Historical Novels Review, Issue 91 (February 2020) by The Historical Novel Society

H I S T O R IC A L

NOV EL S REVIEW

ISSUE 91

OH, CANADA!

Understanding a Nation Through Its Historical Novels More on page 8

FEBRUARY 2020

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE ... A Woman of Her Time Nancy Turner on Light Changes Everything Page 10

The Pilgrim Fathers Beheld TaraShea Nesbit's Novel of Colonial America Page 12

The Fortunate Ones An Interview with Catherine Hokin Page 13

Let the Battles Begin Robert Fabbri's New Series Page 14

A More Sophisticated Horror Alma Katsu's The Deep Page 15

Historical Fiction Market News Page 1

New Voices Page 4

History & Film Page 6

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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

Linda Sever

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

Karen Warren

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

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

Houston Cole Library, Jacksonville State University 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602 USA <blatham@jsu.edu>

Sarah Hendess

Book Review Editor: Sarah Johnson

Xina Uhl

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

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

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

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

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

Douglas Kemp

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

<clark1103@yahoo.com> Publisher Coverage: US/Canadian children’s publishers <xuwriter@gmail.com> Publisher Coverage: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Simon & Schuster (all imprints); Soho; and Poisoned Pen Press

Larry Zuckerman

<lzuckerman@earthlink.net> Publisher Coverage: Bloomsbury; Macmillan (all imprints); and Grove/Atlantic

REVIEWS EDITOR, INDIE Misty Urban

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

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

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

HISTORICAL FICTION MARKET NEWS HNS UPDATES

ISSUE 91 FEBRUARY 2020

After 20 years in the role, Ilysa Magnus is stepping down as a reviews editor. Thanks to Ilysa for all her hard work and contributions to the magazine over this lengthy period, dating back to the early days when US-published historical novels were first added to the lineup.

COLUMNS

Historical Fiction Market News

Sarah Johnson

Joining the editorial team as new reviews editors are Xina Marie Uhl and Larry Zuckerman; find their contact details and publisher liaison responsibilities on the masthead.

New Voices Profiles of debut historical fiction authors Brodie Curtis, Alka Joshi, Noelle Salazar & Anika Scott | Myfanwy Cook

History & Film Little Women | Bethany Latham

The North American HNS Conference Board of Directors recently announced the time and place for the 2021 conference: San Antonio, Texas, from June 24-26, 2021. To stay up to date with conference announcements, sign up for the mailing list at https://hns-conference.com.

FEATURES AND INTERVIEWS 8

Oh, Canada! Understanding a Nation Through Its Historical Novels by Lee Ann Eckhardt Smith

10 A Woman of Her Time Research and Character in Nancy Turner's Light Changes Everything by Donis Casey 12 The Pilgrim Fathers Beheld TaraShea Nesbit's Novel of Colonial America by Jenny Barden 13 The Fortunate Ones An Interview with Catherine Hokin about Her Intriguing New Novel by Mary Tod 14 Let the Battles Begin Robert Fabbri's New Series by Alan Fisk 15 A More Sophisticated Horror Alma Katsu's The Deep, A Terrifying Take on the Sinking of the Titanic by Bethany Latham

REVIEWS 16 Book Reviews Editors’ choice and more

NEW BOOKS BY HNS MEMBERS HNR Features Editor Lucinda Byatt translated Maria Luisa Minarelli’s Murder in Venice (Thomas & Mercer, Jul. 15, 2019) for the English-language market; the novel is a murder mystery set in 18thcentury Venice. Congrats to the following authors on their new releases! If you’ve written a historical novel or nonfiction work published (or to be published) in November 2019 or after, please send the following details to me at sljohnson2@eiu.edu or @readingthepast by April 7, 2020: author, title, publisher, release date, and a blurb of one sentence or less. Details will appear in May’s magazine. Submissions may be edited for space. Constance Emmett’s debut novel, Heroine of Her Own Life (Next Chapter, Aug. 29, 2019), offers a powerful story set in early 20thcentury Belfast, Northern Ireland, where working class Meg Preston and Lillian Watson forge a lasting love against the tide of society’s intolerance, sectarian violence, and the looming world war that threatens to tear everything apart. Alistair Forrest’s Roman civil war novel Libertas has been published by Sharpe Books (Sep. 26, 2019), who have also commissioned a series of novellas set in the same period. Susan Higginbotham‘s The First Lady and the Rebel (Sourcebooks Landmark, Oct. 1, 2019) tells the story of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln and her beloved sister Emily Todd Helm, a Confederate rebel’s wife. Trailing the Hunter by Heidi Eljarbø (independently published, Oct. 21, 2019) tells a story about women facing challenges and their drive to protect during the witch hunt in Norway in 1661. In Mark Turnbull’s Allegiance of Blood (self-published, Oct. 23, 2019), Sir Francis Berkeley strives to protect his wife and family from the brutal effects of the English Civil War, but aside from the struggle between king and parliament, the allegiances of family, friendship and honour entangle him at every turn and prove to be just as bloody. William Constable is sent from Plymouth to St Malo in France to

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

unravel a tangle of duplicity, which threatens Queen Elizabeth’s reign and an expedition to the New World led by John Hawkins, in A Necessary Killing, the 2nd William Constable Spy Thriller by Paul Walker (Sharpe Books, Oct. 23, 2019). In Tides of Change by Joan Dunnett (Matador, Oct. 28, 2019), James Lightfoot returns to Edinburgh in 1704 and becomes unwillingly involved in a Jacobite conspiracy. From the olive groves of Samaria to the bloodied sand of a Roman stadium to the exquisite silks brought from the East, The Silk Merchant of Sychar by Cindy Williams (Rhiza Press, Nov. 10, 2019) weaves colour into the biblical account of the woman at the well. In Written in their Stars (Falcon Historical, Nov. 13. 2019), the third novel in the Lydiard Chronicles by Elizabeth St.John, three women separated by beliefs and bound by love fight to restore King Charles to his throne, and risk destroying their family if they succeed. In John M. Cahill’s The Trail of a Traitor, Book 3 of “The Boschloper Saga (W & B Publishers, Nov. 25, 2019), Sean O’Cathail must rescue Megan O’Reilly and bring Jeremy Cox, traitor and kidnapper, to justice on the frontier of 17th-century New York. In Song of the Nightingale: a tale of two castrati by Marilyn Pemberton (The Conrad Press, Dec. 14, 2019) Philippe is tasked with buying young boys from poor villagers, having them castrated and taking them to Florence to be taught to sing as castrati – and so a set of events is triggered that leads to death, guilt, revenge, love and redemption. In the first in the new Tempus U Time Travel Series, Jennifer Macaire’s A Crown in Time (Headline, Jan. 16), opening in the far future, a convicted criminal is given a chance at redemption: the Corrector Program at Tempus University is sending Isobel back in time, to the year 1270, to rewrite history by saving the crown of France. Inspired by real female spies from 1650s England, Killing Beauties by Pete Langman (Unbound, Jan. 23) tells the story of royalist Susan Hyde, whose mission to turn Parliament’s spymaster John Thurloe into her unwitting accomplice can only end in one way. Based on meticulous research, Wolf by Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter (Skyhorse, Feb. 11) is the story of an amnesiac soldier at the end of the Great War who befriends the blind man next to him in the mental ward of Pasewalk Hospital: Adolf Hitler. The Queen’s Secret: A Novel of England’s World War II Queen by Karen Harper (William Morrow, May 18) tells the story of the wartime Queen Elizabeth, whom Hitler called “the most dangerous woman in Europe.” In A Child Lost by Michelle Cox (She Writes, Apr. 28), Book 5 of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, when Clive, anxious to distract a depressed Henrietta, begs Sergeant Frank Davis for a case, he is assigned to investigating a seemingly boring affair, a spiritualist woman suspected of robbing people of their valuables – but what begins as an open and shut case becomes more complicated when Henrietta begins to believe the spiritualist’s strange ramblings. Thomas J. Howley’s Wolf of Clontarf: The Irish, the Vikings and the Foreigners of the World (Moonshine Cove, May 7) based on the Norse sagas and Irish annals, tells the tale of a legendary Gaelic warrior, a young woman spymaster, a Byzantine ambassador and two medieval special operations units that help King Brian Boru throw the Vikings

COLUMNS | Issue 91, February 2020

out of Ireland in the fifteen years leading up to the decisive Battle of Clontarf in 1014. In Liza Nash Taylor’s Etiquette for Runaways (Blackstone, Aug.) set in 1924 and inspired by true events and by Daniel Defoe’s 1722 Moll Flanders, circumstance and impetuous bad decisions derail a young woman’s attempts to escape life in rural Keswick, Virginia and reinvent herself in Jazz Age New York and Paris.

NEW PUBLISHING DEALS

Sources include authors and publishers, Publishers Weekly, Publishers Marketplace, The Bookseller, and more. Email me at sljohnson2@ eiu.edu or tweet me @readingthepast to have your publishing deal included. Lyn Miller-Lachmann and Zetta Elliott’s Moonwalking, a middlegrade verse novel set in Brooklyn in 1982, about the unlikely friendship between a “white, undiagnosed autistic new kid and an Afro-Latinx science geek by day and daring graffiti artist by night,” sold to Grace Kendall at Farrar, Straus Children’s, for publication in fall 2021, by Johanna Castillo at Writers House for Elliott and Jacqui Lipton at Storm Literary Agency for Miller-Lachmann. In addition, Lyn Miller-Lachmann’s YA novel Torch, set in Czechoslovakia in 1969 and featuring three misfit teens targeted by the regime after their best friend dies in an act of protest against the Soviet invasion that crushed the Prague Spring, sold to Carolrhoda Lab for fall 2021 publication. Karen Harper’s next historical, The World War Wife: A Novel of Clementine Churchill, has sold to Lucia Macro at Harper Collins via Annelise Robey at the Jane Rotrosen Agency. The U.S. Naval Institute Press (USNIP) has contracted with awardwinning author Robert N. Macomber for the 15th installment in his Honor Series titled Word of Honor, with a release date set for October 2020. The adventures of Peter Wake continue ~ Onward & Upward! A prequel to his bestselling epic The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett’s The Evening and the Morning, opening in England in 997 CE, sold to Jeremy Trevathan, publisher at Pan Macmillan, and, in the US, to Viking’s Brian Tart, for publication on September 15, 2020 in both territories, via Follett Office. In All Good Faith by Liza Nash Taylor, a standalone sequel to Etiquette for Runaways (see details in previous section), a dual narrative based on Depression-era events surrounding the 1932 Veteran’s Bonus March on Washington, D.C, sold to Rick Bleiweiss at Blackstone Publishing, by Mark Gottlieb at Trident Media Group. Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia, in which a black girl in 1920s Harlem must push herself past the limits of her fears, her past, and the prejudices of New York City society to catch a killer, sold to Michelle Vega at Berkley in a two-book deal by Travis Pennington at The Knight Agency. Longtime English teacher Helen Scarlett’s Gothic historical The Deception of Harriet Fleet, described as a “recasting of Jane Eyre” set in County Durham, sold to Quercus publisher Jane Wood via Giles Milburn at the Madeleine Milburn agency, for publication in spring 2021. Orion Fiction’s publishing director Francesca Pathak acquired three novels in a new Richard the Lionheart series by Ben Kane via Charley Viney at the Viney Agency, for publication beginning this May.

Jon Elek, publisher at Welbeck Fiction, acquired former journalist Wendy Holden’s The Governess, a novel about Marion “Crawfie” Crawford, royal governess to the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret, via Jonathan Lloyd and Lucy Morris at Curtis Brown for autumn 2020 publication. Kerry Donovan, executive editor at Berkley, acquired North American rights to the novel for publication later this year.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, a feminist epic pitched as following in the tradition of Madeline Miller’s Circe, retelling the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur from the viewpoints of sisters Ariadne and Phaedra, princesses of ancient Crete, sold in a two-book deal to Kate Stephenson at Wildfire/Headline (UK) via Juliet Mushens at Caskie Mushens, and to Caroline Bleeke at Flatiron (US), via Rebecca Folland at Headline.

Lucy Morris, agent at Curtis Brown, sold Elizabeth Lee’s debut novel Cunning Women, set in a Lancashire fishing community during the Pendle Witch Trials in the 17th century, to Charlotte Cray, publishing director at Windmill, for publication next spring.

A Traveler at the Gates of Wisdom by John Boyne, tracing members of one family over two millennia, following their intertwining stories across 50 countries and moving forward to “a life among the stars,” sold to Alexis Washam at Hogarth by Eric Simonoff at William Morris Endeavor; Amy Black at Doubleday Canada acquired it for Canadian publication.

Screenwriter D. V. Bishop sold City of Vengeance, first in a historical crime series set in 1530s Florence and focusing on a former soldier charged with solving a Jewish moneylender’s murder, sold to Alex Saunders at Pan Macmillan via Jenny Brown at Jenny Brown Associates for February 2021 publication. The novel previously won the Pitch Perfect competition at Bloody Scotland 2018. The Last Tea Bowl Thief by Jonelle Patrick, a multi-period mystery set in Japan, spanning three hundred years and focusing on two women chasing a stolen masterpiece, sold to Seventh Street’s Dan Mayer for spring 2021 publication. Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency sold The Bridal Chair author Gloria Goldreich’s The Paris Children, focusing on Alfred Dreyfus’s granddaughter, Madeleine Levy, who rescued Jewish children from France during the Nazi occupation, to Anna Michels at Sourcebooks for publication in December 2020. The Chatelaine by Iona Grey, Gothic-tinged fiction set amid the English moors in the early 20th century, centering on a housekeeper with a secret who falls in forbidden love with a footman, sold to Vicki Lame at St. Martin’s Press via Deborah Schneider at Gelfman Schneider/ICM, on behalf of Rebecca Ritchie at AM Heath. Grey’s Letters to the Lost won the 2016 Romantic Novel of the Year Award from the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association. Roxanne Veletzos’ The Last Summer in Sopron, following a Hungarian artist uncovering the link between her beloved late grandmother and a painter who survived Dachau during WWII, sold to Daniella Wexler and Loan Le at Atria/Simon & Schuster via Elizabeth Copps at the Maria Carvainis Agency. The author’s first novel, The Girl They Left Behind, was an HNR Editors’ Choice title in Nov. 2018 (reviewed by Rebecca Kightlinger). Joy Lanzendorfer’s family saga Right Back Where We Started From, following women from three generations, from the California Gold Rush through WWII, focusing on ambition and the women’s attempts to escape from poverty, sold to Addi Black at Blackstone by Susan Velazquea at JABberwocky Literary Agency. Publication is forthcoming in 2021. The Atomic City Girls author Janet Beard’s untitled new novel, moving between today and 120 years ago, focusing on six generations of Tennessee women who experience violence at the hands of men, with each story inspired by a “murder ballad,” sold to Gallery’s Jackie Cantor via Rayhane Sanders at Massie & McQuilkin. Camilla Bruce’s novel In the Garden of Spite, based on NorwegianAmerican Belle Gunness, who became a notorious serial killer in the US Midwest, sold to Sarah Blumenstock at Berkley for publication in fall 2020, via Brianne Johnson at Writers House; UK rights sold to Jillian Taylor at Michael Joseph.

Nuala O’Connor’s novel Nora, reimagining the life of Nora Barnacle, Irish author James Joyce’s wife and muse, sold to Sarah Stein at HarperPerennial by Grainne Fox at Fletcher & Company. Well Behaved Wives, the fifth novel by Amy Nathan, pitched as “in the vein of Mad Men and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” about four housewives in 1962 who form a close bond and save one member from domestic abuse, sold to Jodi Warshaw at Lake Union via Danielle Egan-Miller at Browne & Miller Literary Associates.

OTHER NEW & FORTHCOMING TITLES The Woman in the Green Dress by Australian author Tea Cooper will be published in the US by Thomas Nelson in June. “Set jointly in 1919 at the end of the war and in 1853 colonial New South Wales,” reviewer Christine Childs wrote about the Australian edition (HNR 90), “Cooper weaves historical fact and creative fiction through the two periods with success.” The Wind Done Gone author Alice Randall’s new novel Black Bottom Saints, a tribute to Detroit’s culturally rich Black Bottom neighborhood in the early to mid-20th century, appears from HarperCollins’ Amistad imprint in August. The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama, focusing on a Japanese-American family whose lives play out over decades, against the backdrop of Hawaii’s sugar plantations, will be published by HarperVia in July. For forthcoming novels through mid-2020, please see our guides, compiled by Fiona Sheppard: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/guides/forthcoming-historicalnovels/

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.

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

NEW VOICES Brodie Curtis, Alka Joshi, Noelle Salazar & Anika Scott combine imagination, rich historical detail, and fresh perspectives in their debut novels.

personality. Nor did she miss the fact that the Maharani Latika is named after her.

“My mother is no longer with us, but she lives on in The Henna Artist— in every breath Lakshmi takes, every word she utters, and every choice she makes.”

Noelle Salazar

Alka Joshi

Anika Scott

Brodie Curtis

Stories are both created and can inspire us, as Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist (MIRA, 2020), explains. “My father tells this story. It’s dinnertime in India. I’m five. My mother stops my grandmother from spooning more subji and chapatti onto my brothers’ plates than on mine. She says, ‘In my house, my daughter is equal to my sons.’ Joshi adds: “Time and again, my mother made sure I would never take a back seat to the boys. She, who had an arranged marriage at 18 and three children by the age of 22, encouraged me to make choices she never had in life: whom to marry, when to marry, whether to have children, what to do for a living.” The consequence of her grandmother and mother’s encouragement was that Joshi “began to wonder: what would a creative woman like her have done if she’d had the freedom to choose her own direction in life? That wonder turned into a reimagining of her life in 1955, a novel titled The Henna Artist. My mother is Lakshmi, the young woman who defies convention and flees her marriage, reemerging as a henna artist in Jaipur during the heady years after India’s independence. Despite the obstacles she encounters and the cost to her family’s reputation, she clings to a life of her own making.” Joshi’s mother lived with her for the last seven years of her life. They “traveled several times to India, exploring old haunts, visiting her old school, talking to henna artists, Ayurvedic experts, ex-army people, dancers and former royalty.” From her father, Joshi learnt about “the era following the British Raj, when he was a newly minted engineer, poised to rebuild an 8000-year-old culture. I wrote much of the novel in India and shared it with my parents. It didn’t take long for my mother to notice that Lakshmi has her eyes, her petite frame and her quiet, determined

COLUMNS | Issue 91, February 2020

The determination of women to transform their lives and make something of their gifts is a theme that underscores Joshi’s and Noelle Salazar’s novels. Salazar’s The Flight Girls (MIRA, 2019) started with “a book,” but not just any book: “A beautiful edition filled with glossy black-and-whites of spirited women perched on the wings of warplanes. I was smitten. Who were these women, and what were they doing with their coy smiles and too-big-for-their-bodies flight suits? They were the WASP. The Women Airforce Service Pilots. And what they were doing was serving their country the best way they knew how – flying.” Salazar relates her discovery: “There were almost 1100 of them in a program that had them testing patched-up warplanes, airplanes straight off the production line, and dragging targets through the air for live ammunition gunnery training from the ground. They practiced strafing maneuvers, aerobatics, and anything else the military asked them to do as they zipped through the air flying ‘The Army way’ – but with no military benefits to cushion the daily risking of their lives.” For Salazar, this was “the most surprising detail of all. These women flew everything the military had, but as civilian pilots. In fact, they weren’t given recognition until 1977, when President Jimmy Carter granted them veteran status. And then again in 2010, when President Barack Obama presented them with the Congressional Gold Medal. It wasn’t until 2016 that they were allowed to be buried with their comrades in Arlington National Cemetery.” She is often asked what inspired her to write this novel, and the answer to Salazar seems obvious. “How could I not write this story seems more appropriate. I am inspired by the women. By their spirit. Their bravery. By their camaraderie and love of country. They came from all walks of life. Mothers, daughters, students… They selflessly offered their lives for their country.” She adds, “I began writing this story as just that – a story. It has become so much more to me. A mission. A duty as a woman, to tell other women’s stories. And so, I have in a fictionalized version I can only hope encapsulates all they were and are.” The Four Bells (Westy Vista Books, 2019) by Brodie Curtis is linked to Salazar’s novel The Flight Girls by focusing on “ordinary” people who were willing to sacrifice everything. Curtis’s novel, he says, was “set in motion years ago, in a homey lounge… I heard a gorgeously mournful acoustic version of John McCutcheon’s song about the Christmas Truce of 1914. The song follows Francis Tolliver, a Tommy from Liverpool, as his mates and the Germans trade carols and meet in no-man’s land and ends with Francis’s reflections on the lessons of the Truce. For me, the Truce sparks the imagination like few events in war. Thousands upon thousands of common soldiers of the line shared Christmas greetings or met in no-man’s land. What if they had decided enough was enough and laid down their weapons? Could that have emboldened folks at home to pressure the political leaders to stop the madness?”

These questions sparked Curtis’s quest to learn more. “I researched reports on the Truce in contemporaneous writings and non-fiction works and walked the fields of Flanders. I searched for a novel on topic and, finding that there wasn’t much fictional treatment of the Truce, I decided to write about it.” Curtis then “took a deep dive into all things the Truce and Flanders, and then put pen to my yellow pad. I soon learned that my characters would take me down their own roads, and the Truce became just one important scene in the story.” However, Curtis acknowledges, “The truth is, my journey to write The Four Bells began long ago, with my love of reading. History was always my go-to. That started for me early in high school, when I was assigned Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage. A story set during the American Civil War, Crane’s rendering of a common soldier’s ambitions, fears, insecurities, survivalist instincts and, of course, courage, in the face of mortal conflict, has never lost its influence on me. Maybe capturing Crane’s writing magic has always been my quixotic dream. I especially enjoy novels set around the world wars and have posted my quick take reviews on dozens of them on my website.” Curtis’s novel opens when Al Weldy, a damaged First World War Veteran, revisits his hometown in 1931 on Christmas Eve, and the story that unfolds is in part about the consequences of war. The German Heiress by Anika Scott (William Morrow, 2020; UK title Finding Clara, Hutchinson, 2020) introduces readers to the moral questions and ambiguity that come as an aftermath of war. Scott, who currently lives in Essen in Germany, where she has worked in radio and taught journalism, admits: “In a way, my debut novel The German Heiress was thirty years in the making. In high school, I caught whatever bug makes some of us fascinated by World War II. Without knowing why, my own American side of the conflict interested me less than Germany’s. I couldn’t understand how a people so rich in culture, industry and the sciences could go so horrifyingly wrong.” Mastering the skills she needed to research her interest was a challenge. “For years, I learned what I could as a hobby, my sources in English because I couldn’t read or speak German. Ironically, it was a trip to Italy that got me onto German soil for the first time. I’d already been to Europe, but for some odd reason, had missed Germany. This time, I rearranged my plans and found myself on a train from Rome to Munich to meet a German who had helped me on a travel website. He was a good travel guide, and it turned out, a

good man. Two years later, I married him.” She had worked for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Chicago Tribune, and so, she continues, “It wasn’t easy to leave a good job, my family, and my country to move to Germany, but then, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t somehow inevitable, planted all those years ago in high school. I’ve been here 19 years now. I speak German fluently and have two half-German daughters. We live in Essen, a post-industrial city not far from the western border with the Netherlands. When I first moved here, I enjoyed discovering the city’s abandoned coal mines and old industrial sites. Essen’s lack of historical buildings sparked my curiosity; what had my new home been like during World War II? And that led me to the bombardments that devastated a city that had once called itself ‘the Armory of the Reich.’ How could I not write a story about that?” Scott’s main character, Clara Falkenberg, “walked into the story straight out of my imagination,” she says, and became the German heiress. Scott cannot “fully understand what drove the Germans of her period to make the choices they did. But I’ve tried to understand the best way I know how – with a story.” By endeavouring to get “beneath the skin” of their characters in times of turmoil, debut novelists Curtis, Joshi, Salazar and Scott have illuminated viewpoints, ways of living and the cultural hallmarks of the periods they have chosen to write about.

WRITTEN BY MYFANWY COOK Myfanwy Cook is an Associate Fellow at two British Universities and a creative writing workshop designer. Please do email (myfanwyc@btinternet.com) if you discover any debut novels you would like to see brought to the attention of other lovers of historical fiction.

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HISTORY & FILM Little Women: The Amy March Rorschach Test

The first volume of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women was published in 1868 to great success; film adaptations have been myriad and continual, from the silent era to last year’s offering. For the few unfamiliar with the novel’s plot, it’s primarily domestic, concerning a household of New England women: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March. These nestlings are overseen by momma bird Marmee, their father spending much of the novel away at the Civil War. The family struggles financially, but Marmee embodies a mother’s love and stresses the virtue of charity to those less fortunate. Hers are words to live by: “When you feel discontented, think over your blessings, and be grateful.” Jo is the novel’s heroine, a headstrong tomboy who wants to be a writer. Meg is traditional, Beth is a saint, and Amy is the petted youngest sister. Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, the poor-little-rich-boy-next-door and Jo’s best friend, also plays a prominent role. Though the book is thinly-veiled autobiography, Alcott was less than taken with it – it wasn’t the type of literature she wished to write. She also lacked creative control to a certain extent. The novel was published in two volumes. The second volume came about due to popular demand: readers wanted to know what happened to the girls, namely who they married. Alcott was irritated, and showed it by being contrary: “Jo should have remained a literary spinster but so many enthusiastic young ladies wrote to me clamorously demanding that she should marry Laurie, or somebody, that I didn’t dare refuse & out of perversity went & made a funny match for her.” 1 This “funny match” is Professor Bhaer, a German immigrant who is “rather stout” and without “a really handsome feature in his face.” He’s old enough to be Jo’s father and behaves accordingly – he is kind, but can be terribly didactic, morally critical, and even a bit condescending. I’ve seen multiple film versions of Little Women, and not a one has been brave enough to pair Jo off with a Professor Bhaer who actually fits the novel’s description. Though Jo is the heroine and a worthy character study, in light of the latest adaptation of Little Women, I thought it might be more interesting to take a look at Amy. I should admit a bias: like many, I suspect, who read Little Women as children, I disliked – no, loathed – the character of Amy March. She was snobbish, vain, shallow, vindictive, and supremely selfish. I remember chunking the book across the room in disgust when Laurie comes home from the Continent married … to Amy. How could he do such a thing? How could Alcott have him do such a thing? I was angry and disappointed, just as Alcott intended. Amy’s actions speak for themselves without my editorializing, perhaps. Though acknowledged by all as beautiful (a slender, blue-eyed blond),

COLUMNS | Issue 91, February 2020

she sleeps with a clothespin on her nose in an attempt to improve its snub shape into something more aristocratic. Part of the book’s humor comes from younger Amy’s misuse of big words in a failed effort to appear more refined and condescend to others. Much of her vanity is played for laughs, though there are darker undercurrents to her selfishness. Amy covets her rich Aunt March’s jewelry; upon seeing it, her thoughts immediately jump to who will get it when the old woman dies. She resolves to be “a lamb”…in hopes her aunt will give her a turquoise ring and she won’t have to wait for the old lady’s death to inherit it. In one of the most memorable acts in the book, Amy pitches a tantrum when Jo and Meg attend the theatre and she is not allowed to go. As they leave, Jo dismisses Amy’s whining. In an act of devastating revenge, Amy burns Jo’s manuscript, the fruit of years of passionate labor. Amy initially lies about what she’s done, only apologizing when she experiences the full force of Jo’s rage and ostracism. Amy resolves to be less selfish…because she reasons that her sister Beth is selfless and people love her for it, and Amy wants the type of love and admiration directed at Beth for herself. Even her resolution to be less selfish is made for selfish reasons. “Money, position, fashionable accomplishments, and elegant manners were most desirable things in her eyes, and she liked to associate with those who possessed them, often mistaking the false for the true, and admiring what was not admirable. Never forgetting that by birth she was a gentlewoman, she cultivated her aristocratic tastes and feelings, so that when the opportunity came she might be ready to take the place from which poverty now excluded her.” The opportunity arrives in spades when her rich aunt (Carrol in the book, March in the film adaptations) takes her to Europe. Jo had expected to make this trip, but Amy easily usurps her place, leaving Jo devastated yet again. Once on the Continent, Amy pursues the richest suitor she can find and plans to marry him (admittedly unloved) until Laurie shows up and notices what a beautiful young woman Jo’s little sister has become. Amy lays it on as thickly as she can, throwing over her other suitor. She knows Laurie’s feelings for Jo (he has fled to Europe after Jo turns down his marriage proposal and they quarrel), yet Amy marries him anyway – he is both wealthy and handsome, after all. She is entitled to whatever she wants, because she’s one of those women “born to rule by virtue of beauty, youth, and womanhood.” Perhaps this is enough of a character sketch? The integral point is that while Amy certainly isn’t a monster and is capable of kindness, her only consistent “virtues” are beauty, youth, and womanhood (showcased as the ability to suit herself to any social situation in order to manipulate the favor of those who can bring her advantage). Her characterization in multiple movie adaptations has reflected this. The 1933 version directed by George Cukor stars Joan Bennett as Amy, and she’s introduced in school, holding a chalkboard which states “I am ashamed of myself” as punishment for misdeeds. Yet she’s anything but ashamed of her behavior, using tears to manipulate the teacher into not telling her mother, then lying to her classmates. There isn’t a great deal to distinguish the 1933 version from the 1949 film, which is a near scene-for-scene remake, this time with a blond Elizabeth Taylor as Amy. She’s a bit over the top, nearing caricature. But both she and Bennett embody the book’s characterization to a great extent – a spoiled brat who grows into an entitled young woman. It has been said of Little Women films that “each iteration is a kind of Rorschach test for how the world feels about women at the time.”2 When looking at Amy across these adaptations, the ink blots seem to shift for the first time with 1994’s Little Women, directed by Gillian Armstrong. I admit to loving this film, from the snow-muffled wonderland of the cinematography to the score. Claire Danes makes an exceptionally kind and pathetic Beth, and though not often affected to the point of tears by a movie (or anything else), her death has managed it more

than once. It is the first film adaptation directed by a woman, and it is notable for a number of reasons, but primarily for the beauty of the female relationships and the realism of the dynamics within this household of women. It is easy to understand why outsiders (such as Laurie) desperately want to join this family, to bask in the glow of its comfort and warmth. This is also the first film to address the age issue for Amy. As the youngest March sister, the character is 12 years old when the story begins and married by its end, but most film versions still choose to use only one actress for the part. Elizabeth Taylor, at 17, barely managed to straddle the age range; Joan Bennett, who was 23 and pregnant at the time she played Amy, doesn’t even come close. Florence Pugh is likewise problematic in the 2019 version. The 1994 movie has Kirsten Dunst, who actually was 12 at the time, in the role of young Amy. Her swanning about and vocabulary mishaps are amusing, and due to her age, her foibles feel more like the lack of maturity occasioned by childhood, rather than the stark character flaws they appear with older actresses in the role. Thus, Amy is softened. This softness and realism is only enhanced later in the film when the transition is made to the older version of Amy, played by Samantha Mathis. Mathis’s poise and grace in the role, as well as the way the film frames her relationship throughout with Laurie, makes their eventual marriage both more believable as well as less off-putting (slightly). The inkblots may not have rearranged into a heroine, but at least we’re no longer seeing a villain. Which brings us to Greta Gerwig’s 2019 film, which has been universally praised by critics. Before I saw it, I suspected the critical swooning would likely mean one thing: that Gerwig had given the film a blatant, modern social message. It should be understood that Alcott herself, influenced by transcendentalism, was quite forward-thinking for her time. She never married, and she chafed at the strictures occasioned by being a female during the Victorian era. She acknowledged in her letters (parts of which made it into the film as dialogue) that women had minds as well as hearts, and it would be lovely if they could be valued for both, and not find the be-all, end-all of their existence in marriage. Jo is often angry (her temper is famous) and bemoans the fact that she wasn’t born a boy – she craves intellectual stimulation and adventure. Much of her relationship with Laurie feels almost like a type of surrogacy: she wishes she had his opportunities as a male (opportunities he callously fails to appreciate) and lives vicariously through his experiences. Alcott addresses these and other feminist issues in subtle manner in the novel, but at the risk of the world’s greatest understatement, subtlety isn’t Hollywood’s forte. Jo is opposed to Meg’s marriage in the novel because she fears the dissolution that will begin with Meg leaving their warm family group. In this film, Meg, as the more traditional sister, must give a speech defending the fact that she wants to marry; her genuine desire for love, children, and domesticity is a sort of betrayal that must be justified to the modern audience. Unlike the novel, Jo is allowed to not wed at all (the movie is vague, but this is the impression conveyed). Based on her letters, this is probably truer to what Alcott would’ve preferred for this character which represented herself. But the greatest change comes with the characterization of Amy. Florence Pugh is arresting in any role she takes on, and this one is no exception. Her age (24) for the younger version of Amy stretches plausibility, but that could be said of more than one actress in this film. The interesting shift comes with her transfiguration from a vain and shallow gold-digger into an intelligent, ambitious feminist. Critics have noted they consider Gerwig’s adaptation powerful specifically because she “doesn’t pretend its marriages are romantic.”3 Amy seeks out only wealthy suitors not because she values wealth and elevated society as ends unto themselves, but because she knows her value as a woman. How does one know she holds these views? She spouts them, vehemently, to Laurie: “Don’t sit there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition!” This is the conclusion to an angry lecture Laurie receives on the 19th century legal state of things. This state Laurie doubtless knows, but the supposedly ignorant audience must be enlightened – Amy cannot make her own money, her property belongs to her husband when she marries, and even her

children belong to him. If she must be forced to sell herself, then she refuses to sell herself cheaply. In case the viewer is too slow to grasp the concept, Gerwig also has Jo repeat it almost word for word when her publisher tells her that her heroine must marry or the book won’t sell: “I suppose marriage has always primarily been an economic proposition. Even in fiction.” Pugh as Amy, like Mathis before her, brings grace to the role of the elder Amy, but to this, she adds a strength that cannot be ignored. Amy and Laurie, as a couple, have always been problematic; it is a union that makes little sense in the world of the novel, likely because Alcott never originally intended it – it simply suited her contrary purpose by keeping Laurie from marrying Jo in volume II. In the case of this film, it is, perhaps, entirely necessary to view Amy’s relationship with Laurie in exactly the way she lectures him (and the audience), because otherwise their connection is uniformly unbelievable. Laurie is a debauched, whiny, changeable, and physically unassuming loafer. Gerwig has noted that she wanted Laurie to seem androgynous, and as portrayed by Timothée Chalamet, he is certainly quite the wispy lad. Amy is the vital, strong one in this relationship, and there’s no way her preference would tend towards this man (boy) for his own merits (which seem nonexistent). The inkblots have now completely reoriented: Amy is as much a heroine as Jo, the agency is hers, and her ambition for a wealthy husband and her grandmaster chess moves to get one somehow represent a feminist virtue. A love match – any other type of match at all – would devalue her. Gerwig has stated that she wanted to “play with the iconography”4 of Little Women, and her transfiguration of Amy March is one of the more obvious examples. In some ways, especially as regards Jo’s development and path, she has re-plotted Alcott’s original in a way that Alcott herself would perhaps have approved. Whether Alcott (or fans of her novel) will appreciate the reimagining of Amy is more debatable. My own dislike is so firmly entrenched that I fear no film will ever be able to shift it. But future iterations are always welcome to keep trying.

