’t a convention of annoyance until the 1980s. As an apprentice, Margaretta stands beside Dr. Dee as he views the bodies of victims and participates in his occult activities. She is quick on her feet while doing most of the investigating. Meanwhile, Dr. Dee’s views and reliance on divination are explored with spine-tingling portents of what’s to come (both for him and for the plot). The characters add their own suspense as motivations and murky loyalties slowly become clear. A very entertaining and immersive historical murder mystery that explores another side to the legacy of Dr John Dee. J. Lynn Else

17T H C E N T U RY THE MAP COLORIST Rebecca D’Harlingue, She Writes, 2023, $17.95/£12.99, pb, 303pp, 9781647425470

Although young Anneke van Brug rarely ventures outside of her Amsterdam neighborhood, it is the age of Dutch exploration, and she grows up feeling like she’s seen the world. Her mother watercolors maps, her brother studies cartography and surveying, and her father was once the artist on a Dutch expedition to the Congo. Anneke becomes a colorist like her mother, but she longs to create a map of her own, despite it being unheard of for a woman to become a mapmaker. When Anneke tries to achieve that ambition, she finds herself confronting not only 17th-century Amsterdam’s expectations for women, but also temptation and gossip when a wealthy patron invites her to color his personal collection of maps. He may be 20

the key to helping her publish a map of her own, but working in his home entangles her in unexpected scandal. She must protect both her family’s reputation and her own, without giving up her long-held dreams for artistic success. D’Harlingue carefully crafts not only the sights, smells, and colors of Amsterdam in the Dutch Golden Age, but also the mores of 17th-century Dutch society and the limitations it placed on women. Anneke’s conflicts might seem minor to the modern reader and her world might seem narrow, but D’Harlingue so effectively creates 17th-century Amsterdam that the reader understands the barriers that Anneke faces and the courage she needs to protect her reputation and to achieve her dreams. She is an immediately sympathetic character and one who the reader will cheer for. Despite a gentle pace, the story and the characters are satisfying and well-written. Jessica Brockmole

TRUST: The Anatomy of a Marriage Rita Dallas, Matador, 2022, £9.99, pb, 319pp, 9781803132969

Bedfordshire, 1649: This portrait of a marriage is based on the true story of Dorothy Osborne, wife of Sir William Temple, employer of a young Jonathan Swift, diplomat to Brussels and the Hague for Charles II, writer and ultimately gardener. Rather than give William’s notable career centre stage, Dallas has chosen to narrate her novel from two female viewpoints, Dorothy’s and that of her companion Jane Wright. What she achieves is an immersive view of the life of one family at a tumultuous time. There is an intimacy in this approach that recalls paintings of 17th-century Dutch interiors. Partly epistolary (a reflection of Dorothy and William’s long courtship, and their surviving correspondence), the narrative tells of marriages, miscarriages, births, loss, and an outspoken and interfering sister-in-law. Violence visited on Jane is all the more shocking because of the quiet, domestic setting. There is a richness of detail in this world in which natural calamities are seen as divinely sent: the choice of red cloth to wrap a smallpox patient to sweat out the disease, the refurbishing of a chapel with coloured glass despite Cromwellian edicts, and the struggle to find a London church willing to give a marriage blessing. The horrors of the time are not swerved from; entire families of plague victims were locked in their houses, dependent on neighbours to pass them food. The Temples’ circle includes Dorothy Smythe, Countess of Sunderland, Henry Bennet, Lord Arlington and his scarred nose, and of course the man who became William III, for Temple brokered his marriage to Mary, but essentially this is the portrait of a long marriage with its doubts, regrets, fears, and betrayals. It is the life of a household – though an extraordinary one.

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

Katherine Mezzacappa

THE VASTER WILDS Lauren Groff, Riverhead, 2023, $28.00, hb, 272pp, 9780593418390 / Hutchinson Heinemann, 2023, £20.00, hb, 272pp, 9781529152906

This devastatingly beautiful meditation on nature, divinity, and survival is the second volume of a planned triptych begun last year with Groff’s award-winning Matrix. Inspired by 17th-century captivity narratives, this novel follows the flight of the servinggirl Lamentation Callet into the wilderness of Virginia. The settlement of Jamestown she leaves behind is wracked by disease and starvation, but it is her own species’ cruelty she escapes, determined to seek refuge in the northern French settlements. The landscape she encounters in 1610 is largely empty of human habitation, except for the Powhatan people, whom she fearfully avoids due to the ugly tales told of them by her own countrymen. What follows is an astonishing meditation on the thin boundary between the human self and the natural world. Her journey is rendered in step-by-step detail: each remarkable tactic she uses to stay alive, the memories her observations of nature awake in her, and her ecstatic glimpses of a divine force operating in nature, all of which make her question the “civilization” she was raised in. This is not an easy read: the prose is incantatory, even scriptural, in style, heavy with description and at times excruciating in its focus on Lamentation’s discomfort and terror. The contrast of her comfortable memories of London with the privations of the sea voyage and her odyssey through the wilds creates an intense sense of irony and occasional bleak humor. Groff’s solemn warning comes through clearly: that humans are not in fact divine in nature but actually the adversaries of the natural world, corrupting all they touch in spite of their best intentions. The theme is grim, but the narrative is so gripping and gorgeously written that the reader’s overall experience is transcendent rather than depressing. A must read for anyone who seeks out nature and survival narratives. Kristen McDermott

THE WINTER LIST S. G. MacLean, Quercus, 2023, £20.00, hb, 384pp, 9781529414226

This sixth in the popular Damian Seeker series will attract readers fond of the historical crime genre. We are in York in the winter of 1662, in the company of a cast of characters still trying to shake off the effects of Cromwell’s Republic. All have secrets. The pursuit of those believed to

be traitors to the new king, Charles II, is still relentless, driven by the personal revenge of a fanatic. MacLean creates a chilly atmosphere of distrust, as spies, observers and innocents are caught up in a dangerous and furtive game of whodunnit and ‘who might do it’. At the heart of the story is the household of decent lawyer Lawrence Ingolby and his gentle wife Manon, striving to keep secret the whereabouts of Manon’s father, Damian Seeker, but learning that this puts their own safety in peril. MacLean weaves a deft plot, laying a neat trail of red herrings for her characters and readers alike. There are satisfying dashes through the icy ginnels of York, forays into smoky taverns to eavesdrop, and plenty of lingering in dark corners where candlelight casts shadows. Break-ins, attempted kidnappings, and confusion are the order of the day. The eventual unmasking of the spy is a surprise for everyone. MacLean’s strength lies in creating a totally credible mid-17th-century world, shaken to its roots by civil war and Cromwell’s rule. Domestic detail and political shenanigans are given equal weight. Her writing crackles with tense conversations, and she creates wonderful interior and exterior settings within the city of York. The epilogue sweeps us off to the forests of Massachusetts and the potential for a whole new novel. Mind you, as soon as you reach the end you’ll want to read it again – to spot the clues! Jan Middleton

THE VILLAGE HEALER’S BOOK OF CURES Jennifer Sherman Roberts, Lake Union, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 287pp, 9781662511769

England, 1646. Mary Fawcett, widow and caregiver for her eightyear-old brother, provides healing recipes for her village. M y s t e r i o u s l y, she is also able to feel what her patients are feeling— an ability she doesn’t fully understand. Suddenly, everything in her small world changes with the arrival of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General. When a wealthy man, Henry Chamberlen, is found dead with strange symbols carved into his flesh, Matthew is quick to raise suspicion against Mary and her mentor, Agnes. As Agnes is jailed and put on trial, Mary must uncover the truth fast before she is next to face the gallows. The author starts each chapter with a historical recipe, deftly setting the tone for what is coming. The various characters have secret connections and hidden motivations,

which unknowingly put Mary and her brother in greater danger. The character of the witchfinder easily evokes communal fear; Hopkins twists the facts to fit his desire of prosecuting women. This is a harrowing glimpse into the torment many cunning women underwent, vividly explored as Mary feels her neighbor’s suspicions building against her. As if that wasn’t enough suspense for readers, the plot goes beyond the witch hunts and delves into the uncertain realm of alchemy, similar in many ways to healing recipes. The author brings in the character of Robert, an alchemist literally scarred by his past, who assists Mary in uncovering the truth of Chamberlen’s death. It explores the obsession that concepts like the philosopher’s stone could arouse in people. Of note: there is some gore. I highly recommend this book. The multiple plot threads keep tensions high, the plot twists will keep readers guessing, and the characters (both good and ill-intentioned) are nuanced and well-written. All this, along with its immersive historical details and a sprinkle of fantasy, have conjured up an entrancing read. J. Lynn Else

THE COURTESAN’S SECRET Nina Wachsman, Level Best, 2023, $16.95 pb, 302pp, 9781685123482

Set in 17th-century Venice, this novel focuses on the beautiful courtesan Belladonna, born a converso named Raquel Mendoza. Although her wealth and status should protect her, Belladonna is drawn into a plot involving an envoy from Jamaica with a treasure map sought by both Spaniards and English. She seeks safety with her longtime friend Diana, a Jewish widow living in the Ghetto that Belladonna left years before. The mystery unfolds with a cast of characters ranging from a renowned portrait artist, to the Spanish ambassador’s assassin Antonio, to Sir George Villiers, the favorite of King James I of England. Although Diana’s father is a rabbi with influential friends in the Ghetto, her brother Isaak, Belladonna’s sometime lover, has become a pirate. After an attempt on his life, the envoy vanishes, and Belladonna must find him: he’s her long-lost brother Roderigo. These characters’ conflicting desires create a suspenseful story that twists and turns to a surprising conclusion. Besides intricacies of plot and relationships, a strength of the novel is the multilayered depiction of life in the Venetian Ghetto. To a degree it’s a place Jewish lives and beliefs can flourish, but also restricted and crowded, and residents must wear yellow badges when venturing afield. A non-observant Jew like her parents, who nonetheless were burned in the Inquisition, Belladonna brings an outsider perspective. As this is the second of Wachsman’s Venice Beauties Mysteries, some readers may prefer to read the books in order, but that’s not essential. However, this one would

have benefited from rigorous editing to cut wordiness, over-explaining, and overreminding. Too often the writing detracts from the intrigue and momentum. But readers enticed by dazzling, enigmatic Venice in this era, with its beautiful women, romance, and conspiracies, will enjoy this book. Jinny Webber

18T H C E N T U RY Kings Mountain Seamus Beirne, Fireship, 2023, $24.99, pb, 317pp, 9781611794076

The year is 1779. Colonial South Carolina is in the grip of the American Revolution when two men—fellow escapees from a penal colony in Barbados, years earlier—find themselves drawn into the conflict on opposite sides. One of the men, Michael Redferne, having first returned to his native Ireland after the daring escape, now longs for some excitement as he searches for his illegitimate daughter, rumored to be in the colonies. The other escapee, Isaac Malot, is a Black man from Sierra Leone who remained in the Caribbean to become the captain of a pirate sloop. The novel opens when he and his crew are shipwrecked on the Carolina shore where suspected runaway slaves are hunted and punished, putting him in constant danger. Unbeknownst to each other, Redferne and Malot are on a collision course where their friendship will be put to the ultimate test during the battle at Kings Mountain. Author Seamus Beirne delivers a fast-paced drama that deftly follows the adventures of the two protagonists in alternating chapters right up until their fates are entwined in the concluding pages of the book. Too often, this plot-driven story relies on unlikely coincidences, avoidable mishaps, and onedimensional characters to move the action forward. That said, the narrative touches on some of the complexities of war, when men must pick sides—whether out of a sense of justice, revenge, a desire for excitement or selfinterest. The historic conflict that takes place on Kings Mountain between colonial patriots and British loyalists is described in less than twenty pages, although there are loads of action leading up to the military engagement. Readers who are interested in an adventure tale packed with narrow escapes and near disasters will enjoy this novel. Deborah Cay Wilding

THE GLUTTON A. K. Blakemore, Granta, 2023, £14.99, hb, 323pp, 9781783789191 / Scribner, 2023, $28.00, hb, 320pp, 9781668030622

France, 1798: A patient presents himself at a public hospital in a wretched, moribund condition, claiming to have swallowed a golden fork that tears at his insides. Blakemore’s novel is based on the true story of Tarare, a circus entertainer from near Lyon, capable of eating anything: dead rats, offal, live animals too – and in vast quantities.

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Unable to satisfy his gargantuan appetite, he ultimately transgresses the greatest of taboos. Sister Perpetué stands guard on the shackled Tarare overnight, under strict instructions not to leave him. She and her sisters have survived the Terror where other professed women have not, because no-one else will care for the sick as they do. Sr. Perpetué is both fascinated and disgusted by this Hannibal Lecter of the revolutionary era. He is physically repellent, his belly grossly distended though his cheeks are concave. His teeth are rotten stumps, and he stinks. But now, dying of tuberculosis, he is also pitiful, despite what he has done. Indeed, Blakemore’s great achievement is to tell with empathy the story of what had once been a child ‘with a smile as blank and open as a hilltop.’ Tarare’s history unfolds in sustained flashbacks: his morbid appetite appears after an act of extreme violence; he falls in with a group of itinerant entertainers who exhibit him as a freak. He does not know what to do with the kindness a young prostitute offers him, so he clumsily drives her from him. Later, his extraordinary digestion leads to a brief, unsuccessful career as a spy. This is a compelling but not always easy read (perhaps you too would need to look up ‘feculent’ and ‘atrabilious’), but it is utterly convincing. It is definitely not for the fainthearted or the squeamish. Katherine Mezzacappa

HER OWN REVOLUTION Debra Borchert, Le Vin Press, 2023, $19.99, pb, 422pp, 9780989454575

This beautifully written novel tells the story of a strong, courageous woman during the French Revolution. Geneviève Fouquier-Tinville, the daughter of the public prosecutor during the Reign of Terror, dresses as a man in order to attend the university, until she is exposed as a woman. After this humiliating incident, she works as a clerk for her father so she can earn enough money to join her lover, Henri, in America. While copying a list of people who are to be sent to the guillotine, she sees the name of Louis LaGarde, the nobleman who discovered her true identity at the university. She knows he doesn’t deserve to die, so she substitutes the name of someone already dead. Geneviève continues her work, saving the lives of innocent people and hiding many of them at the Château de Verzat, Henri’s lovely estate in the Loire Valley. She resists her developing

feelings for Louis, knowing that if her activities are discovered, she will face the guillotine. Geneviève is an amazing heroine, and you cannot help but cheer for her. As she says at the beginning, if women had more rights, she wouldn’t need to dress as a man. Through her story, we realize how badly women were treated by the leaders of the Revolution, who believed in liberty and equality but only for men. She puts her own life in danger to save others, but she has certain vulnerabilities, including a fear of the dark as well as doubts over who she truly loves, Louis or Henri. This makes her a well-rounded character, and I enjoyed spending time with her. Although this is the second in a series, it can be read on its own. The first, Her Own Legacy, is about Henri and his sister Joliette. I highly recommend this wonderful novel. Vicki Kondelik

BEYOND THE DOOR OF NO RETURN David Diop (trans. Sam Taylor), FSG, 2023, $27.00, hb, 256pp, 9780374606770

There are many doors of no return. Death is one, even for Orpheus, the tragic Greek hero who failed to bring his lover back from the kingdom of Hades. The door from the governor’s house on the Senegal island of Gorée to the jetty where African slaves were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas is another. The two are intertwined throughout this novel of 18th-century Senegal and a young French botanist’s infatuation with Maram, a Senegalese woman supposed to have returned from that fatal voyage. The story unfolds mainly in Michel Adanson’s diary, which he leaves to his daughter at his death years later. The frame story that opens and closes the novel is told in close third person focusing on Adanson and his daughter, but the main narrative is the diary, and nested within that a story recounted to Adanson by Maram, a device that may leave some readers feeling distanced by so many retellings. Adanson’s growing realization of the horrors of the slave trade is juxtaposed with his friendship with the Senegalese, his slow transition into thinking in Wolof rather than French, his lyrical descriptions of the country, its beauties and terrors, and his growing preoccupation with Maram even before he actually meets her. One can also read Adanson’s obsession with an African woman he barely knows as a comment on the exoticism of the colonial viewpoint, an approach as dehumanizing as the slave trade itself. This connection may underlie the otherwise perplexing last chapter where the perspective switches abruptly to a Senegalese woman whose half-naked portrait, which resembles Maram, was painted at the behest of her enslavers. Beyond the Door of No Return is skillfully evocative of place and time. Whether that outweighs the sometimes distant, confusing storytelling will depend on the reader. Amanda Cockrell

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT (UK) / THE ARMOR OF LIGHT (US) Ken Follett, Macmillan, 2023, £25.00, hb, 752pp, 9781447278832 / Viking, 2023, $38.00, hb, 752pp, 9780525954996

New technology threatens workers’ jobs, war causes shocking food price inflation, hungry children depend on a free school meal. Welcome to 1792 in Kingsbridge, the fictional city created by Ken Follett for his epic Pillars of the Earth. The Armour of Light is another epic that follows a wide range of characters. The war against revolutionary France grinds on throughout the book, which ends after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. The story opens in 1792, with Sal, a poor villager, and her son Kit. Early on, Sal is widowed, plunging her into poverty. In order to survive, she migrates to Kingsbridge, where she and six-year-old Kit find work. Characters from all walks of life are gradually introduced, at first apparently randomly, but eventually meeting Sal and Kit. In 18th-century Kingsbridge, the poor get poorer while the rich line their pockets with profits from the war. Although fighting revolutionaries in France, it is the danger of revolution at home that really frightens the English government, and harsh new laws aim to keep workers in their place. It’s easy to see where Follett’s sympathies lie as he demonstrates how industry and war disrupt the social order. Lives are irrevocably changed – some destroyed altogether. With so many characters, I feared losing track of who’s who, but the book’s length allows time to get to know one character before another is introduced, and, when necessary, the author inserts handy reminders. The book is reminiscent of great Victorian novels, with its many characters, long time span, and omniscient narrator telling each character’s thoughts and feelings. However, it is easy to follow, keeps up interest throughout – and saves its surprise for the end. Recommended for lovers of socially aware historical fiction. Helen Johnson

BLOOD ON THE TIBER B. M. Howard, Canelo, 2023, £9.99, pb, 368pp, 9781804362723

Christmas 1797 is fast approaching when French former magistrate Felix Gracchus regains his senses in a room in the French embassy in Rome. He has just suffered a nasty bout of malaria, and vaguely remembers being assigned as chief of security to the new ambassador, Joseph Bonaparte. Still weakened from his illness, Gracchus has his work cut out for him: Joseph, who must not discontent too much either the Pope or the rather ineffectual local Jacobins, postures and dithers; his wife and a gaggle of female relations are unruly; his uncle Fesch is bent on ransacking works of art; part of his staff seem to have briefs of their own; and Rome is restless in more than one way, and then murder happens. How is poor

Gracchus (who doesn’t much care for Joseph anyway) to ensure anyone’s security? Luckily his young friend, Lieutenant Vanderville, is there to help… or is he? I confess my faith in this book was shaken at the beginning, by seeing Eugène de Beauharnais described – at least in my copy – as Joseph Bonaparte’s stepbrother and secretary (actually his 16-year-old guest and step-nephew). That said, the story is intricate, with more than a touch of the Gothic, and the writing lovely and evocative, bringing to vivid life a moody, wintry Rome, with its river and its ruins – like something out of a Piranesi etching. Slightly rambling – but very atmospheric. Chiara Prezzavento

THE FROZEN RIVER Ariel Lawhon, Doubleday, 2023, $28.00, hb, 448pp, 9780385546874

The frozen body of a man is captive in the ice of Maine’s Kennebec River. Once he is cut free and laid out in the Hallowell village tavern, Martha Ballard, a well-respected midwife, is called upon to examine him. It is murder, she announces, and many in the village are relieved to know that Joshua Burgess is dead. He is an accused rapist – accused along with Joseph North, the village judge. But this is 1789, and it is the accuser, Rebecca Foster, who suffers the consequences. Beginning with the winter freezing of the Kennebec River and ending with the spring thaw in 1790, The Frozen River is inspired by true events from the diaries of Martha Ballard. Lawhon has crafted a thoroughly engaging, rich story with a murder mystery; secrets, gossip, and hypocrisy; a corrupt judge; a tightly knit community of villagers; women at the mercy of a patriarchal society; and the early stages of a developing justice system following the Revolutionary War. Martha’s loving relationship with her husband Ephraim and children is heartwarming. A parallel narrative emerges, beginning 35 years earlier when we learn about the couple’s marriage and events that mirror some of the 1789 events. Through Martha’s eyes, we see numerous injustices faced by the women she tirelessly serves, and customs around courtship and marriage. For example, in charges of fornication, only the woman pays the fines imposed by the court, only the woman bears the shame, shunned by villagers. Also, following a marriage, many couples lived apart to allow time to set up a household, while a couple who goes directly “to housekeeping” after the wedding gives cause for gossip that a baby is on the way. Lawhon has blended

many little-known historical details into this propulsive story. Turn the last page, and you will want more of this world she has created. Janice Ottersberg

SCARLET TOWN Leonora Nattrass, Viper, 2023, £16.99, hb, 320pp, 9781800816961

Research can be a tricky area for writers of historical fiction. Some authors use it to fill out their pages, thickening their text with facts, sometimes in clumsy chunks, which can seem at odds with the writer’s own style. In Leonora Nattrass’s case, this does not happen, because her prose flows as smoothly and impeccably as that of Laurence Jago, her storyteller and central character, as he experiences and witnesses the development of an intriguing and complex sequence of events. Exposition is another writer’s tool of which this author seems wary, using it only delicately, sparingly, and effectively, through Laurence Jago himself when, in May 1796, he arrives back in Cornwall to find Helston, his hometown, in chaos due to its archaic electoral system. Laurence chronicles the ensuing events, revealing himself, his relationship with the place, and the community’s situation, plus his relationship with Anne, whom he loves, despite his having been previously rejected as a suitor. Copious diversions, including the arrival in the town of the famously celebrated “Sapient Hog”, complicate electoral strategies, which descend into almost farcical violence, resulting in arson, murder, deception, accusation, fraud, and poisoning. There are confrontational stand-offs and stand-downs before an encouraging form of logical acceptance is achieved, hopefully avoiding more confusion, tragedy, deaths, and near-deaths. All of this is engagingly, charmingly, wittily and unpatronisingly laid before us. Although Scarlet Town is part of a sequence of novels, it is presented as a standalone novel, which readers new to Leonora Nattrass’s output may initially find daunting. However, they will soon find themselves intrigued by events in her Scarlet Town, immersed in its problems and fascinated by its populace. The freewheeling delights and subtleties of this novel should not be missed. Julia Stoneham

CATHARINE, QUEEN OF THE TUMBLING WATERS Cynthia G. Neale, Bedazzled Ink, 2023, $20.95, pb, 268pp, 9781960373021

This novel is a compelling narrative of Catharine Montour, a Métis (mixed French and Native heritage) woman who lived in Pennsylvania and New York during the time of the French and Indian Wars and the American Revolution. Raised as a member of the Oneida tribe, descended from Algonquins, having kinship ties with Senecas and friendship with Mohawks and Delawares, Catharine lived her life under the umbrella of the Iroquois

Confederacy of Six Nations, known to the Europeans as the Haudenosaunee. Catharine was also part of a unique family, the Montours, who were considered somewhat privileged as tribal members. Her grandmother came from New France (Quebec) and built contacts and prestige through her service as an interpreter between Native tribes and the Europeans. Her mother then aligned the family to the British Christian missionaries who lived among them. Catharine herself had direct contact with many people across the shifting alliances, treaties, and land cessation deals occurring between multiple Native tribes, the British, and the French. This novel follows her story through these shifting changes in her quest for personal peace for herself, her family, and her tribe members. She finds personal peace in a place of waterfalls, which becomes known as Montour Falls in New York. Written in a lyrical style, this novel effectively evokes the terror of the times and the joyful moments of private life in Catharine’s relentless quest for peace. It weaves in images of living and moving across cultures, and it offers readers a very broad view of forces in effect in colonial America probably not known to many of us. It seems a fitting tribute to the life of a remarkable woman. Karen Bordonaro

BETRAYAL Christine Purkis, Y Lolfa, 2023, $13.99/£9.99, pb, 336pp, 9781800993198

Set in the late 1700s in England, this is the story of a girl who goes from nothing to… well, nothing. Aggie, or Peggin, as she becomes known later, has a chip on her shoulder. Born to circus performers, she ends up being left as a young girl in an orphanage of sorts. Abused by the vicar who is there to “teach” the girls, she runs away. Luckily, she is brought in as a housemaid to two ladies. But even there, treated kindly and educated, Peggin cannot bring herself to reciprocate. She has lost her mother, her siblings, and she is determined to take it out on everyone around her. She only knows how to betray, and that she does, over and over. Eventually, she finds her brother, and then her younger sister, but along the way, more kindness and more misfortune occur. This is a difficult story brilliantly told. Aggie/ Peggin is a tour-de-force of character flaws, her slang and vernacular singular. The reader immediately understands that her willingness to cut off her own nose to spite her face is an intractable entrenched quality that she might not overcome. This is Georgian fiction at its finest, as it is not about the aristocracy—this is about the everyman, the building-up of

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small communities over time, and how young women like Aggie/Peggin must bend to the will of the world or suffer. And suffer she does, for she is unwilling to bend. Highly recommended. Katie Stine

OATLANDS: Through Closed Doors Jill Rutherford, Little Wren Press, 2023, £10.99, pb, 358pp,9781999613310

In her new upstairs-downstairs drama, George III’s illness, the Regency debate, and the French Revolution are the backdrop to a story based on members of the author’s own family who lived and worked at Oatlands, a royal manor house belonging to Frederick, Duke of York. When Jack Dresser is invalided out of the army in 1787, he is offered a position as an Oatlands’ gate porter. He and his wife, Hannah, take up residence with their three youngest children and are quickly joined by Anne and William, their older children, who relocate to Oatlands from other aristocratic residences to become upstairs maid and fifth footman respectively. The life suits Anne very well, but William balks at constraints of boredom and everyday sameness. The story allows the reader to share in the rather daunting experience of working within the royal presence, from whom you must always remain unseen. Characters and dialogue drive the story. Anne is ambitious, has a markedly independent spirit, and steers clear of men whenever possible. She celebrates her singleness in an era when married women and children were considered possessions. Rutherford shines a light on female vulnerability through Anne’s character development and some unsavoury incidents involving other female characters, many of whom are emotionally damaged by the unwanted attention and cruelty of men. William is an outrageous flirt with wanderlust, and both brother and sister are engagingly likeable. The duke’s social calendar is full of antics, including drinking, gambling and womanizing, but Rutherford’s focus is primarily on her downstairs characters as she negotiates them through some tricky situations and relationships. There is occasional repetition, and I could have managed well without the prologue, but overall, this is an enjoyable read. Of further interest is the author’s long historical note. Fiona Alison

THE FUTURE FUTURE Adam Thirlwell, Jonathan Cape, 2023, £18.99, hb, 344pp, 9781787334403 / Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2023, $28.00, hb, 352pp, 9780374607616

It is quite a challenge to succinctly summarise a novel that does not have much of a plot. Literary? Yes, Clever? well, that’s possible. Readable and engaging? – no, I can’t say it is. The book is ostensibly mostly set in late 18thcentury France, on the brink of revolution (with excursions to the United States and the moon), 24

and the main character is Celine, recently married aged just nineteen, charismatic and beautiful, struggling to survive in a harshly misogynist, deceitful society. But the historical context is completely absent, and we could be in just about any time, or indeed any place. The publisher describes the book as “a historical novel like no other”. And this is true in the same way that if you got to your local café that promotes a new offering of coffee like no other, solely consisting of a blend of cold custard and anchovies – well, it can’t really be described as coffee at all. When writing a review, I usually avoid reading assessments of the book in the press or journals until after my review has been completed, as I do not wish to be influenced by other opinions or perspectives. However, with Thirlwell’s new novel I felt I needed to see how others have responded to this puzzling work of fiction whilst drafting my own evaluation. The Times Literary Supplement described it as “phantasmagoric” and “complex and brilliant”. Well, the story and content are not terribly complex, and I would certainly not apply the term ‘brilliant’ as a description. Not a book to lovingly keep on one’s shelves, nor can I recommend it as a good exemplar of a historical novel. Douglas Kemp

19T H C E N T U RY OPULENCE AND ASHES Kate Belli, Crooked Lane, 2023, $31.99, hb, 336pp, 9781639105304

In the fourth book in her Gilded Gotham Mystery series, Kate Belli resumes the story of journalist Genevieve Stewart, well-ensconced into New York society, and her fiancé, Daniel McCaffrey, newly arrived into the same social set. Genevieve and Daniel learn about a fire at a mission for needy women, then find themselves connected to a fire in a photographer’s studio, and eventually to two other mysterious fires. While the betrothed couple look into the causes of those disasters, they deal as well with their impending wedding, their efforts to improve the lot of the poor, the changing organization of gangs in the city, and the unexpected arrival of Daniel’s long-missing brother, who witnesses several of the fires. When Genevieve goes missing, Daniel and a force of friends he has assembled hunt for her in almost every corner of New York. Readers may suspect that Genevieve will turn up eventually, but the details of her misadventures are dramatic and unpredictable. An extremely accomplished author of historical fiction, Belli masters pacing, characterization, setting, and plot. From the opening pages, readers will care about the emotional states of the appealing couple. As Daniel and Genevieve roam or run between genteel and squalid neighborhoods, New York City in 1890 comes to life. Although Belli hints at aspects of the couple’s back stories, stories she has covered in previous books, readers

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

can read this novel as a stand-alone. Highly recommended. Marlie Wasserman

LONGHORNS EAST Johnny D. Boggs, Kensington, 2023, $14.95, pb, 359pp, 9781496738301

Tom Candy Ponting was a little-known 19th century cattleman who led an improbable 2,100-mile-long cattle drive. This fictionalized account presents an epic story spanning from Tom’s early education in the cattle business in his native England to his tenacious and dangerous drive of 700 longhorns from Texas to New York City from 1853 to 1854. Tom is portrayed as a principled and courageous man who does not carry firearms, abstains from alcohol, saves horses from a burning barn, tends to a persecuted family suffering from smallpox, and is glad he lives “in a state without men and women in bondage.” Once he arrives in Texas and assembles his crew of mostly rogues and ruffians, Tom’s story moves with a page-turning tempo as he and his cowboys proceed to face perilous river crossings, thieves, rail disaster, and more on the trail to New York. A good amount of historical detail from the places Tom encounters along the way is fused deftly into the narrative. Another treat for fans of the Western novel from award-winning author Johnny D. Boggs. Brodie Curtis

CHRISTMAS FOREVERMORE Sally Britton, Sarah M. Eden, Ashtyn Newbold, and Karen Thornell, Covenant, 2023, $17.99, pb, 400pp, 9781524424459

This collection of Regency romances follows four young couples as they find love in the Christmas season. In “A Family Christmas,” Cyril Grant is wary of his grandfather the earl’s family after his stepfather taught him to distrust nobles. But lady’s companion Jane Allen offers warmth and friendship that thaw his reserve and win his heart. In “Christmas Forevermore,” Minna Schofield, the unwilling target of the ton’s self-appointed matchmaker, endures three unwanted suitors only to realize that her friend Rupert means more to her than she realizes. In “Christmas at Cranfield,” childhood friends Hannah and Samuel take several Christmases to free themselves from unwanted alliances and find the courage to confess their hearts. And in “A Thrill of Hope,” a snowstorm that strands Isabel Reid and Mr. Collingham at her house allows Aunt Charlotte to play matchmaker, healing both of their hearts after loss and abandonment. The prose is uniformly solid and engaging, and the stories fit together, feeling like they all take place in the same world. There are shared themes of rediscovering childhood bonds, healing family relationships, and recovering from grief. Suiting the genre of inspirational romance, the heroines are calm and lovely, the heroes are dignified and kind, and the most

urgent conflict is taking a tumble from a sleigh. Festooned with kissing boughs, greenery, carols, and party games, this collection will warm the heart during cold winter nights. Misty Urban

THE OTHER PRINCESS Denny S. Bryce, William Morrow, 2023, $19.99, pb, 448pp, 9780063144125 / Allison & Busby, 2024, £16.99, hb, 384pp, 9780749030544

Novels that trace an entire life can show extraordinary depth of character as the protagonists adjust to shifts in circumstance and mature physically and emotionally. The Other Princess is such a book, and its narrator, Sarah Forbes Bonetta, endures more trials than most. Hers is a life of extremes: enslavement, violence, loss, and loneliness, but also friendship, love, and great privilege, accompanied by countless restrictions on her behavior and choices. As wonderfully conveyed by Bryce, Sarah navigates the ripples and swells of her life with grace, always confident in her innate worthiness. Born into a royal family of the Egbado people in West Africa in 1843, and named Aina by her father (“child of a difficult birth”), she is orphaned at five, when the warriors of King Gezo of Dahomey attack her homeland, and gets transferred to a slave camp. Several seasons later, a British naval commander saves her from ritual sacrifice with the aim of bringing her to England and gifting her to Queen Victoria. As she grows up amid Commander Forbes’s family, the girl renamed Sarah, meaning “princess,” comes to appreciate life’s finer things, becoming a talented pianist and befriending Princess Alice on her regular visits to Windsor Castle to see the Queen. However, a permanent home eludes her. The story principally covers Sarah’s childhood and adolescence, since this formative time impacts the woman she becomes. As she moves across years and places, from various British locales to Sierra Leone and back, her voice feels achingly authentic, full of strength and pride but also vulnerability; she determines to find purpose in an existence where she’s seen as an outsider or novelty. Her relationship with Africa, the source of both her childhood trauma and her royal heritage, is rendered with remarkable complexity. A beautifully resonant biographical novel about a noteworthy figure. Sarah Johnson

SHARPE’S COMMAND Bernard Cornwell, HarperCollins, 2023, £22.00, hb, 307pp, 9780008496777 / Harper, 2024, $30.00, hb, 320pp, 9780063219298

The 23rd Sharpe novel takes us back to the Peninsular War and the eventful year of 1812. Although he is now ranking as a major, Richard Sharpe’s command in this case is a small squad of 15 riflemen. He has a dangerous mission behind enemy lines, to reconnoitre a strategic bridge over the River Tagus, which the French are defending with well-garrisoned

forts. There are also Spanish partisans, some unreliable, others led by Sharpe’s wife Teresa, nicknamed La Aguja (the needle) – a character whose temperament is not so much feisty as lethal. The topography of mountains, river valley, bridge and forts is described in fine detail – two maps are provided, and are needed. The plot gives us a series of battles against overwhelming odds, subterfuges involving pretending drunkenness to test the unreliable partisan commander, difficult night journeys, the taking of a fort by escalade (climbing ladders while under fire) and finally a daredevil duel between Teresa and an archenemy. All the favourite ingredients of a Sharpe novel are here: the supporting characters whose names begin with ‘H’ – we have Harper, Hagman, Henderson, Harris, Hogan, though mercifully not the evil Hakeswill; meticulous descriptions of the loading, firing and effect of the Baker rifle; soldiers’ wit and toughness (‘Shall I kill him now?’ is asked more than once); and most of all the author’s expert focus on putting us, through Sharpe’s eyes, always at the centre of gripping action. It is more than 40 years since the first Sharpe novel, but the mixture remains as entertaining as ever. There is an afterword which reminds us that this author is also a conscientious researcher – some of the more far-fetched plot elements are based on reality. Cornwell continues to be the master of military historical fiction – long may he remain so. Ben Bergonzi

THE LACE WIDOW Mollie Ann Cox, Crooked Lane, 2023, $29.99, hb, 320pp, 9781639105281

New York, 1804. Alexander Hamilton has been killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. Eliza Hamilton, his wife, is distraught at the loss of a husband but also at the prospect of surviving with eight children and no means of support. Further tragedy looms: her son Alexander Jr., has been arrested, accused of killing someone he had fought with in a tavern. Eliza searches for a way to clear both her son’s name and her late husband’s reputation. Before his death, Hamilton had been accused of stealing money from the government, and the ensuing scandal almost destroyed her family. During her search for evidence of her son’s innocence, she combs through her late husband’s papers and begins to find clues that would exonerate him and hopefully provide help for her son. Debt-ridden and desperate, Eliza begins to sell the delicate lace she makes. Through this, she meets a network of other widowed lacemakers, most of whom are connected to New York’s most prominent families. Through these women and their connections, Eliza learns the dark secrets behind the glittering social milieu of New York. When people start turning up dead, Eliza must stay out of danger. Mollie Ann Cox is a well-established mystery writer, but The Lace Widow is her first historical mystery. She masterfully recreates a New York in its infancy, just before

its major entrance onto the world’s stage. Both her historical and her fictional figures are believable and compelling. This book is a treat for lovers of American history and connoisseurs of tightly paced, well-written mysteries. Anne Leighton

ONCE A MONSTER Robert Dinsdale, Macmillan, 2023, £14.99/$28.99, hb, 496pp, 9781529097375

London in the winter of 1861. Oliver Twist meets Beauty and the Beast might be a pitch for Once a Monster. But it would be a crude one that would do a grave disservice to this ambitious, multilayered novel. This is the story of four people: Nell, an orphaned m u d l a r k ; Murdstone, her Fagin-like master; Sophia, a ballet dancer fallen on hard times; and Minos, the enigmatic man/monster of the title. Dinsdale takes his time to establish the characters in an oblique manner. We only fully understand his intention a quarter of the way through. This is a book that repays the reader’s patience and concentration with bravura set pieces and a finale that will live long in my memory. Dinsdale’s style is reminiscent of Michel Faber’s 2002 novel The Crimson Petal and the White, especially when he directly addresses the reader. This is particularly effective in the arresting opening and extraordinary ending. It can be intrusive, disrupting the narrative flow. Dinsdale has a gift for crafting memorable images, for example: “The rain that coursed across Benjamin Murdstone had already turned the streets of London to an atlas of shimmering arteries.” Prose of this quality bejewels the novel. This is a slippery read. Is it historical fiction, magical realism, or even young adult? Of course it’s all of these, and more. At times, the novel feels burdened with the weight of Dinsdale’s inventiveness and ambition. But the rewards are plentiful. He is brilliant at allying historical description to action and character. I was completely transported to Victorian London. The crystalline prose, deep characterisation and compelling story carry you along. Highly recommended. Michael Lynes

MURDER AT THE TOWER OF LONDON Jim Eldridge, Allison & Busby, 2023, £19.99, hb, 352pp, 9780749029623

London in the summer of 1899, and George and Abigail Fenton embark upon their ninth investigation in the Museum Detectives series.

