Historical Novels Review, Issue 83 (February 2018) by The Historical Novel Society

H I S T O R IC A L

NOV EL S REVIEW

ISSUE 83

February 2018

ALTERNATIVE TRUTH

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE ...

More on page 8

Multi-Period Novels Two Stories from Different Periods

Historical Fiction: Does it matter that we get the facts right? Douglas Kemp examines the issue of accuracy in historical novels

Page 10

Real Heroines Biographical Novels with Female Protagonists Page 12

Archival Fever Historical Research for the Novelist Page 12

Ancient Greece, Modern Italy Violent Parallels Page 13

The Lost Season of Love & Snow Love, Power, Sex and Death in Imperial Russia Page 14

Bombay’s Legal Detective Sujata Massey’s Latest Historical Mystery Page 15

New Voices Page 4

History & Film: Alexander Nevsky 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

PUBLISHER Richard Lee

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

EDITORIAL BOARD

Managing Editor: Bethany Latham

Houston Cole Library, Jacksonville State University 700 Pelham Road North Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602 USA <blatham@jsu.edu> Publisher Coverage: Simon & Schuster US (all imprints)

Book Review Editor: Sarah Johnson

6868 Knollcrest Drive, Charleston, IL 61920 USA <sljohnson2@eiu.edu> Publisher Coverage: Bethany House; Five Star; HarperCollins; Henry Holt; IPG; Penguin Random House (all imprints); Severn House; Trafalgar Square; university presses

Doug Kemp

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

Karen Warren

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

REVIEWS EDITORS, USA Rebecca Cochran

<CochranR95@gmail.com> Publisher coverage: Amazon Publishing; Hachette; Hyperion; Pegasus; and WW Norton

Bryan Dumas

<bryanpgdumas@gmail.com> Publisher coverage: Algonquin; Kensington; Other Press; Overlook; Sourcebooks; Tyndale; and other US/Canadian small presses

Arleigh Ordoyne

<arleigh.johnson@att.net> Publisher coverage: US/Canadian children’s publishers

Ilysa Magnus

<goodlaw2@optonline.net> Publisher Coverage: Bloomsbury, FSG; Grove/Atlantic; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Minotaur Books; Picador USA; Poisoned Pen Press; Soho Press; St Martin’s Press; and Tor/Forge

REVIEWS EDITOR, INDIE

Features Editor: Lucinda Byatt

Richard Lee

New Voices Column Editor: Myfanwy Cook

EDITORIAL POLICY & COPYRIGHT

13 Park Road, Edinburgh, EH6 4LE UK <textline13@gmail.com>

47 Old Exeter Road, Tavistock, Devon PL19 OJE UK <myfanwyc@btinternet.com>

REVIEWS EDITORS, UK Alan Fisk

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

Linda Sever

<LSever@uclan.ac.uk> Publisher Coverage: All UK children’s historicals

Edward James

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

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

MEMBERSHIP DETAILS 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

Interested in receiving copies of new and forthcoming books and sharing your thoughts about them with other historical fiction enthusiasts? We’re looking for reviewers for all eras and subgenres of historical fiction. Please email me at sljohnson2@eiu.edu for the guidelines. New writers are welcome.

ISSUE 83 FEBRUARY 2018 COLUMNS 1

Historical Fiction Market News

Sarah Johnson

New Voices Profiles of debut historical fiction authors Elizabeth Jane Corbett, Clarissa Harwood, Teresa Messineo and Tom Miller | Myfanwy Cook

History & Film Alexander Nevsky | Linnea Hartsuyker

FEATURES AND INTERVIEWS 8

HISTORICAL FICTION MARKET NEWS

Alternative Truth HF: Does It Matter that We Get the Facts Right? by Douglas Kemp

10 Multi-Period Novels Weaving Together Two Stories from Different Periods by Tori Whitaker 12 Real Heroines in Historical Novels Biographical Novels with Historical Female Protagonists by Karen Harper 12 Archival Fever Historical Research for the Novelist by Claire Scobie 13 Ancient Greece, Modern Italy Violent Parallels by Lucinda Byatt 14 The Lost Season of Love and Snow Love, Power, Sex, and Death in Imperial Russia by Charlotte Wightwick 15 Bombay’s Legal Detective Sujata Massey’s Latest Historical Mystery Series by Janice Derr

NEW BOOKS BY HNS MEMBERS Congrats to the following authors on their new and upcoming releases! If you’ve written a historical novel or nonfiction work published (or to be published) in December 2017 or after, please email me the following details at sljohnson2@eiu.edu by April 7: author, title, publisher, release date, and a blurb of one sentence or less. Details will appear in May’s magazine. Danae Penn’s False Rumours (Nichol, Jun. 23, 2017) presents Belina Lansac, young wife of a detective in south-west France, who learns that the Princes in the Tower are being chased by a murderer ordered by Henry Tudor’s mother to kill them so that she can accuse Richard III of their murder and thereby spread false rumours. A Redoubtable Citadel (Amazon Kindle, Sep. 7, 2017), book four of Lynn Bryant’s Peninsular War Saga, follows the 110th infantry to Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz. Set in 11th century Spain, The Ring of Flames by Joan Fallon (Scott Publishing, Sep. 18, 2017) is the exciting conclusion to the al-Andalus series. In Mist-chi-mas: A Novel of Captivity (Fairchance, Sep. 28, 2017) by J.L. Oakley, a recently widowed woman, seeking answers to a growing mystery, embarks on a journey to find the lover she thought murdered years before, unaware that she is stirring up an old struggle of power and revenge at which she is the heart. Shaun Lewis’s first novel, The Custom of the Trade (Endeavour, Sep. 29, 2017), is set between 1912 and 1915; Richard Miller survives the sinking of his submarine to take command of an E-boat and wreak havoc against Turkish shipping in the Dardanelles whilst at home his cousin, Elizabeth, fights her own battles to win the vote for women and fight misogyny. In C. B. Huesing’s Kill Abby White! Now! (Dog Ear, Oct. 1, 2017), set in Chicago between 1929-42, Abby White and her fellow interns at the Chicago Tribune set out to find a big scoop to perfectly cap their collegiate careers at Northwestern University but find themselves in a life-threatening run-in with the mafia that will follow them around the globe.

REVIEWS

In Salvage Optic: a Gothic Novel of the Timor-Laut and Tanembar Archipelagoes, and of the Terrible Island of Bali. Dutch East Indies, Anno 1674 by Dwight Brooks (Outskirts Press, Oct. 2, 2017), a slave-diver is hunted in the life-devouring Moluccas.

16 Book Reviews Editors’ choice and more

Set in Ireland 4,000 years ago, Stiofán Ó Nualláin’s Yellow Sun (David J Publishing, Oct. 2, 2017) shows how traditional life in a

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

Stone Age community is irrevocably transformed by the arrival of a stranger with the magic of turning stone into metal; what follows is a story that brings horror and violence and an adventure that changes lives forever. In Cynthia T. Toney’s The Other Side of Freedom (Write Integrity Press, Oct. 9, 2017), set in 1925, a farm boy witnesses the murder of an innocent family friend and must choose whether to remain silent to protect his immigrant family as his father asks—or defy a gang of mobsters and corrupt police. Friend of Henry II, but excommunicated three times—the only way to save his soul is to give up worldly power and found a monastery; but who is the mysterious lady who makes that possible? This is the premise for Nicky Moxey’s Sheriff and Priest (Dodnash Books, Oct. 15, 2017). In Elizabeth Jane Corbett’s The Tides Between (Odyssey, Oct. 20, 2017), when fifteen-year-old Bridie smuggles a notebook filled with her dead father’s fairy tales into the steerage compartment of an emigrant vessel, she uncovers a dark family secret. Shocked by the revelation, she befriends a mysterious Welsh storyteller, but will his tales bring comfort or shatter her memories? The Consul’s Daughter by Mark Knowles (Endeavour, Oct. 26, 2017) takes place in Rome of AD 205; the night watch stumbles across the young body of a girl on the foggy banks of the Tiber and becomes embroiled in a political conspiracy against the emperor. In Rosemary Morris’s romantic historical novel Wednesday’s Child (BooksWeLove, Oct. 26, 2017), sensibility and sense are needed for Amelia Carstairs to accept her late grandmother’s choice of her guardian, the Earl of Saunton, to whom Amelia was previously betrothed. Fanny Newcomb and the Irish Channel Ripper by Ana Brazil (Sand Hill Review Press, Nov. 1, 2017) is a mystery set in 1889 New Orleans, a city that is overrun with prostitutes, pornographers, a malicious Jack the Ripper copycat, and an intelligent, tenacious typewriting teacher named Fanny Newcomb. Denitta Ward’s Somewhere Still (Welbourne, Nov. 1, 2017), a comingof-age story of one young woman’s transformative journey of love, betrayal, and redemption, is a window into the Roaring Twenties and the history and culture of Kansas City at a turning point in its development. Vanessa Couchman’s French Collection: Twelve Short Stories (indie, Nov. 9, 2017) is a collection of short stories inspired by and set in France, ranging from medieval times up to the 20th century, some of them based on true stories. Set against the backdrop of the bitter and brutal Marcomannic war, Adam Lofthouse’s The Centurion’s Son (Endeavour, Nov. 17, 2017) is a coming of age narrative of one young soldier in the Roman camp. By examining popular works of fiction by more than 20 authors over the last one thousand years, The Once and Future Queen: Guinevere in Arthurian Legend by Nicole Evelina (Lawson Gartner, Nov. 21, 2017) shows how the character of Guinevere reflects attitudes toward women during the time in which her story was written, changing to suit the expectations of her audience. In Jeffrey K. Walker’s Truly Are the Free (Ballybur, Nov. 30, 2017), second in the Sweet Wine of Youth trilogy, friends scarred by the First

COLUMNS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

World War try to make their way in ‘20s Harlem, newly independent Ireland, and avant-garde Paris. Dana Stabenow’s Silk and Song (Head of Zeus, Dec. 2, 2017) follows the journey of Marco Polo’s granddaughter during the years 13221327, from China at the end of the rule of Kublai Khan to England and the beginning of the reign of Edward III. Herodias Long of 17th-century Newport has the home of her dreams in her grasp, but must she give it up to keep the man she loves? In the meanwhile, Rhode Island battles Puritan encroachment in The Golden Shore (Neverest, Dec. 5, 2017), third in the Scandalous Life series by HNR reviewer Jo Ann Butler. In On a Stormy Primeval Shore by Diane Scott Lewis (BooksWeLove, Jan. 1), set in 1784, Amelia sails to New Brunswick, a land overrun by Loyalists escaping the American Revolution, to marry a soldier whom she rejects, while Acadian Gilbert fights to preserve his heritage and property—will they find love when events seek to destroy them? Impossible Saints by Clarissa Harwood (Pegasus Books, Jan. 2), set in 1907 London, features a militant suffragette and an Anglican priest who struggle with their competing ambitions and their love for each other. Kali Napier’s The Secrets at Ocean’s Edge (Hachette Australia, Jan. 30) is a mystery set during the Depression in Western Australia, following the story of one family as it struggles to stay together while secrets threaten to tear it apart. From the war-torn Dark Ages of Medieval Europe to America’s Gilded Age, and all the way up to Kate Middleton, Bad Princess by Kris Waldherr (Scholastic, Jan. 30), nonfiction for ages 10 and up, explores more than 30 true princess stories, going beyond the glitz and glamour to find out what life was really like for young royals throughout history. In Rebecca Kightlinger’s Megge of Bury Down (Zumaya, Feb. 1), set in 13th-century Cornwall, the healer of Bury Down has sworn to face death by fire rather than fail in her one charge in this life: to bring her daughter to vow to protect an ancient grimoire whose power sustains the spirits of all the seers and healers of Bury Down. To what lengths will she go when Megge refuses? In The Man Upon the Stair by Gary Inbinder (Pegasus Crime, Feb. 6), the third Inspector Lefebvre historical mystery set in fin de siècle Paris, Chief Inspector Achille Lefebvre returns from a much-needed vacation to find that there are assassins on his tail, and, as if that weren’t enough, one of France’s wealthiest men has gone missing without a trace. In Donna Croy Wright’s dual-period novel The Scattering of Stones (Paradigm Hall Press, Feb. 6), genealogist Maggie Smith researches a mysterious ancestor who draws Maggie, soul-deep, into her story, taking her from post-revolutionary Pennsylvania to the Ohio frontier, through love and tragedy, to where promises are kept but also broken. Michael Dean’s The White Crucifixion: A Novel about Marc Chagall (Holland Park, Feb. 22) is a fictionalised account of the roller-coaster life, in terrible times, of one of the most enigmatic artists of the 20th century. Worldviews collide when a glittery torch singer falls for a staid dry-goods dealer in 1920s Chicago in Jennifer Lamont Leo’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, Mar. 12).

In The Flames of Florence (Diversion, May 8), the conclusion of Donna Russo Morin’s award-winning trilogy, Da Vinci’s Disciples face their greatest challenge, one shrouded in the cloak of a monk. From the ashes of war, Friar Girolamo Savonarola rises; some call him a savior and a prophet, some a delusional heretic. Who will reign triumphant? C. C. Humphreys’ new novel Chasing the Wind (Doubleday Canada, Jun. 5) brings him into the 20th Century with the tale of Roxy Loewen - Smuggler, Smoker, Aviatrix, Thief. An art heist/love story set against the Berlin Olympics and the last voyage of the Hindenburg.

NEW PUBLISHING DEALS Sources include author and publisher submissions, Publishers Marketplace, Publishers Weekly, The Bookseller, Booktrade.info, Australia’s Books+Publishing, and more. Send me your latest publishing deals at sljohnson2@eiu.edu. Endeavour Ink, a new imprint of Endeavour Press, has bought Nancy Bilyeau’s fourth novel, The Blue, a suspense novel set in the porcelainworkshop race for supremacy in the 18th century, for publication in the US and the UK in print and digital formats. Kris Waldherr’s The Lost History of Dreams, a Victorian-era reworking of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights and The Thirteenth Tale, about a post-mortem photographer whose latest assignment unearths secrets of the past that may hold the key to his future, sold to Tara Parsons at Touchstone, for publication in Spring 2019, by Michelle Brower at Aevitas. The Familiars by debut author Stacey Bartlett, featuring a young woman whose midwife is accused of murder during the Pendle witch trials of 1612 Lancashire, sold to Sophie Orme at Bonniers (UK) via Juliet Mushens at Caskie Mushens and to Kathy Sagan at Mira (US) by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency on behalf of Juliet Mushens. Jennifer Ryan’s second novel (after The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir), Mrs. Braithwaite Makes Amends, about a divorced mother from Kent seeking her estranged, missing daughter amid the London Blitz to tell her a long-buried secret, sold to Hilary Rubin Teeman at Crown by Alexandra Machinist at ICM. The Silence of the Girls, a feminine re-imagining of Homer’s Iliad by Pat Barker, retelling the story of the Trojan War from the viewpoint of the captured Trojan queen Briseis, sold to Gerry Howard at Doubleday (US), for publication in Sept. 2018, by Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander. Victoria Princewill’s debut In the Palace of Flowers, which sold to Emma Shercliff and Bibi Bakare-Yusuf at Cassava Republic for Spring 2019 publication via Maria Cardona of Pontas Literary & Film Agency, is set in the Qajar court of 1890s Persia and told from the viewpoint of two Abyssinian slaves, revealing the story of forgotten lives. Transcription by Kate Atkinson, about a former British Secret Service worker who joins the BBC after the war, and whose life begins to unravel, sold to Reagan Arthur at Little, Brown, for Sept. 2018 publication, by Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management; UK/ Commonwealth rights sold previously to Marianne Velmans at Transworld, by Peter Straus at Rogers, Coleridge & White.

pitched as inspired by the true story of the historic Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, sold to Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks by Stacy Testa at Writers House. Serena author Ron Rash’s The Returned, set in 1950s small-town North Carolina, a literary mystery in which a man is left to solve the murder of his best friend’s bride and her baby while his friend fights overseas in Korea, sold to Lee Boudreaux at Doubleday, for Summer 2019 publication, by Adam Eaglin at The Cheney Agency. S. C. Worrall’s debut, the WWII-era love story The Very White of Love, inspired by the author’s discovery of letters between his mother and her fiancé Martin Preston (Robert Graves’s nephew), who was lost in the war, sold to Charlotte Mursell at HarperCollins UK’s HQ via Caspian Dennis at Abner Stein, for June 2018 publication. Diana Biller’s Gilded Age novel Age of Incandescence, about a young widow who undertakes the restoration of a dilapidated, secret-filled Hyde Park mansion with the help of a charming, eccentric genius, sold to Vicki Lame at St. Martin’s by Amy Elizabeth Bishop at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Swedish-born novelist Gita Trelease’s debut Enchantée, a YA historical fantasy in which an impoverished girl uses dark magic to impersonate a baroness at Versailles in 1789, sold to Venetia Gosling at Macmillan UK Children’s, in a two-book deal, by Molly Ker Hawn at The Bent Agency. Flatiron Books will publish in the US. Make Me a City by Jonathan Carr, tracing Chicago’s rise “from frontier settlement to industrial colossus” in the 19th century, sold to Michael Signorelli at Holt, by Emma Parry at Janklow & Nesbit, and to Molly Slight at Scribe UK, by Rebecca Carter at Janklow & Nesbit. The debut novel by Soho Press associate publisher Juliet Grames, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, following an Italian family over a century in Calabria and America, sold to Ecco’s Megan Lynch via Sarah Burnes at The Gernert Company for publication in 2019. Hodder & Stoughton will publish in the UK. Frieda: A Novel of the Real Lady Chatterley by Annabel Abbs (author of the HNR Editors’ Choice title The Joyce Girl), about the wife of D. H. Lawrence, sold to Rebecca Saunders at Hachette Australia by Benython Oldfield at Zeitgeist Literary Agency, and to Lisa Highton at Two Roads (UK) via Sharon Galant at Zeitgeist. For forthcoming novels through mid-2018, please see: https:// historicalnovelsociety.org/guides/forthcoming-historical-novels/

COMPILED BY SARAH JOHNSON 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.

Kim Michele Richardson’s The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, about the power of books to bring comfort, joy and hope to a Depression-era coal-mining community of Appalachian hillfolk,

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

NEW VOICES The New Year has unveiled the writings of debut novelists Elizabeth Jane Corbett, Clarissa Harwood, Teresa Messineo and Tom Miller.

Clarissa Harwood

credit: Abigail Carlin

Elizabeth Jane Corbett

Teresa Messineo

Tom Miller

Teresa Messineo, author of The Fire By Night (William Morrow, 2017), explains that her hometown had the largest WWII encampment on the East Coast. “I grew up wandering through the bamboo of the Pacific, and the side-streets of Occupied France with blond-haired, blue-eyed German reenactors playing cards and laughing outside makeshift cafes.” Given this experience, coupled with her “life-long love of medicine,” she says, “it’s easy to see how I was ultimately drawn to the medical tents at these events, where my seven years of research for The Fire By Night began. It was in these drab green tents, a red cross emblazoned on their tops, that I not only handled period medical equipment, but also met with and befriended WWII veterans—including frontline military nurses—who could give me invaluable insight into a world that is quickly disappearing. We lose 420 WWII veterans daily now, and that window is quickly closing.” She discovered that “one female war hero—in her nineties and sharp as a tack—remembered everything as if it were yesterday, teaching me the ropes and answering all my questions. No, the x-ray machine would have been a little more to the right there, honey; yes, this is where we washed our hands; this is where they’d come out of surgery, you know, I guess I was crazy, just crazy and young and lucky, I mean, God, I never thought I’d die. Not once. I guess I was right. History came to life for me at these events. Sitting there in those field hospitals, it was easy to imagine I was Jo, I was Kay, that I was in love, that I was stuck in hell, that my world was ending. Writing down the stories of these women—incredibly brave women whose story has remained untold for too long—was a labor of love, and meeting the heroines themselves was an honor and a privilege.”

COLUMNS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Messineo’s novel focuses on the sacrifices and battles for survival of her two main characters in two dramatically different war-torn settings: Jo McMahon, an Italian-Irish girl in France, and Kay, her best friend from nursing school days, who finds herself facing the horrors of life in a Japanese POW camp in Manila. When they war ends, these two women then face the hurdles posed by finding their place and peace in an irrevocably changed world. Clarissa Harwood’s Impossible Saints (Pegasus, 2018) highlights different challenges than those that Messineo’s characters face. Impossible Saints, she writes, “was twenty years in the making, and it reflects my personal journey of reconciling my faith and my feminism as much as it reflects wider cultural concerns of the early 20th century. In 1907, the church was already feeling the pressure to prove its relevance in the modern world, and one of the threats to the old order was the New Woman, with her advanced views about equality and sexuality. My protagonists Paul and Lilia play out the clashes between these competing ideologies, but their passion for each other is as strong as their opposing ambitions, surprising them into examining their long-held beliefs.” Harwood was a doctoral student and later an English professor specialising in 19th-century British literature, she says, “so texts from that period are always the inspiration for my writing and research. An early influence on Paul’s development as an Anglican priest was Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers, with its delightful melodrama surrounding the lives and loves of cathedral clergy. I was also inspired by the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, who became a Jesuit priest, and Christina Rossetti, who volunteered at Highgate Penitentiary, one of the charities run by Anglican sisterhoods that were intended to reform ‘fallen’ women. Although she knew that “Lilia would be an advocate of women’s rights,” she continues, “her evolution into a suffragette happened gradually (I was holding her back due to my reluctance to be dragged into the 20th century!). Eventually I realized that her ferocity and dedication made her a perfect candidate for the militant Women’s Social and Political Union founded in 1903, so I shifted what I’d planned as a late-Victorian setting into the first decade of the 20th century. First-person accounts of the suffragettes’ destruction of property, hunger strikes in prison, and the brutal force-feeding they endured, especially Emmeline Pankhurst’s My Own Story and Constance Lytton’s Prison and Prisoners, were especially influential in shaping Lilia’s experiences.” When Tom Miller began working on The Philosopher’s Flight (Simon & Schuster, 2018), he intended “to tell a simple fantasy story of the sort I enjoyed reading. Gradually, however, the plot veered deeper and deeper into themes of gender roles and discrimination.” While Miller was writing, he reveals, he “often reflected on a volunteer firefighter I met during my days as an EMT. He enjoyed offering lengthy, unsolicited opinions on many topics, including why his department, which was a hundred years old, had never had a woman firefighter. He wasn’t opposed to it, he explained, provided she could meet the same physical requirements as a man. He was pretty sure that no such woman existed, but if she did, he had no issue with her joining. Though, he reflected, there would be the problem of the lack of a women’s bathroom. And a place for her to sleep on overnight shifts, since men and women couldn’t possibly share the bunk room. And probably she would end up falling in love

with one of the men, and that would eventually lead to bad decisions during an emergency.” This struck Miller, he says, “as a conversation taking place in the wrong decade—it was 2007, not 1977. (In Madison, Wisconsin, where I live now, one fifth of the city firefighters are women.) But in the years since then, I’ve seen many similar objections raised over women in the military and even by a few older physicians, who remember fondly ‘the good old days’ when men were doctors, women were nurses, and everyone turned a blind eye to a little ‘harmless’ sexual harassment.” The result was that “as I wrote my novel, having inverted the gender dynamic (the protagonist is a young man trying to break into a traditionally female field of magic called empirical philosophy), I put several of those same lines in the mouths of characters in the year 1917. I hope that an extra hundred years of distance will help readers think critically about how pragmatism and tradition can become excuses for reinforcing entrenched interests and outright institutional violence.” Miller’s central character is eighteen-year-old Robert Weekes. Weekes seeks to join those who practice empirical philosophy, a magical “science” which allows the individuals who master it to heal injuries, harness the wind, and take flight—amongst other fantastical abilities. Weekes seeks to study this science, hone these talents, and become a flying medic with the US Sigilry Corps Rescue and Evacuation Service during the Great War. The problem: the ranks of empirical philosophers are made up almost entirely of women— Weekes is the wrong gender. Despite this, Weekes is undeterred. He manages to overcome both personal tragedy and a variety of obstacles in order to garner a scholarship to Radcliffe College. As the only male at this all-female institution, Weekes faces challenges from his intimidating female classmates as he attempts to master empirical philosophy. At first glance the style, inspiration for, and setting of Miller’s novel would appear to have nothing in common with The Tides Between (Odyssey Books, 2017) by Elizabeth Jane Corbett, but what links them is the determination and desire to transform the impossible into the possible. Miller and Corbett’s novels also both contain fantasy elements, although Corbett explains that her inspiration was originally sparked as the result of a midlife crisis.

been waiting for them to drop from the sky. But I love historical fiction, and immigration had been the defining event of my childhood. So, why not try to write an immigration saga set in early Melbourne?” Corbett began by “reading a biography of Caroline Chisholm,” she says. “To my immense surprise, characters started forming in my mind. One of them, a young girl called Bridie, had lost her father in tragic circumstances. A creative young couple would help her reconcile her grief. On reading the Mabinogion and a host of other Welsh fairy tales, they became storytellers, with dark secrets. Bridie also faced conflict on a number of levels. On reaching the Bay of Biscay, I faced a decision. Did I pull back and try to write the saga I’d initially envisaged? Or follow the story where it was leading? “I chose the latter, and ended up with an historical coming-of-age novel about fairy tales and facing the truth set entirely in the steerage compartment of an emigrant vessel. On the surface, The Tides Between (Odyssey Books, 2017) is a simple coming-of-age story. But on another level, it tackles the issues of failed marriages, blended families, and mental health breakdowns. Running like a thread beneath these themes is the importance of age-old stories.” Corbett, Harwood, Messineo, and Miller have all been able to take the reader on new adventures through their storytelling, and have uncovered new, previously hidden historical treasures for readers to enjoy.

WRITTEN BY MYFANWY COOK Myfanwy loves reading and writing short stories and is a prize winning short story writer, Associate Fellow at two British Universities, researcher and workshop designer. Please do email (myfanwyc@btinternet.com) about any debut novels you would recommend.

“I wrote a list of all I’d like to have achieved by that stage in my life. Writing a novel topped the list. Trouble is, I didn’t have any ideas. I’d A publication of the Historical Novel Society | www.historicalnovelsociety.org

HISTORY & FILM Alexander Nevsky and the Uses of Historical Fiction

In Novgorod, two warriors, happy Vasili and wise Gavrilo, are both in love with the beautiful Olga. Their courtship is interrupted by messengers from Pskov bringing news of the German invasion. The citizens of Novgorod argue; the merchants—the bourgeoisie— counsel appeasement, while the peasants and artisans call on Prince Alexander Nevsky to lead them to victory. Alexander arrives, the artisans donate swords and armor, peasants emerge from their hovels into the light to take up arms, and a young woman, Vasilisa, whose father was killed in Pskov, dons chainmail and belts on a sword to go into battle. Olga promises her hand in marriage to whichever suitor acquits himself with more valor in battle will, and then Alexander leads the army out against the Germans.

“The logic behind it makes everything clearer, but only after the emotional response.” –Sergei Eisenstein 1 The film Alexander Nevsky, made in Russia by Sergei Eisenstein in 1938, is considered a seminal work of cinema, pioneering the use of montage for emotional impact and storytelling, and, most famously, dramatizing a battle on a frozen lake that has been imitated by dozens of other filmmakers. It is also undeniably a work of propaganda, upholding the values of Stalin’s regime, and demonizing the invading Germans. 2 Alexander Nevsky tells the story of Grand Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky of Kiev who, in 1242 CE, defended Novgorod and other Russian states from the Teutonic Knights of the Livonian Crusade, who set out to convert the pagan and Eastern Orthodox Slavs to Roman Catholicism, but were rebuffed by Nevsky in a battle on Lake Chudskoe where the more heavily armed German knights broke through the ice and drowned. I became interested in Prince Alexander when researching a trilogy of novels set in Viking-Age Norway. A lesser-known chapter of Viking history is that of the Rus, a band of Swedish Vikings who settled in Kiev in the late 9th century. The Rus gave the country its name, and founded the Rurikid dynasty that would rule Russia for centuries. The Rus of Kiev quickly assimilated into the local culture, while bringing their own innovations. Rurik’s daughter-in-law, the murderous Princess Helga (later Slavicized to Olga), initiated the contact with Constantinople that would bring Christianity, and her grandson Vladimir made it the religion of the land. The Rurikid dynasty spawned Ivan the Terrible, and ruled Russia until the Romanovs. The film Alexander Nevsky introduces us to the titular character as he is fishing. His subjects sing a work song that celebrates his victory against the Swedes on the Neva River, the battle that gave him his name. Prince Alexander enjoys his placid life, but knows that soon the Russian city-states will be at war with Germany. We are then shown the city of Pskov, betrayed by its mayor, and now under the heel of the Germans, who treat its citizens brutally. They literally trample men and women underfoot, and condemn children to a bonfire, while a sinister bishop presides over the carnage.

COLUMNS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Alexander Nevsky was director Sergei Eisenstein’s first film after nearly ten years of failed projects and suspicion from the Stalinist regime. It was an opportunity for both him and composer Sergei Prokofiev to redeem themselves politically. Their collaboration on Alexander Nevsky is justly famous for its closeness: Prokofiev composed sections based on Eisenstein’s storyboards, but also composed other pieces that Eisenstein edited his film to match. Because of this “The Battle on the Ice” is sometimes called “the first music video.” 3 The vagaries of politics had a strong effect on Alexander Nevsky, and not only its story and emphasis. Near the end of filming, Eisenstein fell asleep at his editing table. His assistants brought the rough cuts to Stalin, edited with a rehearsal recording of Prokofiev’s score, and missing one of the reels. However, Stalin was very happy with the film as he saw it, and those involved were too frightened of him to change anything, even adding back the reel or improving the sound quality. 1 The film was a massive hit upon its release, but within two months, Stalin entered the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, a non-aggression agreement with Germany. Anti-German propaganda was no longer desired and the film was pulled from theaters. Once the Germans invaded, it was re-released, and became a hit again. When consuming a work of historical fiction made almost 80 years ago, one must view it through a double historical lens and be aware of both the moment in which it was made, and the moment it purports to describe. Historical fiction, like any other kind of fiction, reflects the concerns and values of the era in which it is created, and the preoccupations of its makers. Some works, like Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, explicitly link two historical eras to make a point. Many more have an implicit, but no less obvious political aim, like Arthur Miller’s The Crucible commenting on McCarthyism. Knowing the context of Alexander Nevsky’s creation makes it that much more enjoyable as a piece of fiction. In addition to bringing a Stalinist reading to Prince Alexander’s triumph, Eisenstein and Prokofiev purposefully evoke an epic grandeur in their filmmaking. Their musical and visual themes and repetitions remind a viewer of Homer’s wellworn phrases for describing moments of battle, or the virtues of his heroes. 4 Similarly, many of the characters are rather flat, but in a way that evokes a folk tale or foundational legend. Prince Alexander himself arrives on scene full-formed, the perfect prince who would rather fish than fight, but will quickly rise to the occasion when called upon to defend his country. Eisenstein frequently shoots him from below as he stands, arms akimbo, a pose used by Stalin in many of his portraits.

The characters involved in the film’s romance subplot are allowed to evolve more than Prince Alexander’s handsome Stalin stand-in. Vasili and Gavrilo compete like Legolas and Gimli in Lord of the Rings over achievements in battle. But when the battle is done, they lie in the snow together, both gravely wounded, and praise each other and their fallen fellows for their valor. There is a tendency today to value historical fiction for its ability to recreate a historical period as accurately as possible. I have tried to make the characters in my novels plausible for their era, while still acceptable to modern readers, but even that plausibility is another kind of fiction. Alexander Nevsky’s triumph is in creating a piece of fiction that does not attempt to recreate history itself, but create a new legend out of history. Prokofiev, when researching music for the film, originally wanted to use thirteenth century Russian music as his inspiration, but could not find any records. Instead he used nineteenth century themes to create what he called an “assumed vernacular” that would make viewers think of medieval Russia, without having to rediscover music that has now been lost in the mists of time. 5 Similarly, the set design of Alexander Nevsky incorporates stylized Viking elements, like dragon-headed ships and wooden long-houses, while the cities of Novgorod and Pskov are dominated by huge white churches with onion domes, using symbols of past and present to create a the visual version of this assumed vernacular. Many viewers, myself included, have wondered if there are any subversive moments this film—one made by artists who were at least sometimes in conflict with Stalin’s repressive regime. A clue may be in the beginning of the film. Russia’s sense of its place in Europe has long been complicated by its history with its Mongol—later Tatar— overlords. For centuries, Russia paid tribute to the Tatars, and when they threw off the Tatar yoke, and Peter the Great dragged Russia into the European sphere, he seemed to do so with a sense that Russia had been left behind by a Europe that had moved without them for 400 years. Alexander Nevsky addresses this question in the first few scenes, when we see the bleached bones of battle, dead horses, and Tatar helmets on rolling fields of grass that take up almost the entire sky. This is quickly replaced by a much lower horizon, populated by the fishermen working in peace and singing a victory song. 6 After an early scene with Tatar overlords, during which Alexander neither rebels nor capitulates, he suggests that the battle with the Tatars is in the far future, while conflict with the Germans is imminent—a wonderful reversal of how in 1938, the fight with the Tatars was in the distant past, while battle with Germans was likewise imminent. But there is also an unresolved contradiction in this scene: the peasants are celebrating a victory next to the scene of a battle they lost, and are about to be reminded of that loss when Tatar lords force them to kneel. Stalin found nothing to question in this contradiction, but perhaps the viewer can see it as undercutting of the film’s heroic message. Even if the Russians win against the Germans, a boot is still upon their necks. Elements of Prokofiev’s score also serve to comment on the action rather than echo it. In the final one-on-one battle between the master Teutonic Knight and Prince Alexander, just before the German surrenders, a saxophone imitates a horse’s whinny, but also a laugh. This commentary is evident when the knights slip under the ice: at first the score is bombastic and heroic, until the end, when a slide trombone gives a distinctly silly note to the knights’ drownings—perhaps echoing the silliness of the styrofoam that stood in for ice, the clearly evident gasps for breath that the Germans take before they go under, or perhaps commenting on the foolishness of film’s entire enterprise. 7

Alexander Nevsky’s history makes it a fascinating artifact of Soviet propaganda, but I believe it is also an enjoyable film for modern viewers in its own right. The story is broadly drawn, but still compelling. The bombast and silliness in Prokofiev’s excellent score lend it subtlety and humor. Stock but sympathetic heroes populate the film, and the visuals are stunning. Eisenstein films have been accused of having an intellectual formalism that leaves little room for emotion, but I found it quite affecting, even when the emotional strings being pulled are obvious. It is hard not to cheer for the rival suitors’ success in battle, and the woman warrior avenging her father’s death. The Battle on the Ice contains humor, excitement, and pathos, with the death of favorite characters and the unforgettable visual of a Teutonic Knight’s white cloak being pulled under after him as he sinks. The propaganda aims of the film cannot take away from its universal human drama and artistry.

REFERENCES 1. Ronald Bergan

Sergei Eisenstein: A Life in Conflict, Overlook, 1999.

2. Paul Tatara

“Alexander Nevsky.” Turner Classic Movies website (http://www. tcm.com/this-month/article/141990%7C0/Alexander-Nevsky. html). Accessed January 2, 2018.

3. Julian Day

“Alexander Nevsky (Or the Russians Are Coming!)” Limelight Magazine, April 2014.

4. Greg Dolgopolov

“Alexander Nevsky.” Sense of Cinema website (http:// sensesofcinema.com/2011/cteq/alexander-nevsky/). Accessed January 2, 2018

5. Kevin Bartig

Composing for the Red Screen: Prokofiev and the Soviet Film, Oxford University Press, 2014.

6. David Bordwell

Audio commentary on Criterion Edition of Alexander Nevsky

7. Russell Merritt

“Recharging Alexander Nevsky: Tracking the Eisenstein-Prokofiev War Horse” Film Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2, 1995.

WRITTEN BY LINNEA HARTSUYKER Linnea Hartsuyker is a graduate of NYU and Cornell University. She is the author of The HalfDrowned King (Harper, 2017) and her latest novel, The Sea Queen, will be published by Harper in August 2018.

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

ALTERNATIVE TRUTH Historical Fiction: Does it matter that we get the facts right?

Historical fiction is perhaps a different matter – or is it? Certainly, academic scrutiny of a fiction writer’s factual bases is rarely crucial to the success or otherwise of the book. The author can always say that it is a work of fiction, which gives him licence to write pretty well anything he wants to, and dress it up as alternative history or a fictional fantasy. I was prompted to think about the matter of accuracy in historical fiction when reviewing some fiction for the HNS. One novel in particular (John Boyne’s The Heart’s Invisible Furies) contains a large number of fairly clear historical anachronisms and errors which I felt devalued the pleasure of reading what is otherwise excellently plotted, paced and engaging fiction. As I read the text, rather than engaging with the fictional world created by the writer, I increasingly devoted attention to spotting the next howler, and then scurrying off to check my suspicions on Google. I did begin to wonder if the writer was playing a game with the reader, or indeed if the narrator in the story was fundamentally unreliable or suffering from some form of medical condition that affected his memory. The subsequent development of the novel suggested that this was not the case.

In these dark days of fake news and alternative truths, this may be the right time to look at the issue of accuracy in historical fiction. Of course, some academics tell us that there can be no such thing as historical truth or impartiality; we bring our own opinions, prejudices and distortions into whatever we do. Thus, pursuing the question of historical accuracy is largely a waste of effort in any case – you may as well just make up the story as you go along regardless of any attempt at getting it right. Nevertheless, it is not unreasonable to expect that historical nonfiction writing should have sound research and gets the facts correct. Without going into arcane postmodern discussions about whether anything can be construed as historical fact when all is subjective and contingent upon the individual, it is generally safe to say that there are fundamental historical truths and events which the great majority of historians and researchers agree upon. So when a writer seems to make a number of basic mistakes, the criticism poured upon his head can be stringent and savage. Take, for example, the reception given to the publication of Norman Davies’s lengthy (nearly 1,400 pages) Europe: A History in 1996, which was widely excoriated for containing a large number of central historical errors. 1

FEATURES | ISSUE 83, February 2018

On the issue of whether it really matters if an author makes mistakes in historical fiction, speaking at the Hay Literary festival (and reported in The Guardian on 31 May 2017), the historian John Guy outlined his concerns. He claimed that the works of the most popular and talented historical novelists, such as Hilary Mantel, are now often considered as textbooks on history by undergraduates. Mantel’s depiction of Thomas More, a character in Wolf Hall, as a misogynistic evil villain, is, according to him, inaccurate as she seemingly relied on biased, albeit conventionally believed historical accounts of More in her highly successful aim of writing a thoroughly absorbing novel of the machinations of the English state in the sixteenth century. There are other factual errors in her book, and Guy said: “Do I care? No. It is a novel.” However, he is concerned that the quality of the fiction leads readers and students into considering it to be a true and reliable account of the times. Marina Warner agrees with John Guy that historical novelists can have a key role: “Hilary Mantel’s Anne Boleyn and Thomas More have eclipsed earlier incarnations of them to imprint her fictional creations on collective memory.” 2 In the Reith Lectures broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2017, in what appeared to be a response to John Guy’s criticism, Hilary Mantel argued that “facts are not truth (but) the record of what’s left on the record.” It is the responsibility of the living to interpret, or, possibly misinterpret, those accounts. The historical fiction writer does not operate in direct opposition to the academic historian; both must think creatively, especially when faced with gaps and silences in the archive – “selection, elision, artful arrangement” are all required for a coherent narrative. Mantel argued that historical truth cannot be entirely found in “coronations, the conclaves of cardinals, the pomp and processions,” but the writer needs to look at “a woman’s sigh” or a “hand pulling close the bed curtain,” essential elements of human life that will not be located in any credible archive. “If we crave truth unmediated by art we are chasing a phantom. We need the commentator’s craft, even to make sense of the news. We need historians, not to collect facts, but to help us pick a path through the facts, to meaning. We need fiction to remind us that the unknown and unknowable is real, and exerts its force.” In essence, “if we want to meet the dead looking alive, we turn to art.” 3

DESPITE THESE cogent arguments, it does matter that writers do not litter their works with all sorts of misleading errors.

The writer Amanda Foreman defended Mantel’s views a little more trenchantly: “Only fools and pedants have a problem with artistic licence. In the introduction to Ivanhoe, Sir Walter Scott felt compelled to explain to his critics that, yes, he had taken some liberties with Norman history, and no, his Ivanhoe was not meant to compete with the antiquarian labours of ‘Dr Dryasdust’. Rather, it was a mood piece that was aimed at the heart as well as the mind (…). If accuracy and analysis were indeed the only criteria that mattered, we would have to dispense with a host of beloved classics, from Homer’s The Iliad to Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace.” 4 Despite these cogent arguments, it does matter that writers do not litter their works with all sorts of misleading errors. I surveyed some of the HNS’s experienced reviewers to get some idea of their views on the subject, as specialist and expert readers and reviewers, and also sought the opinion of some of the Society’s published and successful writers of historical fiction – again to get some idea of their own experiences and perspectives. Most reviewers said that anachronisms in the text of historical fiction were profoundly annoying and did interrupt the spell that good fiction can weave between the author and the reader. Minor historical facts can justifiably be changed to fit in with the plot providing that such changes were acknowledged by the writer in notes or some other form of envoi at the end of the text, and that they are not central elements of the historical narrative. Conn Iggulden is an author referenced by more than one respondent with an off-putting track record of changing the established historical process to fit his story – which has deterred one reviewer from reading his historical fiction again. Perhaps the biggest irritant for the HNS reviewers is writers giving their characters contemporary mindsets, in taking them out of the conventions, culture and behaviour of their times and giving them an “enlightened” temperament. Not anachronistic as such, but profoundly irritating nonetheless! HNS writers have emphasised how much hard work goes into their research for their fiction – six months of reading through the subject is not unusual in order to immerse themselves into the subject, and to reduce the chances of getting anything important wrong. A big problem is that the interpretation of often unreliable sources remains subjective in many areas – and what may be established historical fact to one expert writer familiar with their material is merely arbitrary supposition to another historian. This has prompted some of our writers to append bibliographies to their novels in order to demonstrate their use of historical sources, if challenged. The historical fiction writer Elizabeth Chadwick weighed into the argument: “Yes, story is massively important, but in the case of historical fiction the story must rest solidly on historical integrity. Note that I don’t say accuracy because that has different connotations. With the best will in the world, no author can get everything right, but there’s nothing to stop us from obtaining a thoroughly good grounding in our chosen period and doing the best we can. Indeed, it’s essential. If you are twisting history to suit the story then you’re not a good enough writer… Part of the utter joy of being a historical novelist is working out how the narrative can be woven in such a way as to keep the historical facts and details intact without sacrificing story and vice versa. Work with the facts, work around them if you must, but don’t distort them. If you do your research and don’t warp

the history while telling a bloody good story, then the historical detail anoraks will stay off your back, the people who just want the frocks and a story won’t notice, and everyone’s happy.” 5 It seems therefore that it is important that the writers of historical fiction take time to ensure their facts, as far as possible, are correct. From the sample surveyed, we can take comfort that HNS writers do devote considerable effort to ensuring that their fiction equates with the established historical record. A writer who makes “continuity” errors in his narrative, changes historical assessments or puts in eyewatering anachronisms helps nobody. In today’s society, it is perhaps more important than ever that both writers and readers with a conscience for establishing truths, albeit within the ever-loose and permeable boundaries of historical fiction, should do their utmost to institute, reinforce and promulgate truth in our art.

REFERENCES

1. Theodore K. Rabb

New York Times, 1 December 1996 (http://www.nytimes.com/ books/97/05/04/bsp/20491.html). Accessed 18 Dec 2017

2. Royal Society of Literature Review Autumn 2017, p.11

3. The Reith Lectures

July 2017, BBC website (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/ b00729d9)

4. Daily Telegraph 2 June 2017.

5. Elizabeth Chadwick

Living the History blog, 23 July 2017 (http://elizabethchadwick.com/ blog/beyond-the-dressing-up-box-how-i-write-historical-fiction/)

WRITTEN BY DOUGLAS KEMP Douglas Kemp is one of the UK team of review editors for the Historical Novels Review.

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

MULTI-PERIOD NOVELS The keys to weaving together two stories from different time periods

country of her birth. The story alternates between Marisol’s mission (and her unearthing of family secrets) in Cuba, and the late 1950s when her grandmother fled Castro’s reign. To craft a dual period novel, says Cleeton, “A lot of shifting around of sections is needed to flesh out the tension points and the parallels— such as having the black moments come closely together. Though one storyline may have higher stakes, each narrative should stand alone with plot arcs and character arcs. One narrative must do more than merely prop up the other. Both narratives need elements of mystery to keep readers asking questions.” My second category is labelled “Object links two unrelated characters.” While there are still different main characters in dual storylines, the characters are not related. Rather, they “become linked” through an object, a place, or an inciting event, such as with The House Girl (William Morrow, 2013) by Tara Conklin. Here, dual narratives follow a slave on a Virginia tobacco plantation in 1852 and a modern-day lawyer handling a reparations lawsuit claiming that the slave girl—not her mistress—painted the artworks in a prominent collection. Novels in Categories 1 and 2 often bring parallel journeys together thematically; Conklin’s work explores what it means to repair a wrong. Jane Johnson, publishing director for Voyager HarperFiction and author of Court of Lions (Head of Zeus, 2017), says, “Weaving effectively is the technical challenge, leaving each storyline not exactly on a cliff-hanger, but certainly just before a point of revelation the reader desires.” Johnson’s latest saga alternates between Granada in modern times and the same city in Spain five centuries before. While visiting the Moorish palace Alhambra, a troubled Englishwoman discovers a scrap of paper written in an ancient language—perhaps a love letter or a poem. The novel braids together Kate Fordham’s struggle to overcome her past with Granada’s expulsion of its last Muslim sultan, led by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

In Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre, HNR’s own Sarah Johnson discusses how “multi-period novels shift between contemporary and historical subplots. This dual timeline approach lets readers see the parallels—and the differences—between the present and the past.”1 As an avid reader of multi-period novels, I’ve observed that they typically fall into one of three categories. Let’s look at the challenges authors face in writing dual storylines—and how they bring to readers a better understanding of today’s world. We can call the first category “Object connects characters across time.” Here, two characters are related in some way but are separated by time. An object compels the contemporary character to learn what happened in the past. Readers may recall Anne Fortier’s Juliet (Ballantine, 2010), where a woman receives her late mother’s key to a safety-deposit box in Italy and soon discovers that her family’s origins reach back to literature’s greatest star-crossed lovers. In Category 1, then, dual storylines each feature different main characters, but the historical narrative often informs the modern-day character’s situation in a meaningful way. Chanel Cleeton’s new release, Next Year in Havana (Berkley, February 2018), is another example. Cuban-American Marisol Ferrera wants to fulfill her grandmother’s dying wish to scatter her ashes in the

FEATURES | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Johnson says, “It’s a delicate balance to ensure the stories match up to one another in interest and tension, and it’s crucial that the characters in each thread are compelling. For readers, it’s about the personalities of the narrators and other main characters of each narrative, and just how complex and horrible a knot you can twist them into. Conflict lies at the heart of every story.” Johnson aims to have each narrative echo or throw light onto aspects of the other, to bring a historical issue into a modern perspective. “I particularly like using a contemporary narrative as a guide to the reader so that— unless they’re already an expert in the historical subject matter—they learn alongside the modern protagonist. There are, effectively, two casts of characters to manage. It’s a significant challenge!” In the last category, which I’ve tagged “Character looks back,” something happens in the contemporary period that triggers a character’s memories—often something tragic—and thus, readers are transported to an earlier era. Essential to this category is that the same key character appears in both the contemporary and historical storylines. Take Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale (St. Martin’s Press, 2015). In the novel’s opening, set in 1995, an elderly woman removes from an old attic trunk the identity card of Juliette Gervaise. The story propels us back to Nazi-occupied France, and the love and betrayals of two sisters who do everything to survive.