REFERENCES 1. Jessica Bennet. “This Is ‘Little Women’ for a New Era.” The New York Times. 2 January 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/books/ little-women-feminism-2019-movie.html 2. Ibid. 3. Constance Grady. “The power of Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is that it doesn’t pretend its marriages are romantic.” Vox. 27 December 2019. https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/27/21037870/little-womengreta-gerwig-ending-jo-laurie-amy-bhaer 4. “Interview with Greta Gerwig.” Turner Classic Movies.

WRITTEN BY BETHANY LATHAM Bethany Latham is a professor, librarian, and HNR's Managing Editor. She is a regular contributor to NoveList and a regular reviewer for Booklist.

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

OH, CANADA! Understanding a Nation Through Its Historical Novels

retaliation; and Christophe, a Jesuit missionary bent on converting the “brute” natives to Christianity. The 1500s also marked the establishment of two vital industries. The fur trade and the commercial cod fishery launched exploration and white settlement from Newfoundland to the Pacific Ocean. The fur trade remained lucrative for over 250 years, and also established Hudson’s Bay Company, which is still in operation today. Fred Stenson’s award-winning adventure The Trade (Douglas & McIntyre, 2000) reveals this industry and the early days of “The Company” with all its inherent brutality. In one representative scene, a group of “stinking, bearded, ragged” traders return to a fort, where “a horse was killed and some of the blood and raw organ meat was fed to them, their teeth so loose they could only suck, not chew.” 1 During the 16th century, cod was so plentiful on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland that fishermen could lean over the sides of their boats and scoop up fish in baskets. The fishing industry sustained the Newfoundland economy – and supported several other European countries – for almost 500 years. In 1992, when the fishery collapsed, an estimated 40,000 fishermen and fish plant workers were thrown out of work. In Sylvanus Now (Penguin Books Canada, 2005) Donna Morrissey immerses readers into a 1950s Newfoundland outpost village as traditional ways of fishing are overtaken by foreign factory ships and slowly, painfully, a way of life is destroyed.

My vast and rugged country is not known for having a particularly dramatic backstory. When compared to our more extroverted neighbour immediately to the south, Canada tends to be – well, quieter. This has been true from its very birth as a nation: Canada’s constitution was founded, not like the United States’ rousing declaration of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” on a somewhat more sedate promise of “peace, order and good government.” Canada gained its liberation from England, not through bloody battles in a war of independence, but via negotiation. Do not for a moment assume these foundations make Canadians merely those “nice” people you might meet on holiday. Our history is as complex and formidable as our geography. Through our historical novels, readers can gain clear understandings of the unique developments and regions that comprise Canada. For millennia before the Vikings first established a settlement in Newfoundland (in about the year 1000) indigenous peoples lived across all of what is modern-day Canada. The arrival in 1534 of Jacques Cartier marked the beginning of the end for these nations in this territory. Joseph Boyden’s The Orenda (Hamish Hamilton, 2013) confronts the situation as it existed in the early 17th century through three contentious points of view: Bird, a warrior whose family is killed by the Iroquois; Snow Falls, the Iroquois girl Bird kidnaps in

FEATURES | Issue 91, February 2020

In 1608 Samuel de Champlain sailed up the St Lawrence River, scaled the north shore cliff where the river narrows, and established Quebec. This colony marked the first permanent trading post in New France and one of the first European settlements in North America. Two books open this time period for modern readers. Bride of New France (Penguin Canada, 2011) by Suzanne Desrochers describes “les filles du roi” (daughters of the King): over 800 young women who were sent to New France to populate the settlement. These women are the maternal ancestors of thousands of North Americans. Shadows on the Rock (Alfred A. Knopf, 1931) by famed American author Willa Cather depicts a year of life in 1697 Quebec for fictional apothecary Euclide Auclair and his daughter Cecile. Through them, we witness the isolation of life on “the rock,” the Catholic church’s rule, and the social structure of this precarious settlement. The 1800s might well be themed “lost and found” for the thousands of immigrants who arrived in Canada during that century. Often lost were cultures and language; found (usually, but not always) were new opportunities in a burgeoning country. Two award-winning novels give readers diverse views into 19th-century Canada. The Jade Peony (Douglas & McIntyre, 1995) by Wayson Choy reveals Vancouver’s Chinatown and Chinese-Canadian culture from the points of view of three siblings. Their immigrant parents and grandparents helped build the Canadian National Railway, and all three generations confront what it means to live under the discriminatory Chinese Immigration Act, from the 1880s to the time of the Second World War. This Act included as one of its tenets “a white Canada forever.” Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace (McClelland & Stewart, 1996) fictionalizes the true story of Grace Marks, an Irish servant girl who, in 1843 at the age of 16, was convicted of murder. This psychological murder mystery explores the question of her guilt, which remains controversial, and provides details of daily life in Toronto and the Kingston Penitentiary.

CANADIANS most strongly identify with the region in which they live. This is not surprising, given the immensity of the country...

A little-known but important piece of 19th-century Canadian history is exposed in Marie Jakober’s novel, The Halifax Connection (Random House, 2007). This tale of espionage tells the story of a Canadian agent in the American Civil War. Although Britain (and therefore Canada) was officially neutral during that war, plots were hatched by Confederates, and spies from both sides operated in centres from Halifax to Niagara Falls. Jakober also shows how the Civil War affected the very structure of Canada. In 1864 while the war was still raging, the Fathers of Confederation were beginning to hammer out the details of what would become the 1867 British North America Act, which formed Canada. The Act was designed to avoid what was seen as “the failed experiment” of the American Republic: Canada was deliberately set up with a strong central government to avoid the “sovereignty” that had allowed the southern states to secede and threaten the Union.

century Ontario small town: outwardly quaint but founded on small-mindedness and rigid morality.

It’s widely acknowledged that Canada came of age during and just following the First World War. Two enduring novels provide insight into the Canadian experience from several points of view. The Wars (Clarke, Irwin, 1977) by Timothy Findley has been called “the finest historical novel ever written by a Canadian.”2 Through the main character Robert Ross, a young Canadian officer, readers experience destruction – of countrysides, of innocence, of life – and wars both internal and in France, but can also reflect on connections with animals, nature, and the sanctity of life. Hugh MacLennan’s Barometer Rising (Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1941) portrays Canada’s shift away from the influences of Britain and into a more national consciousness in the wake of the war and the 1917 Halifax Explosion – the largest man-made detonation up to that time.

Inuvik: Minds of Winter (Quercus, 2016) by Ed O’Laughlin sweeps through 175 years of polar explorers, legends, and lost expeditions. The central mystery among many in this adventure is Sir John Franklin’s failed voyage to find the Northwest Passage. The location – pack ice, whiteouts and “razor-blade air” – is where emptiness and delusion coexist with meaning and science.

It’s often said that Canadians define themselves by saying “we’re not American.” In fact, Canadians most strongly identify with the region in which they live. This is not surprising, given the immensity of the country, and some of Canada’s best-known and award-winning historical novels provide strong regional flavour. Here’s a list of titles that give readers vivid depictions of the vastly different geography in the nation, and an understanding of how the land has always shaped us. Newfoundland: Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Knopf Canada, 1998) by Wayne Johnston. This saga of hard-driving, controversial Joey Smallwood, who brought Newfoundland into Confederation in 1949, is wrapped in a travelogue that gives even those “from away” an understanding of how Newfoundland leaves an indelible mark on all who experience it. Cape Breton: No Great Mischief (McClelland & Stewart, 1999) by Alistair MacLeod. This Canadian classic unfolds slowly back and forth between 1779 and present day, portraying through generations of the resilient MacDonald family how closely the past entwines with the present. Through the Gaelic language, through the bond of brothers, through the broken life of Calum MacDonald, MacLeod honours Cape Breton and the pull towards home. Ontario: In Richard B. Wright’s Clara Callan (HarperCollins, 2001) two sisters struggle with living outside the boundaries of social convention and deal with the repercussions of several issues that were not talked about in Depression-era Canada. Fifth Business (Macmillan of Canada, 1970) by Robertson Davies explores themes of psychology, sainthood, myths and magic in a typical early 20th-

Prairies: In Children of My Heart (McClelland and Stewart, 1979, translated by Alan Brown) celebrated French-language author Gabrielle Roy presents a 1930s prairie village school. Immigrant children expose readers to the hardships of the prairie landscape and to the mosaic of languages and cultures they bring to the classroom – and by extension, the country. British Columbia: Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s The Cure for Death by Lightning (Knopf Canada, 1996) is a coming of age story infused with magical realism under the shadow of World War II. In a remote farming settlement, local violence may be caused by a malevolent spirit known to the natives as “Coyote.”

Canada: as these novels attest, my nation’s history is complex, captivating and anchored in geography writ large. Although there are many more historical novels that capture other aspects of the country’s breadth and depth, may these titles be your introduction to the land perhaps best described in our national anthem: “the true north, strong and free.”

REFERENCES 1. Fred Stenson

The Trade (Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2000), p. 75

2. Timothy Findley

The Wars (Canada: Penguin Modern Classics edition, 2005). Quote from Introduction by Guy Vanderhaeghe.

WRITTEN BY LEE ANN ECKHARDT SMITH Lee Ann’s love of history and storytelling has driven her writing career. She is the author of two non-fiction social history books and magazine articles about writing engaging memoir and family history. https://www. leeanneckhardtsmith.com

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A WOMAN OF HER TIME Research and Character in Nancy Turner's Light Changes Everything

like my other characters, seems very real to me. Mary Pearl is a young woman with a deep set of values and a huge portion of courage, although like Sarah before her, she makes mistakes. I love the idea that women from all eras built this country by strength and courage and ingenuity, often fighting social and gender complexities.” As in all of Nancy Turner’s books, the characters are fully realized human beings, and this is especially true of Mary Pearl, who is charming, daring, competent, but certainly fallible and sometimes thoughtless, a woman who is determined to make her own decisions. “Fallible characters are my favorite kind,” Turner says. “I love the inner struggles of my people. I especially love the way Savannah [Mary Pearl’s mother] has to come to grips with Mary Pearl’s decisions. There’s no doubt she loves her daughter, but she cannot be her, nor choose for her. Naturally, Mary Pearl’s weaknesses are mostly about being a little bit spoiled, although she knows hard work. It’s just that she’s never had to make many choices on her own, nor face consequences of the magnitude that occur when she turns eighteen. She’s also very headstrong and – in a word – she’s immature. Life starts to spiral toward her as soon as she steps foot on the train to Illinois, and she is nearly crushed by the avalanche of adulthood.” Anyone who writes historical novels has to deal with stereotypes about women, and the clichés about women in the West are particularly insidious. Turner is particularly talented at smashing those stereotypes and yet creating a true woman of her time.

Nancy E. Turner’s Light Changes Everything (St Martin’s Press, 2020) is a return to the world Turner so evocatively created in her Sarah Agnes Prine trilogy. Beginning in the summer of 1907 and set in southern Arizona Territory, the first-person narrator is Sarah Prine’s niece, Mary Pearl Prine, a naive seventeen-year-old with bigger ambitions than to simply become a wife and mother. She travels to Illinois to attend art school at Wheaton College, but finds a world very different from home. When asked what it was about Mary Pearl that inspired Turner to give the character her own story, Turner replied, “Mary Pearl was just a few months old in These Is My Words (HarperCollins, 1998), but by the novel The Star Garden (Thomas Dunne, 2007), sixteen years had passed, and in that book, Sarah Agnes speaks of Mary Pearl as being much like her, and the rest of the family concurs. I always loved Sarah as a strong, independent woman, yet an unreliable narrator who didn’t always see things the readers saw. This similarity made it difficult to hear the voice of Mary Pearl for several years, because I kept hearing Sarah tell the story. "Of course, Mary Pearl had a very different upbringing, and not nearly so many of the life and death struggles Sarah faced, so other values formed her psyche and inner voice. She ‘came to life’ when I pictured a girl wanting to escape the bonds her protective mother had imagined for her, but it really began in The Star Garden, when she dreamed about going to school. Mary Pearl is purely fiction, but

FEATURES | Issue 91, February 2020

“1940s and 50s Hollywood movies and western novels created the blueprint for the simpering ‘good’ woman who needed rescuing from everything ranging from spiders to bandits, Indians, and tornadoes,” she agreed. “As a young reader, I loved the novels of a very popular western writer, but one day, I asked myself why the men were so heroic and the women were such twits. If the girls had a line of dialog at all, it was to thank the cowboy for saving her, and her role often involved the necessary exposure of a comely breast. Was the only point in being a girl to wait for a hero? This question truly is what inspired the telling of the story of Light Changes Everything and the answer is that a woman can and must be the source of her own light if she’s going to see the world clearly. “Western women were neither shrinking violets nor prostitutes with hearts of gold, they were as real and complex as any woman today. Plus, having to wait to attend college until my children were old enough to go with me, opened my eyes to the ways in which education changes everything for anyone. In The Star Garden, Sarah finds out that what she learned as a ‘real’ student didn’t come from books. That novel is more like what I experienced going to college as an ‘alternative’ student than anyone would guess.” When asked how she handles controversial topics, Turner said, “I leave modern controversial topics out of my stories. It’s the past that influences the present, not the other way around. I’m always looking for the lives that have gone untold, and unless it pertains to my story, I don’t try to broach current issues. Certainly you can’t ‘cure’ the past by looking at it through the glass of the present or by denying that it happened. “I wrote The Water and The Blood (Regan Books, 2001) based on prejudice and racism and tried to make it clear that in using racial

AS A YOUNG READER, I loved the novels of a very popular western writer, but one day, I asked myself why the men were so heroic and the women were such twits. terms the goal was not political correctness but historical accuracy. I know there was a sign on a hotel wall that stated ‘No Irish allowed.’ I know there was a ‘Colored only’ sign over a drinking fountain. I found a property deed in Phoenix with a clause stating the house could not be sold to Chinese. We know things were different. People have always found reasons to hate and distrust each other. I believe it is a huge disservice to the progress humanity has made, to whitewash what it once was. If we don’t learn from our past mistakes, we can’t learn to be better.”

It’s one thing to be accurate about historical events, dress, detail, but it’s much harder to be truly authentic. Turner makes sure that her characters behave and think in a way that is appropriate to the time and place they live in. “I’ve had people accuse me of ‘channeling’ my novels rather than writing them,” she says, “as if I had a spiritual link to the past. I think perhaps it’s just a practice of writers, to learn to read between the lines of a newspaper article for the emotional passion and the human lives involved, to tell a story.”

Turner notes that, “The one thing I want from any novel is to take me someplace new; make me believe I’m there, put the camera on your shoulder and let me watch. First imperative is that the author has to have walked the ground on which their story is set. Smell the rain, feel the sun burning your eyes, climb the hills and embrace the wind. Mary Pearl’s life was heat and sun and dust and her father’s pecan harvest, with a background track of coyotes singing. No wonder she longed for something else that might be found in a big city college.” Turner skillfully uses actual historical events and figures in her stories, weaving history into people’s lives. When asked how much of the story is based on fact and how much did actual incidents serve as a jumping off point, she replied, “It might be more fun to talk about the things left on the cutting room floor... but... I begin every novel with my nose buried in books. I try not to get lost in the ‘rabbit hole’ effect, but I want to know about so much more than dates and names. I want to know the morality of the day such as, could a girl speak to a boy first, or did she have to wait for him to ‘make the first move?’ Some of the questions I asked myself to lead me into this novel were: What clothes, especially hemlines, were in vogue in 1912? Can a horse survive a rattlesnake bite? Can a mountain lion kill a fullgrown horse? When did the Mexican Revolution begin and what happened in Arizona before that? Before working on this novel, all I knew of the Mexican Revolution was that it involved a Robin Hoodlike Pancho Villa and that he’d raided a town in New Mexico. What I discovered was that that war was fueled by Germany shipping arms and men through remote Arizona deserts with the intention of invading the United States from the south. By the time Pancho Villa invaded the US in 1916, the German army had already retreated back to Germany and invaded Belgium in August of 1914, starting WWI. So, did all that belong in this novel? Not really. But history is so full of amazing things, it may fuel another novel.” Through all of Turner’s books, one thing that particularly stands out is the beautiful, subtle change in voice that occurs as the character changes and grows. “I’m not sure there could be a more complicated element in any period novel than the voice,” she says. “It has to maintain a sense of time while still being accessible to modern readers. I like to use a character as the narrator, too, which keeps a high fence around any intrusion of author voice on the page. It no doubt helps that I have always been around ranching people, and I like to read books and articles written in the time period of the novel I’m writing. One thing I’ve discovered is that an educated reader who’d finished eighth grade in 1910 had a vocabulary and reading aptitude easily ten years beyond what is common today in colleges. In Light Changes Everything, I simply kept my narration in Mary Pearl’s voice, and cut out anything corny even though it might have been actually a very natural statement for the era.”

WRITTEN BY DONIS CASEY The Wrong Girl (Poisoned Pen Press, 2019) is Donis Casey’s latest book in a fresh new series starring Bianca LaBelle, star of the silent screen in the 1920s. Donis has also authored ten Alafair Tucker Mysteries set in Oklahoma during the booming 1910s. She lives in Tempe, AZ.

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THE PILGRIM FATHERS BEHELD BY JENNY BARDEN Beheld by TaraShea Nesbit (Bloomsbury, 2020) is remarkable, one of those rare novels that is both literary and accessible, thoughtprovoking and captivating, a delight to read and a wrench to put down. As an historical novel it is perfectly formed, immersing the reader convincingly in the mindset of those adventurous separatists who sailed to New Plymouth in the early seventeenth century. The twist to this retelling of a familiar tale is that it reveals the voices of the travelers accompanying those we now know as the “Pilgrim Fathers”: the women and Anglican servants upon whom they depended for their survival yet who cannot be heard in the records left behind. “I am drawn into America’s past,” says Nesbit, “and I am urged forward to speak into the gaps, particularly where powerful narrators (often white men) have occluded the voices of others.” In the process of this listening into the silence of history Nesbit offers us new insights that are challenging and disturbing, we see avarice and division where history lessons once presented a noble quest for freedom, the “oppressed” Puritans become the oppressors treating their Anglican companions as outsiders, women are abused and exploited, particularly those of lower class, and indigenous people are slain on a pretext. Throughout much of the book there is an ominous ramping up of tension leading to the murder of the first colonist signposted on the very first page, and there is the dark cloud of likely suicide – a possible answer to the mystery which was Nesbit’s inspiration: why William Bradford, the first Governor “would not mention the cause of death of his first wife, Dorothy, in his account of the founding of Plymouth.” Dorothy may have slipped from the deck of the Mayflower as another man later wrote, but for Nesbit: “That seemed suspicious. I had a sense Bradford was, if not lying outright, doing so by omission, leaving things unsaid with intention… I couldn’t get this watery ghost out of my mind. In some ways, I hoped by writing her she would leave me. But instead more women appeared.” Dorothy’s voice surfaces only briefly, very much like a ghost; most often we hear Dorothy’s closest friend Alice, the Governor’s second wife, and Eleanor Billington, wife of John, an indentured servant from across the class and religious divide. Both speak powerfully in the first person. Nesbit has a knack of drilling down into the consciousness of a character, so the reader is right there in the moment, privy to that person’s innermost thoughts with all the vagaries of memory and conditioned reaction. How does she do this? “The best way to gather a consciousness around you is to live amongst it. My time machine was the original documents: court transcripts, letters to investors, business folk and friends, and Bradford’s book Of Plymouth Plantation. Initially, I moved through the intellectual endeavor of mindset – trying to understand the set of beliefs cohabiting at the time.” But to fully accomplish this, Nesbit says, she had to loosen her hold on the verifiable. “I felt ready to write the book when I’d started to see the fissures in the ‘facts’ – when Bradford’s book would say one thing, and a letter back to London would offer a conflicting account. Once the facts started to breakdown and appear instead as subjective bits, I then felt confident enough to get to writing freely.”

FEATURES | Issue 91, February 2020

There are strong third person voices too. We hear John Billington and the later arrival “Newcomen”, and we eavesdrop upon the voice of a servant girl while she is being raped. Interspersed with these are vignettes such as the diary entry of Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop, who notes a hanging with as much dispassion and brevity as the death of a cow. Collectively this interweaving conveys the story in a way that is both profound and moving. All the voices are convincingly true to period without being stilted or unfathomable. What techniques did Nesbit use to achieve this? “At some point, I heard something like blank verse in most of the seventeenth-century texts, and wrote with that in mind. When a sentence I was writing felt ‘off’, I’d put it in unrhymed iambic pentameter. That gave it a formalness and restraint that I imagined for Alice. For Eleanor, whose family was described by William Bradford as one of the most profane he’d ever met, I felt freed-up and knew I could disrupt the formalness by varying the rhythm.” This concentration upon voice which somehow removes the narrator from the reader’s perception is accomplished with singular flair. Nesbit did something similar in her first book, The Wives of Los Alamos (Bloomsbury, 2014), written, unusually, in first person plural throughout. In that book, she says: “I was haunted by the decision to build atomic bombs, detonate them over civilians, and then leave a mess of radioactive waste for future generations to deal with.” No surprise that it was the lost voices of the women who were the focus there. In Beheld the story is anchored in place as well as time. Nesbit reveals that she was “lit up” on seeing a map of Plymouth settlement. “Once I learned that the Billington family had their home at the crossroads, directly across from Bradford’s home, a lot of narrative possibilities opened up.” For all the promise of space presented by the New World, Nesbit shows us a colony under threat from outside and within, its inhabitants soon squabbling over small parcels of land, seizing the territory of the Wampanoag without compunction, and proudly displaying the severed head of a native leader above the meeting house. Beheld opens our eyes to an early America that was ugly and savage, but we see beauty there too: the beauty of love and enduring friendship, of nature and renewal – of life. “I try not to ask too many questions about why particular subjects, people and themes move me to write,” says Nesbit, “for I fear, if I understand fully, the breathing will cease.” Jenny Barden is the author of The Lost Duchess, which focuses on the first attempt to found a permanent English settlement in North America. https://jennybarden.com

THE FORTUNATE ONES

BY MARY TOD

Mary Tod talks to Catherine Hokin about her intriguing novel

Mischling. Mixed blood. Hitler’s evil at work, classifying everyone with even a drop of Jewish blood. Author Catherine Hokin says: “The Nazis' approach to racial classification, as laid down in the 1935 Nuremberg Laws, was meticulous and far-reaching – they weren’t prepared to miss a drop of Jewish blood. According to the 1939 Reich census, there were about 72,000 Mischlinge of the 1st degree and 39,000 of the 2nd degree in Germany.” Felix Thalberg, one of two protagonists in The Fortunate Ones (Bookouture, 2020), is designated a mischling, specifically mixed blood in the second degree, despite being raised Christian and having three Christian grandparents. He lives in “a constant state of uncertainty, of never knowing when the laws protecting [him] would change.” He is marked, sneered at, singled out, and eventually sent to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp just north of Berlin and a training centre for SS officers. But not before he meets Hannah Huber – whose real name is Inge Ackermann – in a crowded dance hall and Felix’s life is forever changed. What is it about World War Two stories that are endlessly fascinating to both readers and authors? Hokin’s novel emerged from a short story she wrote because she “wanted to explore what it means to be a monster.” WWII is full of monsters and those who suffered atrocities almost impossible to imagine at their hands. In The Fortunate Ones, Inge’s husband Max Eichel is the monster – a devoted Nazi, member of the SS, and a doctor experimenting on inmates at Sachsenhausen. The thought sends chills down my spine. As war unfolds, Inge discovers that marriage to Max is more like a prison sentence rather than a world of happily-ever-after, while Felix endures concentration camp life as one of the “fortunate ones” chosen to work in the currency counterfeiting operation. Later, both contend with the aftermath of war: Inge in Argentina where many Nazis fled; Felix in the devastation of post-war Berlin. The Fortunate Ones is a richly rewarding page-turner full of the unexpected. Chapters alternate between Felix and Inge in parallel timeframes, under completely different circumstances, yet never forgetting one another. The story lines are deftly balanced and equally engaging. Hokin spent a great deal of time plotting the links between the two stories to compensate for the physically separation of the characters. “There is always a danger with this type of structure,” she says, “that the reader could be more drawn to one character than the other and grow impatient with the sections they like less. This was a particular challenge with Inge who was, because of her upbringing and circumstances, far harder to make

sympathetic – her character arc is the most pronounced and she has a lot of growing up to do.” The German experience of World War Two gets less attention than the British, American, or French experience, and yet it is equally compelling in both emotion and circumstance and equally illuminating in terms of character and humanity. I asked Catherine Hokin what aspects of her research surprised or shocked her. While she replied that she uncovered so much, the hardest choice was what to leave out, she picked the Rosenstrasse protests as distinct. “This was an act of very vocal resistance carried out over 10 days by about 200 non-Jewish women who were protesting at the detention of their husbands and fathers by the Nazis. These Jewish men were, to that point, counted as ‘privileged’ but they had been rounded up for deportation in the brutal February 1943 purge of the Berlin Jews. Despite very real fears that the women would be, at best, arrested, their protest worked and the men were released.” Such a protest in a narrow street and face to face with German soldiers would have taken an amazing amount of courage. Hokin was also surprised at the location of Sachsenhausen Concentration camp “for its proximity to the town of Oranienburg which is on the outskirts of Berlin. As I realised when I walked from the station, the camp is irrefutably part of it. What I have written about shutters closing and townspeople turning their backs as the prisoners were marched through is fact. One of the guard towers has a display directing visitors to a small window – this looks over what would have been a sprawling SS housing estate backing straight onto the camp, an estate many local girls lived in when they married SS officers. Without wishing to pass judgement, ignorance in this case must have been hard won.” As mentioned above, Max Eichel escapes with Inge to Argentina in the last weeks of the war. According to Hokin’s research, “around 9000 Nazi officers and collaborators found sanctuary in South America, with as many as 5000 of them (including Mengele and Eichmann) relocating to Argentina.” Why? “Along with many other right-wing South American leaders,” Catherine Hokin says, “Peron [Juan Peron, President of Argentina in the 1950s] was drawn to Nazi ideologies. Documents have been discovered going back to the 1930s in which Argentine diplomats express admiration for Hitler’s ability to instil nationalism, xenophobia and a complete indifference to violence among the military – something Peron wanted to (and did) emulate. He is also known to have recruited Nazis with the military, technical and other expertise he thought would help him mould the ‘pure’ Argentina he wanted.”

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As a reader, what I always wonder is how authors can bear to write about the concentration camp experience. Catherine says that it is critical “not to exploit the experiences and the suffering: it is essential to understand the realities and the limitations of ‘life’ in the camps and to stick like glue to the facts.” She visited several museums and read many accounts about the experience. Because so few camp inmates survived, she “chose to make Felix part of the counterfeiting team.” She felt that it was essential to “tell these stories because they matter” without “wallowing in other people’s pain.” The Fortunate Ones is a story that matters. It will grab your attention from start to finish and make you think about war, consequences, choices, and the power of love. M.K. (Mary) Tod writes historical fiction. Her latest novel, Time and Regret was published in 2016 by Lake Union. Mary can be contacted on Facebook and Goodreads, @MKTodAuthor and https://awriterofhistory.com/

LET THE BATTLES BEGIN BY ALAN FISK Alan Fisk talks to Robert Fabbri about his new series Known for his nine-book Vespasian series, Robert Fabbri has moved back three centuries in his latest historical novel, Alexander's Legacy: To the Strongest (Corvus 2020; reviewed this issue), which deals with the events after the death of Alexander the Great in Babylon in 323 BC. Alexander fails to explicitly name a sole heir and his reported deathbed words are “I foresee great contests at my funeral games.” Indeed, his seven “Bodyguards,” actually his chief generals, now make competing claims to be his successor. This novel is the first of what will be an ennealogy (a series of nine books), made up of three trilogies. Fabbri deliberately avoided looking up previous novels on the same topic, such as Mary Renault’s Alexander trilogy, and specifically the last in that series Funeral Games (John Murray, 1981), so that Alexander’s Legacy would be purely his own approach to the story. “I first read Funeral Games about forty years ago”, he says, “and last read it about twenty-five years ago; I deliberately did not read it again as I contemplated the Alexander’s Legacy series as I, obviously, did not want to be influenced by Renault’s characterisation or her take on history. My memory of the book has faded and so if there are any similarities they are either subconscious or accidental. As to the approach I took to the series, it came about because I realised that the only satisfactory way to deal with so many protagonists was to have a multiple point of view approach whereby seven, eight or nine characters have between three to six chapters in each book; as they are killed off – as they have to be, historically – they are replaced by others so that the focus of the series is always changing.” Fabbri has laid out a provisional plan for the full series of novels, and has already completed the first trilogy. “It’s going to be a series of nine books – at least that is what it looks like to me at the moment – and I have already finished the first three. The second book, The

FEATURES | Issue 91, February 2020

Three Paradises, deals with the efforts of Antipatros, the regent of Macedon, to keep the empire together as the Successors struggle for prominence, or independence or simply keeping the status quo. In the third book, An Empty Throne, the focus is divided between the struggle for Macedon and the war between Antigonos and Eumenes in the east. In the fourth book, Babylon, which I am about to start, the focus stays on Macedon and the east, in the form of Babylon, but Ptolemy in Egypt and Syria also comes to the fore. One obvious challenge was keeping the large number of main characters differentiated, so as not to confuse the reader. “Firstly, I have given them all nicknames, some real like Antigonos The Oneeyed, and some fictional like Perdikkas The Half-chosen; secondly, each character has a symbol – designed by my wife, Anja – next to their name on the chapter heading, thus, I hope, helping to make them instantly recognisable despite them having difficult names. After this, I hope my characterisation of all the characters is sufficiently detailed to be able to tell them apart! I have taken as much as we know, or can infer, from the historical sources and then embellished each one to make my version of the man or woman. I also give them different speech patterns and have provided access to their thoughts in italics. Historically, the only one of the “successors” who succeeded in grasping a piece of Alexander’s empire was Ptolemy, in Egypt, who went native and founded a dynasty that lasted until Cleopatra. I wondered whether Fabbri thought that any of the other “Bodyguards” could have pulled that off somewhere else. “Seleukos, who was not one of the seven ‘Bodyguards’ but was, nevertheless, a senior figure in the hierarchy grabbed most of the east as well as modern-day Syria and Iraq, forming the Seleucid Empire, which lasted until the Roman conquest in the first century B.C. Nevertheless, it has to be said that by that time it was merely a rump, having lost all of its eastern satrapies to the Parthians, Indians and the Bactrian Greek kingdom. As to the seven Bodyguards, only Lysimachus managed to carve out a kingdom for himself in Thrace and a portion of modernday Turkey. As for myself, I found Alexander's Legacy: To the Strongest to be absorbing and full of interesting characters and incidents. Alan Fisk has been a Reviews Editor for the Historical Novels Review for several years.