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After their success in solving the murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum and receiving the gratitude of the Queen, they are called in by the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert Edward, to investigate the murder of a Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London. Eric James’s body was found in a suit of armour that was made for Henry VIII. The recent murder of Eric’s twin brother in adjacent Whitechapel suggests strongly that the two deaths are connected. A murder of a potential informer sharpens minds and makes the Fentons aware that they are dealing with some ruthless killers who have a huge prize as their aim, especially when gangland criminality and police corruption make their investigations very dangerous. This is not a murder mystery, more of a private investigator and Scotland Yard procedural novel, as the reader is made aware of the criminals and their machinations early on in the narrative. The story zips along pleasantly while our two intrepid and eminently likeable detectives immerse themselves in the task. Occasionally, just a little too much history is clunkily thrown in – it is interesting, but sits uneasily within the smooth narrative flow of the story. And there are a few words and phrases that were not in current use in Victorian London. Part of the story that involves a character, the Duke of Cranbrook, the highest noble rank in Britain, are completely off-key and do not reflect the realities of how such stratospherically important individuals would be perceived and act in late 19th-century Britain. Certainly, Abigail would never introduce him to a junior archaeologist as “he’s the one who’s sponsoring the dig.” Nevertheless, an enjoyable and engaging read. Douglas Kemp

EVERY DUKE HAS HIS DAY Suzanne Enoch, St. Martin’s, 2023, $18.00/ C$24.00, pb, 328pp, 9781250842541

Michael Bromley, the Duke of Woriton, is preoccupied with his scientific experiments, and his blunt comments have earned him a reputation as an antisocial eccentric. Ordinarily, he would never cross paths with Elizabeth Dockering, the daughter of a viscount and a ‘Diamond of the Season.’ He has no interest in the social scene where she shines so brightly. However, she is very fond of her dog Galahad, and he is caring for Lancelot, the dog of his beloved aunt. Since both animals are black poodles that look much alike, they end up with the wrong person after a distracting encounter in the park. This sets off an increasingly unlikely, but highly entertaining, sequence of events which culminates in a happy outcome for all but the villain behind the dastardly plot to kidnap the dogs. The duke’s inventions are based on those of Michael Faraday and offer insights into scientific progress in the Regency period, but this is primarily a ‘romantic comedy’ as the author herself proclaims, and it is well done. The motif of opposites who attract is skillfully 26

handled, the humor is delicious, the characters delightful, and the complicated plot moves at a brisk pace. Highly recommended. Ray Thompson

THE SOLACE OF STARS Kathleen Ernst, Level Best, 2023, $16.95, pb, 252pp, 9781685123796

This second in a new series, inspired by the author’s work at an outdoor ethnic museum in Wisconsin, introduces Hanneke Bauer, a Pomeranian immigrant from Prussia. The feel of 1855 America is beautifully captured, and the reader feels the author’s experience and dedication to her subject. Hanneke Bauer lives on her small Wisconsin farm, surrounded by other Pomeranian immigrants. On the other side of the divide are the Irish Catholics, and some of the plotline develops from this. But, as Hanneke discovers, there is more than enough tension to go around within her own Lutheran community. A mere four months ago, she arrived in Wisconsin to find her husband, Fridolin, dead, and herself being hounded off his farm. But she is a woman who does not allow herself personal weakness, and two things keep her anxiety under wraps – constant knitting while walking, and asking the starry night sky for advice from Fridolin. When a neighboring farmer is stabbed to death, the daughter, Jacobine, witnesses the event, and Hanneke takes her under her wing. Subsequently, Jacobine’s mother goes missing, several attempts are made on Jacobine’s life, and Hanneke reluctantly concludes that someone from her community might be responsible, perhaps even someone she knows. This is a gently paced mystery with informative details about Pomeranian culture, customs, food, and dress. Ernst weaves in snippets about historical reformer, Carl Schurz, and a connection to the Underground Railroad, which adds diverse interest. Readers are immersed in the everyday hardscrabble farming life, and the villain certainly wasn’t obvious to me. Hanneke has to sort through clues and connections that don’t make sense to her, and by the end the way is clear for her to become a veritable amateur sleuth in future books. This unusual mystery makes it well worth investigating the first Hanneke novel. Fiona Alison

I HEARD A FLY BUZZ WHEN I DIED Amanda Flower, Berkley Prime Crime, 2023, $17.00, pb, 352pp, 9780593336960

Intrepid poet Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble, return as a pair of amateur sleuths in this delightful and well-researched historical mystery. It’s August 1856, and eminent man of letters Ralph Waldo Emerson arrives to deliver lectures in the sleepy college town of Amherst, Massachusetts. Emerson and his secretary, Luther Howard, are guests of Emily’s brother and sister-in-law, newlyweds who live next door to the Dickinson homestead. Among the

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many other guests on hand for the festivities is Louisa May Alcott, who is embarking on her own literary career. The Dickinson family falls under suspicion when a guest dies in their garden under suspicious circumstances, the victim of a fatally allergic reaction. The gentleman, it turns out, had broken hearts and made enemies across the commonwealth. Even kind, reserved Emily is relieved to see him gone when he begins to romance her younger sister. But when an Italian peddler is arrested for the murder, Emily persuades Willa to help prove the immigrant’s innocence. You don’t need to have read the Agatha Award-winning Because I Could Not Stop for Death, the first in this series, to appreciate the second novel’s period details, quick pacing, and strong characterization. Emily’s inquisitive mind and daring spirit are a perfect match for the keen eye of Willa, a servant who sees everything while being largely ignored. Observations about the status of women, immigrants, and Blacks bring the past into focus as a lens to the present. Avid mystery readers may guess the murderer two-thirds of the way through, but they’ll still enjoy the journey. Paula Martinac

THE FASCINATION Essie Fox, Orenda Books, 2023, £16.99/$26.99, hb, 305pp, 9781914585524

In this gothic novel set in Victorian London, Essie Fox takes readers back in time to explore the fascination with disabilities of all sorts, populating the book with beautifully drawn characters in a convincing historical setting. The story cuts between the viewpoint of Theo, an orphan raised by Lord Seabrook; his grandfather, who is overly interested in anatomical deformities and ‘freaks’ of nature; and Keziah, twin to Tilly. The girls, born into a nomadic family, are identical – save that Tilly stopped growing when she was five years old. Their cruel father, a quack, forces his daughters into promoting his ‘elixir’ until at the age of fifteen he sells his girls on to an Italian known as the Captain. Luckily, rather than exploiting them, the Captain includes them into the family of outcasts which he has created and into which they fit – Tilly at first more easily than Keziah. Similarly, Theo is cast away by his grandfather and has to postpone his dream of studying medicine to take on work at a museum of horrors. The two stories come together as the young people first meet at a fair and then are reunited ten years later, when Theo comes across the girls and the Captain. The Fascination at this point develops plot and gathers pace as the main characters are put in danger. Theo, on the one hand, seeks to understand more about his past and Keziah, on the other, seeks to protect her beautiful and talented sister from those who would exploit her. This is a tender, beautifully written meditation on what it meant in Victorian times to be an outsider, or to be born different. In

contrast to the ‘freakshows’ of the time that elevated the audience’s gaze and reduced those on display to that of the other, The Fascination takes as its subject those gazed upon and inspected and gives them agency instead. Katharine Quarmby

THE MONTEVIDEO BRIEF J. H. Gelernter, W. W. Norton, 2023, $28.00, hb, 256pp, 9781324020363

At the June 1804 Vienna debut of Beethoven’s Third Symphony, Captain Thomas Grey, agent of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, meets a Spanish diplomat. In hushed tones, the diplomat explains Spain’s plan to import 2,000 tons of South American gold waiting in Montevideo. It’s enough treasure to fund the men and ships needed to ally with Napoleon’s campaign against Great Britain. Soon Grey is dispatched to Montevideo. There he might learn enough for British war ships to locate and destroy or capture the Spanish fleet carrying such precious cargo. This third novel in the Thomas Grey series unfolds as a race against time. Grey secures the services of a fast but small ship. Will he get to South America before the treasure ships depart and are sailing unimpeded on the wide-open ocean? Will he and the spare crew evade threats of pirates and other enemy ships? If he gets to Montevideo in time, how and from whom in that bustling port city can he learn the treasure ships’ schedule and ultimate destination? The details of people, sea craft of many types, and settings are impressive. Grey’s breathtaking capers evoke the modern secret agent James Bond. Gelernter’s expositions on topics from classical music and early tennis matches to the burgeoning whaling industry somewhat interrupt the main story lines, but they too are well done. Detailed end notes help separate actual history and characters from Gelernter’s fictional treatment. Though this novel can stand alone, it best follows the first two (Hold Fast and Captain Grey’s Gambit), where readers will learn about Grey’s earlier years and how he became a master at languages, chess, all kinds of weapons, and human nature. Recommended for readers interested in naval history around the early 1800s. G. J. Berger

CROW MARY Kathleen Grissom, Atria, 2023, $28.99, hb, 368pp, 9781476748474

Crow Mary is based on the life of Goes First, a Crow chief’s daughter. Her story begins in 1863 as a young girl and continues to 1892 into her adulthood. After grieving the death of Big Cloud, the warrior she planned to marry, Goes First agrees to marry a “yellow eye” – Abe Farwell, a white fur-trader – because of the advantages this marriage would bring to her tribe. She is given the white name of Mary, becoming known as Crow Mary. The couple

travels into Saskatchewan, Canada to set up a trading post. During their journey, she makes some lifetime friends, and Farwell turns out to be a kind, gentle husband. A genuine love grows between them. Mary struggles over a lifetime to understand and adapt to the white man’s ways. Farwell expects her to conform to his world and put aside everything she knows, but there are some things she is not ready to change – such as taking charge of her own belongings and her tepee. Mary is a headstrong woman, and Farwell wisely learns when to keep silent. Their relationship is heartwarming and very realistic, but, as in real life, it changes as life’s tragedies mount. A pivotal event that clouds the rest of their lives is the 1873 Cypress Hills Massacre of a Nakoda camp. As more governmental restrictions and changes are expected of the Native people, differences between the Farwells are magnified. This book highlights the clash between white and Native cultures. The pushing back of the Crow Tribe into a confined territory, the kidnapping and forced education of Native children, and the loss of their way of life and food sources are all well researched and sensitively told by Grissom, with valuable input from Crow Mary’s great granddaughter. This story of a remarkable woman will move you and stay in your thoughts. Janice Ottersberg

THE BAKER’S SISTER Gracie Hart, Simon & Schuster, 2023, £7.99, pb, 311pp, 9781398508156

Leeds, 1898. After three years of hard work, Meg Fairfax has finally saved enough money to buy her beloved bakery. Her fiancé Frankie is keen to set a date for their long-postponed wedding, though he hasn’t confessed to Meg the precarious state of his finances. Meanwhile Meg’s younger sister Sarah is leading a handto-mouth existence mudlarking in London, too poor and too proud to come home and admit her mistakes and relying on young Cockney Sam for protection. Meg wants her sister home for her wedding, but as the date approaches, the questionable decisions of the men in their lives put both sisters at risk. This saga is the third in a trilogy, and while it could be read alone, the interrelationships between the characters are more easily understood if you are familiar with their pasts. The female characters are fairly well developed, but Frankie, unfortunately, is such a flawed hero, with his extravagance and his late-Victorian attitudes to the proper place for women, that some readers might feel that Meg could do better for herself. A lot of the dialogue is extremely repetitive, hammering home every point – that Meg misses Sarah; that Frankie isn’t business savvy; that various characters don’t approve of one another – so it gets a bit tedious and could do with one more edit to sharpen it up. I didn’t find the storyline concerning the venue for the wedding breakfast plausible, and the villain was distinctly one-dimensional. There

are also minor blips. Working-class characters can and do speak of ‘learning’ when they mean ‘teaching’, but I doubt a middle-class character would do the same. Similarly, a Cockney prostitute uses the quintessentially Yorkshire/Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire greeting of ‘Hey up’. The title is misleading, too, since the book focuses on Meg rather than Sarah. For saga fans only. Jasmina Svenne

THE CASH COUNTESS Samantha Hastings, Independently published, 2023, $13.95, pb, 270pp, 9798393473105

1893 New York. Cordelia Jones is a carefree heiress, living a life of luxury and basking in the attentions of her best friend and love, Stuyvesant. But then she is told she must marry a British lord in order to improve her mother’s social standing after her parents’ divorce. She is forced away from her true love and her completely modern home and lifestyle into Ashdown Abbey, a damp and neglected estate in the British countryside. Thrust into an unfriendly household and taken away from everyone and everything she holds dear, she can only depend on Thomas Ashby, the man who married her for her money, in order to survive. And it appears, based on a series of near-accidents, that somebody is out to kill her. Based on some of the lives of the real “dollar princesses,” this is the fictionalized story of how rich American families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries basically sold their daughters for titles. Thrust into a culture they did not understand and married to men who did not love them, these women lived sad or complicated lives while their families enjoyed an elevated social status thousands of miles away. The added plot element of attempted murder is effective, and the mystery is compelling. Cordelia’s growth in character and strength is very well-portrayed. There are delicious hints of a real romance and wonderful nuggets of the Rapunzel fairytale woven throughout. The combination of real history, romance, and a fairytale makes this a very enjoyable read. This is highly recommended to fans of romance and books about the “dollar princesses.” Bonnie DeMoss

THE WOMAN AT THE WHEEL Penny Haw, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2023, $16.99, pb, 320pp, 9781728257730

Bertha Benz made the first long-distance drive of an early automobile in 1888 in Germany. This novel tells the story of her life from early childhood to this historic moment. Along the way, readers learn how Bertha overcame social expectations on her own terms when she met and then married Carl Benz. Carl was the inventor of the early “horseless carriage,” or “motorwagen,” as the Benzes called it. Bertha was as devoted as Carl to this dream, but she brought more

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business sense, practicality about working with others, and financial seed money in the form of her dowry to their partnership. She deserves to be remembered as more than solely his supportive wife. Resilience in the face of derision shapes this story. Bertha countered the view of some that a horseless carriage was unnatural and an instrument of the devil with her own knowledge of how it worked mechanically and why its use could change people’s lives for the better. She was able to take her belief in the benefits of innovation out to the public in a way that her husband could not. In doing so, she still serves us today as a role model for what women are capable of. This engaging and witty reimagining of Bertha’s life both entertains and informs. Just like its vaunted motorwagen, it chugs along at an impressive pace and takes the reader on an inspiring and memorable ride. Karen Bordonaro

AN ISLAND PRINCESS STARTS A SCANDAL Adriana Herrera, Canary Street Press, 2023, $18.99, pb, 368p, 9781335498243

1889. To save her family from financial and social ruin, Manuela Caceres Galvan agrees to a loveless marriage to a rich social climber on one condition: she gets to spend her summer in Paris while her paintings are on display at the 1889 Exposition Universelle. Manuela falls quite by accident into the arms of an alluring violet-eyed woman who turns out to be the successful, supremely self-possessed Cora Kempf Bristol, Duchess of Sundridge, who wants to buy a parcel of Manuela’s Venezuelan land for her railroad plans. Manuela proposes a bargain: she will sell if Cora guides her through the sapphic delights of Belle Époque Paris. Cora, who is determined to guard her stepson the duke from scandal, resolves to avoid temptation from lush, eager Manuela by taking her to boring lectures. But when headstrong Manuela finally breaks Cora’s iron self-control, the two women fall into a passionate affair that can only end in hopeless despair—unless both are willing to step outside the bounds they’ve drawn for themselves and imagine a life on their own terms. Herrara keeps the emotion high and the sensuality smoldering. Her leads are endearing and convincing. Crafty Cora is determined to outfox the men even if it makes her miserable, while compliant Manuela realizes she no longer wants comfort and ease. Manuela’s friends, who call themselves the Leonas, offer staunch support, though Aurora is distracted by the handsome Apollo, and Luz Alana is falling for her own Scottish earl, the events of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, book one of the series. The prose is layered into paragraphs like oil paints, thickly textured and loaded with gloss, but the emotional arc is moving as both women discover themselves, change, and grow together. Humor, sizzle, and a cast of happy, ambitious women make this a refreshing read. Misty Urban

THE INVESTIGATORS Anthony Hill, Michael Joseph, 2023, A$32.99, pb, 349pp, 9781760896713

Sir John Franklin is best known for leading the doomed expedition in search of the Arctic Northwest Passage and where he perished in 1847. Before that, he had an illustrious career that included Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania), but this is the story of his early life when, as a humble midshipman, he took part in the coastal circumnavigation of New Holland (Australia) commanded by his cousin, Matthew Flinders. Beginning with John’s first horrific experience aged only fourteen at the Battle of Copenhagen under Nelson, we follow his adventures in the ship Investigator, during which he learns surveying and navigational skills from Flinders and faces many dangers and fights for survival. Although promoted as a novel as it contains invented narrative, this is also journalistic history. There is limited insight into what ultimately drove John Franklin to his icy destiny understandably difficult because of his youth and inexperience at the time – and so it remains largely a retelling of Flinders’ epic voyage in 1801-1803. Flinders’ own rigorous training (partly under the infamous Captain Bligh) and generous character are revealed in his scrupulous attention to detail and in his relationships with others, including his English overlords and French rivals; his beloved wife, Ann; his obstinate brother, Samuel; and, not least, his fondness for his cat, Trim. Of Franklin, he wrote, “… apart from a little carelessness … I would not wish to have a son otherwise than he is.” And, uneasily prescient of the impact the Investigator’s discoveries would have on the near-pristine continent’s indigenous people, flora and fauna, he also wrote that “… mankind … [is] the great disturber of everything.” A relaxed, yet informative, read that is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about naval explorers in the Age of Sail. Marina Maxwell

THE CHAPERONE Sophia Holloway, Allison & Busby, 2023, £8.99/$12.95, pb, 350pp, 9780749030902

The elegantly tall Lady Sophronia Hadlow (Sophy to her friends) is 23 years old and viewed by her mother as too tall to attract a husband. The result is that Sophy has little selfconfidence. Then her mother announces that she is leaving the London Season to oversee the accouchement of her first grandchild, and that Sophy must now chaperone her younger sister Lady Harriet through the Season, find her a suitable husband, and also rein in her wild cousin, the honourable Susan Tyneham, whose scandalous behaviour is fast ruining not only her own reputation but that of her cousins, too. Sophy is horrified. I’m afraid I had problems with The Chaperone. By the end of page 47, I wrote in my notes ‘Split heroines. Setting up Susan

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strand takes too long. Nothing happening with Harriet. Difficult to care about Sophy.’ I kept muddling up Sir Esmond Fawley, Lord Pinkney and Lord Rothley – all names ending in ‘ey’. The author is a well-published writer, but even popular authors can get muddled from time to time. I can’t be the only reader to flounder. Why didn’t the editor step in and sort things out? Elizabeth Hawksley

THE CHIMNEY SWEEP’S SISTER Emma Hornby, Penguin, 2023, £7.99, pb, 324pp, 9780552178129

Think anger management. Orphan Jenny (aged 16) has, in her own words, “a gob the size of a train tunnel”. Uncontrollable foulmouthed rants and a readiness to use her fists are continually getting her fired. With her living in a freezing 1860s Manchester slum cellar, this spells bad news for her and brother Noah (nine), who thus becomes the crustwinner, suffering brutal agonies inflicted by the sadistic chimney-sweep master. Jenny’s standoffish older sister and her oddly rude spouse are no help either, but things are not what they seem. By chance, Jenny meets a nice lad and gets cleaning work in a pub, then, a crack at her first love, singing. An instant hit, she is persuaded by Svengali music-hall owner Sol to work there instead. This she considers but must leave Noah behind, as Sol’s lucrative offer demands entertainers not only live-in but also give in, when required. She succumbs, almost, and quickly realising there’s no easy out, rues her decision. “Eee by ‘eck lass, tha’s in a reet pickle!” Interestingly, the Lancashire accent and dialect not only inhabit every line of dialogue but, unusually, also pepper the narrative. Once habituated, though, the reader gets a thorough dunking into the grinding filth and harsh struggles of mid-Victorian street life, aiding comprehension. One anachronism – back then would they’ve said (it’s a) “win win”? Otherwise a fine tale. Simon Rickman

CHENNEVILLE Paulette Jiles, William Morrow, 2023, $30.00/ C$37.00/£20.00, hb, 320pp, 9780063252684

John Chenneville, a Union soldier, emerges from a monthslong coma, discovering the Civil War has ended. He had suffered a severe brain injury in an explosion. Slowly, memory fragments return: his identity, family, friends, events. Partially recovered, he arrives back home

in Missouri to be told of the brutal murder of his sister, her husband, and their baby. PostCivil War Missouri is under martial law, and investigating this murder is not of importance. Burdened by grief and motivated by revenge, John pushes himself to recover his walking, riding, and shooting skills, and build physical strength to seek out whoever is responsible for this heinous crime. Word is that Albert Dodd is that man, and after the delay to recover, John is on Dodd’s trail headed toward Texas. With lingering effects from his injury, he travels through a desolate, lawless land, ravaged by war, where mob justice often rules. Murder is his objective and his only acceptable outcome despite the consequences. This quickly becomes a cat-and-mouse game as hunted becomes hunter. Dodd is leaving more murders in his wake, even more reason to take him down. Now John is accused of one of Dodd’s murders, and, until his mission is complete, he must elude the federal marshal sent to arrest him. Jiles is at her best when describing the Western landscape and creating the people who live in that violent, uncertain world where life no longer has value. Chenneville may have a singular, murderous purpose of revenge, but he is also a principled man, kindhearted and sincere. He is generous and sympathetic to those he meets deserving of kindness – a complex, solitary hero. With affecting prose and harsh descriptions of the realities of a desolate land, this novel is a standout. Janice Ottersberg

DARK NIGHT OF THE MOUNTAIN MAN William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, Pinnacle, 2023, $8.99, pb, 238pp, 9780786043569

Nelse Andersen drives his horses and wagon into Big Rock, shouting to the men in the Brown Dirt Cowboy Saloon about what he has just encountered at Hogback Hill – a giant grizzly that rose up out of the brush, bellowed, and waved its paws threateningly. Smoke Jensen, known as fast and deadly with a gun, rides out to the site but finds only snapped branches, tufts of grayish fur, and a paw print, not enough to begin tracking. Soon, three men are found brutally killed – their bodies and faces slashed. Blame still falls on the bear, but what about the animal’s unusual behavior: could it be killing because of madness rather than hunger? And why are there so few animal tracks to trace? Language and storyline are trim and to the point. There is a steady supply of action and clever countermoves. But while overall the book is a page-turning exciting Old West read, this reader would have welcomed more of a step-by-step setup and further development of an intriguing plot twist. K. M. Sandrick

THE HIGHLANDER’S KILTED BRIDE Vanessa Kelly, Kensington, 2023, $8.99, pb, 352pp, 9781420154559

Charlotte “Charlie” Stewart first falls for quiet Kade Kendrick when they are children, and she watches from afar as he becomes an accomplished concert pianist and sometime spy. When Kade’s family visits for the wedding of her sister, headstrong, kilt-wearing Charlotte, a verifiable Highland hooligan, finds the grownup Kade handsomer, brawnier, and kinder than she dared dream. As she provides inspiration for a concerto he’s writing, Kade finds a keen head and a warm heart inside the saucy Charlie, but he’ll have to beat away unwanted suitors and solve a mystery before he can claim this unconventional lass for his own. Kelly adores her garrulous characters, and scenes roll on with pages of merry banter as characters one-up each other in wit. A plot engages when an heirloom brooch turns up missing, but Kade handily proves his worth and wins his lady. If modest in tension, the book is big in heart. Fans of Kelly’s Highland Regencies will enjoy spending more time with the boisterous Kendricks, especially crafty Angus. Misty Urban

THE HUSBAND CRITERIA Catherine Kullmann, Willow Books, 2023, $14.99/£12.99, pb, 297pp, 9781913545901

London, 1817. The challenge of finding a suitable marriage partner is never easy at any time, but during the Regency era it is particularly daunting for the upper classes, since social conventions severely restrict opportunities for young people to get to know each other. And since the law gives the husband most of the rights, the penalty of a mistake is severe for the wife, who has little recourse should he prove to be a cruel tyrant or a selfish wastrel. In an attempt to guard against this danger, three cousins compile their husband criteria. As the Season progresses, they do make modifications, but will they be able to learn enough about potential candidates to make the right choice? Although it can be difficult to keep track of their extended families, Cynthia, Chloe and Ann are an attractive trio who readily engage the reader’s sympathy. Thanks to a bit of luck, to assistance from a supportive network of family and friends, and to their own courage and refreshing frankness, they negotiate the social pitfalls strewn in their way, but these are challenging enough to provide a warning against being taken in by appearances. An enjoyable and involving read. Highly recommended. Ray Thompson

MURDER ON THE PNEUMATIC RAILWAY Lisa M. Lane, Grousable Books, 2023, $12.99/£10.00, pb, 288pp, 9798985302769

Surgeon Samson Light is in the Clerkenwell House of Detention, awaiting trial for a crime he didn’t commit. A post office worker’s body was found in a pneumatic railway car in a nonoperational tunnel. A witness says Samson had a heated argument with the murder victim that morning. Tommy, the ward of retired Detective Inspector Slaughter, was tutored by Samson and considers him a loyal friend, so he asks around on behalf of lawyer Perseverance Stone, who is in need of an investigator. The clues take Tommy to Durham. This series imparts a more balanced view of women in Victorian London, and the author succeeds admirably with her cast of unique female characters, who are much more than docile pawns shuttered by men. Information about medical ailments, surgery, jails, mining, engineering, fulling, carpet manufacture, and London, as well as pneumatic railways and the post office, make clear how deeply the author cares for her subject. I did wonder at Tommy leaving several jobs without notice, and why he didn’t ask Perseverance for travel money, but these are small quibbles. Overall, this is a very well written, deeply researched story in which, for this reader, the mystery itself is less compelling than the characters and the wealth of information blended throughout the novel. This third in a cosy mystery series is an excellent addition which alludes to previous cases, but can stand satisfactorily alone, with overlapping characters from previous books. There is an endearing innocence about Tommy, in fact even the bad guys here aren’t that bad and the novel ends happily. The secondary story about the illustrator, Jo, and her newfound family doesn’t fit at first, but Lane brings all her threads neatly together by the end. A definite for readers interested in Victorian England. Fiona Alison

THE LONDON ROSE Rosanne E. Lortz, Madison Street Publishing, 2023, £10.99/$12.99, pb, 231pp, 9781961708006

The arrival of a young lady on her doorstep launches Derbyshire widow, Rose Audeley, on an unexpected trip to London and entry into high society, for the young lady turns out to be the Earl of Kendall’s ward, and he is only too relieved to find someone who can manage his recently orphaned, wayward niece and her two younger sisters. His initial gratitude develops into stronger feelings, but the strict social conventions of the Regency era do create problems. Will these obstruct Rose’s opportunity for a second chance at marriage? And for finding love at last? The problems created by strict parental control over children lead to a number of dire threats and hair-raising situations, including forced marriage, abduction, and timely

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rescue, but these and other, less melodramatic challenges are surmounted with little difficulty. The more serious implications of social issues raised here are passed over in favor of a comforting tale of virtue rewarded, villainy punished, and domestic problems resolved with tact and good sense. It is enlivened, however, by some mischievous irony at the expense of human conduct. For example: ‘Mrs. Audeley refrained from commenting. In her experience, when a gentleman was taking himself to task, it was best to leave the job to him.’ A sequel seems imminent. Romantics will be satisfied. Ray Thompson

FAYNE Anne-Marie MacDonald, Tramp Press, 2023, £15.99, pb, 736pp, 9781915290090 / Knopf Canada, 2022, $40.00, hb, 736pp, 9780735276635

This is a difficult book to review, not least because it is so long by modern standards, a l t h o u g h Victorian readers would not have quailed at 700+ pages. However, much of it is quickfire dialogue, often very witty, so moves at a brisk pace, and it is conveniently divided into seven distinct parts. It is also difficult to classify. It might be considered historical fantasy, as the narrator is impossibly longlived, and there are semi-magical elements. The main narrative is, however, contained in a normal human span in the 1870s and ‘80s, and the ‘fey’ elements can be construed as dreams. So is it Gothic? There are strong Gothic elements, with much of it set in an ancient mansion in the Scottish moors, the eponymous Fayne, with a reclusive laird and his daughter, Charlotte, who has been shut away from the outside world for most of her life, supposedly for health reasons. There are also Gothic improbabilities in the plot, both romantic and grotesque. But Gothic novels are seldom witty or realistic, and Fayne is often funny and harrowingly realistic, with clinically precise descriptions of miscarriages and stillbirths, invasive medical procedures, harsh regimes in Victorian lunatic asylums, and grinding poverty in the Edinburgh slums. The central character is Charlotte, and her problem (or the problem for her upper-class family) is that she is sexually indeterminate, born with the characteristics of both sexes, so that she is initially considered male until surgically rearranged. This has tragic consequences for everybody concerned, most of all Charlotte’s Irish American mother, as they try to hide her condition from the world. 30

In time there is a vindication of sorts, but at great cost. This is an unusual and fascinating book with a serious purpose, exploring the difficulty and pain of people who do not fit in with current societal norms. Edward James

THE SHIP’S MIDWIFE Peta Miller, HQ Australia, 2023, A$32.99, pb, 288pp, 9781867252931

The “coffin ships” that crossed the Atlantic in the mid-1800s are well-known. Numerous impoverished Irish emigrants died before reaching their destination, the culprit being typhus, spread by lice in crowded, unhygienic conditions. Similar ships also sailed to Australia. It was a real voyage to Brisbane in 1850 that inspired the author to recreate that tragic experience in fiction. Sarah Hallow is on her way to an unknown future. She has no living family and few belongings. Her only skill is midwifery, learned from her mother. Sarah makes friends with gutsy Galway girl, Bridie Marley, who has similar ability. Initially, the ship’s Dr Waterford dismisses their efforts until they prove themselves. When sinister signs of deadly fever emerge onboard, Captain Brigham includes them in a small group ready to do battle. One can only gasp at the sheer grit and courage displayed by all those who tended to the sick. Whole families die. Sturdy sailors succumb in days. A few miraculously survive. All this while tossed upon wild seas in horrific cramped conditions with bad sanitation, diminishing food and water. Then, just when salvation appears at hand, incompetent bureaucracy forces the survivors to quarantine on Stradbroke Island for weeks under rudimentary shelter as more are condemned to die before the fever dissipates. Yet, even in all this heartbreak, simple human kindness and affection still thrive. Sarah hides her attraction to the doctor’s son, Will, but Bridie finds true love with the mate, Tom. The plight of the young lad, Billy, will have you reaching for the tissues. The historical research is thorough, the characters authentic. Sarah is an admirable heroine with her combination of pragmatism and optimism. It is hoped the author has a sequel planned for this indomitable woman as she embarks on her new life in Queensland. Marina Maxwell

MURDER BY DEGREES Ritu Mukerji, Simon & Schuster, 2023, $27.99, hb, 304pp, 9781668015063

In 1875 Philadelphia, at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, Dr. Lydia Weston is busy as a doctor, professor, and anatomist. She learns of the death by drowning of one of her patients, a young chambermaid, Anna, deemed a suicide. But Dr. Weston is suspicious, and she is soon brought into the police investigation. She is aided by a diary filled with cryptic passages of poetry and discovers more about the young woman she thought she

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

knew. Lydia draws nearer to the truth using her autopsy skills and clinical expertise: a terrible secret, long hidden, is revealed. But Lydia must act soon before she becomes the next target of those who wished to silence Anna. This intriguing murder mystery is full of clinical details, and the author is a doctor. The gripping who-done-it and the killer-seekingvengeance features are well presented. The novel reads much like a thriller. Mukerji’s indepth research seamlessly includes the plight of 19th-century women physicians in gaining acceptance as “real” doctors. Lydia also faces scorn for investigating a crime. The period’s norms and the dialogue are well depicted. The history of the first Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania is nicely added, including mention of its earliest graduates. The novel is an attention-grabbing murder mystery written in an elegant style reminiscent of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Those unfamiliar with that era in Philadelphia will find it most interesting. Mukerji’s fans will eagerly await the next installment of what appears to be a series. Recommended. Waheed Rabbani