IN MANY WAYS, the structure allows for a bigger, sweeping story. I love the sense of mystery that unfolds when a novel shifts between past and present. Ariel Lawhon’s I Was Anastasia (Doubleday, March 2018) also opens up in a modern setting, 1970. The novel shifts through time, going back as far as 1918 with Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia recounting her heart-breaking tale. Lawhon says, “This is absolutely about the Anastasia readers know and love. I believe Romanov enthusiasts will be pleased. But it’s also not the story they think it is. . . .” In writing novels that shift between past and present, Lawhon admits, “I probably struggle most with that all-important but subtle transition between chapters—the segues between time periods, if you will, making sure the reader doesn’t want to leave the narrative she’s in, and then grabbing her immediately upon beginning the next chapter.” When it comes to intertwining the narratives, Lawhon adds, “The writing is art and it’s science, and it can be mentally exhausting.” Given the novels we’ve examined so far—and we could cite many more—it seems clear that readers are drawn to books that alternate between the past and present. I was eager to learn the authors’ insights as to specific reasons why. Lawhon reads multi-period books herself and says, “In many ways, the structure allows for a bigger, sweeping story. I love the sense of mystery that unfolds when a novel shifts between past and present.” Cleeton concurs. “When readers have interest in history, these stories give the ability to make that connection; the novels give us a chance to be explorers. The story becomes a quest.” Johnson asserts that for some other readers, history can feel distant from our modern world, and they don’t connect with the past in an immediately empathetic way. “They don’t viscerally understand that people have largely remained the same down the ages. People may wear different clothes, but they’re still staying alive in a hostile world, falling in love, losing people they love, and fighting injustice.” For these readers, dual narrative books offer “an easier path into the past.” Taking it a step further, Johnson says, “It’s absorbing to tell two stories in one and to make them both work upon the other to the greater understanding of a larger truth about our world now.” Consider how well the novels we’re examining illustrate this point. Next Year in Havana was inspired by Cleeton’s own family’s experience. “It’s a map of my Cuban grandmother’s footsteps,” she says. “My novel is about what exile meant to those who left. The revolution goes on, but the yearning to return to the homeland carries through the generations.” Lawhon’s novel also has ties to current events; its publication coincides with the centennial of the Romanov family massacre. “I’m amazed at how people have long been obsessed with the Romanovs in general and Anastasia in particular,” she says. “Perhaps it’s the allure of royalty and the end of that dynasty?” Indeed, one has only to follow today’s news media to see that a fascination with royal families remains high.

between Christians and Muslims, or West and East. In the book’s modern narrative, Kate is dealing with terrible personal oppression, and this acts as a sort of microcosm of the larger historical narrative about the huge clash of civilizations, and of fundamentalism, that focused itself on Granada at the end of the fifteenth century.” Readers can recognize how the West–East clash is alive in the world today. Concluding our analysis with one final book, The Cloister by James Carroll (Nan A. Talese, March 2018), we see that this novel, which falls into the second category (“Object links two unrelated characters”), has similar themes that resonate across the centuries. The story shows how the medieval struggle of Abelard and Heloise brings two people—a Catholic priest and a Holocaust survivor— together in the twentieth century. “The myth of the great French Catholic thinker and his brilliant noblewoman pupil,” Carroll says, “is known for its power as a doomladen story of romantic love. Yet, in the age of Crusader assaults against both Jews and Muslims, Abelard and Heloise stood almost alone against what turned out to be a crushing tide of intolerance. That tide of contempt flowed seamlessly from anti-Semitism into Islamophobia, ultimately into white supremacy—and even the contemporary “‘Crusade’ of America’s War on Terror.” Carroll believes that past-and-present fiction may draw readers for the “pleasure in the gradual unfolding of the subliminal bond that ties otherwise unrelated stories together. The threads are interdependent and so must subtly weave back and forth across time and place—two stories becoming one. When the novel works, the interwoven threads become a rope.” I agree. And yet, one wonders if perhaps multi-period novels also pull us in, in part, because we all grapple with pasts of our own.

REFERENCES

1. Sarah L. Johnson

Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre, Libraries Unlimited, 2009, p.6

WRITTEN BY TORI WHITAKER Tori Whitaker is chief marketing officer for a national law firm based in Atlanta. She’s also at work on a novel and blogs and tweets about multi-period books. Follow her at pastpresentreads. blogspot.com and @ToriLWhitaker.

As for Court of Lions, Johnson notes, “Like all of my novels, its heart resides in the similarities and differences between people, particularly

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

REAL HEROINES IN HISTORICAL NOVELS BY KAREN HARPER My passion for reading and writing historical novels was formed in the 1960s when I discovered Anya Seton’s Katherine (about Katherine Swynford/John of Gaunt) and Jan Westcott’s The Queen’s Grace (Catherine Parr/Tom Seymour/Henry VIII). Such novels are, in a way, a subgenre of historical fiction which I refer to as “faction,” a term attributed to Alex Haley, the author of Roots. These are wellresearched books about real protagonists, but they are fiction, not biography. Most, although not all, of these historical novels focus on an important woman who was influential in her era. Some of the recent novels which fit this apparently growing sub-genre would include two books focusing on the wife of the main character in the popular musical Hamilton: Susan Holloway Scott’s I, Eliza Hamilton (Kensington, 2017) and My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton (William Morrow, April 2018) by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Most aficionados of historical novels about real women would probably cite Queen Victoria as a fascinating main character, with one of the most recent books being Victoria (St. Martin’s, 2016) by Daisy Goodwin, the creator and writer of the hit TV show, Victoria. It does seem that British royals make ideal heroines for “faction” historicals. I have followed the pattern of writing what I most love in my early Tudor novels, such as The Queen’s Governess (Katherine Ashley) or The Last Boleyn (Mary Boleyn). Heroines who are the focus of historical faction also include women of power in other cultures, such as Sisi: Empress on Her Own (Random House, 2017) by Allison Pataki, the story of the little-known but dynamic Elisabeth of Bavaria, Empress of Austria. Margaret George’s The Memoirs of Cleopatra (St. Martin’s, 1997) is another example, as is Michelle Moran’s Cleopatra’s Daughter (Crown, 2009). Of course, rulers and queens make excellent faction heroines, even ones who lose their heads as in Confessions of Marie Antoinette (Ballantine, 2013) by Juliet Grey and the numerous novels about Anne Boleyn. Many excellent “herstorical” novels have fictional leads but present a key main or secondary character who was historical. The Dressmaker (Doubleday, 2012) by Kate Alcott drew my attention because, although the heroine is fictional, one of the book’s key characters is Lucile, Lady Duff-Gordon, who is one of the real-life sisters in my latest novel, The It Girls (William Morrow, 2017). Lucile, like Alcott’s heroine, sailed on the Titanic. A fabulous clothing designer in London, Paris, New York and Chicago, Lucile and her sister, notorious author Elinor Glyn, both created scandals in their quest to cross boundaries in their Victorian and Edwardian worlds. Choosing historical central characters limits the plot and adds another layer of demanding research. For The It Girls, for example, besides nonfiction books on the culture of the eras and settings, I read both of the Sutherland sisters’ autobiographies: Lucile, Lady

FEATURES | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Duff-Gordon’s Discretions and Indiscretions (1932) and Elinor Glyn’s Romantic Adventure (1936). I also read Addicted to Romance: The Life of Elinor Glyn (Trafalgar Square, 1995) by Joan Hardwick and a dual biography The ‘It’ Girls by Meredith Etherington Smith and Jeremy Pilcher (Harcourt, 1987). With “double heroines” I had to research two careers. Lucile’s fashion designs in numerous historical fashion books took me to the Ohio State University Historic Costumes & Textiles Collection, where they have a 1916 ivory silk wedding dress by Lucile. To really get inside Elinor’s skin, I read her breakout 1907 novel, Three Weeks (which was banned for indecency). For the first time in my faction writing career, I also found that instead of just viewing portraits, I could watch my heroine on Youtube, where there is a clip of Elinor describing “It!”. Another added surprise was to hear both women mentioned in Downton Abbey episodes. Although I have learned much from novels with central fictional characters, I love the challenge of reading and writing about actual women. It is amazing how diverse the doorways to historical fiction can be. In addition to her historical fiction, Karen Harper is also a New York Times bestselling author of contemporary suspense. She is a former university and high school English instructor.

ARCHIVAL FEVER BY CLAIRE SCOBIE Any historical fiction writer has to be something of a sleuth. For my first novel, The Pagoda Tree (Viking Australia, 2013), I met a prince, rode on an elephant and travelled across India in search of the perfect crumbling palace. I also spent weeks delving into the India Office Records in the British Library, but knew that archival sources would only provide part of my story. While I never had to wear white gloves to leaf through a yellowing manuscript, I admit to getting a touch of “archive fever” when reading an original 1773 diary. It was a surprisingly visceral experience as I heard this young Englishman’s voice in my head. It made history real and brought the past streaming into the present. Australian author Nicolas Jose once encouraged me to “do enough research to know that it could happen, write the scenes and then fill in the gaps later.” I’ve also heard that researching and then forgetting what you’ve read is a good ploy. This internalises the sources so they don’t sound papery on the page. At a literary festival, I heard Sarah Waters describe how her characters seemed to “come out of the mist” of the historical material once she’d done enough research. But how much is enough? Kate Mosse says she spends three-quarters of the time it takes her to write a novel doing the research. Some years ago, when I interviewed Louis de Bernières, his advice was not to research too much after he

became bogged down in Turkish history when writing Birds without Wings (Knopf, 2004).

happens when two cultures collide. www.clairescobie.com.au

Any writer starts in the obvious places: online, Google Books, Google Scholar. What’s critical is setting up an index system early – however basic – so you remember where you read that useful quote that you’ll need later.

1. Dalrymple, William. “My working day,” Observer. 17 June 2017. 2. Meidav, Edie. “The Voyager: Write what you don’t know,” in Now Write, edited by Ellis, Sherry. Penguin, NY (2006), p. 121.

Historian William Dalrymple recently outlined his “highly tuned filing system” with three card indexes organised by name, place and topic. He also keeps a dateline “with every event from the beginning of the story to the end,” which stretches to 400 pages by the time he actually sits down to write. Impressive. 1 A year after I started my novel, I wrote plaintively, “Phew, I have a lot of research… I still haven’t figured out a way to properly organise it all.” I used a combination of typed notes, narrow Post-it notes, and digital tools such as Evernote, which works as an online filing cabinet. As setting is always important to me, I quickly realised I needed to visit where my characters lived and breathed. For this, I coined the phrase, “history with my feet.” In Thanjavur, in Tamil Nadu, I retraced the steps that my fictional character, Maya, a young temple dancer, would have walked. I sat in on Indian classical dance classes and interviewed experts, such as Chennai’s eminent historian, Mr Muthiah, who writes on a 50-year-old typewriter which “types as fast as he can think.” For a novelist, it is often a question of listening and becoming quiet enough to hear. As you sift through your research, it’s your imagination that will fill in the gaps where no records exist. The danger, though, is when you want to show off your knowledge. A former UK literary agent gave me some sound advice. She said in most books only 10 per cent of research – hard to believe, I know – should end up in the final book. I didn’t believe her initially, but by the time the book was ready to go to print, I knew she was spot on. American writer Edie Meidav takes it even further, saying, “Too much research beforehand… may also be a sophisticated form of procrastination.” 2 So true – and a good reminder to switch off the Internet when writing to avoid getting lost down the Google rabbit hole. Claire Scobie is the author of The Pagoda Tree (first published by Penguin Australia, now Unbound, 2017), an epic tale set in eighteenth-century India about love, loss and exile, and what

REFERENCES

ANCIENT GREECE, MODERN ITALY: VIOLENT PARALLELS BY LUCINDA BYATT Alessandro Barbero is a historian and the author of several major history books. He also writes fiction, winning the Strega Prize in 1996, and then setting his second novel – which has strong echoes of Alessandro Manzoni’s classic novel, The Betrothed (Simon & Brown, 2016) – in sixteenth-century Venice.1 The Athenian Women (Europa Editions, 2018) explores the raw underside of politics and society in ancient Greece, inspired by parallels with modern Italy and undoubtedly other societies, too. Here, the literary premise is a play: Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. As the men of Athens gather in the theatre and are alternately incensed and faintly amused by Aristophanes’ daring play, staged in 411BC, a violent assault is taking place only a short distance outside the city: on stage, the actors dressed as women seize power and devise a provocative means to end the war with Sparta; in real life, a trio of elite young men hold two young girls prisoner and subject them to a horrific ordeal.

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

What drew the author to the period of the Peloponnesian Wars, I asked, and to Aristophanes? Barbero told me that, having been a teenager when he discovered Aristophanes and the historian Thucydides, the former remains his favourite classical author. “However, I’d never have set a novel in that period, if I had not read Luciano Canfora’s Il mondo di Atene (The Athenian World, 2011), which made me realise that the fragility of Athenian democracy, the gulf of hatred between rich and poor, and the ease with which political tension could degrade into terrorism closely resembled the political situation of Italy while I was growing up, in the Seventies.”

LOST SEASON OF LOVE AND SNOW

Italy experienced a period of violent political and social turmoil during the so-called “Years of Lead” (Anni di piombo). Privilege and abuse were often closely intertwined. A horrific episode of sexual violence, which has never been forgotten in Italy, was the gang rape known as the Circeo massacre that took place outside Rome in 1975. As Barbero stressed, “The idea for the novel took shape when I realised that a crime of this nature could easily have occurred in the political climate of fifth-century Athens.”

Love, power, sex and death in imperial Russia

Even though Athens invented democracy (the aged Pericles is among the audience watching Lysistrata), its population needed to be constantly on their guard against the rich oligarchs who plotted to impose their rule by sowing terror. Glicera and Charis, two naïve but resourceful daughters of humble farmers, are tempted to visit a rich neighbour’s son, Cimone, in his father’s country house. Their reception has been carefully planned and even the house slaves have been sent to the festivities in the city. The events that ensue are directly inspired by the Circeo massacre. The narratives of the female slaves offer another point of view on this society: particularly that of Andromache (the name given to her after she was captured during the war against Sparta). I suggested to Barbero that her story might merit a sequel, but he replied: “I like writing about different things, so I would never continue a story.” The structure of the novel carefully interweaves the performance of the comedy with the assault on the girls, the humour of the first contrasting the horror of the second. Yet very little is known in fact about the performance of Greek comedy. As Barbero highlights, “This is one of those areas where the historical novel is particularly appropriate as a means of re-creating the past: given that our knowledge is so limited, it is entirely justified – and stimulating – to fill the gaps using the novelist’s imagination.” After sixteenth-century Venice and the classical world, I was intrigued to hear about the setting for Barbero’s next novel. Clearly, it would be different. “For some time,” he replied, “I’ve been tempted by the idea of writing a novel set in New York around September 11, 2001, but I don’t know whether I’ll ever actually want to write it.” Lucinda Byatt is a translator and historian. Visit her at https://textline.wordpress.com/ REFERENCES 1. Alessandro Barbero, Master Pyle’s Bella Vita and Other People’s Wars, 1995, was awarded the 1996 Strega Prize for Fiction; The Eyes of Venice, trans. Gregory Conti, 2012. The Athenian Women is translated by Anthony Shugaar.

FEATURES | ISSUE 83, February 2018

BY CHARLOTTE WIGHTWICK Jennifer Laam is the author of two previous novels, The Secret Daughter of the Tsar (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013) and The Tsarina’s Legacy (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2016). Her new book, The Lost Season of Love and Snow (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018), is set in the early nineteenth century and follows the story of Natalya Pushkina, wife of the famous Russian author. Reviled by history as the woman whose infidelities led to the fatal duel which ended her husband’s life, Natalya is presented in this novel as a more rounded and sympathetic figure. Although written well before the recent crop of sexual harassment allegations, Laam’s book contains themes which remain highly relevant and familiar today, focusing as it does on a woman trapped by society’s expectations and the desires of men she neither wants nor can control. As Jennifer Laam says of her motivations for writing the story: “I knew Alexander Pushkin died at a young age, in a duel fought over his wife’s honor. According to rumor, she cheated on him, perhaps even with the tsar. The story had always been something I wanted to explore…I had to learn more about Natalya and tell her side of the story.” This, however, was not straightforward: “Natalya, like many women in history, exists on the margins of her famous husband’s story. Research involved teasing out details of her life from what we know of his. It was fascinating to see how Natalya’s depiction in biographies of her husband has evolved over the years. Once portrayed as frivolous, recent research has demonstrated she was far more complex than Pushkin scholars once thought.” Not only a more complex figure, Natalya as portrayed by Laam is also one who deserves both sympathy and respect. In the early part of the book, she is very clearly a naïve girl, hoping for a romantic marriage but focused on squabbles with her mother and siblings. When she does marry her poet, she is initially overwhelmed by the glitter and excitement of the Russian imperial court, but rapidly grows up as she realizes the hidden depths beneath. In particular, she realizes that coming to the attention of powerful men can be a double-edged sword. Pushkin’s politics had previously put him into a very precarious position, with a number of his friends executed for treason, and Natalya knows she cannot do anything which would further displease the tsar. As Laam explains: “Natalya’s historical reputation was shaped in part by her interactions with the tsar. She attracted his notice, stoking her husband’s jealousy, or so gossip suggested. Natalya struck me as highly uncomfortable with the situation. I can’t help but think that what others interpreted as careless behavior had more to do with the tsar’s power over her family’s life and particularly her husband’s career. In other words, if the tsar flirts with you, are you really in a position not to flirt back? While I fictionalized Natalya’s inner thoughts, I strongly believe that what we would call sexual harassment impacted her life and it

EVEN THOUGH Athens invented democracy...its population needed to be constantly on their guard against rich oligarchs who plotted to impose their rule by sowing terror. definitely influenced my novel. I want readers to see that connection with our world.” This link, of course, resonates especially strongly after the revelations of the past few months, and one of the things that Natalya’s character clearly demonstrates is the guilt that women can feel when manipulated by men more powerful than they, even when they are blameless. However, Jennifer Laam is keen to emphasize the accuracy of the events she relates, even where they are surprising: “Events toward the end of the novel, where relationships between characters grow quite complicated, are historically accurate. I like to learn more about characters fictionalized in historical novels, and I hope The Lost Season of Love and Snow inspires readers to do the same.” As an historical novel it is certainly inspiring, successfully setting out the beauty and cruelties of a previous time, as well as holding a mirror to our own age. Charlotte Wightwick writes regularly for HNS and The History Girls. She is currently writing an historical novel about the discovery of the dinosaurs in the nineteenth century.

BOMBAY’S LEGAL DETECTIVE BY JANICE DERR Agatha and Macavity Award-winning author Sujata Massey’s latest novel, The Widows of Malabar Hill (Soho Press, 2018), is the first in her new historical mystery series. Set in 1920s India, it introduces readers to the intrepid new sleuth, Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s first female lawyer. Assigned to execute the will of a wealthy Muslim businessman, she suspects his three widows may have given up their inheritance without fully understanding their rights. Her investigation exposes a number of secrets and quickly turns deadly. Perveen is inspired in part by India’s first female lawyer, Cornelia Sorabji. Massey first learned of Sorabji when she was doing research for another novel. “I was struck by Cornelia’s initiative to push for work as a lawyer when so many firms and courts refused to recognize her.” Her character faces similar discrimination from law firms and local police but fortunately has the full support of her family, especially from her father, who is also a lawyer. Asked if the family’s passionate push toward further education would have been unusual at the time, Massey explains, “Parental support of women’s

education was a matter of their personalities and/or affluence.” The religious beliefs of Perveen’s family also play a part. The Mistrys are Parsis, Indian-born Zoroastrians. “One of the tenets of the Parsi faith is to do good in the world, so they shared their good fortune by creating a lot of schools and hospitals. Parsi support of women’s education flowed from that initiative.” Setting her novel in the 1920s allowed Massey to explore changing attitudes about traditional customs, particularly those that relate to women, like menstrual seclusion and purdah. “During the late colonial period, there was a lot of talk within the various religious communities about whether to hold fast to tradition or allow for changes, which might be seen as just for women and the underprivileged or as adapting to requests from the British powers above. The Parsis held the most progressive views on women’s education and work, yet some elders interpreted religious doctrine about cleanliness into an insistence on keeping menstruating women apart from the household.” This is something Perveen experiences first hand. “I wrote about menstrual seclusion and other restrictions on women’s rights because Perveen had the experience of becoming a new daughter in a different household once she married. This family situation is common among most religions in India.” Perveen also comes across another clash between traditional and more modern customs when she works with her three widowed clients. Unlike Perveen, they live in full purdah. Massey explains, “Purdah refers to the seclusion of women and girls all the time: that is, they can visit with other women, their fathers, and husbands, but not be seen or spend time with other males. Purdah was practiced mostly in wealthy or noble Muslim families that could afford it, and also with some conservative Hindu royal families.” Women’s rights and empowerment are so important to Perveen in this novel, I asked Massey if this is a theme she hopes to explore further in the series. “Perveen’s passion evolves from her progressive family background and her own horror at not being able to control her life after she makes an impulsive marriage. While this is a feminist mystery series, my interest is showing compassion for all my characters, regardless of their base beliefs.” Though the series is set one hundred years ago, Perveen’s struggles feel in some ways very modern. Massey agrees: “Ironically, the early 20th-century struggles for civil rights are being replayed now in the United States, as the U.S. government strives to restrict women’s rights to birth control, abortion, the legal process after a sexual assault, and discrimination at work. Perveen Mistry would have a lot to say about it.” Janice Derr is a librarian, an avid reader of historical fiction, and a frequent reviewer for HNR.

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

REVIEWS ONLINE EXCLUSIVES 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

CLASSICAL

India Edghill

DEATH ON DELOS

Gary Corby, Soho, 2017, $26.95, hb, 324pp, 978849464813

If a murder investigation could be fun, it would look like Death on Delos. The priestess, Diotima, and her husband, Niko, lead the investigation. They are smart, lively, and very hip. Pericles also plays a lead role, supported by a cast of colorful, well-drawn characters. Diotima and Niko arrive in Delos to deliver offerings to Apollo and Artemis. Pericles arrives at the same time to take the Delian League’s funds to Athens for safekeeping. The priests, led by Geros, refuse to give up the treasury. A standoff develops. Pericles sends Niko to persuade Gelos to release the monies. But when Niko finds him, he has a knife in his chest. He and Diotima then track down the killer— just in time—for Diotima is very pregnant and goes into labor. This would be fine except that births and deaths are forbidden on the sacred island. But all ends well for everyone, except Gelos, of course. You can’t help but like this cozy mystery. The plot is complicated enough to satisfy discerning readers, and there is excellent historical detail. But for me the characters win the day. They’re likeable and very human. I wouldn’t change a thing about this story. Two thumbs up! Lucille Cormier

CLYTEMNESTRA: The Mother’s Blade

Victoria Grossack and Alice Underwood, CreateSpace, 2017, $15.95, pb, 343pp, 9781548017859

Set firmly in the Bronze Age, this novel once again gives us the eternally re-fought conflict that ensued when the Greek citystates, led by High King Agamemnon, went to war against gold-rich Troy. Over the theft of Agamemnon’s sister-in-law, Helen—or at least so the tale claims. But Agamemnon’s wife and Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, here shows us the prelude to the war and that war’s hideous cost through her own eyes. Princess of Sparta, she marries for politics, and Agamemnon commits desperate crimes to obtain Clytemnestra as his own queen to cement his power. But even 16

Clytemnestra couldn’t imagine the deed Agamemnon commits to ensure his ships sail to Troy. As the Trojan War stretches from one year into many, Clytemnestra at last finds love—and vengeance. While I doubt there’s anything really new to say about the Trojan War by now, Clytemnestra still manages to make the story feel, if not totally fresh, at least extremely well preserved. The locales and the culture feel solidly real, and the reweave of the ancient story from Clytemnestra’s point of view is strong and engrossing—and for once the clothing described is correct for the time/place!

THE MACEDONIAN

Nicholas Guild, Forge, 2017, $25.99, hb, 381pp, 9781466861619

In the north of Greece in the ancient kingdom of Macedon, a boy is born to a mother who despises him and a father who is indifferent. Though of noble lineage, Philip is the third son of his father, King Amyntas. With little chance of assuming the crown, he is sent to be raised among commoners. The boy thrives under the tutelage of loving foster parents yet keeps a distant but continuous relationship with his two royal brothers. While still a young teen, Philip is sent off to be a hostage among the Illyrians. Amazingly, the old king there is Philip’s great-grandfather. The Illyrians are essentially a rough-hewn confederation of mountain tribes, and the hostage is attracted to their robust lifestyle. As a potential king, though, Philip is a target for royals among the Illyrians and back home. He narrowly avoids assassination and is sent by the elderly king back to Macedon. His oldest brother is now king, and Philip finds himself sent away again, this time to Thebes, the dominant military power in Greece. When the new king is assassinated by a rival, Philip returns again to help his weak remaining brother, who promptly is defeated and killed by an army of Illyrians. Philip, who has successfully led a small force of Macedonians against rebels, finds time to marry and becomes king himself. The first half of this well-written and wellresearched novel is basically a tale of royal intrigue and scheming amidst a setting of depraved debauchery. The second half soars as Philip brilliantly maneuvers politically and militarily on his way to command the entire Greek world when he will eventually become father to Alexander. Superb historical fiction! Thomas J. Howley

BIBLICAL

ISAIAH’S DAUGHTER

Mesu Andrews, WaterBrook, 2018, $14.99, pb, 400pp, 9780735290259

In 732 BCE, five-year-old Ishma witnessed

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

her family being murdered by Israel’s soldiers. After the prophet Oded’s words free her and other captives from slavery, she finds her way into the home of Isaiah, God’s prophet, who has fallen out of favor with King Ahaz. In a pagan ceremony, King Ahaz sacrifices his oldest son to the god Molek. The memory of that day leaves Prince Hezekiah tormented, and he suffers daily. When Ishma and Hezekiah meet, the two form a bond of healing and hope. Over the years, this friendship blossoms into love. So that Ishma can be considered for a royal betrothal, Isaiah adopts her and gives her the name Hephzibah, meaning “delight of the Lord.” But Hephzibah and Hezekiah face many challenges to their faith. Can they rely on God during great hardships affecting both their family and their country? Andrews, known for providing voice to women typically in the margins of biblical stories, paints a beautiful tale with heartfelt characters. While this is jarring at first, readers can easily adapt to the narrative switches from first person (Ishma/Hephzibah’s voice) to third person from chapter to chapter. Ishma’s point of view hooked me from the get-go, despite her being only five years old. Andrews skillfully develops Ishma from orphaned child to the young queen renamed Hephzibah. I also loved how Andrews dives into how difficult prophecy can be, both to interpret and to give. Isaiah’s inner turmoil, Hezekiah’s difficulties trusting God, and Ishma’s reluctance to accept that she is loved are all sensitively explored issues. Historical details are woven into the narrative flawlessly. I particularly loved Andrews’s choice for metaphors (one example refers to standing a camel’s length away). These details really authenticate the story. This is a very well-researched and deeply felt novel. Recommended! J. Lynn Else

A PASSIONATE HOPE: Hannah’s Story

Jill Eileen Smith, Revell, 2018, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 9780800720377

Book 4 of Smith’s Daughters of the Promised Land series centers around Hannah (First Samuel, Old Testament). In 1141 BCE, her community struggles as the leading priests of the tabernacle in Shiloh become more and more corrupt, ruining the people’s sacrifices and defiling young women who serve the temple. But Hannah has a lot to look forward to. Soon, she is wed to Elkanah. They enjoy many happy, loving years as husband and wife. Sadly, however, Hannah never conceives an heir for her husband. Under pressure from his family, Elkanah eventually agrees to take a second wife, Peninnah, who bears a son in the first year of marriage. Yet Peninnah is unhappy that Elkanah does not love and honor her more and takes this frustration out on Hannah. As Peninnah continues to bear children, Hannah questions if God hears her pleas for a child. At the same time, Elkanah wonders whether God

will save their nation from the corruption in Shiloh. While steeped in well-researched biblical details, what disappointed me about the book was the lack of character growth. Hannah’s faith is always strong. She questions her inability to have children, but she never struggles following God’s word. About midway through, chapters alternate between Hannah lamenting and Peninnah complaining. The story does a lot of telling readers how characters feel and react to their world, but there isn’t much showing/experiencing. Thus, the pace slows considerably, and I found it hard to connect with either character as they quickly fell into monotony. I can tell Smith loves this time period, and she describes the setting and social customs with ease. Typically, I devour books centering on women of ancient history, but the characters of this one just didn’t draw me in. J. Lynn Else

1ST CENTURY

ROME’S SACRED FLAME

Robert Fabbri, Corvus, 2018, £17.99, hb, 347pp, 9781782397045

Rome, AD 63. Vespasian has been made Governor of Africa. However, this is no reward for faithful service by an increasingly unpredictable Emperor Nero. Vespasian is ordered to journey to a city-state deep in the desert to free 200 Roman citizens who have been enslaved; failure is not an option. Vespasian must battle his way across a barren desert, battling thirst, exhaustion and a band of rebels. It is a desperate race for survival. Meanwhile, back in Rome, Nero’s excesses are fanning the flames of opposition to the Emperor and his allies. Returning to Rome, Vespasian finds himself caught between the need to survive and the desperate entreaties of Rome’s elite for his support as they fear justifiably for their lives. This is the penultimate story in the very successful Vespasian series. With a taut plot and strong characterization, the author portrays Nero’s derangement, and the licentiousness and cruelty of Rome as it descends into chaos, in a realistic but not overly graphic way. Although part of a series, this can be read as a stand-alone novel. This is an exciting read for all lovers of the genre. Historical fiction at its best. More please! Mike Ashworth

BLOOD FOREST

Geraint Jones, Penguin, 2017, £7.99, pb, 377pp, 9781405927796

Minden, Germania. 9 AD. Found by the 17th Legion naked and covered in sacrificial blood, he has no name. He has no recollection of who he is or how he came to be in this grove deep in Germania. But Arminius, prince of Germany and ally of Rome, takes him in. Felix, as he calls himself, becomes a replacement trooper with a squad of infantrymen. They don’t know him, they don’t trust him, and

both he and they have secrets they don’t want to have betrayed. Three legions, 15,000 legionaries with thousands more auxiliaries and camp followers, march under General Varus’s orders to quell potential German unrest. They become mired in the depths of the hostile forest, strung out and unable to form up in open ground, where the Roman war machine thrives. All the while Felix seeks some escape, some way of not coming to feel any camaraderie with his mates. But as they fight their way through the forest, Felix begins to bond with these men. Just as the squad pulls together, the army is soon party to the worst military disaster in living Roman history. Blood Forest is a brutal tale of war, told by a decorated combat veteran who brings to the pages his own experiences. It has all the authenticity of a modern war memoir, but told from the perspective of the rank-and-file Roman infantryman. Jones drops the reader headlong into a first-century Roman legion. The characters and setting are painfully real, and Felix’s perspective is hauntingly genuine to the times and imminently approachable to the modern reader. Not for the faint of heart, this novel is heavy with graphic violence and language, but again all of it true to the soldier faced with close-quarters combat while watching his mates fall all around him. Recommended. Justin M. Lindsay

ONSLAUGHT

Anthony Riches, Hodder & Stoughton, 2017, £14.99, hb, 386pp, 9781473628755

This is the second volume of Riches’ new series, The Centurions, following his successful Empire series comprising nine novels. In this saga, the reader is taken back several decades to an even more turbulent time, the bloody and confused succession to Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian Emperors. This was the year 69 AD, referred to by historians as the year of the four Emperors: the year in which, as Tacitus famously writes, it became known that Emperors could be made outside of Rome. Riches exploits the narrative potential of this period with a book focused on the Batavian revolt on the Rhine frontier. With the legions engaged in civil war, opportunities arose for revolt, and the Batavian uprising should be seen in this light. Nonetheless, it did pose a serious threat to Roman rule. Without wanting to give too much away about the book, I will only say that it is another fine military page-turner from one of the best in the business. Recommended. Chris James

DAY OF THE CAESARS

Simon Scarrow, Headline, 2017, £20, hb, 367pp, 9781472213402

Day of the Caesars is the latest novel in Simon Scarrow’s long-running Eagles of the Empire series, set in the 1st century AD. It is a Roman military adventure that sees the main

characters of the series, Macro and Cato, back at the heart of the Roman Empire, in Rome, part of the elite Praetorian Guard. The Emperor Claudius is dead. His successor, Nero, is targeted by plots to displace him with the younger Britannicus, Claudius’ son. Thus, civil war threatens. It is an atmosphere of intrigue, uncertainty and political machinations. Nobody, it seems, can be trusted. An alien environment, therefore to Macro and Cato, every bit as a dangerous as the imperial frontiers. There is action aplenty and unexpected drama, making this another good read from Scarrow. Readers of the series will not be disappointed by this book, and all fans of military historical fiction should give it a read. Recommended. Chris James

2ND CENTURY

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Rosemary Rowe, Severn House, 2018, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 240pp, 9780727887429

In AD 193 in Glevum (present-day Gloucester) in Britannia, Libertus, a mosaicist, is dining with Septimus, the senior magistrate at his grand villa. Feasting while reclining on the dining couch, Libertus learns of the fiery death of several councilors, and Septimus encourages him to stand for the position of Duumvir (magistrate). Momentarily, a courier informs them that the tax collector, Flauccus, has hanged himself, leaving the message: “Gambled everything and lost…” Libertus is sent to attend a wedding in Uudum on Septimus’s behalf, and is also directed to investigate whether the tax revenue was stolen and can be recovered. Libertus, in a sleuthlike manner, uncovers clues that point to Flauccus’s murder, and sets about identifying the perpetrator while facing danger and nearly losing his freedom. Although this is the seventeenth book in Rosemary Rowe’s Libertus mystery series, it reads much like a standalone. The narrative, written in Libertus’s humorous first-person voice, adds to the plot’s mystery. In keeping with her theme of freedom, Rowe also exposes the treatment of slaves by including some despicable practices into her account, such as selling of their hair as a cash crop. Although a captivating whodunit, the story’s appeal is in the masterly descriptions of the life and surroundings of those times in Britannia. Waheed Rabbani

3RD CENTURY THE LAST HOUR

Harry Sidebottom, Zaffre, 2018, £12.99, hb, 400pp, 9781785764219

Harry Sidebottom takes up his sword for a seventh time in his Warrior of Rome series with his new novel, The Last Hour. Marcus Clodius Ballista, despite his Roman name, is every inch a German barbarian, but he remains loyal to his friend, the Roman Emperor

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

Gallienus. Many powerful Romans do not, however, regard the Emperor with a similarly friendly eye. These shadowy plotters mean to assassinate the Emperor unless Ballista can reach Gallienus first and warn him. During the next 24 hours, beset on all sides, alone, unarmed and without money, Ballista must avoid the chasing hounds to forewarn the Emperor. As Ballista is chased across the city, down seemingly every side street, he becomes a veritable Roman Jack Bauer as he battles, as only a warrior of the German’s calibre could hope to, through a huge number of brutal but superbly drawn fight scenes. Ballista, too, is a refreshingly complex character whose actions feel very contemporary to his era. The lack of a controlling antagonist, though, means Ballista’s enemies can at times blend into one another. While Ballista makes his bloody way across the city of Rome, the reader learns a huge amount about the Eternal City, with Sidebottom expertly creating a fantastic sense of place, rich in authentic detail. Sometimes, however, the reader is drawn down narrative side streets, slowing the pace of the chase; a discussion of Roman philosophy or religion does slow down the urgency Ballista surely feels. Once the final quarter of the book is reached, however, the chase is really on, and the author piles on an adrenalin rush of 24 hours in Rome until the satisfyingly dramatic conclusion at the Coliseum. Gordon O’Sullivan

5TH CENTURY

TWILIGHT EMPRESS

Faith L. Justice, Raggedy Moon, 2017, $13.99, pb, 392pp, 9780692460511

Fifth-century Europe is an uneasy mix of two emperors (an Eastern and a Western Roman Empire) and tribes of “barbarians” migrating west ahead of Attila the Hun’s army. Galla Placidia, half-sister of the Western emperor, is a pawn in the imperial games, and expects nothing better. She gets her chance to be more when, as hostage to the Goths, she and Ataulof, leader of the Visigoths, fall in love and marry. Happy as Queen of the Goths, Placidia is yanked back into imperial bondage when Ataulof dies; forced to marry again, Placidia becomes her husband’s champion in the murky tangles of court intrigue—and her son’s when he becomes emperor. Married twice, daughter, sister, and mother of emperors, Placidia is no Livia from I, Claudius, but she’s no sensitive damsel, either. Placidia knows what she wants and is willing to do what she must to achieve her goals. She’s not a nice person, necessarily, but she is understandable and human. In short, this is solid historical fiction, with full marks for a little-used time period and setting. It totally gets extra points for giving us a female lead character who’s not written about to death (I’m looking at you, Anne Boleyn!). India Edghill

THE QUEST FOR THE CROWN OF THORNS

Cynthia Ripley Miller, Knox Robinson, 2017, $15.99/£12.99, pb, 308pp, 9781911261124

A matter so important it dare not be put to parchment calls Arria and her husband Garic from Gaul to Arria’s family home in Rome. When Arria answers her father’s summons, however, she learns he’s been murdered. A cryptic message was left in his hand. Additionally, a secret relic, the Crown of Thorns worn by Jesus on the cross, needs to be taken to Constantinople, where it can be kept safe from Rome’s corruption. But a secret cult also seeks the relic, and old enemies wish harm upon Arria and Garic. With elements of romance, political drama, and suspense, our characters will traverse land and sea while experiencing the splendors and dangers of 5th-century Italy hoping to save a sacred crown from a greedy and crumbling empire. This second book of Miller’s Long Hair Saga can be read as a standalone, as the author deftly explains past events. The setting is beautifully researched. I loved the tidbits about ancient travel and accommodations. Character-wise, their passions soar, and the romance is spicy. Yet the characters never truly feel urgency in their situation until near the end. Arria’s party is being followed by the person who murdered her father, they discover bodies and more cryptic messages along their journey, but they never discuss these events or search for clues. Instead, Arria and Garic sneak around to find secluded spots to make love. Also, there is never a discussion about what carrying a relic so significant to the couple’s faith means to them, which would have yielded intriguing character insights. Thus, I felt the author wasted time during scenes which could have been better served if focused elsewhere than bedroom antics. That said, while lacking a bit in character depth, the book is a historically satisfying read. J. Lynn Else

9TH CENTURY

THE HOUSE OF THE WATERLILY

Kelli Carmean, Berghahn, 2017, $24.95/£17.00, pb, 262pp, 9781785335495 / also $150.00/£107.00, hb, 262pp, 9781785335488

Subtitled “A Novel of the Ancient Mayan World”, the novel is set in the fictitious civilisation of Calumook. The manners and customs of the Mayan world are clear from the outset as the novel begins with ritual meetings to arrange the marriage of the main character and narrator, Lady Winik, who is one of a royal line. Her position and privileged status are evident, but in a dangerous and ever-changing world, power is a fickle friend. The reader will learn a great deal from the novel about the religion, respect for the ancestors, respect for knowledge about the stars, and strange customs, such as wearing a press to shape the skull to look like a maize kernel. The author has a doctorate in this area

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

and as such is an expert in Mayan culture and architecture. This comes across throughout the novel. The characters tend towards being somewhat cardboard representatives rather than real and rounded, although there are moments of tension and suspense along with some genuinely shocking moments. It was a violent yet civilised world in many ways. A minor plot of a love interest towards a young sculptor just seems to disappear and leads nowhere, although this could have been a strong example of how quickly dreams, fantasies and indulging of feelings all disappear when catastrophe occurs. Ann Northfield

10TH CENTURY ESTRID

Johanne Hildebrandt (trans. Tara F. Chace), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95, pb, 524pp, 9781503943575

The second book in the Valhalla Series (after The Unbroken Line of the Moon), Estrid follows Queen Sigrid of Svealand, her twin children Estrid and Olaf, and Sweyn Forkbeard, Sigrid’s long-ago lover and now the exiled king of Denmark. Sigrid, Estrid, and Olaf are not your everyday family in the neighborhood, though, as they play the power games of royalty—for indeed the Vikings portrayed in this title are bloodthirsty, foreign, and driven by strange passions. The title character, Estrid, is flawed by mental instability and physical weakness and resigned to a brief life of duty. She has been pledged to the dark goddess Hel, to whom she is faithful—at first. Taking place at a time when Christianity was making inroads against native Scandinavian gods, the book effectively shows the Vikings’ pre-Christian culture, most jarringly when Christians are referred to as “evil cross-worshippers.” Although it deals with Christianity, this is not a Christian book, and those readers that cannot separate their personal belief systems from the world portrayed here will likely be offended by its content. However, they will be missing out on a tale that winds around and about in fascinating, surprising, and touching ways. A solid, well-crafted read with an exciting balance of action, romance, and intrigue, it provides a fascinating look at Viking society and the daring characters who ruled it. Xina Marie Uhl

11TH CENTURY

THE RUFUS SPY: A Medieval Mystical Mystery

Alys Clare, Severn House, 2018, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 240pp, 9780727887498

This is the eighth book in Alys Clare’s Aelf Fen series, set in East Anglia in the reign of King William II, heir to William the Conqueror. Young Lassair, its protagonist, is an apprentice healer, pregnant, unmarried, in love, and unsettled about all of it. She decides to take a break from her work in Cambridge and return

to her home, “Aelf Fen,” deep in the as-yet undrained wetlands in East England. Before she leaves, Lassair’s mentor warns her that there were two recent murders on the road, and to be careful. Soon Lassair is ambushed by her former lover, Rollo, a spy who works for the king, who needs her help in escaping from an assassin. The plot is satisfying on several levels—with Lassair wavering between the two men; the furious escape from the unknown and ruthless killer; and the mystery of who the murdered men were, and why were they killed. I hadn’t read any of Clare’s books before this one and was happy to find a new author. No doubt it would be best to read the books in order, but this story stood on its own. Clare made the lost landscape of the marshy fens an achingly real character in its own right, and the “mystical” in the subtitle turned out to be just the right amount. Lassair has a believable gift for healing and some “sight,” but not so much that she was protected from the dangers that pressed in on her and Rollo. Clare ties up all the loose ends and yet leaves Lassair in a prime position for a sequel. Well done. Kristen Hannum

THE SWAN’S ROAD

Garth Pettersen, Tirgearr, 2017, $5.99, ebook, 249pp, B0764HR7LG

Harald, son of Cnute, King of England, Denmark and Norway, sails for Rome. With him are his father, his father’s housecarls, and his own best friends. When their drakkars are blown off course, they decide to make their way south along the Rhine. This diversion sets in motion an epic adventure for Harald. In rescuing the beautiful Selia of Frisia, he finds himself in deadly combat with the brutal retainers of Duke Robert of Normandy—or as he was better known then, Robert the Devil. Forced overland to catch up with his father’s river journey, Harald and his companions must flee Robert’s men and somehow find his father in time to warn him of an impending assassination attempt. But not only is his father’s life at risk—so is the very crown of England. The Swan’s Road is aptly named; fidelity and love, a theme running through the novel, are symbolized by the swan. Harald’s journey from brash youth to a wiser and blooded man is believable. It’s a good romp down through the center of Europe, with a cast of characters and setting that are rich enough in detail to keep the reader engaged. Pettersen takes many liberties with the historic characters and timelines—too many for this reviewer— so the reader shouldn’t go into it with the belief that they’re getting much of a history lesson. Nevertheless, it’s a worthy debut novel—a good adventure tale fraught with love, betrayal, bloody combat, sacrifice, and painful decisions that will change the course of history. Justin M. Lindsay

FATAL RIVALRY

Mercedes Rochelle, Sergeant Press, 2017, $3.99, ebook, 282pp, B01MS3GOX1

It is refreshing to read a description of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings that does not depict Harold Godwinson as an untarnished hero. Yes, we all love the underdog, the brave man who faces off with the evil conquering bastard and pays the ultimate prize for doing so, but Harold was a man, not a saint. Ms Rochelle uses various viewpoint characters to guide us through the years 1064 to 1066. Other than Harold, Tostig Godwinson and other various members of the Godwin clan give us their respective takes on the events. Tostig feels betrayed by his brother. Editha Godwinsdaughter, Edward the Confessor’s queen, sides with Tostig. When Edward dies, Harold feels he deserves the crown, never mind that there is a legitimate heir in Edgar the Aetheling. This Harold has his eye on the endgame, plans his moves well in advance. All in all, Ms Rochelle presents us with a very human Harold—flawed as most of us are but capable of rising to the occasion as few of us can. Is he heroic? Undoubtedly. White as driven snow? No. Fatal Rivalry is an enjoyable and interesting read. Ms Rochelle’s knowledge of the period and the setting is evident throughout, albeit that the narrative includes the much disputed “arrow in the eye”. All in all, Fatal Rivalry is a gripping read. Anna Belfrage

12TH CENTURY

THE WARRIOR PRINCESS

K. M. Ashman, Thomas & Mercer, 2017, $15.95/£8.99, pb, 346pp, 9781612185781

The Warrior Princess opens in December 1135, when Wales is relatively calm under the rule of the conquering Normans. Pockets of Welsh resistance do exist, however, and when King Henry I of England dies and a battle for his crown ensues, Welsh loyalists see their opportunity. Gruffydd ap Rhys, King of Deheubarth, and his wife Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd, daughter of the King of Gwynedd, had abandoned their lives as leaders in the Welsh rebellion to live in quiet anonymity rearing their sons in peace. But peace is difficult to achieve in the Welsh Marches. When the English capture their eldest son, Gruffydd and Gwenllian are forced to once again join the rebels. Ashman immediately draws the reader into the story by creating a believable and historically accurate world. The characters, both historical and fictional, are mostly rich and well-developed. One exception is John of Salisbury, Constable of Pembroke, who is a single-layered antagonist. Gruffydd (called Tarw) and Gwenllian are both driven by conflicting desires, to save their homeland from invaders and to protect their four growing sons. Ashman makes Gwenllian, the only Welsh woman in historical records to take

up the sword, the leader of the Deheubarth rebels, which provides a refreshing change. Women had more rights in Welsh than in English society, so the twist is not implausible. Some may find the end of the story to be abrupt, but Ashman has deftly set himself up for a sequel. Meg Wiviott