A MORE SOPHISTICATED HORROR BY BETHANY LATHAM Alma Katsu’s The Deep Alma Katsu has something she’d like to say to readers who love historical fiction but think they aren’t interested in historical horror: “Give my books a try, because they aren’t what most people think of when they hear ‘horror.’” She’s perfectly right. I wouldn’t describe myself as innately drawn to the horror genre – I love suspense,

I FIND the whole argument about not liking horror a bit puzzling, because first of all, horror is one of the tools you can use to create drama, and the genre covers such a wide range, especially now. especially psychological, and a dark atmosphere, but prefer to pass on entrail-strewn gorefests. Katsu understands this type of reader, which is why her historical novels focus on character development, with the horror elements integrated into the story, and never unleashed senselessly into gratuitous carnage. It’s a stimulating approach: take historical events that already represent a terror-filled plight for those who experienced them, events the reader knows beforehand will end in disaster. Now up the ante with an element of the supernatural. In The Hunger, Katsu’s first foray into the genre, members of the Donner-Reed Party have the cards stacked against them from the very beginning – a late start heading West, lack of leadership and cohesion as a group, inadequate supplies. The reader already knows that these unfortunate settlers, caught by winter and isolated in the snowbound Sierra Nevadas, will be subjected to the worst America’s frontier can exact. They will break every rule of human society in their desperate attempts to survive…and most will be unsuccessful. To the dangers that nature puts in their way, Katsu adds another terrifying element: something inhuman stalks the Party, something with a ceaseless hunger that seeks not only to prey on them, but to infiltrate them. Something that may have already infiltrated them. It is a visceral yet subtle kind of horror that never overplays its hand. It’s also an approach that works. On the heels of The Hunger’s critical success, Katsu’s next project took on a historical disaster epic in scale: the Titanic. The Deep revolves around Annie Hebbley, a young Irish stewardess on the Titanic and later a nurse on its similarly ill-fated sister ship Britannic. As Hebbley rubs elbows with the Gilded Age’s richest (the Astors, Benjamin Guggenheim, et al.), a series of strange events plagues the passengers even as they speed towards their watery fate. Something on the ship is seeking, calling – something angry… Katsu encountered the spark for what would become The Deep after watching a documentary on the first diving expedition to explore the wreck of the Britannic. Katsu says, “When I heard there was one woman who survived both sinkings, I knew there had to be a story there!” This woman, Violet Jessop, was a stewardess on the Titanic, and later a stewardess for the Red Cross on the Britannic during World War I. “Originally, I thought she might make a good protagonist, so I read her diary,” Katsu explains. “And then I realized I’d need to make a lot of changes to her real-life story, and that would be a disservice to her.” Instead, Katsu says, “It seemed more respectful to create a fictional character to shoulder all the trials the protagonist was subjected to.” Jessop does appear in the story, but she is allowed to “be herself and provide historical flavoring.” Historical verisimilitude being a particular concern of historical fiction enthusiasts, Katsu notes that a great many of the questions she receives about her historical horror novels have to do with her research. “I probably have a different take on doing research than most novelists, as I’ve worked as a professional researcher for over 30 years,” Katsu shares. “I try to be specific in the beginning about what historical aspects I need to research and do the deep dives there. I leave the nitty-gritty details for when I’m writing, doing spot research along the way.” Yet even a professional can encounter hurdles: “The thing that most people seem to struggle with is figuring out which facts to trust. For

The Hunger, I went to online resources for some of the more obscure things I needed to find, like who was Tamsen Donner’s first husband and where did they live. You find interesting little details from a variety of sources, particularly amateur genealogists, but often they contradicted each other, and it was hard to decide which tidbits (if any) to trust.” Katsu explains that professional researchers assign probability: probable (85% likely to be true), possible (50%) or unlikely (less than 50%). “It’s subjective,” she says, “but it forces you to define your feelings about the solidity of the fact and whether you feel comfortable using it.” When attempting to create an immersive historical experience, Katsu offers, “The trick is to remember to question your assumptions. To remember that the world around us—what we touch, how we communicate and travel, how we live our lives—changes over time. I know that sounds so simple as to be foolish, but it’s amazing how easy it is to forget. The big challenge, I think, is interpreting a historical period for modern readers.” That historical interpretation can also influence the feel and tone of a novel, even while staying within the historical horror genre. There is, for instance, a difference in tone between The Hunger and The Deep, even though they take the same approach of adding the supernatural to human disaster. This divergence, Katsu elucidates, “was definitely intentional, and grew naturally out of the setting and events. For The Hunger, for instance, the theme was man and monster: under what circumstances can a man be turned into a monster? The setting was wild and rustic. This combination seemed to call for a rawer, more visceral horror element. Contrast that to The Deep, which is set in the end of the Edwardian era, and is concerned with some of the issues of the day, such as women’s rights and class disparity. The times are more refined—it doesn’t get more elegant than the Titanic, I think!— and it seems to call for a more sophisticated type of horror.” And this is a type of horror that will have wide appeal among historical fiction readers. “I find the whole argument about not liking horror a bit puzzling,” Katsu reasons, “because first of all, horror is one of the tools you can use to create drama, and secondly, the genre covers such a wide range, especially now.” The line between suspense and horror is becoming increasingly blurred in both directions, and Katsu notes that those who say they don’t enjoy horror usually have the graphic, slasher type in mind. This mentality fails to take into account that the genre of historical horror has evolved to include a much greater variety of content. Painting with such a broad (bloody) brush, Katsu notes, risks “throw[ing] the baby out with the bathwater; you’ll miss a lot of books you probably would enjoy.” Katsu is also a fan of variety – she has also published in the fantasy genre, and plans to try something “totally different” for her next work. “My first spy novel!” she says. “You’d think I’d be able to get at least one novel out of a 35-year career in intelligence and I’m happy to say I finally did with Red Widow, slated to publish in 2021.” But Katsu isn’t abandoning the historical horror genre – far from it. “I should be back with a new historical horror novel set in World War II and dealing with the Japanese internment. There’s a lot of personal history I can draw on for this, as my husband’s family and friends were sent to the camps, and my mother grew up in Japan during the war.” Bethany Latham is HNR’s Managing Editor.

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also each other. This is a lovely slow-burning, faith-filled exploration about overcoming trials and accepting past mistakes in a richly detailed world. Recommended.

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

BIBLICAL

STAR OF PERSIA

Jill Eileen Smith, Revell, 2020, $15.99, pb, 368pp, 9780800734718

Bestselling biblical fiction author Jill Eileen Smith breathes new life into the story of Queen Esther, the titular Star of Persia, by steeping the well-trod-upon classic with secular history. Drawing inspiration from the writings of Herodotus, new characters are introduced and old ones deftly given new depth as they are concretely imagined in what daily life may have been like in ancient Persia. A conquered people in a displaced land, the Jewish emigrants from Israel, now living in Susa, walk a tenuous line between keeping their religious and ethnic identity while surrounded by a foreign nation, led by a tempestuous king, Xerxes, who is waging war against the Greeks. Mordecai, a Jew, raises his adoptive daughter, Hadassah, to be kept apart from the other Jews, fearing the xenophobia will cause him harm as a court official, and forces Hadassah to hide her identity and take a Persian name, Esther. Those familiar with the story will find new things to love, such as the backstory for Esther and her Uncle Mordecai, preceding the infamous feasting that results in the banishing of Xerxes’ favorite wife, whom Smith casts in a softer light than in other novelizations. The resulting beauty competition, and Esther’s marriage to Xerxes, places her at the crux of court intrigue as officials vie for power and prominence, and one man’s soaring rise to power as the king’s new favorite, polluted by the xenophobia and racism towards Esther’s people, results in the death sentence of the Jewish nation. It is this egregious evil which Queen Esther must confront, armed with her natural beauty, a faith in an unseen God, and the desperate prayers of a doomed people. Lauren Miller

CLASSICAL

ALEXANDER’S LEGACY: To the Strongest

Robert Fabbri, Corvus, 2020, £14.99, hb, 409pp, 9781786497963

Alexander’s Legacy: To the Strongest is the first

book in a new series by Robert Fabbri, author of the Vespasian series. After Alexander the Great’s death in Babylon in 323 BC, the young Macedonian Empire splintered into rival kingdoms as competing generals vied to be the new great man. Fabbri has chosen some fascinating if frustratingly limited source material to work with by writing historical fiction set in this period, a mostly unexplored timeframe despite the Game of Thronesstyle showdown. While some knowledge of Alexander the Great is fairly common, that of his successors, aka the Diadochi, is much less so, even though the successor period is arguably more interesting and definitely more complex. One might question why Alexander did not clarify the succession, but from a literary perspective one enjoys the unfolding drama. To the Strongest is a highly dramatic novel that, unlike most works of fiction, does not have a single protagonist. If there were one, it would be Perdiccas, but the story flits between characters and settings through many short chapters. Given all the contemporaneous events and important characters, this is understandable, although hard to follow for those unfamiliar with the period. Like the action, the characters are highly dramatic. It will appeal to those who enjoy a good drama about a messy, confused succession. Chris James

1ST CENTURY

DAUGHTER OF ROME

Tessa Afshar, Tyndale, 2020, $25.99/ C$35.99/£20.99, hb, 416pp, 9781496428707 / $15.99/C$21.99/£12.99, pb, 416pp, 9781496428714

Afshar explores the lives of Aquila and Priscilla from the Bible, a married couple who were extremely influential in the early Christian movement. In 49 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Claudius, Aquila is trying to find his place in the world when, after professing his faith in Christ, his family disowns him. Meanwhile, Priscilla has a devastating secret. She’s become a follower of the Jewish faith where she meets Aquila. As their feelings grow, she fears her one past mistake will ruin everything. Afshar explores faith, forgiveness, acceptance, and making peace with one’s self through the cross. Priscilla is a kind-hearted person who no one would suspect hides a shameful secret. The author deftly explores the difference between appearance versus substance. While the cross’s appearance has never changed, because of Jesus’s sacrifice, the substance of the cross has been irrevocably altered. This is what Afshar’s characters must come to trust: Christ’s ability to wash away sin. Priscilla’s and Aquila’s faith is tested in various ways. They must learn to trust their faith but

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

J. Lynn Else

THE LOST CHAPTER

Tod Scott Connor, Hawkeye Publishers, 2019, $14.99, pb, 292pp, 9781946005755

Nero rules Rome in the first century AD and is destroying its best citizens with his ever-growing perversity, cruelty, and terrifying reprisals. Marius, a Roman centurion, agrees with several peers that Nero should be assassinated. While they are planning Nero’s demise, Nero’s mistress has his wife killed and banishes other artists whose skill surpasses Nero’s own endeavors in poetry, drama, and architecture. At the same time, many members of the new Christian sect (called Chrestians here) are in Rome with Paul of Tarsus, who is awaiting a legal hearing as he is a Roman citizen. Marius is quite moved by this group who display much kindness, compassion, and mercy. Although Marius is not a believer in Jesus Christ, Marius plans to free Paul and gets the Christians to aid in the plan to start a fire that will eventually end Nero’s rule. When the fire begins, however, Nero is freed from blame as he helps put out the spreading fires and helps to rebuild Rome. The final horror includes confessions and horrible deaths of those accused in an assassination plot. What is most intriguing throughout the story is the narrator’s ruminations about what drives human beings to such extremes of cruelty and evil to former friends and loyalists. These acts cause Marius to feel complicit while at the same time fearing exposure, especially when his friends become innocent victims based on the lies of others trying to protect their own interests. This is an astonishing read, a plausible explanation for real historical events. Riveting and recommended. Viviane Crystal

CRY FOR JERUSALEM - Book 1 63-66 CE: Resisting Tyranny

Ward Sanford, Stadia Books, 2019, $16.95, pb, 422pp, 9781950645015

First in a four-novel series, Resisting Tyranny introduces readers to four unlikely friends brought together by a life-threatening accident at sea. A Roman centurion, an auxiliary soldier, a wealthy and soon-to-be-married noble lady, and a Jewish scholar form a bond of friendship that could save Jerusalem from the greed of their Roman overlords. But can they stop a war before it’s too late? The story sweeps across a first-century world that’s diverse, gritty, and laced with tension. Majestic and colorful landscapes such as Jerusalem, Rome, and the many places in between, both on land and sea, are richly detailed. I loved the maps that are included at the beginning. Sanford uses his characters well. Men and

women have strong influence on the plot, including women who interacted with and changed their circumstances despite social constraints. Everything is supported by an incredibly well-researched foundation. The time period and social customs are delightfully developed. My only concern is I found the book a little long. Some sections start at the end of a battle, which is slightly disconcerting. I wasn’t with the characters because I was still figuring out how we got that far into the confrontation in the first place. However, there is political and religious strife, moments of ancient beauty, and well-developed characters to carry the plot forward. Sanford is a talented author with an exciting new series to get lost in. J. Lynn Else

THE SILK MERCHANT OF SYCHAR

Cindy Williams, Rhiza Press, 2019, A$24.99, pb, 254pp, 9781925563795

This is Australian writer Cindy Williams’ second novel. Her first, The Pounamu Prophecy, was set in her birth country of New Zealand and is about an ancient Maori prophecy. The Silk Merchant of Sychar is set in ancient biblical times, from AD 21 to 29. The novel is mostly based in the olive groves and market towns of Samaria with a side trip to the Roman garrison city of Sebaste, complete with stadium and bloodthirsty games. Williams has taken the story of the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well in the New Testament and cleverly created an entire backstory. All that was mentioned in the Bible about the woman was that she had five husbands and was living with a man she was not married to. In The Silk Merchant of Sychar, Leah Marcellus is a Samaritan woman with inherited Roman citizenship from her father’s military achievements. We follow Leah through the trials and tribulations of five very different marriages. Williams has created a determined and ambitious female protagonist fighting for survival in a world where women were considered nothing without a husband. She paints an engrossing picture of how Samaritans, Jews and Romans co-existed in this tumultuous era. The main characters are well written and believable. The geographical landscape is beautifully evocative. For me the least engaging part of the novel was how the Christian message and Leah’s interaction with Jesus were woven in. It felt a little flat and contrived, but not enough to take away from what is essentially a very enjoyable novel. Christine Childs

10TH CENTURY

SWORD OF KINGS

Bernard Cornwell, Harper, 2019, $27.99, hb, 331pp, 9780062563217 / HarperCollins, 2019, £20.00, hb, 340pp, 9780008183899

In Sword of Kings, the twelfth book in Bernard Cornwell’s popular Saxon series,

Uhtred of Bebbanburg has grown older and wiser, but, much to the reader’s delight, no less prone to put himself and his men into danger. Despite this being a longstanding series, Cornwell achieves satisfying freshness with Uhtred’s current inner conflict and failings. The reader shares Uhtred’s frustration with the trap he’s gotten into. He swore an oath to his companion in arms, Aethelstan. Now that warrior vies for the throne that the dying Edward will soon leave open, and it’s time to fulfill his oath. The last thing Uhtred wants is involvement in Anglo-Saxon quarrels. His wife and closest friend tell him he’s a fool to go south to help Aethelstan. He agrees. But breaking an oath—that’s a heavy thing for a man following the Norse gods. In Uhtred style, he finds a clever way to uphold his oath that might not be fatal—until that plan goes awry. One unforeseen twisty disaster leads to another, keeping the reader highly engaged watching Uhtred’s brilliant strategic thinking in action. Along with Cornwell’s rich character development and consummate battle scenes, he’s the master of cliff-hanger chapter endings. There’s this classic: “…I had no business here. The fool’s errand was over. Except it was not. Because the horsemen came.” There’s another subtler and more character-driven one: “And I knew then why he was familiar and why he hated me. And that made me laugh. We limped on home.” Of course, the reader doesn’t know what Uhtred does and is propelled off the cliff into the next chapter to find out. Cornwell’s well-honed talents make for an addictive book that brings old friends to the page with compelling new dimensions. Judith Starkston

ODIN’S GAME

Tim Hodkinson, Aria, 2019, £14.99, pb, 481pp, 9781788549950

Odin’s Game is the first in a new series from Tim Hodkinson. The book opens in 916 as a young woman flees the Orkney Isles for her own safety and that of her unborn child. Eighteen years later in Iceland, Unn has made a comfortable life for herself and her son Einar, but when Einar is outlawed and forced to flee, she tells him to seek out his uncle, the infamous ‘Skull Cleaver’ Jarl Thorfinn of Orkney. Under Thorfinn’s command, Einar is sent to Ireland and learns to fight with both axe and sword. He also realises that he is merely a pawn in a deadly game as jarls and kings from Norway, Orkney and Ireland vie for control, power and wealth. Making friends amongst the Wolf Coat warriors, men who fight to the death for the glory of the Norse God Odin, and also with a beautiful and dangerous Irish princess called Affreca, Einar finds adventure, action, danger and the power within himself to overcome enemies on every side. This is a fast-paced, detailed and brilliantly written historical adventure which will appeal to fans of Bernard Cornwell, George R R Martin, and especially Theodore Brun. It brings to life many aspects of 10th-century society,

religion, politics and daily life in Orkney, Ireland and Iceland, highlighting similarities and differences and the precariousness of life in a time of war, raids and constant violence. In particular the detail of religious differences between Pagans and Christians in this period of transition makes it stand out from the crowd. Lisa Redmond

11TH CENTURY

THE TESTAMENT OF LEOFRIC THE BLACK: Volume One, AD 1040-57

Edward Cartwright Beard, Holt & Dean, 2019, $14.95, pb, 459pp, 9781999360733

It is 1071, and William the Bastard has taken the Isle of Elig after an 18-month siege. The betrayer is Leofric the Black, or so rumors say. Now on the run from Norman and Saxon alike, Leofric vows to find the real traitor. Should he die before he succeeds in proving his innocence, he begins writing a testament so all will know the truth about him and how he and other Saxons fought to free Englaland from Norman invaders. His tale begins in 1040, when he has seen nine winters. Leofric wishes two things from life: to be a warrior and to gain his father’s respect. But life rarely grants such wishes, especially to a timid cripple. Others think him better suited to take holy orders and work as a monastery’s gifted illuminator. But the old gods and a sorceress foretell a different destiny, one closely tied to four different kings. Against the odds, Leofric overcomes his handicap. His penchant for helping underdogs, however, gains him enemies who thwart his desires and lead him on a path rife with treachery, murder, kidnapping, and death. This first volume of the testament spans 1040 to 1057. Beard spins a poignant tale that tugs at the heart strings, eliciting a wide gamut of emotions with which readers will identify. He seductively weaves history with fiction to craft a gripping tale of intrigue, war, perfidy, and love. His vivid descriptions of characters and places make the latter days of the Dark Ages seem all too real, yet Leofric’s honest telling of events compels readers to return for the next book. Cindy Vallar

12TH CENTURY

THE LAND BEYOND THE SEA

Sharon Kay Penman, Putnam, 2020, $32.00/ C$42.00, hb, 688pp, 9780399165283 / Macmillan, 2020, £20.00, hb, 688pp, 9781447287537

Those of us who are hardcore Penman fans have been breathlessly awaiting the release of this sizable tome. True to form, Penman again demonstrates her impeccable attention to historical detail and the depth and breadth

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of her research in this novel, which spans the years 1163-1187. Outremer—the Kingdom of Jerusalem—was born in blood during the First Crusade in 1099 when Christians captured the holy city from the Saracens. Here Penman focuses on the ascendancy and reign of Baldwin IV, the Leper King who, despite his illness, was committed to his kingdom and his people. Baldwin’s biggest mistake, though—which will ultimately result in the loss of Jerusalem to Saladin—is to arrange the marriage of his sister, Sybilla, to Guy de Lusignan, who ultimately is crowned king upon Baldwin’s death. That Guy is easily manipulated into making what becomes the worst possible military decision spells the beginning of the end for Outremer. The hero of the history, and Penman’s focus after Baldwin’s death, is Balian d’Ibelin, courageous warrior, true patriot and superb diplomat. The intensity of Balian’s determination to save the Jerusalemites is even respected by Saladin and his brother. Balian’s negotiations with Saladin are a diplomatic tour de force. The breadth of the landscape and sheer number of characters make it a virtual impossibility for Penman to keep us intensely involved in the action at every turn. However, as much as I found the action lagging after the deaths of Baldwin and his tutor, William of Tyre, only to pick up again during the final 100 pages because of Balian’s courage, the fact is that Penman has created a saga of epic proportions. She has given us insight into the inner workings of the minds of the great men and women of the time. There is a lot here to savor, and this book can’t be rushed through. Ilysa Magnus

13TH CENTURY

LADY OF THE SEVEN SUNS

Tinney Sue Heath, self-published, 2019, $12.99, pb, 355pp, 9781733993326

St. Francis of Assisi, famous for his devotion to poverty and his sermon to the birds, remains a figure of enduring interest, as does his lesserknown companion, St. Clare. They are known as Francesco and Chiara in this novel, which revolves around protagonist Giacoma, a rich and privileged Roman wife and mother who is soon beset by tragedy. Giacoma’s tragedies bind her in friendship to Francesco as she works to assist him in founding his order, while at the same time navigating the responsibilities and expectations of her noble background. Through Giacoma’s eyes, readers experience Francesco’s growing piety and desire to relinquish worldly pleasures and embrace poverty to a worrisome and shocking degree. It is not easy to write about characters’ profound religious faith with veracity and sympathy when it differs so starkly from the mores of modern society, but Heath has accomplished that and more with this tale. Her historical research immerses the reader into medieval Italy to such an extent that one can 18

smell the rosemary, taste the communion wine, and hear the poor begging for alms. Written from the first-person point of view, Giacoma provides a sensitive portrayal of the age and of both saints and sinners. Xina Marie Uhl

CATHEDRAL OF BONES

J. G. Lewis, Stoneheart Press, 2019, $5.50, ebook, 260pp, 9781939941527

It is March 1226, and Ela Longespée’s husband, William, Earl of Salisbury, has died suddenly. His funeral has just taken place in the newly built Salisbury Cathedral when the new widow is brought news of the corpse of a young pregnant woman found in the River Avon. There is no water in her lungs, so it looks like murder. In the teeth of opposition and incredulity, Ela assumes the role of Sheriff of Wiltshire (in historical fact the first woman to hold such a position anywhere in Britain), and her sleuthing is agreeably close to current police procedure: in the absence of photography, Ela’s own accurate drawing of the woman’s injuries, and a recreation of what the victim might have looked like in life, quickly identify her. As Ela investigates further, her suspicions about her husband’s death surface – and then one of the prime suspects is also murdered. The attention to detail of Ela’s clothing means that the reader can almost feel her maidservant pinning on her head-covering. The historical context is thoroughly researched; Ela’s understanding of medicine derives from the School of Salerno. Yet though the author could hardly have reproduced actual speech of the time and still been comprehensible to most modern readers, terms like “go check” and “snuck” are a little too modern and too transatlantic, and sometimes I wished her characters didn’t lift an eyebrow quite so much. That said, this is a satisfying and readable whodunit with a resolution I couldn’t predict. Lewis’s sympathetic heroine defends her corner and that of her children in what was most definitely a man’s world, in a story likely to appeal to readers of Cadfael. I am pleased that there are to be more Ela of Salisbury mysteries. Katherine Mezzacappa

14TH CENTURY

REQUIEM FOR A KNAVE

Laura Carlin, Hodder & Stoughton, 2020, £17.99, hb, 312pp, 9781473661424

This is a dark Gothic tale set in late Mediaeval England, structured as a pilgrimage from a village in Derbyshire to the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham in Norfolk. One of the pilgrims is an orphaned teenager who has never been outside his (or maybe her) own village, so the story is in part a coming-of-age story, a story of self-discovery narrated by the character concerned many years later in old age. It is also a lesbian love story and a mass-murder mystery. It is told in a flowery literary style such as a narrator might have used in the 14th

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century, using enough Mediaeval words to sound authentic without being inaccessible. The principal character is plausible enough, although born in extraordinary circumstances, but the secondary character, Rosamund, sounds very out of place in the Middle Ages, ever eager to explain her theories about role expectations and sexual identity. I appreciate that the author has a message she wishes to get across, but surely Rosamund is several centuries ahead of her time, even for a ‘wise woman’ (aka ‘witch’). Nonetheless this is an enjoyable read with an inventive and unusual plot. Edward James

15TH CENTURY

DARK QUEEN WAITING

Paul Doherty, Severn House, 2019, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 224pp, 9781780291277

In 1471, England is in the hands of the House of York. King Edward IV employs a vast network of spies, assassins, and informants to crush the House of Lancaster. Opposing him is the pious, cunning, and ruthless Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, who has her own network working relentlessly to protect her exiled son, Henry Tudor, and install him on the throne of England. Her most trusted accomplice is the brilliant Christopher Urswicke, whose equally brilliant nemesis is his own father, who serves as enforcer to the House of York. “Dark” is the unrelenting tone of this mystery. Action unfolds in the dim, putrid alleys of London, dimly-lit back rooms of taverns, dungeons, and churchyard shadows. Dung collectors may be informants. Men are murdered in chambers seemingly locked from within, and the murders themselves are executed by a variety of horrific means. This is the second of Paul Doherty’s Margaret Beaufort mysteries, drawing on Doherty’s formidable mastery of the English medieval and Renaissance world. Sensory specifics put the reader deep into the underbelly of the monarchy, in which priests may be spies and fathers, sons, and brothers may be mortal enemies. A character list helps readers identify major players in the large cast. Pamela Schoenewaldt

THE BORGIA CONFESSIONS Alyssa Palombo, St. Martin’s Griffin, 2020, $16.99, pb, 432pp, 9781250191205

This is Alyssa Palombo’s fourth novel and, like her first two, this one takes place in Italy. Set during the Renaissance, it follows a fictional character, Maddalena Moretti, a young widow who has moved to Rome to work as a maid for the Borgias. Maddalena is nearly assaulted by Juan Borgia but is luckily rescued by his brother Cesare. This fateful meeting would set into motion a love affair between Maddalena and Cesare, the son of a pope who was forced to become a cardinal to advance his family name. In her role as a servant of

the Borgias and lover to Cesare, Maddalena becomes privy to all the inner workings of the corrupt and powerful Borgia family. How far will Cesare go to aggrandize his family? And will Maddalena be silenced because of everything she knows? Palombo describes her latest book as an origin story for Cesare Borgia: accused of killing his brother Juan, sleeping with his other brother’s wife, and even having an incestuous relationship with his sister Lucrezia. The Borgia Confessions reveals how one of the villains of Renaissance Rome was born. In addition, with the character of Maddalena, Palombo explores the inequities of the time period, both in class and gender. While Palombo has clearly done her research and is a gifted writer, for this reader, there was too much about politics in this book. Politics and the machinations of war are constantly revealed through conversations between the Pope and Cesare, and as a result, Palombo is constantly telling the reader what happened but not letting us in on the action. Regardless, through the lens of a fictional character, Palombo gives new insights into the Borgia family and the corruption of the papacy. Julia C. Fischer

THIS SON OF YORK

Anne Easter Smith, Bellastoria Press, 2019, $20.95, pb, 506pp, 9781942209638

Murderer. Usurper. Hunchback. Richard III is one of the most vilified monarchs in historical memory. Fourth in line for the York English throne, Richard had no real expectation that he one day would be king. Yet he rose to power after the deaths of his three older brothers and the declaration that his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, were bastards. He was responsible for instituting legal reforms that protected commoners, such as a court that adjudicates disputes involving the poor and bail to protect the property of suspected felons awaiting trial. Nevertheless, his story is one of villainy, told not by historians or scholars but by popular portrayal in William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Anne Easter Smith’s This Son of York is the result of her 50-year, as she puts it, obsession with trying to understand this divisive figure in English history. It begins in 1459 when Richard is labeled “runt” at age seven. It follows him through his teen years as he discovers and learns to hide severe scoliosis and adulthood as he sires his own bastards and later weds. It ends on Bosworth Field when he is felled by a blow to the base of the skull, his body stripped, tied to a horse, led to Grey Friars monastery, and buried in an unmarked shallow grave. This Son of York is a comprehensive and poignant recollection of a complex, lonely and troubled man, abandoned in life by the deaths of wife and son and on the battlefield by nobles he thought he could trust. Noting the 2012 discovery of Richard’s remains, it mourns and offers an alternative to the biased

narrative of the last Plantagenet king that has persisted for more than 500 years. K. M. Sandrick

MEDICI: ASCENDANCY

Matteo Strukul (trans. Richard McKenna), Head of Zeus, 2019, £18.99, hb, 441pp, 9781786692092

Florence, 1429. Giovanni de Medici is dying. His sons Cosimo and Lorenzo gather with the rest of the family at his bedside. The fate and fortune of the De Medici family rest now on their shoulders. There is a question mark over their father’s death, and they have many rivals and enemies who would seek to take advantage of his demise. So begins a tale of murder, deadly politics, alliances and war as Dukes of Florence, Pontiffs of Rome and leaders of the Renaissance struggle for greater power, influence or greater wealth. This is intended as the first in a series charting the rise and rule of the Medici family. With a strong plot and characterisation, the author, aided by an excellent translation, brings alive a tumultuous period of Italian history: the life, times and culture of Florence is vibrant, exciting – and quite deadly. Already published in twenty countries, the author will be adding a new tranche of readers. I for one am looking forward to the next instalment. Recommended. Mike Ashworth

16TH CENTURY

GAME OF SPIES

Pamela Mingle, Amara, 2019, $15.99, pb, 310pp, 9781075330827

When Isabel Tait is invited to join Mary Queen of Scots’ ladies-in-waiting she jumps at the chance to escape an enforced marriage. Intelligent and reserved, Isabel finds herself dealing with scathing criticism from the shallow and flirtatious ladies, who she finds rather facile. The more circumspect Isabel soon becomes Mary’s new confidante, and when Isabel falls for the handsome Gavin Cade, he reciprocates her interest in hopes of gleaning information he can report back to William Cecil. This storyline revolves around the 1571 ‘Ridolfi Plot’ to assassinate Elizabeth I. The characters are stereotypical and primarily serve as a historical backdrop to the onagain-off-again romance. I enjoyed the first half of the book and was quite engrossed until Gavin’s frequent soul-searching threatened to overwhelm the narrative. There’s plenty of action—whispering behind curtains, tittering at rakish men, endless sneaking in and out of beds, and lots of attempts on lives. Isabel’s character arcs from shy and unassuming, to a woman who knows her own mind, but I think interrogating an anointed Queen would be beyond the bounds of propriety at the time. Overall, a satisfying read, and I am sure fans will enjoy this new entry in the Spies in Love series. Fiona Alison

SILENT WATER

P.K. Adams, Iron Knight Press, 2019, $2.99, ebook, 276pp, 9781732361140

Christmas 1519 sees Kraków in full holiday spirit: spiced foods, flowing wine, and more than a little mischief. As political tensions escalate between the Polish and Teutonic Order, Catholics and secret Lutherans, and pro- and anti-Hapsburgs, the Wawel Royal Castle is full of disagreements and potential outbursts. No one expected, however, that mischief and malcontent would end in death. Queen Bona Sforza’s Lady of the Chamber, Caterina Sanseverino, is as shocked as the rest—but much more determined for this tragedy to be solved with facts rather than for convenience. That her inquiries bring her frequently into the presence of the handsome Secretary Sebastian Konarski is an added bonus, but Caterina is determined to stay focused. As the clues trickle in, Caterina finds herself racing against the clock to prevent the death of more than one innocent caught in the murderer’s treacherous web. P.K. Adams weaves readers into her historical mystery with a rich backdrop, wellresearched details, and an insider’s look into women’s issues. Caterina bears witness to social issues, thwarted justice, and the perpetual question of redress, guiding readers through her world with a steady hand. Anna Bennett

17TH CENTURY

REUNITED AT THE KING’S COURT

Helen Dickson, Harlequin Historical, 2019, $6.50, pb, 288pp, 9781335505262

Reunited at the King’s Court has an intriguing setting — the very start of Restoration England, as the newly anointed Charles II reclaims his murdered father’s throne. But it spends little time establishing this setting. It has, theoretically, an intriguing cast of characters: William Latham, the Royalist soldier home from French exile, and Arlette Dryden, daughter of a Royalist landowner whose sister, Hester, married a Puritan. “Reunited” in this postwar period, their love seems to bloom from nothing; the obstacles lack stakes. I wanted to like Helen Dickson’s romance, but from the start, it felt flat. There was little sense of Arlette’s distinct identity -- simply a set of reactions that were both detached and overwrought. It became difficult to connect to her. The reader is told what the character felt and saw, not shown it. Hester is written as a strict but flat mother-figure, with none of her motivation. Interactions with Arlette made little sense. If the novel opened at a later point, the characters would be more vivid, their motivations better constructed. However, a later point in this story would be another

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story entirely. Readers should look for a betterconstructed historical romance. Irene Colthurst