THE MEMOIR OF A FEMALE SOLDIER Jan Lewis Nelson, Massaemett Media, 2023, $19.99, pb, 411pp, 9798218140120

Young Robert Shurtlieff does credit to the Continental Army. Acquitting himself well as a soldier, he is eventually invited to join the staff of General John Paterson. But Robert has a secret: he is in reality Deborah Sampson, the most famous of a number of women who took up arms for the American cause. Nelson’s novel picks up Sampson’s story in 1805, when Sampson, her male persona long since discarded, is fighting to be awarded a well-deserved (and much-needed) pension, wrestling with the question of whether she should correct some of the misstatements put out by her biographer, and recalling her soldiering days. Both the present and the past strands of the story are compelling, and Sampson is an appealing heroine, whether she’s trying to repel the advances of amorous young ladies, grumbling about the frivolities of the younger generation, or struggling with her family’s small farm. I enjoyed this novel thoroughly. Sadly, Nelson did not live to see her work in print: according to her husband, who published it after her death, it was written in the 1970s and put aside after efforts to find a publisher failed. The Memoir of a Female Soldier is a reminder that there are some gems to be found in the slush pile. Susan Higginbotham

EMBROIDERY Sigrún Pálsdóttir (trans. Lytton Smith), Open Letter, 2023, $15.95, pb, 193pp, 9781948830768

Something of a Nordic saga itself, Embroidery follows the adventures of Sigurlína Brandsdóttir, motherless daughter of Brandur

Jónsson who works for the Antiquities Collection in Reykjavik, Iceland, in the late 19th century. Sigurlína longs to be educated and see the world, but her father instead supports her older brother’s education and travels. Confined to helping him catalogue antiquities and housekeeping, Sigurlína is given to daydreams and considered odd by townsfolk. Conservative mores heighten her sensitivity and shame and these, along with her stifled dreams, lead to impulsive actions. Norse gods have no direct role in Sigurlína’s life, yet the convoluted circumstances of her life seem fated in their disasters and serendipities. The title refers both to Sigurlína’s skill with the needle and how her story is woven of many strands—at times threadbare, at times shot with gold. Fleeing to America with an Icelandic relic, Sigurlína discovers the New World in her own way, beginning with a rough sea voyage. Her experience helping her father document Icelandic archeological discoveries, her knowledge of the Icelandic language and heritage, and her fierce Nordic temperament help her when she lands in New York, but the winding plot takes her from a highly literate mansion dweller to the direst tenements. As a slightly built young woman, she’s a surprising hero, and her shame reflex adds to the paradox. The relic leads her on a sometimesdesperate chase when all she wants to do is return it to its rightful place. In the novel’s time period, interest in Icelandic history and sagas peaked, and here a fictional historical novelist has written a novel about a female Icelandic explorer she calls Gudrid that Sigurlína pretends to like. Some plot points are left to the reader to figure out, but Sigrún Pálsdóttir is an impressive writer. Highly recommended. Jinny Webber

MURDER AT THE MERTON LIBRARY Andrea Penrose, Kensington, 2023, $27.00, hb, 304pp, 9781496739933

This is the seventh novel in the Lord Wrexford/Lady Charlotte Sloane Regency series, and it is a polished addition to these adventures. At the heart of this novel is another scientific conundrum on which Penrose bases her stories: the development of a propellerbased propulsion system for ocean-traveling ships, which was, in fact, burgeoning in various countries during the 1800-1838 period. The plot opens with the murder of an Oxford librarian, a former classmate of Wrex’s brother who was killed in battle. The story builds quickly as Wrex vows to find the villain and abruptly discovers the propulsion espionage behind the murder. Penrose builds her much-complicated plot with a Dickensian cast of characters. Lord Wrexford and his wife Charlotte are at the center of the action. They are aided by loyal friends, a redoubtable aunt with a clever cane, interesting servants, a Russian diplomat, a sharp policeman, a mysterious German,

several street urchins, a surgeon, and an ambitious midshipman. The villains are no less interesting: an inventor, a well-placed noblewoman, a financier, and a minister. The plot moves quickly with unexpected complications that keep the reader intrigued. The dialogue is lively; the author has a discriminating sense of timing. The climax is worthy of the complications, and the ending is felicitous. Joanne Vickers

THE LITERARY UNDOING OF VICTORIA SWANN Virginia Pye, Regal House, 2023, $19.95, pb, 313pp, 9781646033973

Victoria Swann is a wildly successful romance novelist in Gilded Age Boston. She singlehandedly dispenses firm advice to starry-eyed girls (via her assistant), and keeps Thames, Royall & Quincy afloat with her breakneck pace of publication. But the woman behind Mrs. Swann, Victoria Meeks, is tired. Her husband is an addict and a gambler, she has no time for friends given her deadlines, and while she has adoring fans, she also garners literary scorn. Not to mention her editor insists that the men in her romances commit the derring-do for plausibility purposes, despite settings on pirate ships and Egyptian pyramids. When Thames, Royall & Quincy is bought by a scoundrel to whom her husband owes a considerable amount, Victoria goes into a freefall. She wants to write realistic works, something the literary set might respect, something real to her. She’s made the money; now she wants to make the art. Ultimately, this is the crossroads for women: to maintain “respectability” is to constrain women to an unfair status of servitude and exploitation, but to advance a woman’s plight is also to invite scorn and risk poverty. This is a slow-moving novel, with plenty of immersive world-building of Boston at the turn of the 20th century. While some of Mrs. Swann’s purple prose swept into the narrative, this wasn’t this reader’s cup of tea, even though the sentiment behind it is one of my own soapboxes. There is a very tender subplot of Mrs. Swann’s new editor, Jonathan Cartwright, discovering love for another man that I thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend this book to those who are familiar with the Boston area or the Gilded Age literary milieu who don’t mind a slower pace. Katie Stine

THE POETICS OF PASSION Delphine Ross, Muse Publications, $15.99, pb, 334pp, 9798985351255

2023,

Musa Bartham has been a scandal since birth. When her father disappeared during a trip that was supposed to regain his reputation, her mother fell into a depression, leaving Musa to hold the family together. Given her limited opportunities to earn money, she turned to her pen and became Felicity Vita, a sensual and slightly scandalous poet. That is, until

her publishing career is threatened by the new owner of the publishing house. Once again, she is determined to control the situation, this time by writing a children’s book under her own name. Sebastian Atkinson is exhausted from working all day in the print shop and all night on a painting that will hopefully launch his art career. Struggling to keep his spirits up after his parents’ deaths he writes a letter to his favourite poet, Felicity Vita. To his surprise, she writes him back, and they begin a correspondence that has him desperate to meet her. She refuses him, of course, and he decides to try and find her by showing his illustrations to her publisher. Only instead of getting to work on Felicity’s books, he gets roped into working on a children’s book with the prickly Musa Bartham. The Poetics of Passion is a beguiling Victorian romance filled with secret identities, hidden passion, and family loyalty. The story draws on many of the same tropes that made me love the movie You’ve Got Mail. I did find the pacing a bit uneven at times and thought the characters held onto secrets for a bit too long without a good reason. That said, it is a fun read for fans of Evie Dunmore, Mimi Matthews, and Emily Sullivan. Shauna McIntyre

MURDER AT MIDNIGHT Katharine Schellman, Crooked Lane, 2023, $30.99/C$38.99, hb, 312pp, 9781639104321

This is the fourth in a series of Regency mysteries featuring highly intelligent young widow Lily Adler. In 1816, the “year without a summer,” Lily attends a Christmas party in the company of her late husband’s family when a snowstorm arises and strands the guests in the house. Among the company are Captain Jack Hartley, who has helped Lily solve previous cases, his sister Amelia, and Matthew Spencer, Lily’s love interest. Amelia, who has been caught in a compromising position with a young man, is shunned by many of the people at the party. When this young man is found shot to death outside the house, Amelia becomes the prime suspect. Lily believes she’s innocent, but Amelia doesn’t help her own case because she refuses to say what really happened between her and the victim. Lily must find the real killer before Amelia is convicted of a murder she didn’t commit. MurderatMidnight is a suspenseful, engaging novel. A country house where the guests are snowed in makes for a perfect setting for a mystery. The story is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, with a large pool of suspects, all of whom have a motive for murder. The suspense continues to grow as blackmail, poisoning, and jewel theft are added to the plot. Lily is a likeable heroine, whose observational and analytical skills make her a perfect detective. The book stands alone, but it helps to have read the previous ones so you can see how the relationships among the characters, especially Lily, Matthew, and Jack, have developed. This

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love triangle comes to what appears to be a resolution, but I hope more novels in the series are still to come. This book also shines a light on race relations, since Jack and his family are Anglo-Indian. Highly recommended. Vicki Kondelik

A MOST AGREEABLE MURDER Julia Seales, Random House, 2023, $27.00, hb, 352pp, 9780593449981 / Orion, 2023, £20.00, hb, 352pp, 9781398720367

The first sentence of this entertaining Regency-era page-turner from Julia Seales offers fair warning that tongue-in-cheek is its most appropriate dance style, despite its clever garments of both Agatha Christie and Jane Austen. Consider this English countryside description: “a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp.” The mansion where the Steele daughters, especially the observant Beatrice Steele, must soon attend a ball is Stabmort Park. And Beatrice’s dreadful passion should at all cost not be revealed: She collects the printed news of crime and murder, even sending advice to a London detective—anonymously, of course, since “an unmarried lady writing to an unmarried gentleman was wildly lewd.” Seales never holds back from a moment that can be ridiculous as she launches Beatrice into husband-hunting at the neighbors’ ball. As soon as Beatrice ducks into the powder room to freshen up, she finds “a painting of GreatAunt Agnes Ashbrook hung on the back wall, her face so annoyed that it was almost as if she knew she was hanging in the privy.” From here on, one startling embarrassment after another tumbles into place. Beatrice forsakes her duty to wed, it seems, as she teams up in person with Inspector Drake. But how else can she handle a situation that evidently demands her research and leaps of imagination? Besides, the simple evidence suggests Beatrice’s own sister Louisa as a murderer, and clearly, that can’t be true. “And yet. Louisa was twenty-one. A woman— and a woman, perhaps, with secrets.” Lively, tightly paced, threaded with flapping red herrings and deftly paraded clues, this debut novel from an experienced writer, screenwriter, and Anglophile can turn a reader quite unladylike, with bursts of snorted laughter. Beth Kanell

MURDER WEARS A HIDDEN FACE Rosemary Simpson, Kensington, 2023, $27.00, hb, 328pp, 9781496741066

Simpson asserts in her author’s note that in each book she writes “the setting...[is] another character.” Certainly, the setting in this mystery makes New York City’s Gilded Age come alive. Whether it is delicious Delmonico’s Restaurant 32

or tumultuous Chinatown, the reader is caught up in vivid sensory detail. Plot is another of Simpson’s strong points. The novel opens with the surprising stabbing death of Lord Peng, a Chinese cultural attaché, by an unknown assailant as the diplomat and his family are about to open a lavish installation of Ming Dynasty art at the Metropolitan Museum. Finding the villain becomes quite complicated. The detecting pair, originally hired as family bodyguards, Prudence MacKenzie and Geoffrey Hunter, and their associates— as well as the New York police and various recruits—must pursue leads that point to both political and personal complications. While developing the various leads, the novel incorporates a wealth of detail about Chinese and Chinese American culture. It also reveals the lamentable prejudicial history of United States policies regarding Chinese immigration during the late 19th century. The characters in this novel move the plot along at a quick pace; however, they are not developed with much depth. Prudence, Geoffrey, and the Peng family do not have much of an interior life that would make the reader more sympathetic with their dilemmas. But go along for the ride! Joanne Vickers

THE MURDER OF ANDREW JOHNSON Burt Solomon, Forge, 2023, $32.99, hb, 288pp, 9780765392725

Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth president of the United States, dies of a stroke (known then as apoplexy) on July 31, 1875. This historical novel imagines that his final illness disguises a more sinister method of death for one of the most hated men in America. Journalist John Hay is asked by the editor of the New York Herald to report on Johnson’s funeral. Hay was Lincoln’s private secretary and recommended that Johnson replace Hannibal Hamlin as vice president for Lincoln’s second term, arguing that with the Civil War nearly won, a Southerner might help unite the country better than someone from Maine. Yet upon Lincoln’s assassination, the country could not have been in worse hands: Johnson bungled Reconstruction, made enemies of most politicians, and had been impeached. Using his Washington connections, Hay follows a trail of clues—a not-so-loving family, conflicting reports from the two doctors who attended the patient, and potential blackmail letters—all the way back to the failed assassination attempt on Johnson in April 1865. Most damning is that one of those doctors was in the pocket of the private secretary to President Ulysses S. Grant. Solomon is a master wordsmith, creating a genuinely likable protagonist who uses his vast experience and skills to conduct a competent amateur investigation (even if he does borrow Allan Pinkerton to assist). You feel the uneasiness of the South after Reconstruction and the oppressive heat of the Capitol in

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

August. Perhaps the former president was murdered after all. Tom Vallar

IMMORTALISED TO DEATH Lyn Squire, Level Best, 2023, $16.95, pb, 258pp, 9781685123581

Jolly good! A Dickensian mystery about Dickens—or, more precisely, about his death. Charles Dickens died abruptly in 1870 while he was writing his last novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Did he have a stroke, or was he poisoned? His stolid, plump nephew, Dunston Burnett, sets out to solve this conundrum to win favor with Dickens’ sister-in-law, Georgina, who was the author’s erstwhile companion and housekeeper. Dunston is an unlikely detective, but his unwavering inventiveness wins the reader’s sympathy as he loyally pursues any and all clues he can muster. Squire incorporates many facts from Dickens’ life to embellish a fast-paced plot: tantalizing clues about the conclusion of Drood, which are left in Dickens’ notes; the author’s comfortable home in the Kent countryside; the relationships the writer had with his estranged wife; his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan; and his official biographer, John Forster. Squire is quite adept at building compelling Dickensian characters into the plot: dastardly villains with outrageous names like Dinky Dryker and Snatcher; a sweet young damsel in distress, Dulcet; and an indefatigable Scotland Yard detective named, appropriately, Detective Line. Of course, the plot includes snot-nosed, hardened orphans who live hardscrabble lives in the London slums. And, yes, their miserable orphanage is run by a proper pair of sadists. The writing style will look familiar: full of clever dialogue and colorful metaphor. And the conclusion to this rollicking mystery? The reader will have to read to the very last page! Bravo, Lyn Squire! Joanne Vickers

BROCK’S SPIRIT Tom Taylor, Hancock and Dean, 2023, C$24.98, pb, 350pp, 9780986896149

General Brock is dead, but his sense of honor, justice, and bold service lives on in Jonathan Westlake. Only a handful of people know he is a secret agent. One is Sergeant Puffer, a British turncoat willing to reveal Westlake’s identity to the Americans. One who does not is the leader of the Loyal and Patriotic Society. He arrests Jonathan for being a collaborator and warns that should he escape, his mother will suffer. With the British army in retreat, it’s vital that Jonathan help prevent the Americans from gaining more ground. But he can’t do this locked in a cell. Then he learns that the woman he loves plans to kill Puffer for raping her. Jonathan is torn between duty and love but knows he must help the British army first. Otherwise, Upper Canada may fall to the enemy. A worrier, Laura Secord will do whatever she must to protect her family. With Jonathan’s

help, she rescues her wounded husband from the battlefield. Later, the Americans commandeer her home as their headquarters. When she overhears plans of an ambush, Laura must warn the British army, even though it means a twenty-mile trek alone through enemy territory. Brock’s Spirit is the fifth book in this series on the War of 1812, but the story takes place between the third and fourth titles (Brock’s Traitor and Brock’s Assassin). It recounts the battles of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams, as well as Laura Secord’s daring journey. Taylor’s knowledge of history and ability to create believable characters place readers amid these events in a you-are-there way. Fans have waited nine years since the last adventure, and this story is a welcome addition. Cindy Vallar

THE BEREAVED Julia Park Tracey, Sibylline Press, 2023, $17.99, pb, 274pp, 9781736795422

Julia Park Tracey pulls readers immediately into the life of Martha Lozier, a young mother of four who buries her husband on a farm in Newburgh, New York in the opening pages of The Bereaved. With no money of her own and limited legal rights, Martha must live at the mercy of her nearby in-laws, who have problems of their own. Due to legal and ethical challenges, Martha soon escapes with her children to the tenements of New York City, where she struggles to find work as a dressmaker and to feed her family. These events occur in 1859, so readers know the Civil War is brewing. At first Martha pays scant attention to national problems as she counts her pennies, scrambles for money, tries to fend off letches, and worries about the welfare of her children. We cringe as she patches her children’s rags and adds water to their soup to stretch it for days. Writing exclusively from Martha’s point of view, Tracey portrays a world of destitution and fear. Readers paying attention to omens and remembering the history of the era may guess at plot turns but are unlikely to guess the full scope of Martha’s decisions, failures, and successes. Native-born and Protestant, Martha interacts with the Germans and the Irish who settle in her neighborhood, and eventually rises above her prejudices. Occasionally Tracey may reach too far for the perfect period-specific term or cadence, but that is a rare exception to a beautifully written, well-researched, and compelling book that will keep readers rushing to the end, rooting for the protagonist. With great skill, Tracey bases her novel on the true story of her own relatives. Marlie Wasserman

THE CURIOUS AFFAIR OF THE MISSING MUMMIES Lisa Tuttle, Jo Fletcher Books, 2023, £10.99, pb, 432pp, 9781529422757

London in the summer of 1894. Jasper

Jesperson and Aphrodite Lane return for their third adventure, after a publishing hiatus of six years. The pair are requested to investigate the apparent theft from the storeroom of the British Museum of various ancient Egyptian artifacts. They subsequently get involved in a murder, the esoteric and cranky world of Egyptology, and the adherents’ belief in the peculiar mystic qualities of that ancient civilization. The story creeps into the paranormal with the evils of demonic possession. There is more than a touch of Holmes and Watson about this pair. Not only is the scene late Victorian London, but Jesperson is the eccentric and brilliant private detective, with Lane acting as both the memoirist of their adventures and a faithful and occasionally valuable assistant. The narrative is interesting and well-written, and the story zips along with pleasurable verve, but the characters occasionally seem to behave in ways that stretch credibility both for the conventions of the time as well as normal British human behaviour; they just do not seem quite right somehow. Nonetheless, this is a thoroughly enjoyable story, set effectively in its milieu. Douglas Kemp

LET US DESCEND Jesmyn Ward, Scribner, 2023, $28.00/ C$32.00, hb, 320pp, 9781982104498 / Bloomsbury, 2023, £18.99, hb, 320pp, 9781526666710

Young Annis, an enslaved girl in the antebellum South, meets a series of misfortunes and is thrust into ever more hellish circumstances in a Dante-esque journey to New Orleans from North Carolina. As her situation becomes more and more dire, the narrative becomes increasingly infused with magical realist elements, in the form of spirits who assist her. In danger from her enslavers and sometimes even from the spirits, whose hauntings are not always benign, Annis must gather all the strength and self-regard and independence she learned from her mother in order to protect herself. Despite her lack of agency, she must try to carve a life of her own choosing. Lyrically and impressionistically written, this novel may not be as realistic as some readers desire, and those who are reading it for the history likewise may be disappointed. The characters may feel like types rather than fully realized individuals. Yet the strength of the novel is in the emotional trajectory it evokes, from Annis’s full reliance on her mother’s protection to being alone and defeated to finding the spark within to take ownership of herself. Following the example of Dante’s Divine Comedy, from which the title is taken, it can be read as strongly allegorical. Let Us Descend will appeal to readers of literary fiction who appreciate evocative language, magical realism, self-reliant heroines, and narratives that highlight joy and connection amid historical atrocities. Elizabeth Crachiolo

OF JASMINE AND ROSES Jill E. Warner, Covenant, 2023, $15.99, pb, 256pp, 9781524421588

London, England, 1837. After her mother dies, eight-year-old Anna Beasley’s father sends her from Bombay to London to live with aristocratic relatives. Although she is part Indian and part English, Anna is raised as an equal. When the family fortune is stolen, Anna loses her inheritance and gains employment as a governess. Although intelligent, welleducated, and beautiful, Anna is shunned and ridiculed by Britain’s elite because of her mixed lineage. She suffers in silence, desiring only to belong. Anna soon meets and is befriended by William Thaxton, an aspiring politician. A series of misunderstandings occur when Anna is unfairly blamed for an accident involving one of her charges and dismissed. Heartbroken and betrayed, she accepts a teaching post in Bombay and plans a return to India. When Thaxton, who has fallen in love with Anna, learns of her impending departure, he is determined to right the wrongs she has endured. Anna Beasley, the captivating heroine in Warner’s debut novel, is vividly portrayed throughout the well-paced plot. Nuanced, intimate family scenes contrasted with intimidating exchanges with British ton members skillfully show Anna’s strength and integrity as she bravely confronts society’s cruel discrimination of those of mixed race. A bittersweet, romantic tale. Marcy McNally

THAT BLIGH GIRL Sue Williams, Allen & Unwin, 2023, A$32.99, pb, 391pp, 9781761065880

The early 1800s. Governance of the convict colony of New South Wales is in disarray and borders on anarchy at the hands of a cartel of military officers who use rum as currency. The British Government needs someone who can clear up the corruption. Who better than that notoriously zealous stickler for order, Captain William Bligh, who survived the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty? Bligh takes up the position of Governor with relish and sails into Sydney with his daughter, Mary, and her new husband, John Putland. Mary has always had a stormy relationship with her hot-tempered father and struggles with his insistence that she serve as “first lady”. As with Bounty, it will be Bligh’s obstinacy and lack of diplomacy that inevitably creates more trouble. Mary’s narrative is related in tandem with that of Meg, her convict maid. Initially, Mary appears frivolous – especially as regards her obsession with fashion and social position – but she proves her mettle when she stands her ground at the gates of Government House, her only weapon a parasol, as she refuses to let the mutinous New South Wales Corp arrest her father. Although Mary will suffer for her loyalty, Meg observes: “While she had once

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dismissed her mistress as the spoiled daughter of a controlling father, she now watches her emerge as the stronger and more determined and perhaps even the eminently more human of the two Blighs”. Meg’s convict story is not unusual, but that of Mary Putland, William Bligh and the Rum Rebellion may not be as well-known as the famous Bounty, and the novel is recommended for that reason. (Several prominent living Australians have Bligh connections, including Anna Bligh, former premier of Queensland, and Malcolm Bligh Turnbull, former prime minister.) Marina Maxwell

THE SECRETS BENEATH Kimberley Woodhouse, Bethany House, 2023, $16.99, pb, 328pp, 9780764241680

In 1879 Wyoming Territory, strange items are being discovered beneath the rugged terrain. Paleontology is a rather new scientific discipline, and Anna Lakeman is delighted to be involved with her paleontologist father in unearthing, archiving, and preserving fossils of truly ancient dinosaurs. Anna is especially adept at rendering drawings of the artefacts, a useful talent in the field. When a particularly auspicious find is detected quite close to her childhood home, she and her father approach the landowner, a former neighbor and schoolmate of Anna, to request permission to dig and conduct research there. The owner is a complicated fellow but remembers Anna fondly and agrees. Then, an even closer former friend of Anna arrives home from medical school in the East to attend to family business. Joshua and Anna had been inseparable and seemingly destined for marriage before a disagreement on his departure for college. Now he’s back, and the two of them must determine their future together, if any. As the fieldwork goes on, mysterious and foreboding events increasingly disturb the dig effort. A child goes missing, and evidence of an old and odious crime seems to arise, all accompanied by competition among different paleontologists and financial backers wanting to take over. Anna, Josh, and her ailing father must persevere not only to make the ancient dig a success but also to solve old and dangerous mysteries closer to home. This novel is an inspirational detective and romance story set in a fascinating historical venue. It is full of twists and surprises, including the final one. Throughout, the author provides small clues and innuendoes which alert the astute reader to what may really be happening. Dinosaur fossil hunting as a premise makes the entire book even more intriguing. Great job, and strongly recommended. Thomas J. Howley

THE RUNAWAY BRIDE Felicity York, Harper North, 2023, £8.99, pb, 359pp, 9780008535735

We first meet the Turner family when our protagonist’s father admires the fruits of his 34

labours as he arrives at his stately home of Shrigley Hall, Cheshire, in 1826. He allows himself the satisfaction of revelling in his rise from a poor background to the giddy heights of the county’s High Sheriff. But pride comes before a fall. Moments later, his world comes crashing down when the family receives a letter from the headmistress at daughter Ellen’s boarding school. It transpires that the teenager is in the company of a mysterious Frenchman. Turner and his wife are mystified. Is it elopement or abduction? Meanwhile, Mrs Turner’s companion, Miss Frances Davis, goes into overdrive to console her friend and devise a way out of potential scandal. But is Miss Davis all she seems? The plot twists and turns with the lying miscreants one step ahead of their pursuers, and Ellen becomes Mrs Edward Wakefield, against her will. Will the perpetrators of this heinous crime be brought to justice? Intrigue is piled on a-plenty. The Runaway Bride is based on the true story of heiress Ellen Turner, who was famously the victim of forced marriage. In York’s hands, the story becomes a historical romance of a young woman wronged who is ultimately saved by her own resourcefulness and the love of a wealthy neighbour. The novel is the first in York’s Stately Scandals series. Ellen is a great choice for the prototype rebellious and spirited heroine who, despite her tender years, stands up for what she believes is right. The author’s research is meticulous and brings this true story to life. Margery Hookings

20T H C E N T U RY THE YORKSHIRE FARM GIRL Diane Allen, Pan, 2023, £7.99, pb, 301pp, 9781529093117

The story starts on a busy Christmas Eve, 1938. The girl of the title is Sally Fothergill, who lives with her brother and parents on a small rented farm above the village of Dent. Sally is 15 and already starting to think of boys. Her mother Ivy (the focus of as many scenes as Sally) has to look after the family, pluck turkeys for sale, and do myriad other jobs while husband Bob is out in the snowy fields or at the paid job he needs as well as farming. The book takes us from Christmas through to September 1939, and (after much foreshadowing) the declaration of war. Though not rapidly, the plot proceeds with humour, romance and some poignancy. This successful author of sagas has knowledgeable affection for the Dales, and her descriptions – landscapes, farming and customs – are vivid. This novel’s setting is its strongest element. Unfortunately, the book’s anachronisms and inaccuracies start in the first chapter and keep on coming. There was no such thing as the Avro Lancaster aeroplane in 1939, nor the army Jeep. No-one would then have considered Camp Coffee as an antiquated brand from ‘the days of the Raj’. Brother Ben’s name at

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one point changes to Bill, but then reverts. No Ferguson tractors ran on diesel in the 1930s. The characters have a habit of speaking to each other in paragraphs of prose, recapping what the author has just told us in her narration. I suspect this may be a deliberate technique, and that this author knows well how to meet the needs of her readership. No doubt this keenly-priced book will sell well. A sequel covering the Fothergills at war may well be in the pipeline. I hope it will be better researched. Ben Bergonzi

THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL Jess Armstrong, Minotaur, 2023, $28.00, hb, 336pp, 9781250886019

1922. While delivering a box of rare books to the Cornish village of Lothlel Green, disgraced American heiress Ruby Vaughn confronts Tamsyn, the best friend and love who abandoned her during the Great War to marry Sir Edward Chenowyth. Seeing her friend has become an anxious young mother and a miserable wife, Ruby isn’t heartbroken when Sir Edward turns up murdered in his own orchard. Ruby is more disturbed by the dream she had that night of being attacked—and fighting back. With bruises on her throat and a gutted Sir Edward suggesting that the ancient Curse of Penryth Hall has returned, Ruby decides to protect Tamsyn and her son by helping the exasperating Ruan Kivell, the Pellar—the Cornish version of a witch or folk healer— bring a murderer to justice. As mysteries stack up, with a wraith, a witch, a poisoner, and a blackmailer all stirring the pot, old murders and fresh twists come to light. Ruby must not only grapple with old griefs but also new threats to the armor around her guarded heart—not least of which is the Pellar himself. Armstrong keeps the tension cranked high, and with nasty surprises and tormented memories dotting her days while creepy visions disturb her dreams, poor Ruby doesn’t get a moment of rest. With her sharp humor and prickly determination, however, Ruby is equal to every obstacle. Characters are rounded and distinct, the setting remarkably realized, and the blend of Gothic gloom with rustic charm and war-hardened pragmatism makes a highly palatable formula. The prose style is rhythmic and assured, as long as one doesn’t mind frequent fragments. Fans of Gothic mystery as well as more realistic detective fiction will enjoy this confident debut. Misty Urban

CALIFORNIA GOLDEN Melanie Benjamin, Delacorte, 2023, $28.00/ C$37.99/£23.00, hb, 340pp, 9780593497852

“Never fall in love with someone who doesn’t need you,” the father of preteens Mindy and Ginger Donnelly tells them in 1957 as he abandons the family. Their mother, Carol, is a pioneering woman surfer and a neglectful parent, preferring being on the beach to

domestic life, leaving the girls to sometimes go hungry and worry that she will also leave them. Mindy and Ginger try everything they can think of to please her, including learning to surf. They are successful enough by their teens to be cast as movie extras and stunt surfers for the “beach party” films in the early 1960s. Mindy is the better surfer, winning competitions and known as “the girl in the curl” who gets to hang out with VIPs in the hottest nightclubs. Ginger falls into the orbit of beach bum/drug dealer Tom, living in bohemian conditions in a beach shack. Mindy learns that being semi-famous has its price: her agent tells her she must choose between her celebrity and dating Jimmy Cho, a Hawaiian surfer who appears Black when photographed, in an era when mixed-race couples were taboo. I was slightly annoyed with the story structure, which jumps around in time between the late ´50s and ´60s, sometimes leaving me wondering where on the timeline a particular chapter fell. But a little patience was rewarded; the characters and situation grew on me. Benjamin’s afterword says that she’s never surfed herself, yet she is successful in bringing the 1960s California sun-sandsurf world to life, with memorable characters. I cared about Mindy and Ginger even as they made questionable choices. Carol’s backstory is not revealed until late in the book, which makes her appear villainous for most of it. Benjamin’s skill in depicting a dysfunctional family which readers can still identify with is exemplary. Recommended. B. J. Sedlock

THE ORCHID HOUR Nancy Bilyeau, Lume Books, 2023, £9.99/$16.99, pb, 320p, 9781839014802

1923 New York. Zia De Luca is a widow of the First World War. She and her young son live with her in-laws in the very close-knit community of Little Italy in Manhattan. She leads an uneventful life, working in a public library. Until the day she leaves as part of a cost-cutting exercise and an elderly man she barely knows, but who has confided in her, is murdered in front of the library. Soon afterwards, her family is devastated when Zia’s father-in-law is shot dead by a collector of protection money – according to the police, that is. The police are known to be corrupt and prejudiced against Italians, and Zia is convinced they have the wrong man. She is determined to get to the bottom of both killings, believing they are linked. She uses her beloved but nefarious cousin, Salvatore, to get her a job at The Orchid Hour, one of many speakeasies that exist in this Prohibition era and which she is sure holds the clues she is looking for. The book is mainly told from the firstperson point of view of Zia, but there are also chapters telling the story of Lieutenant Frank Hudgins and Louis Buchalter. Frank is a decent policeman who wants to help Zia but is told to back off. Louis is a stooge of The Fixer,

who has fingers in every criminal pie and who owns The Orchid Hour. It took me a while to get into the book, and I don’t feel there is any real tension in it. It is, however, a good, well-researched and welldescribed novel, and I learned a lot about a place and era I hadn’t hitherto known much about. Marilyn Pemberton

SPLIT Alida Bremer (trans. Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp), Amazon Crossing, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 271pp, 9781662507045

Situated on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea, Split, the mystery novel, and Split, the city, are aptly named, for they are set in the summer of 1936, a delicate moment in time, a precious interlude between terrible things. Split opens with murder. In a city where everyone knows everyone else, police superintendent Mario Bulat, a recent widower, is defied by citizens who do not trust the local cops. A Nazi film crew is scouting the area for their latest movie. Or are they in Split for other reasons? Jewish refugees are in hiding, trying to smuggle their way on Split fishing boats to freedom. In the furious heat of mid-summer, domestic unhappiness can lead to violent endings. Bulat must unravel the clues and face the opposition of powerful forces to uncover the crime. And yet, Split in many ways is not a mystery. Rather, it is the portrait of a melting pot city confronting a perilous future. Three years before Blitzkrieg, the sons and daughters of the elite and the poor are angrily split between the fascism of Hitler and Mussolini, and the communism of Stalin. Bulat, living with a woman he hopes to marry, is a jaded police officer who wants nothing more than the freedom to love. Split navigates choppy waters between several dozen characters. So many intertwining stories may interfere with the primary thread. Bremer’s objective, I think, is not so much allowing the reader to resolve the murder, as it is to portray how individuals cope with impending change, fooling themselves that life can be anything than what it really is: perverse. Split is a gorgeous dark painting of a time and place most of us will find compelling enough. To fully enjoy it, however, one must care about the characters, but that there are so many may be a problem. Peter Clenott

NINETEEN STEPS Millie Bobby Brown with Kathleen McGurl, HQ, 2023, £16.99, hb, 372pp, 9780008530266 / William Morrow, 2023, $28.99, hb, 320pp, 9780063335776

The novel is inspired by the experiences of Brown’s grandmother, who lived in London during the Second World War and survived the Bethnal Green tube disaster in 1943. The incident was one of the worst civilian disasters of the war, in which 173 lives were lost during

an air raid when shelterers fell on top of one another at the bottom of the steps in Bethnal Green station, leading to fatal crush injuries and asphyxiation. The disaster serves as the centre point of the novel, with the pages before and after detailing the life of the protagonist, eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris, in the years leading up to and following the tragedy. At the start of the story, Nellie is content working as an assistant to the Mayoress and spending her free time with her little sister Flo or her best friend Babs… as well as avoiding the advances of her next-door-neighbour, Billy. But when a chance encounter sees her running straight into the arms of the handsome American airman, Ray Fleming, Nellie starts to question whether she might be ready for love after all. And when Nellie suffers a huge personal loss, maybe love is the only thing that can help her to survive? The book delivers a bittersweet tale that explores a snapshot of both the unimaginable joys and devastating heartbreaks experienced during the Second World War. The character of Nellie serves as an excellent centre to the story: a family-oriented young woman who is old enough to lament the current bleak state of the world but still holds on to the youthful ideal of a more hopeful tomorrow. While the plot is rather formulaic and its delivery is much more simplistic than is usual for a work of adult fiction, the authors nevertheless succeed in presenting their readers with a moving account of love, loss, and the importance of cherishing your loved ones in war-torn London. An emotional read that will leave readers heartbroken on one page and hopeful on the next. Athena Heavey

LOST BREAD Edith Bruck (trans. Gabriella Romani and David Yanoff), Paul Dry Books, 2023, $18.95, pb, 154pp, 9781589881785