THE SCARLET FOREST

A.E. Chandler, Thistledown, 2017, $19.95/ C$19.95, pb, 336pp, 9781771871389

The legend of Robin Hood, begun in the oral tradition during the medieval period, is retold here with a blending of history and legend. A.E. Chandler also wrote her graduate dissertation about Robin Hood, so don’t miss her historical notes at the end. The story begins with Robert carrying his bow through the forest to an archery competition. Possessing a bow in the forest is illegal to prevent poaching of the king’s deer. Young, naïve Robert meets a group of drunken foresters who dupe him into proving his archery skills. This ends badly with both a deer and a man dead. He becomes a fugitive in Sherwood Forest and is given the name of Robin Hood by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood joins up with other outlaws and peasants down on their luck. His childhood love, Marian, also joins him. This band swore a code of honor “never to menace woman nor child, to always give aid to the poor, to be plain in their dealings, and to value all men at their true worth, regardless of rank… to fight fairly and lay down their lives for woman, king, or honest man.” Each chapter is an episode of an adventure of Robin Hood and his merry men, and reading it felt like I was being told a story while sitting under the stars by the fire. There are Robin’s crafty schemes to steal from the rich, his kindness to the poor, and his cunning exploits to taunt the Sheriff then slip from his grasp. Marian is at his side, along with his merry men enjoying life fully and living by their code of honor. Their much-loved forest home is their sanctuary. I fell in love with Robin Hood and the idyllic home in the forest. This is a wonderful read. Janice Ottersberg

THE APOTHECARY’S SHOP

Roberto Tiraboschi (trans. Katherine Gregor), Europa, 2017, $18.00, pb, 336pp, 9781609454173

In 1118 AD in Venice, amidst famine and fear, an innocent young woman from a noble family disappears. The household scribe, a tortured ex-monk, has taken it upon himself to solve the case and discover the truth. He encounters doctors, apothecaries, undertakers, Eastern merchants, farmers, and African slave traders during his investigation. The atmosphere of a Venice in wretched shape is powerful; the characters themselves, well developed. The mystery takes a while to get to full speed, but it eventually does. The plot resolution is truly surprising and

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

shocking. However, readers may find that a lack of backstory detail for the main characters detracts from their enjoyment of the book. Although the main characters’ traumatic pasts are hinted at several times, these events are never fleshed out, and readers are left hanging. Why not explain what made the characters the way they are and living under the circumstances they are? If these elements aren’t important, then why initially hint at them? A second distraction is that the title is rather misleading. The Apothecary’s Shop is not the center of the action. It doesn’t have much to do with the story at all. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery aspect—unsolvable in my mind, but neatly resolved in the book. The writing is sophisticated and literary. The atmosphere is dark, matching the characters’ emotions and circumstances. However, the novel feels incomplete and flat, despite the compelling plot. Andrea Connell

VIRTUE: The Sons of Scotland, Book One

Victoria Vane, Dragonblade, 2017, $12.99, pb, 248pp, 9781976345432

This is a love story set in Scotland in the middle of the 12th century. Alexander, raised as a foundling at a monastery, is planning to be a scribe, until the prior sends him off to serve as tutor to an unruly young lord. Domnall has little interest in learning to read, but he does have a comely sister, and the pair fall in love. These, however, are turbulent times in Scotland’s history, and as ambitious lords plot and rebellion simmers, the ruthless political currents threaten to sweep aside something so personal as a romantic attachment. Since Sibylla is a niece of King David, she is useful to form a dynastic marriage, and Alexander’s own antecedents prove more illustrious, and dangerous, than he imagined. This offers a plausible picture of the complex political situation in the Highlands and of prevailing attitudes in this era, and though Castle Kilmuir seems grander and more spacious than one might expect, the author has done her research. Unfortunately, the politics themselves are confusing, and they overshadow the love story. As a result, the plot grows complicated; nor is it helped by a hanging conclusion that leaves much to be resolved in sequels. Ray Thompson

CONQUEST II: The Drowned Court

Tracey Warr, Impress, 2017, £8.99, pb, 321pp, 9781911923088

This is the second volume of a trilogy based on the life of Nest ferch Rhys, the Welsh princess who was one of the many mistresses of the English King, Henry I, which began in Daughter of the Last King (HNR 79). The year is 1107, and Henry has returned Nest to her Norman husband, Gerald FitzWalter, 20

the castellan of Pembroke. She is emotionally divided between her Welsh heritage, her love for her half-Norman children, and her growing affection for her husband. The resurgence of the Welsh resistance to Norman rule threatens to destabilise her life. A subplot focuses on the nun, Benedicta— sister of Haith de Bruges, Nest and Gerald’s sheriff at Pembroke—and her involvement in the network of spies run by King Henry’s politically astute sister, Adela de Blois. Tracey Warr’s meticulous research—with a couple of acknowledged anachronisms to carry plot elements—conjures vividly the domestic life, the courtly intrigue and the brutality of the age. The opening chapters fill in the backstory expertly. At the centre of the story are two strong women: Nest, torn in her loyalties, but resilient in spite of the tumultuous events that impact on her life and her family; and Benedicta, whose questing, curious nature leads her into dangerous places, both physically and spiritually. The men in Nest’s life—Henry, Gerald and the Welsh Prince, Owain ap Cadwgan—show themselves fallible. I would thoroughly recommend this book, which immerses the reader so deeply in its world. It ends on a cliffhanger that certainly tempts me to read on. One cavil: an editor’s note has slipped through the proofreading to appear in print on p.257! Mary Fisk

13TH CENTURY

A HERO BORN: Legends of the Condor Heroes, 1

Jin Yong (trans. Anna Holmwood), MacLehose Press, 2018, £14.99, pb, 372pp, 9780857053008

China, 1200 AD. The Song Empire is being attacked by the northern Jurchen Jin tribes, which threaten its peace and existence. Meanwhile, Genghis Khan is uniting tribes and honing their fighting skills on the Mongolian steppes. Against this very dramatic and historic setting, Guo Jing’s story is revealed. Jin Yong’s bestselling 1950s epic kung fu fantasy series (in the wuxia tradition – martial arts and chivalry novels) has been widely acclaimed throughout China and the Far East. This lovingly and meticulously translated version, by Anna Holmwood, now opens this amazing masterpiece of martial arts mythology to a Western readership as the myths are skilfully woven around historical facts. Guo Jing’s patriotic father tried to save the country he loved, as did a number of martial

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

artists. He falls, but his pregnant wife escapes. This results in Guo Jing being raised and trained as a fighter for Genghis Khan. Guo Jing is a real hero. He is brave with human qualities that make him rise from the pages, such as loyalty. His superior skills in his martial arts training ensure he grows in wisdom. However, this is a very complex plot as heroic, patriotic martial arts experts try to reverse the fate of the nation. Guo Jing’s own fate dictates he will ultimately face an equal opponent. The pace and drama are as swift and smooth as the intricate and detailed fighting scenes. This is the first in the series, and I shall look forward to reading the second. Valerie Loh

SILK AND SONG

Dana Stabenow, Head of Zeus, 2017, £22/$29.95, hb, 699pp, 9781784979522

The book begins in China in 1292. The main character, Wu Johanna, is a direct descendant of Marco Polo, the famous traveller from the West. Her journey to the West to meet her family in Venice is set in motion by her father’s marrying an unscrupulous and greedy woman, Dai Fang, who will stop at nothing to get all the wealth and power of her husband’s estate and trading company once he is dead. Johanna now has no protection from her evil stepmother and can stay no longer. She begins an epic trip along the Silk Road collecting various misfits, waifs and strays along the way: two refugees from a harem, a disgraced ex-Templar, a holy man, and others, plus the love interest Jaufre, himself the son of a Templar. She also takes her magnificent stallion, North Wind, who is as much of a character as the humans. Along the way, the group has various adventures and is more than once forced to fight for survival. The Europe and Asia of the time are clearly portrayed, and the reader gets a real sense of medieval conditions and life for travellers, traders, and local lords. This is a bold, exciting tale which I could easily imagine being made into a film in the style of Spartacus, Robin Hood and Gladiator. There is a real mixture of action, discovery, history and romance, and although it is a chunky read, the pages turn quickly and the tale remains gripping throughout. Stabenow is also the author of the long-running series featuring Kate Shugak set in Alaska. Ann Northfield

STAFF PUBLICATION

SHADOW OF THE DOME: A Gripping Tale of Friendship, Duty and Destiny in the Court of Kublai Khan

Karen Warren, Endeavour, 2017, £6.99/$7.99, pb, 184pp, 9781549876493

“Because I’m fascinated by history and travel,” says author Karen Warren, “I started reading The Travels of Marco Polo. I came across the story of the Mongol princess travelling to Persia and thought it would make a good short

story. Then I realised I could do so much more with it, and the idea for the novel was born.” In 1291, Kokachin, a Mongolian princess, boards a ship as part of an armada heading to Persia. The Great Kublai Khan has promised her as a bride for his nephew, iI-Khan Arghun, ruler of the Mongolian e m p i r e ’s Ilkhanate. She is escorted by Marco Polo, his father and uncle, and three Persian ambassadors. Among her entourage are her childhood friend, Mei Lien, and a Mongolian orphaned servant girl, Nergui, Kokachin’s lookalike. During their near 12-month voyage, the women enjoy the delightful sights and sounds of the strange lands but dream of their homes and the Khan’s Pleasure Dome. When Mei Lien falls seriously ill, Nergui’s status is elevated. There are many more sicknesses and deaths among the passengers and sailors. The Polos become alarmed and fear they may not be able to accomplish their mission. “The whole period and setting were entirely unknown to me when I started, so I read everything I could get my hands on,” says Warren, noting that published Englishlanguage sources on the period are limited. “This meant that I had to fall back on my imagination to some extent, especially where the lives of women and servants were concerned. The hardest thing of all was trying to find out what a medieval Chinese ship would have been like, but I was lucky enough to find a replica Chinese junk in a shopping mall in Dubai!” Her extensive research shows in the narrative’s evocative details. Much more than a historical travelogue, the story has a captivating plot, with a plausible, and thrilling, “historical shift” at the end. “[This] was purely my own invention,” Warren says. “It just came into my mind while I was looking at ancient Chinese and Mongol artefacts in the British Museum.” Also, “the Travels can’t entirely be relied upon,” she comments. “Marco Polo was in China for more than 20 years, and his travels were only written when he returned to Italy… and he didn’t want to upset the Catholic Church.” The title comes from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem Kubla Khan, “a sort of dreamlike vision of long ago times.” I enjoyed the novel, as images of 13th-century Mongolian cities and those along the South China Sea and Indian Ocean played in my mind. Highly recommended. Waheed Rabbani

14TH CENTURY

THE MANSIONS OF MURDER

Paul Doherty, Crème de la Crime, 2017, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 240pp, 9781780291000

In this 18th Brother Athelstan mystery, England in the late autumn of 1381 is moving on from the Peasants’ Revolt. In the London slums along the River Thames, criminal gangs maintain domination, and the lords of the land make use of them to advance their own ambitions for prestige, influence and power. Against this backdrop, Brother Athelstan has been summoned with Sir John Cranston, the Lord High Coroner, to Saint Benet’s church in the heart of a criminal district. Athelstan is Sir John’s scribe, which is the reason for his involvement. Inside the locked church they find two corpses, one of whom is the parish priest. There is an empty coffin that should have contained the body of the local crime lord’s mother. A strongbox has been emptied of a king’s ransom in treasure. As the two old friends start to investigate these crimes, more deaths ensue, and mysteries from the past come forward in macabre ways. There seems to be fear and danger at every turn, as the horror and violence increases. It is hard to be specific about the plot points without giving too much away, but this story is not for the fainthearted. Readers will have to endure a steady stream of brutality, cruelty, and death before they finally reach a happier scene that lightens the gloom somewhat at the end of the book. Elizabeth Knowles

THE LAST HOURS

Minette Walters, Allen & Unwin, 2017, £20, hb, 547pp, 9781760632137 / MIRA, 2018, $27, hb, 544pp, 9780778369318

June 1348: When Lady Anne of Develish loses her husband to the Black Death, she takes charge of his demesne and does everything in her power to keep her 200 bonded serfs safe from this new and terrifying plague. Together with her newly appointed steward, Thaddeus Thurkell, the mysterious bastard son of one of her serfs, she quarantines the estate, and emotions run high as the beleaguered population tackles starvation, pestilence and rampant sexual jealousy. I am a longstanding fan of Walters and came to this, her first novel in ten years, with great anticipation. Alas, I have been disappointed. Walters’ focus is not so much on the Black Death but on the way in which it transformed and ultimately destroyed feudal society. Lady Anne is a visionary figure with an understanding of hygiene and democracy which foreshadows the Age of Enlightenment far too plausibly and makes her battle against the plague a bit of a damp squib. Thaddeus clearly has an interesting back story, but we never get to find out what it is because the novel ends ‘to be continued…’, yet there is nothing in the marketing materials to suggest this is the beginning of a series. Lady Anne’s daughter, Eleanor, is a joyfully monstrous

villain and convincingly done, but is really the only character I had any time for. The novel is also far too long. It sags badly in the middle when Thaddeus and a group of boys from the demesne go foraging beyond the village. While Walters’ thesis is an interesting one, her themes are too often repeated with the result the book feels didactic and heavyhanded. Not, alas, one I can recommend. Sarah Bower

SEASON OF BLOOD

Jeri Westerson, Severn House, 2018, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 224pp, 9780727887474

The medieval mystery subgenre is flooded with similar stories, characters that often blend into one another, and settings that are sometimes indistinguishable from one series to the next. However, that never seems to happen with Jeri Westerson’s medieval noir novels. Season of Blood, tenth in the Crispin Guest series, remains as fun and intriguing as the first. In this installment, Crispin finds himself embroiled in solving the murder of not one but two Cistercian monks and finding the missing niece of an alluring lady. At the crux of it all is a holy relic containing the blood of Christ, which flows only for the pure of heart. Crispin is hired by a lady, Catherine Whitechurch, to find her niece, who has been seduced by a married man—who happens to be none other than Crispin’s old nemesis, the former sheriff Simon Wynchecombe. No sooner has Catherine paid her initial fee than a Cistercian monk shows up at Crispin’s door and drops dead, Wynchecombe’s dagger between his shoulder blades and a stolen monstrance containing the flowing blood of Christ in his hands. Crispin and his apprentice, Jack Tucker, take off to solve the crime, find Wynchecombe and the missing young woman, and return the relic to its rightful place. The result is a fun and exciting romp through the streets of medieval London. Longtime readers of the series should be delighted with the return of Wynchecombe as well as the beloved characters of John Rykener (a historical cross-dressing prostitute) and Nigellus Cobmartin, lawyer extraordinaire. I was personally thrilled with... well, I won’t spoil it. But there was a minor plot point that had me grinning from ear to ear. All in all, this is another excellent addition to both the Crispin Guest series and to the canon of medieval mysteries overall. Highly recommended. Kristen McQuinn

16TH CENTURY

THE ASSASSIN OF VERONA

Benet Brandreth, Zaffre, 2017, £16.99, hb, 366pp, 9781785761553

Venice. Three players, Oldcastle, Hemminges and young William Shakespeare, disguised as the English ambassador and his servants, have discovered a Papal plot against Elizabeth I. To deliver the names of the Catholic

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

spies to London, they must escape Venice, with the Pope’s agents in hot pursuit. Leaving William behind, Oldcastle and Hemminges reach Verona. In Duke Leonardo’s court, his headstrong daughter Aemilia, in love with her cousin, is refusing to cooperate with the Duke’s plans for a more suitable marriage. When the lovers flee to the forest, Hemminges, now also in love with Aemilia, goes along as protection. But there are many dangers: the Pope’s man is on the Englishmen’s trail and outlaws roam the woods. And where is Shakespeare? Everyone ends up with the outlaws in the forest as the inventive plot gallops along. Echoes of the plays are enriched with recognisable characters: Aemilia as Rosalind, Oldcastle as Falstaff. The interplay between the characters causes each to react and respond, grow or fade in surprising yet convincing ways. When William turns up to take subtle control of the increasing chaos, we witness the birth of an artist ruthlessly manipulating people and situations, while always observing in the background. Brandreth’s Shakespeare is neither admirable nor likeable, but undoubtedly a genius in embryo. The glory of the novel is in the gorgeous dialogue, expertly weaving Shakespeare’s lines with period vocabulary and syntax while keeping it completely comprehensible to the modern reader. Brandreth acknowledges the difficulties of responding to 16th-century language in 2018, yet brilliantly makes it live for us. A wonderful novel: enjoyable characters, exciting, funny, startling and ultimately, thought-provoking. Highly recommended. Lynn Guest

PUBLISH AND PERISH

Anna Castle, Anna Castle, 2017, $4.99, ebook, 277pp, B072K3DZCJ

It is an art to bring the past to life, an art at which Ms Castle excels. Through a myriad of small details, she firmly anchors this 16th-century murder mystery featuring Francis Bacon in the heady times of the aging Elizabeth I: a time of political and religious unrest, capably managed by the aging but as yet very powerful Lord Burghley. At the heart of the story lies religious dissent. A non-conformist pamphleteer going by the name of Martin Marprelate has pointed a finger at the Anglican Church, accusing it of being anything but a reformed church. The archbishop fights back, hiring his own pamphleteers to refute the accusations. A war of words turns into something far more sinister when two of these unfortunate writers end up 22

dead. Francis Bacon and his engaging clerk, Tom Clarady, are soon involved in a dangerous game to catch the murderer. Other than a deliciously convoluted plot and the richly described historical setting, Ms Castle gives us a wonderful cast of characters, all the way from the charming Tom and his best friend (and secret love) Trumpet, a.k.a. Lady Alice, to real historical figures such as Francis B a c o n ’ s intimidating aunt, Lady Russell and, of course, Bacon’s uncle and cousin, Lord Burghley and Robert Cecil respectively. Flowing prose, precise and tight dialogue, and characters that grow on you: what more can a reader ask for? All in all, Publish and Perish is a delightful and very satisfying read. Anna Belfrage

WINDIGO MOON: A Novel of Native America

Robert Downes, Blank Slate, 2017, $17.99, pb, 330pp, 9781943075362

This late 16th-century love story is interwoven in the history and culture of one Ojibwe clan. Ashagi is a young Ojibwe woman whose village is raided by Dakotas. She is taken captive, eventually becoming the third wife of a lazy, disgusting chief. She longs for the day when she can bash his brain in. However, before she can act, she is again kidnapped, taken as a prize by a young Ojibwe named Misko. On their trek back to Misko’s village, the two fall into an eternal love. But, theirs is not a love without troubles—primarily in the form of Misko’s rival, Nika, who is deeply infatuated with Ashagi and repeatedly demands that she become his wife. Ashagi and Misko’s story is interspersed with the history and stories of various others, including Misko’s father—Ogaa—and a wise shaman, Animi-ma’lingan, who becomes Misko’s second father and often recounts tales of heroes and demons, wars and famines, and of his travels beyond where the Ojibwe hunt. Windigo Moon is a graphic retelling of the lives of the tribes inhabiting the land, islands and lakes of the Lake Superior area. Nothing is held back. From hunts, raids and the eventual spread of European diseases through the region, to love, friendship and family, everything is richly written and detailed. Sometimes, these details border on information dumps, but they still serve to add to the tapestry of the Ojibwe past. For this reviewer, the oft use of fuck (“´He’s a brave fucker, and wiser than he looks,’ he overheard Amazo say…”) sometimes felt anachronistic, but can be forgiven since it

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

can be imagined that the Ojibwe would have had something akin in their language. A book that felt at times a few chapters too long, but still a fascinating blending of a love story and history lesson. Bryan Dumas

17TH CENTURY TRAITOR’S KNOT

Cryssa Bazos, Endeavour, 2017, $3.99, ebook, 415pp, 9781521391556

Elizabeth Seton is shunned as a traitor’s daughter after her father’s actions in the English Civil War, and her mother’s death adds to her struggle to survive in 1650. Rather than live with her estranged sister, Elizabeth seeks shelter in Warwick with her aunt. Even before she arrives, her rash tongue singles her out as an ungodly woman, and her aunt doesn’t hide her displeasure at the unwanted attention. James Hart, a Royalist officer in the war, still wages war on Roundheads even though they beheaded the king five years ago. To most he is an inn’s ostler, but sometimes he dons the guise of a highwayman to rob stagecoaches carrying wealthy Parliamentarians. He disburses the ill-gotten gains to the needy and saves what remains for Prince Charles. On one such escapade he meets an audacious woman who dares to call him a coward. Hired to hunt down the highwayman, Lieutenant Ezekiel Hammond singles out Elizabeth as the woman he will marry, much to her chagrin. The more fervently he strives to turn her toward a more righteous path and the more vigilant he becomes in his duty, the more she is drawn to James. When unexpected visitors arrive on her aunt’s doorstep, she realizes James isn’t the only one with a secret she must keep. The growing rancor between Hammond and James comes to a head after Prince Charles returns to reclaim the throne, and Elizabeth pays the price for loving one man over the other. The characters of this seamless interlacing of history with fiction vividly recreate the human struggles in the aftermath of the English Civil War. This exceptional historical novel is a gripping tale of love and jealousy rife with unexpected twists and poignant moments that whisks readers on an unforgettable journey into the past. Cindy Vallar

BLOOD’S GAME

Angus Donald, Zaffre, 2017, £18.99, hb, 336pp, 9781785762048

Having successfully reimagined Robin Hood in the bestselling Outlaw Chronicles, Angus Donald turns his storytelling talents to Restoration London and the internecine rivalries of Charles II’s court. The central character, Holcroft Blood, son of the lethal Colonel Thomas Blood, quickly finds himself mixed up with the treacherous Duke of Buckingham, the seductive Barbara Villiers, and the persuasive Aphra Behn in a plot to steal the crown jewels. Holcroft must use all

his considerable wits to prevent his familial connections from destroying his personal ambitions. A fringe historical figure like Holcroft Blood gives the author the flexibility to move freely through the bear pit that was the Stuart court, and Angus Donald takes full advantage by creating an authentic-seeming world for his intriguing main character. While the period detail can feel slightly forced at times, and Holcroft manages to bump into practically every well-known 17th-century figure, the set pieces such as the jewel heist at the Tower of London are pulled off with a real authorly élan. Donald also puts forward his own intriguing theory as to why the jewels were stolen and attempts to explain the eyebrowraising consequences of the heist. Character, though, is the novel’s major strength. Holcroft is a quasi-modern personage caught between his own desires and the desires of his employer and family. His character and ambitions evolve as he tries, fails and tries again to learn the dangerous ways of Charles’s court. Holcroft’s unusual personality is nicely contrasted with both the knowing cynicism and greed of the politicians he encounters and the murderous inclinations of his own father, Colonel Blood. Donald has begun this 17th-century series with a hugely entertaining historical adventure that simply thrums with life. Gordon O’Sullivan

THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Alexandre Dumas (trans. Lawrence Ellsworth), Pegasus, 2018, $26.95, hb, 816pp, 9781881776149

Lawrence Ellsworth provides a vibrant, modern-day English translation of the classic high adventure, The Three Musketeers, first released by Alexandre Dumas in serial form. The 1626-28 war between France and England, seemingly driven by an illicit affair between the English Duke of Buckingham and the French queen, Anne, sets the stage for the story. The tale of the fearless d’Artagnan, a Gascon arriving penniless in Paris, but determined to make a name for himself, is told afresh. The interactions between d’Artagnan and the swashbuckling King’s Musketeers (Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) come across as lighthearted. The young swordsmen, caught in the political schemes of Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis, brandish both their swords and words with flair. The various political intrigues intertwine and climax into a dark, yet satisfying, tale of revenge. Ellsworth’s rendition is addictively readable in this lengthy but fast-paced novel. He masterfully captures Dumas’s distinctive voice and humor. The dialogue is witty and full of quips—in sharp contrast to the stiff, elevated diction of Victorian translations. Sexual seductions which had been elided in earlier translations are restored in this version, adding clarity to plot and to characters’ motivations. The best scenes are with the Cardinal’s agent—the femme fatale Milady—who has to rank among the best villainesses in literature.

Ultimately, d’Artagnan, the three Musketeers, and two other noblemen pull together as one for all to outmaneuver the scheming Milady in their pursuit to exact justice. The illustrations by Maurice Leloir give the book a classic look. Background information about Alexandre Dumas and short biographies of the real-life figures on whom many of the characters are based are added bonuses. The Three Musketeers is highly recommended for readers of literary classics who have not yet read or would like to reacquaint themselves with the tale. Linnea Tanner

THIS DECEITFUL LIGHT

Jemahl Evans, Holland House, 2017, £9.99, pb, 350pp, 9781940688335

This book, set against the English Civil War, begins with the Battle of Newbury in 1643. The plot includes the murder of a young actor and the foiling of a plot to smuggle gold to Oxford in support of King Charles I. This is the second book in the Blandford Candy series and a sequel to The Last Roundhead. I found it a struggle to read. The first chapter was fine, describing the Battle of Newbury, but after that I got lost. This appears to be a book where the hero, Sir Blandford Candy, is recalling his life during the Civil War and his participation in the events of the time, but I regret that I found it difficult to follow. It twisted this way and that, and I came to the conclusion that it might be more of a man’s book, if one is allowed to say such things these days. The author gives plenty of explanations, both of terminology and events, at the end of the book—which doesn’t really help if the reader has to keep turning to them. Not one for my book case, I am afraid. Marilyn Sherlock

THE SOLDIER’S RETURN

Laura Libricz, Blue Heron, 2017, $14.99, pb, 331pp, 9780999146019

Germany, 1636, and the Thirty Years’ War is raging in central Europe between Protestants and Catholics. It is also dividing the loyalties of people and empowering mercenaries and anyone else with any semblance of power with opportunities to make money, take over property or homes, displace residents or get food. The Soldier’s Return, the second book of the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy, follows a large cast of characters and two main plot lines against this background. The main tale is that of Pieter van Diemen, a deserter, who is trying to reach Sichardtshof, a farm in Franconia, where he hopes to find refuge with Katarina, a maid, and her master, Herr Tucher. The second is about Ralf, a Jesuit priest with his own agenda of ridding Franconia of witches and possibly taking control of Sichardtshof, too. The Soldier’s Return is well researched. It intricately details the horrors of the Thirty Years’ War on a global, regional, and humanistic level. But the information and details overwhelm the story, making me feel

like I was reading a documentary peopled with fictional characters. Both the main and secondary characters are flat or unlikeable, some even detestable, so it was hard for me to care about their plights. Other characters and subplots are mixed in but underdeveloped, such as the women Ralf named as witches. The Soldier’s Return does an excellent job in depicting the horrors of the time and the immense struggles of the everyday people, but overdoes both at the expense of the fictional elements of the story. Francesca Pelaccia

REIGN OF THE MARIONETTES

Sheena MacLeod, Dark Ink, 2016, $18.95, pb, 465pp, 9780998480121

This historically charged novel takes place during the late 17thcentury counterreformation under Charles II. The Duke of York, his heir, has converted to Catholicism, and there is a move to reorganize the monarchy under papal control. The Duke has two daughters, Mary and Anne, but lacks a male heir. He marries a second time to Mary Beatrice, a Catholic. The story shifts between three perspectives. Elizabeth, wife of the Earl of Powis, is a crypto-Papist, who together with her husband practices Catholicism in private for fear of political enemies. The Protestant story is primarily told by the Earl of Shaftesbury, a Parliamentarian and Anglican, excluded by the King from the circle of nobles who are party to a secret treaty with France and is out to avenge his perceived betrayal. Shaftesbury conspires with the Duke of Buckingham to supplant the secretly Duke of York as heir to the throne. The plot is soon expanded by Titus Oates, an Anglican priest with few morals and a need for power. The story is robust, complex, and rich in character color. Its style is perhaps necessarily a bit explanatory at times, but compensates with a superb ear for dialogue and an emotional plotline. Sheena MacLeod recognizes in her notes that the period was a time full of unprecedented political and religious unrest. Allegiances changed, constantly fueled more by greed and power than by religious piety. The novel captures all these elements perfectly, and cries out for a stage or screen adaptation. Enthusiastically recommended. Jackie Drohan

THE CARDINAL’S MAN

M. G. Sinclair, Black and White, 2017, £8.99. pb, 326pp, 9781785301094

With this book we are back in 17th-century France, with Louis XIII on the throne. He became king at the age of eight upon the assassination of his father, Henry IV. He is said to have relied heavily on his ministers, particularly Cardinal Richelieu, a man who kept a very tight rein on things and was hated by virtually everyone. His ‘man’ is a dwarf by the name of Sebastian Morra, who finds

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

himself in Paris working at the king’s court as a jester but owes his very lowly position to the Cardinal. Also prominent in the story is Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis of Cinq-Mars, a favourite of the King. Dwarves in those days were regarded as oddities, and mocked and laughed at by more or less everyone. But Sebastian, although only 3 ft. 4 ins. in height, is possessed of an excellent brain which serves him well. The author tells us that Sebastian lived from 1610-1672, finally became court dwarf to Philip IV of Spain, and was included in a painting by Velazquez, which now hangs in the Prado in Madrid. Nothing is known about him so this story, although it is based on historical events and characters, is fiction, as the author mentions in her notes. Even so, it comes across with great authenticity and keeps the pages turning. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it. Marilyn Sherlock

18TH CENTURY RHODE ISLAND RENDEZVOUS

Linda Collison, Old Salt Press, 2017, $12.95, pb, 288pp, 9781943404124

This third book in the Patricia MacPherson Nautical Adventure Series takes place during the years leading up to the American Revolution. Patricia has a secret: she has been living in disguise as a man for three years. When Patrick MacPherson, her masculine persona, becomes shipmaster of the schooner Andromeda, she is delighted about the opportunity to earn a larger share of the profits from sailing cargo to Havana and smuggling goods and Spanish silver coin back into Rhode Island. An accomplished seaman and surgeon, Patricia has the requisite ability to manage the ship. However, the voyage presents risks she has never before faced. Nature’s unbridled fury confronts her small boat, and other potential dangers greet her in Havana, including a life-or-death situation that tests her surgical skills. Meanwhile, vehement colonial protests against the unpopular Stamp Act have the British Navy on alert for and dealing harshly with smugglers. Unbeknownst to her, Patricia is on course for a tumultuous rendezvous with someone significant from her past. And in a tragic twist of fate, she finds herself wanted by the British authorities on a more serious charge than smuggling. The story, interwoven with historical persons and events, vividly depicts the colonists of Rhode Island at a time when the Sons of Liberty movement was beginning to gain momentum. Precise descriptions of sailing a schooner lend verisimilitude, as do specific details of medical procedures Patricia performs. Adventure is ever-present, and romance figures prominently. As this absorbing tale ends, it introduces a compelling new hook for the next episode in the series. Cynthia Slocum

PHOEBE’S LIGHT

Suzanne Woods Fisher, Revell, 2018, $15.99, pb, 352pp, 9780800721626

In this first book in the new Nantucket Legacy series from Suzanne Woods Fisher, she turns her keen historical storytelling loose on the lives of Quakers in 17th- and 18th-century Massachusetts, and specifically Nantucket Island. Phoebe Starbuck is smitten with the handsome whaling ship captain Phineas Foulger and is determined that she will become his wife. Unfortunately, her father, Barnabas, happens to be the town joke—known more for his failed business ventures than his esteemed familial lineage. Also standing in Phoebe’s way is Sarah, Phineas’s daughter from a previous marriage. Matthew Macy, the town’s cooper, drunk and former Quaker, has a tenuous past with Phoebe. When Phineas finally concedes to marrying Phoebe—for reasons not based on love or family, but greed—Barnabas asks Matthew to sail with Phoebe as she stubbornly forces herself as a part of the crew on Phineas’ last whale hunt. Reluctantly, Matthew signs on and agrees to protect Phoebe. But unbeknownst to them both, Phineas is a man of many secrets, all of which come to light as they sail into the storms. The overall theme of the book is that of pride, and it comes in many facets: Phoebe’s desires for marriage, Barnabas and his failures, Matthew’s attitudes toward the Quakers, and in the secondary story of Mary Coffin (Phoebe’s great-grandmother, who is a part of the original Quaker settlers of Nantucket), whose journal Phoebe is reading throughout the book. This is a heartwarming love story and reminder of God’s faithfulness in a person despite their own pride. It is wellwritten, the characters are sharply drawn, and the history of Nantucket is an equally engaging character. A good book to remind you that God’s love is ever enduring, and an absorbing look at the history of the Quakers in colonial Massachusetts. Bryan Dumas

THE LACEMAKER

Laura Frantz, Revell, 2018, $15.99, pb, 416pp, 9780800726638

In Williamsburg, Virginia, on the eve of the American Revolution in 1775, Elizabeth Lawson is set to marry the man her Tory father picked out. Her fiancé gambles and drinks, so his cousin, Noble, a Patriot, escorts her to her betrothal ball. His kindness is a sharp contrast to her wastrel of a beau. Animosities between Tories and Patriots heat up, and Elizabeth’s father flees with the governor, her betrothed deserts her, and she’s left penniless in an enemy city. Resourceful and proud, Elizabeth— though raised a lady—finds work as a mender and lace maker. Soon her father contacts her and demands that she spy for the Tories. Confused in her loyalties, she needs to choose

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

sides and come to terms with her attraction to Noble, who tries to assist her in her destitution. Frantz paints a good picture of Elizabeth’s plight, her determination, and her predicament being caught between warring sides. Her strong faith keeps her going. The romance with Noble is not rushed, a breath of fresh air. Action scenes are glossed over; the novel’s pace is often leisurely. A few anachronisms: doorknobs should be latches, and the guillotine wasn’t invented yet. Elizabeth sleeps in the bushes instead of her townhome, which she has access to. However, she is a character to root for in this sweet and enjoyable Christian romance. Diane Scott Lewis

SUGAR MONEY

Jane Harris, Faber & Faber, 2017, £14.99, hb, 392pp, 9780571336920 / Arcade, 2018, $24.99, hb, 400pp, 9781628728897

Just before Christmas 1765, two mixed-race slaves, Lucien and his older brother Emile, are charged by their master Father Cléophas to travel from Martinique to their childhood home of Grenada to lure away the formerly Frenchowned slaves lost when the British invaded the island. Emile in particular has misgivings about the mission, but both he and Lucien are spurred on by the hope of being reunited with the warm-hearted Céleste, who played such a significant part in their past. But the inherent dangers of their journey mean that one false step might be their last… Inspired by true events, Jane Harris’s ambitious third novel may be set a world away from her usual Scottish backdrops, but the world she conjures up through her trademark use of an unreliable narrator is just as convincing. Through her clever use of quirky, slightly ungrammatical English, sprinkled with French and kréyol (Creole), Harris manages to capture the voice of young Lucien (who thinks he might be 13 or 14) without a single jarring note. It is through his eyes that the action unfolds, and though he is an intelligent boy (as witnessed by the shreds and patches of knowledge he has picked up by always keeping his ears open), it is also obvious that, like Bessy in The Observations, Lucien has managed to retain some of his naivety, despite his traumatic upbringing. Even minor characters come to life in Lucien’s pithy commentary, and his exuberance means that the novel is illuminated with flashes of humour, despite the very dark subject that lies at its heart. The landscape of Grenada also becomes another character, with its steep hills, lush undergrowth and night-croaking frogs.

One of the best books I’ve read this year (and there has been some stiff competition). Jasmina Svenne

HEART OF STONE

John Jackson, Crooked Cat, 2017, £6.99/$10.99, pb, 278pp, 9781974600359

Set mainly in Ireland between 1735 and 1752, this story is based on true events. Robert Rochfort, an ambitious Anglo-Irish landowner and widower, requires a wealthy new bride for her money and an heir. His choice falls on the teenaged Mary Molesworth. Marriage brings to Robert a barony and later an earldom. As for Mary, she believes she has fallen in love with this attractive man-of-the world, but Robert’s urbane exterior conceals a vindictive and callous nature. After their son is born, Robert all but abandons Mary for his public life and his mistresses. Then Robert’s younger brother, Arthur, an Army officer, reenters her life. Arthur is everything his brother is not, and the scene is set for scandal and tragedy. This slender novel has a fairly long time span, and the narrative is, by necessity, compressed. Sometimes I felt there was too much “telling” to sketch in the European conflicts that influence the actions of the characters. Much is carried by dialogue and is, on occasion, repetitious. The local history is well drawn, such as the devastating impact of the harsh winter of 1740 and the famine that followed, killing thousands or driving them to emigrate. From our 21st-century standpoint, we are horrified by a legal system that deems Mary to be her husband’s property and leaves her at the mercy of his vengeance. The novel does play rather freely with its source material (as explained in an afterword) and, as such, I might have preferred to have the Rochforts named differently, but it is an interesting tale and a glimpse into a little-seen side of social and political history. Mary Fisk

WILDE IN LOVE

Eloisa James, Avon, 2017, $7.99/C$9.99, pb, 416pp, 9780062389473

Eloisa James is known for witty, sexy, historical romance. With Wilde in Love, first in a new series, James moves to the Georgian period to narrate the courtships of the Wilde brothers. Alaric Wilde, second in line to inherit his father’s dukedom, has spent some time exploring. Unaware of the extraordinary celebrity he achieved by writing a series of travel adventures, he returns to England to learn he has become the object of nearly universal female adoration. However, he soon meets one beautiful woman who is unimpressed by his fame. Willa Ffynche has had a markedly successful Season, if judged by the number of proposals she received, but unsuccessful in that none of the men have captured her heart. She finds herself attracted to Alaric the man, but appalled by Lord Wilde the phenomenon. (To his credit, Alaric is appalled as well.) Willa is bookish, clever,

and private, though wittily bawdy when alone with her close friends. It takes a deranged and dangerous admirer to bring Alaric and Willa together. James’ delightful characters—hero, heroine, and cadre of family and friends— combine with entertaining dialogue and fastpaced plotting to produce another charming romance. Sue Asher

ON A STORMY PRIMEVAL SHORE: New Brunswick

Diane Scott Lewis and Nancy M. Bell, Books We Love, 2018, $15.95, pb, 400pp, 9781772998542

Amelia Latimer emigrates from Plymouth, England, to New Brunswick in Canada to join her soldier father in 1784. He has arranged a marriage for her with a fellow officer, but she finds the man repulsive and refuses, despite the fact that she’s 24 and considered “on the shelf.” Amelia meets Gilbert Arsenault, a French Acadian, whose family remained behind after the Great Expulsion; he runs a trading post, and the two feel a spark of attraction. But uneasy relations between colonists of French and British descent means that Amelia’s friends and relatives discourage her from considering Gilbert as a husband. Meanwhile, Gilbert’s title to the land where the trading post is located comes under dispute, and he must find a way to prove ownership. The colony is under pressure from incoming Loyalists escaping the fledgling United States, who were promised grants of land, which results in conflicts with people already settled in New Brunswick. The contender for Gilbert’s land is determined to get what he sees as his, and decides that kidnapping Amelia and her maid will be a lever to use against Gilbert. This is part of the Canadian Historical Brides series. I was glad to learn about the early history of New Brunswick, even though a few passages bordered on info dumps. Gilbert and Amelia are likeable characters, and Gilbert’s Acadian mother’s backstory is interesting enough to need its own novel. The bad guys and minor characters are a bit one-dimensional, but there’s enough to like in the history and romance departments for me to recommend the story to Canadian history and/or romance fans. B. J. Sedlock

SOOT

Andrew Martin, Corsair, 2017, £14.99, hb, 348pp, 9781472152435

A cold and snowy winter in York at the end of the 18th century. Fletcher Rigge is a young man incarcerated in the city’s debtors’ prison because of the gambling debts of his deceased father, who lost his estate at cards. He is released by a local man, the rather louche Captain Robin Harvey, who tasks Fletcher with finding his own father’s murderer. Harvey’s father was a maker of silhouettes, or “shades” as they were known then, and was seemingly killed by one of his customers with his own specialist silhouette-making

scissors. Fletcher, who is a likeable sort of chap, generous with his money, if a little naïve at times, starts his investigations amongst the mostly likely candidates, or suspects. These lead him into a series of sordid and personally imperilling stories and he eventually uncovers the squalid truth. The story is narrated through a series of diary entries by Rigge, various correspondence and legal depositions, which makes for an occasional awkwardness and lack of realism in the structure. There are also instances of the use of modern-day phrases which I feel sure were not used in either written or spoken English at the time of the story. Nevertheless, it is an absorbing read, with a detailed topographical leitmotif of 18th-century York as a central theme. Douglas Kemp

THE COVEN

Graham Masterton, Head of Zeus, 2017, £18.99/$26.95, hb, 410pp, 9781784976354

The second instalment in Graham Masterton’s Beatrice Scarlet series sees our titular heroine face even more trials and tribulations as she returns to her native London, where she has received a job offer. She is soon busy looking after the young women at St. Mary Magdalene’s Refuge, encouraging the girls to learn skills such as baking and sewing and to look after their own welfare. When seven girls from the refuge go missing, Beatrice is worried, but when they are accused of practising Satanism, she is sceptical. However, everyone around her seems absolutely convinced. The girls had been working for a charming young factory owner, and he shows Beatrice the room the girls had stayed where the walls have been daubed in blood. Beatrice feels that it is all an elaborate sham. With the added complications of a new admirer and a strange figure stalking her, she is determined to find out the truth. This series has so far presented plenty of thrills and spills, blending Masterton’s ability as a thriller writer with his grounding in the horror genre. Beatrice is a likeable heroine: caring, practical, and forthright, using her skills as an apothecary to great effect. While knowledge of the previous instalment would give the reader further insight into Beatrice as a character, it is not essential, so the novel can easily be read as a stand-alone. It’s steeped in the details of everyday life in 18th-century London and will appeal to readers of Phil Rickman or Alison Littlewood. Lisa Redmond

FREE FROM ALL DANGER

Chris Nickson, Severn House, 2017, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 213pp, 9781780109305

Called out of retirement by the city fathers of Leeds to serve again as Constable, Richard Nottingham doesn’t feel up to the job. He’s old and tired now in 1736, and most of those he held dear are already dead, but duty

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

beckons him. He returns to the job just as a vicious murder spree begins, which soon has the entire city clamoring for an arrest. One of the only people he can depend on is Rob Lister, the young Deputy Constable, who is also common-law husband to Nottingham’s daughter. Together the two policemen hunt the perpetrator through the brothels, pubs, and fog-shrouded streets of Leeds, and along the way Nottingham does what he can to ease the suffering of those dispossessed by circumstances and tragedy. The novel has some peripheral shortcomings, but they are not fatal. Scenes are very brief, which gives a jumpy feel to the story. A subplot doesn’t deliver as much substance as might be expected. But all these are far outweighed by outstanding characterization—Nottingham is a very human and endearing character— and an intricate and satisfying plot, as well as excellent depiction of the setting. Loyd Uglow

AN INCIDENTAL DEATH IN MONTEREY

John O’Hagan, Zumaya, 2017, $14.99, pb, 238pp, 9781612713038

The natives of Monterey, California, in the late 18th century suffer tremendously under Spanish domination. The Governor of Monterey has made a secret agreement with an American ship to allow them to repair their ship in the harbor, provided they pay him for the privilege and make other financially beneficial trade actions. This violates Spanish law. The Governor, however, has other problems as well; he may be responsible for victimizing a native girl, Jacinta, and then for having her killed. Father Juan Ibarra is both a Franciscan priest, a doctor, and a bit of a sleuth. It is he who investigates the circumstances leading to Jacinta’s death. The story becomes more and more sordid, exacerbated by the Governor’s shutting his wife away in a monastery after she became hysterical on finding him in bed with a woman. This is the simple plot: finding the murderer and exposing the Governor’s underhand and illegal financial machinations. If you think you can predict the outcome, you are totally wrong! What remains with the reader, however, is the harshness of injustice juxtaposed with the dignity and innocence of the hard-working natives of Monterey. The treatment of Spanish wives is satirized as the undeserved, unjust treatment of “macho” Spanish husbands. The integrity of Father Ibarra, as well as his clever investigation skills, makes this a perfect crime novel. Despite the religious community being the center of Spanish life, corruption is a sneaky reality. John O’Hagan has a passionate love for this period of history and does a fine job of conveying it in its simplicity and complexity. Fine reading! Viviane Crystal

INTO THE WORLD

Stephanie Parkyn, Allen & Unwin, 2017, A$29.99, pb, 448pp, 9781760296513

It is 1791, and the ships of the La Perouse expedition have gone missing somewhere in the Great Southern Ocean. Admiral Bruni d’Entrecasteaux is despatched to find them. On board Recherche is a steward known to all as Louis Girardin. But Louis is, in fact, MarieLouise Girardin, who was forced to abandon her illegitimate son and flee the political turmoil in France. Only d’Entrecasteaux and Huon de Kermadec, captain of Esperance, know that she is a woman. Girardin manages to evade public exposure for most of the two-year voyage, although she faces increasing danger from a sailor, Raoul, who seems to know her secrets and threatens her. When the expedition falls into Dutch hands and finally receives news of the execution of Louis XVI, all the simmering tensions between republications and royalists come to a head. Many readers will be familiar with what was happening in France during this tumultuous era, but less well-known are the concurrent expeditions when France and England competed to explore new lands and make scientific discoveries in Oceania and around Australia. The details of the expedition and the frictions between the mariners, naturalists and scientists run close to truth, and the narrative is written in an easy style with enough intrigue, adventure and romance to keep you turning the pages. Although Marie-Louise Girardin really did exist, her real story is a mystery, and the novel offers a speculative version as to why she may have taken on a male identity. For anyone curious as to why there are so many French place names on the southern coast of Australia or who just wants to know more in general about these largely forgotten French explorers and their voyages, this entertaining debut by Stephanie Parkyn would make a fine introduction. Marina Maxwell

THE SCOT’S BRIDE

Paula Quinn, Forever, 2017, $6.99/C$8.99, pb, 363pp, 9781455535330

1712: Patrick McGregor enjoys the freedom of no responsibilities—marriage would mean giving up his soul. Charlotte “Charlie” Cunningham wants no part of a man looking for another conquest notch on his belt. Besides, Charlie still loves Kendrick, a boy her brothers killed as part of a feud with a rival clan, which also led to her mother’s death. Charlie and Patrick begin to be attracted to each other despite their differences. But Patrick is afraid she will spurn him once she learns he is related to the hated Fergussons. Quinn has mastered the slow burn in this Highland historical romance. Multiple misgivings keep the couple apart till late in the book, when the inevitable bedroom scene occurs. This allows for plenty of sexual tension and amusing banter as the couple’s attraction grows. The sudden resurrection of

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

a thought-to-be-dead character lets the plot down, in my opinion. References are made to other characters from previous books in the Highland Heirs series, so it may be better to read them in order, rather than start with this volume. It’s a satisfying Highland romance, but with a plot point or two that could be bettered. B. J. Sedlock

THE EMPEROR’S BARBER

Graham Wade, Choir Press, 2017, £9.99, pb, 309pp, 9781911589136

Kutaissa, an orphaned Turk forced into the Ottoman army, is captured by Russians, where his medical skills learned as a barber eventually bring him to the attention of Grand Duke Paul, son of Catherine the Great. Paul takes Kutaissa as his barber/valet, giving him a more Russian name, Kutaissov. Kutaissov proves adept at court intrigue, eventually promoted to Count after Paul becomes Czar. But Kutaissov pays for Paul’s favors with kicks and blows from the volatile, possibly mad, Czar. When unrest among the nobles leads to an abdication plot, Kutaissov is in danger of being labeled a conspirator. This is the type of historical fiction I most enjoy, straightforward narrative about a time and place I didn’t know much about. The story certainly enlightened me on Russian court life in the late 1700s. Wade warns readers in an historical note that Kutaissov is difficult to like. But Kutaissov gains some sympathy as a person who does what he must to survive. Some stilted language passages are a bit offputting: “As was his prerogative, he detained her for several more dances, a phenomenon which did not pass unobserved by a number of people present.” Recommended. B. J. Sedlock

19TH CENTURY

TO WAGER HER HEART

Tamera Alexander, Zondervan, 2017, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 9780310291084

Unable to move past the train wreck that killed her fiancé, Alexandra Jamison faces the untenable choice of accepting her father’s choice for a husband, a much older man, or remaining a spinster—until voices raised in song offer her a new path one evening in 1871. Fisk University, a school dedicated to educating former slaves, needs teachers. When she joins their staff, Alexandra is turned out of her house with only the clothes on her back. Sylas Rutledge of Colorado is in Nashville to bid on the Belle Meade Railroad Station contract. His problem is twofold: he’s still looking for investors and he’s an uncouth outsider. He’s also come to clear his father, a dedicated engineer who would never have caused the accident that killed so many people. In need of money, Alexandra agrees to teach Sylas about southern gentility, even though she thinks him more an outlaw than a gentleman. In turn, he agrees to share whatever he learns about the accident and when she is offered a chance to arrange a tour

for the Jubilee Singers, he’s the one who must help her conquer her fears. This final installment in the Belle Meade Novels is a heartwarming tale of following dreams, standing up for what’s right, facing fears, and learning to trust where the heart leads. Rich in details of time and place, Alexander transports her readers back to a United States attempting to recover from the wounds of civil war, where bigotry and prejudices exist in both the North and the South. Her three-dimensional characters bring to life an era fraught with danger in the struggle to change attitudes—a struggle that’s still relevant—while the story provides a poignant recreation of technology’s impact on their lives, which also rings true today. Cindy Vallar

DEATH BELOW STAIRS Jennifer Ashley, Berkley, 2018, C$20.00, pb, 336pp, 9780399585517

$15.00/

Kat Holloway, a well-respected cook in Victorian England, lands a job in the stuffy house of Lord and Lady Rankin. All too quickly, Kat finds herself embroiled in the murder of a house servant and the intrigue surrounding it. Added to the fact that the mysterious Daniel McAdams is loitering around the house, it becomes clear to Kat that there is more going on in the Rankin household than meets the eye. Together with Daniel, his eccentric math genius friend Thanos, and Lady Cynthia— Lady Rankin’s sister, equally eccentric in that she loves to dress in men’s clothing—Kat sets out to uncover those responsible for the murder. However, they find themselves in a deeper plot involving Fenians and the Queen herself. I have many issues with this book. First, let me say that the Victorian setting, dialog, and characters are well-written. However, many aspects of the plot just don’t seem to mesh or matter at all—the death of the house girl could have been omitted completely, and the resolution to her death just falls flat. There are many instances where it is made clear that Kat and Daniel have a past—a deep, tangled history—but it is never explained. It turns out that that information is found in a prequel novella. The plot revolving around the Fenians and Queen is tightly written, tense and mystery-worthy, but even in its resolution, there are many subplots left unresolved. And, ultimately, I couldn’t help but wonder at how a cook in Victorian England had so much free time on her hands to allow her to run around London and the South of England. If you are willing to set aside a critical eye and a need for historical accuracy, Death Below Stairs is a cozy mystery with fun characters. Bryan Dumas

MRS. OSMOND

John Banville, Knopf, 2017, $27.95/C$36.95, hb, 369pp, 9780451493422 / Viking, 2017, £14.99, hb, 384pp, 9780241260173

Isabel Osmond (née Archer) has disobeyed her husband, Gilbert, and left Rome to visit

her dying cousin in England. After the funeral, friends urge Isabel not to return to Gilbert, whose cruelty and deceit have ruined any hope of happiness with him. But she goes anyway. To pen a sequel to a Henry James masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady—for Mrs. Osmond is that— requires a bold, confident hand and a finely perceptive eye. Only a writer as experienced and gifted as John Banville would even attempt it. Not only has he captured the Jamesian style, discursive, loop-the-loop sentences that end dead center in observed truth; but, like the master, Banville derives intense feeling from a gesture or an inflection of voice. As with the original, what’s left between the lines often means more than what is said, and the story takes second place to the characters. But to call Mrs. Osmond imitation James would sell it short. Where James focuses on loss of innocence, a cherished theme, Banville emphasizes Isabel’s masochism, so deep and relished that it amounts to vanity. Her dutifulness can be irritating, but it’s painful too, since Gilbert Osmond must rank among the most odious husbands in literature, a man who abuses those around him through controlled, quiet disdain. But how Isabel steels herself to confront him, trying to figure out who she is and what she wants and deserves, makes a gripping inner journey. Naturally, the meeting with Gilbert does not go as either of them expects. Mrs. Osmond is a treat for readers of literary fiction who admire rich prose, depth of character, and psychological insight; the historical background is that of 19th-century upper-class manners and mores.