BLOOD’S CAMPAIGN

Angus Donald, Zaffre, 2019, £20.00, hb, 360pp, 9781785767456

In this third volume of the series, Holcroft Blood, on the Williamite Campaign in Ireland in 16891690, is ready to unleash cannons on the rebellious Irish forces of the deposed Catholic monarch, James II. Blood also has revenge in his heart against French agent Henri d’Erloncourt. And who is the enemy within, the informer known as Agricola? From its opening chapter set during the siege of Carrickfergus, in August 1689, the story’s pace is relentless. Battles and sieges follow, told from the main characters’ perspectives, namely that of Colonel Blood, Henri D’Erloncourt, a spy, and Michael “Galloping” Hogan, who is a brigand, boozer, and a despoiler of Protestant farms who wants to defend his native land and realise profit on the side. Characters, even minor, are vividly portrayed, but it is the personal fortunes of these three that make this novel a superb success. They leap from the page with individual and universal human concerns and emotions. They will never be the same after their experiences on July 12th 1690. Their personal fortunes dramatically intersect as we follow them into Irish towers, castles, and to social events. We anxiously look out for enemies from the city walls of Cork and Limerick. We inhabit the novel’s terrifying dank cells, its cellars and various countryside destinations in between. As I read this book I was reminded of Scott and, on occasion, Tolstoy, because Donald really does create a totally realistic and immersive historical world inhabited by fascinating characters, intrigue, betrayal, and adventure. Carol McGrath

TWENTY YEARS AFTER

Alexandre Dumas (trans. Lawrence Ellsworth), Pegasus, 2019, $26.95, hb, 457pp, 9781643132020

Translator Lawrence Ellsworth has triumphantly returned to Dumas’s Musketeers cycle with this fresh translation of Twenty Years After. In 1648, Cardinal Richelieu is dead, France is gripped by civil war, and the now-middle-aged d’Artagnan’s career as a musketeer has stalled. Still merely a lieutenant after two decades of service, d’Artagnan is summoned one night by Cardinal Mazarin, 20

who reminds the queen of her debt to the musketeer for his service twenty years earlier. Back in the queen’s service and with an opportunity to finally advance his career, d’Artagnan must reunite his friends Porthos, Athos, and Aramis, who all left the Musketeers years ago. The friends must protect the queen and her son, the 10-year-old King Louis XIV, from the civil war and themselves from Milady’s son, Mordaunt, who wishes to avenge his mother’s death and kill the Musketeers. In addition to restoring Dumas’s snappy dialogue and snarky humor that the Victorianera translation stifled, Ellsworth restores Chapter XXIX, which has been absent from nearly every British and American version since the 19th century. Eminently readable, this version, as did Ellsworth’s 2018 translation of The Three Musketeers, displays Dumas’s frank depictions of sex and violence that earlier translators thought too indelicate for their 19th-century readers. Ellsworth’s backmatter of biographies of major historical characters adds to the clarity and enjoyability of the novel. Fans of The Three Musketeers will delight in this latest translation and will eagerly await Ellsworth’s take on the next installment, Son of Milady. Sarah Hendess

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

Kim Finney, Cygneture Books, 2019, $19.99, pb, 466pp, 9780648538301

London 1677. Ezzabell Chetwood supports her husband Ambrose by painting botanical specimens to support research he hopes to publish with the Royal Society, then in its infancy. To Ezzabell’s initial resentment, Ambrose finds a younger woman, Thomasin, to act as his wife’s companion at their home in Chelsea, then a rural area. The two women fall in love, Ambrose dies, and Ezzabell attempts to continue his work and manage her own finances, leaving her vulnerable to the underhanded dealings of resentful, powerful men and to accusations of witchcraft and unnatural practices. Finney has great material and has researched her book thoroughly. Ezzabell’s associates Henry Oldenburg, Lady Ranelagh, and her brother Robert Boyne are historical figures. Some of Finney’s descriptions, for example of paints, dyes, and experiments, are extraordinarily vivid and detailed, although they do not always advance the plot and thus sometimes read as padding, slowing the pace. It is a great pity that this book is marred throughout by grammatically incomplete sentences such as: ‘His agitation visibly growing.’ ‘His stubble grazing along my face.’ There is an attempt at a contemporary voice that comes across as labored and wordy (for instance, ‘our fondling interludes yet once more to be of harried execution’ and ‘no longer willing to be in dialogue’), jarring with more recent expressions like ‘plonked’. ‘May of’ appears in place of ‘may have’ and spelling howlers include flare for flair, whisp for wisp, faired for fared, alter for altar, and glutinous

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for gluttonous. The pace picks up towards the end with Ezzabell’s arrest and trial on a capital charge, but for this reader the battle through the undergrowth to get to that point was at times tiring. Katherine Mezzacappa

THE MERCIES

Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Picador, 2020, £14.99, hb, 342pp, 9781529005103 / Little, Brown, 2020, $27.00, hb, 336pp, 9780316529259

Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s debut adult novel, The Mercies, is set on a remote island in Norway in the early 17th century. Loosely based on real events, it tells the story of the storm that kills almost all the men in the village and sets in motion a chain of events that ends in a witch-hunt. The narrative is shared between two main characters. Maren is a village girl who takes on masculine roles to support the village, and Ursula is the young wife of the new commissioner, a man who has been selected for the role due to his experience in trying witches. Both girls are to gradually lose their naivety as events roll on to their gruesome conclusion. My one criticism of this book would be the fact that Maren is a stronger character than Ursula, who seems a little clichéd as the sheltered city girl married without her input, if not exactly without her consent, to a brutish husband who brings her to an isolated rural community. Millwood Hargrave’s prose is exquisite, drawing the reader in even while the events depicted become progressively more repulsive. She evokes the sights and smells of rural 17th-century Norway, such as the stench of burning whale fat and the blood of reindeer, contrasted with the herbs that the women use in their baths to try to cover other smells. The combination of the detailed, stomach-churning description and the female perspective brings to life the appalling witch trials that have become the dry facts of school history. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-written historical fiction with a feminist flavour, and particularly to fans of writers like Madeline Miller or Frances Hardinge. Laura Shepperson

THE HONOURABLE LIFE OF THOMAS CHAYNE

Cynthia Jefferies, Allison & Busby, 2019, £19.99/$25.00, hb, 356pp, 9780749023393

Thomas Chayne is the eponymous narrator of this story, set in England in the troublesome first half of the 17th century. He is born in 1624 into a wealthy background, with a challenging and distant father who is an advisor to King Charles I, battling to assert his position against Parliament. At times, Thomas initially seems a little naïve, which can perhaps be put down to his young age, but he is a sturdy, steadfast and thoroughly decent chap with a conscience. He is a willing royalist participant in the struggle between King and Parliament, which erupts into unfettered and bloody civil war before

Thomas reaches his 20th birthday. He is a brave fellow, but faces some unenviable dilemmas over loyalty and identity, which turn his whole word upside-down, along with wider society in the brutal conflict. He faces, as well, as a number of personal challenges which test his mettle to the uppermost. The narrative is engaging and provides excellent historical background and context without the constant aroma of the lecture room accompanying Thomas Chayne’s peregrinations around the kingdom. The first person narrative is pitched well and takes the story along capably and with a good tempo. But, as is often reiterated, history doesn’t write white terribly well, and Thomas can be rather Little Lord Fauntleroy-ish in his clean conscience and determination to do whatever is morally correct. The numerous challenges throughout the narrative are faced and dealt with, and while he is a man very much of the 17th century, with their (to us) peculiarly unenlightened attitude to some issues, the reader occasionally wishes him to be a little less than the constantly honourable man. Douglas Kemp

BEHELD

TaraShea Nesbit, Bloomsbury, 2020, $26.00/ C$36.00, hb, 288pp, 9781635573220

American history reveres the Pilgrims, families seeking to escape persecution and freely practice their religion in the New World. Yet a colony devoted to the glorification of God must confront the darker elements of human nature: in 1630, barely ten years after its establishment, Plymouth experienced its first murder. (Omitting Miles Standish’s slaughter of Native Americans, of course.) John Billington shot his neighbor, John Newcomen, after encountering him in a field. Billington was tried and executed. The few historical accounts give no motive other than a past “quarrel” between the two men, but Nesbit has taken this snippet and crafted a vivid tale, rife with foreboding, of life in a divided colony. She uses multiple perspectives; chief amongst them are Billington’s wife, Eleanor, and Alice Bradford, wife of colony governor William Bradford – an intentional emphasis on the female. The Billingtons are mischief-makers but painted as having a reason to be. As Anglicans and former indentured servants, they are viewed by the Separatist Pilgrims as profane “Strangers,” and assigned inferior parcels of land. The Billingtons do themselves no favors by responding to perceived slights with bile, attempting to foment dissent and sabotage the colony with its investors, which results in social ostracism. The murder manifests as a dissatisfied man’s rage spilling over onto an innocent victim. Nesbit’s novel is a mishmash of rumination on love and motherhood combined with a suspenseful tale of partisan discontent and personal animosity leading to an inevitable, tragic conclusion. The novel is hampered by a few irrelevant interludes randomly

added for social comment (e.g., the rape of a maidservant), and forced, inconsistent attempts at Puritan-speak. These caveats aside, the novel is a gripping read propelled by vibrant characterization, and an engrossing take on the Plymouth colony and America’s first murder. Bethany Latham

18TH CENTURY

DEATH MAKES NO DISTINCTION

Lucienne Boyce, SilverWood, 2019, £9.99, pb, 264pp, 9781781328835

Lucienne Boyce’s late 18th-century Dan Foster mysteries move from strength to strength. In this third adventure, our hero – child street-thief turned pugilist turned Bow Street Runner – is confronted by two brutal murders of women. One is poor and nameless. The other is Louise Parmeter, former actress and former mistress of the Prince of Wales. Louise’s diamonds and her unpublished memoirs, in which she has exposed the foibles of her many wealthy lovers, are also missing. Dan’s superiors demand that he gives priority to the high-profile Parmeter case, although his own escape from the desperate poverty in which he was raised gives him a natural sympathy for those dealt a rough hand by life. There will be no simple solution to either investigation as he follows clues and suspects from the mansions of Mayfair and the new suburbs of Bloomsbury to the world of the destitute poor in the slums around St. Giles and Covent Garden and the river wharves. Lucienne Boyce skilfully and tangibly evokes Georgian London with her evocative and, at times, visceral, description. I particularly loved the “wet-beast smell of the mud banks” as Dan trails a suspect down to the Thames. Although some of the backstory is explained, it would benefit the reader to be familiar with the two previous books, partly to pinpoint a timeline and also because events and relationships from Dan’s previous cases come to bear on the plot here, and now take form in a sinister threat to Dan’s own family. Mary Fisk

CARRYING INDEPENDENCE

Karen A. Chase, 224Pages, 2019, $18.00, pb, 442pp, 9781733752800

All Nathaniel needs to collect is six signatures. If he does, he’ll have enough money to court the woman he loves and help his father’s gunsmithing business. His mission is one of secrecy, and if he’s caught, he’ll be hanged for treason. For Nathaniel carries the original Declaration of Independence, a document that could help turn the tide in the colonies’ fight for freedom. Alternating between Nathaniel, his life-long friend Arthur, their Shawnee friend Kalawi, and Nathaniel’s love interest Susannah, Carrying Independence

explores North America through the eyes of different cultures and genders while examining the impact one document had on a fledgling nation propelled into war. Chase’s novel is extremely well researched. I felt wholly immersed in the middle colonies of 1776. Her use of diverse characters highlights the Declaration of Independence’s impact on the varied peoples of North America. Kalawi’s point of view is particularly poignant. Susannah’s voice helps add a refreshing aspect to this part of history that can easily be forgotten, those figures hidden behind famous names and infamous battles. While the pace is a tad slow at times, overall, I was thoroughly intrigued by the journey. The characters develop in unexpected and insightful ways. Chase does a marvelous job with the landscape and social customs. I’d definitely read more from this author and recommend Carrying Independence. J. Lynn Else

BLOOD WILL OUT

David Donachie, Allison & Busby, 2019, £19.99/$25.00, hb, 352pp, 9780749021757

1787. Deal, Kent coast. Wounded in a failed attempt to rescue his beloved Betsy from a forced marriage, Captain Edward Brazier then disappears. Not knowing whether he is alive or dead, his crew searches for him, but so do his enemies: Henry, Betsy’s avaricious brother and Hawkins, the organiser of Henry’s Deal smuggling gang. Brazier must rely on ingenuity, luck and his friends if he is to foil Henry’s plans for Betsy and to smash the crime ring. This is the third of the Contraband Shore series featuring Brazier, whom we do not meet until page 174. Consequently, over half the novel rehashes past events as characters reminisce and plot. Very little actually happens until the last third, when the threads begin to come together and the action hots up. A rather flat hero, Brazier is overshadowed by the weak, foolish Henry and by Hawkins, an excellent nasty thug. A resident of Deal, the author has drawn a colourful picture of the 18th-century seaport and its citizens, not only the few respectable ones but corrupt officials and those scrabbling to survive in a vicious world. Unfortunately, the novel is not easy to read. Meandering sentences sprinkled with dodgy grammar can be irritating, and the pace is slow. The last sentence, however, is so clever that all is forgiven. For fans of the first two books of the series, this one may prove satisfying, but for me, a newcomer, the novel seemed lazy and Brazier was an uninspiring hero. Lynn Guest

QUEST FOR GOLD

Ryan Fleming, Fireship, 2019, $19.99, pb, 246pp, 9781611793536

Pirate life sounded like paradise to eighteenyear-old Daniel Wincott, compared to the abuse he received from his drunken father. Opportunity for riches and adventure on a

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raiding expedition against a Spanish camp draws the boy into the company of Jamaica’s ex-privateers, now in 1716 no longer with the Crown’s sanction to strike Spanish shipping. Thus, young Daniel begins his descent into the cruel, greedy whirlpool of piracy. At the same time, teenaged Abigail Matthews falls into the hands of vicious Moroccan corsair Mahmoud when he captures her ship on her way to join her father, the new Governor of Jamaica. Forced to endure months of captivity under the depraved Mahmoud, Abigail eventually despairs of ever seeing her family again. For Daniel, meanwhile, each attack, each ship captured makes him more a man yet pulls him closer to the point of no return, a gallows at the end of Execution Dock. When his vessel crosses paths with Mahmoud’s, neither Daniel nor Abigail will ever be the same. As a pirate yarn, the novel has action aplenty. The pirates are certainly not timid and seldom pass up opportunities to attack even stronger ships. Nautical and historical details make up one of the two main weaknesses in the book. Descriptions of ship-to-ship combat, seamanship, and shipboard life have numerous inaccuracies. For example, in the book, it states that something was happening “one compartment below.” Compartments are rooms; different levels on a ship are “decks,” not compartments. On the other hand, wellchoreographed sword fights put the reader in the center of action despite predictable outcomes. The second weakness is in the believability of the characters. Daniel becomes too skillful and advances too far in the pirate hierarchy too fast, and his more experienced captain and shipmates treat him with an inconsistent mix of disdain and deference. Better editing would have made this novel more satisfying. Loyd Uglow

AN UNCOMMON WOMAN

Laura Frantz, Revell, 2020, $15.99, pb, 384pp, 9780800734954

In the western Virginia borderlands, Tessa Swan, her mother and five brothers run Swan Station, a large ranch near the ferry crossing of the Buckhannon. Life is dawn-to-dusk toil, and Tessa rarely thinks of marriage, although there’s no shortage of men, but when Clay Tygart arrives, Tessa falls in love. A hero of the Indian Wars and redeemed Lenape captive, Clay has returned to Fort Tygart to train new members for the local militia. His acknowledgement of his feelings for Tessa is determined by his own history, having lost both his white and Lenape family. As the border Indians gather for attack, keeping themselves unseen except for signs which only Clay can read, the settlers frequently return to the Fort for protection and there the romance blossoms. When the action heats up Clay is aware that a very personal danger comes from one Lenape Warrior Chief who is out to settle a score. In this straightforward romance, Frantz peppers her narrative with olde-worlde 22

terms such as ’twas, ‘twould, betimes, nary and mayhap. I felt this served to embed the narrative firmly in the 1770s, and these Godfearing people feel very natural in their setting. Very interesting historical content. Fiona Alison

NEVER PLEASING THE WORLD

Peggy Patterson Garland, Archway Publishing, 2019, $23.99, pb, 398pp, 9781480875203

Spanning the years 1731 to 1804, this debut novel tells the story of Robert Carter III, a Virginian who deserves to be better known. Born to privilege, Carter shocked his family and peers by beginning to free his slaves in his lifetime, ultimately resulting in the release of over 500 people from bondage. Narrated by Carter and, occasionally, by several of his slaves, Garland’s novel is well written and well researched, with sympathetic characters, but I felt that the author missed some opportunities. For instance, Carter has a Mr. Murdstone–like stepfather, John Lewis, who neglects his education and later spreads unpleasant rumors about the adult Carter, but what appears to be destined as a major plotline simply fades away. Fanny Tasker, Carter’s future wife, is introduced to us as a lively young woman with advanced ideas, but following the couple’s marriage she seldom appears except to bring the latest Carter into the world and to lend a sympathetic ear when her husband needs a confidant. Carter’s sometimes fraught relationships with his many children also are underdeveloped. All in all, though, Garland accomplished her task of informing me about Carter and making me want to learn more. Susan Higginbotham

THE ADVENTURES OF TOM FINCH, GENTLEMAN

Lucy May Lennox, Independently Published, 2019, $15.99, pb, 431pp, 9781688904507

Tom Finch, the natural son of a British earl and blind since childhood, makes his living as a broadside composer and music master in the boisterous, colorful world of 18th-century London. With little direction and few cares, Tom spends his days immersed in music and his nights drinking with the feckless Jem Castledon and pursuing the sharp-tongued, quick-witted Sally Salisbury. When the talented Tess Turnbridge auditions at his theater, Tom takes an interest in both her person and her singing career. But he will find many obstacles to a pursuit of Tess, not least her affection for fellow

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

actress Jane Carlyle, though Tess proves his ally more than once when Tom gets into a scrape. Readers will love the vibrant atmosphere of this picaresque and the many strata of society through which Tom’s adventures take him. Across Ireland and Scotland, from his father’s Bedfordshire estate to the piquant neighborhoods of Covent Garden and Seven Dials, Tom traverses pubs and prisons, musical theatres and molly houses, and even makes a brief flight to France. Lacking a real narrative drive, other than the fear that Tom might get himself into a scrape not even Tess can rescue him from, the story nonetheless moves along, engrossing in its historical detail and its unique portrayal of a blind hero. The musically inclined will appreciate the professional knowledge on display; besides giving a peek backstage to 18th century English opera, the narrative is peppered with popular songs and the composer Handel has a recurring role. Lennox does a marvelous job making her characters distinct and dimensional and provides windows into the great variety of life in 18th-century London, making use of its distinct attitudes toward dress, class, sexuality, marriage, the military, and the theater. Reading it is an adventure not to be missed. Misty Urban

THE WARLOW EXPERIMENT

Alix Nathan, Doubleday, 2019, $26.95/C$36.95, hb, 258pp, 9780385545334 / Serpent’s Tail, £12.99, hb, 288pp, 9781788161695

Enlightenment ideas and desire for personal acclaim influence reclusive, wealthy landowner and amateur scientist Herbert Powyss. He plans an experiment. How would complete isolation from human contact affect a man’s mind? Powyss advertises for a volunteer: he will take responsibility for the man’s family and provide a generous annuity to him after the experiment – if he will agree to live in comfort in the basement of Powyss’s estate, forgoing all human contact for a period of seven years. Poor laborer John Warlow, abusive husband and father of six children, takes Powyss up on his offer. This experiment will go awry, of course. People will be damaged. It is how things go off the rails that holds the reader’s interest, along with tragic characterization. There is much here in the way of class struggle. Powyss, as landed gentry, is so out of touch with the laboring classes that he thinks to have the drunken, semi-literate Warlow while away the years enjoying carefully selected art, chuckling over Candide, playing a chamber organ, and journaling insightful notes on his captivity that Powyss can present to the Royal Society with his findings. The other occupants of the estate, from clever maids to disaffected gardeners, are not variables Powyss has considered, but greatly impact his “experiment” – as does Warlow’s wife. The differing perspectives, especially Warlow’s and Powyss’s, offer illumination of the monumental class divide

and the ignorance of all parties when it comes to anything outside their own experience. The novel is even more fascinating in that it is based upon truth: the author was inspired by an advertisement for just such a “volunteer” in the 1797 Annual Register. Enlightenment is a painful (occasionally deadly) process in this well-written novel that features a convincing sense of historical atmosphere. Bethany Latham

JOSEPHINE’S GARDEN

Stephanie Parkyn, Allen & Unwin, 2019, A$29.99, pb, 466pp, 9781760529833

This is the second historical fiction novel by New Zealander, Stephanie Parkyn. Her critically acclaimed, debut novel, Into the World, set during the French Revolution, concerned the life of Marie-Louise Girardin, infamous for travelling the world disguised as a cabin boy. Josephine’s Garden is placed in the aftermath of the French Revolution and explores how Rose de Beauharnais narrowly escapes the guillotine to eventually become Napoleon’s Empress Josephine. It’s a novel about survival and compromise during a time of chaos and confusion. Parkyn describes a corrupt society that treats women as playthings, pawns and producers of progeny, through the loves and losses of three women: Josephine, Anne and Marthe. It’s also a novel about growth and nurturing. The link between the three characters is gardening and botany. Marthe’s husband is a world-renowned explorer and botanist, Anne’s is a gifted gardener tending the late Marie Antoinette’s neglected gardens, and Josephine has an obsession for creating beautiful gardens with rare and exotic flora and fauna. Parkyn’s descriptions are a sensory delight, especially where she depicts the process of trying to germinate seeds from the Southern Hemisphere in the damp French environment. Parkyn was an environmental scientist, so she writes from real experience. Psychologically her characters are well-developed and credible, and the story is exciting and gripping. Josephine’s Garden is an enjoyable read by a gifted storyteller. Christine Childs

THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE

Allison Pataki, Ballantine, 2020, $28.00/ C$37.00, hb, 435pp, 9780593128183

The world-shaking romance of Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais is well known to readers of historical fiction, but Pataki takes a fresh look at its ups and downs from the point of view of Désirée Clary, Bonaparte’s first love and secret fiancée prior to his notorious marriage. Ensconced in the household of her sister’s husband, Joseph Bonaparte, Désirée has the opportunity to witness her charismatic brother-in-law’s uneven political fortunes in post-Revolutionary Paris, while she stoically endures the heartache of watching her first

love fall under the spell of Josephine. Her misery is short-lived, however, as she quickly meets and marries the steadfast Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, finding domestic happiness more appealing than imperial glamour. For this reason, it’s hard to develop much interest in Désirée, who has little to do but passively receive the admiration of powerful men. Not until the second half of the novel, when her husband rebels against Bonaparte, does her situation involve enough conflict to make a compelling narrative. As Pataki notes in her afterword, Désirée was present for some momentous events; however, what we get are mostly domestic details of clothing, food, and furnishings. The most interesting part of her life is when she became the reluctant matriarch of the Swedish royal family after her husband was offered the crown purely on the strength of his military and diplomatic service to the nation. The fascinating politics of this event, and the interesting eccentricities that Désirée become known for in Sweden, are crammed into the last quarter of the narrative, while readers gets a little more of Napoleon and Josephine’s celebrity squabbles than they really need. That said, there’s no question that the events of the novel are worth dramatizing, that Désirée’s is a unique point of view on them, and that Pataki is an experienced novelist who keeps the plot and descriptions moving at an entertaining clip. Kristen McDermott

19TH CENTURY

HARBOR FOR THE NIGHTINGALE

Kathleen Baldwin, Ink Lion, 2019, $14.99, e-book, 352pp, 9780988836440

In the latest novel in Kathleen Baldwin’s Stranje House series, Maya Barrington continues to use her gift of soothing voice and ability to perceive inner music to navigate the complex world of Britain during the Napoleonic era, as a student at Miss Stranje’s School for Girls. When Lord Kinsworth comes into her life as her duet partner just as Napoleon makes his next move against Britain, Maya must put her doubts about his seemingly rakish insincerity aside and learn to trust his inner music and the partnership it offers. Harbor for the Nightingale contains flashes of the rural Indian village of Maya’s childhood and the origin of her gift. The perspective gives the novel a sort of inverted glimpse at the Raj in this era of its history. It’s not exactly “postcolonial,” but still well done. As the fourth novel in its series, it should be read in order – the depth of world-building is impressive, and should be appreciated from the beginning. Baldwin succeeds in using the perception of sound to give Maya a rich inner life. Fans of historical heroines will enjoy this series about unconventional Regency young ladies. Irene Colthurst

DRAGON LADY

Autumn Bardot, Flores Publishing, 2019, $16.01, pb, 444pp, 9780988209275

One of the most powerful and feared pirates in history is Ching Shih, who in the early 19th century terrorized China’s South Seas with her massive fleet. Bardot brings this notorious woman to life in full glorious, gory detail. At 13, Xianggu is sold by her parents and delivered to Madame Xu’s flower boat in Guangzhou, where she survives by her wits and sexual skills. When the floating brothel is raided by pirates, Xianggu captivates their leader, Zheng Yi, boss of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet. He marries her and teaches her to sail and swim, raid and murder, yet won’t indulge Xianggu’s ambition to captain her own vessel. So when the opportunity arises, Xianggu seizes control of the fleet and becomes the legendary Dragon Lady, feared by British merchants, the imperial navy, and Chinese villagers alike. But as empress of the South China Sea, with unimaginable wealth and the man she loves at her feet, Xianggu finds there are some things a pirate cannot steal: respectability, and a safe life for her sons. Bardot’s prose is crisp and suited to the action, depicting a clever and ruthless heroine who can plan a campaign and punish a dissenter with a baby at her breast. Her Xianggu is a businesswoman at heart, concerned with rules, profit, wise governance of her domain, and the safety of the thousands under her command. While raids and mayhem dot the plot, keeping close to the documented accounts, Bardot’s narrative explores Xianggu’s intimate relationships: her friendships, rivalries, pregnancies, and sexual conquests, intertwining eroticism with brutality. Some readers might feel a lack in Xianggu’s inner life; her motivations and fears are simple and direct. But the novel overall is a lively, engaging read that one last copy edit could have made even smoother. Misty Urban

THE FORGOTTEN DUKE

Sophie Barnes, independently published, 2020, $5.99, ebook, 311pp, B07XJ59X51

Carlton Guthrie, who appears in the first of Barnes’ Diamonds in the Rough series, plays the hero in this fifth installment when Regina, the Earl of Hedgewick’s daughter, flees an arranged marriage and falls into his arms. Despite Guthrie’s moniker as the Scoundrel of St. Giles, The Black Swan is the safest place Regina could possibly be, as Guthrie vows to protect and cherish her even though Hedgewick killed Guthrie’s father, destroyed his life, and forced him to assume a false name. Regina, passing from one protector to another and knowing marriage is her only escape, soon falls for Guthrie and the noble heart beneath his rough speech. But Guthrie refuses to yield to her beauty and charm and ruin her for another, since he expects to be hanged for murder after exacting his revenge. The action feels low-key despite the

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dramatic incidents marking plot turns, but the romance is sincere and convincing. The heroes are clear-cut and the villains a touch caricatured, and there’s little sense of Regency London, high or low, as most of the scenes take place in the Swan. Still, Barnes’ fans will enjoy the gentle, gradual unfolding of Guthrie and Regina’s happy ending. Misty Urban

THE ILLNESS LESSON

Clare Beams, Doubleday, 2020, $26.95/£14.99, hb, 271pp, 9780385544665 / Doubleday, 2020, £14.99, hb, 288pp, 9780857526311

Fiercely intelligent, passionately feeling, and extremely well educated, Caroline Hood of Ashwell, Massachusetts seems a fortunate young lady. Her father, a 19thcentury utopian thinker, believes that girls should enjoy the same education as boys and puts his idea into practice when he opens up a school for women on his farm in 1871. However, the arrival of his pupils is anticipated by a plague of red birds that unsettles both his charges and his daughter. Worried that the strange illnesses and aberrant behaviors the students display might threaten the success of his social experiment, Samuel Hood calls in a doctor, whose way of treating ‘hysteria’ is the rage in Boston. But Caroline is suspicious of the physician’s methods, fearing it will result in reducing the psychological concerns of the afflicted to the bare, physical level. Thus, she stands up to Dr. Hawkins only to realize that she must instead face her father. Although her ‘natural’ obedience proves a great obstacle to overcome, Caroline finally summons up the strength to force Samuel to reveal the terrible lie with which he has held her in check all her life. Beautiful and unsettling, The Illness Lesson is a stunning parable of female oppression. Because of the author’s wonderful ability to evoke the atmosphere of Victorian Massachusetts, the story reads like a modern gothic nail-biter of a novel, in the vein of Alias Grace and Melmoth the Wanderer. Caroline’s inner life is intimately depicted, enabling the reader to understand what it must have meant to be a woman in an era when ‘females’ were not to allowed to know their own minds, souls, or bodies. Highly, highly recommended.

Nicole Evelina

ENGAGED TO THE EARL

Lisa Berne, Avon, 2020, $7.99/C$10.99, pb, 384pp, 9780062852359

In this Regency romance, two beautiful people fall in love at first sight and get engaged, only to discover they are not suited. Or at least Gwendolyn Penhallow does, for she is not only beautiful and a member of a highly respected family, but, more importantly, honest and kind. The Earl of Westenbury? Not so much. By contrast, Gwennie’s childhood friend Christopher Beck is kind, to people and animals both, even if he is not an aristocrat. And unlike the earl, he can be relied upon. The process by which the pair learn the valuable life lessons that enable them to find happiness together is involving, and it provides an opportunity to comment upon snobbery and various human foibles. There is too a complementary subplot involving Gwennie’s spoiled and selfish cousin Helen. She too falls in love at first sight, but with less success. What distinguishes the book, however, is the characterization, which is marked by the deft use of irony. Jane Austen would approve. Strongly recommended.

Elisabeth Lenckos

Ray Thompson

Elizabeth Bell, Claire-Voie Books, 2019, $17.99, pb, 490pp, 9781733167604

Maryka Biaggio, Milford House, 2019, $16.95, pb, 241pp, 9781620063545

NECESSARY SINS

This sweeping historical saga tells the first installment of the story of the Lazares, a 24

sugar plantation-owning family in Haiti who endure a slave uprising only to have their own mixed-race past dog them through their flight into the American South. Most of the novel centers on the story of Catholic priest Joseph Lazare and his unique position as a black man in antebellum South Carolina, where his vocation is encouraged while others of his race are held down in slavery. Complicating matters are his complex feelings towards one of his parishioners, an Irish immigrant named Tessa. While questions of race and class swirl around him, temptation roils within, threatening to shatter his vows and topple his carefully-built life, impacting all around him. Necessary Sins is a rare breed of book, invoking family epics of the past such as The Thorn Birds and Gone with the Wind. The writing is poetic and filled with emotion that truly makes the reader feel the characters’ struggles, even and perhaps especially when those quandaries are uncomfortable. This authenticity, combined with meticulous research and attention to detail, renders a vivid world that truly feels like stepping back in time. Elizabeth Bell is an amazingly talented writer who is not afraid to grapple with weighty moral and ethical issues in a way true to the time period and its characters. Given this is her debut novel, Bell is poised to become one of the next big names in historical fiction. Extremely highly recommended — and the sequel is very impatiently anticipated!