Edith Bruck is a respected author and a Hungarian Jewish survivor of Auschwitz, who has been living and writing in Italy for six decades. Lost Bread is not a novel so much as a recounting of her experiences from her youth in her native Hungarian village, to her family’s deportation to a Nazi concentration camp, to her peripatetic life after the war until she settled in Italy, where she resides today. As author Bruck states in a Q & A at the end of the novel, bread has significant meaning in her life. It reminds her of her mother, a baker of bread, who died in the camps. Her family survived on the flour provided by a neighbor when they were hungry, and bread was in the oven when the Hungarian police abruptly swept Bruck’s mother, father, sisters, and brother from their home. Each experience is a crumb of memory from that last loaf of bread never eaten. It is a way of never forgetting those who passed through Bruck’s life. But beyond a retelling of her experiences, Lost Bread is a dive into the woman herself, how she survived not only the camps but an abusive relationship after,

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how she became the woman, wife, Holocaust lecturer, poet and author she became, an independent spirit who challenged the world to define her. Many stories have been written about the Holocaust. Lost Bread spends only one chapter on Bruck’s months in the camps. Rather, her story examines the complex response individuals had post-war, asking the important question: what have we learned, if we have learned anything, for Jews as well as non-Jews. While Bruck’s faith remains unsullied, the question she asks remains unanswered. Peter Clenott

RELENTLESS MELT Jeremy P. Bushnell, Melville House, 2023, $18.99/£16.99, pb, 344pp, 9781685890322

In October 1909, 17-year-old Artie Quick is nervously endeavoring to sneak into a YMCA class on criminal investigation in Boston. Wearing her brother’s suit, she is trying to pass as a young boy, since it is considered inappropriate for women to be involved in such studies. She has a fascination for detective work and is taking her one chance to learn more. In the meantime, she works at the “Tunnel Bargain Basement,” part of the new but already well-known Filene’s Department store. While working, the hard-scrabble, workingclass Artie takes up a friendship with an unlikely partner: upper-class Theodore, who is 6’5”, socially awkward, and as interested in magic as Artie is in criminal investigation. When weird things start happening in the city, the pair swing into action, trying to leverage their respective investigation and magic teachers to help solve the mystery of strange screams and disappearances of young women amidst a mysterious supernatural and malevolent presence. As a native Bostonian, I loved the period information the author provides about familiar landmarks back then: Filene’s, the Boston Common, and Long Wharf, all of which I was well acquainted with from youthful jobs. Delivered in the present tense, the first twothirds of the plot is cute, fun, interesting and enjoyable. As the book states, the curious duo of Theodore and Artie “always look a bit odd even under the best of circumstances.” Their attempts at crime-solving are initially innocently naïve. In the final third, however, the novel turns abruptly dark, sadistic, murderous, and, for me, ultimately confusing. This dichotomy might appeal to some readers, especially fans of the macabre. Thomas J. Howley

CHASING ELEANOR Kerry Chaput, Black Rose Writing, 2023, $21.95, pb, 277pp, 9781685132101

During the Great Depression in 1935, riding the rails and standing in breadlines was part of daily life. Kerry Chaput’s main character, Magnolia Parker, is consumed with hate and fear as she lives to protect her brothers, sevenyear-old “cute as a bug” Johnny and tender36

hearted twelveyear-old Oscar. M a g n o l i a ’s determination not to fail her brothers is fueled by her father’s abandonment, the accidental death of twoyear-old Emily, and ultimately the death of her mother. C h a p u t ’s prose boils over with Magnolia’s sense of anger, drenching her with determination. After Chaput’s eloquent foreshadowing of the family being splintered apart, Magnolia gains the strength and fortitude to search for her brothers, wondering if finding them will make her worthy. Penniless, overwhelmed with disappointment, and desperate, Magnolia finds work as a maid at the Pilot Butte Inn. A life-changing conversation with Eleanor Roosevelt leaves Magnolia finally feeling seen by Eleanor’s discerning heart and later a promise to help find the boys. Readers ride the rails from Oregon to Georgia with teens Magnolia, Hop, an Italian migrant worker, and Red, a traumatized runaway. Always searching for clues to trust each other, the teens’ pact and Eleanor’s promise to help increases their resolve to find the brothers. Chaput’s narrative is packed with harrowing, gut-wrenching adventure and encrusted with pearls of wisdom Magnolia gathers from Eleanor’s MyTime column and newspaper articles. “Meet each struggle one at a time” jump-starts Magnolia’s chase to find the First Lady. Chaput emboldens her characters with optimism, emotional intelligence, and wisdom gained over a lifetime. The core theme in Kerry Chaput’s Chasing Eleanor is learning that forgiveness is a gift to yourself. Chaput’s novel, a love letter to Eleanor Roosevelt, reflects that “learning to love is an education in itself.” Highly recommended. Dorothy Schwab

THE GOLDEN GATE Amy Chua, Corvus, 2023, £16.99, hb, 371pp, 9781838959487 / Minotaur, 2023, $28.00, hb, 384pp, 9781250903600

Although she is the author of three nonfiction works, it is difficult to believe that this is Amy Chua’s fiction debut since it is such an extremely well-crafted murder/mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition. It is also a ‘police procedural’, in that the principal investigator, Al Sullivan, is a detective of the San Francisco police. The story has all the right elements: a highprofile victim (a Presidential candidate), a cast of colourful suspects drawn from all levels of society, a fiendishly complicated plot which casts each suspect in turn as the culprit only to surprise us all with a dramatic denouement, an investigator with depth of character and a

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complex private life, and a realistic setting: San Francisco in 1944, at the height of the wartime ship-building boom and the anti-Japanese paranoia. If there is any fault, it is that Chua periodically treats us to two or three pages of California history, which I found interesting but is undeniably info-dumping. It is undoubtedly a page turner. Please give us more, Amy Chua. Edward James

THE REDEMPTION OF ISOBEL FARRAR Alan Robert Clark, Fairlight, 2023, $15.99/£8.99, pb, 286pp, 9781914148446

This is a poignant, if occasionally sentimental musing on mortality, ageing, forgiveness, and the regrets of a long life. In 1926, 39-year-old WWI veteran Frank, an ironmonger, works in the very bowels of a department store which also employs Arthur, the man he lives with. Arthur loves Frank, in a selfless yet undeniably romantic manner. Frank searches for his mother, the wealthy Isobel, who gave him up as an infant, leaving him to be raised by an abusive couple. With the help of Alice, an old friend of Isobel’s, he finds his way to Halcyon Hill, Isobel’s long-abandoned country house. When Isobel returns from Canada, where she lives with her younger son, Isobel and Frank finally meet. But that’s only the beginning. To connect with Frank, Isobel must first gain his trust. The quintessentially English story, whose delicate petals unfold at a deliberate and controlled pace, gripped me from the beginning. I detected the influence of modernist writers from the period depicted, not only because of the blurred-pastel interwar setting and the importance of the country house, but also in the book’s handling of class. Clark grasps quite well the differences between the lives and mores of the lower-class characters and their so-called “betters”. This chasm initially keeps Frank and Isobel apart despite their blood connection and the love that grows between them. There’s a great loneliness to many of the characters, often due to the restrictions of the society in which they live or the gnawing, unrelenting pull of their pasts. Interestingly, several characters are former sex workers, something that Clark portrays with empathy and dignity rather than salaciousness. His depiction of the abuses Frank suffers at the hands of his adoptive family also appears painfully plausible and mercifully lacks sleazy sensationalising. Lee Lanzillotta

UNDER THE COVER OF MERCY Rebecca Connolly, Shadow Mountain, 2023, $26.99, hb, 295pp, 9781639931057

As the German Army marches into Belgium in 1914, Edith Cavell, Matron of the Red Cross’ Berkendael Medical Institute, meets with the new Military Governor of Brussels.

While Governor von Lüttwitz welcomes her offer of nursing services for all war wounded, regardless of the country for which they fight, he demands that the nurses also guard all wounded French, British, and Belgians. Because of her vows and Christian duty, Edith steadfastly refuses. “Never,” she says. Under the Cover of Mercy fictionalizes the true story of Edith’s defiance of the occupying force as she creates a safe house for members of the Belgian resistance, then hides and cares for two wounded British soldiers until they are well enough to travel and can be smuggled out to safety. The book brings readers face to face with Edith just after fortresses at the border fell and small villages are being pillaged, homes are burning, and townspeople are fleeing or lying dead. Author Connolly is known for her “sweet and swoony,” as she calls them, romantic novels. Under the Cover of Mercy is the second of her historical novels. The first, A Brilliant Night of Stars and Ice, about the voyage of the Carpathia after receiving a distress signal from the Titanic, was published in 2022. Connolly’s writing is straightforward and descriptive, delivering facts and chronicling events. But while Edith’s heroic story unfolds, it concentrates on the telling—the who, what, when, and where. Missing for this reader was the feeling, the understanding, the ability to stand with Edith Cavell and get a sense of her determination in the face of oppression, her courage in the face of fear, her commitment to healing no matter the cost to herself. K. M. Sandrick

THE REFORMATORY Tananarive Due, Saga Press, 2023, $28.99, hb, 576pp, 9781982188344

In Florida in 1950, Robert and Gloria’s father is chased out of town on false charges, but his real “crime” was asking for better pay and conditions for African American workers. The children’s mother has already died of cancer, so they are left in the care of an elderly friend. Then, while protecting his sister, Robert kicks the privileged son of the McCormacks, wealthy and powerful landowners. With the bang of a gavel, Robert is sent to The Gracetown School for Boys, a strict reform school. This is a place of death, torture, and pain, especially if you are not white. And it is also full of ghosts, or “haints.” Robert is not the only one who can see the haints, but he can see them better than most, a gift he will soon regret. Meanwhile, on the outside, Gloria is desperately working for his release. This is a heart-wrenching novel with a paranormal twist. The saddest and most horrible fact is that this school is based on one of another name that actually operated in Florida. The evil that exists in the school is powerfully portrayed through both man and spirit. The fate of many of the young boys that were tortured and killed will leave the reader in tears. The paranormal twist brings the deaths to the forefront in a strong and unforgettable way. Gloria’s role as Robert’s constant who will

never give up shines through in a light of hope, as does another special character Robert sees in the school. The evil is personified in so many people, and not just murderers, but racists, corrupt judges, and those who shrugged and looked the other way. It is a well-written but deeply horrifying novel that the reader will not, and should not, forget. Bonnie DeMoss

LAND GIRLS AT THE WARTIME BOOKSHOP Lesley Eames, Penguin, 2023, £7.99, pb, 432pp, 9781529177367

England 1941. Nothing lasts forever. The vicar’s demise prompts fears of a similar fate befalling the Churchwood village bookshop, due to the snobby, judgemental attitudes of the incoming minister and his equally joyless wife. Social-club, book-swap, crèche with activities and talks, this bookshop-plus takes place on Church premises, thus the new incumbent demands the Bible must always feature prominently; so it’s out with chat, help, fun and ‘The Beano’, in with thou-shalt-not. But personal domestic pressures hamper the protective efforts of the shop’s three mainstay women. Kate, a pearl among swine, has her uncouth menfolk to look after while trying to introduce two new land girls to the farm and date a gorgeous pilot. Alice, ever the shoulder to lean on, frets over her soldier husband, now captured, whereabouts unknown. Naomi berates herself for not offering stronger opposition to the bookshop’s impending changes – understandable, as she’s beside herself after suspecting her husband’s infidelity. Luckily, wartime spirit reigns; there’s always a neighbour to give a helping hand, or ear. This village may be fictional, but people surely did endure quandaries such as these, portrayed here relatively pragmatically. That’s not to say there isn’t jeopardy and intrigue, but it’s capably written, giving realism to credible characters, most of whom demonstrate that the Bible’s message should be lived, not merely studied. Most enjoyable. Simon Rickman

VIVIANA VALENTINE AND THE TICKING CLOCK Emily J. Edwards, Crooked Lane, 2023, $29.99, hb, 272pp, 9781639105229

She calls him “ol’ Tommy boy.” He calls her Dollface. Viviana Valentine’s beau Tommy is hot news in New York City, so when they stumble into a murder on their way to a New Year’s Eve celebration, it’s not the corpse the newshounds are after, but the glamorous Tommy Fortuna himself. Viv is a PI, a private investigator, and as the minutes tick away the last of 1950 and a million people cheer in ordinary life just a few blocks from her, Viv’s washing off a lot of blood and facing things: “It was 1951 and we had a murder to solve.” Yes, the 1950s make lively history. Edwards

handles the slang, the news, and the post-war optimism in this traditional PI mystery with flair. Viv’s secretary thinks the police detective already on the case is “pretty dreamy”; her roommate Dottie appreciates the two-carat engagement ring Viv is sporting. This third in the series focuses on tracking down criminals with many detours into ritzy hotels and highend restaurants. Should Viv suspect Tommy might actually be wealthy? Funny what she can avoid knowing. Remember what carbon paper was? How about matchbooks as a promotion for, say, an underground and illicit club? Or a Thermofax machine in the office? Such distracting and delicious details abound, along with a bizarre kidnapping (what’s been taken? or who?), career criminals, wealthy investors with odd behavior, and chaos at Viviana’s boarding house. Soon this PI tale morphs into a friends-and-family puzzle mystery liberally laced with humor. The final revelations take place at an “enormous automat, the front doors chromed and as shiny as a temple.” After that, Viv has the scariest opportunity yet: meeting her motherin-law to be. Beth Kanell

THE ENCHANTERS James Ellroy, Hutchinson Heinemann, 2023, £22.00, hb, 438pp, 9781529151268 / Knopf, 2023, $30.00, hb, 448pp, 9780593320440

California in the hot summer of 1962. A character from Ellroy’s Underworld USA trilogy, Freddie Otash, is resuscitated. He is a former cop, consummate opportunist, and now will do just about anything to earn a (dis) honest buck, including having a major finger in an extortion racket. The LAPD panics when a relatively minor movie star is kidnapped, and for some unaccountable reason they task Freddie with solving the crime. His investigations take him all the way to the top of American society, including the teetering spires of Camelot and the Kennedys, together with Marilyn Monroe, who overdoses. This is a Los Angeles that operates at a highly pitched neurotic pace, riddled with crime, corruption and aggressive selfishness. It is written in Ellroy’s familiar hardboiled style that clearly and intentionally reminds one of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. It is decidedly un-PC, explicit and piercingly cynical. Once you get into the saddle of the conversational narrative, the reader is whisked along, the cavalcade of characters swirling past like a carousel of iniquity (fortunately there is a four-page Dramatis Personae, but I discovered it only at the back of the book after I had completed the novel!). A great, stimulating, superficial, breakneck read – you’ll hate it or love it. Douglas Kemp

YESTERYEAR Stephen E. Eoannou, SFWP, 2023, $15.95, pb, 314pp, 9781951631192

Yesteryear is a crime novel, a plunge into

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the Great Depression, and heartbreaking evocation of the tough lives of the time in Buffalo, New York—all woven into the retelling of how a radio scriptwriter named Fran Striker came to imagine the Lone Ranger with his horse Silver and his ally Tonto, during a time when despair floated in the very air for most Americans. The eventual value of the Lone Ranger to struggling Americans huddled hungrily around their radios is central to this rich and evocative novel. Fran Striker is the breadwinner for his household, which keeps growing with homeless relatives. With nine mouths to feed, his radio job is vital, precious—but not enough to make ends meet. He pounds his typewriter keys at night, then catches a few drinks at the local speakeasy after midnight. When his determined tugging at a radio script to bring out more of its power begins to connect with the longing around him for an allAmerican hero, Fran begins to hear voices that add to his efforts. Generous dashes of such magical realism spread among his friends and co-workers. He plunges into the gritty crime of the city in an effort to locate stolen property, runs afoul of organized criminals, and suffers a gypsy curse. To handle that, “Striker rolled a sheet of paper into the Remington Sixteen and pounded the keyboard, his fingers moving so fast it was as if his typewriter had grown spurs.” Magical realism needs to walk a fine edge between fantasy and a deeper reality. As the Lone Ranger comes into focus for Fran Striker, Eoannou hits all the right notes to deepen an enchanting story of friendship, desperation, and dogged creative labor. Beth Kanell

WIFEDOM: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life Anna Funder, Hamish Hamilton, 2023, A$36.99, pb, 464pp, 9780143787112 / Knopf, 2023, $32.00, hb, 464pp, 9780593320686 / Viking, 2023, £20.00, hb, 464pp, 9780241482728

From one of Australia’s most celebrated authors comes a work that gives shape to the historically obscure figure of Eileen O’Shaughnessy (1905-45). In this formally ambitious work, Funder resurrects Eileen from Orwell’s shadows. In Wifedom, Funder braids historical fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and literary criticism as she grapples with the complex but painfully familiar subject of a literary wife who forfeits her own promise and ambition for her husband’s. The posthumous tragedy of Eileen’s brief life is that her selfless trade-off has been largely omitted by biographers. Throughout, Funder critiques six Orwell biographers (all male) for perpetuating a pattern of relegating Eileen to the margins. Letters that emerged in 2005, between Eileen and her friend Norah Symes Myles, have provided Funder with the historical basis to fictionally reconstruct Eileen. Using these and other sources, she renders a meticulously researched portrait of Eileen as a witty, ambitious, and capable working woman with a 38

psychology degree and an Oxford scholarship. Orwell is immediately enamoured, and Eileen’s life takes a sinister turn as they marry. From Eileen’s viewpoint, we see a sickly, philandering, self-righteous male writer and husband, antagonised that their matrimony has disrupted his work. We witness his compulsive and sexually predatory behaviour as they move to an isolated cottage so George can write. Eileen’s life is cadenced by thankless tasks—typing up and editing Orwell’s work, running their farm, working to financially support them both, and caring for their adopted son while Orwell—a writer obsessed with the ills of power—behaves like a domestic tyrant. This self-proclaimed work of ‘counterfiction’ has two key achievements. On the one hand, Wifedom rescues Eileen from obscurity. And on the other, it challenges the mythology that has congregated around Orwell. However, like the inequitable balance of power in their marriage, Eileen remains a figure somewhat dwarfed by the presence and concern for Orwell’s work in the novel. Georgia Rose Phillips

THE TWO-TAILED SNAKE Nod Ghosh, Fairlight Moderns, 2023, £7.99, pb, 216pp, 9781914148422

The effect of war and civil, political and religious unrest on the experiences of children and adolescents continues as a never-ending source of inspiration for writers, and is the basis of much admirable fiction. In the case of The Two-Tailed Snake, the child is the happy, well-adjusted fourteen-year-old Joya Guho, and the troubled times are erupting in NorthEast India in 1945. Consequently “Joya no longer looked at life through little girl eyes.” And “when memories surfaced, they were bothersome but irresistible. Like scabs that must be picked.” When Joya is expelled from her school, she loses contact with her friends and more significantly with her father. When her father mysteriously disappears, her life changes. Soon she is forced to work in a garment factory in order to feed herself and her mother while, to appease her grief for her missing parent, she secretly stitches scraps of fabric into a suit for him. The narrative follows a dreamlike course through a series of events which are never properly explained to the child, who appears to unquestioningly accept her situation. Although the unfolding of the story is given to the reader in an engagingly dreamlike style that matches the approach of the narrative until we reach its positive conclusion, I found its telling repetitive and irritatingly evasive. Julia Stoneham

MURDER IN WILLIAMSTOWN Kerry Greenwood, Poisoned Pen, 2023, $16.99, pb, 288pp, 9781728279244

Flapper Phryne Fisher makes her twenty-

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

second outing in this book, which ends with the winds of economic collapse blowing in from offshore. Opium smuggling, Melbourne’s Chinese community, and the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind play their part in interwoven plot and subplot. Hoping to give sleuthing work to all the multiple secondary characters Miss Fisher’s household has accumulated over the years, the book diffuses somewhat so that no storyline is as interesting and intricate as it could be, but fans of the TV series and movie will not complain. Greenwood’s voice bubbles like champagne: take, for example, the description of the out-of-tune piano in chapter one, the piano inmates from the Blind Institute will have to remedy. My great-grandfather was a blind piano tuner, and the well-researched notes about the institute and the life of its inmates ring true. We are never bogged down with the descriptions of food we would love if calories never interfered, clothes that would fit just elegantly yet scandalously so above the knee, drink that would never make us stupid, and lovers we could first attract and then still have with no fear of pregnancy or disease… And all in Australia, too. Ann Chamberlin

WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES Lauren Grodstein, Algonquin, 2023, $29.00, hb, 304pp, 9781643752341

Acts of resistance take many forms. For the Jews confined in the Warsaw Ghetto by the Nazis in November 1940, conditions are miserable: cramped living quarters, food shortages, mandatory curfews, increasing restrictions, harsh abuses stemming from pure bigotry. But these people are determined to embrace life, even as it becomes clear the world won’t be rescuing them. “It is up to us to write our own history… Deny the Germans the last word,” says organizer Emanuel Ringelblum, in recruiting the narrator of this penetrating novel to his clandestine archival team. As a recorder for the Oneg Shabbat (“joy of the Sabbath”) project, Adam Paskow, a 42-year-old widower, agrees to interview his fellow Jews about their daily lives and histories, whatever they witness in the ghetto and choose to reveal. Adam, an English teacher who continues his classes in the basement of a destroyed cinema, is an affable fellow. Having been surprised into sharing a small apartment with two families, he finds his interviewees close by. The children’s accounts are simultaneously poignant and delightful. While young boys smuggle food in from the outside, keeping their families alive, they remain amusingly disinterested in adult issues and problems, including Adam’s nosy questions. And through the unavoidable intimacy of their shared living space, Adam grows close to Sala Wiskoff, a married mother of two who’s resourceful, caring, and witty. Still in possession of his late wife’s valuable jewelry, Adam clings to it,

realizing its value as a future bargaining chip during desperate times. The Oneg Shabbat was a real-life documentary project, a unique example of cultural resistance during the Holocaust in Poland. Grodstein movingly re-creates the circumstances behind its creation, capturing the dire atmosphere of the Ghetto and the richly developed, distinctive lives of the people trapped within its walls. Among recent WWIIera fiction, this is a memorable standout. Sarah Johnson

THE WOMAN WITH A PURPLE HEART Diane Hanks, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2023, $16.99/£12.99, pb, 352pp, 9781728265117

November 7th, 1941: Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor in Honolulu. Annie Fox, a career Army nurse with the rank of first lieutenant, has been assigned to Hickam Field, a base beside Pearl Harbor, arriving a couple of days before the attack. Suddenly she and everyone on the base find Japanese planes attacking without warning, wrecking buildings and strafing people. Immediately Annie goes into action, triaging the wounded and organizing medical care. Annie, no longer young, nursed during WWI, and has experience dealing with large numbers of severely wounded men. This stands her in good stead as she uses the full range of her abilities – everything from calming the dying to inventorying the pathetically inadequate medical supplies and personnel, then strategizing and scouring the city to locate requirements. Her administrative abilities and resourcefulness are reminiscent of Florence Nightingale a century earlier. Helping her is Kay, a young Japanese woman, who faces increasing prejudice and discrimination, ending with her family’s incarceration in a detainment camp in the western U.S. This injustice infuriates Annie, who works relentlessly to bring them home. While much has been written about the attack on Pearl Harbor, this book explores more deeply the simultaneous attack on nearby Hickam Field, as well as the indiscriminate removal of Japanese people from Hawaii. By linking these two – the frenetic activity after the attack and the slower process of removal and incarceration – the author brings to light unfamiliar and uncomfortable aspects of this historic event. She develops Annie’s character meticulously and believably, melding her heroism and competence with her deep personal and ethical concerns. The author also maintains the reader’s interest in her story through strong secondary characters. This is certainly a book to deepen one’s understanding of the widespread effects of war physically and emotionally on both combatants and civilians. Valerie Adolph

HARLEM AFTER MIDNIGHT Louise Hare, HQ, 2023, £20.00, hb, 416pp, 9780008494957 / Berkley, 2023, $28.00, hb, 348pp, 9780593439289

1936, Harlem, New York, and a woman falls from on high onto the steps of a brownstone. As blood seeps into the pavement, she is discovered to be holding a British passport, in the name of the book’s protagonist Lena Aldridge. Lena, a professional singer, arrived in New York ten days earlier. She came here for work – and also on the track of family history. Her father, much loved but recently deceased, had originated in New York but never spoken of his past. Lena is here to discover it. Lena is also keen to further her relationship with Will, a musician on board ship while crossing the Atlantic. Her adventures on board were related in a previous book, Miss Aldridge Regrets. These are referred to in Harlem After Midnight, but the book can be read alone. Harlem After Midnight is a romance-cum thriller, in which family secrets prove to be deadly. Lena is mixed race, her skin colour affecting the opportunities available to her. She wears these restrictions lightly: she has suffered them all her life. But they persist. As a singer, Lena takes us into the clubs and theatres of New York. Under the glamour lurks sleaze, a dark side of the music scene. Affluent white audiences come to listen to poorly paid black musicians play the fashionable jazz and swing. The timeline of the story hops around as lively as a ragtime dancer: it’s necessary to pay attention to dates in the chapter headings. Thus, Hare maintains the suspense of Lena’s discoveries, both about her father’s past, and the secrets that cause her to doubt her new lover, Will. This is a competent romance/ thriller that will interest readers who enjoy the ‘family secrets’ genre. It is set up for a sequel. Helen Johnson

THE THINGS WE’LL NEVER HAVE Hilary Hauck, Olive Rose Press, 2023, $17.99, pb, 399pp, 9798986974750

In this novel set in mid-1960s London, we are introduced to the protagonist, Everleigh, about to have her fondest wish come true. She is only weeks away from marrying the man of her dreams. Although she and Gualtiero have only known each other briefly, he has read numerous letters to her about his family back home in Italy. But when Gualtiero disappears before the wedding, Everleigh is convinced something terrible has occurred, and impulsively decides to travel to his small Italian village and meet her future in-laws, who must know what happened to her fiancé. When Everleigh finally arrives in the Italian town and finds a translator to take her to her future in-laws’ house, she is in for another stunning surprise. The man they bring out is not the man she fell

in love with in London. Now, not only is she determined to find out what happened to her supposed fiancé, but she must first resolve who she became engaged to. With multiple subplots involving all the characters, the reader is propelled through the novel, actively joining Everleigh’s quest to find the truth. In the end, when all the loose threads are tied together, each character comes to a satisfying understanding of the importance of family and the sacrifices of life. Highly recommended. Linda Harris Sittig

OCTOBER IN THE EARTH Olivia Hawker, Lake Union, 2023, $28.99, hb, 331pp, 9781662511080

When Del runs away from her husband, a snake-handling preacher whose behavior makes the reader want to root for the snake, she hops a freight train to remake her life in ways that will last. Del and Louisa, another woman who has taken to the rails, cross the country with the endless stream of other hoboes looking for any work they can find in the midst of the Dust Bowl. Through Del’s adventures, Hawker paints a harrowing picture of the poverty of the Depression but a lyrical portrait of the great expanse of the nation observed from the top of a boxcar – from Del’s Kentucky coal country across the Rockies to Washington State. This novel is beautifully written, and if it slides occasionally into preachiness, it’s easy to forgive. October in the Earth is a love story about an almost-love affair, and Del and Louisa are fully realized characters. The dialog between them and those they encounter on their journey is deftly written. One important plot point, however, seems implausible on the face of it, and the novel would have benefited from some explanation: Del’s husband offers a reward for her return. For the modern reader to comprehend how a husband in 1931 could enlist others to force his wife back to him, a short description should have been given of the ways in which men could institutionalize wives for causes like “hysteria,” weak-mindedness, or promiscuity. In all other ways, this is a fully realized portrait of an era, as well as of a relationship between two women where no male heroes appear to save anyone. Del and Louisa do that themselves. Amanda Cockrell

GIN, TURPENTINE, PENNYROYAL, RUE Christine Higdon, ECW Press, 2023, $18.95/ C$24.95, pb, 388pp, 9781770417069

The women of the McKenzie family have always been resilient, but challenges—their father’s death in a lumbering accident, their only brother’s death to Spanish flu, and their mother’s opium addiction—have tested the four McKenzie sisters’ once-close relationship. Romantic Harriet-Jean busies herself with

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caring for their mother and dreaming about another woman. Practical Georgina escapes into an unhappy marriage and middleclass respectability, charming Morag into a much happier marriage with police detective Llewelyn, and radical Isla into an affair with her sister’s husband. All are preoccupied with their own problems until an unexpected phone call brings them together. Isla is in the hospital after a nearfatal back-alley abortion, illegal in 1920s Canada. None had known about Isla’s pregnancy and, they also realize, not as much about one another as they used to. Amid Isla’s recovery and the ensuing police investigation, the four sisters wrestle with grief and hope, with courage and weakness, with vengeance and forgiveness. Higdon writes an emotionally searing novel, about sisterhood and the lengths that we go to in order to protect the ones we love. She effectively conveys the limitations women faced in the past and manages to paint her characters in sympathetic ways, despite their faults and their actions. Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue has many narrators—the four sisters, Llewelyn, and even a dog named Rue— each with their own imperfections, fears, and secret longings. They narrate with heart and honesty, with thoughtfulness and vivacity. Despite the many narrators, it remains a story about sisters and their unshakable bond. Higdon is an adept writer. Her prose sparkles, at times lyrical, at times humorous. I look forward to reading more by Christine Higdon. Jessica Brockmole

THE HIDDEN YEARS Rachel Hore, Simon & Schuster UK, 2023, £16.99, hb, 496pp, 9781398517936

The Hidden Years is a romantic dual-timeline saga, spanning the World War II years, and a few weeks in 1966. The main characters, Belle and Imogen, share a connection that the author keeps under wraps, offering an unforeseen last-minute reveal. The novel begins when Belle goes to see a musical duo at a local pub. The attraction, both emotional and physical, between her and guitarist, Gray, is immediate, but when the duo is invited to play at a pub in Cornwall, the second guitarist backs out due to other commitments. Belle and Gray head to Cornwall, to a large house which Gray visited the previous year. Silverwood, used as a private boys’ school during the war, is now a commune, housing a few typically Sixties hippies living off grid. As the newcomer and outsider, Belle finds herself caught amidst tension and resentment not apparent on the surface of this freedom-embracing lifestyle. Imogen’s story is related in alternate chapters, by a Mrs. Kitto, who lives in a cottage on the Silverwood grounds. Her connection to Imogen is carefully concealed. Imogen’s romances with Ned, a teacher at the Silverwood school, and Oliver, the deputy head, are intertwined with her nursing training in Truro during the war, and complicated 40

by Oliver’s personal obligation to serve his country. Locations described in the novel are very familiar to this reader. I could visualize Falmouth, the Helford River estuary, Kynance Cove, and Truro with its exquisite cathedral, and the ruinous but necessary damage done to the pristine landscape during the D-Day landing preparations. Satisfying endings, diverse characters, and complex relationships with lovers and family are a few of the charms of this novel, set in one of England’s most lovely counties. Fiona Alison

THE MAID OF LINDAL HALL Katie Hutton, Zaffre, 2023, £8.99, pb, 400pp, 9781838775841

At three years old, a scarred and scared Molly Dubber arrives to stay in the care of Annie and Robert McClure, along with other orphaned or abandoned children. With love, tenderness and familial bonding, Molly thrives at school. Sometimes bullied because of where she lives and having no parents, she determines, and succeeds, to be the best in her class. Annie wants Molly to stay on at school, but the Home’s Board of Guardians have different ideas, and she is obliged to go into service. In 1933, Molly is sent to work at Lindal Hall, an eccentric house with an even more eccentric, war-damaged, owner. Molly is the last of a string of maids, because the owner’s odd behavior, and his obsessive love for his vast library of books, tends to drive them away. Working with the cook, Jepson, and the wonderfully scatty Agnes, Molly’s own love of books and caring nature succeed where others have failed. However, this would not be a Katie Hutton book if everything ran smoothly. A dark secret is revealed, and events unfold which put Molly’s future and the existence of those closest to her in mortal danger. In my opinion, this is the best of Katie Hutton’s brilliant sequence. I hope to see more in the future. As always, characters are fully rounded, with their rough edges, failings and foibles developed carefully and skilfully. For people who love this form of historical, romantic drama (and even for those who don’t normally but want to see our writing craft at its finest) this book is a must. As the lovely Agnes might say, ‘That’s class, in’t?’ Aidan K. Morrissey

HOMEWARD Angela Jackson-Brown, Harper Muse, 2023, $17.99/£10.99, pb, 416pp, 9781400241101

Recently bereaved, 21-year-old Rose Bourdon seeks refuge in her childhood home, finding solace in the arms of her large family and within the walls of her church. It’s 1962 and, though racial violence seethes across the country, the Black community in Parsons, Georgia has kept a fragile peace with their

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

white neighbors. As Rose grieves the past, safe in the cocoon of community, the future intrudes, as members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee come to Parsons to register Black residents to vote, an activity that stirs up latent racism among many in the white community. Although many elders in the community resist the arrival of SNCC and the prospect of rocking the boat, when faced with the angry and brutal response from white neighbors, they begin to see the necessity of activism. With her beliefs challenged, Rose seeks answers in the words of the Civil Rights leaders and purpose in their actions. Angela Jackson-Brown does an excellent job of sharing Civil Rights history that may be little known to some readers, doing so in an engaging narrative. Homeward is a novel about a young woman learning who and what she can be in an America that places limits on her. The meat of the story is Rose’s involvement with SNCC, and Jackson-Brown does take some time to get there, but it is worth the wait. She provides a good character—young, searching, and smart—to represent Black Southerners and their journey to understand and accept the actions of and reactions to the Civil Rights movement. Accepting the movement’s tenets meant reconciling it with their faith, and Homeward explores this sympathetically and effectively. A worthwhile read. Jessica Brockmole

THE WAYS OF WATER Teresa H. Janssen, She Writes, 2023, $17.95, pb, 425pp, 9781647425838

An intense, complicated chronicle told in the first person, this novel’s narrative journey incorporates scores of interesting characters and spans sundry geographic regions over several decades. For example, the reader travels through New Mexico and Arizona before concluding in post-WWI San Francisco. Josie Belle Gore, born into an itinerant family, grows up with a particular nomadic lifestyle that not only incorporates the American West at a time of upheaval but revolutionary Mexico as well. Often, unanticipated outside events impact her family. One of them forces a family schism, initiating Josie into a solitary trek of discovery. Throughout her wanderings, she experiences widely differing escapades: betrayal, friendship, survivor’s guilt, and compassion, thus offering a rich labyrinth of personal interactions. In this highly emotional and intimate story, the reader is fully engaged in Josie’s personal life and exploits, with numerous negative twists and positive turns. Through her varied travels, Josie begins to understand the two central axioms that anchor her existence. Her immediate family grounds her life and provides consistency, as does the image of ‘water’ as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life’s journeys. The denouement finally suggests a reconciliation that may offer Josie security and stability, but will this possible future unfold? Jon G. Bradley

NIGHT TRAIN TO MARRAKECH Dinah Jefferies, HarperCollins, 2023, £8.99/$18.99, pb, 464pp, 9780008427085

1960s Marrakech – a hedonistic, hashishand alcohol-filled centre for what the author describes as ‘the beautiful people.’ In this story it is also a place of political intrigue, disappearing activists, guns, violence, and corrupt police. Vicky, the daughter of an assassinated French Resistance fighter, discovers that his mother is alive and living in Marrakech. So she travels to Morocco with the intention of meeting her grandmother, Clemence. As a graduate of fashion, Vicky also determines to meet the subject of her final dissertation, none other than Monsieur Yves St. Laurent. She manages to achieve both of these objectives, but not in the way she had planned nor would ever have wanted. Having witnessed the murder of a friend at the hands of a callous and vindictive man, who is trying to destroy Clemence’s life, Vicky and her young English cousin, Bea, are forced to try to flee, something which proves very difficult. This novel springs to life under the very capable hands of a skilled and wonderful writer. Dinah Jefferies makes you sense the colours, light, chaos, noise and smells of the souk. The descriptions of blazing heat and the shady nooks, crowded streets and empty mountain roads make the reader feel as if they are there. This is an intertwined dual story of secrets within secrets, lies hidden behind lies, unbearable pain hidden behind façades and illness. Vengeance, personal sacrifice and love of many different kinds course through the array of fabulously believable characters. This is a truly enjoyable reading experience. Aidan K. Morrissey