So is it Harry or her father who somehow has misplaced all that money? And what will happen to the Athertons if Theo claims malfeasance? Ms Bennett is clearly very comfortable in her 19th century setting and spins an enjoyable story in which Harry and Theo are not only concerned with money, but also with their growing feelings for each other. As all good Regency romances must, A Lady Without a Lord ends on a happy note, albeit that the road to the happily ever after contains quite some twists and turns.

A LADY WITHOUT A LORD

It’s 1853 in London, and the true-life inspiration behind Charles Dickens’s Inspector Bucket, Charley Field, has just retired from the police force and started his own private investigation firm. But business is dismal until the death of his friend, a prostitute named Rosa. Her death is deemed a suicide but Charley doesn’t believe it, especially when her last client was one of his old foes, a murderer, who escaped death. As Charley works on solving the mystery of Rosa’s death, he investigates small, often frivolous-sounding jobs for various clients, such as Charles Dickens himself, a poor but heartbroken poet, and a beautiful but vindictive actress, while trying to avoid visiting his wife and her nasty mother. Bucket’s List is driven by the character of Charley Field. He is down-to-earth, funny, and a smooth-talker who can finagle his way into any situation. He also has a big heart,

Larry Zuckerman

Bliss Bennet, Bliss Bennet Books, 2017, $3.99, e-book, 285pp, 9780996193740

Theodosius Pennington has struggled all his life with his dyscalculia, and as the new Viscount Saybrook, his problems with numbers are brought to a head when his London banker points out there is a discrepancy of £4,000 on his account. In the 1820s, this is a minor fortune, and even worse, the missing money is intended as dowry for Theo’s sister. Theo has no choice but to travel to his estate in Lincolnshire to confront his steward, Mr Atherton, and sort out the mess. Whereas Theo can’t work his way down a column of numbers if his life depends on it, Harriot (a.k.a. Harry) Atherton most certainly can. In fact, she has been keeping the Saybrook books for quite some time now, this to cover for her father’s increasing dementia.

Anna Belfrage

THE DRESSMAKER’S SECRET

Charlotte Betts, Little, Brown, 2017, £8.99, pb, 373pp, 9780349414164

It’s 1819, and young Englishwoman Emilia Barton is growing impatient of her unsettled life, traveling up and down Italy as an itinerant dressmaker—until her anxious and seemingly innocuous mother is murdered, leaving her orphaned, penniless and alone… or is she? In Pesaro, Emilia finds a place in the peculiar household of Princess Caroline of Brunswick, the Prince Regent’s estranged and eccentric wife, and falls in requited love with a handsome Italian tutor, but is haunted by her mother’s dying words about her birth. Entangled in Caroline’s predicament, and eager to discover her true origins, she travels to England, where a family awaits her, together with political intrigue, heartbreak and danger. Around the fate of the unhappy Caroline of Brunswick, Charlotte Betts weaves her heroine’s tale, with plenty of pretty descriptions, elegant balls, Regency politics, a touch of the Gothic, and a couple of factual errors (no such things as a Duke of Mantova in 1819) in a pleasant, light read with enough twists to keep things interesting to the end. Chiara Prezzavento

BUCKET’S LIST

Gary Blackwood, Severn House, 2018, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 240pp, 9780727887382

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

which makes him a sucker for a sob story and willing to take on any job, however outlandish it may sound. But the main plot, solving Rosa’s murder, is thin and lacking in any urgency. It is sprinkled throughout the novel, sometimes appearing forgotten. The novel is bolstered by the various little crime-solving jobs Charley accepts, which are for the most part extraneous to the main plot, but some are eventually woven in. Some subplots, such as who killed the actress’s lover, may have been introduced to set the stage for future novels in the series. Charley and the cast of interesting secondary characters, such as his wife Jane and Constable Mull, make the novel entertaining to read. Otherwise, Bucket’s List is just that: a list of random crimes to be solved until Charley has all the evidence to solve the overriding one. Francesca Pelaccia

A HUNT IN WINTER: A Joe Swallow Mystery

Conor Brady, Crooked Lane, 2017, $26.99, hb, 326pp, 9781683313953 / New Island, 2016, £8.99, pb, 300pp, 9781848405288

Dublin detective Joe Swallow returns in a third volume, this time to solve a series of murderous attacks on young women, attacks that have thrown the city into panic. It is 1888, and the Jack the Ripper killings in London have made many Dubliners think the fiend may be continuing his spree in their city. Promoted now to detective inspector, Swallow finds that being an Irish policeman serving under English superiors can be just as difficult as finding the killer, and sometimes almost as dangerous. His personal life is also under stress as he struggles with the questions of whether to marry the woman he lives with and whether to give up police work for the cozier occupation of publican. The story is engaging, and Brady does an excellent job in characterization of Swallow and the lesser players. Readers will bond with the Irishman from the beginning and care about his personal triumphs and losses. The author’s mastery of setting makes late 19th-century Dublin come alive. The novel is more a police procedural than a pure mystery and is thus somewhat more realistic than the latter genre. That realism, however, brings a resolution that is not quite as satisfying as it might have been. Stylistically the novel suffers a bit from long passages of description and backstory, sometimes coming in the midst of dialogue exchanges and confusing the reader. Nevertheless, the plot and characterization carry the novel and make it an enjoyable read. Loyd Uglow

FANNY NEWCOMBE AND THE IRISH CHANNEL RIPPER

Ana Brazil, Sand Hill Review, 2017, $20.95, pb, 372pp, 9781937818630

Fanny Newcombe has come to New Orleans in 1889 to teach business courses at Wisdom Hall Settlement House. She has been hired by 28

sisters Olive and Sylvia Giddings, daughters of a wealthy family, who have recently established Wisdom Hall to provide medical care and education to poor immigrants arriving in New Orleans. Olive and Sylvia hope that it will eventually become “a glorious edifice of immigrant education.” Fanny is happy to be earning a living, even though using a new-fangled typewriter is proving to be harder than she had expected. She enjoys teaching the young women who mostly come from the Irish Channel (here politely described as ‘roguish’) until one of her students is murdered. The murdered woman, Nora, came from Ireland and became a prostitute in New Orleans. She had been one of Fanny’s most promising students, and Fanny had hoped for her to move along to a useful career. The man accused of her killing is Karl, a skilled carpenter from Germany who is helping to build Wisdom Hall to the impressive standards demanded by the sisters. Fanny, shocked by the killing and unable to believe Karl capable of such brutal behavior, decides to prove his innocence. Ana Brazil takes the reader for a clearsighted visit to the seamier side of Gilded Age New Orleans. Fanny and the Giddings sisters visit brothels and pornography studios in their search for the killer, aware of police corruption and mixed messages coming from the Church. The author leaves us with no illusions about the uglier side of New Orleans at the time. This book is a promising start from a new author, who has introduced many engaging characters together with an incisive picture of the sordid lives of some of New Orleans’ immigrants. Valerie Adolph

FELIX WILD

Peter Broadbent, Chaplin Books, 2017, £18, hb, 342pp, 9781911105213

Subtitled ‘A Foundling Aboard HMS Warrior’, this is the fascinating story of a homeless London youth in the mid-Victorian period with an extraordinary gift of graphic memory. Narrated in the present tense with moral overtones, it follows the life of Felix Wild, who appears in court aged 15 as a vagrant and is taken in by a wealthy London family. Mr Kettle is prominent in the building of Britain’s first ironclad warship, HMS Warrior, in the 1860s. Felix has the gift of visual memory. He can draw fine, detailed pictures in pencil the day after making mental notes. The story moves forward through contemporary London events, including ‘the Great Stink’, with accounts of Mrs Kettle’s slow awakening of Felix’s sexuality. Felix and the Kettle’s housemaid enjoy occasional lovemaking. Mr Kettle takes Felix to the shipyard to see what will soon be HMS Warrior. Felix pleases the officers managing the build with his fine drawings made in a corner of the captain’s cabin. After the ship’s completion he is given a berth with two other youths and sees the conditions on the gun deck. Here brutish men, about 20 to a gun, eat sleep and fight under

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

harsh conditions. His two colleagues dare not leave Felix there for fear of sexual attack. On board the ship Felix produces lifelike pencil drawings, and he is encouraged by the captain. Whilst fascinating in all its detail, with an excellent feel for the time, the personalities and their social status, the book, at over 340 pages, is too long for its story. Two-thirds through, nothing important has happened until a storm in the Solent. Being the only swimmer, Felix is sent out in a group of sailors to rescue a man overboard. Geoffrey Harfield

AN UNCONVENTIONAL OFFICER

Lynn Bryant, Amazon Digital Services, 2017, $2.99, ebook, 504pp, B0711LTZB1

Set during the Napoleonic Wars, this novel introduces us to Paul van Daan, an English officer both unconventional and dashing, with an almost unbelievable success rate with women. But Paul is a decent man at heart, and when one of his lovers becomes pregnant, he marries her. Unfortunately, it is only after he marries Rowena that he meets the dazzling Anne and falls in love. The war keeps them apart, until a forced marriage to another officer leads Anne to Spain, where she meets Paul again—and uses her brains and courage to aid the wounded. Anne also becomes Rowena’s best friend. The ending is bittersweet, for Rowena loves Paul deeply, and he also loves her in a quiet way very unlike his soul-mate bond with Anne. Inevitably, Cornwell’s Sharpe looms over any novel about the British army during this period. It is obviously the inspiration for this series (I had the sense that Sharpe and Harper were situated just across the camp from Paul and his men). Although the book sometimes suffers from awkward grammar and punctuation, and the manners and mores of the early 1800s aren’t terribly sound, I enjoyed it—and since Sharpe and Harper aren’t marching again at the moment, I am more than happy to follow Paul and his men! India Edghill

THE WICKED COMETH

Laura Carlin, Hodder & Stoughton,2017, £12.99, hb, 343pp, 9781473661370

This is a beautiful book, inside and out. For once you can judge a book by its cover, in this case purple suede embossed in gold. I had to review it, if only to have it on my bookshelf. Inside the covers is a classic Victorian gothic novel, although it is set in the 1830s, just before Victoria came to the throne. It has a classically macabre plot, and the settings range from the fetid slums of London’s East End to the comfortable villas of the upper middle class and the country houses of the very rich. There are the familiar gothic devices of changeling children, secret marriages, and skeletons (sometimes literally) in every cupboard, all narrated in a mix of mannered Victorian prose and vivid cockney dialogue. The two central characters develop a passionate lesbian

relationship, which would not have been explicit in a Victorian novel, but we are used to that now in Victorian pastiche. If you like Victorian gothic, you can do no better than this. Moreover, this is Laura Carlin’s debut novel, so there should be more to come. And I hope the publishers provide equally beautiful covers. Edward James

DEAD MAN’S BLUES

Ray Celestin, Pegasus, 2017, $25.95, hb, 496pp, 9781681775609 / Mantle, 2016, £12.99, hb, 336pp, 9781447258902

The kidnapping of an heiress, the mutilation death of a gangster, and the champagne poisoning of local politicos are the triggering events of this crime novel set in Chicago at the height of Prohibition. This great city is as much part of the story as the characters in it. Gangs compete to provide booze, drugs, and prostitutes to a Roaring Twenties public. African Americans escaping the South and looking for decent work flood in but can’t evade rampant racial prejudice. Street gun battles and bombings are everyday occurrences, while cops and judges on the take stand aside. Rich details of the streets, buildings, and the searing summer weather, as well as excerpts from news reports and other documents add context. A seasoned Pinkerton agent and his young African-American female assistant take on the kidnapping. A freelance crime photographer becomes obsessed by the gangster’s death. Al Capone hires a “fixer,” recently from New York, to fix whoever did the poisonings. Interwoven with roles from Louis Armstrong, members of Chicago’s upper crust, and lowlifers, the three investigations unfold and come together at a fast pace and resolve in a hold-onto-your-seat series of twists, chases and shootouts. Celestin does not shy away from gruesome details, horrid human behavior, and intensely violent action, but readers of hard-boiled murder mysteries will enjoy the ride to the very last page and will appreciate the honest portrait of a big city finding its way. G. J. Berger

A DUKE IN SHINING ARMOR

Loretta Chase, Avon, 2017, $7.99/C$9.99, pb, 400pp, 9780062457387

Much to the delight of her impecunious family, Lady Olympia Hightower has landed the Duke of Ashmont, who is not only handsome but wealthy. Why then is this bookish, bespectacled (and slightly inebriated) bride-to-be climbing out the window in her elaborate wedding dress to make her escape when the ceremony is ready to begin? The Duke of Ripley sets out in pursuit, determined to bring her back to his friend, and thus begins a wild chase, filled with various unlikely mishaps and the shedding of wet clothing. During this bonding experience

they fall in love, but obligations to friends and family stand in the way. This is an entertaining and fast-moving story, though the comedy teeters on the edge of farce at times. It raises serious social issues: the pressure on aristocratic women to marry well, regardless of personal feelings; double standards in judging the behavior of men and women; the indulgence that overlooks misconduct by members of a privileged elite. (Not much has changed, it would appear.) Although rather a lot of space is spent on their physical and emotional reactions to each other, the protagonists are attractive, their dialogue witty, and their introspection insightful. Definitely recommended. Ray Thompson

CALL ME LONESOME

Brett Cogburn, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 452pp, 9781432831912

Morgan Clyde, former Union sharpshooter, is a wanted man. It’s 1872, and construction of the railroad is moving south. Morgan is following the trail of Erastus Tuck, known as the Arkansas Traveler, who has vowed to kill Morgan ever since the Civil War. The Pinkertons are also trying to locate Morgan and have their best man-hunters on his trail. Unknown to Morgan, Texas George Kingman and his brother are following him and vow to kill him for killing their brother in a gunfight. To survive, Morgan must kill them all. This is an exciting next chapter to the Morgan Clyde chronicles. I suggest reading book one in the series, Smoke Wagon, because there are many other important characters in the story. As with many Westerns, the book moves at a fast pace. While the author attempts to include a little backstory from the previous book, I found I had to review my notes from reading it. If you enjoy the Western genre, Brett Cogburn is a name to remember. He is an impressive, imaginative writer who knows Western lore and keeps readers on the edge of their seat. I look forward to reading future novels by this fine writer. Jeff Westerhoff

A HOPE DIVIDED

Alyssa Cole, Kensington, 2017, $15.00, pb, 266pp, 9781496707468

Not everyone south of the Mason-Dixon line supports the Southern cause during the Civil War. Marlie Lynch of central North Carolina, the free-born daughter of a former slave, collects information about Rebel activities and takes herbal medicines to a prison for captured Union soldiers. When a scruffy man asks to borrow a Greek philosophy book from her handcart, she dubs him “Socrates,” and their friendship grows. Marlie lives with and distills her medicines in the home of Sarah Lynch. They are halfsisters, daughters of the slave-holder who owned Marlie’s mother, but they share more than blood. Their mutual distaste for slavery leads them to shelter escaped slaves and point them northward to freedom. A bedraggled

man with an injured ankle comes to the Lynch home one night, but this time it’s an escaped Union prisoner—Socrates. Marlie shelters the man she now knows as Ewan McCall in her distillery. Then Captain Cahill, brutal leader of the local Home Guard, commandeers the Lynch home for a dwelling and headquarters, abetted by Sarah’s domineering sister-in-law. Can Marlie keep Ewan hidden, and what will she do with their growing attraction? Alyssa Cole’s historical romance, A Hope Divided, answers that question in fine fashion. I’m not crazy about romances, but Ms. Cole’s intelligent novel stretches the usual formula. Her characters are realistic, and Ewan McCall’s complex past makes him even more appealing than the studly demigods who often populate romances’ pages. I enjoyed A Hope Divided, and you will too. Jo Ann Butler

THE LAST BEOTHUK

Gary Collins, Flanker, 2017, $19.95/C$19.95, pb, 215pp, 9781771176323

Canada, 1800s: The Beothuk, an indigenous people living in Newfoundland, were believed wiped out by 1829 when the woman Shanawdithit died in St. Johns. But perhaps that was not the case. In this novel Gary Collins, a well-known writer in his native Newfoundland, tells the story of Kop, the last remaining Beothuk, and his family as they fight to maintain their way of life in a rapidly changing world. The novel is based on the words of Santa, a woman who in 1910 claimed to be Kop’s daughter, as well as on other true historical incidents. Gary Collins has given life to the saga of Kop and his family. Their search for others of their dwindling tribe, and the losses Kop faces at the hands of encroaching white settlers, makes a gripping story. I had heard of the Beothuk when doing some research of my own, and was eager to read this book. Collins has obviously done his research, and I learned a great deal about Beothuk life, culture, and language as I read of Kop’s heartbreaking struggle. Photos of Santa, Shanawdithit, and others of the lost tribe add to the interest and provide additional background. For some reason Collins’s narrative style did not always draw me in; perhaps there was more telling than showing. But the author’s knowledge of his native Newfoundland—the geography, flora, and fauna—provides and rich and detailed backdrop to this moving tale. Susan McDuffie

AMAH AND THE SILKWINGED PIGEONS

Jocelyn Cullity, Inanna., 2017, $22.95, pb, 261pp, 9781771334372

Lucknow, India, 1857: Before it was annexed by the British East India Company, the Indian princely state of Awadh was an almost fairy-tale land of princes, poets, and priests, of queens and courtesans—and of a royal guard composed of women. One of the

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

members of this Rose Platoon is Amah, whose ancestors were brought from Africa as slaves. Amah is deeply devoted to Awadh and to Begam Hazrat Mahal, one of the royal women who try to keep Lucknow from disaster during the year of the “Indian Mutiny.” But civility and poetry are no match for cannon and bigotry, and it’s not a spoiler to say that Amah and the Begum are on the losing side of the violent struggle that devastates Lucknow. It’s fascinating to see the Lucknow siege from the Indian, rather than the English, point of view, and the novel is beautifully written. But despite the lovely, evocative sentences, the story seems oddly shallow. (It’s written in present tense, which can have the effect of distancing the action from the reader; in this case I also felt I never really knew any of the characters.) And I’d hoped to learn about the Afro-Indian population, but although that’s the big selling point for the novel, there really isn’t any information about that group’s history; the fact that Amah and the Begum are AfroIndian seems to be a literary accessory rather than anything substantial or even necessary to the plot. And most unfortunately, on page 15 is the following sentence: “Statues of gods I had not met conversed with statues of our Allah.” (This isn’t an ARC, it’s the actual published book.) After that sentence, I was so deeply suspicious of the novel’s accuracy on any topic that it made for a disconcerting read, despite the elegant writing. India Edghill

THE CONTRABAND SHORE David Donachie, Allison & Busby £19.99/$25, hb, 318pp, 9780749021658

2017,

Royal Navy Captain Edward Brazier has reason to be pleased with life, even though he has no ship at present under his command. His prize money following the capture of a treasure ship has made him a rich man. With the nation at peace, he has leisure to further his serious courtship of Betsey Langridge. This delightful widow is almost at the end of her mourning period, and he is confident that their feelings are mutual: a strong and optimistic attraction. At present she has a home with her brother Henry Tulkington, and Edward will be well placed to visit Betsey from Deal, the nearby small coastal town. He books into a local inn, unaware that the whole coastline is given over to smuggling operated by two gangs who are literally at daggers drawn. But more than each other they loathe the Revenue men who would interfere with their own expert tax avoidance. Edward, who wears the King’s uniform, is an object of intense suspicion leading to a brutal unprovoked attack—a warning to back off. Even worse, he is urged by the Prime Minister to act as a suicidally reckless government spy into the smugglers’ activities. And Betsey’s brother Henry, at first furiously hostile, has become unaccountably smarmy. What is going on? It is a pleasure to read a novel so convincing in its detail, and the description of a complete smuggling operation (although aborted) 30

shows expert planning and sharp-witted improvisation. Popular expensive luxuries involved are brandy, tobacco and tea, but how many readers will have known the tea was sewn inside the clothing of these enterprising villains? Nancy Henshaw

THE MONEY SHIP

Joan Druett, Old Salt Press, 2017, $19.99, pb, 322pp, 9780994124647

This historical adventure/thriller centers on the pirate Hochman’s treasure trove of doubloons, which purportedly sunk with his ship near a haunted islet in an estuary in Borneo. The story primarily revolves around Jerusha, the seafaring daughter of Captain Michael Gardiner, and Nelson O’Cain, a nobleman’s bastard and seaman. The fastmoving maritime tale begins with Jerusha as a six-year-old girl and spans more than a decade across three oceans and a myriad of exotic ports. The route for finding clues to the location of the legendary money ship in this unique story is complicated with treachery, adultery, murder, Malayan politics, and an arranged marriage. Joan Druett has written a multi-layered novel with splendid prose and vivid descriptions of the various locations. The author shines with historical details of shipping, economics, and trading during the early 19th century. The seemingly disconnected stories and clues in the storyline weave together like a tapestry and culminate in a satisfying and riveting climax. However, at the beginning, the points of view drift back and forth among various characters, at times making it difficult to follow the storyline and to distinguish the players. Later, about a third of the way through, the story becomes more engaging and intriguing when told primarily from the perspectives of Jerusha and Nelson O’Cain. The Money Ship will delight readers who love seafaring adventures rich with historical detail and a dash of romance. Linnea Tanner

THE SEED WOMAN

Petra Durst-Benning (trans. Edwin Miles), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 442pp, 9781542047814

The first book in Petra Durst-Benning’s Seed Traders’ Saga was published in Germany in 2005, though has not been translated to English until now. The story begins in the mid-19th century in Germany, with Hannah arriving in Gönningen after an arduous journey in an effort to find Helmut, the seed merchant with whom she had fallen in love before he moved on in his travels. He is to marry a local beauty, Seraphine, though with Hannah’s unexpected arrival, everyone’s lives are significantly altered. The novel follows the various relationships among Hannah, Helmut, Seraphine, and Helmut’s brother, Valentin, as they try to learn to live and work together in a highly dysfunctional family dynamic. While much of the story takes place in

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Germany at the bottom of the Swabian Mountains, the family travels to Holland as well as part of their seed-trading business. Durst-Benning has written an interesting and accessible story about seed merchants in the 1850s in Germany, a topic that has not, to my knowledge, been given a lot of attention in literature. Reading this reminded me at times of Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter, a Norwegian story of similar breadth, following the trials and tribulations of a young woman trying to find her place in a time and a space that is not necessarily forgiving. It will be interesting to see where the saga goes from here, since so much ground was covered in the first installment building up the relationships among the characters by their shared experiences. Recommended. Elicia Parkinson

REMEMBER, REMEMBER

Anna Elliott with Charles Veley, Wilton Press, 2017, $12.99, pb, 347pp, 9781545049167

In 1897 London, a young woman regains consciousness to find herself lying on the steps of the British Museum, battered and unable to remember who she is. Is she a criminal fleeing a murderous deed? Or is she a hunted victim? Her attempt to solve the mystery of her own past leads Lucy James (it isn’t a spoiler to say right now that she’s Sherlock Holmes’s daughter, as it’s on the book’s cover) into a deadly maze of danger, politics, and romance. This book is what used to be called “a curate’s egg”: “parts of it are excellent.” The pace is fast and the writing smooth; the book’s charming and amusing. I know Holmes pastiches are controversial among fans of the Great Detective, I enjoyed this quick romp through the Victorian underworld. However, at least some of the detail work is way off. This is a historical novel set in 1897 England. While I was able to pass off the first mention of a “prince regent” as an unfortunate minor error, it later is expanded to “His Majesty Prince Edward”—such a startling collection of errors that I found it hard to regain my willingness to believe in the story. India Edghill

THE BALLAD OF BLACK BART

Loren D. Estleman, Forge, 2017, $24.99, hb, 240pp, 9780765383532

Charles Boles, aka Black Bart, is a genuine and fascinating historical character from America’s Western history in the late 1880s. And “character” is not an exaggeration in Black Bart’s case. As with most of the Californians of that time, he is born in the East and comes to seek his fortune during the great rush, leaving behind a small family in the Midwest. Again, as with most, Charles does not succeed in finding his fortune under the ground. He learns to disdain the megacorporation of the day, Wells Fargo. He decides life will be easier by simply robbing that company’s stagecoaches, employing

ingenuity, an unloaded shotgun, a bit of poetry and his own two feet instead of riding on a horse. His nemesis is Wells Fargo detective chief James B. Hume. Bart becomes Hume’s “Moby Dick,” and the legend lavishly unfolds. Estleman, a well-established and awardwinning author, is a master wordsmith who captures the feel, prose and ambience of the period flawlessly. He relates a particular danger associated with visiting local saloons as the possibility of acquiring “crabs as big as snails in a French restaurant” and an unfortunate young woman who has the “face of a sheep.” Along the way the author provides intricate, seemingly primitive but fascinating details of frontier detective craft. The upbringing and background of the two adversaries are well described, including Boles’ pain and regret at abandoning his family years earlier. Here, Estleman has raised Black Bart perhaps to even greater stature than classic American bad guys like Billy the Kid and Jesse James. In any age, this short but exceedingly well written novel is exactly what a realistic historical crime story should be. Strongly recommended. Thomas J. Howley

THE FOURTEENTH LETTER

Claire Evans, Sphere, 2017, £7.99, pb, 440pp, 9780751566406

The story, set in London in 1881, begins in dramatic fashion with the brazen murder of Phoebe Stanbury. A naked stranger covered in mud gatecrashes her engagement party, cuts her throat in front of her guests and whispers to her fiancé, the son of a prominent industrialist, ‘I promised to save you’, before disappearing. Detective Inspector Harry Treadway investigates and so does a timid young solicitor’s clerk, William Lamb, after an encounter with a mysterious old man bearing secrets. This intricately plotted novel is full of twists and turns as a cast of colourful characters takes the stage, including a wealthy widowed vicomtesse in cahoots with her half-brother, the German Chancellor who is up to no good, and a gun-toting American woman, all of whom lead the tale down some sinister alleys, seemingly unconnected, until the various strands start to intertwine as one reads on. Victorian London, from opulent hotel to Whitechapel slum, is vividly evoked, the capital of a country wrestling with the ethical dilemmas posed by technological and scientific advances. Sarah Cuthbertson

PERCEPTION

Terri Fleming, Orion, 2017, £7.99, pb, 392pp, 9781409170624

Let’s face it: Elizabeth Bennet had all the luck. Not so poor, plain Mary, left languishing in Longbourn by Jane Austen, destined to play the piano (badly) forever. But wait—in this surprisingly deft novel, Mary is rewarded with her own book-loving soul mate, in a most satisfying way. Oh, and also a personal fortune! Terri Fleming is in complete command of her era, borrowed characters and settings, yet creates a fresh “sequel” with skill and panache. Mary is utterly credible, and we feel so guilty for dismissing her as a figure of fun in the original novel. She emerges as a sensitive bluestocking, acutely aware of her social shortcomings and doggedly determined to stay true to her own high values. All the usual social and cultural ingredients of a Jane Austen novel are here: the importance of money and inheritance, eligible young gentlemen, balls and parties, revealing letters, proposals, confusion of individual perceptions, and characters who reveal their moral compass through their words and actions. Fleming has constructed her dialogue to have be reminiscent of Jane Austen, but it also has a pace and freshness appealing to modern readers. She writes with warmth and humour. Kitty Bennet is also fleshed out in a clever way; her hoydenish excesses fade, and the two sisters end up recognising each other’s worth. Kitty has enough sense to avoid becoming a second Lydia, sets herself upon a course of personal improvement, and bags herself a title. The last few years have produced many entertaining Austenesque offshoots, involving vampires, zombies, murders and updated re-tellings. Perception is a quietly likeable addition to the canon. Don’t expect English Literature, but do enjoy a couple of hours of happy escapism back in the world of Longbourn and Meryton. Jan Middleton

FLIGHT OF THE HAWK: The River

W. Michael Gear, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 271pp, 9781432840679

The fur trade in 1812 Missouri takes center stage in this tale about hardscrabble business, ruthless politics, and the untrammeled majesty of nature. Mysterious John Tylor signs aboard a trading expedition helmed by Manuel Lisa, a well-known figure of the era. Andrew Jackson, William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame, and John Jacob Astor are other important figures who make appearances as Tylor flees from his past to battle nature, a mentally unstable pursuer, and destiny itself. From the first page, author Gear’s prose reflects confidence, skill, and solid research, making it easy to imagine and enjoy the difficult, desperate setting. The protagonist, Tylor, is revealed in dribs and drabs. A veritable baker’s dozen of other major characters— French, Spanish, Scottish, and Native

American—are introduced in bewildering succession. Because many of these characters come with little background, readers without at least a passing knowledge of the time period may find themselves struggling to get their bearings. Once they settle into the story’s rhythm, though, they will enjoy a plot-centric, high-stakes tale that moves as quickly as the swift-rushing Missouri River. Xina Marie Uhl

SNOW ANGELS

Elizabeth Gill, Quercus, 2017, £20.99, hb, 410pp, 9781786482198

It is 1890 in Tyneside, where shipbuilding is in full swing. The mighty liners are in competition to make the transatlantic crossing in luxury, and ever faster and safer. Shipbuilders and owners are important men whose status is displayed in lives of ostentatious luxury, and their frequently wayward sons and daughters. Young Gil Collingwood is different; he would be an impossible suitor for any wealthy young lady. Worse than lacking in social graces, he is incapable of making a friend of any other human being. He would be written off as moronic, but he is a genius who can create an ocean liner down to the last rivet simply by thinking of it. Gil’s designs are unequalled, and his ships are beautiful, but his personal life is a disaster. His powerful libido leads to a dual tragedy that makes him an outcast, and he descends into degradation. His salvation is brought about by his determined loyal friend Abby and by learning that he has a son, a resilient young fellow who even relishes the boarding school which was torment for Gil. This novel would surely make a successful television series with its grand, sweeping drama and a host of characters. The author is ruthless, and the death toll is high. In a book that offers so much, it seems greedy to wish there was more about the ships, especially the maiden voyage of Gil’s masterpiece, Northumbria. Nancy Henshaw

KITTY PECK AND THE DAUGHTER OF SORROW

Kate Griffin, Faber & Faber, 2017, £7.99, pb, 519pp, 9780571315208

Kitty Peck, ex-dancing girl and now proprietor of a vast criminal empire in Victorian London, is in trouble. Her grandmother, the terrifying Lady Ginger, has disappeared, bequeathing her wealth and her position as a Baron to her granddaughter. The other Barons—the lords of London’s criminal underworld—are determined to test Kitty in every way they can. Friends and employees are dying or disappearing; obscene graffiti of Kitty keeps appearing around the East End; smugglers who should be terrified of her are instead trying to con her; and her beloved music halls are crumbling. Worse than all is the guilt that Kitty carries with her for what she has already done to obtain her position as

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

“Lady Linnet”—and what she might be forced to do to keep it. This is the third of Kate Griffin’s Kitty Peck novels, although it stands up as a gripping and entertaining story in its own right. Kitty is an engaging protagonist: fierce, loyal, troubled and brave. Griffin’s depiction of the sordid side of Victorian London is seedily atmospheric, from the early scenes in an opium den and on the docks to the dramatic denouement in one of London’s great cemeteries. As fascinating as the twists and turns of the plot, though, is Kitty’s emotional journey as she works out what is and isn’t truly important to her—and how far she will go. This is a fast-paced, intelligent and enjoyable novel, an absolute pleasure to read. Highly recommended. Charlotte Wightwick

MADAM OF MY HEART

Gini Grossenbacher, JGKS Press, 2017, $18.99, pb, 467pp, 9780998380605

In 1849, pregnant Brianna Baird is sent to New Orleans to bear her bastard child. When the child dies, Brianna falls into the clutches of a notorious madam. Her needlework skills, plus the interest in her by a suave gambler, combine to keep her from actually working as a prostitute. Colorful New Orleans is a dangerous world, and Brianna’s kind heart gets her involved with a slave family whom she’s determined to free. So Brianna and her gambling man kite out to Gold Rush California, where Brianna becomes madam of the fanciest brothel in San Francisco. But times and morals are changing fast, even in San Francisco, and they are about to face their biggest challenge. Excellent research and evocative writing produce a vibrant book. Unfortunately, these very virtues throw the story’s main fault into high relief: the pacing. The book’s supposedly about Brianna running a brothel in San Francisco during the California Gold Rush—a fascinating idea that’s never covered. The “best madam in San Francisco” plot happens off stage, during a five-year gap after over 200 pages of Baltimore and New Orleans—and before the end sequences. I felt cheated of a unique story. India Edghill

THE TROUBLE WITH TRUE LOVE

Laura Lee Guhrke, Avon, 2018, $7.99/C$9.99, pb, 384pp, 9780062469878

The second in the Dear Lady Truelove series set in Victorian England turns to Clara Deverill, younger sister of the heroine in the first book (The Truth About Love and Dukes). While she is on her honeymoon, Irene entrusts her newspaper publishing business to Clara, but Clara, who is shy and lacking in selfconfidence, finds the task overwhelming. As if a bullying, sexist editor is not bad enough, she lacks the necessary experience to write the advice column her sister penned under the pseudonym Lady Truelove. Enter Rex, Viscount Galbraith, a rake with the experience she lacks, and when circumstances throw them 32

together, the relationship grows more than professional. Rex does not wish for marriage, nor can Clara trust a man with his reputation, but their powerful physical attraction sweeps aside common sense. Wider social concerns do intrude, most notably the challenges facing professional women in a sexist society and the burdens that self-centered parents place upon their children, but the focus remains firmly upon the two protagonists, the development of their relationship, and the transformation it brings about in their characters. Though they take an annoying amount of time to acknowledge their true feelings for each other, their reluctance is understandable and journey interesting. Recommended. Ray Thompson

MURDER IN JULY

Barbara Hambly, Severn House, 2017, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 256pp, 9780727887405

Barbara Hambly’s fourteenth Benjamin January mystery might be her best yet. Set in 1830s New Orleans and Paris, the story is rich in historical detail that flows almost unnoticeably into the storytelling. Well written and researched, Murder in July is a treat for historians and m y s t e r y enthusiasts alike. But I am getting ahead of myself. Here is a sketch of what happens in New Orleans in July, 1839. A British courier, Henry Brooke, is found dead—apparently shot and then dumped into a canal. January, a surgeon and musician who has a reputation for solving crimes, receives a request from the British consul to find Brooke’s killer. Concurrently, January’s sister, Olympe, pleads for his assistance in behalf of her friend, Jaquette, who has been charged with the murder. January cannot refuse. His first clue is that Brooke was shot with a “muff pistol,” a flintlock gun small enough to conceal in a lady’s muff. January has encountered muff pistols before, in 1830 during the July revolution in Paris. A friend, Aristide Carnot, was shot with such a pistol, his body dumped clandestinely onto a barricade. A woman was hanged for the murder, unjustly in January’s mind. As January revisits the events of 1830, the two murders begin to look a lot alike—another clue that leads to a tension filled climax. I look forward to every new Benjamin January book. The characters are forever colorful, the stories well-paced, and the history always offers new insight. And—I always come away with mixed feelings. One is pure pleasure in fine storytelling. The other is grief over the brutality of life for African Americans, something Ms.

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Hambly paints all too realistically. But there’s no question that the series deserves high praise, which I confidently pass on. Lucille Cormier

BEYOND SCANDAL AND DESIRE Lorraine Heath, Avon, 384pp, 9780062676009

2018,

$7.99,

pb,

Mick Trewlove, a wealthy, successful builder, has risen literally from the ash bins of 1871 London. He now has one goal in his sites: to be claimed as the illegitimate son of nobility. On his way there he plans to wreak ruination on the family that gave him to a “baby farmer.” Things go awry almost as soon as he meets the orphaned and sheltered Lady Aslyn Hastings, ward of the family he’s out to destroy. Because Aslyn is both kind and passionately drawn to him. Lorraine Heath maintains her beloved icon of historical romance status in this tale full of secrets, a darkly alluring hero and his effervescent, courageous lady. Drama, humor and adventure abound. The dark underside of Victorian life is depicted without flinching or papering over. Redemption and forgiveness save the day as, of course, love conquers all. Heath is an author to follow for the best of the romance genre. Highly recommended.

Eileen Charbonneau

MY INTERVIEW WITH BEETHOVEN

L. A. Hider Jones, CreateSpace, 2017, $17.99, pb, 380pp, 9781535201421

Young journalist George Thompson lives an unhappy life. His father despises his mother, and she is mentally shattered. In one of their ensuing arguments, George learns that his socalled father is not his real father. Is it Ludwig von Beethoven? His mother neither admits nor denies her son’s question but tells him to go to Vienna and interview the great musician. This becomes George’s obsession, and he travels to Vienna for an interview about which he plans to write an in-depth article or series of articles. What he finds there is an eye-opening, thrilling experience. The great musician was not always so beloved in his country. In fact, this novel portrays him as a creative genius bordering on madness. His descent into deafness is torturous, and his relationships with women are tumultuous as well. George’s love life parallels that of Beethoven. Politics also plays a huge part in almost destroying Beethoven’s rise to fame. My Interview with Beethoven is rife

with fact and fiction that creates a vivid, wild, beautiful and memorable historical novel. Viviane Crystal

MUSTARD SEED

Laila Ibrahim, Lake Union, 2017, $14.95, pb, 284pp, 9781542045568

The US Civil War is over, but in 1868 its aftereffects are still keenly felt. When Lisbeth Johnson is called back from Ohio to her family home in Virginia, she and her young children find the ways of the South hard to accept. Slavery has been abolished, but many freed slaves continue to work for their old masters, for nothing more than food and board. Others are commonly arrested on trumped-up charges and put to work in the fields with no rights of redress. At the same time, Lisbeth’s former nurse, Mattie, also travels back to Virginia with her idealistic daughter, Jordan, and her lawyer son, Sammy. Their mission is fraught with danger as they return to the place where Mattie lived in slavery and try to find the missing daughters of another slave, Sarah. While Mattie had escaped north, also to Ohio, Sarah still lives on the plantation once owned by Lisbeth’s family: a slave in all but name. The novel provides fascinating insight into the damage done to families at every level of society by the Civil War. Lisbeth has broken with her family and made a dangerous enemy of her brother. Sarah’s daughters have been sold to pay for the wedding of her owners’ daughter, and some of the most poignant moments of the novel concern the search for these lost girls. Faith in the face of adversity is a key theme, and the story has an inspirational feel to it. With strong female characters and dramatic incidents aplenty, this is a pageturning read. Kate Braithwaite

THE MAN UPON THE STAIR

Gary Inbinder, Pegasus Crime, 2018, $25.95/£20.99, hb, 252pp, 9781681776354

The third installment of Gary Inbinder’s Inspector Lefebvre series begins in Paris in 1890 with the execution the anarchist and terrorist, Moreau. Recently promoted to Chief Inspector, Achille Lefebvre has been warned by his predecessor that Moreau’s collaborators have sworn revenge. In addition to keeping one eye on his own back in an effort to foil any assassination attempts against him, Lefebvre has been personally asked by an acquaintance, the wife of one of France’s wealthiest barons, to investigate her husband’s sudden disappearance while he was vacationing in southeastern France. A case which might otherwise be standard becomes complicated by a series of unusual and dangerous occurrences from high-stakes gambling, to a poisoning, to Russian spies. This is a wonderfully atmospheric novel with “purplish cloud cover,” figures hiding in the shadows of doorways, gaslights, and the sound of cartwheels and horses’ hooves

on the cobblestone streets. Inbinder has created a convincing and intriguing mystery reminiscent of Parisian literature at the turn of the 20th century, when detective work was vastly different than it is today with the benefits of advanced technology. While it’s not necessary to have read the first two books in the series, this might be helpful to better understand the dynamics between the characters and to piece together some of their histories. However, Inbinder does a good job of illustrating many of the relationships and shares the necessary information for a firsttime reader to be able to grasp personalities and motives. Recommended for readers interested in fin-de-siècle Paris and fans of historical mysteries. Elicia Parkinson

TEMPEST

Beverly Jenkins, Avon, 2018, $7.99/C$9.99, pb, 384pp, 9780062389046

Regan Carmichael’s first meeting with her intended husband, Dr. Colton Lee, starts off with a bang—literally. After foiling a recent attack along her journey from Arizona, Regan shoots Colt by accident, mistaking him for another outlaw. Set in 1880s Wyoming, this engaging last volume in Jenkins’ AfricanAmerican Old West romance trilogy shows how their relationship ripens into deep, abiding love. This is a classic mail-order bride story with some original touches—for one, Regan is a wealthy heiress. Despite their awkward beginning, Regan and Colt soon come to appreciate each other’s qualities. Colt is a caring physician with a six-year-old daughter, Anna, whose spirit was crushed by an older relative; the unconventional Regan shows her stepdaughter how to have fun. Refreshingly, the novel avoids contrived misunderstandings between the couple. The historical background, full of details on smalltown life and dramas, showcases the West’s multicultural settlement, including the bigotry that Chinese miners faced. One subplot emphasizes the importance of education, a worthy subject. A skilled shot, rider, and cook, and gorgeous to boot, Regan seems a bit idealized, and I wondered why a woman of her financial status would risk marrying a stranger. Still, the story and its likeable characters kept me happily reading to the end. Sarah Johnson

A LADY IN SHADOWS

Lene Kaaberbøl (trans. Elisabeth Dyssegaard), Atria, 2017, $16, pb, 352pp, 9781476731421

On June 2, 1894, French president Marie François Sadi Carnot is assassinated by an Italian. In the streets of Varbourg, where Madeleine Karno resides, there are riots, killings and chaos. When one woman of the night is found murdered, with brutal incisions and no sign of a struggle, Madeleine is called to the scene to undertake an examination at the site and then to perform an autopsy. At her physician-father’s side, Madeleine has learned forensic pathology despite the

societal pressures against women becoming doctors. Yet Madeleine will not be deterred. On the heels of several other recent mysterious deaths, everyone wonders whether there is a Jack the Ripper roaming the streets of Varbourg. After she is given the title “Mademoiselle Death” in a local newspaper, Madeleine is determined to track down the killer even if it means investigating in the underbelly of Varbourg. This is the second in the Madeleine Karno series, and even though I haven’t read the first, I found no impediment in getting up to speed on the characters and the environment. The plot becomes more complex when Madeleine is accepted at the University as a physiology student and the number of characters multiplies. But what struck me was Madeleine’s absolute determination to be recognized as a medical professional and her willingness to work doubly hard to accomplish her goals. Kaaberbol’s mystery is thick with detail—about the times, medical procedures and mores. It is a satisfying read, although I do think that it was a bit long and could have used some editing. Ilysa Magnus

DARK DAWN OVER STEEP HOUSE

M. R. C. Kasasian, Pegasus, 2017, $25.95/£16.99, hb, 472pp, 9781681775647

This latest book in M. R. C. Kasasian’s Victorian mystery series again features Sidney Grice. As London’s foremost personal detective—his own estimate of his importance—Sidney Grice is inquiring into the death of one young woman and the savage attack on another. The attack is not just sexual but with much additional gratuitous violence. In his investigations, his goddaughter March Middleton, a young woman who struggles to impress him as she increasingly develops her own skills as a detective, assists him. However, much of her time and focus is taken up as she tries to cover or apologize for his rudeness to all he meets, clients included. Perhaps it is merely rudeness and insensitivity, or perhaps Sidney Grice suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. To describe him as curmudgeonly would be to understate his behavior. A gentleman, he is not. Perhaps his brusque and inconsiderate behavior is a means for the writer to be amusing or shocking or add spice to the dialogue. But, as Mr. Grice deals with an upper-class Victorian clientele, this seems particularly inappropriate. The book is set in 1884 London with its fashionable squares, seedy slums and busy dockland vividly described. The pacing is rapid, with short chapters containing plenty of movement and action. The plotting is complex, if somewhat contrived for shock value. The characters vary widely, from the two damaged women whose case opens the action, to the Prussian count and the Chinese man from Wales, to the police detective whose presence adds a softer note to some of the harsh realities portrayed. Some might view

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

this as a welcome addition to the genre. It is a change from the elegant manners of most Victorian mystery novels and evokes masculine grittiness instead of the more usual feminine nuance. Valerie Adolph

THE HUNGER

Alma Katsu, Putnam, 2018, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 384pp, 9780735212510 / Bantam, 2018, £12.99, hb, 384pp, 9780593078327

Most are familiar with the tragedy of the Donner-Reed Party, a group of pioneers who set out on the trail to the West in 1846, became snowbound in the Sierra Nevadas, and broke that most dreadful of taboos—they ate each other. The party faced a late start (they were the last group to leave Independence that year), bad advice, inadequate supplies, poor leadership, and a series of unfortunate events that ultimately led to their terrible plight. Katsu has added a supernatural twist: long before nature puts impediments in the settlers’ way, a sinister force stalks them. One of the group’s children disappears and is later found butchered, and other members of the party begin to change. As hardship multiplies, the settlers start to turn on one another. Relationships fray at the seams of class division, gender, and religion. Have their sins been given substance, something with a neverending hunger that seeks to prey on anything with flesh? Doubtless the historical persons would be horrified by how Katsu has characterized them here. Tamsen Donner is transformed into a beautiful seductress the other settlers believe to be a witch; James Reed hides a secret that could destroy his entire family, one used as impetus for his (true-life) murder of a teamster. Bachelor Charles Stanton likewise flees his past, which holds other taboos. Lewis Keseberg, often portrayed as the villain of the piece, gets a particularly original makeover. The isolation is anxiety-inducing and the tension is perfect: this novel is a model for how to construct the slow-build. Given the plotting, there is less gore than might be expected, but that makes this novel no less terrifying. Well-written and gripping with a strong conclusion, The Hunger is an inventive take on an already morbidly fascinating historical event. Recommended. Bethany Latham

THOREAU’S WOUND

Danny Kuhn, Knox Robinson, 2017, $17.99, pb, 295pp, 9781911261261

Laconic Irishman Finbar Laverty is the unlikely hero of this rollicking, picturesque novel set in Ireland, London and New England from the Tithe Wars of the 1830s to after the American Civil War. A mix of iconic figures, both historic and fictional, ranging from Jacob Marley just as he’s about to become Marley’s Ghost, to antecedents of Oscar Wilde and Walt Disney, to the titular Henry David Thoreau, join Finn for the journey. After Ireland’s troubles and family treachery, the teenaged Finn, his wife Maggie, and 34

their lame son flee to inherited land in New Hampshire. But Maggie longs for her Celtic religion and spirit-infused homeland and is eaten by her secrets. She disappears until evidence of her body is found. The mystery surrounding her death spur anti-Irish, KnowNothing sentiments that put Finn and his son in danger. They seek more tolerant pastures among the Transcendentalists in Concord, Massachusetts, who introduce them to Abolitionist activism and open a world of learning for young Colman. But old country family enmity continues to plague them until secrets are revealed and debts are paid. Written with verve and power, this wild ride of a novel clips along, guided by the deft hand of author Kuhn, who does for A Christmas Carol what Tom Stoppard did for Hamlet… a wild dance around and through history and literature. Enjoy! Eileen Charbonneau

THE LOST SEASON OF LOVE AND SNOW

Jennifer Laam, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2017, $15.99/$22.99, pb, 352pp, 9781250172815.