EDEN WAITS

Abraham Byers moves with his wife, adult children, and members of his extended

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

family to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to land newly available to homesteaders. There they establish a new settlement, with Abraham becoming the local preacher and his sons finding jobs at a neighboring sawmill. By 1893, ten years after their arrival, finances are tight as the community is going through tough economic times. Matters become worse when the tyrannical owner of the mill decreases wages, increases hours, and condones unsafe working conditions. Fed up with the unfair treatment of the mill workers, A b r a h a m proposes starting a productsharing community based on the writings of progressive political activist Walter Thomas Mills. Community members must agree to sign over their property to the newly formed Hiawatha Colony, work for the general good, and share in the profits. Abraham’s ideas may sound idealistic, but his neighbors aren’t afraid of hard work, and the thought of sharing the fruits of their labor appeals to them. The community struggles, however, as they face the difficult task of agreeing on how their community should be governed. Byers is the author’s great-great-greatgrandfather, and she honors her family with her thoughtful, well-researched novel. The first two pages list the names and brief descriptions of 41 characters, but don’t let that scare you off. Biaggio’s characters are so well developed, and she manages to weave them into her story gradually so that you won’t have any trouble remembering them. The book brims with pioneer spirit and determination. I particularly enjoyed reading about the daily lives of the members, especially the women. Highly recommended. Janice Derr

THE COMPANION

Kim Taylor Blakemore, Lake Union, 2019, $24.95, hb, 272pp, 9781542009669

“Count the bodies. One. Two. Three if we count Mary Dawson. Four if we count my Ned…” Thus begins this atmospheric, gothic novel set in 1850s New Hampshire. Lucy Blunt arrives at the Burtons’ stately country home in the depth of winter to work as a maid. The former maid, Mary Dawson, has been found dead in the river and Lucy has been hired to take her place. Arriving at her new job with forged referrals, Lucy has a past that slowly unfolds throughout the story. She narrates her story from her prison cell, while awaiting her hanging, with snippets of her miserable life and events leading up to her imprisonment. This novel is about confinement – a prison cell, a house full of locked rooms, a blind

woman shut off from the world, society’s confines of class and female expectations. Lucy is a maid-of-all-work, assigned to help Cook with the menial kitchen chores and as a laundress working alongside the other servants: Jacob, Mr. Beede, and John Friday. The blind Mrs. Burton has a companion and caretaker, Rebecca, who falls ill. Lucy is assigned to care for Mrs. Burton, and the two become very close. When Rebecca recovers and returns to her role as companion, the animosity between her and Lucy grows to a ruinous conclusion. Through Lucy’s eyes, do we see the truth of what is really happening? Is Rebecca as devious and sinister as Lucy portrays her, or is it Lucy that is cunning and menacing? Blakemore’s descriptions are rich and vivid. The cold of the winter seeps into the reader while immersed within the eerie atmosphere. Secrets, eavesdropping, sinister happenings, and a forbidden relationship all make for a riveting historical thriller reminiscent of Sarah Waters, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, or The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins. Janice Ottersberg

ABOVE THE BAY OF ANGELS

Rhys Bowen, Lake Union, 2020, $24.95, hb, 348pp, 9781542008266

When Isabella Waverly enters service at fifteen to support her younger sister, she knows she will never regain the affluent status her family once held. But a chance accident causing the death of one Helen Barton brings Isabella the opportunity of a lifetime. As she comforts the dying woman, she is handed a letter―a recommendation for Helen to join the kitchen staff at Buckingham Palace. Isabella takes her responsibilities seriously. She is upstanding and ethical, but now that her sister is safely married, she decides to apply in Helen’s place, perhaps a forgivable lie as she’s also a very good cook. Initially set to chopping vegetables, Bella’s talent reveals itself when she’s asked to make scones for the Queen, who apparently enjoys her food a great deal. Bella learns quickly under the tutelage of the pastry chef, and when the household removes to Nice, Bella, who speaks French, is sent in his place. At the new Excelsior Hôtel Regina, (built for Queen Victoria in 1895/7), she meets head chef Jean-Paul Lepin, and an attraction grows. She enjoys his guidance in purchasing fresh ingredients, but when a poisonous mushroom seems to cause a Royal’s death, Bella falls under suspicion and is in danger of having her background exposed. I enjoyed this novel immensely, and it’s easy to see why Bowen is such a talented and popular novelist. She recreates her landscapes of ‘Palace’ and ‘Kitchen’ with great skill, and readers are drawn into the lives of the characters, as much is revealed even in the close quarters of the kitchen; these are the kinds of people we might easily meet and connect with, or otherwise dislike. A delightful

way to learn more about food, its preparation and its presentation; and a tender love story. Fiona Alison

THE WATER DANCER

Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, 2019, $28.00, hb, 403pp, 9780399590597 / Hamish Hamilton, 2020, £16.99, hb, 416pp, 9780241325254

Oprah Winfrey selected this lyrical, imaginative novel for her Book Club’s revival, and it is an impressive work in the vein of Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad. Hiram Walker is a privileged slave in antebellum Virginia, educated by his master/father and promised a career managing the estate at his halfbrother’s side. A carriage accident sends “Hi” into a river, where he wakes on the bank with no memory of how he got there. As his father’s sole surviving son, Hi feels torn between loyalty to his own kind and his admiration for the ingenuity that tamed the American wilderness. That ambivalence survives his escape, capture and torture, and is put to use as he joins the Underground as a soldier in an intricate form of psychological warfare against Virginia’s white elite, called upon by no less than “Moses” (Harriet Tubman) to use his unique gifts in the service of this secret war. Hi’s gift is called “Conduction” by his Underground mentors—the combined mental, physical, and leadership skills needed to oversee the kind of espionage to spirit runaway slaves to Northern freedom. There are also hints that the power of Conduction is supernatural—an ability, triggered by the desire for freedom and the memory of loss, to move instantaneously from one location to the next. This is where Coates’ narrative departs from a formulaic treatment of the struggles of African-American slaves; in lovely, emotional prose, he creates an unforgettable narrator for a moving story of how the “Tasked” (as they are called in this novel) come to terms in diverse ways with the crimes committed against them. As one of the select few who is called to do more than merely survive, Hi’s voice overflows with love and compassion for both slave and master, and gives the reader an entirely new context for a familiar narrative. Kristen McDermott

GUNPOWDER EXPRESS

Brett Cogburn, Pinnacle, 2020, $7.99, pb, 368pp, 9780786041688

This is the third novel in Cogburn’s Western historical fiction series featuring Newt “Widowmaker” Jones, a down-on-his-luck pugilist forced to take work as he can in the Arizona territories in 1884. After a dirty fight seriously fells him, Jones is forced to play security to a stagecoach full of gold and a mysterious, veiled woman. The infamous Gunpowder Express – the route from the gold mines to the railroad – is prime hunting ground for bandits and robbers, but Jones finds himself facing a fearless gang determined to get this gold at all costs. Coburn’s story doesn’t require readers to be

familiar with the previous two Widowmaker novels; his richly described narrative style offers enough background to Jones’ life and past to allow readers to jump into the series and enjoy the unfolding action. Inspired by the notoriety and danger of real-life mining towns, Cogburn’s historical details are sandwiched between cinematic fights and dialogue (“Marshal, I don’t know if there’s such a thing as an innocent man,” Newt said. “Not a one of us.”) that evokes classic Westerns. The familiar ambiance of the Western is kept fresh in Cogburn’s sure hands. Audra Friend

STEALING ROSES

Heather Cooper, Allison and Busby, 2019, £8.99, pb, 346pp, 9780749024024

Set on the Isle of Wight in 1862, this book is set within the scene of the opening of the new railway line from Cowes to Newport. Its characters are middle- to upper-class residents in the main, and the social mores of the time are aptly described. Eveline feels trapped by the imposition of her family, especially her mother, who thinks the only career for her is marriage and children. Her great love is photography, and her ambition is to become a photographer. To this end she enlists the help of a local man, Theodore Fry, a Professor of Photography. The railway has come to the Isle of Wight, and its construction has caused dissent among those living nearby and upon whose land it was being built. Some approved; others didn’t want to see the local countryside spoiled despite the promise of a shorter journey to the town of Newport. What was wrong with the standard carriages and horses? How all their lives intermingle, the customs of the times – bathing huts, for example – and their loves and hates are all well told, and the characters walk off the pages. This is not an historical novel in the sense that it portrays some great international event or the life of a prominent person, but the customs of the day in Victorian England are well described, and the pages turn themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will look for more from this author. Marilyn Sherlock

INDISCRETIONS ALONG VIRTUE AVENUE

Harper Courtland, Five Star, 2019, $25.95, hb, 260pp, 9781432859442

In Kansas City in 1876, a fellow prostitute falsely accuses seventeen-year-old Sadie Orchard of stealing a necklace from the madam of their house. Later, Sadie gravely injures the other girl, named Pretty Face, and flees to escape the law. Eventually she heads west, first becoming the assistant to an eccentric British woman, then returning to prostitution in various towns in Colorado and New Mexico. In New Mexico, she opens her own brothel and becomes a woman of business, eventually marrying J.W. Orchard,

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owner of a stagecoach line who teaches her to drive the stage. But when Pretty Face arrives in town, Sadie knows it means trouble. As a record of the known events of the life of a little-known entrepreneur, this book shines. Courtland details the life of 19th-century prostitutes and the dangers they faced every day. Unfortunately, as a piece of literature, the novel falls flat. The chapters feel like a series of vignettes rather than pieces of a cohesive plot, and there is little connection between them apart from chronology—the sorrows from one vignette do not carry through to the next. Sadie loses friends and lovers seemingly without the heartbreak such losses should elicit. When Pretty Face appears in New Mexico, the book finally seems to pick up steam, but Courtland’s ending is so far-fetched it defies even the most willing suspension of disbelief. Courtland clearly conducted thorough research to craft this work. She sets the chronology of Sadie’s life in the context of national events, and the little details she includes about everyday life in the West are fascinating. I only wish she’d taken advantage of the novel’s slim profile and filled it out with more emotion. Sarah Hendess

THE INNOCENTS

Michael Crummey, Doubleday, 2019, $26.95, hb, 304pp, 9780385545426

Evered, a 12-year-old boy, and his younger sister, Ada, are left without parents after both die within a short time of each other. During the early 19th century, the children continue the family business, supplying fish to ships sailing near Labrador. The ships arrive each year for the fish while the children are given supplies that should last them until the next visit. One day a ship arrives offshore, and they are visited by a man who teaches Evered how to hunt and trap animals for food and for their pelts. Most of the time, though, the children must learn to survive on their own, while experiencing the life that young boys and girls go through as they enter their teenage years. I found this novel totally believable. Evered and Ava, as developed by the author, are sympathetic, creditable, and realistic, and the novel is difficult to put down. The children find themselves in difficult situations and then have to work towards getting themselves out of trouble, and I kept feeling as if the children would face problems that they were unable to solve. There are surprises along the way as the youngsters develop sexually, and the novel shows how they deal with being in close proximity to each other while still living together as brother and sister. The novel is rich in period detail and has perfect pacing throughout. Jeff Westerhoff

THE WAGES OF SIN

Judith Cutler, Severn House, 2020, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 240pp, 9780727889386

The Wages of Sin introduces Matthew

Rowsley, a 19th-century estate agent to the feckless young Lord Croft. Croft and his abusive mother are not the focus of this story, though; the staff of the estate is. Rowsley is a conscientious, well-educated man who takes his responsibilities seriously. When a young housemaid, Maggie, suspected to be “in the family way,” goes missing, Rowsley organizes a search for her. After her wornout mother reveals Maggie has run away to meet the baby’s father, Rowsley still assumes responsibility for her, giving money to those who gave her sanctuary in Wolverhampton. Chapters are interspersed with another first-person narrative from a female with an experience similar to Maggie’s, a young servant blamed for the actions of her employer. One of the most unsympathetic characters in the book, the rector Mr. Pounceman, takes the view that women are both the weaker sex and responsible for tempting virtuous men. As a reader, I was delighted when Pounceman came down with mumps. The book has multiple storylines—Lord Croft and his footman go missing, his mother physically abuses the household staff—but the most compelling one is the courtship of Rowsley and Mrs. Faulkner, the housekeeper. Cutler deftly navigates the varying levels of servants and staff and the delicacy in those relationships. I’m glad this promises to be the first in a series. Ellen Keith

WESTERING WOMEN

Sandra Dallas. St. Martin’s, 2020, $26.99, hb, 336pp, 9781250239662

When Maggie sees the poster in Chicago in 1852, advertising for eligible women seeking to travel west, she considers it a plausible escape route for herself and her four-yearold daughter, Clara. But fear takes hold of Maggie. She has a dark secret that no one can know; what if her past catches up to her on the journey? Using a fake last name, Maggie signs herself and Clara up for the expedition. Two ministers interview her, and she becomes acutely aware that most of the other forty-two women who have been accepted are going with the hopes of finding a husband. Always looking over her shoulder, Maggie finally finds comfort in the incomparable friendship of the band of women who bond together on the 2,000-mile journey. They are on the infamous Overland Trail to California. The women become strong together in the face of unforeseen adversities and the fate of the past intruding upon their hoped-for new lives. Each of the women has experienced heartbreak before and will do so again when unexpected tragedies strike the group. Only their bond of sisterhood helps them to pick up the pieces and carry on. I found myself cheering for these women, even when I realized that not all of them would survive the journey. The plot moves quickly, like the adventure itself. Characters are well developed, and descriptions of the American West help the reader to visualize the scenery

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

along the trail. My only regret was that I could too easily predict that Maggie’s past would find her once more. Linda Harris Sittig

DAVINIA’S DUKE

Shannon Donnelly, Cielito Lindo Press, 2019, $6.95, pb, 143pp, 9781077608863

Years ago, Davinia and Everley shared a kiss, an ‘indiscretion… that almost wrecked their lives.’ Both have moved on: she has married and been widowed; he has inherited a dukedom and is finally looking for a wife. Since Davinia’s niece Susan is on his list of eligible candidates, he decides to accept an invitation to visit and attend a Valentine Ball at her brother’s estate. But when their paths cross again, will the flames of their youthful attraction be rekindled? She is too impetuous and he too bound by convention for each other’s taste, but each might be just what the other needs for a happy, more balanced life. That is, if they survive the series of mishaps and disagreements that keep getting in the way. Unseasonably wintry weather aggravates the situation, but it does force them to spend more time in each other’s company, especially after he slips on the ice while trying to save her from a fall. A lively and entertaining Regency. Recommended. Ray Thompson

SYMPHONY NO. 3

Chris Eaton, Book*hug Press, 2019, $20.00, pb, 360pp, 9781771665100

Camille Saint-Saëns believed that the symphony he finished in 1886 was the best he could compose. “What I have here accomplished,” he said of Symphony No. 3, “I will never achieve again.” Music critics describe the work as an exploration of SaintSaëns’ career as he progressed from piano prodigy to a leading composer of the Romantic period and a journey from sorrow or tragedy to triumph. Symphony No. 3 follows the path of Saint-Saëns’ life and the musical arc of the composition. Both symphony and Symphony are divided into two parts. Allegro and Adagio recall his early years of schooling and development as a musician. Scherzo and Finale dwell on his shipboard travels and personal losses. Throughout are riffs and ruminations about art and artists, bourgeois and proletariat, friendship, love, and sexual orientation. Language brings to resonant life the turmoil of the period, including Haussmann’s transformation of Paris’s narrow, dingy streets into boulevards, and war and siege in Algiers. Luminaries of the time, such as Franck and Fauré, as well as a factory owner and engineer populate its pages. Unlike the experience of the symphony, however, Symphony No. 3 stalls. Rather than building a crescendo that nourishes the soul,

it seems trapped in tumult that reflects anger, disdain, and condescension. Because Symphony has only words on paper, it is as if the reader has been presented with a musical score coursed by lines and dotted with chords and notes in isolation. As the author writes, “[music] needs to be let out, to be released from the body at any cost, rather than understood through it.” The music is muted; the symphony needs to be fully heard. K. M. Sandrick

THE LAST PASSENGER

Charles Finch, Minotaur, 2019, $27.99, hb, 304pp, 9781250312204

This last of the three prequels to Finch’s Charles Lenox mysteries finds our aristocratic detective in his late twenties, in 1855, feeling the strains for his unorthodox career choice (many of his social equals and members of Scotland Yard consider him a dilettante) and for his persistent unmarried state. While he and his loyal valet, Graham, study criminal patterns in newspapers to establish his bona fides with the former, Lenox’s mother and his good friend, Lady Jane Grey, attempt to remedy the latter. One of the trilogy’s highlights is how it shows Lenox’s professional and emotional growth into urbane, selfconfident maturity. Along these lines, The Last Passenger has the heaviest weight to pull and does so impressively. In terms of Lenox’s ongoing character arc, it’s the strongest of the three books. His newest case is puzzling for several reasons. Late one October evening at Paddington Station, a young man on the 449 train from Manchester is found stabbed to death in the third-class carriage, with no luggage or identifying papers. Curiously, all the clothing labels on the body had been carefully cut out. Asked to help investigate by a bumbling Yard inspector who’s come to rely on his perspicacity, Lenox quickly deduces some facts about the murderer and the dead man’s origins, which make the case assume a much greater significance than the gangrelated murder it was originally figured as. His investigation draws readers into the inner workings of Parliament and the international shipping industry while Lenox slowly comes to grips with the truth that he’s lonely, meaning he should start listening to the women in his life. The supporting characters burst with personality, and the short historical digressions are delightful enhancements. The title has a poignant double meaning, too, that fits the novel’s more serious themes. Sarah Johnson

AN UNCONVENTIONAL COUNTESS

Jenni Fletcher, Harlequin, 2020, $6.50/C$7.50, pb, 288pp, 9781335505293

1806. Ashore after being wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar, Captain Samuel Delaney is visiting his grandmother when he meets

Anna Fortini. Though strongly attracted to each other, their relationship gets off to a rough start. He is the presumptive heir to an earldom; she owns Belles of Bath, which is famed for its biscuits, and she despises aristocrats. Though a shopkeeper, however, she also happens to be the granddaughter of a duke, and Samuel’s grandmother not only approves of a forthrightness so like her own, but is a very determined woman. With more than a little encouragement from their respective families, the prospect for overcoming obstacles to a happy ending is promising. What makes this romance stand out is that most of the significant characters are so likeable. They recognize their own flaws and errors of judgement, apologize sincerely, and do what they can to remedy the damage caused. Most importantly, they learn the lesson to forgive others, even when it goes against the grain. The sparks that fly, moreover, make for a lively narrative. Highly recommended. Ray Thompson

PROMISED

Leah Garriott, Shadow Mountain, 2019, $15.99, pb, 368pp, 9781629726144

Garriott’s sweet debut plays with the beloved elements of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, casting Lord Gregory Williams as the proud hero, Mr. Northam as the charming rake, and gently reared Margaret Brinton as the opinionated heroine. Scarred by a broken engagement, Margaret decides that marrying the careless Northam will shield her from future heartbreak, and rebels when her father instead betroths her to the stiff-necked Lord Williams. Williams is bent on foiling his cousin and Margaret on preserving her heart from affection, but attraction nonetheless develops from their verbal skirmishes; Margaret is drawn to Williams’ beautiful home and handsome, well-ordered person, while Williams appreciates Margaret’s wit, beauty, musical talent, and affinity for lakes and rivers. As they soften toward one another, gradually revealing emotional depth, Garriott keeps the plot moving briskly with obstacles and turnarounds that make this starchy pair work to achieve their happy ending. With an Austen-like focus on minute emotional detail and some amusing secondary characters, Garriott’s gentle novel promises a treat for Regency fans who like their characters wellbred, their interiors comfortable, and the romance no racier than the hero turning up in a wet shirt. Misty Urban

MURDER AT THE CAPITOL

C.M. Gleason, Kensington, 2020, $26.00/ C$35.00, hb, 288pp, 9781496723987

In this entertaining third entry in the Lincoln’s White House Mystery series, Gleason takes readers on a romp through Civil War-era Washington, D.C. When Congress reconvenes the morning after the Independence Day festivities in 1861, the members discover a body hanging from a crane in the unfinished Capitol dome. Once again, President Lincoln’s friend and former Kansas frontier guard Adam Speed Quinn is called upon to find the killer before he can strike again. Gleason paints a rich picture of mid1 9 th- c e n t u r y Wa s h i n g t o n , D.C., in all its putrid glory: Murder Bay, the stinking Washington City Canal, the slaughterhouse near the unfinished Washington Monument, and the sooty bakery in the basement of the Capitol. Equally vivid are her portrayals of the variety of people who populated the city, including slaves, Southern sympathizers, freemen and women, Unionists, and, of course, President Lincoln. Murder at the Capitol is Gleason’s strongest offering yet in an already solid series. While Gleason adds depth to all four of her main characters, free black man Dr. George Hilton and Southern belle Constance Lemagne benefit the most. While Miss Lemagne’s attitudes toward African Americans are still reprehensible by today’s standards, Gleason wields her better in this novel than ever before, adding a delicious, unresolved ironic twist to Lemagne’s character arc that promises a sequel. It takes a gifted writer to weave together vivid history, three-dimensional characters, and examination of moral issues while still providing a satisfying mystery, and Gleason pulls this off seemingly with ease. Fans of the series will be thrilled with this new installment, and newcomers will find themselves ordering the first two books before they’ve even finished this one. Highly recommended. Sarah Hendess

THE GREEN SOLDIER

J. Edward Gore, J. Edward Gore, 2019, $9.99, pb, 232pp, 9781733525220

To fight for his country just as his ancestor did, John Gore joins the Union Army in 1861. He hopes to earn a medal or promotion and thus gain the respect of others, but as in civilian life, some soldiers ridicule him because he stutters. He finds solace in writing letters to his

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younger brother Jimmy and Annie Elzey, a girl he meets. He describes the daily grind of army life, the endless marching – a journey that takes him from Kentucky to Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, and Ohio – and the aftermath of battle both as a soldier detailed to bury the dead and as a nurse. One day his stutter results in a friend’s death; the consequences come later when he least expects them. War is never just fought on the battlefield. It affects families left behind, as Jimmy’s and Annie’s letters reveal. Both experience the underbelly of soldiering, but in different ways. Jimmy refuses to be bullied by anyone, be it a boy from school or a Union sergeant. The incidents push him toward joining the Confederate Army, which means fighting against his brother. Annie has firsthand knowledge of just how brutal the rebels are. Understanding the danger John faces, she sends him a token to help keep him safe in hopes that one day he will return it to her. This is a poignant tale, filled with deep emotions that sometimes bring smiles and other times tears. Woven into the letters are truths about slavery, coping with grief and disabilities, imprisonment, and death. As the story progresses, the characters mature and innocence is lost, while conviction and faith grow stronger. Gore portrays the realities of war with brutal honesty, leaving behind memories that readers won’t soon forget. Cindy Vallar

KITTY PECK AND THE PARLIAMENT OF SHADOWS

Kate Griffin, Faber & Faber, 2019, £8.99, pb, 560pp, 9780571325603

This latest instalment of Kate Griffin’s series takes us once again into the world of the Victorian East End. At the end of the last book, the eponymous heroine Kitty Peck had just discovered the full extent of her grandmother’s betrayal. Kitty had been left personally and financially embroiled with a menacing set of underworld Barons. She had decided that, whatever it took, she would extricate herself and her beloved music halls from their criminal world. She is a resourceful, engaging and energetic heroine, and I had been looking forward to seeing how she would achieve this. Quite why, therefore, Griffin has chosen to have yet another shadowy figure (this time, possibly working for the government, although we never really learn how or why) emerge to bump them all off for her is a bit of a mystery. Kitty is left to unravel the mystery of the Barons’ “treasure”, to find out why a travelling preacher has taken against her, and to discover more about her family history. All of these storylines are interesting and do link back to the Barons, but they feel a little like side-plots in comparison with the initial main set-up of the novel. That said, Griffin’s writing is fluent and evocative, bringing London’s seedy underbelly to life with all its sights, sounds and smells. Her 28

protagonists are likeable and engaging, and her villains are suitably dastardly. The plot is entertaining and rattles along with plenty of twists and turns. Overall, therefore, this is an enjoyable and entertaining read. Charlotte Wightwick

THE OTHER BENNET SISTER

Janice Hadlow, Mantle, 2020, £14.99, hb, 511pp, 9781509842025 / Henry Holt, 2020, $27.99, hb, 480pp, 9781250129413

Based on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, this is the story of Mary Bennet, the plain and quiet middle sister who likes to read and play the piano. Treated unkindly by her mother, and with few friends in the world, her life becomes a precarious round of visiting her married sisters, with little to look forward to. Mary tries to occupy herself with her learning but starts to wonder if there should be more to life. The Other Bennet Sister tells of her quest for personal happiness. As a Jane Austen tribute novel, this book has plenty to recommend it. Hadlow is excellent in capturing the social nuances of the time. She shows the reality of middle-class women’s lives: the endless tedium and the economic and social necessity to find a suitable husband. I liked the characterisation of Mary but must confess to some dismay at the unsympathetic portrayal of Mrs Bennet: Mary’s plight shows how important it was for a family in reduced circumstances to marry its daughters well. However, as a historical novel I don’t think the book works so well. It is very light on historical detail: apart from the occasional description of clothes or fabrics, there is little to allow the reader to form a picture of the daily life of the times. This may be because the author has modelled herself closely on Jane Austen, who provided little context for her stories, but modern readers are less familiar with that world and might like more background information. That criticism aside, if you read it as social commentary, and to find out what happened to Mary Bennet, then this is a most enjoyable novel. Karen Warren

LADY OF PERDITION

Barbara Hambly, Severn House, 2020, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 256pp, 9780727889096

In 1840, Benjamin January, a freed black man, leaves the safety of his New Orleans home for the perils of the “Slaveholder’s Republic” of Texas in search of his former pupil, Selina. She has been kidnapped by a ruffian and was likely sold into slavery. Ben is not an ordinary man; he has been educated as a physician in France and is a music teacher. A fellow musician, Sefton, accompanies him. Attempting to blend in with the locals, Ben acts as Sefton’s valet. Another friend, Shaw, an aggressive white policeman, also joins the rescue party. In Texas, they are assisted by Valentina, the Rancho Perdition’s owner’s wife, but get involved in another mystery—the murder of Valentina’s husband.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

There the group encounters not only bandits, hitmen, and general lawlessness but also the political intrigues of that period between the American unionists and non-unionists, irritated Mexicans, rancorous Comanches, and others, particularly Valentina’s in-laws. In this seventeenth offering of the Benjamin January Mystery series, Barbara Hambly has generally succeeded in making it a standalone novel. While she presents minimal backstory on the characters from the previous books, the narrative focuses on the conditions in Texas during the 1840s. The turmoil is aptly shown by the individuals’ actions, their beliefs, and their allegiance to various political causes. Ben’s steely resolution (the backbone of this series) is again fittingly demonstrated when he acts as a black servant and deals with abuse from others. We feel his (and others’ in similar situations) pain and mental anguish. While murders, rapes, thefts, and violence were commonplace in that era, their inclusion in this novel into a twin mystery is made compelling by the addition of the historical details, and the exposition of the plight of the unfortunate, the black population, and particularly the treatment of women. Highly recommended. Waheed Rabbani

QUEEN’S GAMBIT

Bradley Harper, Seventh Street, 2019, $15.95/ C$17.00, pb, 282pp, 9781645060017

1897: While the city of London waits excitedly for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, Margaret Harkness and her old ally Professor Bell are summoned to Germany to assist in a case of espionage. Sensitive information has been leaking from the office of the Security Service there, but the quick resolution of this quest sets other tragic pieces into play and ultimately threatens the life of Queen Victoria herself. The affair alters the course of Margaret’s life in unexpected ways, and threatens others she holds dear. This second novel in the Margaret Harkness series is perhaps more of a thriller than a mystery, as the identity of the assassin is never in doubt. What stands out, however, are the fully fleshed characters, and the meticulous research that brings London, on the cusp of the 20th century, vividly to life. Harper sympathetically portrays all the players in this drama, as some are forced into choices they might regret, and others rise unexpectedly to surmount adverse circumstances. Margaret Harkness is a fascinating protagonist, a woman ahead of her times in many ways, and it is hoped that she will have many more adventures in the future. Susan McDuffie

MUSKRAT HILL

Easy Jackson, Five Star, 2019, $25.95, hb, 301pp, 9781432866044

This mystery takes place in the small Texas town of Muskrat Hill in the late 19th century. Young Kit Robertson and his best friend, Whitey, stumble upon the mutilated body of

a young woman. Kit’s father, Pope, a former Texas Ranger, and the local marshal, Asa Jenkins, who is half-white and half-Comanche, are brought into the investigation. At first, no one knows the young woman’s identity. As the killer strikes repeatedly, the people in the town become scared and begin to blame anyone who is different. At the beginning of the book, Kit is presented as an adult who is approached by Giselle, who is posing as a writer for Real West magazine, for a story about the grisly murders that occurred in Muskrat Hill, where they both grew up. This slowly paced story builds until the final pages as the various clues to the killings take shape. The reader is compelled to continue reading until the final page and satisfying end as Kit’s story comes to a surprising conclusion. Jeff Westerhoff

UPTURNED EARTH

Karen Jennings, Holland Park, 2019, £10.00, pb, 202pp, 9781907320910

This novel is set in mid-19th century Namaqualand, a mining area of South Africa’s Cape Colony. The terrain is as cruel and uncompromising as the corrupt managers of the Cape Copper Mining Company mines who ruthlessly exploit the mixed workforce of stray, white wanderers, indigenous people and established families, descended from Dutch immigrants, all of whom are struggling to survive the despotism of the mine’s supervisors. Into this unpromising world comes William Hull, newly appointed by the Mining Company to take over the position of Magistrate. Slowly Hull becomes aware of the depth of the depravity and injustice of which he has inadvertently become a part, carrying out his duties without properly engaging with a situation which only slowly begins to become painfully apparent to him. Relationships, such as Hull’s acquaintance with a Mrs McBride, a young matron who has failed to escape the tyranny of the mine corporation, have begun to stutter into life when disaster strikes. With the full extent of the corporation’s culpability and its tragic results now obvious, Hull does all he can to help and support the mine corporation’s victims and achieves significant results. I would so much like to think of William and his Mrs McBride slipping away in the twilight towards a happier, nicer place. But Karen Jennings may have more sober things in mind for them. This is a memorable novel, beautifully conceived and cleverly written. I, for one, will seek out more of Karen Jennings’ work. Julia Stoneham

THE INCONVENIENT ELMSWOOD MARRIAGE

Marguerite Kaye, Harlequin, 2019, $6.50/ C$7.50, pb, 288pp, 9781335505217

In 1820 Kate and Daniel, Lord Elmswood,

entered a marriage of convenience. She manages his estate and, later, raises his three orphaned nieces when they unexpectedly arrive. He travels widely under the guise of an ‘explorer’, serving his country secretly as a spy. Eventually he is captured and imprisoned in harsh conditions, and so eleven years later, she is called upon to nurse him back to health. During his enforced rehabilitation at the Elmswood estate, they learn to appreciate each other and fall in love. But she cares deeply for the estate, which he abhors; and emotional attachment would compromise his effectiveness as a spy, the career he is devoted to. Can these conflicting aspirations be reconciled? A compromise is eventually reached, but the path is difficult. Both have to reassess their lifelong assumptions, and it is a soulsearching experience that probes painful, hidden memories, particularly for Daniel. Looking back at their past, both recognize mistakes and misunderstandings, and it is this character growth that enables them to find happiness together. It distinguishes the romance, raising it above a simple conflict between love and duty. Insightful. Highly recommended. Ray Thompson

THINGS IN JARS

Jess Kidd, Atria, 2020, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 384pp, 9781982121280 / Canongate, 2019, £14.99, hb, 416pp, 9781786893765

Red-haired, sharp-witted Bridie Devine is an interesting woman; she’s been a lot of things in her life, the latest of which is a detective, of sorts. Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick enlists her to search for his six-yearold daughter, Christabel, who has disappeared from his estate. Berwick is not forthcoming, but Bridie quickly realizes that there is much about the case, and Christabel, that is far from ordinary. The case is complicated by a connection to Bridie’s past as well as Bridie’s companion – prizefighter Ruby Doyle. Doyle just happens to be newly dead, a spirit encountered in a graveyard; he insists that Bridie knows him…even if she can’t remember any connection, or admit that what she’s seeing is real. This book is difficult to pigeonhole – is there such a thing as an Irish magical realist mystery? Equal parts sleuthing and fairytale, it is uniformly engaging. Kidd’s accomplished literary style is darkness pierced by shafts of sunlit humor. The novel has a Dickensian feel due not only to its Victorian setting, but also the characterization, which excels in

larger-than-life sympathetic characters and evoking the very worst of humanity for the villains. All are seen through a whimsical lens. The fairytale element – the merrow – is approached in fascinating manner: a combination of beauty and horror, it is the mermaid myth with a Tim Burtonesque flair. Atmosphere is skillfully crafted and fully immersive, from London’s underbelly to its medical theatres to the specimen collections in the homes of its learned, wealthy citizens (the “things in jars” of the title). The result is a thoroughly imaginative novel that is an unmitigated pleasure to read. Bethany Latham

THE GREAT UNKNOWN

Peg Kingman, W. W. Norton, 2020, $26.99, pb, 336pp, 9781324003366

When published in 1844, Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation was an instant success; its first edition sold out within days. It was the talk of the middle and upper classes. Prince Albert read passages aloud to Queen Victoria. Abraham Lincoln and Tennyson embraced its message of a universal natural law. But it also shook the foundations of science and faith. As Disraeli remarked, the book convulsed the Victorian world. The Great Unknown recreates the book’s sensation in the Edinburgh household of the Chambers family. Father Robert, his wife and their ten children, friend Lady Janet, and frequent dinner guests are captivated by speculation about the identity of the anonymous work’s author and its conclusions about the formation of the solar system, history of Earth, and origins of plant, animal, and human life. The story is told from the viewpoint of the Chambers’ wet nurse Constantia MacAdam, whose own origins are vague—who was her father? Who and where is her husband?—and the quarryman Stevenson who hides excavation of a chasm in a limestone cliff on a small island off the Northumberland shore. Author Kingman’s narrative is well grounded in science and history and cleverly captures ruminations about Vestiges’ conclusions in parlor games. If only humans can measure time, then shouldn’t the species be called Homo mensor? What about the solely human ability to calculate? Should the species be Homo mathematicus? This is a splendid introduction to the scientific classic Vestiges that preceded and set the stage for Darwin’s Origin of Species. Its matter-of-fact approach forsakes showing for telling, however, yielding a strong, bony structure but overlooking opportunities to add layers of flesh by letting readers experience as well as read. A link missing. K. M. Sandrick

ANYONE BUT A DUKE

Betina Krahn, Zebra, 2019, $7.99/C$10.99, pb, 343pp, 9781420143515

After being publicly humiliated at a society ball in London, Sarah Bumgarten, youngest