A TRAITOR IN WHITEHALL Julia Kelly, Minotaur, 2023, $28.00, hb, 304pp, 9781250865489

A Traitor in Whitehall is the first book in Julia Kelly’s Parisian Orphan Series. Evelyne Redfern is known in the press as the Parisian Orphan after a scandalous divorce and child custody battle between her famous father, Sir Reginald Redfern, and his French wife. Now in 1940, Evelyne adores detective fiction, preferring to stay in to read mysteries. Her boring job at a munitions factory is mysteriously ended when Sir Reginald’s friend recommends her for the typing pool in Prime Minister Churchill’s underground cabinet war rooms, CWR. Sent for a sunlamp treatment, Evelyne finds herself locked in a dark room with the dead body of Jean, from the typing pool. Thus begins the search for answers to who killed Jean and why. The investigation leads to a complex puzzle with many intricate pieces. Julia Kelly introduces readers to the host of characters in the typing pool, as Evelyne assists a minister’s aide, David Poole, in the investigation of the suspects. Evelyne is putting

all her intelligence, discernment, and “book experience” to excellent use. Kelly creates anticipation with wailing sirens, suspense in situations where sensitive information is leaked, and suspicion of characters through revealing body language and actions. From the Royal Marine guards to the gossip in the canteen, Kelly connects the dots as Evelyne and David attempt to find a murderer and a mole in Churchill’s CWR. Through thoughtful, endearing asides Evelyne’s personality and determination are revealed. A bomb shelter scene, in which David and Evelyne sit shoulder to shoulder, reading from her book, sinks readers into reality for wartime London citizens. From the murder to the investigation to the realization of how the many pieces fit together, A Traitor in Whitehall is a stellar start to a new series. Dorothy Schwab

STARRING ADELE ASTAIRE Eliza Knight, William Morrow, 2023, $18.99/ C$23.99/£10.99, pb, 384pp, 9780063209206

This charming, witty, and absorbing novel centers on the talented dancer/ actress Adele Astaire, who wowed audiences performing with her later more famous brother Fred during the 1920s and 1930s in America and England. The author intertwines Adele’s story with that of a young, working-class English girl, Violet Wood, who has ambitious dreams of becoming an actress. Delly, lovely, classy, enthusiastic, and wildly talented, was a vaudeville and Broadway star before being enticed to the London stage in 1923. While rehearsing in London’s West End, she meets and gives the eager waitress Violet a break in her current show, Stop Flirting, and the two begin a friendship that lasts over decades, through scandals, secrets, hardships, and heartaches. Knight sets her cast firmly in the era of Prohibition, a time of speakeasies, luxury ocean liners, and jazz, with a smooth narrative that fairly bursts with theatre and film references, news events, popular books and trends, methods of travel, and prominent personalities of the day. Her portrayals of both young women are sympathetic and realistic: the successful Delly, who longs to leave the business and to be settled with a husband and family and discovers much disappointment and heartache as well as joy; and the poor but talented young Violet, who yearns to be a smashing success and help her financially strapped family, but is forced to navigate the dark side of show business to reach her goals. Their lives are similar but different, and

Knight, with her extensive research and smart storytelling, creatively presents both in ways that engage and hold the reader’s interest throughout. I was completely hooked by their stories, and enjoyed their turns in the spotlight. Michael I. Shoop

FAR CREEK ROAD Lesley Krueger, ECW Press, 2023, $19.95/ C$26.95, pb, 304pp, 9781770416376

In 1961, 10-year-old Mary Alice (known as Tink) lives with her parents in a northern suburb of Vancouver. Even on this forested mountainside on the far west of the continent, troubling political events percolate through from the east. Most families here have dads who fought in WW2 and moms who stay home with the children. Then the Horton family moves in. Both parents are teachers; their son Norman, handicapped after suffering polio, becomes Tink’s closest friend. Tink is aware that the Hortons are different from the rest of the local parents; while they seem to be decent people, they dress less formally, and are said to be “Bohemian.” Norman is a thinker, but Tink is an observant child who notices and questions everything in her comfortable middle-class neighborhood. She is scared by the sudden loud sirens but unaware of the international politics they represent. Then the Cuban missile crisis erupts, and the Hortons are accused of being Communists, possibly teaching alien doctrines to their students. Unstated hostilities between neighbors flare into open anger and persecution. The character of Tink is especially welldrawn as she observes much and understands little. Her blurted out inaccuracies are humorous but revealing of the secrets and insincerities of the adults she observes. Her awkward questioning provides a light-hearted counterpoint to painful but universal themes. This engrossing book sets the simplicity of friendship between two children against a framework of international politics. The author delves deeply into Tink’s world–that of a child largely unaware of world events, but condemned to experience their effects as her neighbors descend from civilized politeness to witch hunt. Valerie Adolph

VIPER’S DREAM Jake Lamar, Crooked Lane, 2023, $19.99, pb, 208pp, 9781639105694

Harlem, 1936. Convinced by his uncle that he possesses unusual musical abilities, Clyde Morton, an impoverished teenage boy, leaves his rural home in Meachum, Alabama, and travels to New York City to become a famous trumpet player. Clyde soon meets Pork Chop Bradley, one of the many jazz musicians hanging out in Harlem. The bass player befriends Clyde but tells him he lacks the talent to succeed in the music business. To assuage the boy’s disappointment,

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Bradley introduces Clyde to Mary Warner, Harlem slang for marijuana, and helps him get a job as a bodyguard for Mr. Abraham Orlinsky, the notorious owner of Mr. O’s, a legendary nightclub. While working for Mr. O, Clyde meets Yolanda, an aspiring singer also employed by Orlinsky. He becomes infatuated with the captivating vocalist and is further embroiled in Harlem’s underworld of drugs and crime. Dangerous events and associations force Clyde “The Viper” Morton to reassess his life, values, and what he will or will not do to accomplish his dreams. Spanning over two decades, Lamar’s intriguing plot, deftly constructed with shocking twists and turns, brilliantly portrays Clyde’s transition from youthful innocence to streetsmart sophistication. The well-developed, colorful characters come to life through lyrical, gritty dialogue capturing the beautiful and brutal world of one of NYC’s most iconic neighborhoods. This original, compelling, and heart-wrenching story provides astute insights into the history and heyday of Harlem’s jazz scene and culture. A gripping, unforgettable, and fascinating thriller. Marcy McNally

THE LAST LETTER FROM LONDON Pam Lecky, Avon, 2023, £9.99/$18.99, pb, 384pp, 9780008558307

Pam Lecky’s third instalment in the Sarah Gillespie series sees our intrepid Irish heroine taking care of a volatile young woman that MI5 have persuaded to turn double agent. Adeline’s coded messages to her German handler could mean a major breakthrough in the allied push in the crucial spring months of 1944. Adeline, however, will test Sarah’s patience and her skill to the limit, insisting that she will only help MI5 if they promise to get her lover out of occupied Paris. Sarah cannot be sure that Adeline can be trusted at all, and with her limited French she must have faith that Adeline’s letters aren’t revealing all Britain’s plans to the Nazis. Meanwhile, Sarah’s relationship with undercover American agent Tony Anderson has foundered, and her suspicions about him rock her to the core. Together with the spoilt and demanding Adeline, she must pull off a daring mission in Lisbon right under the Nazis’ noses. Will she get both of them out alive? Pam Lecky’s thrilling series is essential reading for anyone with an interest in spy fiction, especially fans of Kate Quinn and Pam Jenoff. Lisa Redmond

THE LIONESS OF LEIDEN Robert Loewen, Greenleaf Book Group Press, 2023, $28.95, hb, 280pp, 9798886450224

What would you do if, suddenly, your city, your state, your country was invaded by an enemy bent on total annihilation of your way of life? Would you passively surrender? Would you collaborate, become one with your enemy? Or would you fight back, resist at all cost? In The Lioness of Leiden, eighteen-year-old 42

Hetty Steenhuis and her friends must make this choice. The German Panzers have rolled into the Netherlands and brought with them the brutal and sadistic Schutzstaffel, the SS, and Gestapo. Hetty’s father has chosen to collaborate, her boyfriend is missing and feared dead, her brother is anxious to join the resistance against Hetty’s pleas, and her former boyfriend is willing to turn her in to the Nazi command. Lioness, based upon true stories, depicts the courageous efforts of everyday Dutch people who are willing to put their lives on the line to inflict as much damage as they can to the German war effort. They reveal how people like ourselves, non-combatants, civilians, sometimes in history have to make the ultimate sacrifice. The tension of the novel is heightened by the presence of Jacek, the Nazi commander of Leiden, who has it in for Hetty. Up to the end, as other members of the Dutch resistance fall victim to the Nazis, Hetty will not cease. Nor will Jacek. There are times when the novel could have been tighter, when we hear of events rather than experience them, when focus is taken off Hetty and placed on subsidiary characters. But Lioness will take you out into the forest at night and into the back alleys of dangerous cities and will make you feel the fear and anxiety that these brave people felt while doing things we must wonder whether or not we would dare to do. Peter Clenott

SPY HUNTER H. B. Lyle, Hodder & Stoughton, 2023, £20.00, hb, 290pp, 9781399702614 / Mobius, 2024, $28.00, hb, 320pp, 9781399702614

Spy Hunter is the fourth in Lyle’s Irregular series, featuring ‘Wiggins’, super-agent of the newly formed British Secret Service in the early years of the 20th century. Unlike his midcentury counterpart, James Bond, Wiggins is working class, leftish in his political sympathies and totally correct in his attitude to women. He is nonetheless just as resourceful, ruthless and indestructible. The series mixes real historical figures, such as Vernon Kell, Winston Churchill and Mata Hari, with creations of Lyle’s imagination, Wiggins et. Al., and creatures of other authors’ imagining, notably Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. The book begins with the murder of Sherlock Holmes – now long retired, of course – and Wiggins sets out to avenge his death. At the same time, he is commissioned to unmask the German spy network in Britain before war is declared in 1914. This is a fast-moving thriller full of unlikely one-to-one combats, on the roof of a train, in the cockpit of an aircraft and deep in the London sewers. On balance I prefer James Bond as a hero because he is so outrageous, while Wiggins is too politically correct even for our own time. Even so, if you like actionpacked, far-fetched spy thrillers, this is one of the best.

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

Edward James

FULL NAVAL HONORS Robert N. Macomber, Naval Institute Press, 2023, $29.95, hb, 352pp, 9781682478943

Retirement doesn’t come easy for Admiral Peter Wake. After decades of naval service and intelligence gathering on a global scale, he has finally taken the plunge and retired—or so he thinks. President Theodore Roosevelt, however, has other plans for his old friend, especially since the President wants Wake to run interference ahead of the world cruise by America’s “Great White Fleet.” Wake, his beautiful yet formidable wife Maria, and his old friend and colleague Sean Rork board the liner Siberia, steaming a few weeks ahead of the fleet on its same itinerary. Danger follows the trio, as always, and a host of characters, present and potential enemies, make life interesting for the three Americans. Even after official retirement, the government occasionally finds a need for Wake’s special talents. A young Franklin Roosevelt, Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1914, calls on Wake and Rork to investigate secretive German activities on the Central American coast. With World War I looming on the horizon, the mission is a portent of what lies ahead for the United States. The second half of the book carries the Wake family beyond the admiral’s life and chronicles his children’s and later generations’ exploits in service to the nation and their friends. This portion of the book departs from the first-person style used by Peter Wake in the other novels in the series, with some parts given in the form of official reports, and others as third-person narratives. For those reasons, it lacks the personal feel of other Wake novels, but it provides closure for Wake fans who’ve followed the hero’s exploits through so many volumes and decades. Loyd Uglow

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL Kerri Maher, Berkley, 2023, $28.00/£24.99, hb, 368pp, 9780593102213

In the early 1970s, a group of seven women created an underground network that provided illegal abortion services to Chicagoarea women. Known simply as “Jane,” the organization has become almost legendary in its contribution to Second Wave feminism, as Maher notes in her afterword. The author creates her own fictional community of women around Jane, replacing the historical figures with what she imagines as a cross-section of social and familial roles for middle-class women of the time period. The action covers the tumultuous final year leading up to the landmark Roe v. Wade case, which legalized abortion and made Jane unnecessary after 1972. However, as Maher points out, organizations like Jane may once again become instrumental in protecting women’s freedom of choice, so this novel is both timely and compelling. The central characters include a traditional housewife, a married abortionist, a divorced

artist, and a single college professor; their parallel narratives intersect through work and friendship and create a kind of oral history of the Women’s Movement. Because of the multiple points of view, none of the characters are fascinating individually, their inner lives are a bit predictable, and their relationships with men a bit clichéd. The cast is overwhelmingly white, straight, and well-to-do, which makes this novel offer a very narrow slice of life. However, Maher’s sympathy for the cause, and her thoughtful choice to emphasize that many of the women who provided abortions were themselves mothers, makes this an enjoyable contribution to a growing body of literature examining the ways in which American feminism indelibly shaped the 1970s. Kristen McDermott

THE PARIS MYSTERY Kirsty Manning, Vintage, 2023, $17.00, pb, 320pp, 9780593685549

Charlie James is a journalist and, in a surprising twist for her new boss at the Paris desk of The Times, a woman. Set in 1938, amid the glitz and glamour of fashionable society with plenty of haute couture, parties, and eccentric artists, this novel draws on an unusual mix of characters. For her first assignment, Charlie is tasked with interviewing Lady Eleanor Ashworth about her interior design. But Charlie knows that this is only the beginning, and if she wants to prove herself worthy of more interesting stories, she will need the connections Lady Eleanor can provide. When she manages to snag an invitation to the most important ball of the season, she hopes to make the most of it. That night, a murder at the party puts Charlie in the center of the investigation, as a journalist with an inside connection to many of the key suspects. As the events unfold, Charlie finds herself with the scoop of the century, and at risk of getting caught in the fray. While the fast pace of the plot keeps the story moving, it does rely on a number of relationships developing much more quickly over a two-week period than is reasonable. Much is also made of the differences in social class, despite the fact that nearly all the characters in the book break from those strictures. These two aspects push the bounds of believability on occasion but do not detract from the fun glimpse into Paris in the 1930s. I enjoyed the female reporter as protagonist for a different take on the mystery genre, including her growing relationship with the inspector. Shauna McIntyre

MURDER AT THE ARIZONA BILTMORE Edward Marston, Allison & Busby, 2023, £9.99/$12.95, pb, 352pp, 9780749030766

Dissatisfied with life in his father’s practice in Wales, young architect Merlin Richards becomes entranced by the work of the

American Frank Lloyd Wright. After a brief note from the man himself, Merlin throws all caution to the wind and embarks on a one-way trip to America. Merlin arrives at the Arizona Biltmore site – a hotel under construction in the desert near Phoenix. He’s helped out by Rosa Lustig, an attractive young designer, to wait for his hero. Rosa is brutally murdered, and with Merlin the prime suspect, he is determined to get to the truth. He constructs cases against other suspects, including past lovers and jealous rivals, with the police dogging his heels. In this first in a series, we’re introduced to a likeable protagonist with a rock-solid sense of right and wrong. He’s no fool, just a common-sensed enthusiast of architecture. Lloyd Wright makes several appearances, but his real impact is in the setting of the breathtaking Biltmore. Marston recreates the setting excellently well and draws in the reader. Highly enjoyable! Alan Cassady-Bishop

CHARLOT Ian Masters, Monsoon, 2023, $16.95, pb, 336pp, 9781915310125

In 1936, Charlie Chaplin, fresh from the success of Modern Times, ponders his next project: ‘The details of the daily chaos of the working poor mesmerised and inspired him. Perhaps it was the comfortable distance of his wealth that made him find solace in watching their back-breaking work. Or perhaps it was the faded memory of his own childhood poverty and his time in the workhouses. Was it sympathy for their lives, or empathy – or both?’ That he might think on these lines as he contemplates ‘coolies’ doing back-breaking work is not surprising. Charlot is, however, outstanding in its setting. Ian Masters places Chaplin in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is there along with the woman in his life (and his co-star), Paulette Goddard, on a trip to the Far East. Many things hang in the balance. Will he announce his marriage to Paulette in the famed Angkor Wat? He strikes up friendships with Cambodian theatre actors at a time when revolt against the French empire is in the air. Will he really put his weight behind the rebels? Modern Times has riled reactionary people everywhere, and the far corners of Indochina are no exception. Chaplin is only too glad to dodge the French police when they shadow him, but how far will he really go? Sparked by an apocryphal news item about Chaplin’s death and rich in its evocation of personalities, place and time, this is a work that truly realises the possibilities of historical fiction. Readers who are familiar with the history of Indochina will like that a character named Saloth Sar makes a cameo appearance. There are times when telling dominates showing, but the passages with Chaplin’s imagined screenplays make up for them. This is a great read. A. K. Kulshreshth

BEAUTIFUL INNOCENCE Beryl Matthews, Allison & Busby, 2023, £19.99/£25.00, hb, 382pp, 9780749030308

London 1900. The eponymously beautiful Hester, daughter to Lord Stanmore, endures a brutal sexual assault outdoors at a soirée. She swears her assailant was the inherently capricious Jeffery Ardmore, son of the Duke of Renton, and, against all advice, presses charges. However, the “not guilty” verdict shocks everyone, and instantly she plummets from must-have guest to a social pariah who dared to insult high society, or worse, lied. But, has the judge or jury been bribed? Something isn’t right. With hate-mail accumulating, for their protection Hester again defies her family’s wishes and leaves for a secret coastal destination until things have died down. Meanwhile, her Uncle Harry’s new pal, enigmatic Dan Hansen, youngest son of a shipping magnate and “a man on the side of justice”, insists on helping her uncover the truth. His investigations culminate in another dramatic trial, after which, Hester’s innate values outshine her hereditary status. This tale of determination, love and kindness, although not complex (occasionally bordering on simplicity) nevertheless strides along within a genteel narrative which wastes no time in advancing the plot. The polite and proper language enhances the late-Victorian setting and offers a refreshing change from the hurly-burly background of other novels. From a writer who evidently knows both her audience and a winning formula, this book does not disappoint. Simon Rickman

A MANHATTAN HEIRESS IN PARIS Amanda McCabe, Harlequin, 2023, $6.99, pb, 288pp, 9781335723802

1912. If she could, 11-year-old Eliza Van Hoeven would play piano all day long. But she is a New York heiress, and her family has other expectations. Then she meets a young boy in Central Park who can play the trumpet like a dream, but she is quickly yanked away because of his skin color. Then twelve years later, Eliza and Jack Coleman are once again drawn together by music, first in New York and then in Paris. But will class differences and racism keep them apart? This is a story of two people from different worlds whose romance would never be accepted in America, but they have a chance in Paris. Jack is a fictional representative of the many African Americans who went to Paris during World War I and either stayed or returned because the opportunity was so much greater there. The vibrant descriptions of the music scenes in New York and Paris are so well done. Jack and Eliza’s love of music and each other will sweep the reader away. The interference from relatives brings a dash of American reality to the story, and the outcome is far from certain. Recommended for all fans of historical romance. Bonnie DeMoss

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BITTER THAW Jessica McCann, Perspective Books, 2023, $18.00, pb, 367pp, 9780999460276

This is a remarkable, eminently readable novel about a family of three who have lived under the burden of their secrets and conflicting memories for thirty years, between the Fifties and 1990. McCann develops three narrators and three protagonists: Evelyn, a mother; Frankie, her son; and April, Frankie’s daughter. The novel traces the challenged lives of these characters with intelligent and sympathetic candor. The plot is the classical journey of discovery. It follows the trio as they literally travel by car from their current home in Phoenix, Arizona, to Bitter Rapids, Minnesota. They are compelled to this journey by the discovery of unknown human remains in a place they once knew. The book also follows Maakade, halfBlack and half-Ojibwe, who survived harsh Indian school and wrongful imprisonment to literally save both Evelyn and Frank. Maak’s experiences in nature shine in lyrical terms. To top it off, the novel includes Scout, an intrepid dog, that contributes his own strength to both characters and plot! Between chapters, McCann interweaves excerpts from non-fiction books, news stories, and various articles that reveal important aspects of the culture during this time period. These excerpts provide factual perspectives on such topics as women’s health, Native American education, and interracial marriage. The cumulative point of these excerpts is a pithy, ironic judgment on the America that the characters in this novel inhabit. Joanne Vickers

ABSOLUTION Alice McDermott, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2023, $28.00, hb, 336pp, 9780374610487

Parties and receptions are where things get done in Saigon. So Tricia, a U.S. Navy intelligence lawyer’s wife, discovers when she meets beautiful and confident Charlene and her quiet eight-year-old daughter, Rainey, eager to show Tricia her new Barbie doll. A situation arises at the party, whereby Charlene suggests they sell Barbies dressed in the Vietnamese áo-dài garment, to American wives for profit. Recognizing an easy mark and deftly posing the idea as Tricia’s, Charlene pulls the unsuspecting young wife into her cabal of fundraising, charity work, and participation in black-market transactions. Absolution is a letter filled with Tricia’s reminiscences of 1963 in Saigon, written in her old age. The reason is initially not clear, and this sense of foreshadowing runs through the novel. Tricia describes Charlene as bossy, selfassured, a schemer who pushes people around, her altruism tinged with an egomaniacal potency, even as she tenderly nurses a napalmburned child, visits a leprosarium, or mothers Tricia through her worst moments. McDermott juxtaposes the deferential Vietnamese women against the privileged American wives, helpmeets there to advance 44

husbands’ “illustrious careers” in an era when men felt no obligation to share anything with their spouse. Nostalgia for “an antique past” when men held doors, gave up their seats, and stood when women entered the room permeates the narrative, whilst asking the reader to grasp how it was for the wives ‘back then’. The novel is vividly era-relevant— pale-blue elaborately-folded airmail letters, bouffant styles with jaunty flips, shirtwaisters, reinforced-toed-and-heeled stockings. Saigon’s frenzied pace and heat are visceral. McDermott isn’t shy about the political and corporate machinations which took the U.S. to Vietnam, lest we should forget that the so-called altruistic intent became a killing ground for young American servicemen. An exceptional novel about nuanced relationships between women and the subtleties of power, illuminating an unusual understanding of Vietnam and its aftermath. Fiona Alison

TANGLED WEBS Maria McDonald, Bloodhound, 2023, £9.99, pb, 236pp, 9781504087650

Belfast, 1922: middle-class widow Jane Best, the possessor of a ‘public smile,’ runs, with her friend Agnes Williams, the Riverview boarding house for young women coming to work in the linen mills of the city. Around the dinner table the subject of conversation is the murder of Michael Collins, and, because this is Belfast, views are polarised. When a tyrannical grandfather tries to take back his granddaughter from Riverview, he recognises Jane from his time on military service in the Zulu Wars, and the life the two women have built up is threatened – but Jane and Agnes will stop at nothing to protect it. The story is then told in flashback, beginning with the privileged childhood of Jane’s late husband, on an estate in the shadow of the Mourne mountains. His life is contrasted with that of his best friend James, growing up in a loveless home. Both boys follow their family traditions, Charles to the Sandhurst military academy and James to study medicine at Trinity College Dublin, but meet again in southern Africa, where Agnes Williams is serving as a nurse. From then on, their lives are entwined in the most startling way possible, in an audacious plot involving assumed identity; not everyone, including Jane’s unwelcome visitor, is who they seem to be. These redoubtable widows and their charges live through the industrial unrest in Belfast of 1907, the horror and loss of World War One and the subsequent Spanish ‘flu epidemic, but it is the distant past that catches up with them. Minor blips like Gallagher for Gallaher the tobacco magnate, or a reference to the Wolff family (when Gustav Wolff of Harland & Wolff died a bachelor) do not detract from an engaging, fluent and well-researched tale of an Ireland before Partition.

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

Katherine Mezzacappa

IRIS Fiona Kelly McGregor, Picador Australia, 2022, A$34.99, pb, 464pp, 9781761264009

Iris by Miles Franklin shortlistee and multiform artist, Fiona Kelly McGregor, trails the journey of eponymous protagonist, Iris Mary Webber (née Shingles). Iris is a frank and gutsy country girl from Glen Innes, who arrives in Sydney in spring 1932 to a city in the throes of the Great Depression. Her incredible conviction, streetsmarts, loyalty, and stubbornness are revealed as she navigates an itinerant life in a web of razor gangs, female brothel owners, and male protectors. The novel begins with Iris leaving her husband and Hay Women’s Prison for the winding back streets of Sydney city. Two women brothel owners run the criminal underworld: Tilly Devine of Darlinghurst and Kate Leigh of Surry Hills, as it was illegal at the time for men to run brothels. Iris’s journey begins with sex work under the auspices of Tilly Devine. However, as she finds her feet and escapes an affair, she moves on to shoplifting and bar work, eventually busking as a musician and doing drug runs for Kate Leigh on the other side of town. Along the way, Iris develops a deep attraction and fondness for a young sex worker and friend, Maisie. As their romance flourishes, their same-sex relationship endangers Iris’s status as a feared member of criminal authority on the streets. The novel’s power emerges in the fidelity of the historical reconstruction and vivid portrait McGregor paints of Iris’s compelling character. This, paired with the careful rendering of Iris’s vernacular through the narration, creates a striking voice that steers the narrative. I was impressed with the way this rollicking historical drama moves effortlessly between the smoggy reconstruction of Iris’s life in the city and chapters showing Iris being held and interrogated at Long Bay Reformatory for Women, awaiting trial. I found myself swept up in the grittiness of McGregor’s story world and deeply immersed in Iris’s fight for survival. Georgia Rose Phillips

MURDER ON MISTLETOE LANE Clare McKenna, Kensington, 2023, $27.00, hb, 307pp, 9781496738202

The fifth book in McKenna’s Stella and Lyndy Mysteries series, the Christmas-centric Murder on Mistletoe Lane opens on a freezing winter night in December 1905, with an impoverished widow and her two small children approaching

a manor house with a brown paper-wrapped bribe. We are not provided with the context for this scene until much later. Instead, the focus swiftly shifts to the Lyndhurst household preparing for the upcoming Christmas festivities. Mince pies and Stella’s jewelry vanish from their respective places, leading the housekeeper, Mrs. Nelson, to suspect a thief lurks among the staff. She fires a maid, Louisa Bright, after discovering some of the missing morsels in the girl’s room. Not long after, Mrs. Nelson falls ill, only to be found dead and bloodied in the snow not far from Stella’s beloved stables. Initially, the story unfolds slowly, setting up the mystery with a series of tantalizing incidents amidst the usual Yuletide preparations. Stella finds a love note written in a hand quite unlike her beloved husband’s. She overhears snippets of a sinister-seeming conversation between the cook and a blood-stained stranger. This initially languid pacing may bother readers seeking a more formulaic “body on the first page” whodunnit, although I, for one, found it refreshing. The plot quickens and thickens after the death of Mrs. Nelson. We soon realize that the question of who killed Mrs. Nelson isn’t the only mystery haunting the Lyndhursts’ country house. These mysteries kept me guessing until the well-played reveals. The detail and care with which McKenna portrays the goings-on of the turn-of-thecentury household should certainly delight historical fiction aficionados. The cultural differences between the spirited, horse-loving American “dollar princess” Stella and her traditionally English mother-in-law, Lady Atherly, lends itself well to drama whilst also fitting the period setting. I also liked the sexy romance between Stella and Lyndy. Lee Lanzillotta

MURDER OFF STAGE Mary Miley, Severn House, 2023, $31.99/£21.99, hb, 232pp, 9781448311408

Jessie Beckett is sure she heard two gunshots when Allen Crenshaw crumpled to the stage. She and her best friend, singer-dancer Adele Astaire, had second-row tickets for the hottest show on Broadway, Rules of Engagement, so after he is shot, her amateur detective skills kick in. They assist Detective Ben Quinn because not only do they know the backstage life of show business, but also that the script calls for a single shot to the leg. In October 1926, the play has won Edward Ricks a Pulitzer for its vivid portrayal of a soldier’s life in the Great War. The stage manager swears he loaded the gun with blanks, but he is known to get a little tipsy even in the midst of Prohibition. The actress who fired the shot didn’t notice a different recoil from any other performance, though she and Crenshaw had just broken up. Jessie has helped Los Angeles police before in the course of her job as an assistant movie script girl, and an encounter at Crenshaw’s funeral with a shy

girl who saw another side of the womanizing actor uncovers a significant clue. Miley is adept at name-dropping, as Jessie works for Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford and Adele sups with royalty and co-stars with her brother Fred. The plot is ingenious and true to the time period, but Jessie’s love life distracts both her and the reader from solving the crime. Although the title gives away a part of the solution, there are enough red herrings to satisfy many a historical mystery buff.

rendered mute by routine health questions; watching your child interact with a family in whom they recognise nothing of themselves – will resonate with many adoptive parents. A profoundly moving and uniquely Black novel.

Tom Vallar

The 1940s in a sweltering Los Angeles. The city is full of bottle-blonde femme fatales, actors who never made it, and men looking for a chance to pull a gun. Observing them all is world-weary Private Investigator Philip Marlowe, who takes another slug of whiskey and lights a cigarette. All very hard-boiled detective genre, all very Raymond Chandler. Only it isn’t. Denise Mina has become the first female writer to pay homage to Chandler, reimagining Marlowe. She has big (gum) shoes to step into and wears them well. Here, Marlowe is summoned by millionaire Chadwick Montgomery to find his daughter Chrissie. She’s vanished after her engagement to a rich but boring young man. Marlowe traces Chrissie to a hotel, but then there’s gunshots and a man’s body. Realising dark forces are at play, Marlowe wants to protect Chrissie. But can he, and should he? The story takes us to uptown art galleries and downtown gay bars. It features corrupt police, the millionaire’s battered blonde girlfriend and a rival PI. The PI is tempting redhead Anne Riordan, and sparks fly between her and Marlowe… “We’d either kiss or burst into flames.” The story is full of Chandleresque pacey short sentences and enjoyable wisecracks: “I gargled mouthwash to hide the tang of whiskey and despair”, “I punched him and he went down like the Lusitania.” Marlowe solves the case, of course, although I had to suspend my disbelief at there being an allwoman detective agency at that time, and the love interest sub-plot had a bit of an abrupt turnabout. However, I’m sure this is not the last Marlowe story Mina will write, and roll on the next.