Jennifer Laam’s third novel tells the illstarred love story between Russia’s great poet, Alexander Pushkin, and his wife, Natalya. Told from Natalya’s point of view, the book explores the difficulties of being married to a writer—a poet, no less. Pushkin is older than his teenage bride, but she is immediately entranced by his passion and enthusiasm for life. In Natalya, Pushkin finds a beautiful, intelligent woman who can deal with his idiosyncrasies. Both display fervent jealousies; Natalya envies Pushkin’s power in this male-dominated world while Pushkin turns green if another man flirts with his wife at court. Books written entirely in first-person are challenging for this reader, and in the early sections, the usual flaws are apparent. We are stuck too much in the thoughts and feelings of the young Natalya. However, as the story progresses, this point of view is handled with more subtlety. One problem remains, however. Natalya is a nascent writer herself at a time when women were not encouraged to be anything other than a wife and mother. Not enough is made of her desire to write in the beginning of the book to justify her dissatisfaction later. Perhaps giving her a specific writing project at the beginning might have helped this aspect of her personality develop more meaningfully. That said, the book is satisfying and reveals a great deal about the great Pushkin and his notorious wife. Anne Clinard Barnhill

EDINBURGH TWILIGHT

Carole Lawrence, Thomas & Mercer, 2017, $15.95/£8.99, pb, 444pp, 9781477848814

This smart mystery series set in Scotland in 1881 introduces Detective Inspector Ian Hamilton as he investigates a string of murders committed by a killer that newspapers dub the “Holyrood Strangler.” Haunted by his parents’

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

deaths in a mysterious fire and his troubled relationship with his alcoholic brother, Donald, 27-year old Ian is moody by temperament and a loner by choice. At heart he is a poet, a writer with a keen eye for the truth, and so he fuels his energy into p u r s u i n g evildoers. Although the first murder is ruled a suicide, Ian harbors doubts. His suspicions are confirmed as it becomes clear the young fellow— found with a single playing card decorated with dancing skeletons tucked in his pocket—actually was strangled to death. When a second body is found with a similar card left nearby, Ian knows he has a serial killer on his hands with this, his first “proper case.” The author paints a deliciously sensuous portrait of late 19th-century Edinburgh in this darkly atmospheric story peopled with vivid, quirky characters, from Ian’s spirited Aunt Lillian (a loving light in his life) to the story’s unfortunate victims and the ruthless killer who is always lurking just out of sight. One of the book’s many pleasures is accompanying the perpetrator as his murders unfold, all leading to the final dramatic scene between the “Holyrood Strangler” and Ian, who is the ultimate prey. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this entertaining, beautifully written series. Highly recommended. Alana White

LAST STOP IN BROOKLYN

Lawrence H. Levy, Broadway, 2018, $15/C$20, pb, 309pp, 9780451498441

It’s summer 1894 in Brooklyn, and private detective Mary Handley is a busy woman. Not only has the brother of a convicted murderer asked her to reopen the case, a serial killer strikes in Coney Island, and an anarchist tries to blow up the multimillionaire Russell Sage. Before long, Mary discovers that these crimes— and many others—are linked, and it’s her job to uncover the truth and prevent further mayhem. The reader might expect that a novel featuring a female detective during the Gilded Age would at least re-create a vibrant, burgeoning New York, if not a compelling protagonist who battles prejudice for doing a “man’s job”—and a disreputable job, at that. Not here. Levy appears willing to describe a person’s face, posture, or the office where she works, but nothing outside a close-up, such as a street or neighborhood. Knotty problems resolve right on schedule, so there’s little struggle or tension. So much happens, and at such a breathless pace, that the characters never have time to emerge as more than stick figures, penned in a single trait. There are righteous, earnest free-thinkers untainted

by bigotry, and corrupt, greedy white supremacists. They both carry soapboxes. If that duality sounds surprisingly contemporary, the language, repartee, and indifference to certain social conventions recall the 1960s, whereas the characters’ attention spans suggest the computer age. Mary seldom spends more than a second or two to reflect or process anything, no matter how much blood or pain is involved, and little of it seems to mark her. As a result, Last Stop in Brooklyn has an inauthentic feel, whether as mystery or historical fiction. I doubt readers of either genre will be satisfied. Larry Zuckerman

THE SECRET OF VESALIUS

Jordi Llobregat (trans. Thomas Bunstead), Riverrun, 2017, £20, hb, 588pp, 9781784293055

Barcelona in 1888, in the run up to the World Fair which is to be held in that same city. Daniel Amat, just appointed to a teaching position at Magdalen College, Oxford, is summoned home to Barcelona to the funeral of his estranged father, a doctor. At the funeral he meets a local journalist, Bernat Fleixa, who tells him that Dr Amat was investigating a series of murders, and believes that Daniel’s father was killed to prevent his uncovering the murderer. Daniel is initially sceptical, and just wants to return to his agreeable life in Oxford, but he soon has little alternative but to accept that the truth is murkier than he first believed. A young medical student, Pau Gilbert, also gets involved in the investigations, and the trio uncover a dangerous set of secrets that in various ways imperils them all. Both Daniel and Pau also have mysteries in their respective backgrounds, which emerge and ramify the tale as the narrative unfolds. There is madness, selfishness cruelty and corruption, concluding in a bizarre grand guignol of Lovecraftian horror. There is a weird, Gothic feel to the novel, a sensation that the characters are in ethereal and disturbing times. It is an enjoyable, racy read, though it took a fair time for me to become fully engaged in the lengthy story, and there are a few unfeasible plot developments that demand the reader has to entirely suspend disbelief for the duration of this trip into the nether regions of human behaviour. Douglas Kemp

THE HEART OF AN AGENT

Tracey J. Lyons, Waterfall, 2017, $12.95, pb, 244pp, 9781542046671

Second in Lyons’ Adirondack Pinkerton series and set in 1892, the book begins with Lily Handland turning in her resignation as a Pinkerton agent. Her last assignment had her working undercover as a saloon girl in Heartston, New York. The deception is at odds with her faith-based life, and she’s ready to put down roots in the small town and invest her money in a business in which she can be proud. Banker Seamus Goodwin suggests the Murphy Great Camp. Owner Owen Murphy

has let it fall into disrepair since losing his young wife two years ago. This is a gentle, slight tale whose outcome is easily predicted. Of course, Owen and Lily fall in love, and of course Owen feels betrayed when he learns of Lily’s past, and of course their story ends happily. The story’s very sweetness works against it, however, as there’s no suspense in an inevitable ending, and consequently, little investment on the reader’s part. Lyons has a light touch with the inspirational aspect. Owen and Lily’s faith and that of their friends are woven into the story without being the main thrust of it. Ellen Keith

ON THE HOUSE

H. P. Maskew, Unbound, 2017, £10.99, pb, 304pp, 978191156098

A tragic incident in the author’s family history triggered this accomplished first novel. Edgar Lawes and Ambrose Hudson, two professional men initially unknown to each other, become determined to expose the corruption and dereliction of proper managerial duty that resulted in the extreme cruelty and abuse prevalent in a particular 19th-century workhouse. This process eventually results in a close friendship between the two men. The wretched inmates of the Seddon workhouse are vividly presented to the reader as well-rounded characters with contrasting histories of hardship, ill health and the other misfortunes from which, once virtually interned in the workhouse, there is little prospect of recovery. When a critical situation in “the house” escalates into a suicide, followed by a particularly gruesome murder, the full ramifications of what has been, for far too long, the status quo is fully exposed. The novel maintains an interesting pace, involving a measured and well managed tension. There is, however, a marked similarity between the temperaments of Lawes and Hudson, which raises the question of unexplored possibilities if, for instance, one or the other of them had been a woman. The section at the conclusion, the “postscript,” is perhaps a touch too detailed in its resolution of everyone’s situation: the “happily ever after” tone is at odds with the solemn delicacy of the preceding 288 pages. I would recommend this novel to anyone who appreciates good prose, well-used but not intrusive research, and the confident evocation of a particular time and place in our history. Julia Stoneham

THE MISSING BARONET

Ken Methold, Regency Matters, 2017, $12.95/£9.86, pb, 358pp, 9781521217870

Sarah Kedron is feisty and independent, a woman ahead of her time, a successful playwright who turns her talents to detective work. When Sir Charles Browning goes missing, his young wife, Celia, is distraught. Sarah sets about unravelling the mystery of

his disappearance. Her adventures alongside the attractive James Brewster, barrister-inwaiting and editor of her father’s publication The Weekly Police News, bring them on carriage rides to grand houses and a village rectory, and in London the trail leads through elegant streets, the Vauxhall Gardens and seedy gambling clubs. All the while their growing attraction for each other is tested with a series of misunderstandings. Set in Regency times against ongoing debates about the slave trade and the intrigue of a local parliamentary election, this is a well-crafted, lively read with an ending that is both dramatic and exciting. The characters throughout are realistic and emphatic, and there is a strong sense of era: imagine dandy Beau Brummell actually charging people to watch him dress! Author Ken Methold writes for stage, screen and radio. This is his first novel and the first in a trilogy that will feature Sarah Kedron. Enjoyable as the story is, it would be better served with sharper editing and more professional formatting. Patricia O’Reilly

RAWHIDE ROBINSON RIDES A DROMEDARY

Rod Miller, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 289pp, 9781432837297

Seasoned cowhand Rawhide Robinson is the quintessential American cowboy if ever there was one. And he would be the first to tell you so in long, rambling, outlandish, and untrue—but entertaining—ways. In the latest installment of his humorous adventures by the Spur Award-winning author, he signs on to accompany US Army personnel to the Middle East to obtain what he thinks are horses to bring back to America. Rawhide is not terribly intelligent (though he can spin a mean alliteration when necessary), so he doesn’t figure out what kind of “horses” he is contracted to get until he’s in the middle of the ocean without a means of getting back home. Hilarity ensues. Young adults who enjoy tall tales, an iconic, if ridiculous, main character, and fun adventures will devour this quick, lighthearted read. They may even learn a thing or two despite themselves, since author Miller is a deft hand with research, Old West sensibilities, and small but interesting details such as the proper nautical terms for ropes. Xina Marie Uhl

ANGELS OF NORTH COUNTY

T. Owen O’Connor, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 284pp, 9781432837617

When the Civil War ends, some veterans, called “Angels” by the author, settle in North County in the Northwest to raise horses. White Lion and his Indian renegades attack the Criss-Cross Ranch, steal the horses, kill rancher Gabriel McCallum’s brothers, and kidnap his two young sisters. The local ranchers gather together and ride south

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

through predominantly Indian territory to rescue the girls and kill the renegades. This novel is book one of the North County trilogy. The story revolves among the points of view of three main characters: Raif Hanson, who has become a reckless killer, and ranchers Gabriel McCallum and John Michael Walker. The author includes backstory about Gabriel and Walker from when they served in the Civil War, while other chapters devoted to the main events and characters help provide a deeper understanding of their personalities. I also found it helpful to have a list of the main and supporting characters. I look forward to reading the next book, because I like the author’s style and his interesting way of developing the characters as he keeps the story moving forward. Jeff Westerhoff

WINTER SISTERS

Robin Oliveira, Viking, 2018, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 416pp, 9780399564253

In Robin Oliveira’s follow-up to My Name is Mary Sutter, it is fourteen years after the Civil War, and Albany, New York, is besieged by a massive blizzard. Two young girls, Emma and Claire O’Donnell, wait at their school as they watch other kids being picked up by their parents. What they don’t know is that their parents have become two victims of the blizzard. When no one shows, the sisters start for home. When the girls go missing, Mary Sutter— friend of the O’Donnell family—and her husband, William, begin a frantic search for the girls. They search everywhere, but after six weeks, the police declare the girls dead and encourage Mary to do the same. But nothing stays hidden by snow forever. When the snows melt and the river thaws, a flood rages through Albany, and after treating the injured, Mary and William return home and discover what happened to the girls. What follows is a horrific tale that concludes in a trial that strains the city of Albany and budding relationships and loves. Winter Sisters is a critical look at the historical roles and values of women in the late 19th century. While the who-did-it aspect of the book is fairly easy to flesh out, the real charm of Winter Sisters is story of family, love, and perseverance, and the commentary on how women were and still are treated in society. Readers may find the first portions of the book a tad slow, but as the story wends its way to the trial, the pace picks up and tensions rise. Populated with strong female characters and an oft-lyrical prose, this is a definite must read. Bryan Dumas

SAVAGE COUNTRY

Robert Olmstead, Algonquin, 2017, $26.95, hb, 304pp, 9781616204129.

It’s 1873, and the vast American West is a place of wondrous untamed natural beauty and unrestrained violence. Elizabeth Coughlin, a lovely widow in Kansas left with an enormous ranch and a mortgage to match, must find the means to pay off the cheating 36

banker Whitechurch and save her home. Her enigmatic brother-in-law, Michael, upon receiving the news of his brother’s death, arrives to assist by paying off the debt, thus earning Whitechurch’s ire. To repay him, Elizabeth decides to undertake an ambitious plan: to carry out her dead husband’s scheme for a huge buffalo hunt. The hunt will take them from Kansas south across the “deadline” into Indian Territory, and if successful, will not only enable Elizabeth to settle the debt owed, but will also in effect nearly exterminate the buffalo on the plains. The Coughlins’ efforts to gather and unify a diverse crew, obtain the supplies for the journey and camp, then locate and slaughter hundreds of huge a n i m a l s , butchering, skinning, and drying the hides, w h i l e experiencing v i o l e n t encounters with marauding Indians, thieves, and former slaves, and contending with disease and nature, are totally absorbing in their details, and the reader is thrust into the action. Olmstead has written his dark tale vividly in stark, unflinching prose, describing with often disturbing accuracy a time when life was cheap and easily taken and immense herds of animals roamed freely across a gorgeously wild landscape. At its heart, it is a grim story of greed and brutality and courage, involving colorful characters with all their loyalties and desires and secrets and shame, and imbued with a pervading sense of adventure and ever-present danger. I found this a powerful, thought-provoking, and realistic depiction of the true Old West. Michael I. Shoop

THE ARTIST’S MUSE

Kerry Postle, HQ, 2017, $0.99/£2.99, ebook, 178pp, 9780008254391

Vienna, 1907. At age twelve, the fatherless Wally Neuzil finds herself in Vienna with her frail mother and two sisters. She is led to the studio of famed artist Gustav Klimt, and there she is trained to become his model and soon his mistress. Her experiences there shape the way she views men and the world, and although she is featured in Klimt’s paintings, which are the rage of Vienna, she realizes that she has fallen from grace, no more esteemed than a prostitute. Klimt tires of her and seeks other girls to pet and to paint. And Wally discovers love with the young painter, Egon Schiele, who gains notoriety with scandalous paintings that border on the obscene. Despite her revulsion at other’s responses to her own degradation, she continues in an obsessive relationship with the young, brilliant Egon. By his side, she journeys

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

through the netherworld of artists and their patrons, learning with Egon that in order to sell your vision, you need to sell part of your soul. Writing in first-person, deep point of view, Kerry Postle takes us into the consciousness of young Wally, and there we experience the Vienna of the golden years before World War I, when the Emperor reigned. We see the Vienna when the arts had patrons, and women were objects of grace and lust, to be used as an artist’s model, then cast away like a piece of clay. We see it expressed in Wally’s sentiments: “Because now I can no longer bear to see myself in his pictures. Because I can no longer see the love there. Yet to desperately keep giving of myself, that’s all that I can do.” Entrapped by her family’s economic circumstances, now she has found herself in the lowest rung. Perhaps the oncoming war will sever Wally’s ties with the debauched society which grinds women into pulp in the service of art. A powerful novel I will long remember. Gini Grossenbacher

THE SILENT COMPANIONS

Laura Purcell, Raven Books, 2017, £12.99, hb, 364pp, 9781408888094 / Viking, 2018, $16, pb, 320pp, 9780143131632

Ghost stories are having a revival at present, and Laura Purcell’s The Silent Companions, set in the 19th century, is a worthy newcomer to the genre. When newly widowed Elsie Bainbridge is sent to the family’s country estate to escape scandal in London, she discovers in the garret the silent companions of the title, wooden boards depicting lifelike images of the house’s past residents. These silent companions, which were in fact fashionable in the 17th century, are one of the creepiest concepts I’ve come across in a ghost story, both frightening and original. Terror is amped up as the companions apparate around the house, and the story is interspersed with a diary written by Anne Bainbridge, the purchaser of the companions two hundred years earlier. The Silent Companions has been compared to Susan Hill’s ghost stories and to Sarah Waters’ The Little Stranger. As an aficionado of both, I would suggest that The Silent Companions is a little too gory in parts to match the elegance of those masters of the genre, and the plotting isn’t as tight. Loose ends are introduced and not resolved, and ideas are suggested for no reason other than to be chilling. For example, Elsie thinks that the first companion resembles Elsie herself; there is no logical reason for this as she is a Bainbridge by marriage. The suggestion is soon forgotten, although we do discover superficial similarities between Elsie and that character. I found the endingalittledisappointing. LikeHilaryMantel’s characters in Wolf Hall, Purcell’s characters sound very modern and not of their time, which doesn’t bother me but may upset readers who prefer historical accuracy. However, the writing is strong and the concept provides a fresh twist on an old classic. I enjoyed The Silent Companions and look forward to reading what Purcell writes next. Laura Shepperson

MURDER IN BLOOMSBURY

D. M. Quincy, Crooked Lane, 2017, $26.99, hb, 304pp, 9781683314653

Based on a notorious Scottish scandal, re-set in Regency London, this mystery has Atlas Catesby, gentleman and aficionado of custom-made puzzles, investigating the suspicious death of a handsome, socialclimbing footman. Assisted by the lovely, clever and very rich Lady Roslyn, Catesby uncovers a web of illicit arsenic deals and amorous liaisons between the departed footman and repressed upper-class young ladies. (Arsenic, one learns here, was everywhere in the 1800s. It made lovely green dyes for everything from candles to curtains and was thought to improve female complexions and dramatically increase male potency.) Catesby’s investigation proceeds at the stately pace of at-homes, teas, and lush garden parties, and then gathers speed as he unpacks the mystery and, in the process, takes charge of his own destiny. While some elements of the backstory of Catesby and Lady Roslyn will be opaque to new readers, Murder in Bloomsbury, offers a richly worked vision of upper-class London in which even women of great wealth struggled against oppressive social restraints. Pamela Schoenewaldt

A TREACHEROUS CURSE

Deanna Raybourn, Berkley, 2018, $26, hb, 320pp, 9780451476173

Honestly, if Raybourn published a new Speedwell book every week, I would find time in my crazy schedule to read it! This series is delightful, while b e i n g informative and honest about the times and the people who inhabited them. In 1888 L o n d o n , Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is still collecting butterflies and sharing space with her enigma of a non-quite romantic friend, Stoker. When Stoker’s former expedition partner vanishes from an Egyptian archaeological site with a priceless artifact— purportedly removed from a newly-discovered Egyptian princess’s tomb—Speedwell just can’t help herself from diving in full throttle to try to solve the mystery. That she is doubly involved because Stoker’s name is being tarnished (again) makes this investigation all the more delightful and complex. But trouble abounds everywhere, from Stoker’s ex-wife to her family to malevolent fiends of all kinds, including appearances by Anubis, who seems to be stalking the London streets. Speedwell is my heroine. She is smart, funny, snide, and an anomaly in her own time: she just won’t tolerate societal restraints.

Stoker (I would really like to meet this guy) is equally smart, snide and accomplished. The chemistry between them is undeniable. The characters are all—well—characters! Well plotted, fast-paced and utterly engaging. If you have time to read just one of this series, do it! Most highly recommended. Ilysa Magnus

THREADS OF SILK

Amanda Roberts, Red Empress, 2017, $12.99, pb, 398pp, 9780997772937

Yaqian’s life in the province of Hunan changes dramatically after her family forces her to bind her feet in the ancient Chinese tradition. Unable to work with silkworms any more, she learns to embroider silk and is hired out to the community of embroiderers headed by Lady Tang. There she becomes so skilled that she invents the “double-sided” embroidery style. Through a deliberate single action, Yaqian’s work catches the attention of the Emperor, and she is ordered to report to the Imperial Palace. The remainder of the novel concerns her honing her embroidery skills, becoming a lover of the Emperor’s brother, earning through loyalty and devotion the confidence of the Empress Cixi, and moving through the ever-changing tumult of the Chinese court as European and rebellious Chinese powers vie for control. The story is exquisitely depicted, obviously well-researched, and mesmerizing. Scenes of alternating horrific and tender dialogue and action propel the reader through every page. This author does a superb job at presenting an almost magical existence evolving into the reality of the gradual demise of Chinese royalty. Stunning historical fiction! Viviane Crystal

THE NIGHT LANGUAGE

David Rocklin, Rare Bird, 2017, $15.95, pb, 336pp, 9781945572487

The British expedition to Abyssinia in 1868 is swift, bloody, and expensive. After the death of the Abyssinian king, the Army takes his young son, Prince Alamayou, to Britain, where Queen Victoria meets and expresses an interest in the boy. Rocklin has plucked a thread from British history and spun it into a lush and intricate novel. Prince Alamayou, a frightened teenager who speaks no English, arrives at the court at Windsor accompanied by Philip Layard, the only other man of color on the ship, who is presumed to understand him. Queen Victoria, 49, still in mourning for her beloved Prince Albert, dead seven years, empathizes with the recently orphaned boy. When Alamayou is unable to sleep at night, she allows him to sit with her, sharing her grief in silence. Members of the royal household and dignitaries like the Princess Louise and artist Edward Corbould are courteous to Alamayou. But, even without a common language, two young men unaccustomed to life at court have more in common than either does with the Queen. Phillip is kind,

and Alamayou falls in love. When the Queen insists on hearing his story, using a translator, Alamayou tells her everything, including his love for Philip. Homosexuality is illegal in Britain. If Parliament sends Alamayou back to Abyssinia for trial, the prince will die. His life is in the hands of Queen Victoria. Or is it? Using alternating time periods, Rocklin draws a sharp contrast between the naïve young prince in 1868 and the mature artist who, in 1900, unravels the mystery of Alamayou’s fate. This is a beautifully written and touching love story of interest to all adult readers, particularly (but not exclusively) those interested in minority rights and British history. Jeanne Greene

SIX DAYS IN SEPTEMBER

Alexander B. Rossino, Savas Beatie, 2017, $18.95, pb, 312pp, 9781611213454

The novel traces the actions of General Robert E. Lee and lesser players in the Army of Northern Virginia during the crucial week leading up to and including the Battle of Antietam in September 1862. Readers see the movements and fighting through the eyes of Lee and his subordinates James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson, as well as the courier, Captain Franklin Turner, and three privates in the 6th Alabama Infantry. The story follows the style used by Michael Shaara in his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. The campaign is desperate, with possible disaster looming around every corner for the badly outnumbered Confederates as Lee risks everything to try for a victory that could end the war. Rossino’s pacing is good, rotating between the Confederate command and Turner and the enlisted men during the days of movement and then battle. The point of view even within individual scenes, however, wavers on occasion. In addition, stylistic problems detract from the novel’s readability. For example, description of individuals and their mannerisms and actions is overdone, bogging the story down in unnecessary details. A large and varied array of dialog tags can prove annoying to many readers. Because Turner and others are couriers, their reports to Lee and the various field commanders often repeat information the reader has already read. The battle scenes, however, are strong and well crafted, conveying well the confusion, terror, and fatigue of men engaged in heavy fighting for sustained periods of time. Rossino’s portrayal of the shoeless, nearstarving condition of the Confederate army before and after the battle is also well done. The book is a good choice for lovers of Civil War history. Loyd Uglow

A MORTAL LIKENESS

Laura Joh Rowland, Crooked Lane, 2018, $26.99, hb, 304pp, 9781683314479

1889, London: Sarah Bain, a photographer turned private detective, and Lord Hugh

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

Staunton, her business partner, accept what they expect to be a run-of-the-mill assignment, seeking evidence of marital infidelity. Trailing their suspects to the Crystal Palace, they find the evidence they seek among the lifesize dinosaur models that dot the grounds. However, Sarah finds something else as she develops her photographs—a mysterious figure which could be her father, missing for the past twenty-four years. When the original suspects are murdered, possibly involved in a high-profile kidnapping case, Sarah’s rekindled search for her father grows vastly more complicated. Sir Gerald Mariner hires Sarah and Hugh to investigate the abduction of his child. The perpetrator could be a member of Sir Gerald’s own household, and the ensuing investigation endangers Sarah and Hugh in many different fashions. Sarah Bain is a complex and interesting sleuth. A number of her views and reactions seemed very modern for the time period to me, but the late 19th century was an era of rapid change. This series and its heroine reflect that, and Sarah’s many inner conflicts mirror the complex plot. Despite the satisfactory resolution of this inquiry, numerous threads of the ongoing larger story arc remain unresolved to add texture to future mysteries in this series. Susan McDuffie

ESCAPE TO FORT ABERCROMBIE

Thomas J. Howley

Candace Simar, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 280pp, 9781432838188

Young Ryker Landstad lives on a small farm in Minnesota. Attacked by the Sioux, his mother and his little sister are kidnapped while his father is fatally wounded. Fourteen-yearold Ryker and his younger twin brothers decide there is danger in staying at the farm, which has been set afire, and begin the ten-mile trek to Fort Abercrombie. To avoid the Indians, they must walk through tall grass and set out for Whisky Creek, which tends to lead them farther from the fort. Ryker promises the twins he will rescue their mother and sister. Arriving at Fort Abercrombie, they find it besieged by Sioux warriors. This is a fast-paced novel set on the isolated Minnesota frontier. The interaction between the boys, as they face difficult odds while questioning the decisions made by young Ryker, adds depth to the story. An excellent coming-of-age tale of youngsters facing insurmountable odds on the frontier. The dangers they face are described in detail, which keeps the reader from putting the book down. Jeff Westerhoff

LIES THAT COMFORT AND BETRAY

Rosemary Simpson, Kensington, 2018, $26.00/ C$28.95, hb, 391pp, 9781496709110

It’s 1888 in New York City, and young working-class girls are being butchered in a 38

hideous manner reminiscent of London’s Jack the Ripper. The city’s Irish cops and detectives are incompetent and worse. The novel features the obligatory feisty “independent woman,” Prudence MacKenzie, as a private detective along with her male sidekick, a former Pinkerton agent. These two circumvent the bumbling police to conduct their own sleuthing. There is a plethora of depravity, torture, sacrilege, abortion and grisly murder throughout. There is also a lengthy and improbably chatty covert mobile surveillance of a suspect by the intrepid Prudence. The wrong men are seized and imprisoned under horrible conditions. Working their way through the city’s underworld and partnering with some unsavory and pathetic allies, the two investigators eventually close in on the real killer. The book seems longer and more convoluted than is perhaps necessary. The one Italian character is a Mafiosi, the sole black character is saintly, and the numerous Irish are all deranged, corrupt, or plain stupid, their faith a mockery. The two WASP protagonists are, however, wise and virtuous. With “Hail Marys” and “Glory Be’s,” the author has a good grasp of the lingo, but there is nothing uplifting associated with the liturgical rites sprinkled throughout. Quite the contrary. There is perhaps an audience among readers who find dark, graphic crime novels appealing. I just found this one morose and clichéd.

LIAR’S WINTER

Cindy K. Sproles, Kregel, 2017, $14.99, pb, 242pp, 9780825444531

Sproles’s newest inspirational novel is set in 19th-century Appalachia. Nestled among the hills and valleys, a story of good versus evil takes place, beginning with the abduction of an infant, Lochiel Ogle. Told in first person from Lochiel’s point of view, a tale that pits pure meanness and violence against compassion and love plays out when Lochiel’s brother, Gerald, steals her from her mother’s arms. Throughout childhood, Gerald torments Lochiel, calling her the Devil’s Daughter because she has a large port wine birth mark across her cheek. Among the uneducated and superstitious people of the mountains, this mark is enough to ban her from society. As Lochiel slowly learns to love and accept herself, we see her emerge from her cocoon into a lovely nineteen-year-old woman. But the journey isn’t easy and, thankfully, Lochiel runs into a family of folks who live their faith, accepting the stranger and offering love. The message is clear and the characters believable. The major flaw in that the reader is given the same information many, many times, which causes the first portion of the book to slow down. First-person is a difficult viewpoint to pull off successfully, and one of the pitfalls is to reveal the character’s thoughts too often. But other than that, the book captures the flavor and feel of mountain people with accuracy and understanding.

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Anne Clinard Barnhill

THE SECRET BOOKS

Marcel Theroux, Faber & Faber, 2017, £12.99, hb, 367pp, 9780571281947

This sweeping historical tale is inspired by real events and characters. Nicolas runs away from a dull life in Crimea as the son of a shopkeeper and his father’s plan for him to attend medical school. His own dream is to be a writer and, swept into a world of travel, adventure and revolution, he journeys throughout Europe and the East finally settling in Paris, where he writes books and reports for the papers in Russia before being recruited as a spy. Renouncing his Jewish heritage, he grapples with his conscience until he discovers a lost gospel: the secret books of the title, which present a radically different version of the life of Christ. Marcel Theroux’s technique is to present a number of narrative framing devices. The author begins by talking about his own search for a story, and through layers of different people, we are gradually introduced to the story of Nicolas. Theroux occasionally inserts himself into the story again: addressing the reader or explaining his choices. He also adds a number of anachronisms, possibly as an attempt to catch out eagle-eyed readers. I found these literary mechanisms somewhat jarring and felt they detracted from what was otherwise a very interesting and engrossing tale. The story takes place for the most part in the second half of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th, and deals with the rise of revolutionary ideals, growing antiSemitism and the suspicion and consequent conservatism which followed. As such it presents some eerie parallels with our own time. This book will appeal to readers of M. J. Carter’s Blake and Avery mysteries and fans of experimental historical fiction. Lisa Redmond

THE ISLAND: A Grand and Batchelor Victorian Mystery

M. J. Trow, Severn House, 2017, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 216pp, 9781780291024

The post-Civil War adventures continue for London-based enquiry agents Matthew Grand and James Batchelor. It’s 1873, and Matthew’s sister Martha is marrying a blueblood at one of the family estates, this one on the coast of Maine. After Matthew has to stand in for the missing best man, things turn from bad to worse when both a lady’s maid and Matthew’s uncle have their heads bashed in. The remoteness of the area means the Boston cops (the closest to be found) arrive after Grand and Batchelor have already begun the investigation. Our heroes’ suspects include a famous newspaper reporter chasing a story with connections to Tammany Hall; Mark Twain (a distant relative of the Grands); and the black sheep of the family, who unexpectedly returns after 14 years on a whaling ship. The kindly nanny, the formidable butler, and a former flame of Matthew’s (who

is now attracted to James) complete the cast of quirky family and friends. Trow clearly has fun peopling his mysteries with such folks, and the dialogue is a delight. The skeletons falling out of the closets provide a plethora of red herrings before the mystery is solved. Nevertheless, the sleuthing falls far short in this offering, as if Grand and Batchelor were sleep-walking through the adventure. Tom Vallar

THE ENGLISH WIFE

Lauren Willig, St. Martin’s, 2018, $26.99/ C$37.99, hb, 364pp, 9781250056276

Willig’s clever romantic mystery opens with the death of Bayard Van Duyvil, a handsome American aristocrat, and the disappearance of his lovely English wife, Annabelle. ‘Bay’ was stabbed with a jeweled dagger—that much is indisputable—but by whom? And why? And where is Annabelle? Alternating between 1894 and 1899, the novel uncovers the families’ secrets and exposes generations of scandalous behavior, before culminating in a shocking denouement. London, 1894: Georgie, an actress, falls for a man she’s sure will break her heart. But Bay Van Duyvil is not a cad. He’s a charming, considerate man. Their bittersweet love story unfolds in sharp contrast to life after Bay’s demise. New York, 1899: According to his sister Janie (who thinks she knew him best), Bay would never commit suicide. Normally self-effacing, Janie becomes a seeker after the truth, even when it turns shocking. Joining forces with Burke, an investigative newspaperman, inspires the young woman to put self-doubts aside and think logically— until she falls in love. Janie’s love story is not as touching as her brother’s, nor will it end as badly. The English Wife is a mystery with a large and occasionally confusing cast. Outsiders like Janie’s partner in crime-solving are more original and sometimes more interesting than Bay’s unpleasant family. Watch out for red herrings. Willig is too clever to give her villains away early but, given her skillful plotting and smooth writing, you will enjoy reading until the end. Jeanne Greene

HEART ON THE LINE

Karen Witemeyer, Bethany House, 2017, $15.99, 328pp, 9780764212826

Amos Bledsoe is an atypical Western hero, more likely to ride to the rescue on a bicycle than a white horse, but it’s precisely the disarming, unaffected charm of this telegraph operator that makes him the endearing star of this new tale from Karen Witemeyer. Return to old friends in Harper’s Station where shy, Grace Mallory, has struck up a cautious, if anonymous, friendship with Amos over the wires. But the potential romance is put on hold when Grace, in hiding from those responsible for her father’s death, learns her whereabouts have been discovered. Now, all that matters

is keeping one step ahead of danger, even as Amos arrives unbidden, determined to help. Secondary characters provide suspense and fodder for future books, while the contemporary theme of online dating, here replicated in a historical setting using the telegraph, provides situational humor. Christian themes keep the novel firmly grounded in the genre. Witemeyer concludes the series with “The Love Knot,” a novella in the anthology, Hearts Entwined (along with historical romance authors Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings and Melissa Jagears), released in January 2018. Lauren Miller

20TH CENTURY

ISLAND OF SWEET PIES AND SOLDIERS

Sara Ackerman, MIRA, 2018, $15.99/C$19.99, pb, 384pp, 9780778319214

There’s an intriguing mystery from the outset in Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers: readers know that young Ella knows something about her father’s disappearance two years earlier. The action, set in 1944 Hawaii, moves quickly between chapters from Ella’s point of view and chapters from that of her mother, Violet, who is still dealing with her own grief and confusion over her husband’s disappearance. Violet is also working and nurturing Ella, who has stopped eating enough and playing. Violet and her friends set up a pie stand to earn cash; their Japanese friends are imperiled by the authorities’ suspicions of them; a group of Marines show up with a lion—a real lion—as a mascot, and those three threads move everything forward towards the book’s conclusion. Author Ackerman, who was born and raised in Hawaii and lives there now, does a nice job of showing what the war looked like from the islands, and how tricky negotiating friendships in a time of war can be. This is her first published book. I enjoyed the relationships playing out between the women: Violet, her roommate, Jean, and their friend Setsuko. The three help one another with moral support and childcare and wisdom. I least enjoyed the lion, although he was a very nice lion. Too nice, perhaps. I was aware of having to maintain my suspension of disbelief, which put me in a more critical place than just being able to enjoy the story. Kristen Hannum

AT LONG LAST LOVE

Milly Adams, Arrow, 2017, £5.99, pb, 448pp, 9781784756901

This is the story of two sisters, Sarah and Kate Watson, with the latter always being the wild one. In London during World War Two she has been The Blue Cockatoo’s most popular entertainer, singing and dancing the nights away and hiding the shrapnel scars that torment her. Now the Blitz has mercifully ended and she won’t be irreplaceable. She can’t refuse her sister’s abrupt request to

return home to their Dorset village and take care of eight-year-old Lizzy while Sarah departs on training for her own war work. Kate and lively Lizzy instantly bond, while the new vicar remarkably partners Kate in a sultry tango at the Christmas concert. Lizzy receives regular letters from her mum, loving and cheerful, unaware that they are prewritten for regular despatch. Sarah is a fluent speaker of French, and in Nazi-occupied France, she is Cecile, living with constant fear; one mistake could deliver her up to the Gestapo. The War years, particularly 1941 to 1944 were extraordinary. This novel has the benefit of impressive research and catches the almost (retrospective) crazy certainty of a victorious outcome. The sisters are well defined as two of the millions who found their duties to be the last they would have chosen. But Kate has a loving heart and Sarah determination, and both were brave. Nancy Henshaw

THE TASTER (US) / HER HIDDEN LIFE (UK)

V. S. Alexander, Kensington, 2018, $15.95/ C$17.95, pb, 315pp, 9781496712271 / Avon, 2018, £7.99, pb, 400pp, 9780008262853

Germany, 1943. When fiery destruction is predicted for Berlin, 25-yearold Magda Ritter is sent to live with relatives in Berchtesgaden. Unable to find work, she is chided by her aunt. “Every citizen must be productive. You should be ashamed and so should your parents for raising such a worthless girl.” She warily accepts her only job offer: an undisclosed position with the Party. I wasn’t a fortune-teller, but I wondered how dire my circumstances might become as a worker in the Reich. Her intuition serves her well, for her job is to taste food at The Berghof, Hitler’s sumptuous “mountain court,” where the cook explains, “Your body is offered in sacrifice to the Reich in case the food is poisoned.” When Hitler’s trusted officer, Captain Karl Weber, befriends Magda, she knows she must rely on that intuition, because everything she sees and hears now begins to carry treacherous double meanings as Weber’s attentions threaten to lead her into love—and into the Resistance. Alexander’s well-researched fictional account of Hitler’s final days is made intimate by his brilliant choice of a food taster as the first-person narrator. Necessarily a trusted employee, Magda is able to toss off insightful descriptions of Eva Braun and the Führer and provide glimpses of the inner workings of the

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

Party from the point of view of a servant who must risk her own life to protect that of a man she detests. A lesser storyteller might have allowed such a conflicted narrator to weep and wail, but Alexander’s Magda looks into the maw of the Reich and reports atrocities without flinching, depicting her own suffering and heroism without hyperbole. Magda allows the reader to examine her own heinous acts, asking only that “you will not judge me as harshly as I have judged myself.” Highly recommended. Rebecca Kightlinger

DEATH OF AN UNSUNG HERO

Tessa Arlen, Minotaur, 2018, $25.99/C$36.99, hb, 320pp, 9781250101440

This newest addition to the Lady Montfort mystery series is set in 1916 during the darkest days of WWI. The Montfort family has allowed their late mother’s house in southern England to be used as a hospital for officers suffering from what was then called “shell shock,” now known as PTSD, a condition then not well understood and assumed to be a sign of cowardice. Within the hospital, Lady Clementine Montfort and her one-time housekeeper Mrs. Jackson, who is now quartermaster of the hospital, investigate the murder of one of their patients, Captain Bray. The dead man is indeed a hero, not only in battle but in rescuing his injured comrades afterwards. Emotionally and mentally it has cost him dearly, and he is slowly and painfully recovering his memory. The motivation to find his killer is very strong. Mrs. Jackson and Lady Montfort’s family are determined to learn the truth despite the bungling of the unsavory Inspector Savory of the local police. The author introduces us to a world of highly entertaining characters, from the irascible neighbor Sir Winchell Meacham to the flirtatious volunteer nurses to the sensitively portrayed patients struggling to recover from their devastating battle experiences. We are shown the disrupted world of wartime England, its beauty intact but undergoing rapid changes. We see the social system torn apart, with young people welcoming change and older people clinging to past values. Despite the author’s clear-eyed accuracy, this is a highly entertaining read. The occasional inner monologue is a highlight—deliciously apt and irreverent. The book is a delightful romp through a world of vividly eccentric characters in a beautifully described setting. It was pure pleasure to read, and it packed a punch. Recommended. Valerie Adolph

WHISPER OF THE MOON MOTH

Lindsay Jayne Ashford, Lake Union, 2017, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 338pp, 9781542045575

Whisper of the Moon Moth is an enchanting tale of a starlet’s rise to fame in Hollywood from humble and obscure beginnings, all 40

while protecting a secret that could threaten to destroy her career. Born Estelle Thompson in 1911 in India to an Indian mother and white father, she wanted nothing more than to become an actress. A chance meeting and brief love affair with a man provided her an opportunity to come to America. Despite a betrayal, Estelle found her way in Hollywood, but with one caveat: she needed to reinvent herself to hide her Indian origins, lest she be denied leading roles reserved for Caucasian women. The world knew this woman as Merle Oberon, who played Cathy in Wuthering Heights. Many more films would follow, but Oberon never revealed her Indian heritage, at great cost. Reading the book is like getting a backstage pass to a movie set. The behind-the-scenes stories of her tumultuous love affairs with such leading men as David Niven and marriage to director Alexander Korda are utterly absorbing, as is her great rivalry with another famous actress. Merle is tormented by the sacrifices she makes on her rise to fame. The author paints an authentic picture of a passionate, flawed, but winsome woman who is plagued by guilt and fear. Though the story is based on the real Merle Oberon’s life, the author acknowledges that she speculated about many of the details, but the book plays out much as a good movie would—with an intriguing plot, resolution of conflict, and growth of characters. Hilary Daninhirsch

ZIEGFELD GIRLS

Sarah Barthel, Kensington, 2017, C$17.95, pb, 266pp, 9781496706102

$15.95/

Two young women run away from Richmond to break into the New York theater—an old story, except that this is 1914, and Suzanne is white, and Jada, African-American. From this unusual, if not entirely credible, premise, Barthel creates possibilities. More than Suzanne knows, she treats Jada like a servant, and since the color line applies in 1914, it’s Suzanne who sings and dances on stage, and Jada who corrects her moves in private. And when Suzanne lands with Florenz Ziegfeld’s Follies of 1914, one member of which is Bert Williams, the great African-American performer, his presence inspires Jada to break free. Throw in a lily-white cast of beauties, some of whom resent Ziegfeld’s interracial experiment, and Suzanne’s mother, who wants her daughter to come home before she loses her soul, and there’s plenty of friction to go around. But Ziegfeld Girls never takes that anywhere, and the characters remain concepts rather than people. The few scenes promising strong conflict fizzle out, as Barthel leaves the reader with a “she felt” or two and scurries toward the next plot point. These involve a pallid, predictable romance and an equally predictable mystery. The atmosphere feels superficial as well, with no sense of the streets, Midtown, the Broadway theater, or 1914. Nor does the story ever suggest or show how the two young

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

women became lifelong friends or what their lives were like. It’s also pretty remarkable how each vaults toward theatrical stardom on little or no training. Though Ziegfeld Girls offers interesting situations, it backs away from being a satisfying novel; and as historical fiction, it lacks the essential eye and ear to evoke the time and place. Larry Zuckerman

THE ATOMIC CITY GIRLS

Janet Beard, Morrow, 2018, $15.99/£8.99, pb, 353pp, 9780062666710

Between 1942 and 1945, nearly 100,000 people worked at a secret site in East Tennessee, making enriched uranium for the atomic bombs which destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Whatever one’s position on nuclear arms, the enterprise, secret even to most of those who worked on it, was a monumental scientific and engineering accomplishment. This novel follows three “Atomic City” employees: June, a young farm girl who comes to know too much; Sam, a troubled physicist and June’s lover; and Joe, an African-American construction worker facing the systemic racism of the times. The center of the novel is June’s coming of age, confronting an increasingly unstable relationship and wrestling with the moral dilemma of creating a weapon of horrifying power. Readers feel the oppressive secrecy of the project—workers were told to say they were making “holes for donuts”—as well as the excitement of being part of an effort to end the war that had already killed many of their loved ones. While some dialogue feels stilted, and the three story lines could be better integrated, the energy of the novel gathers as the first nuclear warhead is dropped on Hiroshima and the truth about the “Atomic City” is finally revealed. Pamela Schoenewaldt