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of four wealthy American heiresses, retires to her brother-in-law’s estate and vows never to marry an aristocrat. But when the handsome stranger who rescues her from a gang of drunkards turns out to be a duke, will she change her mind? Like earlier books in the Sin and Sensibility series, set in the late Victorian era, the third offers a crowded plot: a long-lost duke returns to claim his rights after being held captive in foreign parts; a spunky heiress restores a neglected estate, cares for animals and people, and wins the respect of the community; a nasty, supercilious villain hires a gang to attack the estate; the injured benefit from the latest medical advances. And, of course, the duke and the heiress fall in love. There is a criticism of the sense of aristocratic privilege, but the gang terrorizing the community, wrecking and setting fire to buildings, seems more appropriate to the Wild West than rural England. And the cropwielding villain (a hunting whip, not a plant!) belongs to stage melodrama. Recommended to those seeking a fast-paced, adventure-filled romance, with idealized heroes and blackhearted villains. Ray Thompson

THE THIEF OF LANWYN MANOR

Sarah E. Ladd, Thomas Nelson, 2019, $15.99, pb, 352pp, 9780785223184

Second in Ladd’s Cornwall Novels, this sweet, stately successor to The Governess of Penwythe Hall finds grown-up Julia Twethewey en route to a visit with relatives, robbed at gunpoint in the village inn but rescued by noble, quick-thinking Isaac Blake. Julia’s thoughts thereafter tend warmly toward Mr. Blake, even though her aunt thinks Matthew Blake, Isaac’s older brother and a property owner, the better match. Cornwall’s mining interests bind the story together; both Blakes own copper mines, and Julia’s uncle’s decision to close his own mine, laying off a number of area workers, furnishes a restive background to another mystery involving missing items at the manor. Isaac and Julia’s romance is a slow, subtle progression of shy glances as she takes care of her pregnant cousin and he takes care of his friend’s widow, until the sudden convergence of several plot lines leads to a welcome burst of action and surprising revelations. Ladd’s evocations of the Cornish countryside and its weather give this vaguely Regency novel a vivid sense of place, and her gilded prose evokes a haunting, mournful atmosphere for the tenuous lives of its tenants. Fans of the genre and of Ladd will relish this book. Misty Urban

RIO RUIDOSO

Preston Lewis, Five Star, 2020, $25.95, hb, 296pp, 9781432868420

Civil War veteran Wes Bracken comes

to New Mexico, where the Rio Ruidoso and Rio Bonito converge, to raise horses with his brother in the mid-1870s. On his trip in, he makes enemies of the villainous Horrell brothers when he saves beautiful Serafina’s family from a racist assault. Wes works hard to build his ranch, until his drunken brother joins up with the Horrell brothers and trouble follows. Wes earns the respect of the recently widowed Serafina and of local, oppressed Hispanic men, and the time comes for Wes to face the Horrell brothers. Wes is a worthy Western hero: a sturdy man looking to overcome his past and build a future in a boundless, but harsh, landscape that can have soul-stirring beauty (“…the quartet had reached a great precipice that looked over a vast expanse of white sands to the west and rough basin country to the southwest, where broken mountains jutted like granite teeth from the earth”). He is a man with the courage to stand up to tyranny and right injustice. Throw in horses, six-shooters, gunfights and folksy narrative, and dialogue that almost seems to drawl off a cowboy’s tongue, and you have a good ol’ fashioned western novel. Rio Ruidoso is book one in a trilogy set around the Lincoln County Wars, which began in 1878. Wes encounters real historical figures such as the Horrell brothers, Sherriff Mills and Deputy Sherriff Haskins, and local tycoons Lawrence Murphy and John Chisum, who led opposing factions. There’s even a cameo by Billy the Kid, who surely will play a role later in the trilogy. Books two and three are to be looked forward to from prolific Western novelist Preston Lewis, who writes with a historical authenticity rooted in his interest in Billy the Kid and the Wars. Brodie Curtis

ADORING ABIGAIL

Chalon Linton, Covenant Communications, 2020, $14.99, pb, 208pp, 9781524411510

1818. Abigail Rutherford’s speech impediment leads many to assume she is stupid and to treat her with scorn. After her parents’ deaths, she comes to live with her unsympathetic and controlling grandmother. Captain Robert Wilkins unexpectedly inherits his great-aunt’s estate and retires from the army to run it, but it is a daunting prospect for which he feels ill-equipped. When these two troubled people meet, they are drawn to each other: kindness and sympathy develop into love and marriage. The path, however, is difficult, not only because the snobbish local gentry disapprove of both, but because Abigail’s grandmother is determined she marry Mr. Mead the vicar, who is a sanctimonious hypocrite and bully. There are useful insights into the predicament of those whose behavior departs from society’s narrow-minded expectations, and of the psychological effects of the unkindness and abuse they experience. Though Abigail’s submissiveness and timidity may feel irritating at times, her response is understandable given

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her situation. The happy conclusion seems a bit fortuitous, but it is gratifying. Recommended to those who enjoy distressed heroines and sentimental romance. Ray Thompson

DEATH COMES TO THE NURSERY

Catherine Lloyd, Kensington, 2020, $26.00/ C$35.00, hb, 304pp, 9781496723222

In this seventh Kurland St. Mary mystery, Waterloo hero Sir Robert Kurland and his wife Lucy, the rector’s daughter, are expecting their second child. They hire an additional nursery maid to help with eighteen-month-old Ned and be available when the new baby arrives. The new maid, Polly, is the cousin of the regular nursery maid, Agnes. Polly is beautiful and charming, causing dissension among the young men of the area. When she is found murdered in a ditch—and turns out not to be Agnes’s cousin at all—the game is afoot. Robert, the local magistrate, and Lucy travel to London and interview a variety of characters connected to the theater and to the genteel world. They sift through much information as they try to find out who Polly really was and why she was killed. Danger follows them back to peaceful, bucolic Kurland St. Mary. It threatens those they care about most before aid comes from an unlikely direction. This is an entertaining Regency mystery. It moves faster at the beginning and the end, with the middle London section not as compelling. Fans of Robert and Lucy will enjoy meeting them again, and new readers can start here. The book stands alone nicely, although I’d suggest going back and at least reading the first in the series, Death Comes to the Village, to see the beginning of Robert and Lucy’s relationship. Elizabeth Knowles

COTTONMOUTH

Sean Lynch, Pinnacle, 2020, $7.99/C$10.99, pb, 378pp, 9780786044955

Smokin’ Joe Atherton is a legend in the Old West, but he no longer uses that name from his Civil War and Texas Ranger days. In the spring of 1874, he wants to be known simply as Samuel Pritchard and settle down in his hometown of Atherton, Missouri, though as its marshal he still has to deal with the occasional commotion. After all, he and his lifelong friend rid the town of the wicked and crooked Shipleys last year, so they feel entitled to some peace and quiet. A $10,000 bounty has been placed on Pritchard’s head by an anonymous foe (the “Cottonmouth” of the title), and soon the town is overrun with gunslingers bent on plugging Smokin’ Joe. With his blazing fast draw and his uncanny accuracy with any firearm, he stays alive even after two men arrive intending to take not only his badge but also the town away from him and his sister, the mayor. Pritchard

needs his friends, his wits, and his lightningfast guns to stave off this threat. Lynch spins a barn burner of a Western: the body count is high; he throws in a love interest, riverboat gamblers, and gypsies; and he keeps you guessing about who’s on whose side as the final showdown nears. He sprinkles in the backstory of the first book in the series so well I felt like I read it even though I never heard of it until I picked up this volume. Lynch uses his law enforcement and military background to full advantage, and his skill as a master storyteller makes you care about his characters. I look forward to the next book in this series. Tom Vallar

THE DEVIL’S DUE

Bonnie MacBird, HarperCollins, 2019, $26.99/ C$32.99, hb, 369pp, 9780008348106 / HarperCollins UK, 2019, £14.99, hb, 384pp, 9780008195076

In this third in series entry, Dr. Watson leads us through a memoir of one of Holmes’ past cases. I am no H&W aficionado, but they have no doubt suffered through countless versions of themselves in print and on film– each writer/actor/director searching for the true essence of the elusive detective and his Victorian world. MacBird has captured the pair beautifully, staying true to the nuance of Conan Doyle’s tales. A series of gruesome murders have been committed. The dead are all wealthy philanthropists motivated by guilt for shameful past deeds, which Holmes must root out. Most deaths are accompanied by an equally grisly suicide. With last names connected by the first few letters of the alphabet, (Anson, Benjamin, etc.) the list creeps ominously close to ‘Holmes’. The dialogue-driven prose is detailed enough to be all-informing without much need for further exposition. We’re pulled into Holmes and Watson’s world as they plunge through the icy wet fog of London, gaslights turning to muted halos in the dark. Despite the complexity of the crimes, Holmes’ perspective is clear as he cautions Watson: “Never start your theory with a zebra when a horse explains it all.” MacBird’s cast of characters adds heft and flavour to the narrative. There is Titus Billings, the masochistic police commissioner, determined to blacken Holmes’ name; Hephzibah ‘Heffie’, a street-smart ‘investigator’ friend; James and Andrew Goodwin, the rather effete MPs with their ‘Byronic locks’ and oiled ‘patent leather’ hair; Inspector Lestrade, who secretes police files to Holmes right under Billings’ nose; Lady Eleanor, notable for her standing in society, and Mrs Hudson, the redoubtable housekeeper. The iconic detective and friend come alive in MacBird’s capable hands in this fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable novel. Fiona Alison

THE MERRY VISCOUNT Sally MacKenzie, Zebra, 2019, $7.99, pb, 313pp, 9781420146721

If you like your Regency Romance steamy, this Christmas-themed novel fits the bill. After being seduced and attacked by a peer, Caro Anderson rebuilt her life by becoming the chief brewer and saleswoman for Widow’s Brew, an ale made to raise funds for a benevolent home for wronged women and abandoned children. Returning to the home in a snowstorm after a failed sales trip, Caro’s stagecoach slides into a ditch. She and her fellow travelers find themselves stranded at the country home of Viscount Oakland. A childhood friend of her brother, Oakland (Nick) is now a disreputable rake so dissolute he’s holding a Christmastime orgy. Caro’s interruption of the debauched festivities is exactly what they both need. The household, invited guests (prostitutes), and stranded travelers band together to celebrate an old-fashioned English yuletide. The hero and heroine are both sympathetic. Caro is strong and independent. Nick is vulnerable and kind. However, the plot is so centered on sex, and there is so much repetitive inner monologue, it’s difficult to appreciate the sweetness of the story. Sue Asher

HIS COUNTESS FOR A WEEK Sarah Mallory, Harlequin, 2019, $6.50/C$7.50, pb, 288pp, 9781335505248

When Randolph returns from Australia to take up his new inheritance as Earl of Westray, his change in status requires a big adjustment. It gets even bigger when he learns that a woman calling herself his countess is in residence at one of his estates. When he discovers that this complete stranger is not only young and very pretty, but a widow determined to find whoever killed her husband, he decides to help Arabella Roffey rather than expose her, and his honorable conduct overcomes her initial mistrust. Friendship develops into love, but challenges lie in the way of a happy ending. There are mysteries to be solved: who killed Arabella’s husband? Why was Randolph deported to Australia? There are lessons to be learned, reputations to be saved, blackmailers to be foiled, and kidnapped victims to be rescued. The plot does become rather melodramatic, particularly the figure of the dastardly villain who has designs upon the lovely widow for more than her fortune. This will appeal mainly to those who enjoy stories of naïve heroines who learn uncomfortable truths, noble-hearted heroes ready to assist a damsel in distress, and sinister gothic overtones. Ray Thompson

FELICITY CARROL AND THE MURDEROUS MENACE

Patricia Marcantonio, Crooked Lane, 2020, $26.99/C$40.50, hb, 336pp, 9781643852898

The second novel in this mystery series set in the Victorian era finds the redoubtable Felicity Carrol in pursuit of Jack the Ripper. The trail in London has gone cold but reports of similar gruesome murders in the wild mining town of Placer, Montana, lead her to suspect the killer has moved to the United States. She follows. With her impressive range of skills and resources, success might be predicted, but her quarry has already proven to be elusive, and conditions on the ground are challenging. Not only is there great physical danger from drunken miners as well as the killer, but though less restrictive than in England, the constraints upon the behavior of well-bred young women do inhibit her freedom of action. Under the guise of a writer of crime novels, Felicity manages to secure the reluctant co-operation of a skeptical (but attractive) Sheriff Tom Pike and the investigation proceeds. The picture of life in the mining town, particularly the social structure and attitudes, has the satisfying ring of authenticity; and though the extended descriptions of scientific techniques can slow the pace, they provide valuable information on investigative procedures and their limitations in this period. There is, moreover, plenty of action and suspense, the mystery is satisfying, and the identity and psychological justification for the actions of Jack the Ripper are certainly plausible. Recommended. Ray Thompson

FEAR ON THE PHANTOM SPECIAL

Edward Marston, Allison & Busby, 2019, £16.99/$22.95, hb, 350pp, 9780749024130

Lake District, Halloween 1861. Passengers have boarded The Phantom Special expecting thrills on a railway journey that will take them through woodland notorious for strange sights and weird happenings. On this darkest of nights ten years ago, the local blacksmith vanished, and only his clothes were ever found: any excursion arranged by reckless young Alex Piper is sure to be exciting. When they are halted by a grotesque figure wreathed in flame, Alex leaps from his carriage to confront it and disappears. Is it a jape, misfortune or tragedy? Local police organise an extensive search with no result, and Lord Culverhouse demands an investigation by London’s Scotland Yard. Inspector Colbeck and Sergeant Leeming disembark from their mighty long railway journey to confront the local inhabitants and possible suspects: the bad-tempered doctor, the bookseller-poet; and Alex’s women – his embittered long-time girlfriend and his charming bride-to-be. Colbeck must enter the wood like Alex. It is the darkest of nights and the lanterns that should be available have

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been emptied of oil. This is a story with baffling contradictory evidence, convincing characters and lots of lively dialogue. To say the author is on top form would be unfair. In my experience, he is never anything else. Nancy Henshaw

A CONVENIENT FICTION

Mimi Matthews, Perfectly Proper, 2019, $16.99/ C$16.99, pb, 352pp, 9781733056939

1860. Laura Hayes submerges herself in a pond, holding her breath to ‘strengthen her lungs,’ only to be unceremoniously ‘rescued’ by a stranger. He turns out to be Alex Archer, the missing member of the parish orphans in this series. He has come to rural Surrey to woo an heiress, not a young woman whose family has fallen on hard times, but the attraction between them proves impossible to resist, especially since circumstances keep throwing them together. Later he really does save her from drowning when she goes bathing in the sea and is caught by the rip tide, but by administering the ‘kiss of life’ he ruins her reputation. Death before dishonor? He proposes; with some hesitation, she accepts; their mutual attraction develops into love. The path, understandably, is not smooth. Both have issues: she the burden of responsibility for her ailing aunt and invalid brother, he a sense of guilt and unworthiness for past conduct. Can they learn to trust each other? And themselves? Like earlier books in the series, this offers keen insights into the conventions and prejudices of Victorian society, caught between traditional attitudes and progress. The description of seaside bathing is particularly fascinating. Strongly recommended. Ray Thompson

WOLVES OF EDEN

Kevin McCarthy, W.W. Norton, 2019, $15.95, pb, 352pp, 9780393357608

The Dakota Territory in the American West in 1866 was a brutal place. The United States Army, swollen with hardened veterans of both sides of the Civil War, was still in the throes of the genocide of the Native Americans. But those are monolithic terms, and the populace of both sides was anything but. This novel is a mystery, solved by time and by bloodshed. Investigated by the perpetually inebriated Lieutenant Molloy, an Irishman, and his aide, Sergeant Kohn, a Cleveland Jew, they try to solve a murder of a white man and his wife who ran the store—and the whorehouse— 32

at Fort Phil Kearny in Dakota Territory. But there they meet up with two brothers, Tom and Michael—Irishmen who fought for the Union. All these men have seen and done things that chafe at their humanity. Tom, once handsome and smooth-talking, took a bullet to his face during the war, which disfigured him not only physically but spiritually. Only the affections of Sarah, an Indian woman whose nose has been cut off, and who is a prostitute at the Fort’s “hog ranch,” can ease Tom’s rage. The interactions of the various ethnic groups—the white American nativists hating the Irish, the Jews, and the Quakers; the Pawnee hating the Sioux; the Cheyenne who refuses to speak to the Pawnee scout; the Quakers refusing to break bread with the Jewish sergeant—all make for a fascinating, multifaceted conflict. There are many sides, many motives, but everyone seems to agree that Fort Phil Kearny is a terrible place to be in December. Wolves of Eden is a book of the soldier, a book of cold nights, aching feet, and a longing for a moment of perfect beauty which will never come. Highly recommended. Katie Stine

MISLEADING MISS VERITY

Carolyn Miller, Kregel, 2019, $15.99, pb, 352pp, 9780825445910

The spirited Miss Verity has a reputation for capers, much to her mama’s distress. Sent north to visit a school chum in Scotland, Verity grows curious about their neighbor, the new laird of Dungally. Anthony Jardine, returning to Scotland by way of Australia and Brazil, is enchanted with the pretty visitor but troubled by her youth, her expressed lack of Christian faith, and his own deceit, as he lets Verity believe he is merely the laird’s gardener. When Verity discovers God’s love for her, only angry villagers and an unwelcome betrothal stand in the way of her love for Anthony. Verity is lively, Anthony kind-hearted, and their witty repartee is fun to read. The landscape of seaside Scotland is breathtakingly depicted, with secret tunnels, masques, and horse races adding a dash of excitement to this decorous Regency world. The love story is endearingly sweet, a gentle unfolding enlivened with a few brushes with danger near the end. This is the best written of the Daughters of Aynsley triad, with themes of faith twining naturally with the romance and a feel for the world beyond Britain; many readers might feel Verity’s story is the best yet of Miller’s Regency Brides. Misty Urban

CHARLOTTE

Helen Moffett, Manilla Press, 2020, £12.99, hb, 354pp, 9781785769108

Charlotte tells the story of Charlotte Lucas, Lizzy Bennet’s plain, unromantic friend from Pride and Prejudice. She marries for the sake of a “comfortable home” while Jane Austen’s dashing and vivacious heroine holds out for love. It opens several years after Charlotte’s

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marriage to Mr Collins, with the death of their son. As Charlotte struggles to come to terms with her grief, she reflects on her marriage, and finds unexpected friendship and love. Charlotte Lucas is one of the most fascinating of Jane Austen’s original characters. Like the Bennet sisters, she has no independent financial means. Without a husband, her future options are bleak: a dependent sister, a poverty-stricken old maid or a governess. While Lizzy refuses Mr Collins in the hope that her prince will come, Charlotte takes the pragmatic route. We also get a different view of Mr Collins. In Austen he is primarily a bogeyman: the worst thing that could befall Lizzy. Moffett shows us a more sympathetic character: still cringeworthy, but whose social awkwardness is born of insecurity. Here, Mr Collins is genuinely well-meaning, and is eventually loved by his wife. Other characters, too, come to the fore: Lady Catherine as a somewhat surprising fighter for women’s rights, and her daughter Anne as a secretive free spirit. As a sequel, Charlotte provides new insights into well-known characters, some perhaps more grounded in Austen’s novel than others. On its own merits, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining read which explores women’s constrained choices in early 19th-century England. Charlotte Wightwick

THE PURSUIT OF WILLIAM ABBEY

Claire North, Orbit, 2019, $16.99, pb, 420pp, 9780316316842

Physician William Abbey is cursed by the mother of a Zulu boy who is beaten until bone from his broken arm protrudes from skin, then tied to a baobab tree, doused with paraffin, and set aflame. After his dead body is carried away, a shadow remains. The shadow indicts Abbey for failing to speak against the brutality or tend the boy while he lay suffering. It transforms the physician into a truth-speaker and stalks him wherever he goes. As a truth-speaker, Abbey is compelled to report what he sees in others’ hearts, but can never see into his own. He consequently makes an ideal spy. Pressed into service by operatives known as the Nineteen, his first assignment, the 1884 Berlin Conference that divided the continent of Africa into 50 countries in order to keep peace in Europe, at least for a few years. Later, after he betrays his country, runs from the grasp of Professor Albert Wilson and his experiments on the brains of truth-speakers, and seeks his own cures for the condition, Europe is engaged in the Great War, and Abbey is at the bedside of Wilson’s son near the frontlines. The Pursuit of William Abbey is a journey into hearts of darkness. Its pace is relentless; action is compulsive. Language ranges from poetic to frenetic, pounding beats of staccato repetition. The exploration of motivation is moving and insightful. As Abbey says, “To live in a state of truth, to truly know the world as

it is, rather than as you wish to perceive it, is frightening. Terrifying.” Indeed. K. M. Sandrick

INLAND

Téa Obreht, Random House, 2019, $27.00/ C$36.00, hb, 370pp, 9780812992861

This stunning literary novel by the awardwinning author of The Tiger’s Wife is set in Arizona, 1893, and slowly brings two fascinating characters into each other’s orbit. Nora is the matriarch of a struggling homestead; at the start of the narrative she impatiently awaits the return of her newspaperman husband, overdue from a trip to buy water for their droughtoppressed land, and her two fractious adult sons, who have left home the night before, after a terrible quarrel. She senses that something is very wrong but is unwilling to confirm it; her dreamy youngest son and spirit-communing housemaid insist meanwhile that a mysterious Beast is stalking the house. Nora, very close to dying of thirst, hears the ghostly voice of her only daughter, Evelyn, dead in infancy, adding to her dread and confusion. While Nora worries in present tense about her absent family, we also experience the wanderings of Lurie Mattie through his pasttense monologue to a companion, Burke, who we learn early on is a stolen mount from the famous Camel Corps, imported just before the Civil War to help tame the desert West. Lurie’s tale is too complex to summarize; the son of a Turkish immigrant, he falls in with the Corps while evading capture for an accidental murder, and his wanderings take him all over the Western Territories over the course of nearly 40 years as he makes his way to a collision with Nora (with whom he shares the ability to perceive the presence of the dead) and her troubled clan. There is little mystery about how and when this will happen, but the beauty of this novel is its lyrical descriptions of the harsh Arizona landscape and the sharp, sarcastic voice of Nora, a flawed but unforgettable character who vividly evokes a life lived suspended between the unrelenting daily demands of survival and the softer memories of lost love. Kristen McDermott

A TRACE OF DECEIT

Karen Odden, William Morrow, 2019, $16.99/ C$21.00, pb, 416pp, 9780062796622

A Trace of Deceit continues Karen Odden’s Victorian mystery series. The book follows Annabel Rowe, one of the few female students

at the prestigious Slade School of Art. When Annabel learns that her brother has been murdered, she is not completely shocked, given his past as an art forger. However, when she finds out that a valuable French painting he had been restoring is missing, she realizes that she is crucial to the investigation, both as a sister and painter. She decides to team up with Scotland Yard’s Inspector Hallam to find out what happened. Their quest for the truth takes them far beyond the sophisticated art world and deep into a world of corruption. Odden has a background working for Christie’s auction house, and her knowledge of the art world is clearly displayed in this exciting novel. The extensive research and attention to details are impressive, even to an art history buff like me. This makes this thrilling, action-packed story an absolute delight to read. The character development is skillful, especially with Annabel and her relationship to her brother. There is also a dash of romance, although the mystery within the art world is the focus in this enthralling Victorian-era novel. Helen Piper

A STORM BEFORE THE WAR

Phillip Otts, D X Varos, 2019, $17.95, pb, 282pp, 9781941072561

A freedman, Harvey works for Hank McCrary as the servant and traveling companion of McCrary’s son, Martin. Unknown to Martin, he and Harvey are halfbrothers and Harvey has bigger ambitions than being a servant for the rest of his life. Harvey is a spy—one who is determined to end slavery in America, and if possible, prevent the Civil War. To learn the way of the business world, Martin is traveling to different countries on errands for his father’s cotton plantation. Harvey is in charge of keeping Martin safe, carrying the trunks, and finding them both reputable ladies of the night. When tragedy strikes on the journey back to America, and both men find themselves shipwrecked and stranded as possible fish food, the adventure of the novel heats up. This adventure stretches from Bermuda to Britain and entangles multiple espionage plots, interpersonal strife and, of course, prostitutes. A Storm Before the War is a thrilling adventure that engages tools of intricate storytelling and complex relationship development between brothers. Thoroughly explored descriptions and multifaceted character backgrounds aid in the artful depiction of this tale of brotherhood. Otis’s novel has a strong plot with even stronger heroes. This book was a fun read, and I anxiously await the sequel where the dynamic duo makes a reappearance. There is no war within my judgment; I recommend this book. Alice Cochran

MORTAL MUSIC

Ann Parker, Poisoned Pen Press, 2019, $26.99, hb, 432pp, 9781492699477

In the winter of 1881, music store owner Inez Stannert struggles to make her San Francisco business profitable. She attends a performance at the Grand Opera House and afterwards is asked, actually virtually commanded, to become accompanist to prima donna Theia Carrington Drake. Unwilling to work for such an unpredictable character, Inez hesitates but eventually agrees, as Theia’s husband, the attractive Graham Drake, has made her an irresistible financial offer. But almost immediately disasters befall the volatile Theia, who is thrown into agonies of grief over the death of her pet songbird and then the death of her young understudy – although perhaps Theia’s husband was becoming too intimate with the understudy. This is but one of the intriguing plot twists in this, the seventh of the author’s Silver Rush historical series. The author presents a detailed and evocative description of San Francisco of 1881, still somewhat gold rush boom town, but becoming a nascent city, the cultural hub of the West coast. She absorbs her readers in the dress and manners of the day and in the unique and original characters who bring this city to life. The detailed and devious plot makes this book difficult to set aside. Valerie Adolph

ONCE A SPY

Mary Jo Putney, Zebra, 2019, $7.99/C$10.99, pb, 367pp, 9781420148107

1815. Widowed Suzanne Duval, called the Countess de Chambron before the overthrow of the French monarchy, lives in poverty in London and takes in piecework sewing to survive. Because she was captured by corsairs and enslaved in a harem, she is now called a whore by those she once called friends. These women scorn Suzanne, abandoned and alone, all while she evades the roaming hands of their husbands. Simon Duval is a cousin of Suzanne’s late husband, Jean-Louis. While Simon is shockingly identical to his cousin in a physical sense, he is unlike his French cousin in a myriad of ways. Simon proposes to Susanne, but she says no. When Wellington sends Simon to Paris, Suzanne insists that she accompany him. He says no. A standoff. She offers a compromise: he gives a yes to Paris if she gives a yes to marriage. Once again Mary Jo Putney delivers a great romantic novel steeped in historical detail

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and atmosphere. There are cliffhangers and heart-stopping moments galore in this story, all because the reader becomes so invested in the characters and the plot. The backstories of the characters come out slowly, and you realize they are equally wounded by life, but surviving has brought wisdom and empathy to them both. A great story. Highly recommended. Monica E. Spence

THE ROAD TO LATTIMER

Virginia Rafferty, Milford House, 2019, $16.95, pb, 237pp, 9781620062135

In the late 1800s, four families from AustriaHungary emigrate to America in search of a better life. Their homeland, caught up in political strife and never-ending poverty, seemed bleak compared to the promising land of opportunity that was advertised on posters. Little did they know that a life of drudgery awaits them in the anthracite coal mines of Pennsylvania. Stefan & Anna, Cyril & Adriana, Emil & Edita, and Jan & Katarina each receive a backstory in the beginning chapters and come together once they’re situated in the United States near Hazleton, Pennsylvania. Living in various nearby “patch towns,” their lives are dictated by the coal company that owns their houses, the stores where they purchase goods on credit, and even the schools and police forces. The men and boys work long hours doing backbreaking, dirty, and dangerous work while the women and girls scrape together meager rations to feed their growing families. Children would be sent to the breakers—a hazardous job of sorting materials—as early as age seven, and men would be broken and suffering from “black lung” by age 40. They had few rights and were cheated on their pay by the greedy owners. This story gives a realistic view of the treatment of foreigners by Americans who were themselves only a generation or two removed from immigrant status. It catalogs the rising unionizing of the coal industry and describes in detail the infamous Lattimer Massacre of 1897. Rafferty does well with introducing a lot of characters while making each side story its own interesting part. This book is highly recommended for those looking for European immigration-themed stories—in particular, Hungarian. It’s obvious the author has done in-depth research and was able to put together an excellent narrative! Arleigh Ordoyne

THE WORKHOUSE WAIF

Lynette Rees, Quercus, 2019, £8.99, pb, 335pp, 9781529400663

1867, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. This crisisto-comfort tale concerns young Megan Hopkins, the eponymous waif, whose mother and younger siblings are split up within the local workhouse after their father’s death down the mine. Mum is as good as dead, and the whole workhouse experience forces Megan to develop a resistance against the 34

extreme nastiness and brutal humiliation wreaked by some in authority, abusing not only their positions but also their wards. Over time her strengthening attitude contributes much to finding her own path out and away. The sympathy and kindness shown by some staff buffer her plight, but there seems to be no end of setbacks. Her only solace comes after a chance encounter with cocky Griff, a charming street urchin of similar age, whose own story interweaves with Megan’s, taking us to Victorian London’s theatre land and beyond into an uncertain yet hopeful future. Alongside the detailed squalor, cold and further threats, runs a comforting supply of friendly and trustworthy folk in pie-shops and tea-rooms, thus a much welcome hug, sticky bun or pastry treat is never far away, keeping body and soul together. The lies, pies and sighs blend expertly into a smooth easy-to-read story with as many ups and downs as a badly cobbled street. There is never a dull moment throughout; even toward the end, events might yet thwart our heroine’s quest for ‘the missing piece of her heart’ and we are cleverly kept guessing as to the outcome right up until the final pages. Much local knowledge adds much authenticity, making this well told tale a very good read indeed. Simon Rickman

THE PENMAKER’S WIFE

Steve Robinson, Thomas & Mercer, 2019, $15.95, pb, 255pp, 9781542006255

In 1880 London, Angelica, an attractive Frenchwoman, is unhappy in her marriage to an Englishman. Wishing for a better life for her and her young son, William, Angelica fakes their drowning, and they flee for Birmingham. There, following several unpleasant incidents, she manages to pose as a respectable London widow. In a park, while William plays with another lad, Alexander, Angelica encounters Alexander’s mother, a rich penmaker’s wife, Georgina Hampton, who invites them to her mansion for tea. There, Angelica meets Effie, a pretty young woman, and Georgina’s husband, Stanley, who is taken aback by Angelica’s slight French accent. Georgina hires Angelica as a governess. Unfortunately, Georgina dies in an accident, and Stanley marries Angelica. Angelica takes measures to ensure that William, not Alexander, will inherit the pen-making fortune. It would seem Angelica has finally achieved her heart’s desires. However, demons from Angelica’s past catch up to her; she confronts them boldly. Although this historical novel is a departure for Steve Robinson from his well-known Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries, the fast-paced action scenes and an absorbing plot make it gripping. The artful device of using a narrator telling part of the story, while imprisoned, adds to the intrigue. The details of fountain pen-making are an interesting aside, cleverly woven into the story. Life in both the Victorian era lower and upper classes, and the chasm between them, is shown adequately,

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transporting readers to those times. Class and gender issues, as well as prostitution and lesbianism, are meshed into the storyline. However, the numerous coincidences, the actions of various characters, and the occurrence of some events require suspension of disbelief. Angelica is a woman well ahead of her time and makes us wonder how far a mother would go to secure her child’s future. Waheed Rabbani

THE WOMAN IN THE VEIL

Laura Joh Rowland, Crooked Lane, 2020, $26.99, hb, 294pp, 9781643852416

In London, during the early summer of 1890, crime scene photographer Sarah Bain, along with her assistants Lord Hugh Staunton and young Mick O’Reilly, arrive to photograph the body of a young woman whose face is disfigured. Discovering the young woman is alive, Sarah’s newspaper prints a picture of her, identifying her as “Sleeping Beauty” because the woman is unable to remember her past. Three different people claim she “belongs” to them; one little girl claims she is her mother who has not returned from Egypt while on assignment. The young woman recalls the little girl and leaves the hospital with her. The other two claimants still insist she is related to them. When a murder is committed and one of the claimants is killed, Sarah is accused. Sarah, with the help of her accomplices, must find the real killer before she finds herself on the gallows. This book is the author’s fourth Victorian mystery in this series. The three main characters (Sarah and her two assistants) with different backgrounds provide an appealing trio of crime solvers. Tension continues to build throughout the story as Sarah tries to determine the real identity of “Sleeping Beauty.” It’s obvious the amateur detectives have little experience in solving crimes, especially those involving murder. The author’s knowledge and understanding of the Victorian age are flawless as she brings this mystery to an exciting conclusion. Jeff Westerhoff