ONE BLOOD Denene Millner, Forge, 2023, $29.99, hb, 432pp, 9781250276193 / The Borough Press, 2024, £9.99, pb, 432pp, 9780008441944

Lolo and Tommy’s marriage begins with a lie, originating in Lolo’s abusive childhood, the scars of which prevent pregnancy. But it isn’t her lie alone which echoes down the years. Carrying childhood trauma into adulthood, Lolo is obsessively fearful of the vulnerability of girlhood, womanhood, and their dangerous combination with Blackness. She convinces Tommy he is the cause of their infertility. They adopt a son, then a newborn girl, Rae, whose origins are a separate story, a crucial part of the reader understanding what Tommy and Lolo are not privy to. Rae discovers her adoption at twelve but never tells anyone. One Blood is difficult to summarise without oversimplifying. An intimate meditation on the complexity of family life, it probes the depths of deeply tragic circumstances that give birth to renewal, joy, and heartache. Through Lolo’s struggles with her identity as wife and mother, the novel explores male/ female roles, love, loyalty, forgiveness and healing, lies and secrets, and what we pass to our children. Universal themes painted into a compelling portrait and framed with a distinctly Black edge. This is the story’s lifeblood, its vital significance. Meandering through the ’50s and ’60s and into the early 2000s, One Blood follows the (mostly) happy but complex lives of the Lawrence family into the next generation. As the mother to three adopted children, two of different race and ethnicity to me, I feel the story rings with a poignant authenticity which can only come from life experience. Millner’s author’s note (which I read later) explains her innate ability to understand the deep ties which connect people far beyond blood. Loving someone else’s child as your own;

Fiona Alison

THE SECOND MURDERER Denise Mina, Harvill Secker, 2023, £18.99, hb, 243pp, 9781787302853 / Mulholland, 2023, $28.00, hb, 256pp, 9780316265645

Kate Pettigrew

73 DOVE STREET Julie Owen Moylan, Michael Joseph, 2023, £16.99, hb, 398pp, 9780241508039

London in a damp, drizzly autumn of 1958. Edie Budd escapes from her abusive husband Frank and finds a room in a drab lodging house in the “shabby hinterland” between Ladbrooke Grove and Notting Hill. Edie’s back story of a marriage turned sour and hideous domestic abuse as well as another distressing secret is slowly revealed throughout the narrative. Edie stays in her room hiding away but eventually meets the other lodger in the property, Tommie (female), who is obsessed with a boyfriend who treats her with disdain, while the owner of the house, Phyllis Collier, learns to adjust

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to life without her husband, whom she caught in flagrante delicto with a former lodger. This is a London more afflicted by the austeritydull greys and grubbiness of the immediate postwar years than the bright butterfly of the swinging Sixties that were just around the corner, with its characters still afflicted by the stresses and influence of the war and London’s vulnerability in the conflict. It is an exceedingly well-plotted and capably told story, with well-rounded credible characters that the author clearly likes and makes the reader care for, too. Despite the overall grim mood and subject matter, as it deals with fairly shabby human behaviour especially on the part of the males in the story, elements of it are really quite amusing and wry. Very much recommended. Douglas Kemp

RUSTED SOULS Chris Nickson, Severn House, 2023, $31.99/£21.99, hb, 224pp, 9781448311798

Tom Harper, Chief Constable of Leeds, is about to retire. His time is spent between his Town Hall office with its endless mountains of paperwork, his old stomping ground of Millgarth, and home with his beloved wife, Annabelle, whose scattered reality is slowly disappearing down the dementia rabbit hole. Work, family, and home are Harper’s solitary musings. Now he has six weeks to solve two new cases, and satisfactory solutions are the key to planning a peaceful retirement. Four ex-army men commit a series of jewelry store robberies, playing Robin Hood to the dispossessed of Leeds by leaving their hauls on random doorsteps. An alderman is blackmailed by indiscreet letters to his mistress. The parallels between the outcomes of the burglaries (men armed and trained to kill, by His Majesty’s government, in defence of the nation) and the blackmail (some well-to-do shirkers who have avoided the conflict altogether) are deftly drawn, as both crimes stem from the aftermath of war and a worldwide pandemic, and both escalate into multiple deaths. These two crimes are punctuated by a large group of well-organised female shoplifters descending on Leeds. This last in Nickson’s Tom Harper series, set in 1920, is a straightforward police procedural, as are the other books, but beneath a multifaceted, deceptively simple drama lies a city reeling from ‘the worst war man had ever known.’ Thoughts on lost morality, the sheer waste of human life, the physical and mental scars, and post-war healing, give Rusted Souls an emotional depth which tenderly evokes 46

a society desperate to find some new kind of normal. Nickson’s farewell to his characters is filled with nostalgia, which does not make this an ideal starting point. I wholeheartedly recommend the series but suggest delving into one or two of the earlier books first. Fiona Alison

A BEAUTIFUL RIVAL Gill Paul, William Morrow, 2023, $18.99/£9.99, pb, 370pp, 9780063245112

Backstabbing. Competition. Sabotage. Who knew the beauty business could be so ugly? This is the somewhat true story of two intrepid entrepreneurs. New York City, 1915. Elizabeth Arden is the queen of beauty – her exclusive salons cater to the city’s elite. She dominates the market and thinks the newly arrived Helena Rubinstein is a charlatan. But Rubinstein is a clever woman. She implements smart, new marketing techniques and quickly expands throughout the U.S. and Europe. Both women are emblems of the American dream: they arrived as immigrants, built their businesses from the ground up, and created empires that catered to millionaires and royalty. Though Arden and Rubinstein are never formally introduced to each other, they can never escape from each other’s shadows. They actively seek to undermine the other’s business at any possible opportunity. Nothing’s off limits: employees, products, clients … but will their rivalry be their ruin? A Beautiful Rival gives life to Arden and Rubinstein, and does credit to their achievements – they were high-profile businesswomen when the concept didn’t exist. Paul’s novel is a page-turner, revealing details discovered in newspaper and magazine articles, and even beauty advertisements! In an author’s note, Paul describes some of the liberties she’s taken over some scenes, while other scenes were scripted from actual events. This story mixes historical fact with some poetic licence, but they’re blended seamlessly. The only point that irks is the attention given to Arden’s yoga habit. It’s a wonderful character trait that differentiates her from Rubinstein and portrays her as modern and forwardthinking. However, the author’s constant use of the modern term ‘Downward Dog’ pulls readers out of 1918 and into today. If that minor detail had been left out, this would have been a perfect book. Kelly Urgan

THE TRAITOR AMONG US Anne Perry, Ballantine, 2023, $28.00, hb, 294pp, 9780593359150 / Headline, 2023, £9.99, pb, 352pp, 9781472294555

Only a fool would think it couldn’t happen here. England’s fate hangs in the balance during the fifth instalment of Anne Perry’s stylish Elena Standish mysteries. A Cotswolds set of aristocrats plays host to the future King Edward VIII and his mistress, Wallis Simpson, while advancing the cause of Oswald Mosley’s

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

Nazism on British soil in the belief it might ward off another war. When John Repton, a former MI6 agent posing as a tramp, is found murdered on the estate of David Wyndham, Lucas Standish sends his granddaughter Elena to discover the reason for his friend’s violent death. Having spied on fascist Germany, where she witnessed Hitler’s ‘Night of the Long Knives,’ Elena realises she must tread carefully once she arrives at Wyndham Hall, her investigation hampered by the impending marriage of her beloved, if tenacious, sister Margot to one of the prime suspects. However, under the direction of fellow master spy and potential love interest James Allenby, Elena endeavours to identify the culprit and stop the rot of fascism from spreading inside Britain. In the process, the couple uncovers the machinations behind a political smear campaign targeting Robert Hastings, the Member of Parliament for the surrounding constituency and a oncerespected, anti-fascist politician. Assemblingacastofcaptivating,ifsometimes heinous characters, The Traitor Among Us takes 1930s global history to the British countryside, complete with glamorous parties, sumptuous meals, gorgeous clothes, perilous riding expeditions, and other quintessential ‘long weekend’ pastimes. Throughout this latest, and final, episode of the Elena Standish series, one discerns the wonderfully prodigious spirit of Anne Perry who, sadly, died earlier this year. While perhaps not as suspenseful as her other novels, The Traitor Among Us, poised somewhere between Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day and Downton Abbey, presents as highly polished and entertaining. Elisabeth Lenckos

THE CARETAKER Ron Rash, Doubleday, 2023, $28.00, hb, 272pp, 9780385544276

In a small 1950s North Carolina town, gossip, secrets, and judgment affect the lives of its residents. Three characters stand out and rise above: Blackburn, Jacob, and Naomi. Blackburn Gant is the caretaker of Blowing Rock’s cemetery. Given the responsibility at the age of sixteen, he is always respectful and reverential, and takes his responsibility for caring for the dead seriously. Jacob Hampton is Blackburn’s best friend and the only son of a prominent family in town. He falls in love with Naomi, a poor maid working at the hotel. When Jacob elopes with Naomi, his overprotective, controlling parents are outraged and move to disinherit him. As Jacob leaves to fight in Korea, he asks his parents to watch over a pregnant

Naomi, but they refuse. Blackburn happily accepts that responsibility. When Jacob is injured in Korea, thoughts of returning home to his wife and baby sustain him. It is Blackburn, disfigured from childhood polio, and Naomi, a poor and uneducated outsider, who are the victims of the town’s cruelty. Even though Jacob is their golden boy who deserves a marriage of his social class, he too falls victim. In a stunning turn, Jacob’s parents manipulate the words of a telegram from Korea to serve their own ends; and the chain of lies that results is devastating. Different types of love shape the characters – parental love, overbearing and selfish; unselfish brotherly love; and romantic love. The friendship between Blackburn and Jacob is tested when Blackburn must set aside his own desire for the sake of honor and friendship, showing the strength of his selfless character. Rash is incomparable in his expressive and evocative writing, and his ability to breathe life into these unforgettable characters. The tension of how the evil wrought by Jacob’s parents can be made right propels this emotional, sensitive, thought-provoking love story. Janice Ottersberg

STEEL GIRLS AT WAR Michelle Rawlins, HQ, 2023, £8.99, pb, 375pp, 9780008598518

When Nancy discovers her husband is missing after the Dunkirk evacuation, she is inundated with offers of help from fellow workers at the Vickers factory in Sheffield. Meanwhile Patty is annoyed her boyfriend Archie is ignoring her hints about her 18th birthday, while her friend Hattie takes the plunge and joins Vickers to try to alleviate troubles at home. The fourth in a series, this novel has a large cast, most of whom have names ending in ‘y’ or ‘ie’. (In addition to those named above, there are Betty, Daisy, Dolly, Josie, Billy, Ivy….) It’s unfortunate that with the exception of Patty, who is occasionally thoughtless and self-absorbed, everyone is so relentlessly nice that the characters lack individuality. Considering this is a wartime book, there’s surprisingly little action, most scenes consisting of various characters gathering round a table in the factory canteen, pub or somebody’s kitchen to discuss one another’s problems. (Only one scene takes place on the factory floor and one in an air-raid shelter.) The most successful scenes are those concentrating on a small number of characters Nancy receiving news of her husband’s disappearance, or consoling her daughter after a playground incident, or Hattie confiding in her boyfriend. Elsewhere there is a lot of head-hopping, which kills any suspense. The dialogue is repetitive, and sometimes a character responds to something someone says as a great revelation, when they were thinking exactly the same thing two pages earlier. The novel is also littered with

malapropisms and dodgy grammar (‘sat’ or ‘was sitting’ are correct: ‘was sat’ is not). There are good elements in this novel, like the characterisation of Nancy’s children, everhungry Billy and timid Linda, or the fact that a Dunkirk survivor doesn’t instantly overcome his trauma, but it’s not enough to save the book for me. Jasmina Svenne

THE JAZZ CLUB SPY Roberta Rich, Gallery, 2023, $17.99, pb, 250pp, 9781982191313

In January 1920, Giddy Brodsky, age five, shelters in a frozen cow carcass as Cossacks raid the village of Stulchyn, Ukraine, raping her mother and killing her brother and sister. Nineteen years later, she is a cigarette girl at Sid’s Paradise nightclub in Midtown Manhattan. That’s where she meets and works with handsome and suave Carter Van der Zalm to foil an apparent anarchist plot. But all is not what it seems. The Jazz Club Spy is the fourth historical novel by Rich, known for the bestselling Midwife of Venice trilogy, set in the 16th century. The novel at the outset engages with startling and vivid imagery about the sights and sounds of a vicious attack on peasants. The novel builds the New York background setting with details about a young immigrant woman living and working in the Depression era. Plotting does not sing, however. Pacing follows an a + b = c formula (no complicated or layered le Carré twists and turns here), and some strains of thought and action are easy to recognize and anticipate. This book is fine for those who may want to hum a few bars afterward, but not for those interested in a jam session heavy on scat and riffs. K. M. Sandrick

THE BELL IN THE FOG Lev AC Rosen, Forge, 2023, $27.99, hb, 272pp, 9781250834256

PI Evander “Andy” Mills keeps an office above Ruby’s, a mixed gay bar, where both men and women seek love and community in homophobic 1952 San Francisco. He’s hired by his ex, James, a closeted Navy officer, to track down photos taken clandestinely of James and a rentboy cavorting together in a hotel. Only four days remain before the blackmailer publicizes the images and ruins James’s life, a time limit which serves to intensify the tension. Andy is both aided and hindered by drag king femme fatale Helen, who used to be good friends with both men back in their Navy days. I guessed one of the twists pretty far in advance, although the majority kept me guessing until the carefully-played reveals near the end. Overall the pacing is well done. An outsider in the gay world because he used to be a cop and an outsider in the straight world because he’s gay in an era intensely hostile towards queer people, Andy is a fascinatingly queer take on the usual solitary, noir detective. Interestingly, by the end of

the story, he manages to gain the trust of his community and even get together with a cute new love interest, making him less of a loner. I enjoyed the sexy romance subplot, which adds to, rather than distracts from, the main mystery. But The Bell in the Fog isn’t just well-written and genuinely gripping. The sheer amount of research put into the project thoroughly impressed me. Rosen uses period-accurate slang and other details that fellow LGBTQ history nerds will appreciate. The sheer amount of references to real history serve not only to build a realistic world for the story, but also to educate the reader. For this, I commend him. Lee Lanzillotta

THE PALACE GIRLS Emma Royal, Penguin, 2023, £8.99, pb, 372pp, 9781804945483

Back in the London Blitz of 1941, Millie Hendry, aged 11, loses both parents and is subsequently raised by firm-but-fair Aunt Edie, long-standing cleaner at Buckingham Palace. As an orphan, Millie is afforded special permission to live-in and, once old enough to work, follows in Edie’s feather-duster footsteps. Now, in 1951, she receives a letter from her mum – but surely she’s deceased? Edie is forced to spill some long-buried beans. Millie, shocked at having lived under such a huge lie, starts to question everything she’s been told, losing faith in Edie and stubbornly refusing to listen to her well-meaning friends. Feeling surrounded by deceit, she cannot help but confront her fears and search for answers, but naivety gets her into trouble both in and outside The Palace, and it takes courage beyond her years to cope. Tears of sadness and friendship are shed in this tale of untruths, loyalty and love. The dying king heralds a transitioning monarchy whereby palace routines and credible interactions between staff and royals contrast well against the seedy back-alley menace of 1950s Soho clubland. Racism, while not exactly tackled, is certainly given a hefty shoulderbarge, ditto sexual assault. A fine resolution is achieved with, spoiler alert (well, not really), villains thwarted and transgressions forgiven. Intermittently superficial but an interesting, worthy story even so. Simon Rickman

HAZARDOUS SPIRITS Anbara Salam, Tin House, 2023, $17.95, pb, 384pp, 9781959030133

In 1923 Edinburgh, society is in national mourning—for the Great War, the Spanish flu, cataclysmic events which have taken a terrible toll, and people are desperate to connect with those they have lost. Robert and Evelyn Hazard have had their share of tragedy like everyone else, but something strange is happening in their household. Robert’s attention seems distant, his focus elsewhere. Then he announces he can hear and speak to the dead! Evelyn absolutely forbids it, but

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then she discovers he is following his passion anyway, behind her back. Their doctor says Robert is either 1) insane, 2) lying or 3) telling the truth, but this medical clarification doesn’t help Evelyn, who is very afraid her dead sister will come through the veil if it’s true. Adopting the ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ philosophy, Evelyn supports her husband through thick and thin, despite all her misgivings. She wavers constantly between her skepticism of mediums, psychics, and seances, and occasional signs which prove it’s all true. So as the couple moves into bright new circles, gadding with the monied and the eclectic, she forgoes her family for their new life. Salam calls attention to family, loyalty, love, and trust, leaving her story open to interpretation, and giving it a clever, ambiguous ending. Characters are well drawn and humanly flawed, interweaving flashbacks to Evelyn’s past, but the time switches can be confusing, and I didn’t always know right away when I was no longer in contemporary times. Readers are pulled along on Evelyn’s journey, as she mentally wanders from one side of the debate to the other, without really knowing her destination. I enjoyed this take on the betweenwars era and the author’s comforting humor, which beautifully captures the spirit of the times, not least in the book title. Fiona Alison

WOMEN OF THE POST Joshunda Sanders, Park Row, 2023, $18.99/ C$23.99, pb, 368pp, 9780778334071

In 1944, young Black women are recruited to join the Women’s Army Corps, offering them a chance to serve their country in the Second World War. This novel follows the lives of women who answer this call and are assigned to clear a backlog of over a million pieces of mail sent from military personnel to their families. Understanding the importance of these letters to loved ones, they become dedicated to their task and accomplish a great deal. The novel is told through the perspectives of three women – Charity, the officer in charge of the group; Judy, who comes from poverty in New York City; and Mary Alyce, raised by a white mother as a white girl until, on enlisting, the letter “C” is found on her birth certificate. This indicates that her father was “colored,” and she is therefore compelled to join a Negro battalion. The author’s purpose in writing this novel was to bring attention to the contribution of Black women during WWII. She achieves her purpose significantly, leaving the reader in no doubt about Charity’s strong organizational and interpersonal skills and the focus and dedication of the women of the 6888th Battalion. In addition to detailing the attitudes of the time to people of color, as well as difficult working conditions and wartime dangers, the author maintains interest with subplots. Both Charity and Judy have significant romantic and emotional issues, while Mary Alyce struggles to find her place as someone who 48

appears to be white but must adapt to life as a Black woman. This novel reveals important aspects of WWII and the role of the women of the 6888th Battalion as they accomplish a mammoth and significant task against the societal pressures of the time. Valerie Adolph

APPALACHIAN SONG Michelle Shocklee, Tyndale House, 2023, $16.99, pb, 324pp, 9781496472441

1943: The five Jenkins sisters, middleaged spinsters, live in the two-room cabin in Tennessee where they grew up. Their Christian faith, their care for each other and nearby relatives, and the bounty of their land sustain them. They live quietly until a pregnant teenager appears on their doorstep with a gunshot wound in her shoulder. The girl won’t give her name, but the Jenkinses take her in and name her Songbird, for her beautiful singing voice. Bertie Jenkins, a midwife, discerns Songbird’s condition and develops an attachment to her. Songbird reveals that her father shot her, for being pregnant by a young man who is now off fighting in the war, not knowing that he’s fathered a child. When her baby boy is born and Songbird attempts to contact his father, she endangers herself, her child, and the Jenkinses. 1973: Rising music star Walker Wylie has just discovered that he is adopted. Walker engages midwife and adoption counselor Reese Chandler to help him find his birth parents. Tennessee keeps adoption records private, but Reese manages to find the birth record that lists Bertie as the midwife who delivered Walker. Bertie, still living in that old cabin, is wary at first of re-opening old wounds. But, once she comes to trust him, Walker learns what happened thirty years ago to convince Songbird to give up the baby she loved. This book has its flaws. Songbird’s voice is uneven in the chapters narrated by her in the first person. The romance between Walker and Reese is predictable without being welldeveloped. And one of the plot points felt implausible to me. But the mystery kept me turning pages, and I do recommend the book if you’re looking for a sweet, moving tale featuring Christian themes and simple but very appealing characters. Kathryn Bashaar

A LONG WAY FROM CLARE Robert W. Smith, Meryton Press, 2023, $14.95, pb, 272pp, 9781681310725

Conor escapes hopeless childhood destitution in County Clare, Ireland, to Illinois with his big brother Kevin in the late 1800s. Years later, Conor travels from his law practice in Springfield, Illinois to check on his brother, who is now a policeman in Chicago, but Kevin has been found dead. Conor is not satisfied with the disposition of the case as a suicide and comes of age as he searches for the truth while finding his passion for protecting Chicago’s poor and downtrodden. Turn-of-the-century Chicago comes alive in

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the graft of its ward politics, its seedy underbelly, as well as its progress, like the elevated train line and a new logistics tunnel under the city center. Conor uncovers an assassination plot with ties to his brother and the local Clan na Gael, a shadowy group that supports Irish Republicanism. He takes on the case of a young, abused Irish immigrant mother, and his handling of it attracts the interest of a powerful Irish-heritage politician. The case and the investigation of his brother’s death become dual narratives where Conor explores the depravity, prejudices and oppression that are Chicago’s growing pains, as well as the complex nature of Irish social governance. He must decide how far he will go to seek justice, both for his client and his brother. During this fairly short and fast-paced read, Conor connects with numerous memorable characters who collectively sketch an entertaining portrait of early Chicago. A Long Way From Clare is the author’s fifth novel, and readers will be hopeful that Conor and many of these characters return in another book, solving more mysteries as the city of broad shoulders grows up. Brodie Curtis

SOLDIERS IN THE FOG Antonio Soler (trans. Kathryn Phillips-Miles and Simon Deefholts), The Clapton Press, 2023, £12.99, pb, 254pp, 9781913693312

After Franco’s forces capture Málaga in 1937, young Gustavo Sintora arrives in Madrid to join the Republican army. He becomes part of an entertainment unit which includes a fakir, a person with dwarfism, a gypsy, and a mechanic able to fix any lorry no matter how ancient. He begins a love affair with seamstress Serena Vergara, wife of a militia leader. When the unit is sent to fight on the Ebro front, he is faced with war’s shocking reality and the loss of comrades. Written without chapters, the novel is in the style of a memoir; Soler looks back to when he was a child and Sintora would visit his former sergeant – the author’s father – to whom he bequeathed notebooks containing an account of his war. The novel moves seamlessly between italicised extracts and the author’s third-person narrative. At first, I found this disorientating. As the book progresses, however, such a style increases in effectiveness, especially when Republican defeat becomes inevitable: the unit breaks up – each man with his own vision of survival – and Sintora hastens back to Madrid and Serena. With no law and order, the city is in the hands of score-settling militias. A visceral novel that delves beyond textbook treatments of the Civil War. Janet Hancock

CODES OF COURAGE A. L. Sowards, Covenant, 2023, $17.99, pb, 344pp, 9781524424039

Although much is known about Bletchley Park, the British codebreaking center in

Buckinghamshire, an hour outside of London, little is written about the impact of tramp steamers and the British Merchant Marines’ role providing supplies and capturing Enigma machines. The novel is narrated by three main characters: Millie Stevens, a diplomat’s daughter and codebreaker at Bletchley; Karl Lang, a wealthy Austrian who escaped Nazi persecution and enlisted in the merchant marine; and Rolf Denhart, a German radio operator on a Nazi U-boat. Much of the language of this wellresearched novel is technical, so the glossary provided is helpful. Although adding to the authenticity, the attacks and battle details tended to be tedious for me, slowing down the storyline. Several passages are full-out actionadventure as U-boats attack and our hero is suspended in the icy Atlantic more than once. Both sides adhere to the “laws of the sea,” saving survivors of sinking vessels. What captured my interest most is the tender love story between Millie and Karl, much of it outlined in their letters and moments on leave. The reader experiences the daily lives of ordinary people living through a war. This is especially poignant as Rolf, home on leave with his wife Frieda, begins to question the doctrine of the Third Reich. “Most of the time, I am glad to do my duty, but I do not like war. Torpedoes. Depth charges. And an ocean only slightly more forgiving than the weapons men wield . . . he took no joy in killing sailors on the other side.” Meanwhile his wife is helping Jewish people escape persecution; he fears for her safety. People on both sides struggle to survive. Gail M. Murray

THE LAW’S DELAY Jane Stubbs, Independently published, 2023, £7.99, pb, 238pp, 9798390685358

A story of liaisons, love, and the law set in early 20th-century Lancashire, The Law’s Delay’s complicated characters and plot revolve around challenges to the prevailing moral, social, and legal expectations of the day. Life is becoming more convenient and pleasant, thanks to inventions such as the telephone, typewriter, and flushing toilets, and class distinctions are softening. Jane Stubbs doesn’t mention the dates of her story, but Queen Victoria has died and modernism is well under way. The third-person narration shifts between characters, particularly Jenny Truesdale, Edward Carter, and Dorothea Woodward, all three unconventional, as are numerous vividly drawn minor characters. Jenny was a foundling, adopted as a child by John Truesdale. She now works as finance director for the Woodward mining and mill-owning company. Raised in poverty, Edward is an able young man who’s offered half of the financial empire of Dorothea Woodward’s father if he’ll marry his pregnant daughter. Dorothea gives birth, but prefers to pursue singing rather than marriage and motherhood. Edward and

Jenny have loved each other since she was a schoolgirl, but now they must keep their distance. Mavis, Jenny’s best friend raised in even poorer circumstances than Edward, has ambitions beyond her origins. The laws in question relate to marriage, as do the book’s gossip and scandals. Irony and humor abound. We expect that somehow, all will be resolved, but difficulties build for much of the book. Maintaining a fast pace, Stubbs intersperses scenes from each of the characters and weaves in significant details of the time, particularly the changing role of women. Staid Mrs. Woodward worries about keeping face in their small judgmental town, but the pressures of individual will and love defy convention. Even law must change with the times—however delayed. Recommended. Jinny Webber

IRISH EYES Hope C. Tarr, Lume Books, 2023, $17.99/£10.99, pb, 352pp, 9781839015557

In her impressive saga, the first volume in the new American Songbook series, Hope Tarr takes us from an island off the coast of Ireland to New York City and back, over the course of 24 years, from 1898 to 1922. We follow the story of Rose O’Neill, a barmaid at her father’s pub, as she meets Adam Blakely, a World War I veteran from America who has traveled to Ireland to honor a promise to a fellow soldier. Though Rose is poor and Irish Catholic and Adam is wealthy and Protestant, they fall in love, ignoring their differences, and pledge to marry. Soon Adam is called back to his family in Manhattan. Rose plans to follow shortly. She sails to New York, but correspondence between the lovers is intercepted, and their paths diverge, at least for a while. We follow the couple’s adventures and tragedies through the first quarter of the 20th century as they confront political strife, two wars, the criminal court system, Spanish Flu, the women’s suffrage movement, and such technological developments as refrigeration and electrification. Readers will race to the end, not wanting to put this book down. Tarr writes beautifully, with great pacing, settings, sensitive love scenes, plot twists, just the right amount of period-specific language, and a superb epilogue. She tells the story through Rose’s point of view, alternating with Adam’s. At times the point of view darts around, as Rose’s thoughts peek through Adam’s narration, and Rose’s success as the owner of a department store could use elaboration, but nothing will mar readers’ connection to Rose, a compelling character. The American Songbook series is off to a great start. Highly recommended. Marlie Wasserman

ABSOLUTELY AND FOREVER Rose Tremain, Chatto & Windus, 2023, £16.99, hb, 192pp, 9781784745202

England in the late 1950s and early ´60s.

Marianne Clifford comes from a comfortable, complacent middle-class background. Publicschool educated, her life is shaped by her schoolgirl love affair with an older boy, Simon Hurst, which starts when she is fifteen. This is a delightfully told narrative of Marianne’s life in the first person, in swinging Sixties England, a life that is conventional and bourgeois yet affected by the social turmoil of the times. Marianne is eccentric, spiky and volatile, and while engaging, would indeed be a challenge to live with. Towards the conclusion of the story, she learns of two major elements that hitherto she was wholly unaware of; these revelations help to make some sense of these key events in her relatively young life. The reader necessarily wonders how much of Marianne’s narrative is formed by Rose Tremain’s own experience. Both Marianne and the writer were born in 1943, and there are certainly similarities in their young adult life trajectories. Indeed, Marianne starts writing fiction, but seems to be taking an extraordinarily long time drafting what appears to be an allegorical short story. While the novel is set firmly and capably within the milieu of 1960s England, there is one anachronism – reference is made to visiting Zambia before the country was given its new post-colonial name; at the time in the story, it would have been known as Northern Rhodesia. The novel does finish with almost indecent haste and gives the impression that it was all rather hurried; I was reading a digital review copy and initially thought that my copy may have been incomplete. But, no, that was the ending. I do hope Rose Tremain managed to catch her train or whatever was her deadline. Douglas Kemp

CROOK MANIFESTO Colson Whitehead, Doubleday, 2023, $29.00, hb, 319pp, 9780385545150 / Fleet, 2023, £20.00, hb, 336pp, 9780349727646

Second in a trilogy, Crook Manifesto is a brisk ride that tears through 1970s Harlem until each projected act of violence erupts mid-paragraph, almost unexpectedly. In part 1 (1971, during the Knapp Commission police corruption investigation, the BLA and the Black Panthers) furniture salesman/former fence Ray Carney (Harlem Shuffle), doomed by his past, is highjacked by a corrupt policeman. The action brims over with colloquialisms, street crooks, furniture styles, and dead bodies. Harlem is portrayed in clear-eyed, unsentimental prose, sans clichés of the genre crime story, and no crime-solving detective. Women play minor parts. But in part 2 Blaxploitation is the 1970s topic when a film actress goes on the lam; part 3 builds on the theme of arson, returning Carney into a final tight plotline and a sense of what’s at stake, now that Harlem is burning and scorching his showroom. The dialogue is often pared-down patter, mixed into indirect discourse, and an unknown narrator tags the landscape with

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popular brands, trendy names, and cultural phenomena of its own distinct decade: “tight polyester polos and Muscle Beach physique. . . Jack LaLanne.” Chapters open with punchy prose, punctuated rhythms, alliterative sounds, and visual detail: “There were a hundred ways to announce that you were crooked and a hundred ways to un-announce it. You can peacock it up like a pimp, hang your shingle in polyester plumage. Push the latest high on a street corner.” The camera sweeps across Harlem’s streets and population who live and die among the corruption, crime, fire, drugs. Crook Manifesto feels like a frank contemporary record, as if a 1970s film crew were let loose onto a living moving world of crime and struggle, unlikely to have been produced and directed by the white culture’s camera. Christina Nellas Acosta

CHASING THE DRAGON Mark Wightman, Hobeck Books, 2023, £9.99, pb, 326pp, 9781915817181

Singapore, 1940. A dead body is found awash in the sea, wrapped in a net. Just another dead “Oriental” would not have mattered, but this body is a white man’s. The official line is clear – it was an accident. But Detective Inspector Betancourt does not kowtow to hierarchy. Things are murky. The dead man, it seems, has consumed spurious opium. Now, this is suspicious, because “government (opium) is the highest quality”. What was a white man doing with sub-standard opium? There is an interesting conversation about a doctor whose de-addiction clinic is in trouble: “Why didn’t he get the police involved?”. “I don’t suppose he saw any point. The government wasn’t in favour of the clinic. The idea that opium addiction was an illness that could be treated didn’t fit with their view of it being an intrinsic weakness in the Oriental character, not to mention it being bad for opium sales. Apparently, they were delighted when it was closed down.” The backdrop of a licensed opium trade is just one of the many things that makes Chasing the Dragon an atmospheric police procedural. Wightman captures the flavours and foods of Singapore (including durians, roti prata, and Hokkien mee), class dynamics (as a Eurasian, Betancourt remains on the fringes of high society), and details of place. This Singaporean reviewer learned a thing or two about the Singapore of 1940 from Betancourt. As DI Betancourt negotiates the many twists in the tale – including a rather explosive episode, a high-stakes archaeological dispute, illicit love, and an unexpected knockout – he remains true to his simplistic view of his job: “One thing leads to another. It’s my job to follow the trail”. The narrative does lose a thread or two, but on the whole, this is a cracking good whodunnit with historical and social commentary. A. K. Kulshreshth

THE LOST BOYS OF BARLOWE THEATER Jaime Jo Wright, Bethany House, 2023, $17.99/£13.99, pb, 384pp, 9780764241444

The Barlowe Theater is haunted. There are rumors of “lost boys” who went missing one night in 1915, and a ghostly apparition of a woman in white. Now it seems history is repeating itself when Kit’s closest friend goes missing while leading TV show hosts through the bowels of the theater. In this dual-timeline Christian fiction mystery, two women will risk everything for answers. For Kit, it’s her missing friend; for Greta, it’s the mystery of her brother’s disappearance within Barlowe Theater. Greta is on the brink of being sent to the poorhouse with her younger brothers. She struggles against a society that only sees her low-class station while trying to keep her family together and searching for her missing brother, which puts her at odds with the town’s wealthiest resident and theater owner: Mr. Barlowe. Jaime Jo Wright has an impressive resume when it comes to writing compelling dual-timeline tales of women overcoming obstacles. In this book, Wright leans heavily on paranormal elements, conjuring up plenty of chillingly spooky moments in the narrative. The timeline-specific stories blend seamlessly together as two women search for those they love. While typically Wright’s stories suck me in quickly, I found the character of Kit frustrating. She has wounds she is dealing with, which keep me rooting for her. At the same time, she’s constantly running into unnecessary risks and doesn’t listen to those around her or consider different points of view. She makes the same mistakes and gains little information. Overall, this is a compelling story of class division, family secrets, and trust. There are so many twists and turns, it will keep readers at the edge of their seats. And if you love a good haunted theater yarn, look no further. J. Lynn Else

A VOLGA TALE Guzel Yakhina (trans. Polly Gannon), Europa, 2023, $28.00, hb, 512pp, 9781609459345

A Volga Tale tells a tale of two worlds on opposite sides of the Volga River. On the left bank is the endless steppe and Gnadenthal, a small village within the Republic of Volga Germans (immigrants by invitation of Catherine the Great). Here we meet Jacob Bach, the village schoolteacher – a small, unprepossessing man with an unremarkable life. On the right bank are the forests and mountains, and Udo Grimm’s bustling homestead. Bach is summoned by Grimm to educate his daughter Klara. He has never crossed the Volga and is charmed by this fairytale-like community. Surely Klara must be an enchantingly beautiful young woman, but she is kept hidden behind a linen screen, and he is forbidden to lay eyes on her. This makes for some amusing scenes. Grimm and his household return to Germany,

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but Klara runs to Bach in Gnadenthal, where he fearfully gazes upon her lovely face. The couple sets up a household in Grimm’s deserted farm, living an isolated life. Eventually we find Bach alone with the responsibility of baby Antje, and his steadfast care as she grows shows his gentle, caring side. Bach’s fierce fatherly love combined with the eccentric, timid man makes a unique, dimensional character. As the Volga River runs through the center of Russia, it is also central to this novel. Bach occasionally ventures across the river to Gnadenthal to witness momentous events over 20 years, 1918-1938. Through his eyes we see the devastation of the Russian Revolution, the social and economic changes of Lenin’s regime, Stalin’s tyranny, and devastating famines of both regimes. From an English-only reader, both Gannon’s translation and Yakhina’s writing are undeniably brilliant. Sentences are rich with description and characterization, and replete with atmosphere. This is a wonderfully quirky novel, at times humorous, at times dark with fear and terror, and interspersed with themes of human resilience. Janice Ottersberg

BROTHERS BY HONOR Janet Yeager, The Wild Rose Press, 2023, $19.99, pb, 370pp, 9781509249589

This debut novel captures the tension and intrigue surrounding resistance activities during the German occupation of Norway in the early 1940s. Teenager Kory Mowat has envisioned a planned and ordered life when all is derailed by the German occupation. Joining the local resistance group, almost as a lark, he and his friends become embroiled in the hidden sinister demands that emerge, not a game to be taken lightly. Mowat soon discovers that his own strengths and weakness, along with personal loyalties, will be severely tested. This is a detailed narrative told in the first person with compelling dialogue; the reader is immersed in complex personal relationships. Long-standing friendships are strained while new and promising associations temporarily form and dissolve. The overall tension of living under a foreign regime forces inhabitants into previously unimagined ways to exist and maintain a semblance of normality. Mortal danger lurks, ever-present, as the war evolves. Yeager offers a comprehensive portrait of a young man confronting a new world. Mowat must decide how and in what ways he might aid the local resistance endeavors, or should he even embrace, as many of his peers have already done, this uncertain reality? As the humiliation of restrictions becomes increasingly severe with

identity cards, photos, police sweeps, food rationing, curfews, along with a censored media, the accentuation rises. Overarching the totality of the experience, what might be accomplished by minor acts of defiance, and what are the possible consequences? This thoughtful and realistically grounded novel explores complex and intertwined notions. There is no set-piece denouement; rather, the reader is left to ponder how the remaining years of young Mowat might evolve. Jon G. Bradley

M U LT I -P E R IOD WHEN WE WERE ENEMIES Emily Bleeker, Lake Union, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 347pp, 9781662509889

PR agent Elise comes from Hollywood royalty. Her mother and grandmother are megastars, yet the limelight has never held any allure for her. It takes a lot of convincing from her fiancé and mother to persuade her to participate in a documentary about her grandmother’s life as a young woman in Indiana. Before she was Vivian Snow, Vivian Santini worked by day as a secretary/ translator at an Italian POW camp and by night as a USO singer. The documentary is supposed to follow Elise as she prepares to get married in the same chapel where her grandparents wed. But things her grandmother told her don’t align with the facts the film crew digs up. Uncovering the secrets of her grandmother’s past makes Elise question everything, including what she really wants for the future. Bleeker successfully blends a contemporary story with Vivian’s life in the 1940s. WWII is a popular time period for historical fiction, and it can be hard to find a story with a new angle. The novel’s focus on Italian POWs living on American soil is different and highlights a subject many readers may not be familiar with. Her description of camp rules and life is well-researched and provides insight into the treatment of Italians during the war. And the star of the novel, Vivian, really shines; her life before stardom is so interesting and layered that it leaves the reader wanting more. I would love a second book following her character’s path as she becomes a Hollywood starlet and later a seasoned actress. Janice Derr

THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR Tea Cooper, Harper Muse, 2023, $18.99, pb, 400pp, 9781400245178

1922 Sydney. Verity Binks wants to be a reporter like her father and grandfather, but with soldiers coming home from the Great War, she loses her low-level job at the newspaper. Thinking she can sell articles as a stringer, she looks for a good story. She attends the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball, which leads her to the Treadwell Foundation,

a charity that purports to help unmarried pregnant women, which then leads her to investigate her own family’s past. 1868 Morpeth. Clarrie and her beau Sidney Binks can’t afford to get married, and when Clarrie gets pregnant, she loses her job. She is temporarily hired at the Breckenridge estate. Most of the family are in Sydney for the season, but open-minded naturalist painter and butterfly-lover Theodora has stayed in Morpeth. Clarrie is hired as maid of all work and as a chaperone for when Theodora goes exploring with her friend, Redmond, Sid’s boss and owner of the local newspaper. But what will Clarrie do when the baby comes and the rest of the Breckenridges return? Cooper skillfully brings these settings to life. Verity flies around Sydney on her bicycle, trying to make a place for herself in a man’s world. Clarrie and Sid struggle in Morpeth, living where they work, trying to be a family when their salaries aren’t enough to support a single person. Through the excursions of Theodora and Redmond, the author brings to life the natural environment of the eastern coast of Australia: the birds, water, plants, and strange arrival of the Monarch butterfly. The novel covers many topics, including Australia’s difficult history of baby farming. The several plot threads keep your attention and weave together into an exciting conclusion. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

ONE PUZZLING AFTERNOON Emily Critchley, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2023, $16.99, pb, 368pp, 9781728287164