THE GIRLS IN THE PICTURE

Melanie Benjamin, Delacorte, 2018, $28.00/ C$37.00, hb, 424pp, 9781101886809

In 1914 the word “movies” was new, and “movie studios” were just a collection of barns. But already one person was showing exceptional talent in this new medium. Mary Pickford had a growing following (not yet called “fans”) who loved her movies. She was born Gladys Smith, the oldest of three siblings who travelled with their mother while acting in small theatres, sleeping squashed into one bed. She was the breadwinner and had no normal childhood. As Mary Pickford she found her ideal childhood, frolicking like a child with golden ringlets throughout her twenties and into her thirties, in movies written for her and often directed by her lifelong friend, Frances Marion. Benjamin succeeds in presenting the strong, abiding friendship between the two women as well as giving the reader a vivid and revealing glimpse into the earliest days of Hollywood

movies. She clearly displays the chauvinism of the male executives and how it affected both the confidence and the careers of early female actors. She reveals the frenetic glamor of that early movie age, with Mary raising vast amounts of money from her followers for the war effort. Frances, meanwhile, visits Europe to discover the truths of WWI. She puts her soul into a movie about women in wartime, a movie no-one wants to watch. Men are the heroes of war. The strength of this book lies in a story well told but also in its revelation of the truths behind the glamor of Hollywood. We see Mary, apparently the childlike innocent, but who always knew how much each of her movies made every week. We see Pickfair, the fabulous mansion built by Mary and her husband Douglas Fairbanks—and the heartbreak within it. The Girls in the Picture is a powerful read, especially for movie lovers. Valerie Adolph

THE DEVOURING

James R. Benn, Soho Crime, 2017, $26.95, hb, 310pp, 9781616957735

1944: American Billy Boyle and his Polish friend Kaz are sent to Switzerland to work with the Office of Strategic Services. The OSS is investigating the laundering of looted Nazi gold, some from concentration camps, by Swiss banks. But the mission does not go smoothly. Forced down in occupied France, Billy and Kaz struggle to reach the border of neutral Switzerland, encountering some unusual allies on the trip. Among them is an embittered Romany marksman who delights in killing Nazis. Once they arrive in Bern, Billy and Kaz find other friends and enemies—hardly anyone is truly neutral in this small country, even at the offices of the Red Cross. This, the twelfth in the series, is the first Billy Boyle novel I have read. The backstory was well-woven into the novel and allowed me to seamlessly enter Benn’s vision of WWII. The pace is fast and the plot intrigues. This hero’s journey, enriched with accurate, little-known historical detail, fascinates and enthralls. Recommended. Susan McDuffie

THE BEAUTY DOCTOR

Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard, Belle Époque Publishing, 2017, $12.95, pb, 361pp, 9780998440668

Abigail Platford yearns to be a doctor, like her father, but since his death her hopes have been in abeyance. Then she meets Franklin Rome, an attractive older man with a rakish smile and the nostalgic smell of antiseptic, and decides to ask him for a job. She learns that he works in “transformative surgery,” and at first he hires her as a foil to attract business: he believes that her good looks are an example of the kind of beauty women want. Eventually she gets to assist him with surgeries, and her enthusiasm for this eventually leads to an affair with Dr. Rome. However, things begin

to take a turn for the worse as Abigail begins to understand more about her lover’s hidden business and private life. Abigail is an engaging heroine. I like that she does not rely on any men to save her. Even though she is devastated to find out the truth about Dr. Rome, she holds true to her commitment to care for those less fortunate. I liked this story. It kept me reading and did not disappoint. The story touches on the eugenics movement and the unregulated practice of medicine. Imagine using paraffin as the material for cosmetic surgery! I would recommend this book as an easy read, with an interesting plot and insight into the practice of medicine in the early 20th century. Susie Pruett

WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM

Mary Lynn Bracht, Putnam, 2018, $26, hb, 320pp, 9780735214439 / Chatto & Windus, 2018, £12.99, hb, 320pp, 9781784741440

“Comfort women” is a euphemism for the girls and women forced to serve as prostitutes by Imperial Japanese forces during WWII— perhaps 200,000 in all. Official recognition of their plight was long in coming, and even today, statues commemorating them are controversial; the issue remains a sticking point in Japanese-South Korean relations. Bracht’s debut novel, focusing on two courageous Korean sisters torn apart by the war, unflinchingly explores this subject and its long aftermath. Her prose is fast-paced and lyrical—not an easy combination to achieve—in her alternating portraits of Emi, an elderly Korean widow in 2011, and her older sister Hana, who had sacrificed herself to protect Emi when Japanese soldiers came walking along the beachfront near their home in 1943. For generations, their family’s women have been divers, haenyeo, on Korea’s Jeju Island, feeding their children with the fruits of the sea. One can sense their strength as they hold their breath for long minutes underwater, and this same strength helps them endure what follows. Transported to Manchuria by train, Hana finds herself trapped in a brothel where each woman is assigned a “flower” name and raped numerous times a day. Emi’s story, as she boards a plane to visit her children in Seoul, initially seems undramatic in comparison, but subtle points revealing her truth emerge: occasional nightmares, her hesitation about flying (why?), hints at an unhappy marriage. Driving the plot forward are questions about Hana’s fate, and whether the sisters’ lives will ever intertwine again. This emotion-filled literary saga carries readers into the world of Koreans—and Korean women in particular—as they suffer first under Japanese occupation and then their own country’s civil war. It’s difficult to read at times, but compelling all the same, and the author allows a sense of hope to filter through. Sarah Johnson

SECRETS OF CAVENDON

Barbara Taylor Bradford, St. Martin’s, 2017, $27.99, hb, 400pp, 9781250091451 / HarperCollins, 2017, £16.99, hb, 400pp, 9780007503353

The Ingham and Swann families have intermarried and are highly cooperative in the family business ventures in the late 1940s. Each member has unique design, acting, financial and other skills that complement their relationships as much as their businesses. WWII, however, has taken its toll on England, and Cecily Swann Ingham is worried. If they don’t do something about the lack of money clashing with the huge expenses inherent in running a family estate and businesses, she could wind up losing everything. That quandary leads her to have several fraught conversations with her family that wind up with several workable solutions that, if accomplished carefully, will again make her clothing, gift, jewelry and other concern stores best-sellers once again. The idea of running shooting grouse tours at the family estate may seem a bit past times, but it ironically points out the exotic tastes of rich Americans, a somewhat tongue-in-cheek satire deftly inserted into the conflict. Two romances develop, one which foreshadows the grasping plans of a “wannabe” young man aching to become an integral part of the upper aristocracy and the other a heartfelt, sincere romance that manages to bypass minor hurdles. Here is another of Bradford’s “lifestyles of the rich and famous” stories, replete with numerous descriptions of artwork, cutlery, designer furnishings, exquisitely simple and healthy menus, perfectly fashionable clothing that pleases the eye as much as the surrounding furniture, and ambience. There’s just enough humanity in the characters, with strengths and foibles, to hold the reader’s interest without over-taxing credibility. For those who love a good story, Barbara Taylor Bradford once again delivers nicely. Viviane Crystal

DEATH IN THE STARS

Frances Brody, Minotaur, 2018, $25.99, hb, 384pp, 9780349414317 / Piatkus, 2017, £8.99, pb, 400pp, 9780349414317

This ninth Kate Shackleton mystery is set in Leeds, England in 1927. Private investigator Kate is aided by her assistant, ex-policeman Jim Sykes, and by her housekeeper, Mrs. Sugden. Their enquiry agency is hired by famous singer Selina Fellini to arrange transportation to observe a total solar eclipse. Selina’s manager, Trotter Brockett, and a comedian friend, Billy Moffatt, accompany them. Billy dies, and Kate realizes he was murdered. There have been two other “accidental” deaths among Brockett’s performers, and this third death raises suspicions. As Kate and her team investigate, readers are introduced to a large cast of music hall players. Selina’s enigmatic, volatile husband Jarrod is also in the mix. As Kate gets more involved with the show business world of variety theatre, readers will enjoy the journey through

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

Leeds’s past. All three sleuths try to determine whether a ventriloquist and a dog trainer were murdered or died by mischance. A fourth nearvictim is rescued at the eleventh hour. Winding along slowly at times, this is a complex, “cozy” mystery with twenty-one suspects. Kate’s fans and new readers will like this fun, intriguing, atmospheric puzzle. Elizabeth Knowles

WATCH OVER ME

Eileen Charbonneau, Books We Love, 2017, $12.99, pb, 189pp, 9781773623887

It’s the summer of 1942 in New York City. Kitty is a war widow, a handsome woman from an ethnic neighborhood who works as a receptionist. Today, she imagines she’s again been tasked with showing a salesman around the Big City for her boss. However, this handsome young man with the black hair and brown skin is Luke Kayenta: a Navaho Code Talker, a man with many secrets—not the least of which is that he was with Kitty’s husband when he died—while they were both fighting Fascism in Spain. Luke has been captured and tortured, but he’s never cracked. His superiors at the US Office of Strategic services don’t entirely believe him. As a result, some of his own are after him. Alongside them are Nazis as well as a gang of Pro-Nazi isolationists. City Girl Kitty is now on the run beside Luke, a guy she’s attracted to. This is a cross-genre novel, with dollops of romance, suspense, and World War II Historical—sometimes uneasily—side by side. Still, there’s snappy ´40s dialogue and a series of clever vignettes around town, from the Lower East Side all the way up to the Savoy Ballroom. There’s good research here, and it is smoothly integrated. Luke’s First American point of view, feelingly brought to life, makes him not only the hero, but also the book’s most memorable character. Juliet Waldron

A TIME TO KEEP

Morgan Cheshire, Manifold, 2017, $5.95, ebook, 280pp, B073JM629T

In 1909, Ben and Matthew live in England, where their tender love for each other is hidden, as exposure would guarantee their death by hanging. They survived the harsh conditions of the public workhouse but finally leave when they turn sixteen. All they dream about is a “small cottage” with its own vegetable garden and a place for a few chickens. Initially, they survive on the food that kind people offer as they traipse through the country, but their luck changes after they save a young girl from drowning. They are offered jobs and the place of their dreams. This story of their love is depicted in serene, peaceful ways, highlighting the normalcy of their relationship, with minor spats mixed in with their growth as independent, responsible workers. Then their lives are shattered by WWI. A third character, Sam, offers hope after these very hard years. 42

Some stories depict love in its simplicity and quiet dignity. Nicely crafted historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

ALL THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS

Elizabeth J. Church, Ballantine, 2018, $27.00, hb, 336pp, 9780399181061

All the Beautiful Girls tells the story of Lily Decker, a young Kansas girl who is the only member of her family to survive a tragic car crash in 1957. Aged eight, Lily goes to live with her aunt and uncle, but the abuse she suffers at their hands affects her for years to come. Despite the challenges she faces as a young girl, Lily is determined to transform herself, and as a young woman she changes her name to Ruby Wilde and heads to Las Vegas to make her fortune as a dancer. The key to her escape is the driver of the other car involved in her parents’ accident, the man she calls the Aviator, who is haunted by his role in her family’s death. This is a beautifully written and thoughtful novel with strong themes of love, trust, guilt, family and friendship. Lily’s adventures in Las Vegas are vividly realized. Richly evocative descriptions of the life of the Vegas showgirl, brim with color. Church portrays Las Vegas as a glittering bubble, in stark contrast to national events that Lily’s reacts to, including the death of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Manson murders, and the Vietnam War. These are seamlessly woven into Ruby’s personal journey, and there are even cameo appearances when she meets stars like Tom Jones and Sammy Davis, Jr. But as she finds friends, work and love, the demons from the past dog Lily, and the darker parts of this coming-of-age story are as eloquently and clearly described as the glitz and sparkle of the Las Vegas stage. As a result, Lily’s story is moving and believable. She is a flawed character but someone you have to root for. Highly recommended. Kate Braithwaite

LIZZIE’S WAR

Rosie Clarke, Head of Zeus, 2017, £20, hb, 343pp, 9781786693129

The setting of this novel is WW2, but the chief character also has her own personal struggles. The action centres on Lizzie, the widowed mother of a young child living in the East End of London. She owns a hat design and production business which benefits from the fact that whilst clothing is as strictly rationed as food, hats are not. Women with enough money and a special occasion in mind could dress up dreary clothes with a smart

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

hat. Lizzie seems to be a remarkably astute and optimistic businesswoman with the skill to exploit such a situation, even in the tough economic circumstances of 1940s London. The juxtaposition of the grim, austere wartime capital and the indulgent sophistication of stylish millinery is striking, and her success is appealing but perhaps rather improbable. Around Lizzie are others, mostly of course women, left to manage their lives against a background of frequent air raids at home and scant information about the safety of their menfolk abroad. In these disruptive circumstances romances, deaths and new romances occur. This is made all the more intense since no one in 1941 could know when their ordeal would end. The hardship is only mitigated by their mutual support, both practical and emotional. The real-life exploitation of wartime shortages and rationing by criminal elements brought with it intimidation and violence, and this is well described. Lizzie is caught up in it despite her wish for a simple, safe life with her daughter. She can only speculate about the source of the intrigues and scandal directed at her, but her personal war has to be fought alongside all the other difficulties. This light, romantic story has twists and turns of plot, but only one, predictable ending is possible. Imogen Varney

NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA

Chanel Cleeton, Berkley, 2018, $15.00/C$20, pb, 400pp, 9780399586682

Marisol Ferrera is living in modern-day Miami when she agrees to honor her grandmother Elisa’s last request by traveling to Havana, Cuba, to spread her ashes. There, Marisol learns the troubling history of her family’s home country, along with some dangerous family secrets as she struggles to keep her promise. Havana, Cuba, 1950s. Young Elisa is living the revolution with her sisters, and falling in love with a revolutionary even as her family faces certain exile from their home. Told in alternating time lines, Next Year in Havana is an immersive family saga of love, hope, and sacrifice, and what it means to be Cuban, despite where you were born. I loved the rich details of Cuba, especially Havana, and Cleeton does an excellent job of bringing both the past and present to life. The atmosphere she creates is transporting, a tribute to her own heritage. Both women are ambitious and real, their stories and struggles intertwining effortlessly, and Cuba’s terrible past is written about with honesty and grace,

which allows for an intimate glimpse into life during the revolution. For me, the history and richness of Cuba are what drove the story, versus suspense and surprise, and in the end, I enjoyed the many threads both women share as they each discover what it means to love their country and family. Holly Faur

NUCLEUS

Rory Clements, Zaffre, 2018, £12.99, hb, 384pp, 9781785763717

Nucleus, a thriller from Rory Clements, best known for his Tudor espionage novels, is set just months before the outbreak of the Second World War. Readers are reunited with American Cambridge history don, Tom Wilde, in a strange period of calm before a war that feels all but inescapable. Despite his previous spying adventures in Corpus (HNR 80), nothing has prepared Wilde for the challenges he is about to face, with German, British and American scientists in murderous competition in a race to design and build the first nuclear bomb. Wilde must contend with Nazi agents, child kidnapping, an IRA bombing campaign in England and a ferociously complicated love life. Even the brainpower of a Cambridge professor is stretched to its limits by the knotty collection of puzzles in Nucleus. The complex character of Tom Wilde is the central core of Nucleus. His principles, and the lengths he will go to protect both those principles and the people he loves, help drive the tangled plot. Wilde is no saint, however, and his unusual relationships provide real depth to the novel. The plot is the thing in Nucleus, though with multiple narrative strands spinning throughout. Somehow Clements manages to keep a firm grip on both his readers and his narrative, creating a pacy and dramatic historical spy thriller in the process. There is little time to draw breath as the author weaves his magic and places his characters in a series of increasingly dangerous situations. As the twisty plot drives the main characters towards the gripping conclusion, everyone finally must take a side and put their beliefs and lives on the line. An excellent read that will surely not be the last we hear of Professor Tom Wilde. Gordon O’Sullivan

BACK UP

Paul Colize (trans. Louise Rogers Lalaurie), Point Blank, 2018, $19.99/C$25.99/£12.99, pb, 400pp, 9781786071101

One by one, in one short week in March 1967, the four members of a British rock band based in Berlin die violent but seemingly unrelated and accidental deaths. Over forty years later, an old, homeless man with no ID is struck down by a car near Brussels’ Midi railway station. His injuries leave him with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate only (sometimes) by blinking. The connections weave a net that

goes through the CIA’s experiment with LSD during the Vietnam War. My protest that a historical novel should not take place during the lifetime of the reader, not to mention the author, must be as brief and unobtrusive as possible. This book by a Belgian novelist is a wonderful thriller. After a bit of confusion at the beginning, w h e n smartphones appear in the chapter after the one that had fixed us so firmly in the ´60s, I was willing to follow the intricate plot anywhere. The unknown patient blinking his way with agonizing slowness through letters and consonants on a chart is a masterful creation of suspense without car chase or impossible swings over high-rise buildings. The music, the drug trips that leave witnesses wondering if what they have seen are mere hallucinations, the evocation of a time when young people with high hopes and high ideals shared a common culture from London across the continent to Vienna, and the Montreux jazz fest standing in opposition to warmongering nation states—these things are so beautifully, heroically evoked that I have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone. Ann Chamberlin

THE UNCERTAIN SEASON

Ann Howard Creel, Lake Union, 2017, $14.95, pb, 308pp, 9781477809044

The Uncertain Season tackles themes of societal norms and expectations, of race and privilege, and of finding one’s own way in life. In 1900, a devastating hurricane slammed into Galveston Island on the Texas Gulf Coast. The story opens three years later when Grace, a socialite who lives with her widowed mother, welcomes her cousin Etta into her home. Following a scandal, Etta’s mother had banished her, sending her to live with her wealthy aunt and cousin. Etta cunningly uses it to her advantage, trying to transform herself from a simply country girl to a member of society. Etta charms her aunt and all of Grace’s friends, never revealing her true background. But when Grace, in a rapidly regrettable moment of weakness, reveals the truth about her cousin, Grace’s mother punishes her by forcing her to volunteer in the alleys of Galveston. Grace teams up with a reverend to help the poor, mostly black community. Rather than viewing it as a punishment, the experience is transformative for Grace, causing her to question not only her engagement to her fiancé but her own role in society. The story rotates perspectives between

Grace, Etta, and a mute girl who had lost her family in the hurricane. The thread that connects the three is tenuous but pertinent to the trajectory of all of their lives. As Etta and the girl’s stories are told in the third person, the author effectively maintains that aura of mystery about those two characters, while Grace tells her own story, giving the reader a clear picture of who she really is, and where her heart lies. The intricately woven plot, its unexpected direction, and the depth with which the characters are drawn make this a gratifying reading experience. Hilary Daninhirsch

SONG OF A CAPTIVE BIRD

Jasmin Darznik, Ballantine, 2018, $27.00/ C$36.00, hb, 416pp, 9780399182310

Iran’s answer to Sylvia Plath, Forugh Farrokzhad, came of age in the 1940s and ´50s when the country was gearing up for revolution. Although Iran was becoming Westernized during Farrokzhad’s childhood, her culture was openly hostile to women who expressed a desire for independence. Forugh is raised by a father whom she refers to as “the Colonel,” a harsh disciplinarian who shows a softer side when he recites poetry. She writes her first poems to please him. However, Forugh is a true rebel, speaking her mind and acting on her desires. The consequences are severe for her but liberating for the younger generation of Iranian women. Darznik’s novel transported me to mid20th-century Iran. I could smell the black tea steeped with rose petals and cardamom pods and hear the calls of street peddlers. My heart broke for the young Farrokzhad as she and her sister were “protected” by imprisonment on a tiny balcony as their brothers roamed free on the streets below. The first-person narration, complemented by excerpts from Farrokzhad’s poetry, richly evokes the poet’s state of mind as well as concrete sensory details. My only quibble is that the epilogue and the passages about Iran’s history are narrated in Farrokzhad’s voice even though she couldn’t have witnessed them. While on the one hand this technique conveyed the power of her voice, on the other, it sometimes felt contrived. Darznik was only five years old when her family emigrated to America from Iran, and she explores her roots through this iconic feminist poet. I had never heard of Forugh Farrokzhad before I read this book, and her story needs to be more widely known. Highly recommended. Clarissa Harwood

HAP AND HAZARD AND THE END OF THE WORLD

Diane DeSanders, Bellevue Literary, 2018, $16.99, pb, 288pp, 9781942658368

The narrator of this dreamlike novel is an unnamed seven-year-old girl who simply wants to know what is true and what is not. In a family headed by a furious WWII veteran who has returned both maimed and traumatized,

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

this is not a simple thing. How do you know you’re not talking to yourself, in bed, alone in the dark? she wonders, knowing that her parents lie, but not about what. Santa Claus? Jesus? Their love for each other? Stylistically, DeSanders achieves a heartbreaking, lyrical, and laserfocused evocation of a child’s perception of the mysteries of the adult world; the perfectly rendered setting is 1940s Dallas, just when its harsh rural beauties were becoming sanitized into suburban conformity. Plotwise, however, the novel is unsatisfying, not because of its fragmented sense of time, but because it relies too heavily on melodrama. The dreamlike tone becomes nightmarish, and the destruction of childhood innocence unfolds in depressingly predictable ways. To say more would be to spoil the shocks that DeSanders delivers—and they are grim—in the last third of the novel; the beauty of the writing nearly, but not quite, makes up for the way the story simply limps to a close after the family’s final tragic secrets are revealed. Kristen McDermott

GROUNDED HEARTS

Jeanne M. Dickson, Waterfall, 2017, $12.95, pb, 348pp, 9781542045537

Nan O’Neil is a devout, widowed midwife in rural, politically neutral Ireland during World War II. When downed RAF pilot “Dutch” Whitney appears on her doorstep, Nan treats his injuries and conceals him from Local Defense Force officer Shamus Finn. At that time, Ireland was interring captured combatants of either side in prison camps. Nan and Chris fall in love, although she is still haunted by her troubled first husband’s death. She tries to help Dutch travel two hundred miles north to Ulster where he can re-join the Allied forces. Toward that goal, a host of varied Irish characters is introduced. Shamus Finn continues to be a nemesis. The plot—full of subtle humor and derring-do—progresses to a surprising ending for those not familiar with Ireland’s World War II history. Readers who know the country will recognize the backdrop and some of the cast—probably with a chuckle. The book is slightly flawed by too much phonetic spelling of the Irish accent and by the one-dimensional, buffoonish villain, Shamus. Still, this heartfelt, witty debut is entertaining, illuminates a piece of obscure history, and is worth a look. Elizabeth Knowles

Sarah Johnson

THE NIGHTINGALE CHRISTMAS SHOW

Donna Douglas, Arrow, 2017, £6.99, pb, 358pp, 9781784757137

The first Christmas after the end of the Second World War sees the staff at the Nightingale Hospital trying to resume their usual customs to ease the lives of their patients during their enforced stay. Matron Kathleen Fox has tasked her assistant, Charlotte Davis, to bring cheer to their present difficulties by creating a Christmas Show, with the staff performing various acts. Unfortunately, Davis is carrying some trauma from her experiences towards the end of the war, and her abilities to sustain relationships with others are questionable. Alongside the scars borne by others, including a newly admitted patient recently released from a concentration camp who is suffering from malnutrition and acute insomnia, Charlotte struggles to make headway with the planned performance. Douglas has a keen eye for historical accuracy, and her latest rendering of the trials at the Nightingale leading up to Christmas 1945 is no exception in producing an engaging storyline. The characters continue to feel real and their challenges understandable for this period in time, endearing them to the reader. As with her previous offerings, there is sufficient scope to continue the series. Cathy Kemp

HIGHLAND SISTERS

ON THE SHORE

Set in the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh as the Edwardian era winds down, Douglas’s concise yet engaging romantic novel follows a young woman’s path to fulfillment and illustrates the pain of unrequited love. Lorne Malcolm’s decision to run away with her employer’s son on her wedding morning shocks her older sister, Rosa, and devastates

It is 1917, and Shmuel Levinson, the son of Jewish immigrants living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, does not want to become a rabbi despite his father’s plans. So intense is the pressure Shmuel feels that, at age 16, he lies about his age and enlists in the Navy as Sam Lord to help in the war effort. He leaves behind his younger sister, Dev, who is smart

Anne Douglas, Severn House, 2018, £20.99/$28.99, hb, 224pp, 9780727887504

her fiancé, Daniel MacNeil. A housemaid in Inverness, Rosa can’t comprehend Lorne’s self-centeredness, especially since handsome Daniel is quite a catch. Some months later, when Daniel begins courting Rosa, she is thrilled but wary; in his proposal, he asks her to help him forget Lorne, which isn’t the most promising beginning. They marry and move into a big-city tenement, and the story is sympathetic toward Rosa, left alone all day while Daniel works. Her pursuit of a job outside the home gives her purpose but adds complications to their marriage, since Daniel proves resistant, and she still isn’t certain of his love. The theme of women’s early 20th-century roles figures strongly. Despite some repetitive descriptions, the plotline is eventful and pleasingly unpredictable. Douglas evokes period mores through her characters’ personalities and actions: they may not discuss their feelings openly but yearn for happiness all the same.

Ann Epstein, Vine Leaves Press, 2017, $14.99, pb, 296pp, 9781925417326

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

and sassy, and his parents, struggling, barely able to make ends meet and still very much feeling like outsiders. Shmuel also leaves behind much of his orthodox Jewish upbringing as he learns to survive in a non-Jewish world. While his father mourns his disappearance as a death, and his mother’s brother, Uncle Gershon, who is well off and “has connections,” fails in his efforts to find him, Sam becomes a dedicated soldier and a strong, independent man. When he returns eight years later, an experienced, worldly young man, the question is: is this Sam Lord? Or Shmuel Levinson? In alternating chapters, Epstein gives us a rare glimpse into a multi-generational immigrant community rarely written about— and does it with grace, sensitivity and lyricism. Her characters are recognizable and vividly drawn. While we feel the pain and anger at the Levinsons’ loss of their son, we root for Dev when she decides to become a scientist rather than to assume the expected role of orthodox wife and mother. We see Uncle Gershon and Aunt Yetta flourish in their community while being thrust into the women’s movement when one of their daughters chooses a different path than her observant sister. What Epstein has done in this beautiful novel is to capture a time and place, and a community undergoing revolutionary change. This is a must read for anyone interested in the American Jewish experience and an absolute necessity for people who want to understand immigrant communities. Ilysa Magnus

THE ROAD TO BITTERSWEET

Donna Everhart, Kensington, 2018, $15.95/ C$17.95, pb, 352pp, 9781496709493

The Road to Bittersweet is an adventure story and coming-of-age story wrapped into one satisfying package. In 1940, Wallis Ann Stamper and her family have a simple life in the hills of South Carolina. Wallis Ann adores her little brother, Seph, and her sister, Laci, is a beautiful musical savant, having never spoken a word but expresses herself in the only way she knows how: through her fiddle. Times are hard in Appalachia, but the family gets by, until the fateful day when the river bursts. The family is forced to flee for their survival, but when they get separated, Wallis Ann channels her inner Huckleberry Finn, using her will and her wiles to survive while never giving up the search for her family. When the family reunites, they must eke out a living, as they are unable to return to their homestead. A fortuitous meeting gives the musical family a chance to join the traveling circus, though not everyone in the family is happy with this change in circumstance, particularly as they are mourning the loss of one of their own. However, the circus gives them shelter, food, money and stability. When Laci disappears with the boy that Wallis Ann has begun to care for, the family is fractured

yet again, leaving Wallis Ann to face some difficult truths. The book is compelling from start to finish. Donna Everhart skillfully evokes a harsh landscape and harsh times, squarely placing the reader in Appalachia right along with the family. Wallis Ann’s complicated relationship with her sister is well explored and serves as a catalyst for her growth into a mature young woman. The book is Southern fiction at its finest and will likely appeal to those who like books with a mix of heart and adventure. Hilary Daninhirsch

THE ANIMAL GAZER

Edgardo Franzosini (trans. Michael F. Moore), New Vessel, 2018, $16.95, pb, 128pp, 9781939931528

This novella presents a fact-based portrait of animal sculptor Rembrandt Bugatti over his last decade (1906-1916). Interactions with his brother (the famed auto maker), with Rodin, zoo keepers, his landlords, and street peddlers give readers a view into the artist’s soul. Above all, Bugatti is obsessed with wild beasts. For many days, he studies his subjects at zoos in the major cities of France, Belgium, and Italy. He even keeps two antelopes in his apartment over a summer. The times leading up to and during the Great War are horrible for zoo animals and their admirers. Bugatti watches helplessly as the German war machine moves ever closer, local defenders are crushed, and all zoo animals are slaughtered. He aimlessly wanders city streets until recruited to become a stretcher bearer and lug the wounded up to a hollowed-out zoo for desperately-needed medical attention. The inhumanity of humans exacts the ultimate toll, and, at age 31, Bugatti takes his own life. Translated from the original Italian, the prose is plain and unsentimental, allowing the stark facts to speak for themselves. Highresolution photographs of eight masterful Bugatti animal sculptures enhance the story’s impact. This could well have been a “bigger” work with deeper explorations of Bugatti’s childhood, his family, and how he came to his craft. Though short, The Animal Gazer will appeal to any reader interested in the life and troubled times of a masterful, not widelyknown, artist. G. J. Berger

THE SHIPBUILDER’S DAUGHTER

Emma Fraser, Sphere, 2017, pb, £6.99, 424pp, 9780751566086

Living in Glasgow in the late 1920s, Margaret Bannatyne, the only surviving child, is limited in the opportunities available for her to follow an independent career. Despite her domineering father, a well-known but hardnosed wealthy and powerful businessman, she determines to qualify as a doctor rather than marry well and have her son inherit the family business. Along the way Margaret

meets and falls in love with a dock worker, Alistair Morrison, who has ambitions of qualifying as a lawyer to right the injustices being wrought by unscrupulous businesses such as Bannatyne’s shipyard. When she challenges her father’s authority by refusing to marry the man he has agreed is suitable as a son-in-law, he disowns Margaret and she has to fend for herself. The author handles her characters with insight, with their likely development securing a believable progression of their choices. Following Margaret and Alistair’s path, the storyline throws up a variety of hardships that have to be endured, resulting in an engaging and enjoyable tale. Cathy Kemp

THE DESIGNER

Marius Gabriel, Lake Union, 2017, $14.95/£8.99, pb, 322pp, 9781612185811

Shortly after the liberation of Paris in 1944, while war still rages, Copper Reilly arrives in Paris with her husband of eighteen months, a reporter. His infidelities, and leaving her to clean up after an alcoholic friend who bleeds to death in their home, finally encourage our heroine to set off on her own in the City of Lights. She is wooed by Hemingway, a white Russian count—“as if anybody cares about that sort of thing anymore”—and the notorious lesbian Suzy Solidor. “Lesbianism,” one character tells us, “has been a public spectacle in Paris since the 1850s. It’s practically a profession. One of the performing arts.” The most consistent character in her life, who probably should have been the hero, however, is the eponymous designer, Christian Dior, who is no love interest at all. The author, we learn, put himself through postgraduate school by writing steamy romances. This novel is certainly of the same stripe: the requisite English-speaking heroine seeking “freedom” and the attempt to shoehorn haute couture and the whole Second World War into that format. Copper herself may be based on Carmel Snow, editor of Harper’s Bazaar, of the same Irish-American, five-sibling brand. Readers should be warned of a hint of racism. I would also say this is proof that our genre is censured in that a gay man could not be the hero—when he ought to have been. “Sex and shopping,” we are told, are guaranteed to sell books, and at this Gabriel is competent, if that’s your poison. We have to wait until the author’s note at the end to get a solid picture of what ought to have been the focus—the conflict between the deprivations and horrors of the war and the pretty unconscionable extravagance of the lavish Dior line. Ann Chamberlin

THE MEZZOGIORNO SOCIAL CLUB

Ercole Gaudioso, Guernica Editions, 2017, $20.00, pb, 235pp, 9781771831659

Little Italy was home to Italian immigrants and their American progeny in mid-20th

century Manhattan. It was safe as long as one played by the rules of the Black Hand, an earlier Mafia-style group, and dangerous if one failed to “pay” the bribes the Black Hand imposed on local businesses. Many of these pages depict the ever-present “hits” and arrests in Little Italy from over fifty years ago. Ercole Gaudioso, however, has deftly crafted character sketches that make this novel uniquely intriguing. First, we meet Lina the Gnome, who has supposedly lived for a century and can predict how certain conflicts will unfold and how certain characters’ futures will evolve. She’s kind, truthful and trustworthy, and so many residents and Mafia bosses go to her for guidance. As long as fairness and justice prevail, she will continue her guidance. Now, however, is the time of momentous change. It begins with a sacred painting that disappears and is the cause of several deaths due to the relentless search for the priceless work of art. Lucia and Rosina are two complex Italian ladies who are dependent on “protection” after Lucia’s husband is killed, perhaps with some culpability on her part. Detective Joe Petrosino is very good at capturing mobster criminals, with no problem using his own “muscle” to make that happen. He is revered and deeply mourned, as an honest, concerned individual, after his unexpected demise. Why is his death symbolic of the end of the “safe” environment in Little Italy? Loyalty lies with the day’s victor! This is page-flipping, magical historical fiction about the end of a dynasty of three Italian families and its shake-up of Italian culture. Viviane Crystal

UNTIL WE FIND HOME

Cathy Gohlke, Tyndale, 2018, $24.99/C$34.99, hb, 400pp, 9781496428301 / also $15.99/ C$21.99, pb, 400pp, 9781496410962

Claire Stewart, a naïve young American, finds herself the sole escort of five Jewish children fleeing to England from WW2 France. Finding nowhere to take the children, she ventures to the home of her estranged Aunt Miranda, who lives in a mansion grieving the loss of her husband and son. Reluctantly, Claire and the children are accepted and make their home in the beautiful Lake District for the rest of the war. As the children struggle to accept the loss of their families and to become accustomed to a different country, Aunt Miranda struggles to overcome her grief, and Claire mourns her separation from the man she loved in France. The charming country doctor and the sudden arrival of a handsome young man from Scotland add spice to the household grappling with layers of grief and uncertainty. This is a pleasant and easy read, although only the two American women ring true. The protagonist, Claire, is realistically drawn as she fights her way towards maturity. The remaining characters, vocabulary, events and picture of wartime England frequently miss the mark. Fans of the inspirational romance

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

will enjoy this blend of happily-ever-after and its introduction to the work of C. S. Lewis. Valerie Adolph

AN ORPHAN IN THE SNOW

Molly Green, Avon, 2017, £7.99, pb, 406pp, 9780008238940

In this story we go to Liverpool during WWII. The heroine, June Lavender, takes a job as assistant to Mrs. Pherson, the Matron of Bingham Hall, a Dr. Barnado’s orphanage. There are events in her life which she wants to put behind her, and she hopes that focusing on the children in the orphanage will help her to do this. However there are difficulties there to be overcome as well, not the least being the actions of the Matron herself. On the train journey to Liverpool she meets Flight Lieutenant Murray Andrews and finds that she can’t get him out of her mind in the subsequent days and weeks… I found this to be a well written story which flowed well and kept my interest. The characterisation is good and totally believable. The background of the war is prominent enough to put this into the historical novel genre, but romance also features strongly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book—a good one to curl up by the fire with. I will certainly look out for the next one, An Orphan’s War, due to be released in May 2018. Marilyn Sherlock

DEATH AT NUREMBERG

W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV, Putnam, 2017, $29, hb, 448pp, 9780399176746

“Diplomatic” is not the best word to describe Captain James Cronley, Jr., leader of a team of agents for the Directorate of Central Intelligence in Occupied Germany in 1946. He tends to speak before he thinks and often steps on superiors’ toes. But he gets the job done, and his present orders come from the highest levels in Washington, DC. His primary task is to protect the chief prosecutor for the upcoming trials of high-powered Nazis in Nuremburg, but he’s also tracking down the head of Odessa, a secret organization that helps high-powered Nazis escape to Argentina. When a friend is assassinated in his former lodgings and he is ambushed on a back road, Cronley wonders who wants him dead – the elusive Franz von Dietelburg of Odessa, or the Russian NKGB, or a mole familiar with his investigation. While the premise of the book promises high adventure and intrigue, the complicated plot and flat characters fail to deliver in this Clandestine Operations novel. The gripping subplot involving Wewelsburg Castle (an “SS holy place”) and Operation Phoenix tantalizes readers, but fizzles out much like the novel’s climax. Aside from the ambush, there’s little action; much of the story involves sitting or standing around and talking. There are so many characters and acronyms it’s difficult to keep who’s who and what’s what straight, which results in frequent repetition of information already provided. For what is supposed to be a secret operation involving secret agents, too 46

many people (friends and enemies alike) know who and what is going on. Readers who enjoy twisty stories and the convoluted politics and maneuverings following war may enjoy this novel, but those seeking tension and suspense may want to look elsewhere. Cindy Vallar

MUNICH

Robert Harris, Hutchinson, 2017, £20.00, hb, 342pp, 9780091959197 / Knopf, 2018, $27.95, hb, 320pp, 9780525520269

September 1938. Hitler and Chamberlain sign the Munich Agreement, an accord made famous by Chamberlain’s declaration of ‘peace for our time’ and the irony of the outbreak of war less than a year later. The events in Harris’s novel take place over the four days surrounding the meeting at Munich, focusing on the activities in both the German and the British camps. However, a novel, especially one based on a well-documented and relatively uncomplicated episode in history, requires something more than the known facts. Harris’s solution is to insert two fictional characters, one English and one German, into the respective delegations. Once good friends, the motivations behind their attendance at Munich, and the mystery surrounding their previous estrangement, comprise twin subplots within the novel, and provide welcome added complexity. The German character, Hartmann, is one with whom modern readers, on either side of the divide, can sympathise: flawed and weak, but with a desire to do good. Legat, on the other hand, seemed to me a rather stereotypical English civil servant with the (almost) obligatory unsatisfactory marriage. While their interaction at Munich was interesting and believable, I was disappointed by the scant treatment given to Lenya, who, though crucial to the sub-plot, appeared at the end of the novel rather like a rabbit-out-of-a-hat. Harris excels at spare, atmospheric description: ‘the grey sky, the sombre quiet of the crowd…like a state funeral’, and evocative imagery such as the final depiction of Chamberlain as ‘the jagged black figure… like a man who had thrown himself upon an electrified fence.’ This striking image also contains a powerful sub-text, which we recognize only through hindsight. Recommended for those with an interest in key points in Europe’s history. Margaret Skea

IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS

Clarissa Harwood, Pegasus, 2018, $25.95, hb, 352pp, 9781681776248

England, 1907. As the women’s suffrage movement grows more militant, public opinion on women’s rights becomes sharply divided. Wherever the issues are debated, people take sides silently or, like Lilia Brooke and Paul Harris, outspokenly. Although they left the same village for London, they have little else in common. Lilia, once a country schoolteacher, is a passionate advocate for women’s rights. Paul

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

is an ambitious Anglican priest; he envisions a compliant wife to help advance his career. Paul and Lilia see each other regularly (supposedly to please Lilia’s mother), but whenever they meet, their conversations inevitably turn into disputes, each taking the opposite position. While Lilia is defending her opinions, however, Paul slowly falls in love with her and begins to reexamine his personal goals. Must he sacrifice his principles to win Lilia’s love? Or is compromise possible? Does he want an oldfashioned wife or an equal partner? Paul’s willingness to listen leads to a fragile understanding, which Lilia almost destroys. This frustrating but tender romance, teetering between hope and despair, doubtless represents many relationships challenged by change. The story is best for readers interested in women’s rights and the British suffrage movement. Jeanne Greene

EAST END ANGELS

Rosie Hendry, Sphere, 2017, £6.99, hb, 372pp, 9780751566796

East End Angels, the first in a series, is a flawless combination of the lives of three young women working for the London Auxiliary Ambulance Service. The story is set in 1940 East London in the aftermath of Dunkirk, which the city’s inhabitants are still feeling the effects of, since many of their brothers, fathers and sons were involved. This novel uses the different social dynamic, which is caused by the war, successfully alongside the surreal atmosphere that is the Blitz. This can be seen by the three main characters: Winnie, whose elite family is pressurizing her to join the Wrens, Bella who used to be a housemaid before the Blitz, and Frankie, who lives in the East End of London. Their new jobs as ambulance-drivers, as well as their firm friendship, cause these social boundaries to fade into the background. Hendry chooses her characters carefully to set the scene; for example, a Conscientious Objector works alongside them and gives the war a whole new perspective. This novel was a pleasure to read; the characters are relatable, and the plot moves at a fast pace. It will be interesting to see how she continues with this series. Clare Lehovsky

THE WORKHOUSE CHILDREN

Lindsey Hutchinson, Head of Zeus, 2017, £20, hb, 387pp, 9781786696700

The arrestingly beautiful heroine of this story is 18-year-old Cara Flowers, raised in comfort by her wealthy grandmother. The whereabouts of any other relatives are unknown, and on her deathbed, her grandmother sets Cara the task of finding and caring for any who might be still living. To do this she bequeaths her a sizeable sum of money. The action of the book concerns her search for her family and the unfamiliar world into which it takes her. Cara quickly realises that the local workhouse must be central to her

enquiries for the family, which she suspects fell on hard times. The experience of finding her siblings exposes her to the harsh conditions in which she sees men, women and even children forced to live in the workhouse. She begins a one-woman campaign, first to extricate the most vulnerable inmates, as they are called, and then gradually to get all of them out. To do this she must enlist the help of more worldly-wise people than herself and provide housing and a means by which the former inmates can earn a living in the outside world. The book describes a herculean struggle in which the saintly girl and her loyal supporters are pitted against the hard-hearted and bitter workhouse authorities, who put every possible obstacle in her way. Although the book is set in 1901, by this date most pauper children were housed separately, away from the general workhouses, and the inmates of the workhouses were by and large too infirm to work, rather than the fit but unemployed. However, here every man rescued by Cara proves fit and willing to work to realise her dream for them of a dignified and economically viable life. By the end of the book her vision is realized, and the future looks secure. An inspiring tale, but the historical detail is not convincing. Imogen Varney

THE MAGIC CHAIR MURDER

Diane Janes, Severn House, 2018, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 224pp, 9780727887597

Another historical mystery series is born! Award-winning crime author Diane Janes has delivered the first book in a new historical crime series, set in 1929 Northern England. Written in the “cozy” style of Golden Age British crime fiction, it contains the usual: unexplained death, dubious suspects, inept local police and “dog-with-a-bone” amateur detectives. There’s a hint of romance, but no sex or graphic violence. Fran Black is at an annual literary society conference celebrating late author, Robert Barnaby. She and Tom Dod are the only committee members who think there’s something odd about the disappearance of presenter, Linda Dexter. When Dexter’s burning car and body are found, a verdict of suicide is quickly delivered. Fran and Tom are not convinced, as Dexter was about to reveal controversial research findings that could have rocked the Barnaby Society. They decide to work together to uncover the truth. The story is full of action whilst maintaining the genre feel of English cottages, cats and cups of tea. Janes has created a credible protagonist in Fran. She’s an independent 1920s woman separated from her cheating husband, free to meet who ever she pleases, but we want her to find true love. Is Tom the one? The setting could have been any English village; I didn’t get a sense of it being particularly northern. Likewise, other than the direct reference to young women voting for

the first time, it could have occurred anytime between the two world wars (women over 30 could vote in the UK from 1918, but 21- to 30-year-olds had to wait until 1928). Janes leaves the door open for Fran and Tom to collaborate on future murder investigations. She has created the foundation for a great historical crime series that would also lend itself to television. Christine Childs

THE CROOKED PATH

Irma Joubert (trans. Elsa Silke), Thomas Nelson, 2017, $15.99, pb, 400pp, 9780718098179

During the 1940s, Lettie Louw studies for a medical degree at Wits (University of Witwatersrand) in South Africa. An ugly duckling among her girlfriends at school, she’s still unable to attract a boyfriend, and her ball gowns hang unworn in the closet. After some heartbreak, she decides to concentrate on becoming a successful doctor. Meanwhile, near Turin in Italy, Marco is teaching in his village school and courting Rachel, the daughter of a Lithuanian Jewish émigré couple. When WWII breaks out, Marco’s brother, Antonio, joins the Italian forces, while Marco helps Rachel and her family escape into the Alps. However, they are all captured by the Germans, transported to concentration camps, and subjected to enormous hardships. Antonio is sent as a POW to labor in South Africa. Following Germany’s surrender, when a gravely ill Marco return home, Antonio beckons him to Pretoria. There Marco is treated by Dr. Lettie Louw. They eventually fall in love. It seems their crooked paths will finally take them where they want to be. Some of this novel’s characters first appeared in Irma Joubert’s earlier book Child of the River, and are succinctly reintroduced. The “crooked path” is a major element in the premise of this story, which has a large cast of characters and spans two continents. The accounts of Lettie and Marco, who follow separate paths and then find them entwined, are narrated too concisely on occasion. Large periods of time, such as Lettie’s life at university, are described fleetingly. The gutwrenching suffering faced by Marco, and as well as Lettie’s determined efforts, could have been shown in more dramatic form to add to the novel’s appeal. Also, some of the secondary characters’ lives are described only in sketches. However, the novel does present interesting aspects of life in South Africa during and after WWII. Waheed Rabbani

SHTETL LOVE SONG

Grigory Kanovich (trans.Yisrael Elliot Cohen), Noir, 2017, £14.00, pb, 521pp, 9780995560024

Set in rural Lithuania between the two World Wars, this book combines affection, humour, and observation. The author is possibly the only writer today who remembers the life of a Jewish shtetl during those two brief decades of Lithuanian independence: the

work ethic and petty rivalries of a community bound by ancient tradition and feast days. The book blurs the boundaries of fiction and biography. Part One tells of the author’s parents. His feisty mother, Hennie, waits for her cavalryman, Shleimke, to complete two years’ military service despite the hostility of her future mother-in-law. The most prized wedding gift is a Singer sewing machine. Apprenticed since the age of thirteen, Shleimke will become a master tailor. Part two tells of the author’s childhood until the age of twelve in 1941 when the Germans invade Lithuania. Sometimes he refers to his mother as Mama, sometimes as Hennie. It is as if he is a silent observer in the room, privy to everyone’s thoughts. The author and his parents survive the Holocaust. Fleeing the advancing Germans— first in a horse and cart, later on foot with the retreating Red Army—the family reach Russia, where they stay until 1945. They return to Lithuania and settle in the capital. Only the author visits his native village. The shtetl has been eradicated. In the poignant final pages, he meets Julius, formerly his father’s nonJewish apprentice, now a master tailor with the Singer sewing machine. This is a dense read with much detail and little variation in style. This reader’s eye snagged on inconsistencies of spelling and errors of formatting. But no matter. How else could one enter that vanished world, narrated with such integrity and authenticity, and an absence of rancour? Janet Hancock

PRUSSIAN BLUE

Philip Kerr, Quercus, 2017, £13.99, pb, 558pp, 9781784296490 / Putnam, 2018, $16, pb, 576pp, 9780399185205