HOBNAIL AND OTHER FRONTIER STORIES

Hazel Rumney, ed., Five Star, 2019, $25.95, hb, 388pp, 9781432864330

Subtitled “A Century of the American Frontier,” this anthology is a collection of seventeen new short stories by well-known, award-winning authors. For readers who just might think it’s all “shootouts at high noon,” this splendid book will disabuse them of that stereotype. Wildly diverse themes and plots abound: an account of the battle at the Alamo according to its resident rats; primitive dentistry; unlikely boxcar hobos; mysteries and forensics; cryptozoology; an aging prostitute meets Geronimo; a bizarre assassin, and revenge against a crooked justice system among other stories. Flashes of humor appear throughout,

and one chapter on the age-old subject of “hazing the new guy” is especially hilarious. One learns that 1890 marks the end of the American frontier period and the reason why. The book also gives insights into elements of frontier technology. The anthology claims to capture the spirit of freedom and individualism in the evolving 19th century. In my opinion, it succeeds in that to near perfection. R e f r e s h i n g l y, there is no a t t e m p t to defer to modern notions of delicate sensibilities, so the history rings genuine in each chapter. Even though the stories are not voluminous, the many characters—Indians, whites, former slaves, and Mexicans—are memorable and often likeable. Editor Hazel Rumney has excelled in assembling these small distinct gems into a single tome that is presented over the timeframe of the 19th century. I suspect readers will want to read these stories again and again. Thomas J. Howley

A FORGOTTEN EVIL

Sheldon Russell, Cynren Press, 2019, $17.00, pb, 273pp, 9781947976139

In 1868, young woodcutter Caleb Justin and his father cut down trees for firewood so the riverboats that travel down the Ohio River can refuel. Caleb’s father dies accidentally, leaving Caleb to continue the business on his own. Joshua Hart, a runaway, meets Caleb and suggests they travel out West, join the cavalry, and fight the Indians. They pack up their meager belongings and travel towards Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, to join General Sheridan’s army. The army rejects Caleb because of an injured foot, although Joshua joins General Custer’s Seventh Cavalry. Alone and disappointed, Caleb heads back East. He stops along his journey to supply an army fort and a railroad construction crew with wood. While he is in his camp, Indians surprise and capture him. While a captive, Caleb tries to fit in to the Indians’ way of life until he is able to escape. Meanwhile, his friend Joshua and the Seventh Cavalry face a major Indian battle near the Washita River. Caught in the Plains Indian War of 1868, Caleb, along with Joan Monnet, who Caleb rescues from an Indian attack, face relentless difficulties as they struggle to survive on the open plains. I found the novel gripping as the storyline builds to an exciting and satisfying conclusion. The drama and action are evenly

paced as the author molds the characters from scene to scene. Jeff Westerhoff

A DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE

Suanne Schafer, Waldorf Publishing, 2018, $16.95, pb, 300pp, 9781641368650

Schafer’s debut takes an original look into past dimensions of women’s lives that for years many have wished to deny. In the late 19th century, Ruby was expected to marry, settle down, and raise children on the flat Texas plains. But Ruby’s passion flares for art, leading her to attend an academy in Philadelphia despite objections from her family and betrothed as well as the limitations of social convention. Ruby, who is driven by the physical—what she sees, paints, and feels in her body—soon discovers other passions which she doesn’t understand, and which society also forbids. She succumbs anyway, sometimes to her benefit and sometimes to her detriment. Ruby is continually forced to choose between her passion for art and adhering to societal expectations, some of which are achievements Ruby also wants for herself, but she doesn’t see a way to combine them. A Different Kind of Fire is a story about finding the way to being oneself while not completely forsaking social approval. Though somewhat naïve in succumbing to physical desire, Ruby is likeable, and the reader will want her to figure out how she can have what she truly desires. The writing is easy to read and engaging. Interest is added to the story as, along the way, Ruby witnesses the careers of famous artists, works with Buffalo Bill Cody, makes her mark in the relatively new print advertising industry, and watches Philadelphia develop into a modern city. Jodie Toohey

THE SECRETS OF LORD LYNFORD

Bronwyn Scott, Harlequin, 2019, $6.50/C$7.50, pb, 288pp, 9781335505231

As heir to a duke, Lord Lynford might be expected to marry an aristocratic heiress. Certainly not a widow who is not only older and has a young daughter, but, more to the point, is herself the daughter of a mine owner and runs her own mines. Lynford, however, is impotent after contracting measles as a youth, and he has a brother and nephews to secure the succession. Why not marry where he chooses? Well, Eliza Blaxland has her own views on the subject. Though she shares their attraction, she is determined to preserve her independence. Will she recognize that they can forge a partnership of equals before her business partners carry out their plot to take over control of the mines? Or even worse? Though her reluctance to wed is understandable, it persists longer than one would expect, given the evidence of Lynford’s

conduct; by contrast, she continues to trust Miles Detford longer than she should, and it nearly costs her her life. The conclusion strays into the realm of melodrama, but the predicament of a woman trying to run a business amidst ruthless, bigoted men resonates as powerfully today as in 1823 Cornwall. Recommended. Ray Thompson

A DELICATE DECEPTION

Cat Sebastian, Avon Impulse, 2020, $4.99/ C$6.99, pb, 288pp, 9780062821621

1824. Amelia Allenby is outraged to encounter a very large man on her usual walk. Has she not, after all, fled to this remote corner of Derbyshire to escape company? And the panic attacks they precipitate? Despite this initial reaction, she finds him oddly endearing, and their relationship rapidly improves. For his part, Sydney Goddard is equally surprised to find himself attracted to an upper-class lady. He is, after all, a radical and a Quaker. But then she turns out to hold surprisingly unconventional views and is refreshingly candid. The path to happiness is convoluted, however, for though they fall in love readily enough, missteps and practical difficulties hinder marriage: he is an engineer who builds railroads and needs to meet investors in cities; she is a recluse. Is a compromise possible? The author peoples her novel with lively and delightful characters, so different from polite society. Indeed, the main figures are LGBTQ and political radicals (Sydney’s mother is inspirational!); but what makes their company a joy is the wit of their banter, their struggle to recognize their mistakes and be honest about their feelings, and their ability to care for each other and to tolerate differences. Highly recommended. Ray Thompson

THE MERMAID’S CALL

Katherine Stansfield, Allison & Busby, 2019, £19.99, hb, 318pp, 9780749023829

In this novel we accompany Anna Drake, who has founded a female detective agency, and her friend Shilly as they take on a case to investigate the identity of a dead man. The case is brought to them by Captain Ians, who has had a dream about the body and has travelled from the other side of the world in the belief that it is his brother Joseph. The body has been found on the beach near Morwenstow in North Cornwall and has been badly mutilated, removing bodily parts. It is uncertain whether the man has been washed

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ashore after being battered on the knife-like rocks nearby, or whether he has been done to death in some other way. Anna and Shilly pose as husband and wife whilst on their travels away from home, their detective company being called Williams and Williams, and there are hints that Anna Drake was once known as Mrs Williams, the name now taken by Shilly, whose real name is Charlotte. The writer evokes the wildness of this part of north Cornwall’s shore very well, and the descriptions of the hostile weather are vividly done. The characters are well delineated and include the factual vicar of Morwenstow at this time, the Reverend Robert Hawker, also a poet, as well as Mr Good, the coroner. The vicar’s wife is also a key figure, as is the Seldon family who live in the farmhouse nearby. Many local folk tales are referenced in the supernatural aspects of the story, specifically those recalling mermaids and siren voices. There are enough unresolved clues in the narrative to encourage the reader to go to the first two books in the series, Falling Creatures and The Magpie Tree. There is also a tantalising glimpse on the last page of, possibly, their next case. Julie Parker

TO THE EASTERN SEAS

Julian Stockwin, Hodder & Stoughton, 2019, £20.00, hb, 373pp, 9781473698680

1810. Napoleon Bonaparte has been defeated for the time being, and the Navy is ordered to give its attention to other matters. Britain’s mind is now on Empire and building its influence in the Dutch East Indies. The spices grown there are worth their weight in gold, and Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is sent to acquire these for the British Crown. Two colonial masters face each other with different ideas as to how this can be done, and it is left to Kydd to work out the best solution. I have now read several of Julian Stockwin’s books in this series and always find them totally absorbing. His knowledge of life at sea in the 19th century and the politics involved enables him to create a story of action and intrigue which keeps the pages turning from beginning to end. His characters live and breathe alongside the real people of the day, and his very helpful glossary at the end of the book allows him to use terms and language which although often unknown to us today would then have been familiar to the crews of the ships. It is also worth reading his Author’s Notes, as they give an excellent insight into the activities of the East India Company and the background to little-known facts about the events of the day, such as the British invasion of Macao. As always, I learned a great deal of an area in history that I know little about whilst at the same time thoroughly enjoying a book that became more and more impossible to put down. Marilyn Sherlock

BLOOD IN THE DUST

Bill Swiggs, Zaffre, 2019, £7.99, pb, 400pp, 9781785769078

This is a compelling story of the struggles, hardships and consequent adventures of a group of carefully put together characters who, for one reason or another, find themselves involved in the gold rush that dominated midnineteenth century Australian history. This is a story with worthy, struggling, settled farmers, bewildered aborigines, bushrangers, gold diggers, unscrupulous land-grabbers, criminals, and corrupt government officials. The opening sequence is splendid. It sets up the situation of the settled farming family, its modest lifestyle and its established achievements. We see the landscape, feel the sweat, smell the eucalyptus and enjoy the banter as the farmer’s two young sons track and kill the fox that has been preying on their mother’s chickens and bear it triumphantly home. Too good to be true? Of course. There follows the horrendous scene that awaits them and that sets in motion the main storyline. Robbed of home, parents, land and livelihood and with his young brother severely injured, our hero, Toby O’Rourke, sets about setting his world to rights. Predictability really sets in when we are introduced to a migrant family, fresh from the “old country” and innocently seeking a better life in Australia. Mama and Pappa, plus their two winsome daughters, soon team up with the O’Rourke boys and together suffer the full range of adversities that beset them. Mine shafts collapse, cheats cheat, rapists rape and corruption overwhelms authority. Blood in The Dust does what it says on the can and is a fast-paced, old-fashioned, feelgood adventure story. Enjoy. Julia Stoneham

THE BLACK HILLS

M. J. Trow, Severn House, 2020, $28.99/£20.99, hb, 224pp, 9781780291215

George Armstrong Custer was famous for his service during the War Between the States, that is, the Civil War. But he is definitely unloved. At one point during this novel, it is revealed that he accused Secretary of War William Belknap of corruption: of giving substandard breech-loaders to soldiers while providing Native American fighters with brand new Springfield rifles. Then under President Grant’s rule, Custer accuses Grant’s brother of fraudulent acts. That comment is unforgivable in the eyes of many. Now, in March 1875, this has grown into a mystery; someone is obviously out for revenge. Several acts occur where men die or are injured, men who were sitting or standing close to Custer. Private enquiry agents have traveled to Fort Abraham Lincoln deep in Dakota Territory, in what’s known as the Black Hills, home of the Lakota and Cheyenne tribes. These two agents have also discovered that the President may have had something to do with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. They bring that proof to the President,

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

who recovers Custer’s army rank, lost when he accused Grant’s brother of fraud, but issues a request for Custer’s downfall. Although the mystery is solved, that’s not what is so fascinating about this story. Custer and his wife reign over the army base, and their words are commands. We also get a comprehensive depiction of what it was like living in the Black Hills, including the lives of the women living at the Army base, the hunting and drinking activities of common soldiers, the penalties for breaking rules or desertion, and the belief in justice and fairness for soldiers and civilians. It’s a great adventurous romp and a recommended historical fiction read. Viviane Crystal

THE LADY’S GUIDE TO CELESTIAL MECHANICS

Olivia Waite, Avon Impulse, 2019, $6.99, pb, 336pp, 9780062931795

This superb novel, set during Regency times, unveils the love story between two intelligent women who, in different ways, struggle to be taken seriously by the male scientific establishment. In 1812 Lyme, England, Lucy Muchelney is crushed when her lover, Priscilla, weds a man for financial reasons. Lucy had been the uncredited collaborator of her late astronomer father, handling his calculations and correspondence. When she receives a letter from Catherine St. Day, Countess of Moth, who seeks a translator for a French astronomy masterwork, Lucy, confident in her mathematical and language skills, pays a visit to Lady Moth in London. In the widowed Catherine, a skilled embroiderer whose artistic talents were stifled by her boorish husband, Lucy discovers a benefactor and kindred spirit, but their dissimilar personal histories complicate matters. Beyond the delicately rendered romance between the more forthright Lucy and Catherine, a gently bred aristocrat, Waite gives full voice to the unfair prejudice that women faced. She also provides a multi-ethnic Regency world that comes alive with scientific curiosity. Highly recommended for fans of both Remarkable Creatures and Gentleman Jack, this first in the Feminine Pursuits series deserves widespread attention. Sarah Johnson

THE WINTER SISTERS

Tim Westover, QW Publishers, 2019, $16.95, pb, 322pp, 9780984974894

1822, Georgia. After receiving an urgent letter from the mayor of Lawrenceville, Dr. Aubrey Waycross depletes his funds to travel to the frontier outpost. When he arrives, though, Dr. Waycross discovers he’s been misled. The town isn’t infected with hydrophobia, aka rabies, as the letter seemed to indicate. Additionally, most townsfolk trust the Winter sisters for their cures, three women who have been exiled into the woods. The pastor believes the sisters are witches, and he plans to use the new doctor to expose them. What he doesn’t

plan on is Dr. Waycross and Rebecca Winter joining forces to combat a growing threat to the town. The narration switches between Dr. Waycross’s first person and Sarah Winter’s third person. They’re interesting and distinct voices. The time period and setting are quite vibrant. Medical practices and thought processes are delightfully detailed. Aubrey has great sensibilities. I loved his internal thoughts, one example being “a hatless man cannot be taken seriously.” Westover’s writing style is humorous, quirky, and thoughtful. When the sisters’ herbology heals patients quickly and successfully, Aubrey wrestles with his beliefs. His staunch pride in the Hippocratic teachings of bleeding, blistering, enemas, and amputations comes into question as he’s faced with the emotional damage such procedures can cause. His intentions are heartfelt, and his struggles are meaningful as he slowly learns to walk a different path as well as accept that not everything can or should be explained. Along the same vein, however, most of the mystical elements were left too ambiguous. By the end, I wasn’t sure what the author was trying to convey as his final parting thought. It felt like one piece of the puzzle was missing from an otherwise enjoyable tale. Part fiction/part fantasy, The Winter Sisters is a fun and sassy period piece. J. Lynn Else

AND DANGEROUS TO KNOW

Darcie Wilde, Kensington, 2020, $26.00, hb, 347pp, 9781496720863

Regency London boasts a dazzling high society, but the daughter of a scandalous bankrupt disappears from the ton balls, no longer rides in the Park, and becomes invisible to most of her former friends. Lady Rosalind Thorne is one such unfortunate; she ekes out a living by acting as a useful woman; respectable enough to act as a chaperon, companion, or secretary to aristocratic ladies in exchange for “presents” (usually cash)—a mode of life that keeps Rosalind both eating and living indoors. When a dead woman is found on the grounds of Melbourne House, Rosalind becomes involved when her friend, Bow Street Runner Adam Harkness, seeks her aid. This isn’t the first time Rosalind has assisted in finding the truth behind a crime— and since her current employer is Lady Melbourne: chatelaine of Melbourne House, mother of a future Prime Minister, mother-inlaw to the dazzlingly unstable Lady Caroline Lamb, and former lover of the Prince of Wales. Lady Melbourne thinks Rosalind is acting as her companion as a cover for finding a missing packet of passionate letters from that “mad, bad, and dangerous to know” poseur-poet, Lord Byron—Lady Caroline’s former lover. Time is of the essence since either the letters or the murder could cause an explosive scandal. Getting an insider’s view of “that Melbourne House set” was enough to pull me right into the story. Wilde has a sure hand on the reins

of her prose, which results in a fast-paced and enjoyable story. And while a few things didn’t sound “Regency” to me, it wasn’t enough to dim my enjoyment of a whirl through London’s upper crust and lower half. It’s the third in a series, and I’m certainly going to read the other two books. India Edghill

HANGING MURDER

A. J. Wright, Endeavour Quill, 2019, £7.99, pb, 306pp, 9781911445753

Hanging Murder is the latest in A. J Wright’s series of “Lancashire Detective Mysteries”. In the bleak, monochrome chill of Wigan in the winter of 1891, Mr Simeon Crosby, newly retired public hangman, is busily promoting his new ambition, which is to make his name as a writer, retelling details of his macabre career by publicly recounting, to audiences in industrial northern towns, the thrilling details of his experiences while despatching criminals to Hell via the gallows. Public controversy is already growing regarding the legitimacy of capital punishment, and Detective Sergeant Brennan of Wigan’s police department is charged with preserving the town’s peace in view of the threat posed by the small group of protestors who are expected to attend the event. When first one and then a second murder takes place, the situation escalates into an intriguing and highly complex “whodunnit”. A fascinating plethora of suspects and victims emerges. The central characters, perhaps especially the delightful Sergeant Brennan, are all convincingly realised, developed and satisfactorily resolved. The style and tone of the dialogue, plus the descriptions of the characters, evoke L. S. Lowry. One really can smell those murky pubs, reeking of beer and tobacco smoke. A most enjoyable read. Julia Stoneham

20TH CENTURY

THE LIGHT AFTER THE WAR

Anita Abriel, Atria, 2020, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 320pp, 9781982122973

Inspired by her mother’s story of survival during the Holocaust, Anita Abriel relates the tale of two young women trying to carve out a new life for themselves in a post-war world. In 1946, Vera Frankel travels to Naples, Italy with her best friend, Edith Ban. The two Hungarian women miraculously evaded the Nazis, breaking free before their train reached Auschwitz, taking refuge in the Austrian countryside. Initially, they try to set up a life for themselves in Naples, but unexpected events make them leave Italy for Ellis Island, where they are rejected. After this, they end up in Caracas, Venezuela. Edith decides to pursue her dream of becoming a fashion designer and Vera starts dating a complicated man,

whilst grappling with their experiences during the war. Abriel has created a moving story about survival and the power of hope. Her language is vivid and evocative, filled with rich visual descriptions. The plot moves swiftly along in the main protagonists’ moving quest for a better life. Although the characters’ opaque motivations make the novel occasionally hard to follow, it is nevertheless an inspiring tale of female friendship and a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book. Helen Piper

THE LANGUAGE OF EQUALS

David Ackley, Rain and Breeze Books, 2019, $14.99, pb, 374pp, 9781950631049

Ramanujan, an Indian mathematician, travels from India to Cambridge, England, just before the outbreak of WWI. He is a devout Hindu Vaishnavite and worshipper of Namagiri Amman. His life is entirely permeated by his faith. Even many of his mathematical theories come to him in visions and dreams that he believes are from Namagiri. He leaves behind his mother and a 14-year-old wife as he proceeds to a two-year period of collaborative work with a brilliant classical scholar and mathematician, Mr. Hardy. The novel describes Ramanujan’s experience during those two years, during which he endures prejudice and initially not much contact with other Indians. His strict religious convictions mean he will not eat anything that is not purely vegetarian. Ramanujan is highly insecure about his lack of background education and neglect in providing specific steps for his math discoveries. He has success in his studies and is ultimately accepted as a mathematical Fellow, but he gradually becomes depressed and physically ill, with a diagnosis of possible tuberculosis, and eventually tries to end his troubles. Added to this, WWI takes its toll on many characters. The characterization of Ramanujan is excellent as readers learn of his every thought, dream, and interaction with both English and Indian friends. His story is about cultural separation and adaptation, all dependent on personality and political issues prevalent at the time. Math is the language of equals bonding all together and promising satisfaction. This is nicely crafted historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

IN THE SHADOW OF VESUVIUS

Tasha Alexander, Minotaur, 2019, $27.99/ C$37.99, hb, 304 pp, 9781250164735

1902: Lady Emily and her husband, the dashing Colin, visit Pompeii as guests of Emily’s old friend Ivy. While touring the ruins and viewing the remarkable plaster casts of the victims of the ancient tragedy, they are surprised to find one with distinctly un-Roman

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sideburns. It turns out that this fresh, plasterencrusted corpse is that of an American, a Mr. Walker. Emily and Colin begin to investigate, but their idyllic Italian visit is thrown into turmoil when a young woman appears at their villa. Kat claims to be Colin’s daughter, the offspring of his earlier affair with an Austrian countess. Will Emily and Colin solve the murder of Mr. Walker? And will their marriage survive the unexpected arrival of Kat? This story plays out against another drama, the story of Kassandra, a talented Greek poetess, her friend, Lepida, and Lepida’s husband Silvanus. The more ancient tale unwinds in AD 79, under the shadow of a grumbling Vesuvius, and climaxes with the fatal eruption of that volcano. Emily and Colin sift the dust of ancient Pompeii for clues to the recent mystery, while Kat’s appearance brings emotional earthquakes and upheavals into Emily’s world. Kassandra’s story proves equally compelling. The two plotlines ultimately converge to provide a satisfying ending to the novel. Fans of the Lady Emily mysteries will enjoy this mystery, as will readers who enjoy Edwardian mysteries and fans of stories set in the classical world. Susan McDuffie

A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA

Isabel Allende (trans. Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson), Ballantine, 2020, $28.00, hb, 336pp, 9781984820150 / Bloomsbury, 2020, £16.99, hb, 336pp, 9781526615909

Allende’s fluidly written saga conveys her deep familiarity with the events she depicts, and her intent to illustrate their human impact in a moving way. The scope spans most of the lives of Victor Dalmau, a Republican army medic in 1936 Spain, and Roser Bruguera, a music student taken in by Victor’s family and, later, his brother Guillem’s lover and the mother of Guillem’s child. The story follows them over nearly sixty years, beginning with the tumult of the Spanish Civil War. Guillem is killed fighting against the Fascists, news that Victor can’t bear to tell Roser initially. After surviving separate and terrible circumstances that leave them refugees in France, where authorities treat them with contempt and worse, the two marry for practical reasons in order to join Pablo Neruda’s mission transporting over 2000 Spanish exiles to Chile aboard the S.S. Winnipeg. In Santiago, the Dalmaus find many Chileans sympathetic to the Spaniards, while others make them unwelcome. With a poetic title coming from a poem of Neruda’s referring to Chile as “a long petal of sea and wine and snow,” the novel prompts readers to reflect on the timely themes of cultural adaptation and political refugees’ shared experiences across eras and continents. It also illustrates Victor and Roser’s unusual marriage, which begins out of duty, ripens into affection and mutual admiration, and transforms into something more. Allende frequently steps away from her characters to relay the larger historical picture, as in this memorable passage: “The exodus from 38

Barcelona was a Dantesque spectacle of thousands of people shivering with cold in a stampede that soon slowed to a straggling procession traveling at the speed of the amputees, the wounded, the old folks and the children.” Incidents from the Dalmaus’ lives are sometimes recited rather than shown, which can be distancing, but Allende’s storytelling abilities are undeniable. Sarah Johnson

LADY CLEMENTINE

Marie Benedict, Sourcebooks Landmark, 2020, $26.99/C$38.99/£20.75, hb, 336pp, 9781492666905 / $16.99, pb, 336p, 9781492666936

Spanning the years from 1908 to 1945, this novel describes the demanding role of Lady Clementine Churchill, the wife of Winston Churchill. Not only does it provide a picture of this woman as she interacts with her powerful husband, but it also provides a nuanced view of the prime minister through the two world wars, a slightly different perspective from his biographers. Clementine (whose name, the author explains, rhymes with Jacqueline) is a social outsider to Winston’s set, as she has had a bohemian upbringing. For example, she is a suffragette and shares her opinions on national policy with politicians invited to dinner, behavior not common in her day. She also edits Winston’s speeches. Along with these qualities today’s readers likely admire, she has certain less positive attributes. Chief among these, for many readers, is her uncertainty as a mother. She largely leaves the raising of her children to nannies, and this does have some sad consequences. Benedict does an effective job of describing the ups and downs of a long marriage with a difficult man, whose demands on his wife are endless. We empathize with the stresses she is under and comprehend her need to get away on her own from time to time. We certainly applaud her strength and willingness to stand up for what she believes. Lorelei Brush

THE OPERATOR

Gretchen Berg, William Morrow, 2020, $26.99/ C$33.50, hb, 352pp, 9780062917188

Life in Wooster, Ohio, is fascinating for local telephone operator Vivian Dalton. A sharp observer (and eavesdropper) of small-town life, Vivian is shocked to overhear a scandalous secret about her own family while at work. She soon embarks on a journey to understand this secret and its impact on her future. Alongside Vivian’s own journey we catch glimpses of the hidden complexities of the residents of Wooster. Soon, what began as an unassuming story about life in a small town turns into an exploration of identity and family in 1950s Ohio. This story is less about the secret Vivian uncovers (although the mystery does keep the pages turning for the first part of the novel), and more about what she does to

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

pick up the pieces. What would anyone do when their identity is challenged? Get angry, bake a lot, and begin doing what they always wanted to do. The novel is less heartwarming than anticipated but feels more real. This is perhaps due to the fact Vivian’s story pulls from the author’s own grandmother’s life. As such, Vivian, like a real person, is complex and not always the most sympathetic. Additional characters, such as two bank robbers and a society snob, also contrast sympathetic stories alongside unlikeable behavior. This makes it difficult to root for any one character, but also highlights the diversity of life experiences often overlooked in recollections of the time. This original look at Midwestern life is recommended, although this lack of endearing characters softens the impact of otherwise large twists and turns. Ellen Jaquette

DREAMLAND

Nancy Bilyeau, Endeavour Quill, 2020, £8.99/$17.99, pb, 374pp, 9781911445777

Heiress Peggy Batternberg is forced by her rich and powerful family to spend the summer on Coney Island. This may not sound like a tragedy to us, but to the young woman struggling to find her own identity and live her own life, free from the chokehold of her name and fortune, it is unwelcome news indeed. The status of women in 1911 is a key aspect of the novel as Peggy is brought into line with all manner of horrific but ultimately possible threats. The intention is to seal the deal and get Lydia, Peggy’s sister, safely married off to the rich and debonair Henry Taul. Peggy makes the most of some unexpected freedom from supervision to experience the delights of the eponymous Dreamland and meet the impoverished but talented artist Stefan Chalakoski. Love blossoms, but police involvement, mysterious murders of young women and the inevitable disapproval of the family mean the complications are many. The plot skips along entertainingly and themes of female empowerment, police corruption and xenophobia are thoughtprovoking. Wealth may not bring happiness, but it certainly encourages people to listen to your viewpoint. Bilyeau is also the author of the excellent Joanna Stafford novels, which are set in the Tudor era. Ann Northfield

THE GHOST OF MADISON AVENUE

Nancy Bilyeau, Amazon, 2019, $2.99, ebook, 108pp, B082LXJ8X8

Diverse locales of old New York are the setting for Bilyeau’s atmospheric novella, which takes place in 1912, in the days leading up to Christmas, but it can be read and enjoyed at any time of year. Helen O’Neill, an Irish American widow of thirty-five, is nervous to start her new position as a restorer in J. P. Morgan’s personal library. Her supervisor, the brilliant Belle da Costa Greene, has exacting

standards, and what if Helen were to meet the famous financial titan in person? For those who haven’t visited the Morgan Library and Museum—I haven’t, though plan to do so—reading this story feels like getting an exclusive private tour of the site, as it looked over a century ago, alongside Helen. With its secret staircases, ornate bookshelves and balconies, and elaborately painted high ceilings, it’s a fabulous place to envision. Helen lives comfortably with her brother’s family in a clapboard house in the Bronx’s Morrisania neighborhood and is agog at her new workplace. She’s puzzled, though, when she spies a young woman in an old-fashioned dress and hairstyle on the street outside; the snow doesn’t seem to touch her. Helen also feels a lingering sadness about her late husband, who died some time earlier, and neither she nor her family feels she’s likely to marry again. All the characters are poignantly human, and their social and cultural backgrounds add rich shadings to their actions. The warmhearted theme of second chances is well balanced with the mysteriousness of the woman’s identity, which Helen gets in trouble trying to uncover. Add a touch of Irish magic to the plot—Helen’s unusual dexterity with her hands reminded her late mother and husband of the aes sidhe—and you have an entrancing ghost story with a touching message. Sarah Johnson

THE SECRET GUESTS

Benjamin Black, Henry Holt, 2020, $27.00/ C$36.50, hb, 304pp, 9781250133014 / B. W. Black, Penguin, 2020, £8.99, pb, 288pp, 9780241305317

Booker prize-winning Irish author John Banville has written this novel under the pen name he uses for his popular “Quirke” crime novels, to imagine one of the mysteries of World War II history—where were the royal princesses during the Blitz? Elizabeth and Margaret are currently enjoying a vogue thanks to the success of the TV series The Crown; fans of this show will enjoy seeing glimpses of the series’ take on their personalities in childish form. However, Their Highnesses are secondary characters in a thriller that focuses on an Anglo-Irish police detective, Strafford, tasked with guarding the obscure country manor in which the girls are hidden, and their watcher, Celia Nashe, a young Special Branch agent who poses on her first assignment as their governess, but keeps a Chekhovian gun hidden in her lingerie drawer. As the princesses endure the boredom of their forced holiday, anxiety for their royal parents back home, and the pangs of infatuation with a handsome young groundskeeper, their guardians struggle to sort out friend from foe in a country hostile to English visitors. It’s a wise decision to create fictional participants since the reader knows that the girls survived, but both the main characters suffer from a troubling lack of common sense, their bad decisions

endangering the princesses even more than the Blitz would have. If you can overlook that, there’s a lot of dry wit and suspense to enjoy, as the large cast of Irish supporting characters offers some biting satire about the hypocrisy of the English government looking to its longtime, long-suffering colony to protect its most precious members. Kristen McDermott

THE CAROUSEL CARVER

Perdita Buchan, Plexus, 2019, $13.95, pb, 143pp, 9781940091037

In 1912, young Giacinto emigrates from Italy and takes a position carving carousel horses in Philadelphia. As the golden age of hand-carved carousels wanes in the 1930s, he relocates to Riverbeach, New Jersey, to care for one of the carousels he helped to carve. He maintains a comfortable and satisfying, albeit a bit lonely, existence until an eight-year-old half-Gypsy refugee from Italy falls into his care in 1939. Young Rosa brings unexpected color to his placid life, and Giacinto, now middleaged, finally blossoms. Buchan fits an astonishing array of issues and themes into such a slim book. The story examines the treatment of immigrants in general in early 20th-century America, the fear German-Americans in particular felt during World War I, the effects of the Spanish Flu, race relations, and the rise of Hitler in the late 1930s. With such a wide expanse of themes and a long timeline, this novel could easily have been a saga, and due to the book’s brevity, there are places where the story seems rushed. For example, Buchan zips from the 1918 influenza to the Great Depression in a matter of pages, and there are many places where the reader does not experience Giacinto’s emotional reaction to the events of his life. He seems to take sorrow and joy in stride without being affected one way or another. However, the resolution wraps everything up so neatly and in such a satisfying and heartwarming way that the reader is left feeling the book is exactly the length it was meant to be. Overall, The Carousel Carver is a beautiful little book about carving a niche for oneself in the world and finding love in expected places. Recommended. Sarah Hendess

THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES

Serena Burdick, Park Row, 2020, $27.99, hb, 336pp, 9780778309994

Luella and Effie Tildon are wealthy young women growing up in the Inwood section of Manhattan in the 1910s. They have everything wealth offers to them: schooling at Chapin, beautiful clothes, a gracious home with servants. But their lives are also stifling. Even before they discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the older sister, takes the pair on adventures, and they discover a camp not far from their home, on the shores of the Hudson River, where they are introduced

to Romani culture, to what seems like more openness and freedom. Quickly, Luella b e c o m e s emboldened, and her response to her father’s infidelity is rebellion, punishable by being sent away to Paris. She

refuses to go. But when Effie wakes up soon after and finds Luella gone and her clothes and belongings still in her room, she suspects that her parents have sent Luella to the House of Mercy, an asylum where wayward girls are sent to learn the consequences of their actions. So tied are the sisters that Effie decides to “find” Luella and save her by becoming committed so that they can escape together. Burdick’s tale of survival, courage and coming of age in early 20th-century New York is a must read. Told in alternating chapters narrated by the three focal women in the book, we learn the deep backgrounds of each of them, come to understand and appreciate them and feel the pain of their losses. Burdick has done a masterful job of researching the time and place: about the Romani people, about Inwood, and about the House of Mercy, which actually existed. Having lived in Inwood a while back, I felt a connection to the characters and to the neighborhood. I knew there was a reason I wanted to read this book! Ilysa Magnus

BLACKBIRD BLUES

Jean K. Carney, Bink Books, 2019, $15.95/ C$19.95, pb, 218pp, 9781949290226

In her debut novel, Jean K. Carney chronicles the story of aspiring jazz singer Mary Kaye in Chicago during the 1960s. When Kaye’s mentor, Sister Michaeline, dies, Kaye meets jazz musician Lucius, M i c h a e l i n e ’s friend and father of an imprisoned son, Benny. He is the first person of color with whom Mary Kaye interacts in a non-superficial way. As they bond over their mutual loss, Kaye helps Lucius repair his relationship with his son. Lucius, in turn, helps Kaye by lending her the diary of Michaeline. The novel is set in two decades: the 1940s that is in Michaeline’s diary, and Kaye’s current 1963. The diary prompts Mary Kaye to make decisions about