Set in 1951 and 2018 in a fictional English village, One Puzzling Afternoon unspools the events leading up to the disappearance of fifteen-year-old Lucy. The story’s told through patchy memories of Lucy’s friend Edie, now that Edie is eighty-two and suffering from dementia. Elderly Edie is suddenly struck by the need to find Lucy to demonstrate to her son that she is still capable of living independently. The reader stays sympathetic to Edie and her mystery-solving mission even while recognizing with growing certainty that Edie has already lost the battle for independence. But however irrational her justification to herself is, her need to know what happened to Lucy has a deeper, emotionally-driven source that becomes more compelling as the novel proceeds. Critchley succeeds in depicting Edie’s dementia realistically, with all the inherent frustrations for her and everyone around her, while keeping the reader solidly on Edie’s side. The twisty, emotionally complex, character-driven mystery at the novel’s heart provides page-turning forward momentum. The gentle, loving depiction of Edie, both as a lonely, wounded teenager and slipping adult, adds depth without cliché or oversimplification. Critchley explores the repercussions when a teenager compels a friend to keep a dangerous secret as well as the corroding effect of that promise as it

ripples across Edie’s life, however well lived. A passage from the first chapter shows Critchley’s graceful style while introducing both these themes and the central focus on memory: “I… pop one of the tiny disks in my mouth. The taste is sweet and soapy. They remind me of spring flowers and warm days, of cycling down to the sea with the sun on my face, of secret whispers and kept promises.” Judith Starkston

THE PROSPECTORS Ariel Djanikian, William Morrow, 2023, $30.00/C$37.00, hb, 384pp, 9780063289734

When Alice Bush’s sister and brother-inlaw strike gold in the Klondike, becoming celebrated and indescribably wealthy, she joins them in the Yukon as cook and companion, hoping to pin her star to theirs and become something other than the plain, middle daughter of a failed California fruit farmer. But Alice isn’t the only one hoping to rise with their success. Working on the claim are two with similar aspirations—Jim, a shrewd Tlingit man, and his beautiful sister Jane. A theft, a lie, and a tragedy cast a black cloud over the family’s fortune and haunt Alice as she returns to California. In the present-day, Alice’s great-great granddaughter Anna travels to the Yukon on her elderly grandfather’s behalf. He wants to make reparations to Jane’s descendants, for what he believes was mistreatment by his white ancestors, with a generous bequest. But carrying out his wishes is not as simple, especially when the rest of her large family hears about this division of their inheritance and descends on the Yukon in a modern-day “gold rush.” Ariel Djanikian has written an intriguing and needed take on the Gold Rush novel, one based on her own family history as a descendant of the real Alice Bush. In Djanikian’s able hands, Alice’s story is not just one of American wealth built from hard work and daring, as are many set during the Gold Rush, but one of white wealth stolen from Native land on the backs of exploited Native labor. Djanikian grapples with moral arguments about land, resources, labor, and capitalism and manages to do so without weighing down her rich and wellwritten narrative. The Prospectors glows with immersive prose, complex characters, and an evocative setting. Recommended. Jessica Brockmole

JUST ONCE Karen Kingsbury, Atria, 2023, $27.99/£20.00, hb, 336pp, 9781982104443

In 1941, in Bloomington, Indiana, pretty Irvel Holland is busy with her studies at university and, while dating Sam, is secretly enamored with his younger brother, Hank. Irvel and Hank have been friends since their school days. While Hank is also in love with Irvel, he does not confess it to her. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sam is drafted and sent off to war. Naturally, working together, Irvel and Hank’s love is

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rekindled. Due to her mathematics skills, Irvel is recruited to serve as a spy by the Office of Strategic Services but must keep it a secret. Upon hearing all the disturbing news from the war fronts, and despite Sam’s advice, Hank enlists in the Marines and is sent to serve in the Pacific. Some devastating news is received. Irvel wonders if she has lost everything and will find love again. In her author’s note, Karen Kingsbury mentions the interesting way she developed this novel’s plot. While writing her acclaimed books The Baxters Series, she “met” Irvel at the fictitious Adult Care Home mentioned early in the novel and decided to tell her story. Indeed, the biographical writing style adds realism and appeal. The pre- and post-WWII era in the USA and the norms of that period are well presented to transport the readers into the scenes’ settings. The war and details of the battle scenes are well narrated, with just enough details to keep us engrossed in the story. Alzheimer’s is introduced delicately towards the end. Some readers will be reminded of the similarity to Nicholas Sparks’s praised novel The Notebook. The framed story structure using the discovery of old videotapes is unique. Recommended. Waheed Rabbani

THE MEASURE OF SILENCE Elizabeth Langston, Lake Union, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 367pp, 9781662510632

When President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, it changed lives across America. Langston uses this seminal moment as her starting point for a series of tragic events in The Measure of Silence. In the present day, Jessica and Raine are adult sisters whose Papa (grandfather) has just passed away. Their grandmother, Mimi, has been in a dementia home for several years. Sometimes she knows them; mostly she doesn’t. Raine and Jessica’s father, a lawyer, has been entrusted with a key to Papa’s close-held secrets, setting the sisters on the trail of things Papa felt his granddaughters should know. As they follow the meandering path of old photographs, 8mm reels, and documents, layers of lies are exposed – a conspiracy of silence which began in 1963, carefully guarded by Mimi, then by Papa, their mother, and even their father, each burying the select parts they knew of the whole. Papa didn’t meet Mimi until 1964, so what happened in 1963 to presage such a cover-up? The only person in possession of all the facts is Mimi, and her memories are deep and inaccessible, and time is running out. Moving smoothly between present day and the early Sixties through the Eighties, the novel explores the ripples of silence which reverberate through generations, whilst placing touching significance on the sisters’ individuality, as they re-evaluate their lives, work and loves, and manage their grief both together and alone. The root causes of Mimi’s silence are methodically tracked, so expertly managed that the events ring with evident truth. This poignant novel tells of trauma, abuse, young 52

love, secrets, lies and estranged family, mutely asking the sisters to walk a while in Mimi’s shoes. A lovely story of family dynamics told with warmth and understanding. Fiona Alison

A STORM OF INFINITE BEAUTY Julianne MacLean, Lake Union, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 292pp, 9781542036726

In March 1964, a terrible earthquake hit Valdez, Alaska, causing devastation and loss of life. The psychological reverberations from this disaster carried on for many years afterwards in the lives of the people who survived it. In this dual-timeline novel, one such person, Valerie, is a fictional character who then goes on to live a famous life in Hollywood after this experience. In the current time, a museum established in Valerie’s honor in her hometown of Nova Scotia is run by the second major character in this story, Gwen, who is a relative of Valerie’s and no stranger to grief herself. Gwen crosses paths with Peter, an aspiring writer, who has come across potentially new and previously unknown information about Valerie before she became famous. The novel unfolds in two periods of time, beginning with Gwen and Peter looking for what happened to Valerie before her years of fame occurred, while the actual events of Valerie’s life are interwoven with their ongoing pursuit. The reader is swept along on a tide of sadness and grief in both time periods that is then followed by a sense of hope and beauty unfolding in the lives of both Gwen and Valerie. The beauty of the physical landscape after a disaster becomes a metaphor for the sense of beauty that can emerge after grief. The perfectly apt title comes from words written by the naturalist John Muir, who conceived of the universe as a place of both violence and beauty. Karen Bordonaro

NORTH WOODS Daniel Mason, Random House, 2023, $28.00, hb, 384pp, 9780593597033 / John Murray, 2023, £16.99, hb, 384pp, 9781399809283

From the moment two forbidden lovers – the prospective wife of an abusive minister and a reported troublemaker she ironically met at church – flee their repressive Puritan colony for the remote woods of western Massachusetts, the cabin they build in a mountain clearing becomes the setting for an astonishing collection of events across the centuries. In twelve chapters that press forward in time and evoke the different seasons, Mason reveals the transformative magic inherent in an ordinary place. Humanity and nature intermix, spurring small and large changes, and the layers of the past remain with us, albeit occasionally taking different, surprising forms. While the different time periods aren’t formally signposted, each can be determined through the reading, and the chapters show impressive virtuosity in terms of period-suitable

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

language, format, and characterization. In the anonymous “Nightmaids Letter,” a young wife who survives an Indian attack describes a scene of attempted vengeance and the shocking aftermath. An English veteran of the French and Indian War dedicates his life to his apple orchard; his twin daughters grow old while attempting to continue his legacy. Deep human emotion winds through the pages: loneliness, jealousy, passion, family ties, concealed and thwarted desire, along with beautiful reflections on the natural world, from the echo of songbirds to death and decay. A painter’s ongoing letters to his writer friend are among the most poignant sections. Over the novel’s course, it feels especially rewarding (with some great “aha” moments for the reader) to see earlier episodes reappear as historical artifacts or tales down the road. Just like in life, the process of historical discovery can be incredible or frustrating, since mysteries from the past sometimes stay that way. The last two chapters, full of revelation, put the entire story-landscape into greater and more wondrous perspective. This wisely compassionate and refreshingly different literary epic is an excellent read. Sarah Johnson

THE UNPICKING Donna Moore, Fly on the Wall Press, 2023, £10.99, pb, 236pp, 9781915789051

Stirling, 1877: Lillias Gilfillan, an orphaned sixteen-year-old, elopes with a man who tells her he has expectations but instead steadily eats into her inheritance, chooses the servants, and isolates her from her only relative; the first of the Married Women’s Property Acts proves its inadequacy. Lillias herself borders on what my grandmother would have called ‘a bit simple’; she is passive in the face of the stripping of her fortune and then incarceration, Wilkie Collins fashion, in an asylum. By contrast, her granddaughter, in the last section of the book, proves to be anything but. But women of Lillias’s time and place had pitifully few rights, and any real defence could only have been put up by a father or other male relatives. The novel takes up the story of Lillias’s daughter Clemmie in 1894; she is confined to a Glasgow home for ‘wayward girls’ where she does all she can to protect a younger companion from a paedophile ring, including infiltrating a notorious Lock hospital (for syphilis cases). Finally, in 1919, in the breathlessly thrilling third part of the book, Clemmie’s own child Mabel, a rare policewoman, finally tracks

down the sinister and predatory ‘Jingling Devil.’ Moore’s novel is impeccably researched (especially in her coverage of the primitive remedies for the ‘foul disease’), her characters have a convincing voice, and she resists the temptation to see justice neatly done – not plausible in that time or place. The novel’s veracity is enhanced by the introduction of Gertie Gitana in a variety programme at Frank Matcham’s now lost Glasgow Coliseum and Manny Shinwell’s role in a vivid recreation of the 40 Hours Movement unrest of 1919. Katherine Mezzacappa

UNSETTLED Patricia Reis, Sibylline Press, 2023, $19.00/ C$28.95, pb, 363pp, 9781736795484

Immigrant German pioneer farming families in Iowa provide the historical setting for this novel, a fictionalized story of the author’s own family roots. The main character in the present day, Van Reinhardt, is a historian on a genealogical research quest, put in motion by her recently deceased father. Travelling back to Iowa, she immerses herself in the pioneer history of the area based on the lives of family members pictured in a family portrait from 1900. As she searches, she deals with her own personal trauma stemming from her stilted childhood and young adulthood that parallels in some ways her ancestors’ trials and tribulations. What follows is not only an awakening of her own selfhood and her place in her family’s history, but also a deeper understanding of the idea of history and how it is recorded, described, and understood. This dual-timeline novel gives voice to both Van and her ancestor Tante Kate, strong-minded women in two different eras of American history who are connected to each other through both family ties and experiences of family trauma. The language of the novel is quite lyrical and evocative in creating connections between characters and moments in time. Recommended for all readers who yearn to find the human stories in family history research. Karen Bordonaro

THE ROARING DAYS OF ZORA LILY Noelle Salazar, MIRA, 2023, $18.99, pb, 400pp, 9780778305200

Greta Garbo’s white satin gown from the 1923 film, The Star, is the centerpiece at the Smithsonian’s Hollywood Glamour Exhibition in 2023. As a costume curator is fitting the alluring gown, designed by Michele Clémente, famous designer of the ‘20s and ‘30s, onto a mannequin, the tag flutters to the floor, revealing the elegantly stitched name of Zora Lily. Recognizing that the gown’s design was a divergence from Clémente’s signature demure, high neckline, she wonders, “Who is Zora Lily?” Noelle Salazar immerses readers in the

dreams of a young, hardworking seamstress from a poverty-stricken family in Seattle of 1924. A tragedy leaves Zora Hough as the family breadwinner, dashing her dreams of becoming a famous designer like Coco Chanel. Using perfectly aligned stitches, Salazar pieces together a stunning masterpiece, from the fringe on the speakeasy costumes for Zora’s best friend, Rose, to the unlikely attention from a wealthy businessman, Harley, and his bootleggers slithering around Prohibition, and the frantic sewing rooms backstage on Hollywood shows. Salazar sets an emotional stage filled with happiness from the noise, joyful laughter, and connection between Zora and her siblings and contrasts it with the stilted staff, jealousy, and anxiousness in the living rooms of the wealthy. The welldeveloped characters and Zora’s childhood recollections reveal the prejudices regarding her family, her drunken father, and the lasting impact of hurtful words. Salazar weaves raw emotion through the ups and downs of Zora’s determination, heartbreak, and self-doubt as hopes and dreams lead her from the grey skies of Seattle to sunny California. Like a movie star’s fur stole, the Hollywood Glamour Exhibition wraps the novel in glittering mystery. On opening night, the mannequins’ faces and delicate costumes swirl elegantly into place as the perfectly fitting answer to “Who is Zora Lily?” is unveiled. Dorothy Schwab

T I M E SL I P CALICO Lee Goldberg, Severn House, 2023, $31.99/£21.99, hb, 320pp, 9781448310135

Calico is a parallel-narrative, time-slip historical thriller in which we meet Beth McDade, a homicide detective in Barstow, California in 2019. Called to the scene of an accident involving the fatal collision of a motor home with a vagrant, she finds things don’t quite add up. Apart from anything else, the filthy man’s clothing looks about a century old, which could mean he’s been living rough, off the grid. Other strange anomalies are apparent in the skeletal contents of a coffin found at a building site. Meanwhile a YouTube wannabe chef disappears without trace. Beth’s curiosity kicks in fast, her thoughts seconded by the coroner. Barely into her investigation, she is tracked by powerful forces and threatened to drop it or risk her career. But, of course, she can’t. Then: a lightning storm, an unexplained disappearance, explosions at two military bases, a highway bus accident, and the motorhome accident. Beth needs to find the connection. Beth is a savvy, streetwise cop who’s made mistakes and paid for them, but whose sense of fair play is admirable. Basing his novel on the actual silver mining ghost town of Calico, now a California State Park, Goldberg paints an unapologetically unsanitary, malodorous 1880s Calico, where sewers and drainage are

non-existent, and water and bathing almost so. The desert dust works its way into every nook and cranny, in both contemporary and historical settings, which are equally compelling and leave the reader breathless for more. A cleverly complex plot wreathed in Goldberg’s brilliant humour makes this a rocket-paced story; a minutely researched historical tale with a sci-fi twist which imparts a message to accept the lot we are given and make the best job of circumstances that we can. Goldberg’s protagonist certainly does. This novel, where wryly amusing moments abound, comes highly recommended. Fiona Alison

THE GIRL WHO TRIED TO CHANGE HISTORY Melissa Kaplan, Bold Story Press, 2023, $17.99, pb, 242pp, 9781954805422

2009: What would you do if a mysterious man sat down beside you in the park and offered you a chance to travel in time? That is what happened to Vivienne Riley, a PhD history student specializing in World War II. She accepts and is tasked with saving children in Germany prior to the war as part of an experiment to see if these children would have made a difference in the world. When she arrives in pre-war London in 1939, she meets handsome, kind RAF pilot Andrew Sheffield. As history begins to unfold and bombs begin to fall, Vivienne tries to help the war effort while desperately hoping for Andrew and herself to survive and stay together. In time travel stories, there must be a distinct method of travel, as well as rules set by the author. The method of time travel is not completely revealed in this book. It is just made clear that it is advanced, secret technology and in the form of an object. The bearer of the object, Gunther, serves as a rather unlikable guide throughout. There is also a rule about death that is unique and interesting, as well as one forbidding involvement in the lives of others. This is mainly a story of how profoundly people can impact each other, and how even the smallest interaction can cause big changes. The ugliness of war is also explored, as Vivienne struggles while watching the events she has always studied in books come alive. This is a thoughtful, vivid portrayal of World War II London and Germany, and the impact one person can make on the world. Anyone interested in World War II history and time travel fiction will enjoy this novel. Bonnie DeMoss

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UNTIL THEN Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall, Tyndale House, 2023, $26.99, hb, 358pp, 9781496483263

In this standalone timeslip novel, Celeste and Vin Lantz live in 1985 Pennsylvania. They are Old Order Amish, and while Vin is a respected carpenter, his hobby of sketching portraits is considered idolatry. When he and Celeste argue about this, he leaves to be alone for a while and find peace. Instead, he is transported back in time to 1822 Ohio. Here he struggles to survive, to make friends, to help slaves trying to escape from the American South, and most of all, to get back to his own time and family. Celeste battles grief and the pain of not knowing what happened to her husband. She deals with a lack of social support and money. Trying to support herself and her children, she undertakes to continue Vin’s carpentry business. I liked the brave, deserving characters working tirelessly to be with those they loved, although the difficulties seemed insurmountable. The plotting is cluttered. I thought there was too much story packed into one book, and toward the end, the time travel element just started to be silly. I’d have preferred to see two books, one a historical novel showing how abolitionists, some of them Amish, helped enslaved people reach freedom. The second book would be a contemporary novel dealing with a young Amish couple trying to raise their children with Amish values in the modern world. Elizabeth Knowles

H I STOR IC A L FA N TA SY NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY Mary J. Carter, The Wild Rose Press, 2023, $16.99, pb, 266pp, 9781509250660

On a blustery summer night in 1947, a trespasser approaches the ruined house that once was called Cairy Hollow. Seeing the flicker of a candle flame inside, he approaches, then greets the old woman who flings open the front door. He’s eager to hear her tell “the story of the house, the power that destroyed it, and the wild souls that possess it now.” That story begins and ends on a single day— October 31, 1925—as the house’s owner, John Cairy, prepares for the Halloween Ball that will formalize the engagement of his niece, Civette Middleton, to her beau, Richard Marlow. It is inhabited by fantastical creatures: the sleek, dark Raven Ladies Mirth and Sorrow, the small man with a horned head, coal-like eyes, and crooked nose who calls himself Captain Balefire, and the amalgam, a pumpkinheaded scarecrow who’s been brought to life as the handsome Sir Adrian Bramwell. There are also the current and previous occupants of Cairy Hollow and the cottage nearby. Labeled as a New England Gothic fairy tale, the novel reimagines “Featherhead,” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story about a 54

scarecrow come to life, and its title borrows from the poem by Robert Frost. The novel floats on lyrical imagery and at the same time mines deep emotions: revenge, regret, realization. Readers hear the messages wildflowers send, shudder as forces shake the foundation of Cairy Hollow, and worry when Adrian must face the Glass of Truth. When the paths of the mystical and natural world cross, the overall effects are unexpected and tumultuous, yet the end results are individual, intimate, and deeply moving. Extraordinary. K. M. Sandrick

THE BOTTLE CONJUROR John Kachuba and Jack Gagliardo, Beck & Branch, 2023, $14.99, pb, 252pp, 9798852645807

In the first historical fantasy novel of The Bottle Conjuror series, authors John Kachuba and Jack Gagliardo try to portray a crosssection of London society in the reign of George II. The king’s son and his aristocratic rival, the precariously middle-class owner of the Haymarket Theatre, and a working-class girl with a talent as a pickpocket populate the novel alongside Stefan, the aspiring conjuror. He is a Romani youth born with a twisted leg and yet the one who aspires to perform the trick of disappearing into a wine bottle. This yearning makes him—and the young workingclass girl who befriends him as they both assist a faux-magician—vulnerable to being pawns in the designs of the higher-class characters. Ultimately, these schemes are the most interesting part of The Bottle Conjuror. Nearly every character is self-interested—some comically and ineptly so, some with cool competence, and some even with hints of revenge. Readers may enjoy rooting against them. The more innocent characters are, however, mostly annoyingly naive to a degree that breaks belief. Despite a heavy reliance on outright stating the characters’ emotions and a tendency to make them sound implausibly naive one minute and then implausibly wise the next, the novel does give the reader a sense of Georgian London, and a plausible potential backstory to one of the great unexplained incidents of the time. For readers interested in the atmosphere of that period, the novel is worth a look. Yet for deeper characterization that is better handled, look elsewhere. Irené Colthurst

THE POMEGRANATE GATE Ariel Kaplan, Erewhon, 2023, $29.00, hb, 576pp, 9781645660576

In The Pomegranate Gate, Kaplan builds two parallel worlds. One is based on Inquisitionera Spain. The other, the realm of the semiimmortal Maziks, is far more fantastical, and is inspired by Jewish folklore and mysticism. Jews faintly remember Maziks, but as old wives’ tales, except for the humans with intermixed bloodlines who retain traces of magic. Passage between the worlds comes through a gate in

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

a magical pomegranate grove during the full moon. Maziks cannot survive in the human world after the moon sets, but humans can live in either. The novel’s world-building is rich and fully developed. The complexity of the conspiracies and betrayals will keep readers guessing. A secretive Inquisition-like institution manipulates Mazik kings and society even more disturbingly than the historical one. The plot involves drawing two humans into these poisonous politics, along with the mysterious heirlooms they possess, an amulet and a book, to save this immortal realm from self-destructive autocracy. As the first of a trilogy, the ending leaves some plot elements unresolved. The two main characters, Toba and Naftaly, are humans with Mazik connections they do not understand. They are both endearingly quirky and faulty. For example, “Naftaly was a tailor… somewhat lacking in his ability to perform basic tasks, such as sewing in a straight line. His father insisted he would improve. It did not seem to matter much to the trajectory of his life that he had not done so… What he wanted, more than anything, was to be a help to his parents rather than a hindrance, but he’d failed rather spectacularly in that regard.” Being heroic is the last thing either would expect of themselves, and yet both win over other characters’ loyalties and the reader’s heart. This trilogy will appeal most to readers who recognize its clever uses of Jewish lore, but it’s top-notch for all readers of historical fantasy. Judith Starkston

SONS OF DARKNESS Gourav Mohanty, Head of Zeus, 2023, £25.00, hb, 645pp, 9781035900237

Senator Krishna, leader of the Mathuran Republic, has a cunning plan to save the caste-free Republic he has created. Years of war have brought the Republic to its knees. A year-long truce has given the Senator the chance he needs. A chance he seizes with both hands. Unfortunately for the Senator, his rivals and enemies, who are many, have their own ideas and plans – and the Gods, long ignored and forgotten have decided that it is time for them to assert themselves. Throw in assassins, priests, warriors, war, a griffin and a bunch of self-serving, murdering, totally bonkers characters, and you have a totally brilliant novel by a new force in historical fantasy. To describe the plot in detail would detract from the sheer enjoyment of reading this superb novel. It is a brilliant reimagining of Indian mythology with a nod to Game of Thrones, which the author acknowledges at the beginning. This is a saga of magic, deadly politics, war and outrageous ambition, superbly written. This is historical fantasy at its very best. I can’t wait for the next instalment. Highly recommended. Mike Ashworth

A SEASON OF MONSTROUS CONCEPTIONS Lina Rather, Tordotcom, 2023, $20.99, hb, 160pp, 9781250884015

Sarah Davis is a midwife’s apprentice in London, ten years after the Black Plague outbreak and Great Fire of 1666. Historians of the time called 1666 the annus mirabilis – year of wonders – and Sarah is aware that the unexplainable has become even more common in the ensuing decade. She has witnessed an increasing frequency of what ordinary folk call monstrous births – infants delivered bearing wings, gills, horns, tails – and what she and her mentor, Mrs. June, call touches of the “Other Place.” In this historical fantasy, such people are “marked” by uncanny forces; those who survive their birth are able to perform magical feats of healing and foresight – extremely useful talents for a midwife, but dangerous for a woman in Restoration London. Sarah is one of these, and while attending the pregnant wife of the genius architect Sir Christopher Wren, she perceives the approach of dark forces that threaten the very fabric of reality. She must overcome her own grim past and desire for power in order to save her city and the woman she loves. Rather makes a fascinating contribution to the growing genres of historical fantasy and LGBTQ+ speculative fiction with this atmospheric novella. She packs a lot of action and character development into a short narrative, and readers will hope for more of her eerie London setting. Kristen McDermott

THE PRIEST’S WIFE A. G. Rivett, Pantolwen Press, 2023, £9.99, pb, 325pp, 9781739362317

Set on a fictional island between Ireland and Scotland sometime ‘early in the second millennium’, this series (this is Book Two) qualifies as historical fantasy but nonetheless reflects real historical tensions. When Morag’s husband Hugh, the parish priest, dies, her adopted son Dhion—a time-traveller from the future introduced in Book One, The Seaborne— his wife Shinane, and the other villagers help her with her loss. Shinane is carrying new life: twins. Having lost her husband, Morag will have to vacate the priest’s house. She feels she has lost her place in the island’s society and even feels alienated from her new grandchildren. She travels to Kimmoil, her birthplace two days north, to discover the identity of her own mother and embarks on a spiritual awakening. Her welcome in Kimmoil is less than warm; the town is suffering from an outbreak of scurvy. She meets the daughter of her halfbrother, Sorcha, as unloved as she had been, and brings her back with her. After Hugh’s death, the villagers look to Morag for pastoral and ritual care, but when the new priest, Aidan, arrives, he tries to pull the parish away from their traditional druidic beliefs and

customs, now deemed heretical, and butts heads with the shareg (headman). The novel is beautifully written and evocative of the culture of the time; no anachronistic language intrudes upon the beautiful picture. This is a misty, green world, where the Otherworld of the Sidhe is not so distant from life among the living. A doctor, crofter and ordained minister himself, Rivett understands the tight relationship of the peasants with the land and the seasons and their religious ideas and practices. The contrast between the ‘nature-affirming’ Celtic faith and the ‘nature-denying’ Catholic is very much part of the dynamic between Aidan and Morag. Susie Helme

THE WITCH’S LENS Luanne G. Smith, 47North, 2023, $16.99/£8.99, pb, 255pp, 9781662510403

Set during WWI in the Carpathian Mountains, The Witch’s Lens adds a fantastical layer to the horror of the Great War. Alongside soldiers with rifles and artillery, witches wage battles with curses and spells, and something worse, the resurrected dead turned into bloodthirsty monsters. In a nearby city, Petra struggles after her husband goes to fight. He has left her a camera as a gift, and she wanders at night snapping pictures on instinct. Unseen ghosts appear in the developed pictures. She’s a witch, but for years she’s buried her abilities and never knew of this one. The novel reveals her complex past slowly, as a mysterious man recruits her into a band of witches to fight on the front. As counterweight to the novel’s grimness, Petra develops bonds of friendship that allow her and the others to perform extraordinary acts of courage to save ordinary soldiers like her husband. Smith develops the WWI historical world effectively and thus grounds the fantasy in a dark, gripping reality. However, her magical details are even more impressive, blending Eastern European folk motifs and legends with gruesome imagination. An early appearance of an undead soldier shows her talent for evocative description: “The stench of the creature’s breath and the clammy fishlike color of his skin nauseated her even from two meters away…a fully fleshed-out creature with teeth bared and bloodlust churning in its veins.” Smith puts the historical horrors of the “war to end all wars” through a prism that both amplifies and elucidates the degree of evil that war unleashes on the world, all while telling a spellbinding, captivating story. As antidote to this dark theme, Smith portrays the redeeming idea of loyalty and sacrifice that transcends evil. Judith Starkston

THE SCANDALOUS CONFESSIONS OF LYDIA BENNET, WITCH Melinda Taub, Grand Central, 2023, $27.00, hb, 400pp, 9781538739204 / Jo Fletcher, 2023, £20.00, hb, 400pp, 9781529426243

This historical fantasy is a variation on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in which the youngest Bennet sister is transformed into a witch. Nor is she the only one to undergo change. Several minor characters in the original are also witches, including Lydia’s Aunt Philips; her sister Kitty, her familiar, is originally a barn cat; and Wickham is a demon. Instead of a comedy of manners, the story becomes a conflict between those who make use of their supernatural abilities largely for benevolent purposes and those who seek to accumulate power for themselves. Lydia remains a headstrong and selfcentered teenager, but her motivations shift. Rather than merely thoughtless, she also displays courage and loyalty to her friends, whom she endeavours to protect from danger despite great personal risk. She offers some amusing observations about her family’s conduct; and Miss Georgiana Darcy’s transformation into a math prodigy by day and an owl by night is entertaining; but the primary focus shifts to the conflict between magic-users. As this widens, it grows increasingly confusing, but the warning against the temptation to misuse power becomes ever more forceful. I doubt Jane Austen would approve. Ray Thompson

MARION LANE AND THE RAVEN’S REVENGE T.A. Willberg, Park Row, 2023, $18.99/ C$23.99, pb, 304pp, 9780778334194

Willberg returns with a captivating third and final offering in the delightful, lightly steampunk Marion Lane series. It’s 1960 in London, and twenty-five-yearold Marion Lane is nearing the end of her final year as an apprentice at Miss Brickett’s Investigations and Inquiries, a secret detective agency that operates out of a warren of tunnels beneath the city. She’s enjoying her budding relationship with Kenny Hugo, an American Inquirer, and looking forward to her Induction Ceremony where she’ll finally be made an Inquirer herself, when her best friend’s girlfriend, Darcy, asks the agency for help evading the clutches of a dangerous criminal. Marion, of course, gets involved, but then Darcy disappears completely. When the agency receives a package containing a dead raven, Marion is certain she’s the gang’s next target. A decade ago, her mother had received an identical warning shortly before her death by suicide. Marion knows time is running out to solve the case and capture the person sending the dead ravens before someone, perhaps her, dies. Stuffed with action and whimsical gadgets, the novel takes readers on a fun

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ride through sort-of-alternate-but-mostlyrealistic midcentury London. And because this case is related to her mother’s death, Marion’s emotions are more highly wrought than in previous installments. Though Marion works to solve this case alone to protect her friends, the friendships are still front and center, keeping the earlier books’ emphases on love and loyalty. Willberg includes sufficient exposition that newbies to the series won’t be lost, but readers will likely feel more closely connected to the characters if they’ve read at least one of the previous books. Recommended. Sarah Hendess

A LT E R NAT E H I STORY LET THE DEAD BURY THE DEAD Allison Epstein, Doubleday, 2023, $28.00, hb, 368pp, 9780385549097

In her second novel, Allison Epstein blends the historical and the fabulous with an understated elegance. Set in an alternative pre-Revolutionary St. Petersburg of 181213, the novel begins with Sasha, a Russian captain, returning from the Napoleonic wars to his lover, the Grand Duke Felix. His nerves devastated by “the choke of gunfire [that] blotted out the sun” and “boys in tattered French uniforms … flesh blue and frozen stiff,” Sasha rescues a strange woman with hair the white of “feathers, of sun reflected off a frosted window.” He fears she is a vila (a malicious spirit), but attributes his unease to his maladjustment to peacetime. Yet he grows increasingly suspicious as the mysterious woman (Sofia) insinuates herself into the lives and ambitions of the other central characters, Grand Duke Felix and Marya, a revolutionary foot-soldier. The narrative moves between the three perspectives, as Sofia inflames their hearts and the very streets of St. Petersburg. Epstein’s storytelling echoes Sasha’s blurring of the modern and the mythical, of folklore and history. From her opening pages, Epstein upends the “order, regularity, precision,” associated with traditional masculinity. The soft and feckless Felix idles away his time in a luxurious exile, while Marya steals and fights for the starving workers and serfs. Yet gender often seems incidental to the main narrative and in the string of vila tales that Epstein weaves through it. Even in its most darkly realistic moments, the novel has an air of a dark, grim fable. As in her earlier A Tip for the Hangman, Epstein’s prose is both spare and deliciously visual. Childhood words hang in the curtains, bones yearn for heat. I savored this novel, reading it slowly, despite or perhaps because of its deceptively simple surface. Melissa Bloom Bissonette

RESISTANCE AND REVENGE Catherine McCullagh, Big Sky Publishing, 2023, A$29.99, pb, 350pp, 9781922896513 / $11.99, ebook, 350pp, 9781922896520

Louisa Carmody is the lady of a small local manor in an alternate 1941 England, which Germany has successfully invaded and now brutally occupies. Her husband and fatherin-law, Tom and William, fought in the short, hopeless battle against the invaders. Tom now suffers from PTSD, and William leads a clandestine resistance organization. Louisa must cope with her damaged husband, a German Oberst who wants not just her obedience but her approval, and all the privations and hardships of living under occupation. Tea? Not available; make your own from nettles. A lady of the manor daintily pouring the nettle tea? Forget it: Louisa’s on the job scrubbing floors and making mutton stew along with her cook and one remaining housemaid. What made this book really interesting to me were the horrific moral dilemmas faced daily by Louisa and by William and his fellow resistors. Whom do you trust? Whom do you dare to protect? Whom do you sacrifice for the greater good? Louisa is a wonderful character: dignified, quick-thinking, highly moral and yet tough and flexible enough to make those agonizing decisions. This is a well-plotted book, populated with fully developed, interesting characters. The author obviously did her research: the alternate history feels very plausible. And the constant rain over a period of almost two years adds to the dreary, threatening atmosphere of the story. I highly recommend this unusual take on World War Two, a topic that I thought had already been done to death in recent fiction. Kathryn Bashaar

CAHOKIA JAZZ Francis Spufford, Faber & Faber, 2023, £20.00, hb, 496pp, 9780571336876 / Scribner, 2024, $28.00, hb, 464pp, 9781668025451

It is 1922, and in a mythical city in the Midwestern United States an Aztec-style murder has been discovered on a rooftop. This sets off a chain of chaos and disruption, underlying tensions are exacerbated, and the police come under pressure to find the ‘right’ sort of suspects. At the centre of the narrative is Joe Barrow, a Native American police officer and would-be jazz musician. He struggles with his choice of career, his relationship with his work partner Phineas Drummond, and his

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

fascination by the enigmatic Moon (a member of the city’s traditional royal family). This is a world in which Native Americans survived European settlement in large numbers and in which a pocket of Aztec civilisation remains in the U.S. But in many other ways this is recognisably 1920s America. There are Prohibition and speakeasies, racial tension and the Ku Klux Klan, jazz and ornate architecture. But, with one group of citizens following a hereditary ruler, the power structure is different. Between the twists and turns of the narrative, there are different levels to the story. On the one hand, it is a complex murder mystery and its resolution. On the other it is the creation of a mythical society and its rituals, and the clash between different groups with different cultures and values, holding up a mirror to the real history of the 1920s. Then there is Barrow’s own journey of self-discovery, which in some ways I found the most interesting. A thoughtprovoking novel. Karen Warren

C H I LDR E N & YOU NG A DU LT ROSIE RAJA: Mission to Cairo Sufiya Ahmed, illus. Hazem Asif, Bloomsbury, 2023, £7.99, pb, 256pp, 9781801990103