This is the twelfth in Philip Kerr’s popular Bernie Gunther series. It is 1956, and Bernie is still in France working as a concierge in a hotel in Cap Ferrat. But he also remains on the books of the GDR’s Stasi, and is summoned by Erich Mielke to travel to England and kill a former girlfriend of his using thallium. To persuade Bernie that the Stasi means business, he undergoes a mock execution, which has the effect of persuading Bernie to flee, back to Germany. While on the long drive from the south of France, he thinks back to his chequered police career and goes back to April 1939, when he was given a job by Reinhard Heydrich and Arthur Nebe to solve the shooting of a civil engineer, Karl Flex, in Bavaria. The sensitive element is that Flex was at Hitler’s cherished Berghof on the (nownotorious) terrace overlooking the

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

Obersalzberg when he was shot. Hitler was not present at the time and Bernie was told by Martin Bormann to ensure he quickly cleared the matter up, and apprehended the killer before Hitler’s imminent return to his beloved Bavaria. There Bernie uncovers a dangerous nest of resentment and high-level murderous corruption. In the narrative Philip Kerr provides a critical examination of the ruthless Nazi ethos of force, will and mendacity. While Bernie is by no means a perfect cop, he isn’t a Nazi, dislikes Hitler and his cronies intensely and he attempts to do what is right by the times’ skewed moral code. Even though Prussian Blue is part of a series, the books can be read with enjoyment on their own. This is a wonderfully well written and absorbing novel, full of fascinating historical detail. Douglas Kemp

THE DARKNESS WITHIN

Alanna Knight, Allison & Busby, 2017, £7.99, pb, 286pp, 9780749021429

In the wilds of Orkney in 1906, Emily’s family have gathered to support her, following the sudden death of her husband at the family home, Yesnaby. Emily’s father, retired Inspector Faro, and her older sister Rose, a private investigator, uncover some mysteries in this isolated place. What is the royal yacht doing in the area; who attacked two young men and left them unconscious; how did the mysterious Mr Smith drown at Kirkwall; and is there any truth in the legends of “selkies” or the “Maid of Norway”? This is intended as the first joint venture for Inspector Faro and Rose McQuinn (or is it Rose MacMerry?), but unfortunately, it’s not the most mysterious of storylines, and the reader, having identified the perpetrator from halfway through, is just left awaiting the details. The development of the individuality of the characters is absent, presuming the reader has already read the other series, along with their background. Irritations abound throughout, from basic inaccuracies of names and not following the thread from one page to the next as well as insufficient explanation regarding local legends and dialect. There is a lack of questioning regarding the origins of some main characters who insinuate themselves into the family unit with a blurred relationship to the family, especially Emily. As investigators, we must hope their track record improves for any subsequent mysteries. Cathy Kemp

THE HONEST SPY

Andreas Kollender, (trans. Steve Anderson), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95, pb, 368pp, 9781542045001

Fritz Kolbe, the honest spy, is not a fictional character. He was a high-level official in the German Foreign Office during WWII. As such, he had access to highly classified Nazi documents which, out of conscience, he offered to the CIA. His controller was Allen 48

Dulles. The Honest Spy is a fictional account of this time. The story is set mainly in Berlin and Bern. It is a story within a story that begins “a few years after the war” at Kolbe’s isolated cabin in the Swiss mountains. He has agreed to an interview with a young couple, a reporter and a photographer. From the framework of the interview, we are taken back to detailed scenes from Kolbe’s double life as earnest, trustworthy bureaucrat and dangerous, duplicitous spy. The Honest Spy conveys a very real sense of life in Berlin during the last two years of the Reich. Kollander’s descriptions, not at all maudlin, match photos of the devastated city during Allied bombing. He also captures the pathos of an equally devastated population. Along the same lines, I thought the author did an especially good job walking us in Kolbe’s shoes, so to speak. We feel the crushing weight of his conflicts of values, his wartime love affair, and deep personal losses. All in all, I would rate this as an exceptionally good novel. My only difficulty was with some rough transitions from interview scenes to memory scenes, which didn’t spoil the reading. If you enjoy WWII history and a good spy thriller, I would go for it. Lucille Cormier

THE SILENT DEATH

Volker Kutscher (trans. Niall Seller), Sandstone, 2017, £8.99/$15.98, pb, 528pp, 9781910985649

This is the second in the Gereon Rath series, after Babylon Berlin. It is February 1930, and Inspector Rath is still with the Berlin police, working on a number of minor cases, until an actress, Betty Winter, dies in an apparent accident at a film studio, while a new “talkie” is being made. Rath soon establishes that the death was caused by sabotage to film equipment. He also gets involved in private cases involving a young Konrad Adenauer, then Mayor of Cologne, and is also tasked to find a missing actress, Vivian Franck, who appeared in the previous novel. Rath is a spiky and rather difficult character. He has his own demons, prefers to work alone, has little (often understandable) respect for senior police staff and is not terribly likeable nor as brilliant as detective as he thinks he is. The background focussing on the German cinema industry is excellent, as is the topographical knowledge of expanding, vibrant, sassy Berlin in 1930. The story rips along in an easy, entertaining police-procedural read, though it is not what can be classified as a whodunit as the murderer is revealed to the reader during the narrative, and we are waiting for the police to make the right connections and to catch up. Douglas Kemp

THE ITALIAN PARTY

Christina Lynch, St. Martin’s, 2018, $25.99/ C$36.99, hb, 336pp, 9781250147837

Michael Messina and his new bride, Scottie, seem to have it all, as young, beautiful Americans living in Siena, Italy, in the mid1950s. Michael’s job is to sell American tractors

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

to Italian farmers, as part of the United States’ assistance program in Europe. The Messinas have a new Ford Fairlane, an apartment with a view of the city’s main piazza, and their whole lives ahead of them. They also have some big secrets from each other, which readers learn about in the first pages of the novel. Who Michael and Scottie really are emerges slowly through the narrative; life in a foreign country, with unfamiliar jobs, relationships, and even food, causes them to learn more about themselves and changes how they treat each other. All the trials a young couple go through—learning to live with each other, communicating feelings and desires, building a shared future—are more difficult because of both culture shock and the secrecy. Lynch’s handling of the main characters is sensitive and honest; we feel their hidden pain and joy. The subplots, which include spying, kidnapping, horsemanship, and sexuality, add historical depth and nuance. Readers learn much about how the US government was actually involved in Cold War Europe, undermining regimes and influencing local economies and politics. The Italian characters range from prostitutes to politicians to elegant landowners, and Lynch draws them well, providing solid connections between them and the Americans. This novel is dashing, fun, sexy and witty—a fun read on multiple levels. Helene Williams

UNDER ATTACK

Edward Marston, Allison & Busby, 2017, £19.99/$25, hb, 349pp, 9780749021238

The seventh instalment of Edward Marston’s Home Front Detective Series sees Detective Inspector Marmion and Sergeant Keedy under pressure in their personal and professional lives. As German bombs wreak havoc on London’s East End, a well-dressed body is found dead by the River Police, and Marmion and Keedy are soon exploring a man who seemed to live many separate lives. The Marmion family are also still hoping for news of missing son Paul and mourning his absence. Alice Marmion is also waiting for Sergeant Keedy to finally name the day. Once again, Edward Marston provides an intriguing mystery and a wonderfully detailed picture of life during the Great War, from the rise in teen gangs in the London docklands to the attitudes towards women police officers, still a novelty to many at the time. Marston manages to provide a snapshot of life at all levels of society from the club members still quaffing champagne and listening to classical music to the poverty of those widowed and orphaned by war. As the tangled threads of the murder investigation entwine with news of Paul, Marston deftly reveals his characters’ motivations and growths as the press begins to savage the police investigation, Marmion is personally attacked, and the pressure reaches boiling point. A clever and intriguing read from an ever-popular author. Perfect for fans of Christopher Fowler and Anne Perry. Lisa Redmond

THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL

Sujata Massey, Soho, 2018, $26.95, hb, 400pp, 978161957780

In 1921 Bombay, woman are still very much third-class citizens—except in the Parsi community, where they’re second-class citizens. Perveen Mistry, daughter of brilliant lawyer Jamshedji Mistry, is the only female solicitor in Bombay. She’s not permitted to try cases in court, but being a woman lawyer does have advantages. One of the Mistrys’ clients, a wealthy Muslim, dies leaving three widows and several small children, and what seems like a perfectly straightforward estate to portion out to his survivors. But then a letter arrives at the Mistry office claiming that the three widows wish to leave all their inheritances to a charity. Perveen is deeply suspicious of the letter, and wishes to ensure that the women understand what they are agreeing to give up. Since the women are in purdah, Perveen is the only one in the Mistry office who can go into the harem quarters to interview them. The interviews leave her even more suspicious, especially since Faisal Mukri, the man left in charge of the house and estate—supposedly to ensure the well-being of the widows—tries to keep her out. Are the widows being coerced by him into giving up their rights? Then Mukri is found stabbed to death just outside the harem door, and what seemed like a straightforward inheritance problem becomes much, much more—especially when someone seems to be targeting Perveen herself. Who killed Mukri, and who’s following Perveen? And why? Is it part of the plot against the widows, or has Perveen’s own unfortunate past come back to haunt her? This book gives the reader a well-woven mystery, a convincing (and unusual; the Parsi community isn’t often found in fiction) Indian background, and interesting characters. This is a fascinating look behind the curtain of women’s lives in pre-Independence India. I’m very much looking forward to the next in the series! India Edghill

THE WARDROBE MISTRESS

Patrick McGrath, Hutchinson, 2017, £14.99, hb, 322pp, 9781786330574

London in the bitterly cold winter of 1947. The actor Charlie Grice, known as Gricey, dies of a heart attack, and his grieving widow Joan, the eponymous wardrobe mistress for a theatre company, is not sure how she will cope without him. Joan is a non-observant Jew, while Charlie was a gentile. Matters are made worse with the troubles afflicting her daughter Vera, married to Julius Glass—for Joan, a disliked son-in-law who argued with her husband just before his death. Joan is convinced that this led to her husband’s untimely demise. Joan desperately misses her husband. When she sees Charlie’s understudy, the much younger Frank Stone, perform the part of Malvolio in Twelfth Night—the play that he was appearing in before his death—Joan is convinced that

her husband has returned and is speaking to her through Frank. But then Joan discovers a shocking political secret about her deceased husband, and she has to change many of her opinions about her family and friends in light of this new knowledge. Relationships get messy as Frank and Joan become close, and Joan is convinced that Gricey’s spirit has survived to haunt her. The story is narrated by an offstage female Greek-like Chorus that sees all and comments upon the tale as it unfolds. There is a dark, Gothic thread to the story set in post-war gloomy, austerity, ration-haunted London. Patrick McGrath is a highly accomplished writer, and this novel is a delight to read. Douglas Kemp

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN

Susan Meissner, Berkley, 2018, $26, hb, 400pp, 9780399585968

Writing with tremendous empathy, Meissner shows how a family is transformed by tragedy and hope during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Pauline Bright has finally made her peace with death after the passing of her infant son, Henry. When her husband Thomas agrees to take over his elderly Uncle Fred’s mortuary business in Philadelphia, he sees it as an opportunity to improve their circumstances. For Pauline, though, their bigcity move and new profession are a natural progression for her ongoing grief. She and her three daughters narrate in turns, in styles fitting their ages and personalities. Evie, fifteen, loves books and learning and develops a fond attachment to a fellow student. Twelve-year-old Maggie, full of curiosity and youthful eagerness, has a huge crush on an older male neighbor who’s about to leave for war. The chapters from sixyear-old Willa are realistic in their innocence and brevity. Kept away from the dangerous chemicals in the “Elm Bonning Room,” Willa makes friends at school, but peer pressure makes her avoid a German-American classmate without knowing exactly why. Meissner shows the impact of larger events via more intimate moments. In September, the Brights attend the Liberty Loan Parade, a massive public event that serves to spread influenza. Soon, the disease lands on their literal doorstep, changing their respectable home and business into a processing site for the newly dead. At this height of emotional turmoil and sorrow, one split-second decision—the rescue of an orphaned boy— gives them the strength to carry on but has repercussions. This affecting portrait of our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ time feels authentic, from Philadelphia’s extensive streetcar system to the brazen sounds of Prohibition-era speakeasies. Its touching story of mortality, love, and grace will also have readers pondering the many forgotten lives that the Spanish Flu snuffed out too soon. Sarah Johnson

CALL TO ARMS: Modern LGBTQ+ Fiction of the Second World War

Heloise Mezen, ed., Manifold, 2017, $15.00, pb, 264pp, 9781908312594

Thirteen authors write about living in the LGBTQ world in England, Europe, Asia, South America and elsewhere during the 1940s, when these preferences, risky but undeniable, were clearly illegal. Add to the yearning to live normal lives the circumstances of WWII. Their acceptance of their sexual identity provides them with stability, though this is denied by heterosexuals, except for some uniquely understanding individuals. Megan Reddaway’s “The Man Who Loved Pigs” is the story of a passionate man who is just as passionate in his startling, unassuming role as a possible spy. “We Live Without a Future” by Julie Bozza recounts the last days of Virginia Woolf, in which she treasures and questions her relationship with her lover and husband, dispassionately thinking she needs to free them both. In R. A. Padmos’s “A Life to Live,” a lover fears breaking his partner’s “soul of glass” more than flying an aircraft that will rain down death on innumerable war victims. “The Town of Titipu” by Adam Fitzroy adds a comic element as soldiers put on the play “The Mikado,” allowing their creativity to enliven a classic tale with a different twist. Sandra Lindsey’s “Between Friends” makes a significant statement about all these relationships: “… desire and lust are easy to understand and easy to answer. Love requires more care.” While Europe and England are the focus of many of these stories, Russian and Japanese participation spotlight the different motives of enemies that affect the temporary and permanent bonds of soldiers and citizens. Articles and laws in the 1950s depict the horrific purges carried out on the LGBTQ community. An interesting, unified but fragmented, and memorably inspiring body of historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

THE LAST SUPPERS

Mandy Mikulencak, John Scognamiglio Books, 2017, $25.00/C$27.95, hb, 278pp, 9781496710031

Set in the fictitious Greenmount State Penitentiary in Louisiana during the 1930s-1950s, the novel shows, from the perspective of a prison cook and the prison warden, the physical and psychological toll of their occupations. Mikulencak, a Colorado native, explores Southern mores and class differences in the period, racism, prisoners’ rights, and the effect of capital punishment, both in the lives of the prisoners and their families, and the families of the victims. Ginny Polk is a remarkable heroine who, despite her own father’s murder, recognizes the humanity of the inmates, when it’s been largely forgotten by everyone else. Ginny understands the connection between food and memory and takes extraordinary measures to prepare a special last meal for

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

each inmate, her way of tempering justice with mercy. Roscoe Simms, her father’s best friend and now Greenmount’s warden, protects Ginny’s acts of compassion from the eyes of the prison board, while discouraging her efforts throughout their unusual friendship. Raw and heartbreaking, through The Last Suppers we see the personal sacrifice and love of a woman whose life is fraught with pain on her journey to discover the truth of her father’s life and death. In this short but difficult read, the author has provided a group discussion guide and, on a much lighter note, a handful of the recipes mentioned in the novel (all from period sources) with colorful names like Chowchow and Clabber Cake. Unrestrained in its honesty, this is one novel that will keep you thinking long after the last page is read. Lauren Miller

A NECESSARY EVIL

Abir Mukherjee, Pegasus Crime, 2018, $25.95, hb, 384pp, 9781681776712 / Harvill Secker, 2017, £12.99, hb, 384pp, 9781911215127

Calcutta, India, 1920. The British are trying to persuade the rulers of Indian royal houses to join the Chamber of Princes—an attempt at appeasing the growing demand for independence for India. One holdout is the royal state of Sambalpore; its crown prince is opposed to his country joining the Chamber. Also in Calcutta is Captain Sam Wyndham, formerly of Scotland Yard and now with the police force in India. Wyndham’s with Prince Adhir when he’s assassinated, and Wyndham winds up in Sambalpore trying to discover who’s behind the plot. This is far from an easy task, as many of the people Wyndham wants to interview are royal women living in purdah. But such secluded women couldn’t know anything about politics, or murder… could they? Who killed Prince Adhir, and why? Was it the new heir to the throne? The mother of the prince who’s the next heir? The prince’s English mistress? A religious extremist? Or—surely unthinkable!—could it be someone in the British government? Entwining political and personal intrigues mean Captain Wyndham has too many suspects and not enough time to solve an increasingly deadly mystery, for the murders don’t stop with Prince Adhir’s, and Wyndham discovers that the clues lead in too many directions. And in almost all scenarios, uncovering the murderer’s identity will prove deeply embarrassing for those in power. The novel has a great sense of time and place (be prepared to mop sweat off your brow from the heat!), a fascinating mystery, and an intriguing ending. My main complaint 50

about the book is Wyndham’s odd inability to pronounce a perfectly reasonable Bengali name, so that his “Watson,” Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee, becomes “Surrendernot” Banerjee. This would be fine if “Surrendernot” were a nickname given for a heroic deed—but it’s not. However, the good things about the book outweigh that one irritation. Definitely recommended! India Edghill

THE SECRETS AT OCEAN’S EDGE

Kali Napier, Hachette Australia, 2018, A$29.99, pb, 410pp, 9780733637919

Set on the coast of Western Australia during the Great Depression years, this is the story of four members of a family dealing with the challenges of life during that difficult period and all the while keeping secrets, some even from themselves. Ernie fails at a farming enterprise and takes his family to Dongarra, where he embarks on a new guesthouse venture and is convinced that “life would come good for them.” Lily is his long-suffering wife with social aspirations who tries to ingratiate herself with the “right sort” and influential members of the closeknit community. Their daughter Girlie is the sensitive child who has to try and fit into this new environment. And then there is Tommy, Lily’s itinerant shell-shocked brother, who still suffers hallucinations and nightmares generated by the trenches of World War I. Through these four points of view there is a tender unravelling of the many misunderstandings, lies, broken promises, and hidden secrets that have woven these characters together. Tommy is gut-wrenchingly tragic, and Lily is particularly well-written and perhaps the most intriguing. The background research and 1930s atmosphere are excellent, and all the characters behave in a manner appropriate to their place in history, including their uncomfortable attitude towards Aboriginal people. As with other novels that are inspired by their authors’ ancestry, here you will find that special extra quality of storytelling that is only found in truth. If you enjoyed similar recent Australian novels such as Joy Rhoades’ The Woolgrower’s Companion, Lucy Treloar’s Salt Creek, Lisa Bigelow’s We That Are Left, and Rosalie Ham’s The Dressmaker, then this is definitely for you. Marina Maxwell

WORDWINGS

Sydelle Pearl, Guernica Editions, 2017, $20.00, pb, 203pp, 9781771831963

In January 1942, the “Final Solution” becomes the Third Reich’s official policy, marking all Jews within the Nazis’ grasp for destruction. People not immediately shipped to work camps or slain are forced into crowded slums to await their fates while starvation and exposure reduce their numbers. In the face of deliberate extinction, occupants of Warsaw’s ghastly ghetto document their existence— burying work cards, diaries, business records,

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

and art—so their cached archives will speak to the future if the people can no longer speak for themselves. Young Rivka Rosenfeld becomes an Underground Archive witness after she watches German soldiers slash her grandfather’s beard from his face. Though she risks execution because writing materials are forbidden, the horrified girl begins a journal, penned in the margins of a Hans Christian Andersen book. When Rivka reads her own story, “The Jewish Geese,” aloud, her vivid image of wild geese flying over Warsaw’s walls and leaving their hated Star of David armbands behind, inspires the ghetto’s children to paint their own memories. All become part of the Underground Archive. The award-winning Sydelle Pearl’s Wordwings is a poignant depiction of these tragic, yet uplifting events, written as the diary of twelve-year-old. It is an especially good work to introduce the Holocaust to younger readers, but enjoyable for adults as well. If there is hope to be found in such horror, Ms. Pearl offers it in the words of a child who imagines her words pushing up from the ground and taking wing. Jo Ann Butler

PALE HORSE RIDING

Chris Petit, Simon & Schuster, 2017, £14.99, hb, 407pp, 9781471143441

This is a strange and unsettling novel, primarily due to its setting. The place of Auschwitz permeates the book. It is set mainly in this place of horror, but in a disquieting way: people are murdered, shot or killed with lethal injection, but this is almost by the by. It is a fact of the institution in which they live and work. The guards help themselves to the leftover piles of clothes and objects from the Aladdin’s Cave nicknamed Canada. The sub-text is of course that these are all possessions of prisoners and, as the reader is well aware, very few of these people survived. Usually novels with Auschwitz involved are concerned with overtly creating moral outrage and sorrow in the reader. Here it is much more subtle. The place drives the guards to casual sex and drinking. The psychological toll of constantly murdering others is evident. Although there are many examples of man’s inhumanity to man for the reader to face, from institutionalised murders to beatings, crucifixion and shootings, the focus is more on the internal politics of the system. This is the second book featuring Schlegel and Morgen, the first being The Butchers of Berlin, and various things, such as the sub-plot with Sybil the Jewish seamstress, would have been clearer had I read the earlier one. The two men have come to Auschwitz to investigate stolen gold being sent through the post, but become targets themselves as many of those in power are just fine with the way things are. This is an uncomfortable, dark and thought-provoking read which examines a terrible part of history from a very different angle. Ann Northfield

THE WAR BRIDE’S SCRAPBOOK: A Novel in Pictures

Caroline Preston, Ecco, 2017, $29.99/ C$36.99/£20, hb, 224pp, 9780061966927

Preston, author of the acclaimed scrapbook novel The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt, delivers again with her second foray into this niche genre, presenting the reader with a charming wartime romance, richly decorated with vintage clippings from her fascinating collection of WWII-era documents. Each page feels like you’re flipping t h r o u g h someone’s living history, an i n t i m a t e portrayal of a young war bride, living out those anxious years on the home front, with an uncertain future. The novel also chronicles how women’s roles were being redefined as some women transitioned from housewives to finding ways to contribute to the war effort and fill gaps in the workforce vacated by soldiers. In a clever artistic decision, Preston uses vintage stationery patterns and typewriter fonts to tell the story of Lila Jerome’s sexy whirlwind romance with budding architect Perry Weld, a young army engineer. Magazine advertisements, clippings from period books, postcards, photographs, stamps and more ephemera, illustrate Lila’s journey as she comes into her own as a woman and a wife. This treasure of a book is a quick read, and one you’ll read at least twice: once for the story, and a second time to pore over the added visual element, which takes on its own gravity and presence of the love, loss and hope experienced by wartime families. Preston’s love story is at times funny, occasionally sobering, and absolutely magical. Lauren Miller

EUREKA

Anthony Quinn, Jonathan Cape, 2017, £12.99, pb, 398pp, 9781910702536

London in the swinging sixties. Having been a failed actor, Nat Fane is a playwright/ screenwriter in his late 30s who is struggling to replicate his initial great successes. He is commissioned to write a screenplay for a film for an avantgarde German director, Reiner

Werther Kloss, based on the Henry James short story The Figure in the Carpet. This story concerns a successful author who says there is a central, unified message in his oeuvre which no-one hitherto, certainly no critic, has been able to decode. Fane is rather an egotistic but charismatic bon viveur with an odd taste for sado-masochistic sex. Billie Cantrip is a young actress, somewhat unhappily attached to her stifling and failed artistic partner, Jeff. Fane had a minor part in Quinn’s previous novel Freya, and the eponymous journalist Freya Wyley plays a sizeable role in the story. The core of the story relates to the making of the film, and the roles of the main characters, with Nat Fane as the central screenplay figure. Interposed in the narrative is Nat Fane’s screenplay for The Figure in the Carpet. Although this may seem more of an indulgence by Quinn than an essential element of the plot, it is absorbing and enjoyable accompaniment to the narrative as the film of the short story is made. Quinn captures the feel, the milieu, the sensations of London in late 1960s spring and summer-time to perfection. There is a wistful nostalgic feeling to the narrative that makes one regret the irretrievable passing of such golden days, and for London which has changed so much since then. Douglas Kemp

WINTER KEPT US WARM

Anne Raeff, Counterpoint, 2017, $26.00/ C$37.50, hb, 304pp, 9781619028173

The first winter after World War II ended was brutal to those living in Berlin: cold, grim, few jobs and little food. For Ulli, a young woman who fled from her parents and their suffocating relationship, it was also a taste of freedom. She found a place to live in an abandoned apartment, and work in translating endearments between young German women and their soldier boyfriends. For Isaac and Leo, American servicemen and best friends, Ulli was a taste of the exotic; she was smart and sure of herself, and seemingly immune from the horrors of the last few years. Thus begins a decades-long relationship, full of complexities and opportunities. The story of Ulli, Isaac, and Leo covers great distances, from Berlin to New York City, to the Soviet Union and Morocco. Even when physically together, though, they each hold themselves at a distance emotionally, with memories and secrets keeping them apart. Isaac, especially, spends much of his life waiting, rather than doing, preferring to observe, reflect, and pick up the pieces of others’ lives, rather than direct his own. Only at the end of his life does Isaac take action; his final visit to Ulli is the frame through which all three characters’ strengths, flaws, and secrets are slowly revealed. Raeff is a consummate storyteller, providing deep insight into her characters through her keen use of language and image. Depictions of places are similarly moving, both historically accurate and a vital part of the characters’ story. Readers’ emotions will

run the gamut, rejoicing at quiet moments of happiness, and tearing up when tragedy strikes. These are characters—and choices—to think about long after finishing the last page. Helene Williams

THE HAPSBURG VARIATION

Bill Rapp, Coffeetown, 2017, $15.95, pb, 264pp, 9781603816434

This is set in the 1950s, the Cold War era, in Vienna. The Hapsburg Variation is the second book in a series about CIA agent Karl Baier (Tears of Innocence was the first). Bill Rapp, the author, has the proper resume—many spooky years with the agency—to write such a story. At this time, four Allied Powers are just about to sign the State Treaty, which will return Austria’s independence and end the post-war occupation. The story begins with a dead body, as all proper thrillers do. The Iron Curtain is going up, and this is a spy vs. spy vs. spy situation, with the British, American, French, Soviets, and Germans involved. Fortunately, the author has the playbook, as does his hero, a tough operative with a German war wife. She’s another cool customer, who also played “the great game.” The beginning to the middle of the story is an engaging read—lots of tasty Third Man flashbacks--and then things began to bog down with one too many mysterious bouts of verbal fencing, which I sometimes had difficulty following. Perhaps the author was in a bit of a hurry to finish this one, because, for me, the denouement felt flat. Nevertheless, I liked the writing, the post-war ambiance, the characters, and the nasty geo-politics well enough to be willing to think I should get the first novel and start over at the beginning. Juliet Waldron

KING ZENO

Nathaniel Rich, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2018, $28.00/C$36.50, hb, 400pp, 9780374181314

New Orleans comes alive in 1918: the Great War is over; the musical sound of jazz is heard in many of the clubs and honkytonks around the city, while the Spanish influenza invades homes, sending many to hospitals or the morgues. Meanwhile, Detective Bastrop is on the trail of “Negro” highwaymen who rob and injure innocent people. Bastrop continues to fight his demon: during the war, a bomb buried his men in their shelter, while he alone escaped to safety. He knows that because he was a coward, he failed to help save his comrades. Isadore Zeno plays a mean trumpet to the new jazz music for little pay and wants to become famous. He tries to make a better living as a highwayman at night. Beatrice Vizzini, wife of a former mobster who died recently, is trying to move her inherited company onto the straight and narrow. Her son, Georgio, has other plans and uses intimidation and violence to convince people to sell land so their company can complete the Industrial Canal that is being dug through the

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

city swamplands. Meanwhile, there is an ax murderer on the loose, killing primarily grocers throughout the city. I found this a fascinating crime novel set during the turbulent, racist times in New Orleans right after the war. The story is told from the viewpoint of Detective Bastrop, Isadore Zeno, and Beatrice Vizzini. The characterizations are well drawn, and the writing is exceptional. The author knows how to bring the reader into the locale because he has studied the city’s history and gives life to the city and the characters. The story stayed with me long after I finished the book. Jeff Westerhoff

DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY

Aimie K. Runyan, Lake Union, 2018, $24.95, hb, 316pp, 9781503946774

In the Soviet Union in 1941, Stalin has declared equal rights for women, but they still experience discrimination. Nevertheless, 20-year-old Katya manages to follow her childhood dream. She trains for her pilot’s wings at the Chelyabinsk Military Aviation School and flourishes despite the instructors’ preferential treatment of male cadets. While still learning to be a navigator, she befriends a pilot, Vanya, who teaches her to fly Polikarpovs—fragile biplanes more suitable for crop-dusting than dropping bombs. They fall in love and get married, but following the German invasion, they’re soon separated and assigned to different fronts. Katya joins the 588th Night Bomber Regiment. This air unit, comprising only of women, is so effective in harassing and destroying the German supply lines that they are nicknamed the “Night Witches.” While surviving the hardships of war, the night sorties, and the lack of decent accommodation and food, Katya dreams of reuniting with Vanya. Aimie K. Runyan has based this historical novel on the relatively unknown stories of the USSR’s female fliers, who were highly decorated for their WWII service. The narrative in Katya’s first-person voice is not only atmospheric but also provides intimate details of the Russian people’s habits and living conditions during the wartime years. The secondary storylines of Katya’s sistersin-arms present more fascinating details on their dedicated efforts, particularly when they improvise to increase their nightly sorties with their ill-equipped bombers and make do with ill-fitting uniforms and oversized shoes. While Katya’s determination and sacrifices are amply apparent, she shows one surprising moment of weakness, which also serves to demonstrate her human side. Somewhat like a classic Russian novel, the ending is compelling but seems a bit protracted. An enjoyable read. Waheed Rabbani

ONCE AN HEIRESS

Renee Ryan, Waterfall, 2017, $12.95, pb, 348pp, 9781542046350

Set in 1901 in New York City, this inspirational

romance follows a one-time Boston socialite, Gigi Wentworth, as she tries to atone for running off with a fortune hunter, taking with her a family heirloom. Abandoned at the altar, Gigi pawned the jewelry to stay out of debtors’ prison. Since then, she has been secretly working as a lady’s maid in order to redeem the heirloom. However, she is found by an old friend, the perfectly correct Christopher Fitzpatrick–”Fitz.” A man with secrets of his own, Fitz has always loved Gigi, but is convinced she doesn’t return his love. He has not come for Gigi, but for the heirloom. Or so he believes. The two reconnect. Each discovers how the other has grown. As they find more to admire, they fall in love (again). This is “clean romance,” and it’s charming. The plot incorporates elements of everyday dilemmas (aging/ill parents, business deals, debt, concerns about friends) to create an engaging world. Both hero and heroine are strong characters who own their mistakes and set about making things right. Sue Asher

THE WINTER STATION

Jody Shields, Little, Brown, 2018, $27.00/ C$35.00, hb, 352pp, 9780316385343

1910: As winter approaches, two frozen bodies are found near the railroad station in the city of Kharbin, a Russian outpost in northern Manchuria. The Baron, a Russian aristocrat and the city’s medical commissioner, is, surprisingly, not officially informed of these deaths and he investigates. Other mysterious deaths occur. It is soon apparent that the city is in the grip of plague, caused by bacillus pestis. Wrapped in clumsy cotton masks and drenched in antiseptic, the Baron and an international team of doctors battle the epidemic. How is the contagion transmitted? What might slow or stop it? In the bitter cold of a frigid Manchurian winter, corpses are abandoned in the city streets, quickly covered by drifts of snow. The Baron finds solace from the increasing horror with his Chinese wife, his calligraphy classes, and the companionship of his friend Messonier, who has unexpectedly found love. But can any human relationships survive this massive epidemic? This striking novel is based on a littleknown outbreak of pneumonic plague in 1910. Human courage, tenacity, and love confront overwhelming mortality. Like a delicate calligraphy, Jody Shields paints a starkly moving picture of our elusive humanity, as ephemeral and beautiful as snowflakes falling from a

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

frozen sky. The images are unforgettable, and the book highly recommended. Susan McDuffie

A CHERRY BLOSSOM IN WINTER

Ron Singerton, Penmore, 2017, $21.50, pb, 408pp, 9781942756927.

Russia in the early 1900s is a nation beginning to unravel because of corruption and rebellion. Those in Tsar Nicholas II’s regime pride themselves on unmitigated power. Infidelity and secrets are rife in the highest echelons. As soon as truth emerges, arrangements for new relationships quickly follow, and deaths are assigned as easily. Alexei Brusilov, the son of a Russian ambassador, accompanies his father to a reception, where Alexei meets and instantly falls in love with a Japanese girl, Kimi-san. Her father is an important Japanese war hero, and her brother is about to become a naval commander in the Russo-Japanese War. Alexei seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in most of the scenes within this story. His best friend is a Socialist yearning for revolution and willing to risk his freedom and his Russian Naval Academy career. Alexei travels to Japan, where he again encounters Kimi but is told she will never be his as he is a gaijin, or foreign enemy. The Russo-Japanese War places him and his best friend Sergei in danger of Boris, the man who holds Alexei responsible for the death of his beloved Svetlana. The remainder of the war is a harsh commentary on the deplorable conditions of the Russian navy, and the twists and turns conspiring to end the life of Alexei and his friend. Hope and promises will be fulfilled, but at a phenomenal cost for Alexei and Russia. Obviously well-researched, A Cherry Blossom in Winter is a harsh but endearing read that holds the reader’s consistent attention. Love in the midst of revolution: how riveting is that? Engaging, highly recommended historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

THE SEA BEFORE US

Sarah Sundin, Revell, 2018, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 9780800727970

In 1944, Lieutenant Wyatt Paxton is in London as part of the US Navy team assigned to the Allied naval headquarters to assist with preparations for Operation Neptune, the D-Day landings on the Normandy beaches. Wyatt works with a British Wren, Officer Dorothy Fairfax, in plotting maps and identifying landmarks on the shorelines where the Germans would establish defensive positions. These would be the initial targets for the naval bombardment. Dorothy has been marking the drawings using vacation photographs sent in by the public. One photograph, showing a family standing by a seawall and a two-story house in the background, intrigues Wyatt. Dorothy merely indicates that it is her own family’s vacation snapshot, and is coy about her background.

Wyatt is more forthcoming and, surprisingly, he tells Dorothy and her father all the reasons for his nearly three-year estrangement from his two brothers. Although Dorothy and Wyatt are drawn closer, he fears that his war efforts might distress her. This novel is the first of Sarah Sundin’s new Sunrise at Normandy series, her fourth series set during WWII. Her knowledge of that period, both of the people and the Allied forces, shines in the narrative. In addition to the engaging love story, the novel is full of interesting particulars, such as use of public photographs in planning the D-Day invasion, and the US naval tradition of addressing their officers as “mister.” Although the dialogue between the US servicemen has the usual type of banter, it’s entertaining to see their wonder at British customs and manners. Sundin has set up an attention-grabbing plot, and she masterfully includes historical facts into the storyline, such as the picture of the beach house (which is similar to the one seen in documentaries about D-Day) and the Germans’ “Little Blitz” on London in 1944. Readers will be informed and entertained. Waheed Rabbani

CITY OF LIES

Victoria Thompson, Berkley Prime Crime, 2017, $26.00/C$35.00, hb, 320pp, 9780399586576

Elizabeth Miles must flee for her life in Washington City when Oscar Thornton realizes that she and her brother have conned him out of a large sum of money. With Thornton and his thugs closing in, she slips into a crowd of suffragists demonstrating in front of the White House and quickly orchestrates a disturbance that lands all the demonstrators in jail, where her pursuers cannot follow her. The incarceration proves much longer and grimmer than expected, and during that harrowing experience she bonds with two of the suffragists. Through a series of lies she hides her identity as a grifter to be accepted by these respectable women of a higher social class. Keeping her secret becomes nearly impossible once she travels to New York with her new friends and meets Gideon Bates, a perceptive lawyer and son of one of the suffragists. Elizabeth falls into a trap set by Thornton and must rely on her sharp wits to stay alive. Lies and manipulation offer the only way out of her dangerous predicament; she hopes they will serve as a means of revenge as well. This tautly written, intriguing story merges historical facts regarding a draconian detainment of suffragists in 1917, and the hunger strike they endured to gain their freedom, with multiple layers of fictional plot complications. It also provides an interesting glimpse into the shadowy world of early 20th-century con artists and their sometimesnefarious targets. The well-drawn characters from contrasting strata of society who cross paths develop unexpected attachments, and the action builds to a gratifying surprise ending. Cynthia Slocum

THE GATE KEEPER

Charles Todd, William Morrow, 2018, $26.99/ C$33.50, hb, 320pp, 9780062678713

1920: Late one December night, after dancing at his sister’s nuptials and then running from his everpresent personal demons, Ian R u t l e d g e encounters murder in the middle of a quiet country lane--a stopped car, a body, and a young woman covered in blood. The victim, Stephen Wentworth, was a gentle and wellliked bookseller with no known enemies. The woman insists the killer approached Stephen on the lonely road, shot him point-blank, and vanished, leaving no trace. Rutledge investigates the case, but he finds few leads in the small village of Wolf Pit, and Stephen’s family provides scant help. A second murder occurs, also with no discernible motive, and Rutledge realizes he must search more deeply to find the killer. The Ian Rutledge series, with its intriguing main character, has always been a favorite of mine. This mystery is one of the finest in the series. Rutledge’s investigations take him up one dead end after another, and the resolution of the case is unexpected and satisfying. The complex characterization of the victim, his family, and other players add to the pleasure of this finely plotted mystery. One of the best I have read by Charles Todd— very highly recommended! Susan McDuffie

IN LOVE AND WAR Liz Trenow, Pan, 2018, 352pp, 9781509825080

£7.99,

pb,

In July 1919, three women converge upon Hoppestadt, a Belgian village just behind the former Western Front. Shy Englishwoman Ruby has come at the behest of her parentsin-law, hoping to find her husband’s grave. Brash American Alice is convinced that she might find her brother still alive, while German Martha and her son Otto are there to fulfil a promise to her dead husband. But none of them finds what she expected… I had high hopes for this book. The premise—of using early battlefield tours to explore themes of grief and reconciliation— sounded intriguing and, judging from the cover quotations, Trenow is highly thought of. Unfortunately, I felt she sacrificed depth for breadth in spreading herself so thinly between three protagonists. I never felt I got to know them enough to immerse myself in their emotions, and at times it felt a bit like writing-by-numbers: one Brit, one American, one German—check. One widow, one sister,

one mother—check. Desertion—check. Shellshock—check. There is an over-reliance on coincidence, and I would have welcomed more psychological complexity in the other characters’ reactions to the Germans. The novel is also littered with historical errors. Only officers’ families received telegrams from the War Office: other ranks got letters. Germany was involved in several wars during the 19th century, but the Crimean wasn’t one of them. I’m not sure if Trenow is aware that theoretically suicide was illegal in the UK until 1961, or that malnourished children suffer from stunted growth and delayed puberty, or that at its largest the Suffolk Regiment consisted of 12 battalions, so the chances of two random men from the same regiment knowing one another are infinitesimally small. I’m sure other readers will love it, but I was disappointed at this missed opportunity. Jasmina Svenne

ACROSS THE BLUE

Carrie Turansky, Multnomah, 2018, $14.99/ C$19.99, pb, 352pp, 978160142921

In 1909, daring aviators are racing to be the first to cross the English Channel, and to win the Daily Mail prize of £1000. James Drake and his mentor, Professor Steed, are determined to be the winners. When James crashes in a nearby field during a test flight, he serendipitously meets Charles Grayson, owner of the Daily Mail, and his daughter, Bella. After meeting James, Bella becomes even more interested in flying. She has always loved airplanes, and secretly dreams of being a newspaper journalist. This chance encounter with James helps her make a deal with her father. He’ll let her write a series of profile pieces on the different aviators, to be published anonymously in the Daily Mail, if she’ll agree to see suitors and choose one to marry by the end of the season. As Bella and James each pursue their dreams, their paths keep crossing and a friendship naturally ensues. Of course, coming from different social classes, their love seems doomed. James is an orphan, with an unknown past, and Bella is expected to marry well. The story begins slowly. I was expecting it to be a traditional Christian romance with little action based on the first half of the book. But, as James gets closer and closer to attempting to cross the Channel, the adventure also picks up pace. Turansky blends historical detail, romance, and adventure into a smooth, delightful story. I particularly liked the challenges and setbacks James and the Professor face as they race to build a machine that will endure the long journey across the Channel. These parts of the book are what keep the story going; I was less interested in Bella’s struggles to be a writer. All in all, this is a delightful book full of love and adventure. Recommended. Rebecca Cochran

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

THE MARSHAL AND THE MOONSHINER

C.W. Wendelboe, Five Star, 2018, $25.95, hb, 254pp, 9781432837280

Wendelboe has written a highly atmospheric Western detective story. Set in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl in the Great Depression, its protagonist is U.S. Marshal Nelson “Nels” Lane, come to El Reno, Oklahoma from Wyoming to search for murder suspect Amos Iron Horse. Unfortunately for Nels, a recovering alcoholic, moonshine is the primary industry in the town, and he’s partnered with Deputy Maris Red Hat, who has a weakness for alcohol and men. This book is crammed full of characters and plot twists, both a strength and a weakness. Its breakneck pace had me reading it in almost one sitting, but also flipping back and forth to remind myself when this or that character was introduced. Among the memorable ones is Maris’s uncle, Byron Black Kettle, another recovering alcoholic who runs the local diner. When Nels falls off the wagon, Byron is there to listen, and both men comment that there should be some sort of anonymous organization to support alcoholics. That’s the kind of subtlety the book employs. Wendelboe really gets at this specific place and time—I could feel the dust that blanketed everything, Nels’s longing for that jar of moonshine, the lawlessness aided by the local law enforcement, and the delicate relationships between various Native American tribes. Ellen Keith

MULTI-PERIOD

SEASONS OF THE MOON

Julien Aranda (trans. Roland Glasser), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95, pb, 229pp, 9781542047777

In 1929, Paul Vertune is born into a poor farm family on France’s North Atlantic coast. Seasons of The Moon follows the seasons of Paul’s life, told in the first person, until his funeral in 2009. Paul’s father has no use for him, but Paul is his mother’s favorite of four children. Father dies early, and Paul’s oldest brother takes on Father’s role. Germany invades France and occupies the region. Paul yearns to become a sailor and escape a life of boring toil on the farm. He falls in love with a local girl. A humane German officer both saves Paul from getting shot and tells Paul about the daughter he left behind in Germany. Paul marries the local lass and finds work as a stevedore and then as the lowest hand aboard ocean-going ships. He sets out to find the German officer’s daughter. Through dangers and challenges, Paul follows his deepest instincts, helps others as he can, and maintains both a happy disposition and a positive outlook. Through Paul’s reflections, Aranda imparts his philosophy of life, of relationships, and chance encounters on the journey. Aranda’s literary prose, translated from French, fits the 54

story and characters. Aranda’s main challenge is to present the fullness of Vertune’s eighty years in slightly more than 200 pages. Parts of the novel succeed, but some important events and times, such as the German occupation of rural France and Paul’s pursuits as a crewman while juggling his family obligations, are not fully realized and will leave some readers wanting a fuller, richer story. G. J. Berger

THE SILVER MUSIC BOX

Mina Baites (trans. Alison Layland), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95, pb, 272pp, 9781542048484

This novel spans multiple generations, numerous geographic locations, and two world wars, all tied together by an exquisite silver music box. The early protagonist is Johann Blumenthal, a German Jewish silversmith, who fashions the box for his small son. When Johann decides to fight for Germany during the Great War, he leaves the box with his son, with the promise that they will be reunited after the war. However, Johann does not return, and his son Paul grows up cherishing the box as the last reminder of his father. The story takes a new turn when Paul has grown up and runs his father’s jewelry store. But then Paul and the other German Jews find themselves the targets of new laws, which restrict their lives and deprive them of their jobs. Paul and his wife convert to Catholicism in the hopes of escaping the escalating violence. Finally, they must leave their home, and they take their children and the music box as they flee. The book takes its final turn in the 1960s, when a girl finds out that her recently deceased parents were actually her adoptive parents. She is given the silver music box that has been in storage for many years and launches a quest to find out who her real parents were. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, with a wellpaced plot and believable characters. It is infused with innumerable historic details; I had no idea that German Jews fought alongside their Christian countrymen during the Great War. Highly recommended. Linda Harris Sittig

THE TUSCAN CHILD

Rhys Bowen, Lake Union, 2018, $14.95, pb, 360pp, 9781503951815

Set against the backdrop of the Tuscan hills of Italy, this story is told through dual narrators. One is Hugo Langley, a British bomber shot down in 1944 into a Germanoccupied area of Italy. The other narrator is Joanna Langley, his modern-day estranged daughter who discovers, after his death, an unopened letter addressed thirty years ago to a woman in Tuscany—a woman that Joanna knows nothing about. Leaving London for what she is sure will be a short visit, Joanna travels to a small village in Tuscany, where she knows her father’s plane had been shot down. Asking around the town

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

about the woman whose name appears on the envelope, Joanna is baffled that none of the villagers are willing to talk about her. Neither are they willing to admit that a British airman landed in one of their fields and later escaped capture from the Germans. Determined to get to the bottom of the puzzle, Joanna is aided by a local man whose powerful father wants Joanna gone from the village. As clues turn into startling revelations, Joanna finds that her father and the woman of the envelope together hid a child and had planned to come back and retrieve him. Astounded that she may have an unknown step-brother, Joanna vows to stay until the mystery is solved. This novel is well plotted with characters that are so compelling, with their attributes and flaws, that the reader can almost feel as if they had sat down and shared a glass of vin santo with them. The ending comes as a complete surprise, which only increased my enjoyment of the entire story. Linda Harris Sittig

SECRET SHORES

Ella Carey, Lake Union, 2017, $14.95, pb, 305pp, 9781542046497

Tess Miller, a book editor in 1987 New York, is shocked when her boss pulls her from working with her top client to editing a book from an obscure Australian poet. She blames her demotion on the new golden boy at the publishing company, James. Tess reluctantly reads the poet’s manuscript and is immediately entranced by the decades-old love story. In 1946 Australia, Edward Russell falls for the artist Rebecca Swift. After the scourges of WWII, young people are trying to change their beliefs and eradicate the class system that restricts them. Edward is the second son of a fine old family, but he wants nothing to do with their wealth and old-fashioned ideas. Rebecca is struggling to break out, away from her overbearing mother, and finds solace and love with Edward—but his family does not approve of her. A series of tragedies sets them both on paths they did not expect. Tess travels to Rome, where Edward lives, after she realizes his novel is autobiographical. She wants the world to celebrate the elusive Rebecca. To her fury, James must accompany her. However, Edward refuses any outward commercialism concerning his story. And there’s the rub: If Edward wanted his novel to remain literary and quiet, he shouldn’t have submitted it to a major commercial publishing house. Also, James swears he didn’t steal Tess’s client, but he’s never allowed to explain the details. The novel is predictable in places, especially the modern section. The romance there seems forced. Learning about Sunday and John Reed and the modernist movement in Australia was thought-provoking and compelled me to search out their history. The prose is simple, but the story held my interest, and it’s a diverting read. Diane Scott Lewis

THE CLOISTER

James Carroll, Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2018, $26.95/C$35.95, hb, 384pp, 9780385541275

This dual-time period story alternates between the 12th century and the 1950s to tell two tales linked by a tolerance for Jews unusual to each period. In 12th-century France, philosopher and monk Peter Abelard falls in love with his protégée, a young noblewoman named Heloise. Their forbidden love bears unexpected fruit, as both are destined for greater contributions to the world and to the church—a heartbreaking legacy of romance and a forbidden teaching on Semitic tolerance. Eight hundred years later in postWWII America, another man and woman are coming to terms with similar issues in their pasts, Fr. Michael Kavanagh as a priest facing another kind of forbidden love, and Rachel Vedette recovering from the horrors of the Holocaust. This is a good story, but I wasn’t ever able to really get into it. I felt like I was being kept at a narrative distance as a reader when I really wanted to get swept up in the love between Heloise and Abelard and the unusual relationship between Rachel and Fr. Kavanagh. I saw clearly the parallels the author was drawing between the tragedy of Abelard’s time and the more modern storyline—which both call for racial and religious tolerance, a message deeply needed today—but they didn’t click enough to give me more than a hint of history (and lives) repeating themselves. However, that is not to say the book is unenjoyable. The descriptions are a high point, effortlessly drawing the reader into time and place and painting the characters quite vividly. I am hopeful that other readers will have more of an affinity for this book and will enjoy aspects of it that I failed to see. Nicole Evelina

TIME’S BETRAYAL

David Adams Cleveland, Fomite, 2017, $24.95, hb, 1170pp, 9781944388133

This novel covers four generations of the Alden family from the Civil War through the 20th century. It opens in 1965, when Peter is a student at the prep school founded by his prominent New England family. Here he begins his decades-long search to learn about the father he never knew. In 1953 Peter’s father disappeared into communist East Berlin and was never seen again. The story moves between Peter’s great grandfather, a Civil War hero; his grandfather, a doctor in WWI; his father, a renowned archaeologist who served in WWII as an OSS agent, then a CIA agent; and Peter, whose search lasts into the 1990s. Through his father’s colleagues, acquaintances, writings, letters, diary entries, Stasi files, and newspaper clippings, Peter pieces together who his father was, and his fate. He uncovers family secrets, lies, betrayals, spy scandals, and illicit love affairs. This is a literary page-turner with many philosophical themes running throughout.

The narrative is nonlinear, with details revealed in pieces as the reader is brought back and forth in time and place: the Berkshires, Vienna, Prague, Greece, London, Vietnam. It is a challenging read to pull all the scattered pieces together into a cohesive story, and I feel I lost some while wading through the volume of detail. The writing is outstanding yet overburdened with too much flowery description that does little to move the story along: “…the templed slopes beribboned with streamers of amethyst light, the lichen-spangled marble of the ancient sanctuaries showing in silvery blue planes of cubist jottings, while the walls and stony contours of the ancient town began to merge as one moiré stain on the twilight.” Despite these drawbacks, I enjoyed the book. It is a worthwhile read for anyone who loves to lose themselves in a big book and willing to make the investment in time and effort. Janice Ottersberg

THE NATURALIST’S DAUGHTER

Tea Cooper, Harlequin (Australia), 2017, A$29.99, pb, 356pp, 9781489242426

Tea Cooper’s seventh historical fiction novel set in colonial Australia, The Naturalist’s Daughter tells the stories of two young women one hundred years apart: the challenges they faced and how they both discover unexpected family ties and true love. Rose Winton has led an unconventional rural life in Agnes Creek, New South Wales assisting her father, Charles, with his scientific observations of the platypus. In 1808 botanist, Sir Joseph Banks, summons Charles to England to present his findings to the prestigious Royal Society. Charles is unable to go due to ill health, so it falls to Rose to make the long journey. In London, Rose comes up against the full force of the elitist scientific community. Fleeing London, Rose embarks on a dangerous journey to Cornwall, where she learns about her mother’s mysterious past. It’s 1908 in Sydney, and Tamsin Alleyn is a librarian tasked with researching the missing papers of Charles Winton. She travels to country New South Wales to examine a sketchbook believed to be Winton’s, but encounters severe obstacles to her quest. She pairs up with a solicitor with a passion for antiquarian books, and together they attempt to piece together the mystery of Charles Winton and his daughter Rose. In doing so, Tamsin uncovers secrets about her own family. Past and present converge in an unexpected twist. Cooper skillfully weaves historical fact through the two stories, creating a sense of atmosphere and suspense. Both stories are engaging, and the transitions back and forth work well. She has created two determined and feisty young women of their respective times and interwoven a compelling storyline about scientific discovery and colonial secrets. Whilst there’s enough love interest to satisfy fans of historical romance, it doesn’t detract

from the novel’s primary function, that of historical fiction with a mystery plot. Christine Childs

I’ll Be Your Blue Sky

Marisa de los Santos, William Morrow, 2018, $26.99/C$33.50, hb, 320pp, 9780062791436

Clare Hobbes is about to marry the man of her dreams, or so she thinks. But just before the wedding, she has a chance encounter with the elderly Edith Herron, who convinces Clare to trust her gut and break off her impending nuptials to her controlling, manipulative fiancé. Not long after, Edith dies. To everyone’s shock, she leaves her home, Blue Sky House, to Clare. As the new owner soon comes to discover, the house has a storied past of its own, one that may have ripple effects on Clare’s own life. This book isn’t really historical fiction; it is dual time period women’s fiction. Unfortunately, the historical storyline, which is set in the 1950s, is not very strong. It functions only to move the contemporary storyline along, rather than as its own independent aspect of the plot. It also could have happened any time, so it’s not firmly anchored in its period, which is disappointing because that could have provided some muchneeded emotional impact. On top of that, the historical characters aren’t really given a chance to live and become three-dimensional, so they feel more like convenient plot devices than people you can root for. Conversely, the contemporary characters are well developed and strong, but all that does is emphasize the unevenness of the storyline. While the book provides a healthy dose of optimism, it feels too contrived to be believable or compelling. Not one to rush out to read. Nicole Evelina

THE SILVER WELL

Kate Forsyth and Kim Wilkins, Ticonderoga, 2017, $21.99/A$30, pb, 272pp, 9781925212525

Many of the world’s mystical places have remained so for centuries, even millennia. In this absorbing collection, the authors present seven stories, all linked through their setting of Cerne Abbas, a village in Dorset, which is home to an ancient wishing well and a giant (and wellendowed) hillfigure sculpted into the chalk countryside. The folk beliefs of the region play a strong role in each story, each of which is extraordinarily attuned to its era while evoking the timelessness of human emotions: protectiveness, jealousy, hope, fear, and love. The book opens in the present day, with

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

Rosie Brightwell, an Australian woman, visiting her grandparents’ English birthplace after a messy breakup. The subsequent tales progressively lead further back in time, detailing the lives of earlier Brightwells and their lovers, neighbors, and adversaries, and finally concludes with the remainder of Rosie’s story. It’s hard to pick a favorite! “My Sister’s Ghost” is a suspenseful Victorian ghost story suffused with grief and desperation, and with a delightful child narrator. In “The True Confession of Obedience-to-God Ashe,” full of devilish twists, a Puritan parson’s spiteful daughter uses the well’s power to achieve her desire. Set in 999 AD, a time of panic and prophecy, “The End of Everything” tells of the gentle love between an unlikely couple. “The Cunning Woman’s Daughter” is a well-crafted Tudor mystery told against the backdrop of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Perhaps the most moving is “The Blessing,” which sees a young woman reacting to the devastation of World War II. And “The Giant” shows the villagers in 44 AD, preparing for the expected Roman incursion in different ways. The stories are tinged with supernatural happenings. This is a satisfying, multi-dimensional read for anyone who likes pondering history’s deep and intricate layers. Sarah Johnson

PECULIAR GROUND

Lucy Hughes-Hallett, Harper, 2018, $28.99/ C$35.99, hb, 464pp, 9780062684196 / Fourth Estate, 2017, £16.99, hb, 496pp, 9780008126506

Set in both the 1660s and the 1960s, this debut novel explores the workings of a fictional English manor house called Wychwood. In the 1660s world, the newly restored Lord Woldingham hires landscape architect Mr. Norris to create the elaborate waterways that will eventually mark the estate. While fastidious in his work, Norris misses many subtle clues to the delicate social balance of the Wychwood residents, recovering from the upheaval of the Civil War and the Restoration. Norris blunders into many unenviable positions, driven not only by his desire to create beauty, but also his desire for Lord Woldingham’s niece, Cecily. Pursuing Cecily’s company leads Norris to question the unusual way Wychwood was run while Lord Woldingham was exiled. The modern section of the novel begins during a weekend house party in the 1960s. During that weekend, marriages and lovers break at the estate, while the bond between East and West dissolves in Germany with the overnight building of the Berlin Wall. The core of these characters come together again in 1973 and 1989, as bonds coalesce and loyalties shift, yet all the while, Wychwood remains. The aristocrats change, but the land is always cared for by the same families: the Slatters, the Greens, the Goodyears, the Armstrongs, the Underhills, and the Lanes. This is a lush read, as Hughes-Hallett allows Wychwood room to expand as a personality on the page. However, some of the characters’ stories seem extraneous and shallow in comparison to the house itself. I enjoyed the 56

conflicts of the 1660s more, as the Restoration and outbreak of Plague carry more weight as an external plotline than the 1961 discussion of the Berlin Wall from the safety of Wychwood. But the main takeaway and most gratifying exploration of this novel is the big theme that seems as important today as it was during the Restoration. Who gets in, and who stays out? Katie Stine

THE HOUSE OF ERZULIE

Kirsten Imani Kasai, Shade Mountain, 2018, $24.95, pb, 274pp, 9780998463414

Architectural historian Lydia Mueller secures a juicy assignment: evaluating historical objects found during the renovation of a sugar plantation near New Orleans. Letters and diaries, blood-letting lancets, and a writ committing Isidore SaintAnge of Belle Rive Plantation to Louisiana’s State Insane Asylum are rich documents, but Lydia’s husband, Lance, is wary, for she is recovering from her own mental disturbance. He doesn’t know half of Lydia’s struggle, for she is hiding her urge to start cutting herself again. Perhaps Lance is right, for when Lydia starts reading, she can’t resist trying the blood-letter. As Emilie St. Ange’s correspondence shows, it isn’t long after she marries Isidore Saint-Ange in 1851 that they start exploring spiritualism, and Isidore’s moods become increasingly erratic. Unknown to Emilie, P’tite Marie, the sensuous vodou practitioner, has guided Isidore down an erotically sinister path. Kirsten Imani Kasai’s multi-period tale, The House of Erzulie, is a fascinating and surreal look into troubled minds. Both Isidore’s and Lydia’s grip on reality spins in and out of control; they experience visions, besotted compulsions, and self-mutilation as the veil between their worlds becomes increasingly tattered and their lives take parallel turns. Ms. Kasai’s settings are lush, and her sometimes-brutal tale is compulsive stuff (though squeamish readers beware!), even when her reader is left unsure of reality. I rarely say that I can’t put a book down, but The House of Erzulie left me besotted too. Highly recommended. Jo Ann Butler

REBELLION

Molly Patterson, Harper, 2017, $26.99, hb, 560pp, 9780062574046

In 1999, 84-year-old Hazel must leave her rural Illinois farm to reside in a nursing home. After her children and grandchildren arrive to close up the farmhouse, the family discovers Hazel’s belongings and, curiously, an original Chinese fan. The storyline then segues to

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

the 1890s, when Hazel’s mother, Louisa, corresponded with her sister, Addie, in China. Addie and her husband had gone there as missionaries. Disheartened, Addie befriends an avant-garde, feminist woman and moves out with her. China becomes engulfed in the Boxer Rebellion, and Addie mysteriously disappears. By 1958, Hazel is widowed and struggles to operate her Illinois farm single-handedly. She is assisted by her neighbor, Hughes, and they have a secret affair. Then in 1998, Juanlan returns home to China after college, close to where Addie lived. Seeking better opportunities, but having to help her sick father and pregnant sister-in-law, Juanlan— somewhat like Addie—rebels against being confined and starts a liaison with a married man. In this multigenerational saga, Molly Patterson explores the tumultuous lives of four women whose lives are interconnected (one a bit loosely). Each of them deals with subservience and the repressive societal norms of their times by rebelling against them. This forms the novel’s main theme. Patterson’s Midwestern upbringing and travels in China show in the atmospheric narrative. The characters’ lives, separated in alternating chapters, are told with imaginative descriptions; for example, Juanlan “has a live wire inside her, like a burning blue coil.” Since the story lines don’t converge into a definitive ending, room is left for a possible sequel. Also, in the beginning we meet Hazel’s granddaughter, Mal, who has joined the Peace Corps after graduation and is off to Burkina Faso. She’s another rebel in the making. An enjoyable and informative read. Waheed Rabbani

THE PEARL SISTER

Lucinda Riley, Atria, 2018, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 528pp, 9781501180033 / Macmillan, 2017, £18.99, hb, 704pp, 9781509840052

In 2007, CeCe (Celaeno) D’Aplièse is on an airplane. She sees the intermittent groups of twinkling lights below, one resembling the Pleiades cluster, the “Seven Sisters,” after which her Swiss billionaire father had named her and six other baby girls he’d adopted from around the world. Only upon his death did CeCe learn something about her biological family. Her inheritance envelope had contained an old photograph, the name Kitty Mercer, and the coordinates of a remote town in Australia. Dyslexic, CeCe left art school in London and, after a brief stopover in Thailand where she encountered another mysterious billionaire, she arrives in Australia seeking her past. In 1906, eighteen-year-old Kitty is coerced by her adulterous clergyman father into

accompanying a wealthy lady from Scotland to Australia. There, Kitty is introduced to the Mercer family, who operate a lucrative pearl fishing business. Kitty soon discovers that in Australia, anybody “could reinvent themselves to be anyone they chose.” This fourth novel in Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series is brilliantly written. Reading like a stand-alone, it’s full of evocative details about cities, the countryside, flora, and fauna, which makes the scenes come alive. Separated by nearly a century, the characters’ storylines and dialogue are captivating and hold our interest. We learn much from CeCe’s explorations and visits to Thai temples, and her venture into the Australian Outback and the Never Never, while searching for her heritage. Similarly informative are Kitty’s pioneering life in the Australian pearling industry and the inclusion of Aboriginal characters: the facets of their lives, their artwork, and the discriminatory treatment they receive. Also, it was elating to discover that the Pleiades’ Seven Sisters form part of the Aboriginal cultural myth. Not surprisingly, the books have been optioned for a TV series. Highly recommended. Waheed Rabbani

THE MAZE AT WINDERMERE

Gregory Blake Smith, Viking, 2018, $27.00/ C$36.00, hb, 352pp, 9780735221925

Five stories ebb and flow, anchored by their location: Newport, Rhode Island. In the present day, a washed-up tennis player’s drunken wager throws him in with Newport’s moneyed set, including a cerebral palsystricken heiress. In the Gilded Age, a suave bachelor (think a shallower Oscar Wilde) realizes he must grasp his fading chance to marry a fortune before he ages out of plaything status for the moneyed “cottagers.” Henry James, adrift during the Civil War, flails as he attempts to fashion detached observation into his, asyet, unformulated literature. During the Revolution, a troubled British officer sets his sights on a beautiful “Jewess.” And finally, in the early colonial era, a young Quaker must make difficult decisions when her mother dies and her father is lost at sea. This novel is, in a word, excellent. Characterization is convincing and thorough; there is not a false note here, despite the refreshing variety of said characterization— so many disparate lives and perspectives, beautifully drawn. (So beautifully drawn that Henry James bored me just as much in fictional diary form here as the real author’s work does: that’s how right these characterizations are.) And while a less adept novelist might flounder over multiple time periods, narrative

voices, plot lines, and now-loaded historical conceptualizations (e.g., slavery, class division, homosexuality), Blake remains poised and assured throughout, also assuring he doesn’t lose the reader along the way. Gossamer filaments connect these plotlines; duplicity in all its dismaying forms is a major theme, along with the brilliant contrast between substance and shadow, superficiality and depth. There are moments of wry humor, suspense, gut-wrenching human exchange. And through it all, an honesty—capturing life as people live it—that is made to appear easy, but is very, very difficult to actually achieve in fiction. Mr. Smith: Jolly. Good. Show. Bethany Latham

TIMESLIP

RETURN TO YOUR SKIN

Luz Gabás (trans. Noel Hughes), AmazonCrossing, 2017, $14.95, pb, 476pp, 9781477823187

In the 21st century, Brianda is a working professional in Madrid whose hectic life is unraveling with panic attacks and strange dreams. She takes time away to recover in the country with her aunt in the small village of Tiles, where her family has deep roots that go back hundreds of years. Because of her interest in the history of the place, she discovers an ancestor in the 16th century whose name she bears, Brianda of the House of Lubich. Corso is a lone wolf working to restore Lubich, which has been owned by his family for centuries. When Brianda and Corso meet, she feels a surreal and intense connection to this mysterious man. She is also drawn to Lubich House. It feels like a part of her, and she knows secrets and past details about it that are inexplicable. Shadows of remembrances haunt the edges of her consciousness. Brianda tries hypnosis, hoping to recover her emotional health. Hypnosis transports her to 1585, when Lubich is her family home and Corso is also part of her life. They endure strife and war, the Inquisition, and brutal witch-hunting. Corso and Brianda’s love, which began in 1585, has defied death to be revived in 2013. The novel shifts back and forth between both centuries. The 21st-century storyline is well done, with Brianda and Corso gradually becoming aware of their connection and learning of their historical past. However, I always looked forward to returning to the 16th-century characters and storyline. The author made it easy for me to suspend logic and believe in reincarnation. This is a good historical romance between two people across two lifetimes and an enjoyable read. Janice Ottersberg

HOW TO STOP TIME

Matt Haig, Canongate, 2017, £12.99, hb, 323pp, 9781782118619 / Viking, 2018, $26, hb, 336pp, 9780525522874

This is a book about time travel, but not travel back in time. The hero, known in the

present as Tom Hazard, travels through time in the same way as we all do, from the past to the future, except that he spends longer at it. When the story opens, he is aged 437 and teaching history (what else?) at a north London school. He has a rare but not unique condition which causes him to age at a much slower rate than other humans. He keeps this secret, partly for fear of being considered insane, or in earlier times possessed of the Devil, and partly because he has been sworn to secrecy by a covert society of fellow ‘sufferers’ who call themselves Albatrosses, or Albas, and who eliminate those who break cover. To conceal themselves, Albas must take on a new identity every eight years. This gives the author scope for a series of vignettes of life in Tudor London, 18th-century Tahiti, 1920s Paris and other times and places, including 21st-century Hackney. Mostly these are disconnected episodes, although there is an underlying theme as Tom struggles to free himself from the Albas and ‘out’ himself, spurred on by a love affair with a fellow teacher. I am not sure that I understand Tom’s musings on the Meaning of Life and the nature of time, but this is a very entertaining novel, and we meet Will Shakespeare, Captain Cook and many other characters whom we do not usually encounter in the same book. Edward James

HISTORICAL FANTASY HIDDENSEE

Gregory Maguire, William Morrow, 2017, $26.99, hb, 286pp, 9780062684387

Maguire is one of the first and finest modern fantasists to translate fairy tale characters into realistic historical settings, and his latest novel investigates the backstory of Herr Drosselmeier, the genius toymaker central to E.T.A. Hoffman’s beloved tale, The Nutcracker. In Maguire’s imagining, Drosselmeier is a foundling who escaped a violent childhood worthy of one of the Märchen collected by the Brothers Grimm, but his youth develops along the lines of a Goethe bildungsroman, with philosophic and erotic awakenings intertwined. The setting is Bavaria during the prosperous years of the early-mid 19th century, but Drosselmeier’s near-death encounters with ancient deities resembling Athena and Pan make him wary of the bourgeois comforts of modern progress. He takes refuge in making toys that evoke the primal forces that animate the Black Forest from whence he came. His journey to the celebrated living room where Klara encounters the noble Nutcracker Prince is fiercely unsentimental, marred by loss and pain, but deeply passionate about art and spirituality. The nutcracker begins its existence as a gift Drosselmeier carves for a hopeless love, but is transformed into a symbol of resilience in the face of grief and doubt. “The old gods steal secretly into our own times,” he observes, and Maguire masterfully weaves Greek myth, German Romanticism, and Jungian mysticism into a novel that both

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

celebrates and satirizes the cult of the child, providing an unforgettable window into its rich delights and tantalizing terrors. Kristen McDermott

THE PHILOSOPHER’S FLIGHT

Tom Miller, Simon & Schuster, 2018, $26.00/ C$35.00, hb, 432pp, 9781476778150

If you can get past the absurd source of the “magic” that powers this world (sigils drawn in various powders act like electricity, antigravity, and, well, magic), it’s actually a fun ride. The premise sounds at first like a creative-writing thought experiment: the world is powered by the magic that mostly only women can wield, and men act as their helpmates and support staff. But Miller commits to it completely and mostly pulls it off. Admittedly, this plot-heavy novel follows the Harry Potter formula a bit too closely: our hero, Robert Weekes, enjoys the rare privilege of being one of a tiny cadre of men admitted to Radcliffe to study Empirical Philosophy, and both suffers and benefits from a similar outsider status as Harry at Hogwarts. Robert’s misadventures while learning the extent of his unusual aptitudes also follow a distinctly Potteresque pattern; there’s even an analogue to Quidditch in the risky, competitive “hovering” races that test the students and place them in their future careers. Younger readers should be aware that Robert’s romantic encounters are decidedly adult, but not overly graphic. Millerhasaddedasolidhistoricalbackground in the WWII era, and future volumes promise to follow Robert’s adventures on and above the European battlefields. Characterization tends toward the stereotypical, and Robert (like Harry) tends to discover just the right heretofore-unknown talent at the right time. Instead of a Voldemort, though, there is the threat of an anti-intellectual, bigoted, religiously-based authoritarian populist movement against which the Philosophers must struggle, and which adds a timely set of realistic questions about the roots of American fear-based politics. The gender-switching is handled with wit, avoiding offensive oversimplification for the most part. This is a well-paced, satisfying adventure for those who don’t mind a formulaic plot. Kristen McDermott

ALTERNATE HISTORY

THE MARRIAGE OF MISS JANE AUSTEN, Vols. 1 and 2

Collins Hemingway, AuthorHouse, 2016, $16.95, pb, 188pp, 9781504911023 Collins Hemingway, AuthorHouse, 2016, $16.95, pb, 316pp, 9781535444958

These two books imagine Jane Austen’s life as a married woman. At the age of 26, Jane meets Ashton Dennis at a ball in Bath. The following day Jane walks with her sister, Cassandra, through Sydney Gardens, where Ashton is selling tickets for a ride in a hot air balloon. She climbs into the 58

basket and is blown by the wind for miles into the countryside. The friendship between the two continues, and eventually they marry. In this way the author enables himself to explore and dramatise a possible life for Austen in a more complex social milieu than Austen’s oeuvre presents. The subject of slavery, for example, is addressed, and Jane and Ashton meet and talk with William Wilberforce on social occasions. Ashton’s business enterprises are affected by the Industrial Revolution, and again this allows Austen’s sharp intellect to engage with conflicts between science and religion. Most importantly, Ashton inherits the largest manor house in Hampshire and longs for an heir to inherit the estate. This imagining of Jane Austen therefore sees her as a young mother, and the author is excited to depict the way that Austen might have responded to motherhood, and to the deepening of love after marriage. Though alternative history, the historical accuracy of the Regency period makes these books a delight to read, and I look forward to Volume 3. Jane Hill

CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT

THE ANDERSENS OF EDEN

Ethel Barker, Ice Cube Press, 2017, $19.99, pb, 272pp, 9781888160956

Ben Andersen of Eden, Iowa is a young teenager when Pearl Harbor is bombed in 1941. He watches in dismay as his three older brothers each take their turn doing their duty for Uncle Sam. Seeing the effects on his family, and knowing his time will come, he experiences mixed feelings about his future. While he longs to take on the role of head provider on the farm, he feels pressured by society (and the three shining examples of his brothers) to join the war. With numerous characters, including grandparents, parents, and five siblings, this book covers life in a small Midwestern town during a time when Americans were just recovering from the Great Depression, and were now losing family members to a faraway and devastating war. Both the European and Pacific fronts are covered, as well as a Prisoner of War camp housing Germans in Algona, Iowa. The author writes with minute details of 1940s American society and fleshes out her characters with precision. Although the choice of Ben as the point-of-view character initially seems questionable—because one brother is particularly interesting, and his sister is intelligent and witty—it is a good call for a full-circle tale. The relatable history and WWII timelines add depth to the Andersens’ personal strife, and the story flows well, although may be a bit lengthy for younger readers.

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

Arleigh Ordoyne

ATTACK OF THE VIKINGS

Tony Bradman, Bloomsbury, 2017, £5.99, pb, 114pp, 9781472929402

Alba (northern Scotland), AD 800-1000. Fourteen-year-old Finn lives in a Viking farming family settled in Alba where his father, Ottar, is chief. Nowadays, Ottar sails for trade, not war, but Finn longs for the heroic days of old, when Vikings gloried in fighting and plunder. Then his father leaves on another trading venture, and Finn is left in charge. When Viking raiders, under Ottar’s old enemy, Red Swein, suddenly appear, Finn’s village comes under siege. Does he have what it takes to defend his village? Tony Bradman skillfully weaves in information about the villagers’ everyday lives and shows us how the system worked. I enjoyed watching Finn being challenged: he must learn whom to trust, when to listen and take advice, and when to give way to someone more experienced. Leadership is about keeping calm, getting all the villagers on board— especially the stroppy ones—working out a feasible plan and following it through. Finn must learn that being a Viking is much more than going on adventurous war raids, fighting to the death and seizing treasure. Tony Bradman also allows his female characters to have more than just cameo roles; they too have good ideas and can fight— as, indeed, happened in reality. I particularly enjoyed the final thrilling scene of a traditional Viking funeral with the burning long-ship heading out to sea, bearing a brave warrior to Valhalla. I also commend the useful and informative historical notes and glossary at the end. For 10 plus. Elizabeth Hawksley

THE WAR I FINALLY WON

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Dial, 2017, $16.99/ C$22.99, hb, 400pp, 9780525429203

The War I Finally Won reads like a childhood classic. I suspect it’s destined to become just that for today’s young readers (9- to 12-year-olds) who will fondly remember it when they’re adults. It’s the second book in the story of Ada and Jamie Smith, evacuees from London during World War II, and their relationship with their guardian, Susan Smith, and the iron-willed Lady Thorton as well as others in their new lives in the country, away from their mother and London. The mother had been abusive, especially to Ada, the older of the two children, who had been born with a clubfoot—intolerable to the mother. One of the joys of the book is watching Ada and Jamie discover love and a world of learning, respect

and complexity that they’d been denied in their impoverished former existence. Meanwhile, the war grinds on, threatening everyone. I often think I’ll read another book by an author who pleases me. With all the books in the world, though, I often don’t follow through. After finishing this book, however, I had my hands on its predecessor, The War That Saved My Life, within hours. It was deservedly named a Newbery Honor Book, won the Schneider Family Book Award (Middle School), and was on a dozen “best books” lists. The author is a skillful storyteller, a wordsmith whose writing plunges readers not only into an era long passed away, but also into the heart of a girl fighting her way towards love. I’m buying copies of both books for my niece and am recommending the books to anyone, adult or child, who enjoys a solid, heart-warming story. Kristen Hannum

SKY CHASERS

Emma Carroll, Chicken House, 2018, £6.99, pb, 279pp, 9781910655535

Annouay, France, 1783. Magpie is a guttersnipe and opportunist thief, struggling to support herself and her pet cockerel, Coco. When the unpleasant Madame Delacroix offers her five gold coins to steal a box from the attic of the Montgolfiers’ house, Magpie reluctantly agrees. What she doesn’t know is that the Montgolfiers are attempting to invent the world’s first flying balloon until she finds herself clutching the balloon’s rope and floating across the sky. It’s a terrifying but exhilarating journey, and that’s only the beginning. Madame Delacroix has a hidden agenda; English spies want to discover the Montgolfiers’ aeronautical plans; and King Louis wants the glory of flight to be a French achievement. He is not prepared to wait, and he is suspicious of Magpie: could she be an English spy? I really enjoyed Sky Chasers. It’s a thrilling aeronautical adventure about the dangerous origins of man’s—and woman’s—conquest of the skies. Emma Carroll knows exactly how to ratchet up the dramatic tension. There’s a lot at stake for Magpie, too. She’s a young, illiterate, small-time thief, but is that the sort of person she wants to be? And will anyone listen to her own ideas about flight? Emma Carroll has plainly done her research, and the problems of finding the right material for the balloon and the right weight, fuel, temperature, etc., are woven seamlessly into the story. My one niggle is that there is little sense that France is on the edge of revolution. Surely Magpie, a street urchin, would have been aware of seething disaffection amongst the poor, and had at least some intimations of impending disaster. And, according to Sky Chasers’ afterword, King Louis watched the balloon ascend in September 1793, a difficult feat when he was guillotined in January. Recommended for children of ten plus. Elizabeth Hawksley

THE TIDES BETWEEN

Elizabeth Jane Corbett, Odyssey, 2017, A$23.95/$18.95, pb, 300pp, 9781925652222

1841. Fifteen-year-old Bridie Stewart is emigrating from England to Australia with her pregnant mother and dimwitted but dependable stepfather. Bridie still grieves for her dead father, whom her mother curses as an unreliable dreamer. The only thing Bridie has left of her father is the fairy tale notebook that they worked on together, which her mother demands she throw away as fanciful dribble. Bridie sneaks the notebook on board with the help of Rhys, who is traveling with his pregnant wife, Siân. Bridie strikes up a friendship with Rhys, who, much to her mother’s dismay, shares his Welsh fairy tales with Bridie and the other travelers. Bridie’s stepfather becomes the chief cleaning constable, following the orders of the ship’s doctor who drinks too much. The Tides Between takes place almost wholly aboard the fictional Lady Sophia, and Corbett skillfully re-creates the long and dangerous sea voyage that immigrants to Australia undertook. I was fascinated by the Welsh fairy tales and the way the characters used them to understand and handle their own troubles. The driving conflicts of the story, the characters’ many secrets, failed to hold my interest—until the end, when an event of great importance occurs but which is sadly left unresolved. Perhaps a second book is in the works? Recommended for those who are interested in Welsh fairy tales and 19thcentury sea voyages. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

THE JOURNEY OF LITTLE CHARLIE

Christopher Paul Curtis, Scholastic, 2018, $16.99/C$19.99, hb, 256pp, 9780545156660

The Bobo family barely scratches out a living as sharecroppers in 1858 South Carolina. Twelve-year-old Little Charlie and his ma face more dire straits after his pap is killed in a freak accident. While still mourning, Little Charlie is coerced by Cap’n Buck, the cruel overseer of the Tanner plantation, to join him on a journey to capture thieves who stole four thousand dollars from Mr. Tanner. It is not until arriving in Detroit that Little Charlie realizes the four thousand dollars stolen are really people: the formerly enslaved Eloise, Chester, and their son, Sylvanus. Once the couple is reclaimed, Cap’n Buck discovers that Sylvanus is a student living across the Detroit River in Canada. Refusing to allow international borders to stop him, Cap’n Buck and Little Charlie concoct a plan to kidnap Sylvanus. All does not go according to plan. Little Charlie makes an emotional journey as well as the physical one—deciding in the end to do what he knows is right. This is a compelling and ugly story for middle-grade readers told with genuine care. Little Charlie is a product of his Southern upbringing, yet in Curtis’s skillful hands he learns the world is not as he’d thought. Cap’n

Buck is an undeniably evil character, yet he is layered and on occasion vulnerable. Little Charlie tells the story in dialect; offensive terms to refer to Black people are used, which, unfortunately, is accurate to the 1858 setting. Eloise, Chester, and Sylvanus, though minor characters, are strong and show the extent to which former enslaved people valued their freedom and to which they would go to protect those they loved. Christopher Paul Curtis does it again. Meg Wiviott

ELEPHANT DREAMS

Martha Deeringer, Melange Books, 2017, $13.95, pb, 224pp, 9781680465327

Fiona Finn is a 16-year-old Irish immigrant, homeless on the mean streets of New York City in the early 20th century. After being attacked, she takes refuge in a church, and its kindly priest helps her find work as a child minder on an orphan train heading west. Fiona is good at her duties, but her violent and drunkard father pursues her and will not give permission for her to find a new life. With the help of new friends, Fiona runs away and is discovered hiding in a haystack by Bolivar, a circus elephant belonging to Bailey’s Circus. Now the destitute city girl’s life starts to change. Mrs. Bailey and her large family take Fiona under their mighty wingspan, and she becomes the new Elephant Girl. She thrives and even finds a place for her long lost younger brother, damaged by trauma and sickness. In this heartwarming story, full of adventure and narrow escapes, young readers will delight in Fiona’s journey across the country and touring Texas with her colorful band. Her character sketches written along the way might inspire budding writers to chronicle their own lives—a nice bonus in a delightful narrative. Eileen Charbonneau

HERO ON A BICYCLE

Shirley Hughes, Candlewick, 2017, $7.99/ C$10.99, pb, 213pp, 9780763697785

In 1944, Florence, Italy, is under Nazi occupation, and 13-year-old Paolo is the man of the house since his father has disappeared into the wilds to join the Resistance. Antsy and too young to join himself, Paolo seeks adventure and wants to do his part to defend his family. He escapes the boredom of home by riding his bicycle late at night, when his mother and sister are sleeping. It’s thrilling to sneak out the window and soar through the darkened streets, avoiding Nazi patrols and thieves. However, his escapades come to an abrupt end when he is accosted by grown men who are members of the covert anti-Nazi movement. Once these men get hold of Paolo, his real adventures begin. But does he have the courage and skill to be a real hero? Taut, tense and vivid, this book will bring out the hero in any young boy or girl. You can almost hear the tanks rolling by and the fighter planes zooming overhead. And it’s a

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

nice surprise to discover that Paolo is not the only hero found in Florence. The others might catch you unaware. The story is dramatically told, with warm and believable characters. Hughes captures the fears and frustrations of a young person thrust into war. Anne Clinard Barnhill

THE SOUND OF FREEDOM

Kathy Kacer, Annick, 2018, $18.95, hb, 256pp, 9781554519705

Young Anna lives a carefree life in 1930s Krakow, Poland, enjoying bakery treats with her friend Renata after school. The girls are a great team, with different yet complementary strengths. But their worlds are about to be upended by the looming threat of Nazi philosophy. At first the threat is from bullies badgering the baker. Then they set their fists against the kosher butcher. Soon Renata’s family leaves Poland for Denmark. As the violence reaches even into the music conservancy where Anna’s widowed father plays, she urges him to apply for a place in an orchestra being formed by Bronislaw Huberman. It would mean a family move to Palestine. The audition is nerve-wracking but successful, and after tense delays, Anna, her father, and her beloved grandmother settle in their new country, which is not without its own adjustments and strife. Written with deep sensibility and care, The Sound of Freedom is a good introduction to the horrors of the Holocaust for young readers. Brave Anna and her family make sacrifices, overcome grief, and find healing in connection, love, and the power of music. Highly recommended for readers aged 10 and up. Eileen Charbonneau

PLAYING BY HEART

Carmela A. Martino, Vinspire, 2017, $15.99, pb, 278pp, 9781546799450

Carmela Martino’s debut novel is a charming story of two sisters, Emilia and Maria, who are accomplished young women— so accomplished that their father shows them off at every opportunity. Set in 18th-century Milan, this romance explores the customs of the day, such as fathers using their daughters to enhance the wealth and status of the family. For Emilia and Maria, this tradition conflicts with their own desires. Emilia, from whose point of view the story is told, falls deeply in love with a violinist/composer, Bellini. However, trouble arises when Emilia’s father wishes to become part of the nobility and insists both his daughters marry someone from that class. Particularly of interest is the description of the lavish balls held in Italy; sumptuous clothes and fancy carriages come alive, as does the hustle and bustle of such events—and the pressure. Although somewhat predictable as a romance novel, the fact that the two sisters are based on real women (one, a composer; the other, a nun) makes the book even more enjoyable. Composing music at a time when women simply didn’t participate in such 60

activities is a nice twist. Another interesting addition is the relationship between Emilia and her stepmother, which grows from dislike to comradery and even love. The writing is smooth and easy to follow. And, of course, there’s a happy ending. Anne Clinard Barnhill

THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST PROPHECY

William Meyer, Sleeping Bear, 2017, $16.99, hb, 240pp, 9781585369829

In the second book of the Horace J. Edwards and the Time Keepers series, Horace discovers that someone has intentionally destroyed the portal that took him to ancient Egypt in the first book, The Secret of the Scarab Beetle. Horace’s grandfather is dead, his grandmother is in a nursing home, and his family is selling his grandparents’ home and all of their possessions. Horace manages to secret away a mysterious journal and find a few history books he believes belonged to his grandfather. After a strange dream and a visit to a museum, Horace discovers a new portal that takes him to his time-keeper friend, Herman, in 1920s Detroit. Herman tells Horace that there is a lost prophecy and asks Horace to protect the Benben stone, without explaining much about either. I haven’t read the first book in the series. I felt the opening chapter caught me up pretty well, although I might be mistaken because I never completely understood the importance of the lost prophecy or why Horace was made to protect (and thus make vulnerable) the well-hidden Benben stone. In some ways, it felt as though all the danger and excitement were caused by the good guy adults “setting up” Horace. If I’d read the first book, perhaps this would have made more sense. The story is engaging, and interesting historical trivia is provided about Detroit and Niles, Michigan, although the characters do not spend enough time in the past to bring that setting to life. This book is intended for children ages 9 and up. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

POLARIS

Michael Northrop, Scholastic, 2017, $16.99, hb, 288pp, 9780545297165

Adventure, suspense, and horror abound in this compelling middle-grade science fiction novel. The ship Polaris has set sail in the 1830s on a voyage of exploration and scientific discovery. Upon making landfall in the Amazon, some of the crew members disembark to investigate the new lands. Unfortunately, only half of the landing party makes it back to the vessel amid rumors of strange horrors in the jungle. The ship sets sail again immediately. However, with a mysterious plague spreading among the surviving sailors, the rising tension leads to a mutiny. The remaining adults take the only lifeboat and abandon the ship, leaving behind several young deckhands and

REVIEWS | ISSUE 83, February 2018

a botanist’s assistant who were locked in the captain’s cabin during the scuffle. Abandoned by the crew and alone at sea, the six children must now prepare for the long voyage home to America. They are determined not to give up, but strong winds, dangerous storms, and the difficulty of manning the large ship with such a small crew leads to an intense struggle for survival. As if facing the perils of the sea wasn’t enough, they soon realize there are also strange smells and movements in the darkness of the decks below. They may not be alone on the ship after all! A monster is lurking beneath their feet. Northrop gives us glimpses into the thoughts of each of the young sailors as they deal with loss, danger, and conflict—ultimately bonding them together in friendship. The characters are well-developed, the plot line is filled with action, and the details of this nautical adventure feel authentic. It is a thrilling tale of drama and action on the high seas that should entertain both males and females in its target audience. Jenna Pavleck

DOLLS OF WAR

Shirley Parenteau, Candlewick, 2017, $16.99, hb, 320pp, 9780763690694

Marcy James lives in a small Oregon town with her father and mother in 1941. Her father runs a museum of foreign gifts and artistic pieces. Marcy’s parents had lived in and loved Japan and its people. Now, Marcy’s mother’s health is rapidly failing, but she is comforted by looking at old pictures of life in Japan and a statue of a Japanese geisha doll. This novel is the story of the struggle Marcy experiences in defending her doll’s right to live when people in the town want to destroy “Miss Tokyo” after Japan attacks America at Pearl Harbor, beginning our participation in WWII. Adding to the stress, her brother, Nick, and friend, Hap, join the military in a patriotic response to the attack. The author tells the story of how this doll and the war transform a community of patriotic citizens who are trying to balance their anger with the need to avoid generalizing all Japanese people as enemies. It is a remarkable story that should be a part of every school and library’s collection of historical YA fiction. Viviane Crystal

MY BRIGADISTA YEAR

Katherine Paterson, Candlewick, 2017, $15.99, hb, 160pp, 9780763695088

Fifteen-year-old Lora wants an education in the worst way, but her Cuban family has no money to spare, and so they initially refuse her request. However, her grandmother, an unusually forward-looking woman, knows Lora will live a life of constant poverty like her parents unless she receives an education. So she gives Lora a beautiful piece of valuable jewelry to sell in order to go to school. Lora quickly avails herself of every opportunity, including becoming excited at hearing about a chance to become a teacher

in Fidel Castro’s campaign for literacy. The remainder of the novel is all about her work as a teacher of reading and writing alongside the poor, educating and working beside them. The teachers unite through all problems and challenges and also share the fear about marauding Batista guerrillas trying to kill any and all literacy teachers. Katherine Paterson has written a unique, albeit somewhat repetitive, story about attaining a dream and becoming empathic about the poor through living their reality. Inspiring YA historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

MONSTER: The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim

Shane Peacock, Tundra, 2018, $16.99/C$21.99, hb, 288pp, 9781770497016

Monster, second in Shane Peacock’s The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim trilogy set in Victorian times, brings us to a world where the monsters and other creatures in literature have terrifyingly come to life. Edgar Brim and his crew of friends must destroy this new menace before it kills them all. Already the creature has murdered their mentor, and Edgar knows no one will be safe until the monster is destroyed. Meanwhile, his guardian, Albert Thorne, forces him to apprentice for the brilliant scientist, surgeon, and vivisectionist Dr. Godwin. Edgar must assist in gruesome operations on the dead, all the while taking note of Dr. Godwin’s odd coolness toward his grisly work. As Edgar and his friends work to find the monster and devise a way to destroy it, the true nature of its evil slowly begins to dawn on Edgar. The monster is not at all what he imagines. Perhaps it is coming into a trilogy midway that makes this novel difficult. I’m not exactly sure what age the intended audience is. For my taste, the book is rather too gory for middleschool readers, though some might find that particular part a fun “gross-out.” While the concept of literary monsters coming to life is a clever one, the execution of such an idea could be handled more imaginatively, with perhaps more believable events. The characters could use some fleshing out, particularly the narrator, Edgar Brim, himself. The best thing about the book is bringing in well-known works, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, even Melville’s Moby Dick. Perhaps young reader might become curious enough to read these original works after having read Monster. Anne Clinard Barnhill

SECRET OF THE ORACLE: An Ancient Greek Mystery

Saviour Pirotta, Bloomsbury, 2017, £6.99, pb, 229pp, 9781472940162

Classical Greece, 510-323 BC. In Saviour Pirotta’s second Greek Mystery, the Mystery

Solvers, Nico, scribe to the poet and playwright Ariston, and Thrax, Ariston’s personal slave, are on the road to Delphi to see the famous oracle. Delphi is supposed to be a peaceful place, but when a farmer’s daughter goes missing, and Thrax and Nico are beaten up, the friends realize that something serious is going on. Selene, the missing girl, who longs to become a priestess at Delphi, visits the seer, Kessandra, in her cave; a merchant is in Delphi to find a stolen ring and restore it to its rightful owner; a local bully, Belos, is involved in something unsavoury; and Abantes, the newly-arrived priest at the temple at Delphi is, perhaps, not quite what he seems. But how do they all fit together? And can Nico and Thrax find Selene? Time is running out. Saviour Pirotta sets the scene carefully so that his young readers know why Delphi was important and what, exactly, happened there. We also learn about the significance of status. Nico is freeborn, so he could leave the self-centred Ariston if he wanted to, whereas Thrax is a slave with no freedom and no rights; he can only aspire to buy his freedom and return to his grieving mother in Thrace—which doesn’t look very likely. The plot twists and turns ingeniously as the two Mystery Solvers try to bring the villain to justice (though I doubt that the word of a mere girl would carry much legal weight at that date). Freya Hartas’s lively illustrations help us to imagine the scene. The helpful glossary at the back could do with some guidance with the pronunciation. I enjoyed this book and look forward to Nico and Thrax’s next adventure. For 11 plus. Elizabeth Hawksley

THE OTHER SIDE OF FREEDOM

Cynthia T. Toney, Write Integrity Press, 2017, $9.99, pb, 198pp, 9781944120399

Prohibition, or the law against selling liquor, is not a popular subject in 1925 Louisiana. The author mentions the presence of Al Capone, a criminal notorious for breaking this law. It’s also the time when Sal’s life is about to dramatically change. When a group of Mafia thugs force his father and uncle into helping them bootleg liquor from place to place, and then rob a bank, Sal must protect his mother. One of their burglary attempts goes awry, resulting in terrible consequences that Sal sees. What’s it like for a 15-year-old to keep silent while watching his father be forced to abet crime? Sal will logically formulate a plan because of his youthful compulsion to do something in the face of wrongdoing. How will it turn out? Young adults will love this novel full of adventure and risk. They will also learn about a difficult period of American history when one law had such violent and negative consequences for innocent Italian-American families.

THE PAINTED DRAGON

Katherine Woodfine, Egmont, 2017, $12.50/ C$13.95/£6.99, pb, 352pp, 9781405282895

This book rejoins aspiring sleuths Sophie and Lillian and their friends as they solve another caper. Leo, called Leonora by her family, escapes her unhappy home when she is accepted into the 1909 class of London’s prestigious Spencer Institute of Fine Arts. Leo, shy and made to feel inferior by her mother due to her disability, quickly makes friends among her fellow art students when they are asked to help art-lover and supporter Mr. Lyle with his art exhibition. Trouble ensues when the priceless painting “The Green Dragon” is stolen from the exhibit, replaced by a replica painted by Leo. Suspects abound, including Leo. Although this is the third book in a series for middle-grade readers, and minor characters from previous mysteries appear, the story reads well as a stand-alone. It is a rollicking story with twists and turns including suffragettes, a mysterious murderer with scarlet gloves, and secret societies. An overarching mystery and antagonist run through the series, tying the stories together nicely; but not too nicely—expect more books to come. This is an excellent addition to readers who enjoy a good mystery. Meg Wiviott

BLOOD AND SAND

C. V. Wyk, Tor Teen, 2018, $17.99, hb, 320pp, 9780765380098

The first in a proposed trilogy, Blood and Sand is Wyk’s debut novel about one young woman’s quest for vengeance in ancient Rome: a gender-flipped retelling of the Spartacus story. Attia, the crown princess of Thrace, was captured and sold into slavery when the Roman army decimated her homeland. Her entire family, town, and culture were left in ruins, and she herself was given as a reward to Xanthus, the premier gladiator in the ludus of Timeus. Against all odds, Attia and Xanthus form a bond and discover that they share a common enemy. Gradually, they decide to seek vengeance together and then flee to freedom, but before they can carry out their plans, Timeus makes a deal with a neighboring ruler that results in Attia taking up arms in defense of Xanthus in the gladiatorial arena—and giving rise to the birth of Spartacus, here an unknown and mysterious fighter. Wyk’s novel is full of action and drama, as well as characters who develop pleasingly along the way. It is wonderful to see a strong female protagonist in a YA novel, though the same effect could be attained with adhering to historical facts, with which many liberties were taken. Even with these quibbles, this is still an entertaining read and is recommended. Kristen McQuinn

Viviane Crystal

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

CONFERENCES

The Society organizes biennial conferences in the UK, the US, and Australasia. Contact Richard Lee <richard@historicalnovelsociety.org> (UK), Vanitha Sankaran <info@vanithasankaran.com> (USA), or Elisabeth Storrs <contact@hnsa.org.au> (Australasia).

ÂŠ 2018, the Historical Novel Society, ISSN: 1471-7492 | Issue 83, February 2018

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