September 1941, and Rosie Raja and her father visit a WAAF training school in England. The drive there has been, she surmises, an excuse to persuade Rosie, whose mother has died, to go to boarding school. But elevenyear old Rosie rejects school and insists on accompanying her father on his foreign mission. It’s a twist away from boarding school as a device to get the adults out of the way. Instead, Rosie joins the adults, participating in secret war briefings. Hence, Rosie goes to Cairo. The whole world, it seems, is here. There are people from across the British Empire: India, Australasia, Canada. There are Americans. And there are Nazi spies. And, of course, there are Egyptians, keen to build their recently independent nation. In the museum, Rosie meets Fatima, a young girl who wants to protect her country’s archaeological treasures. The city comes to life as Fatima shows Rosie the Pyramids, Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus, and Al-Azar Mosque. Rosie, of course, is drawn into her father’s spy mission, driving a story of mystery and danger. Including a child in briefings, trusting her with adult war secrets, challenged my belief – but, how else would a junior spy discover what’s going on? I was also puzzled that WAAFs wore navy blue uniforms, rather than air force blue. However, Rosie, half Indian, half British, is fun to be with, and she – and we – learn lots about Egypt, the British Empire, how nasty the Nazis were, and how friends help each other. The story is one of a series, with reminders of Rosie’s previous adventures in France. Helen Johnson

NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES Kate Albus, Margaret Ferguson, 2023, $17.99, hb, 288pp, 9780823451630

When twelveyear-old Dory’s father goes off to fight the Nazis, her brother, Fish, is left in charge of her and their younger brother, Pike. Problem is, Fish is only seventeen. But it’s like Pop said, “The neighborhood will give you what you need.” It’s true. Their neighbors know the score and look out for the Byrne kids, even their kind landlord and Mr. Caputo, who serves them dinner every Thursday night. At one Thursday night dinner, Dory learns that the top floors above Mr. Caputo’s restaurant were sealed off years ago and are accessible only through a rickety old dumbwaiter. All is well until their kind landlord dies and the new, not-kind-at-all landlord figures out Fish is not legally old enough to care for Dory and Pike. Fearing they will be sent to an orphanage, Dory concocts a plan—to live in the abandoned rooms above Mr. Caputo’s restaurant. Nothing Else But Miracles is as heartwarming as it is heartbreaking. Albus’s masterful use of setting grounds middle-grade readers in time and place regardless of any familiarity, or lack thereof, with New York’s Lower East Side during World War II. Dory is a spunky character who straddles the line between girlhood and adolescence in familiar and funny ways. She gets into trouble at school, hates to wear dresses, prefers to use the fire escape instead of the interior stairs to her apartment, confides her worries to Lady Liberty— “Libby”—and has a budding crush on Vincent Morello. Her relationships with Fish and Pike are fraught with tenderness and tension, which many readers will recognize. An occasionally intrusive narrator adds depth to the characters as well as suspense to the story. Albus presents the tragedies of war delicately but honestly. Highly recommended for all readers, especially those interested in World War II. Meg Wiviott

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO Autumn Allen, Kokila, 2023, $19.99/ C$26.99/£16.99, hb, 432pp, 9780593619049

1968. Kevin is an African American student at Columbia in New York City, struggling to find his place in the civil rights movement. The university is hostile to all protesting by its students, and several organizations talk about taking over university buildings through a sit-

in. Kevin isn’t sure this will change anything, but he agrees to participate. 1995. Gibran (Kevin’s nephew) is a student at an elite private high school. He wants to attend the upcoming Million Man March, but his mother won’t let him, and his school rejects its Black students’ request to participate in the Day of Absence. Gibran feels an urgency to do something, but all his actions so far have either been ignored or misunderstood. The first-person narrations of Kevin and Gibran are nearly identical. Although almost thirty years apart, their experiences of being a Black man in America are similar, as are their reactions. They both feel frustration and rage and have a similar do-something, makea-difference, but-how attitude. Although sometimes hard to tell which narrator is speaking, this duality makes a strong point: Not much changed from 1968 to 1995. One can’t help but ask: has much changed in the nearly thirty years since 1995? Allen does a superb job of bringing these and other characters to life, as well as the worlds they live in. The fashion, the music, and the slang of each time period remind the reader when they are. The many opinions about the civil rights leaders of both settings are given thorough coverage. The depiction of the important but little-taught protests at Columbia will keep readers in suspense. Recommended. Ages 12 and up. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

THE SECRET SISTERS Avi, Clarion, 2023, 9780358248088

$18.99,

hb,

256pp,

Middle-grades master Avi charms in this delightful sequel to 2011’s The Secret School. It’s 1925, and fourteen-year-old Ida Bidson can’t wait to start high school in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Because it’s twenty miles from her home in Elkhead Mountain, Ida will board with Trudy Sedgewick, who works for the school district. When Ida arrives for her first day of school, she quickly realizes she’s a fish out of water. All the other girls have bobbed hair while hers is long and braided, and their skirts are much shorter. But Ida quickly makes friends with a group of girls, including the fast-talking, flapper-slangslinging Lulu Gallagher. Together, the group forms a club called “The Secret Sisters,” and they vow to try something new every week. But on one fateful day, as their music teacher is showing them how to do the Charleston, the principal barges in. Still stinging from Ida’s correcting him in front of other students on the first day of school, Principal Langly pins responsibility for the “inappropriate” club and its activities squarely on Ida. To make matters worse, he suggests that and all of the Sisters could be expelled after midterm exams in November. Ida and her friends resolve to crank up their studying to ensure they ace the exams so they can stay in school. Quaint and sweet, this book will resonate with any reader who has ever come into conflict with an authority figure, either intentionally or

not. Ida’s desire to make something of herself and not disappoint her family is infinitely relatable, and the secondary plot of why Trudy Sedgewick seems sad and aloof adds emotional heft. A glossary of flapper slang at the end of the book ensures that readers won’t get confused trying to translate Lulu’s entertaining speech. Highly recommended. Sarah Hendess

THE PRINCE & THE COYOTE David Bowles, illus. Amanda Mijangos, Levine Querido, 2023, $19.99/£14.99, hb, 440pp, 9781646141777

In 1418, pre-Columbian Mexico, a young nobleman comes of age in a time of tremendous upheaval. The Mexican national hero, Nezahualcoyotl, a dreamer and poet as well as the crown prince of Tetzcoco (modern Texcoco), is sent to an elite school to learn the many duties of being a royal. His world is shattered when an uprising, led in part by his illegitimate half-brother, leads to the deaths of all Nezahualcoyotl’s family and sends Nezahualcoyotl himself into exile. Complex political strategy, military brilliance, and sheer stubborn determination to reclaim his throne keep Nezahualcoyotl going as he forges new alliances and fights for his rightful throne. The world-building in this novel is exceptional. Bowles takes great pains to create a living, breathing world that appeals to modern readers. The labyrinthine politics involved in the relationships between the various city-states of Mexico at the time are fascinating. That aspect of the novel is certainly the strongest. The battle scenes, though sometimes feeling a little rushed, are exciting and detailed. Learning more about the weapons and battle tactics of this time was intriguing and made me want to learn more. Similarly, I appreciated learning about daily life for this region and time. I have two minor quibbles: the book is marketed as a YA but, because of the complexity of the plot, it reads like an adult novel. Also, even though the story quickly grabbed my attention, I was almost undone by the names. While I appreciate, and usually insist upon, historical accuracy, this might be an instance where it would be acceptable to shorten some names to make this book more readable, even if it isn’t as technically accurate. Overall, The Prince & the Coyote is a gripping, enjoyable epic through a largely overlooked period. Warmly recommended. Kristen McQuinn

HUMPHREY AND ME Stuart H. Brody, Santa Monica Press, 2023, $12.99/£9.99, pb, 321pp, 9781595801258

Ray Elias is a high schooler in 1963 suburban New York as the book opens. His parents encourage him to keep up on current events. Kennedy’s assassination pushes Ray into an interest in politics. A television show about Hubert Humphrey leads Ray to

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believe that Humphrey is a down-to-earth person “committed to regular people.” Ray researches Humphrey as a politician, likes what he learns, and helps recruit supporters to campaign for Humphrey to be chosen as Johnson’s vice president. Humphrey invites Ray to Washington for a talk, and they stay in touch via letters. Ray enters the University of Chicago as Humphrey becomes Johnson’s V.P. in the 1964 election. But Johnson puts pressure on Humphrey to support the Vietnam War, despite Humphrey’s beliefs against it. Johnson insists the vice president owes the president blind loyalty, so Humphrey gives in and starts making speeches supporting the war. This causes Ray, along with other young people and anti-war activists who thought Humphrey was on their side, to lose respect for Humphrey. Ray and girlfriend Ruth get involved in student activism, and both are physically endangered during the rioting at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. The story seems to be an apologia for Hubert Humphrey, whom Brody calls “an eminently good man” with flaws. In the author’s note, Brody says that Humphrey’s capitulation to Johnson was tied to Humphrey’s difficult relationship with his father, not mere blind loyalty or a desire to become President himself. Brody alternates chapters between Ray’s and Humphrey’s points of view and draws parallels between their family relationships. Ray is only a moderately compelling fictional character, but I learned something about Humphrey’s background and personality. The story could round out a school history unit on the mid1960s political scene, giving insight to student activism. B.J. Sedlock

ARTIFICE Sharon Cameron, Scholastic, 2023, $19.99, hb, 416pp, 9781338813951

The daughter of Amsterdam artists, eighteen-year-old Isa de Smit has suffered ever since her mother’s death and the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands more than three years earlier. Her father has withdrawn into his garret studio, leaving her alone to keep the family’s gallery open and protect an original Vermeer than had belonged to one of her father’s Jewish students, long deported to a death camp. After selling one of her father’s forgeries to Nazi collectors to pay taxes, Isa discovers her friends Willem and Truus, members of the resistance, are smuggling Jewish babies out of the city. She decides to help them with the proceeds of additional forgeries. Her art sales, which risk her being branded a collaborator as well as found out as a seller of forgeries, attract the attention of Michel Lange, the son of a Viennese art collector who, with his brother, joined the Gestapo. But Michel is now looking for a way out and a way to help Isa, with whom he’s fallen in love. He wants to hide in the basement of the gallery before deserting, but can he be trusted, with resistance members and a forger upstairs? Well-chosen, fascinating details immerse the reader in the art world of occupied Amsterdam, where every knock at the door, or even a soldier’s stare on the street, could lead to disaster. Fictional characters interact seamlessly with real figures from the time, including famed forger Han van Meegeren 58

and the two rival dealers who filled top Nazi officials’ homes and offices with real and faked masterpieces from occupied lands. Readers learn of the meticulous process used to reproduce centuries-old paintings and the moral dilemmas faced by those who struggled to maintain their humanity under the rule of monsters.

page visuals tell a parallel story that enhances the narrative, one filled with pathos, hope, and personal bitterness, where there is no happy denouement to close the literary circle. Oraib and her family are forced to move once again. Showing a newly emerging emotional strength, she carefully plants an olive pit in the hope that she will be able to return.

Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Jon G. Bradley

ENLIGHTENED

SAFIYYAH’S WAR

Sachi Ediriweera, Atheneum, 2023, $13.99, pb, 304pp, 9781665903103

Hiba Noor Khan, Andersen Press, 2023, £7.99, pb, 336pp, 9781839133138

Young Prince Siddhartha Gautama grows up in a palace. His father rules a region at the foot of the Himalayas. Siddhartha has everything a boy circa 500 BCE could want. Private teachers instruct him on any subject, on games, and on weapons. He is provided with comfortable rooms and furnishings, the best foods, and even his own personal servant. Lavish banquets are common. But his father will not let him leave the palace grounds to see what’s out there, to learn how less privileged people might live and die and suffer. Siddhartha suffers too—of boredom and frustration at not knowing about the rest of his city and its commoners. Even after his young marriage, Siddhartha, his wife, and their newborn son are forced to remain on the palace grounds. One day, Siddhartha sneaks out and wanders far away for many years. A series of monks teach him to live with little or nothing, to help others, and to desire nothing, thereby not suffering at the loss of things, loved ones, or life itself. In time, Prince Siddhartha becomes a wandering monk with a following of other monks and grows into the teacher history knows as Buddha. This graphic novel about Buddha’s early years is presented through striking but simple two-color-palette illustrations. Spare text and dialogue harmonize well with Ediriweera’s illustrations. This fictionalized story flows easily through Siddhartha’s early conflicts and his struggles to learn about the cycle of life, leading to profound and timeless lessons on the path to self-mastery. Readers from about twelve on up will be intrigued by the story and will come away with a solid understanding of the basic tenets of Buddhism. Highly recommended. G. J. Berger

THESE OLIVE TREES Aya Ghanameh, Viking, 2023, $18.99, hb, 32pp, 9780593525180

In this vibrantly illustrated tale, first-time author-illustrator Ghanameh has crafted a poignant story that will enthrall the emerging reader. Aimed at ages 4-7, this story taps into burgeoning curiosities and imagined futures. The author is to be congratulated for weaving a complex narrative with sophisticated language and vocabulary that will challenge young readers. The overarching setting of a tedious refugee camp in Palestine in 1967 anchors the care taken with olive trees. Oraib, a young girl, watches as her mother carefully tends to local trees and initiates Oraib into the unique place that the olive holds in her extended family’s history. In this 8 ½” by 11” volume, the striking full-

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

This is a very unusual take on the events of World War Two. Safiyyah’s family are Muslims and therefore the story centres around the Grand Mosque in Paris, of which Safiyyah’s father is a prominent and active member. Safiyyah used to enjoy typing up communications from the Mosque for her father but suddenly her access to those meetings stops without explanation. Her father begins to look drawn and haggard and she rarely sees him. Her curiosity is aroused, and she decides to snoop in her father’s study to figure out the reason for this sudden change. Safiyyah is then drawn into the perilous world of her father’s Resistance work, providing false documents for Jewish families and hiding them and providing safe passage out of France, which is now Nazi-occupied. After all, no one will suspect an eleven-year-old child. This is a high-octane venture suffused with sheer terror that Safiyyah’s family’s activities will be discovered by the wrong people. There are two important relationships which stand out, particularly the evolution of Safiyyah’s interactions with her father and of her growing respect for him and his work. The other one is with her beloved grandmother, Setti, who exerts a calming and wise presence and has some of the most profound ideas of the novel. This book showcases the importance of community and how people of all faiths need to work together in times of adversity. It is a rarely told story from this period. Rebecca Butler

BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE HERE Autumn Krause, Peachtree Teen, 2023, $18.99/£15.99, hb, 240pp, 9781682636480

Teenaged Catalina, her younger brother, Jose Luis, and their widowed Pa live on a hardscrabble farm in the Wisconsin Territory of 1836. Pa takes ill and dies, and before Catalina can bury him, a beast-like man appears at their cabin door. He is covered by bark and plants. Birds and insects flutter through and around his hair. Pa had told Catalina about this Man of Sap, planter of seeds that quickly grow trees with gorgeous but deadly apples. Only days before, three such apples sat by their front door. Pa had crushed them before anyone could take a bite. The Man of Sap, real name John Chapman, grabs Jose and runs off. One of John’s birds lingers as if wanting to point Catalina the way to find her brother. Catalina takes a few things and follows the bird. On the

way, she meets a young lumberjack, Paul, who has his own compelling reasons to hunt John down. This story unfolds through John’s first person and Catalina’s third person points of view, each sharing literary descriptions and deep observations. John explains how he became the Man of Sap, planter of apple tree seeds. Catalina and Paul encounter many strange animals, peculiar people, and plants that seem human. Decades before photography came to the U.S., Catalina also finds photographs from the past related to the larger story. A peculiar devil orchestrating the mayhem confronts and threatens Catalina and Paul. He pretends to be the local empathetic banker but extracts Faustian bargains from those who default on their loans. This young-adult gothic fantasy will appeal to readers wanting an escape to another world ruled by a bankerdevil dealing death through irresistible apples. G. J. Berger

IN THE TUNNEL Julie Lee, Holiday House, 2023, $18.99/£15.99, hb, 304pp, 9780823450394

In The Tunnel is set in North Korea after the Japanese liberation in 1945 and at the onset of the conflict between North and South Korea. Myung-gi is a child in North Korea, whose father participates in small acts of resistance, including smuggling books for his children. Discovered by the secret police, Ahpa is captured, while the rest of the family flees to South Korea. Myung-gi decides to join the army, hoping to find his father up north. But he ends up trapped in a collapsed tunnel with a wall separating him from a North Army soldier trapped on the other side. An important, but understated, theme of the novel is the presence of contraband books. It is the books smuggled by his father that help expand Myung-gi’s horizons, and it is the same smuggled books that bring the secret police and the need to flee south. Finally, as we see in the epilogue, Myung-gi is able to create a new life in America, while his father remains in North Korea. Spirit broken by decades of authoritarian rule, Ahpa still risks the safety of his new family to smuggle in another book—this one written by Myung-gi. Through it, he learns of the lives of his former family, and reminisces about the enormous cost it all took. In the Tunnel, Lee’s second novel, continues her exploration of civilian lived experiences of the Korean War. The truly bittersweet ending encapsulates the pain of separation caused by the Forgotten War. Through flashbacks, we feel the fear and desperation of the moment, interspersed with regret over the past and hope for the future. The love for our children, the respect for our parents, and the overwhelming desire to create meaning out of our lives are powerfully on display in these pages. Steve Shaw

I’LL TELL YOU NO LIES Amanda McCrina, Farrar, Giroux, 2023, $18.99/£15.99, 9780374390990

Straus & hb, 211pp,

This YA novel is set on New York’s Griffiss Air Force Base in 1955, the height of the Cold War. Its heroine-narrator is eighteen-yearold Shelby Blaine, who is both bright and appealing. Shelby has come to Griffiss with her father, an Air Force intelligence officer, shortly after her mother died in a suspicious car accident while the family was stationed in Germany. The plot of this novel focuses on Shelby’s meeting with an escaped Soviet pilot, Maksym, who is seeking asylum in the United States. When Maksym escapes from the base, he takes refuge with Shelby in her home; Colonel Blaine’s absence makes this shelter possible. The story has many complications as the Soviet pilot tells Shelby various stories about his background: stories about his ethnic origin, his family, his imprisonment in Auschwitz, his service as a Russian pilot, and his reasons for defecting. Indeed, lies pile up on top of lies. Complicating the plot are Shelby’s aloof father, who seems impervious to her mother’s death; interfering Agent Jones, whom Shelby distrusts on sight; and Jo Matheson, a charming neighbor with an engineering degree who is bored with playing officer’s wife. McCrina provides fascinating details about the Cold War era. She draws from historical research about what happened to Soviet Bloc defectors to the U.S. Her characters, authentic development, and sharp dialogue keep the reader glued to the page. Joanne Vickers

A CALAMITY OF MANNERINGS Joanna Nadin, illus. Emma Block, UCLan Publishing, 2023, £8.99, pb, 432pp, 9781915235091

If you want a coming-of-age book full of warmth and wit, look no further than Carnegie-nominated author Joanna Nadin’s story of 1920s society gal, Panth Mannering. Sixteen-year-old Panth dreams of champagne, dances and being in Tatler, but then her father dies leaving no male heir. Panth, her mother and sisters lose their Radley Manor home to rich American Buck Buchanan. Panth decides the simple way out of their troubles is to get Buck to fall in love with her and marry her; then they can all move back into Radley Manor. Panth is already in love with handsome and dashing Buck so thinks her plan shouldn’t be too difficult. Childhood friend Freddy Spencer isn’t so sure, but what does he know? Panth’s efforts to make her wishes come true are written in the form of a laugh-out-loud diary, illustrated by Emma Block. Here Panth chronicles the trials and tribulations of herself and her sisters – secretive Aster, who at 23 surely should have been married, and tenyear-old animal-mad Marigold, who has a

badly behaved menagerie, including Siegfried the sheep. Then there’s Panth’s supposed best friend Margot, gay cousin Valentine, a whirl of society friends and nasty grandma. The novel is said to be for fans of I Capture the Castle and Bridgerton, but there’s a touch of Jane Austen, the Durrells, and a firm nod to the Mitfords and the bond of sisters. A delightful book which itself must be a classic in the making. Age:13 and above. Triggers: occasional sex, aftermath of abortion. Kate Pettigrew

WHERE THE RIVER TAKES US Lesley Parr, illus. David Dean, Bloomsbury Children’s, 2023, £7.99, pb, 320pp, 9781526647771

Narrator thirteen-year-old Jason and his older brother Richie live alone since their parents died in a car crash. They struggle to make ends meet and risk losing their home. The plot revolves around a quest by Jason and his friends to find and take a ‘clear, exclusive photo’ of a big cat believed to be roaming near Blaengarw, some distance from where they live, which they think they can track down if they follow the river. The £100 reward offered by a local newspaper would help Jason and Richie in their straitened circumstances. Lesley Parr’s novels have vividly painted Welsh settings and are written in the present tense, giving them a feeling of immediacy for young readers. Her first and second books were set in World War Two and World War One respectively. In this third middle-grade novel, she explores the lives of children in a more recent time. The backdrop for the story is the 1970s UK miners’ strike and the three-day working week, and details redolent of the time emerge, including references to using candles and paraffin lamps, mentions of penny sweets popular at the time such as midget gems, sherbet dabs and liquorice, and the specific camera – a Pentax Spotmatic SP500 – that they borrow which was first manufactured in 1971. The mining industries are disappearing from the Welsh valleys, and Jason recalls that ‘Dad always used to say you can’t take work away and not give the people anything to replace it.’. Within the framework of a fast-paced adventure, Lesley Parr has produced a sensitive story concerning children trying to come to terms with grief, while coping with some harsh practical realities, and the group of friends that surround and support them. Ann Lazim

A HORSE NAMED SKY Rosanne Parry, illus. Kirbi Fagan, Greenwillow, 2023, $18.99/£12.99, hb, 256pp, 9780062995957

From the moment this tale opens in Virginia Range, Nevada Territory, in autumn 1856, the reader shares the viewpoint of Sky, a foal born to a small band of wild horses that subsist on sagebrush, fresh, clean water, and freedom.

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As Sky takes his first faltering steps until he grows to a young adult, the world unfolds with vivid, striking sensory details of the steppe lands in Nevada. Fellow horses, companion burros, and wild creatures called slithers, howlers, claw beasts, and scampers make up the cast of characters. While danger exists from predators, drought, heat, and cold, it is nothing like that which is brought by humans. As Sky races across the open lands with his favorite companion, the filly Storm, he grows strong and quick. The inevitable day comes when he leaves his band, since it already has a stallion. Sky then runs afoul of humans, who capture him and train him to become a mount for the short-lived but well-known Pony Express. He never forgets his former companions and their place in the wild and longs to return to them. The interference of humans, and their roads, piñon harvesting, mining, and clear-cutting, present obstacles to the fulfillment of his desires, though. Written with care, compassion, and heart, the story throbs with the spirit of the West and the life therein. The only real stumble is the author’s insistence on not naming the humans, which makes it difficult to keep track of them. The delightful illustrations add to the mood and wistful tone of the story as well as occasionally clarifying what happens (such as when Sky meets a camel). A number of informative sections at the end of the tale give historical details on the Pony Express, silver mining, the California Indian Act of 1850, and other information on habitats in the West. This beautiful, satisfying tale will stay with you long after you read the final word. Highly recommended. Xina Marie Uhl

VITA AND THE GLADIATOR Ally Sherrick, Chicken House, 2023, £7.99, pb, 328pp, 9781913696535

It is not that long ago that young girls who loved history were hard-pressed to find a thrilling historical adventure story with an adventurous heroine. It was boys who had the adventures (as in Rosemary Sutcliff’s Roman stories), while girls had to be content with a supporting role. Fortunately, things are changing here, and Ally Sherrick, with her terrific pacy novels for readers of 10 plus, is one of the standout authors leading the way. In Vita and the Gladiator, our heroine, Vita, daughter of an important Roman, suddenly finds herself struggling as a slave whose life is worth very little and who is expected to behave as her owners see fit. Punishments are harsh and swift, and Vita’s survival looks increasingly unlikely. Vita must learn – and fast – to sum up an enemy’s weakness, to judge possible friends by criteria other than class, and to follow new, perhaps more intuitive guidelines for a successful attack such as: ‘eyes, ears, hearts.’ Vita learns to cope with dirt, wounds, semistarvation, and casual cruelty, and, at the same time, to be alert for the smallest crack in her enemy’s defences. Sherrick’s heroines are a far cry from the traditional heroine, trained to be silent and obedient; and modern historical heroines, like Vita, exercise a wide range of 60

choices – often dangerous as well as bold and far-thinking. Vita is encouraged to develop her own talents. I applaud this vigorous new take on historical fiction; it opened my eyes to a wider range of historical possibilities and a greater variety of historical settings. At the same time, it asks different and possibly confrontational questions about female lives and challenges traditional (male) thinking on subjects which have previously registered as being of minor interest only. This fast-paced novel is also a terrific read! Bravo, Ally Sherrick. Elizabeth Hawksley

COURAGE TO DREAM: Tales of Hope in the Holocaust Neal Shusterman, illus. Andrés Vera Martínez, Graphix, 2023, $24.99, hb, 256pp, 9780545313476

This graphic novel includes five short stories. In the first, Jewish siblings hiding from the Nazis discover a magic window that helps some of them escape. In the second, a golem aids concentration camp prisoners, and in the third, Baba Yaga of folklore helps resistance fighters battle Nazis in the woods. Next, in Copenhagen, the “staff of Moses” helps Jews escape to Sweden. In the final story, a crystal shell shows a modern teen the relatives and friends she might have had if the Holocaust hadn’t happened. Although I’ve admired many historical novels about the Holocaust, the integration of fantasy elements into this historical atrocity is disturbing. In an afterword, Shusterman visits this issue, explaining that the genre-mixing might bring new readers to the history, but it isn’t reassuring. After each story, several pages explain real-life people and events related to the story, which is nice, but a graphic novel of those actual people and events would have been a better idea. The Holocaust as a fantasy story makes me extremely uncomfortable. I didn’t disapprove of the concept before reading this book, but this handling of the concept doesn’t work. The stories are too magical; the saving of people happened because of magic. This isn’t historical fiction, it is fantasy. An event such as the Holocaust shouldn’t be handled like this. Shusterman, who is Jewish, obviously intended a different reaction, and other readers may not see things this way. The stories are exciting and easy to read. The illustrations are excellent, though some of the black-on-gray dialogue boxes are difficult to read. Ages 12 and up. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

THE WALL BETWEEN US Dan Smith, Chicken House, 2023, £7.99, pb, 260pp, 9781912626762

This novel begins with the sudden, shocking building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, an event that brings danger and terror for many, including the two best friends whose relationship is at the core of the book. Anja and Monika wake up one morning to find their street, and therefore their friendship, cruelly divided by barbed wire and soldiers with machine guns. The story is of their struggle to remain in contact, and the damage the Wall brings to so many lives. Cousins Anja and Monika spend all their

REVIEWS | Issue 106, November 2023

time together, and share their beloved cat, Otto. Living on opposite sides of their street, their lives and the lives of their families are intertwined. But the building of an impassable concrete wall down the middle of the road devastates their lives. Anja, on the Western side, is angry and frustrated; Monika in the East is terrified of the spies who haunt this new life. No-one can be trusted, and the Stasi, the secret police, are everywhere. When Anja realises her cat has discovered a way to cross the barrier, she resolves to follow him, to meet up with Monika again, and together organise an escape to the West. Plans are made, but the Stasi are on their trail. A complex web of consequence and betrayal calls into question both loyalty and morality, and leaves the girls divided once again. This is a compulsive, nuanced and relevant tale, about an important period of recent European history. The girls are believable yet caught up in events they cannot comprehend. Anja’s diary is full of the kind of formatting and punctuation – ‘VERY SCARY!’ – any 12-yearold would recognise, but the situations are far more serious than most will ever have to cope with. An involving and informative historical novel for 10 – 12-year-olds. Recommended. Jane Burke

TRADING THOMAS Ora Smith, Lighten Press, 2023, $11.99, pb, 289pp, 9780998041087

In 1606, eleven-year-old Thomas Savage’s father announces he’s sailing from England to America to help establish a new colony named James Towne. Devastated when his father refuses to take him along, Thomas stares bleakly at a future as a vicar—a profession his parents have chosen for him. Intelligent and curious, Thomas yearns to become a tutor like his older brother, Richard. After a terrible accident, Thomas’s dying mother tells him he must go to James Towne to bring his father home to care for his two younger sisters. Richard opts to join him, and the two set off across the Atlantic. The brothers arrive in James Towne to discover their father was killed by Natives the previous summer. Now an orphan, Thomas is traded to Powhatan to keep peace with the Natives and to learn their language to become an interpreter. Through Thomas, readers get an outsider’s perspective on the colonists’ laziness that would contribute to their own demise during the Starving Time of 16091610. Thomas finds himself disgusted by the duplicity on both sides and realizes he’s not truly safe either with Powhatan’s people or in James Towne. Author Ora Smith has crafted a captivating young adult novel rich with emotion and historic detail. Thomas is deeply torn between his kinsmen and the Natives he considers friends, including Pocahontas, who is accurately depicted as the child she was at the time. A strong inspirational throughline brings a touch of spirituality to the story, and extensive front and back matter provide historical context

for the setting and characters. Readers should note that the novel includes graphic descriptions of the Powhatans’ methods of torture as well as the desperate measures colonists resorted to during the Starving Time. On the whole, this is a solid contribution to young adult literature set during colonial times. Sarah Hendess

THE CHRISTMAS DOLL Amy Sparkes, illus. Katie Hickey, Candlewick, 2023, $17.99, hb, 32pp, 9781536231366

This story opens in the present day when little Evie and her greatgrandma, Sue, take an old doll named Lizzie to the Repair Shop. It’s a big barn where all manner of old items get restored. A repairman asks about the doll, and Sue tells

Lizzie’s story. In 1939 when she was a young girl in London, Sue’s parents sent her to live with a strange family in the country away from the threatening war. On their first Christmas, the new family gave Sue a doll. Sue was touched but feared Lizzie was hers for only that day. Sue got to keep Lizzie, who, from then on, went everywhere with her. Over the decades, Lizzie’s fabric wore down and her hard surfaces got nicked. The Repair Shop restores Lizzie beautifully, and Sue gifts Lizzie to Evie. This lavishly illustrated work tells children a bit about WWII’s effects on common people. Notes and photographs at the end summarize the real Repair Shop, featured on British TV, and the true story of the Christmas Doll. Charming and informative; highly recommended. G. J. Berger

HER MAJESTY’S LEAGUE OF REMARKABLE YOUNG LADIES Alison D. Stegert, Chicken House, 2023, £7.99, pb, 364pp, 9781915026095

Fourteen-year-old Winifred Weatherby is a brilliant inventor, just like her father. She really wants to win the Petit Prix at a science convention in Paris. Unfortunately, in 1889, being a girl and being gifted at science do not mix. Winifred attends the Beacon Academy for poised and polished young ladies, which she fervently dislikes. After her beloved father goes missing in potentially very dangerous circumstances, Winnie discovers that the Beacon Academy is not all it seems. It is actually a front for

an agency of female spies known as Her Majesty’s League of Remarkable Young Ladies. Winnie is recruited, much to her joy, as the group’s scientist. The group is then tasked with protecting Her Majesty Queen Victoria from the enigmatic and dangerous Mr. Magpie. Who is Mr. Magpie, will the girls manage to uncover the identity of the villain, and will Winnie win her coveted prize? The characters in Stegert’s novel leap off the page, the suspense is breathtaking, and the denouement is as surprising as the entire premise of the novel. Rebecca Butler

WHAT ROSA BROUGHT Jacob Sager Weinstein, illus. Eliza Wheeler, Katherine Tegen Books, 2023, $19.99/C$24.99, hb, 32pp, 9780063056480

In 1938, three-year-old Rosa lives in Vienna with her parents and grandmother. Her life is simple and happy until the Nazis come. The shop windows of Jewish stores are broken, and books are burned in the streets. People stop coming to her family’s store, but Dad explains to Rosa, “It’s not what you carry on your shelves. It’s about what you carry in your head. And I’ve got brains in mine.” While awaiting visas to America, Dad builds trunks, using the shelves in their store. He sells one trunk at a time so the Nazis won’t notice. When a Rabbi requests a special trunk in which he can hide a Torah so the Nazis don’t find it, Rosa wonders what she will take when she and her family are able to escape. Finally, the visas to America arrive…but only for three people. Grandma must stay behind. She gives Rosa her love to take to America. And that’s what Rosa brought. Based on the author’s family story, What Rosa Brought is a heartbreaking story of ingenuity and love set amidst the horrors of one of history’s most shameful moments. The author’s note includes family photos. The illustrations are rendered in beautiful earth tones, lightening and darkening to set the mood. This picture book is a gentle introduction to the Holocaust and antisemitism for young readers. Meg Wiviott

THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH Andrew Joseph White, Peachtree Teen, 2023, $19.99, hb, 400pp, 9781682636114

In White’s version of Victorian England, some people are born with violet eyes. These people can cut through the Veil, opening a portal to the realm of the spirits of the dead. Many of these violet-eyed people, called Speakers, are women who are highly sought as brides, but since this is Victorian England, they are naturally considered too mentally feeble and physically unsuited to handle being a Speaker. Female Speakers who are deemed to be unfit, or in some other way rebel against the patriarchy, are diagnosed with Veil Sickness and sent away for treatment.

Such is the lot of Silas Bell, a trans boy unable to attend medical school and railing against a society that doesn’t see his true self. Silas is sent to Braxton’s Finishing School and Sanatorium where other wayward females are stashed away until they are “cured,” usually by forced marriage. While there, Silas learns that Braxton’s has a horrific secret that the headmaster will guard at any cost. This superlative novel speaks directly to the trauma of not being seen or valued as one’s authentic self. Even today, many people know the rage, fear, and despair of living in a society that would see them hidden away, eliminated, and perpetuates a very deliberate erasure of the things that hold meaning for us. White, himself a trans man, has woven a delicate web of a novel, drawing on current events and lived experience, to craft an exciting plot, complex worldbuilding, and memorable characters whom readers are bound to care about deeply. Historical details such as Victorian social mores add to an already intense and vivid story. A quick warning: there are some gory quasi-medical scenes. Maybe skim over those if you are squeamish. I recommend this with the greatest enthusiasm. Kristen McQuinn

PORTRAITS AND POISON J. T. Williams, illus. Simone Douglas, Farshore, 2023, £7.99, pb, 384pp, 9780008485283

London 1777. Lizzie Sancho, daughter of a teashop owner, and Dido Belle, an heiress living with her aunt and uncle at Kenwood House, have one thing in common: they like to solve mysteries. Georgian London is graphically and skilfully portrayed by a talented author who uses the senses to make the era come alive. The story begins on the evening that the Sancho/Mansfield family portrait is unveiled. When it is stolen, Lizzie and Belle leap into action to try and discover the thief. Events soon turn darker as the connections between art, slavery and kidnapping of free Africans begin to weave their way into the plot. The underground group, the Sons and Daughters of Africa, is trying to rescue snatched people as the Bow Street Runners fail in this task. The abolitionists’ struggle is explained in an accessible read that uses language that today’s generation would understand. The story also continues the search for Mercury, their friend who went missing in book one of the series. Real historical figures are woven into the plot, although it is important to remember this is a work of fiction. The book highlights the power of the men and institutions that stood in the way of true freedom. This is a very emotional and dramatic storyline which does take some historical liberties by allowing the girls to have far more freedom to go about their sleuthing than their status would have allowed, especially as they were from different social strata. This will not mar the enjoyment of 8–12-year-old readers or prevent them from becoming absorbed in the themes. Skilfully illustrated by Simone Douglas. Valerie Loh

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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