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her own future and helps her decide on how to deal with an unexpected pregnancy. The story covers difficult topics such as grief over death, abortion, and racial inequality, blanketed with the theme of jazz music. I found myself so inspired by the music that I created my own playlist featuring Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and John Coltrane. Before becoming an author, Carney worked as a reporter covering the Children’s Court, City Hall and Roe v. Wade. She earned a degree in psychology and then worked as a psychologist for 30 years in Chicago. When reading her book, it becomes obvious that all these experiences enabled her to write an incredibly insightful and evocative comingof-age story. Carney’s vivid and spellbinding descriptions of the characters made me feel as if I were there with them. I seldom cry when reading, but this book moved me so much that I did, especially when Carney pondered the question about not only what we owe ourselves, but also what we owe our children. The reading experience will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended. Helen Piper

THE WRONG GIRL

Donis Casey, Poisoned Pen Press, 2019, $15.99/ C$16.00, pb, 234pp, 9781492699194

This is the first in an excellent new series by Donis Casey, author of the Alafair Tucker mysteries. In 1920, Blanche, one of Alafair’s daughters, longs to become a Hollywood star. Charming Graham Peyton, posing as a film producer, sweeps Blanche off her feet. But, after she runs away with him, he abandons her and sells her to a pimp. Blanche escapes, and an aging film star hires her as a stunt double. Eventually, Blanche makes it to Hollywood and becomes the renowned, but mysterious, actress Bianca LaBelle. Six years later, Peyton’s skeleton is found on a beach. A notorious gangster hires detective Ted Oliver to find out who killed him. Oliver’s search leads him to Bianca. Did her past with Graham Peyton lead her to murder? Or did one of his many other victims kill him? Casey brings the world of silent film to life, using Hollywood slang from the 1920s. The novel is structured like a silent movie, with black-and-white story cards at the head of each chapter. Casey takes us to another world, but one which is all-too-close to ours. The theme of film executives as sexual predators could have been taken from today’s headlines. Highly recommended. Vicki Kondelik

IF ANYONE ASKS, SAY I DIED FROM THE HEARTBREAKING BLUES

Philip Cioffari, Livingston Press/Univ. of West Alabama, 2020, $16.95, pb, 170pp, 9781604892376

Genre is a problematic concept. Is Philip Cioffari’s delightful tragicomedy a novel with a 40

soundtrack, or a musical on paper? It certainly evokes West Side Story and Grease, not to mention Happy Days. And in a clear reference to American Graffiti, there’s even a mysterious reappearing teenage girl. It starts with the melodious title: If Anyone Asks, Say I Died of the Heartbreaking Blues, which almost cries out to be sung. From there on, either pop, jazz, blues, or rock music constantly plays in the background throughout the night of June 22, 1960. It accompanies the aptly named hero, “Hunt” Hunter, as he stumbles, careens, dances, crashes and finally picks himself up at dawn the next day, having survived his graduation, prom, eighteenth birthday, and a serious test of manhood all in one mad heroic scramble. Then, miraculously striding through the wreckage on the morning after, Hunt’s mysterious beauty appears again. And she is aptly named Vera. Although gangs rumble, bodies bleed, and ghosts walk, Cioffari’s general tone in this rollicking coming-of-age story is one of affectionate nostalgia. But there’s poetry and history too. Set in Cioffari’s native Bronx, the novel captures a lost world brought back to life by a diverse cast of quintessential New Yorkers, circa 1960. Dialogue snaps. Scenes blossom. Pictures flash before our eyes. It’s no surprise to learn that Cioffari is an award-winning filmmaker as well as a fiction writer. So really the only question that remains is … when’s the movie coming out? Susan Lowell

HITLER’S SECRET

Rory Clements, Zaffre, 2020, £12.99, hb, 415pp, 9781838770273

Tom Wilde, American professor resident in Cambridge, UK, occasional secret agent and despiser of all things Nazi, now appears in this, the fourth novel of his adventures. The first book featuring this character is Corpus (HNR 80), if readers would like to start at the beginning, although all of them can be read as standalones. So to plot: Wilde is requisitioned by an American intelligence agent to collect a mysterious package from Germany. Of course, in wartime (1941), this mission is not as straightforward as it seems. This object he must get hold of and bring back to England turns out to be quite a surprise. Naturally, it is a dangerous secret and he must hide from ruthless killers sent by Hitler’s infamous right-hand man Bormann plus evade the more run-of-the-mill Nazis, Gestapo, et al. It is a rollercoaster ride; Wilde and the reader are never sure who to trust or what will happen next. The book is based on a plausible idea and backed with research, and I found it to be exciting, well-written and full of twists and turns, U-boats, sudden deaths, torture and so on. The heroes are very heroic and the villains extremely villainous, but it’s a thriller that thrills. I for one can’t wait for more “Wilde” adventures. I could also imagine these novels being turned into entertaining films.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

Ann Northfield

THE COURIER

Kjell Ola Dahl (trans. Don Bartlett), Orenda Books, £8.99/$15.95, pb, 312pp, 9781912374434

In 1967, Gerhard returns to Norway to solve a mystery. Ase, his partner and mother of his child, was murdered in Nazi-occupied Oslo during WWII. Gerhard’s return surprises everyone: Svenn, a Norwegian intelligence officer with eyes seemingly everywhere; Ester, a Norwegian-Jewish resistance courier who fled to Sweden and helped Gerhard escape; and his and Ase’s child, Turid, adopted and raised by another family. All these characters try to piece together the truth surrounding this crime, while grappling with their own histories and experiences from life during the war. The moving pieces are complex: readers will jump through three timelines and see the mystery through Gerhard, Svenn, Ester, and Turid’s eyes. No one knows who they can trust, or where they are safe, and The Courier explores a murder mystery woven into this tragic and uncertain fabric. Dahl excels at creating tense situations without violence or even dialogue. Moments where characters are being watched, or at least feel as if they are being watched, shine better than any suspense drama on the screen. Readers will find themselves caught up in the suspense and drama of the story, even if they are not sure who to root for. The only element that distracts, rather than adds, to the suspense and story is the descriptions of female characters and their bodies that feel at odds with 2019 cultural standards. Perhaps these differences are lost in translation, but the rest of the mystery and suspense are not. Fans of Scandinavian mysteries will enjoy this historical look at WWII Oslo. Ellen Jaquette

THE NUGGET

P. T. Deutermann, St. Martin’s, 2019, $27.99/ C$37.99, hb, 308pp, 9781250205889

Ensign Bobby Steele, US Navy aviator, wakes up with a throbbing hangover on board the battleship Oklahoma on the morning of December 7, 1941. Attacking Japanese dive bombers rouse him from his misery, and almost immediately he is scrambling off the ship and into the waters of Pearl Harbor. He survives to pilot a Dauntless dive bomber on the carrier Enterprise and takes part in the battle of Midway. Shortly after, he is forced to ditch at sea, where he and his gunner are adrift for two days. After rescue they land in Guadalcanal, where the two act as infantry in close combat on the island. Later, they escape from the carrier Hornet after she is mortally wounded in battle. They are rescued this time by an American submarine. The sub survives depth charge attacks but experiences bad luck, and now Steele is cast upon a Japanese-occupied Philippine island. There he meets a very interesting and admirable Catholic priest, who enlists him and his gunner in guerrilla warfare against the Japanese. The two “squids” take a leading role in working with the villagers and other natives

in an attempt to free British prisoners held on the island and get revenge against the sadistic and murderous Japanese commander. This outstanding book is the latest in a series of the author’s award-winning WWII novels. Based on a true-life hero, the fastpaced adventure explains tactics and naval operations in layman’s terms in a riveting manner. Technical detail from primitive bows and blowguns to bombs and torpedoes is provided in an illuminating style. The Nugget reads quickly and is hard to put down. Exceptionally well done! Thomas J. Howley

NIGHTINGALE WEDDING BELLS

Donna Douglas, Arrow, 2019, £7.99, pb, 416pp, 9781784757168

In the eleventh book in this series, focusing once more on the nurses at the Nightingale hospital in 1917, Douglas paints an interesting picture of how the increasing influx of wounded soldiers cope in their initial recuperation following their repatriation from the front line. Our cadre of nurses hasn’t changed substantially since they qualified: still wary of the Ward Sister and petrified of Matron, though their personal lives are fraught with new challenges. German residents who have been detained in Prisoner of War camps face deportation, and Friedrich Beck has been given a short time to leave his precious lieblings behind as he and his wife make ready to return to his homeland. Liesel is working as a farm girl, and Anna is looking forward to when her fiancé Edward returns from the war. When Edward is admitted to her hospital, and placed on her ward, Anna is thrilled that he has returned at last. In her eagerness to be married, she is blind to how much he has changed. Edward Stanning is not the loving, caring man that Anna thought, however, and their life falls far short of how she envisaged it would be for them running her father’s bakery together. Anna’s friends, Gracie and Dulcie, have also begun to change. Gracie finally learns that she is worthy of the love of a man when Dr Logan shows an interest in her. Dulcie, meanwhile, had set her sights on netting the handsome medic for herself, desperately trying to engineer it so he would fall in love with her. She too is ignorant of the knowledge that there’s a man much closer to her who nurtures feelings of love and admiration for her. Threaded throughout are the stories of the young soldiers and their continuous fight to restore their health and minds to their natural state, leading to an enlightening if somewhat traumatic recovery. The different aspects hold together into an engaging story to take the nurses forward to their next challenges. Cathy Kemp

MOONLIGHT OVER MAYFAIR

Anton du Beke, Zaffre, 2019, £18.99, hb, 434pp, 9781785767838

The sequel to One Enchanted Evening (HNR 89), Moonlight Over Mayfair explores the complicated lives of the staff and patrons of London’s luxurious Buckingham Hotel. In 1937, war is looming, and the hotel is facing an uncertain future. Given du Beke’s background as a regular on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, it is no surprise that the glamour and glitz of the hotel’s Grand Ballroom takes centre stage. Raymond de Guise is a handsome professional dancer who must choose between the bright lights of Hollywood, and his love for chambermaid Nancy Nettleton. Helene Marchmont is Raymond’s professional dance partner, who keeps the existence of her mixed-race daughter a closely guarded secret. Indeed, no-one is entirely as they seem in this novel and as the story progresses, their secrets are slowly revealed. As a fan of both Strictly and Downton Abbey, I really wanted to like this book, but sadly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Whilst the characters are well drawn, the plot was strangely low-key, and at times the writing felt irritatingly trite. The novel would also have benefitted from a final edit; for example, there are tulips and crocuses blooming in London in July. Having said that, for all those who enjoy “moonlight and music and love and romance” (with apologies to Irving Berlin) – this could be the book for you. Penny Ingham

HANNAH’S WAR

Jan Eliasberg, Little, Brown, 2020, $16.99, pb, 320pp, 9780316537445

1938. Can the woman scientist, whose research laid the groundwork for the invention of the atom bomb, save the world from destruction? In the employ of a genocidal c o u n t r y , Austrian-born, Jewish scientist Dr. Hannah Weiss has to stand by while her colleagues at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin purloin her most vital pioneering discovery leading to the generation of nuclear energy. What they can’t know is that their lack of respect will enable her to reach a fateful decision, one that will influence the outcome of the Second World War and the shape of the future. 1945. When Jack Delaney is sent to New Mexico to discover the identity of the spy who informs the Nazis about the laboratory work undertaken by J. Robert Oppenheimer at Los Alamos, his suspicion falls upon refugee

Hannah Weiss. At once attracted by her beauty and repelled by the force of her personality, he is certain she harbors a treacherous secret and sets out to break her silence during a three-daylong interview. But the clever Hannah turns the tables on him, and so it is unclear as to who will hold the upper hand in this battle of scientific responsibility versus moral certainty. An exhilarating war thriller, Hannah’s War moves at breakneck pace between 1930s Berlin and 1940s New Mexico. A paean to Lise Meitner, it is the compelling portrait of a woman who combined a lively scientific curiosity with an impassioned personal ethic. Jack, the smart, but flawed hero of the Liberation of Paris, is Hannah’s perfect foil, and the sparring between the two opponents generates a fine narrative tension. One can easily imagine a cinematic rendering. Elisabeth Lenckos

CHILDREN OF THE STARS

Mario Escobar, Thomas Nelson, 2019, $26.99/ C$33.50/£17.99, hb, 384pp, 9780785234791

Jacob and Moses Stern’s well-known playwright parents have fled south from the Nazis, leaving the boys behind. This book begins on July 16, 1942, the day of the Vel’ d’Hiv’ Roundup in Paris, in which the French police arrested more than 13,000 French Jews, including more than 4,000 children, and held them at the Vélodrome d’Hiver. The two brothers, along with another boy, manage to overpower a policeman and escape. Then the brothers begin their journey south, searching for their parents who may still be at their last known address. Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, the little town in southeast central France that saved more than a thousand Jews, and perhaps as many as 5,000, is one of the locales for this story. Mario Escobar, the author, was able to show some of the tenuousness and danger involved in that effort. The publisher describes this novel as an inspiring tribute to the human spirit, calling attention to the many everyday people who sacrificed their own safety to help the brothers on their way. In his preface, Escobar explains that the book gave him “the chance to return to the mysterious territory of childhood.” Sadly, it didn’t give me that chance. I never felt as though I were actually seeing 1942 Nazioccupied France or Vichy France through the eyes of children. In fact, I didn’t feel as though I were experiencing 1942 at all. The dialogue felt contrived, with especially the older of the boys pontificating like an adult. In fact, the characters all sounded much alike. Beyond that, I disliked the parents who had fled to safety, leaving their two sons behind. And then I disliked myself for feeling judgmental. Both those feelings left me outside the suspension of disbelief that is necessary to enjoy fiction. Kristen Hannum

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A CHRISTMAS GIFT

Katie Flynn, Arrow, 2019, £7.99, pb, 417pp, 9781787463011

Liverpool, 1939, and Britain is now at war with Germany. 16-year-old Lizzy Atherton is desperate to get herself and her vulnerable mother away from her violent stepfather, but her plans go horribly wrong. Her mother goes missing, and Lizzy finds herself alone with noone to turn to. For others, war is an opportunity. Mrs. Gertrude Hackney is always quick to spot an advantageous opening. She battens on the newly widowed Arthur Granger; he has a good business; his wife is conveniently dead; his naïve daughter, Clara, can be packed off as an evacuee, and Gertrude will offer to run his house. She senses rich pickings. But war can also allow people to create new ‘families’; and Lizzy’s old school-friend, Dolly, offers to share her flat with her and find her a job. Then, by chance, they meet Clara Granger, an escaped evacuee, and the girls form a bond. When the Luftwaffe’s nightly bombing of Liverpool docks begins, the girls must pull together to survive and learn who can be trusted. Although Lizzy never forgets her missing mother, and Clara is determined to rid her home of the grasping Gertrude, life must go on. Katie Flynn obviously knows her stuff and the privations and dangers of wartime Liverpool are well caught, and I enjoyed the fine line between the unacceptable and the slightly dodgy goings-on working people needed to practice in order to survive. However, I confess that I found the over use of dialect irritating, ‘I wish I’d’ve gorra job like this years ago,’ says Lizzy, though she’s perfectly capable of talking standard English, as when she says to Clara of the egregious Gertrude, ‘I think she sounds perfectly horrid.’ The contrasts can be a touch bathetic. Still, if you enjoy wartime sagas, A Christmas Gift should fit the bill nicely. Elizabeth Hawksley

PICASSO’S REVENGE

Ray Foulk and Caroline Foulk, Publishing, 2019, £17.95, hb, 9781911487340

Medina 392pp,

This fact-based novel graphically explores the complex story of the creation and then the eventual establishment of Pablo Picasso’s iconic painting “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” as a major work in the, then emerging, “modern art” movement. Inevitably controversial, the painting sets off huge disagreements. It was bizarre. It was absurd. But most significantly, it was obscene. In the early 1920s when Paris’s bohemian population was reeling under the impact of new art forms, investors were speculating on the potential values of young artists, such as Pablo Picasso himself. A powerful player in this field was Jacques Antoine Doucet, a famous Parisian couturier, bibliophile and art collector. The conflict which focuses on these two men forms the spine of the novel, taking us though the often explosive financial and emotional confrontations between them and delivering

to us the historical bones of what could be regarded as a resolution to the story. I found myself often suffering from a lack of engagement with the characters. There is a languor about much of this erudite prose which tends to place the reader at arm’s length and can feel patronising. There are, however, some very fine passages, such as the description of the astonishing night shared by one Madame Roux and Jacques in her workshop at the Musée Ethnographique when we are very effectively drawn into the strange world the writers have given us. This novel will appeal equally to readers who know a lot about the epoch which is its subject, or very little. Julia Stoneham

A SHADOWED LIVERY

Charlie Garratt, Sapere, 2019, $8.99/£7.50, pb, 274pp, 9781913028633

This mystery, first in a series set in 1938 England, dramatically opens with a hanging that is chillingly narrated by Inspector James Given. He had apprehended the condemned man after a Jewish shopkeeper was beaten to death. Before the Inspector can continue the investigation to seek out the remaining gang members who participated in the atrocity, another case takes priority. He is sent to Grovestock House to review an apparent open-and-shut case of a murder and two suicides. Inspector Given and Superintendent Dyer travel into the country to Grovestock, where they find the three deaths are not clearcut. There are a lot of secrets and lies within the Barleigh family to untangle before they form a picture of what happened and who is responsible. While at Grovestock, Given is surprised and pleased to learn that his former love interest is the housekeeper. Elizabeth abandoned the relationship years ago. Given wants to rekindle their love, but Elizabeth stays aloof. The relationship doesn’t develop much but possibly will as the series continues. In the background the political unrest of preWWII plays out in Germany, where Given’s family lives, and in England. The integration into the story of Given’s personal life and past feels forced. When he suddenly reveals secrets about his family and past to Dyer, it doesn’t fit seamlessly into the rest of the story. The atmosphere and story recall a Golden Age country manor mystery with lots of secrets, lies, and deception. The beginning scene is strong, then frequently lags, but the ending is satisfying, with some twists and revelations that wrap up the mystery nicely. It is obvious that some storylines are left open for future books in this series, such as the investigation introduced at the beginning, the danger Given’s family faces in Germany, and his relationship with Elizabeth.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

Janice Ottersberg

ONLY THE DEAD

T. J. Gorton, Quartet, 2019, £14.00, pb, 280pp, 9780704374607

In 1980s war-torn Beirut, Vartan Nakashian, two years older than the century, sits reading Persian poetry among the disintegration of his home. He ruminates on life, loss and guilt, thoughts wandering back to 1915-18 when, as a young Armenian from Aleppo, he had to live on his wits to survive the catastrophe befalling his people. Told in the first person, this reads like an account, or a journal, with a lot of names and information but little variation in pace or characterisation apart from Vartan himself. The characters make long speeches, which distance rather than engage the reader. This disappointed me, for the time and setting, especially the Armenian genocide, are of interest to me. I would like to have known what happened in Persia to Shoushan, the love of his life. The ending did move me, although why it takes place in Byblos isn’t clear, unless it is because he went there with his niece; whose daughter she was, we’re not told; most of his family perished. This was one of too many things that tripped me up and pulled me out of the narrative. A map would have been welcome, and a bigger glossary: for several early pages I puzzled over who Mayrig could be (his mother). There is hardly any sense of place. Phrases like “the houses around there all had a Greek feel” and “some houses were clearly Turkish” do nothing to help the reader. The photographs are touching, but I would have preferred richer writing to put me there with Vartan. The author is an Arabic scholar who has lived in the Middle East. The book is in part based on somebody he knew. It might appeal to readers familiar with the area, its history and languages. Others could struggle. Janet Hancock

FRONTLINE NURSES ON DUTY

Holly Green, Ebury, 2019, £6.99, pb, 353pp, 9781785039584

This novel follows the first book in the trilogy, Frontline Nurses, and begins just before the outbreak of the First World War. Leonora and Victoria volunteer at a field hospital in Calais. Meanwhile, Leo’s brother Ralph and his best friend Tom are embroiled in the first battles of the Western Front. After a few months, Leo returns to Serbia in the hopes of being reunited with Colonel Sasha Malkovic. Inexplicably, upon her arrival, she does not pursue the opportunity and they are only reunited by chance when Sasha rescues Leo. Meanwhile, as the war drags on, Victoria, Ralph, and Tom are caught up in a rather confusing and unsatisfying love triangle. Disappointingly, this novel does not live up to the promise of its prequel. The intertwining stories made the narrative feel crammed and rushed, detracting from Leo’s story and setting. Entire sections of plot (for instance, almost all of Leo’s time in Serbia) are summarised

rather than described. It is also essential to have recently read the previous volume, as characters appear with no reintroduction in the middle of the story. Rachel Richardson

NOW YOU SEE THEM

Elly Griffiths, Quercus, 2019, £14.99, hb, 354pp, 9781786487346

This crime novel unites characters from earlier books in Griffiths’ B r i g h t o n Mysteries series, but can satisfyingly be read as a standalone. It is 1963. Edgar S t e p h e n s has been promoted to Superintendent and is married to his former sergeant, Emma Holmes. At the funeral of a friend, Edgar is reunited with his wartime comrade the magician Max Mephisto, who now has a career in Hollywood. His eldest daughter Ruby, Edgar’s former fiancée, has her own show on British television. A schoolgirl disappears from her boarding school, apparently in pursuit of a pop star, and her vocal and well-connected father harries the police to find her. However, two other young women have also vanished, but without anyone powerful to speak up for them – a nurse and a Modette from a troubled background. Then one of them is found strangled. Edgar heads the investigation, but his wife, Emma, who was obliged to quit the force on marriage, longs to be involved, and it is when she steps in (without consulting Edgar) that the breakthrough comes, though not in the way Emma would have wished. This is a fluent and pacy story, and in keeping with the genre, the solution is the one least expected. The only anachronism I could spot is a minor one: the London Dungeon attraction was not opened until 1974, but the setting of running battles between Mods and Rockers, and the conventions and restrictions of the time, are vividly evoked (women police officers not being allowed to drive police cars, for instance). This is a thoroughly enjoyable read, with well-rounded, humanly flawed characters the reader will root for. Katherine Mezzacappa

CURIOUS TOYS

Elizabeth Hand, Mulholland, 2019, $27.00/ C$34.00, hb, 384pp, 9780316485883

The summer of 1915, Chicago, finds fourteen-year-old Pin disguising herself as a boy as she wanders the Riverview Amusement Park alone. Her mother works for a pittance as a fortune-teller, and Pin is flipped a nickel here and there, by Max, the She-Male, for the

risky job of delivering reefers to a writer at the Essanay Film Studio, where she meets Glory (Gloria) Swanson and Walter Beery. This is the era of nickelodeons, vaudeville, burlesque and ragtime piano; not to mention seersucker suits and boaters. Pin watches a man wearing such an outfit escort a young girl into the Hellgate Ride and exit alone. Glancing around, she notices too many men are wearing the same. She encounters the mad ‘outsider artist’ Henry Darger, watching her from a distance. Is he friend or foe? Does he want to save little girls or murder them? Is he, in fact, protecting Pin? Delve into Curious Toys and you will find a sinister tale made all the more so by Hand’s deft prose, bringing to visceral life the bustle and clamour, the smells, the chaos of a thousand people storming the gates, impatient children frantically tugging on mamas’ skirts. Curious Toys is dark, atmospheric, and downright macabre in places, but well-developed in the skilled hands of the author, who juxtaposes the fragile veneer of frivolity against a dark and menacing undertow. She intertwines the psychopathy of the killer, the madness of Darger and the musings of others, such that it’s not always clear whose thoughts are speaking, but this literary device works well to muddle the clues. Pin is thoroughly likeable, spunky, clever and resolutely set on exposing the killer with or without help. If you enjoy dark, creepy tales, this one’s for you! Fiona Alison

THE ANIMALS AT LOCKWOOD MANOR

Jane Healey, Mantle, 2020, £12.99, hb, 339pp, 9781529014174 / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020, $26.00, hb, 352pp, 9780358106401

When Hetty Cartwright is put in charge of the mammal collection of a natural history museum which is being evacuated to Lockwood Manor in August 1939, she sees it as an opportunity to prove herself. But almost from the start things go wrong. Lord Lockwood is boorish, the servants resent the extra work, and someone or something seems to be tampering with the exhibits. The only person to welcome Hetty is Lord Lockwood’s daughter Lucy – but Lucy is clearly disturbed by a past even darker than Hetty’s. This debut Gothic novel contains most of the usual tropes – the large, unnerving house; its disagreeable master; a sinister housekeeper; a former resident Madwoman in the Attic; tales of ghosts and demons; and a series of odd events that may or may not have a supernatural cause. Because of the central relationship of Hetty and Lucy, the author has been compared with Sarah Waters. Unfortunately, Healey doesn’t yet have Waters’ ability to evoke the frisson of suppressed desire through tiny gestures, and occasionally the characterisation of Lucy lets her down. Hetty tells us Lucy is increasingly nervy as the situation deteriorates, but that doesn’t tally with the calm way Lucy discusses her nightmares, without any tics

or speech patterns to betray her feelings. A few Americanisms seem out of keeping for the British narrators (snuck, shucked, the confusion of purposefully and purposely). And, if Lucy’s father is a baron (his rank is never made clear), she should be the Hon. Miss Lockwood, rather than Lady Lucy. However, the climax is well done (though I found the central quarrel between the protagonists slightly underpowered), and the characterisation of Hetty is sound, though some minor characters are more onedimensional. But Healey shows promise of producing something even more atmospheric in future. Jasmina Svenne

THE GERMAN HOUSE

Annette Hess (trans. Elisabeth Lauffer), HarperVia, 2019, $26.99/C$33.50, hb, 334pp, 9780062910257

World War II is no more than a hazy memory for 24-year-old Eva Bruhns, who in 1963 Frankfurt is more concerned with her demanding work as a translator and with her upper-crust suitor, Jürgen. When Eva finally introduces him to her family, who run the small restaurant that gives the novel its title, the gathering is interrupted by Eva’s boss, who summons her to a job. Used to dealing with business disputes, Eva is bewildered and shocked when the Polish witness before her begins to speak of gas chambers. When this brief assignment leads to Eva’s appointment as an interpreter at Frankfurt’s Auschwitz trials, Eva is forced to confront her country’s— and her own close-knit family’s—past. Translated from the German by Elisabeth Lauffer, this is Hess’s first novel, and it is a powerful, accomplished one, with memorable, flawed characters. It’s strong on the details of everyday life—remember going into a phone booth to make a phone call?—and unsparing in its recounting of Nazi atrocities. While the “head-hopping” Hess occasionally indulges in may be off-putting to some readers, it worked well for me. Readers of historical fiction will appreciate this fresh perspective and the difficult questions it raises. Susan Higginbotham

A DEATH IN HARLEM

Karla FC Holloway, Northwestern Univ. Press, 2019, $18.95, pb, 248pp, 9780810140813

Weldon Haynie Thomas, Harlem’s first “colored” policeman, is on crowd-control duty at a 1927 literary awards banquet of Harlem’s elite. Sudden tumult over and around the dead body of one of the honored guests, fallen from an upper story window, interrupts the affair. The white police force soon arrests the obvious evil-doer, who had a clear motive, opportunity, and easy means. Yet, Officer Thomas, a voracious reader and deep thinker, searches for more information. He follows subtle leads and listens to his inner voice and the voices of other detectives chronicled in books. Several suspects come into focus but

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then blur. Is it really murder or only “death by misadventure”? The death and investigations expose longheld secrets, the vanity of beautiful people able to pass as white, a secretive and powerful maleonly honor society that colored professionals aspire to join, the constant cruelties (grotesque and small) inflicted by whites, as well as the yearnings of some for a simpler and more just life in, say, Africa or Brazil. Holloway, an emerita professor of English and Law, knows the place and time, how people talked, the strains of life on the downtrodden and successful. Her details all ring true, and her writing is often gorgeous (“Sometimes really bad things happened. The earth held them no differently than an unspent penny or a strawberry ice dropped…”). This debut novel does not fit the mold of a murder mystery with a clever hero overcoming great odds to find the killer. Rather, it’s a serious telling of the Roaring Twenties people of Harlem as they strive to reach a better place for themselves and each other. G. J. Berger

SUMMERLINGS

Lisa Howorth, Doubleday, 2019, C$33.95, hb, 243pp, 9780385544641

$24.95/

In the summer of 1959, Washington D.C. suffers an invasion of spiders, prompting adult paranoia and conspiracy theories about Russian attacks. For Howorth’s eight-year-old narrator, John, and his friends, the infestation is thrilling and gives them an excuse to explore the suburban wilderness outside the capital, trapping spiders and plotting pranks on local bullies. Howorth has invented the spider plague, but the bittersweet mood of that watershed year is realistically evoked, as fears about Communism, nuclear war, and political unrest distract the grownups from their children’s potentially dangerous activities. John is a careful observer of his complex world, drawn by both curiosity and genuine affection into the relationships of his civil-servant grandparents, the beautiful but mysterious aunt of his best friend, and the multicultural cast of residents and domestic help in his diplomatic neighborhood. Howorth seems to be inspired by nostalgic fiction like King’s Stand By Me and Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, both of which share with Summerlings narrators who look back at coming-of-age experiences that marry the comic and tragic. Howorth’s style takes some getting used to; it’s difficult at times to decide whether the stereotypical characters and dialogue she uses to dramatize the boys’ diverse neighborhood are meant to evoke the novel’s mid-20th century bigotry, or are simply sloppy characterization. John’s voice, also, is melodramatic and too worldly-wise for such a young point of view. However, colorful details, a clever blending of social and political intrigue, and plenty of boyish gross-out humor eventually win the reader over. Kristen McDermott

THE GIRL FROM THE CORNER SHOP

Alrene Hughes, Head of Zeus, 2019, $29.95/ C$39.95/£18.99, hb, 437pp, 9781788543996

This sweet historical romance is set in wartime Manchester. Newlywed Helen Harrison’s firefighter husband Jim has been killed during a bombing raid’s aftermath. She’s at a loss over how to support herself; she can’t bear to go back to her mother’s corner shop. Her godmother Pearl works in the fashion industry and hires Helen to work temporarily as a model. A theft of goods brings Helen into contact with the police, and she is persuaded to join the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corps (WAPC), a unit of women employed to help police with office work and as aides in cases involving women and children. Helen enjoys being able to help bombed-out women and children in rest centers, where she meets handsome doctor Laurence. Working undercover to expose a medium conducting phony séances takes Helen aback when the medium claims to have contacted Jim. Her biggest challenge comes when she poses as a hostess at a shady nightclub, to help catch black marketeers. This is a home front story; the war is mostly offstage while the characters cope with rationing and blackouts. Helen deals with prostitutes in her work, and Pearl is her boss’s mistress, but the story relegates sex to offstage as well. One plot thread peters out: Helen gets involved in a case of women being murdered in shelters, but then it’s later resolved without her participation. That might happen in real-life police work, but it was a bit of a disappointment here. Yet I appreciated learning about the WAPC and empathized with Helen as she worked through her grief over Jim and comes to acknowledge her feelings for Laurence. Readers who want a break from novels which jump around in time or have multiple character viewpoints will welcome this straightforward romance. B. J. Sedlock

MY LIFE IS LIKE A FAIRY TALE

Robert Irwin, Dedalus, 2019, £11.99, pb, 352pp, 9781912868193

By 1945, Dutch bit-part actress and dancer Sonja Heda is finding it increasingly difficult to find roles. Not only are fewer films being made at the UFA studios outside Berlin, but her (exotic, non-Aryan looks are beginning to fade. Surely this is the time to start writing her autobiography? After all, she has met almost all the famous actors and politicians of the day. The only problem is knowing where to begin and what to leave out. But one person she is determined not to write about is Wieland – the “dark shadow” who follows her wherever she goes. Not many writers would have the nerve to write a black comedy about Weimar and Nazi Germany, but Irwin pulls it off. The book is frequently funny, usually at the expense of its ditsy heroine, despite the reader’s awareness

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of how serious the situation is. Sonja’s determination to ignore anything that doesn’t fit with her world view – that she is a talented actress just on the cusp of her big break; that the war is going well and that the Jews are merely being re-educated to make them fit for the better world Hitler and his cronies are engineering – insulates her from what is really going on. It gives her a kind of innocence in a corrupt world, even though darker memories – especially of what really happened at the party on Peacock Island – keep tugging at her. There are quite a few surreal moments in this novel – usually courtesy of prankster and performance artist Wieland – which add a dreamlike (or nightmarish) atmosphere in a book about illusion and self-delusion. A quirky and unusual view of Nazi Germany, which draws parallels between the illusions created by film and Goebbels’s propaganda machine. Jasmina Svenne

ARROYO

Chip Jacobs, Rare Bird Books, 2019, $27.00, hb, 356pp, 9781644280287

Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge was a marvel of its time. Built in 1913, it was the tallest concrete bridge and the first curvilinear bridge ever built. Even today it is considered to be a civil engineering landmark. The bridge spans Arroyo Seco canyon, site of the first Busch Gardens, created by Adolphus Busch in 1904, and the Cawston Ostrich Farm opened in 1886. Arroyo reprises the construction of the bridge, visits Busch Gardens, takes readers on ostrich rides, and meanders the streets of the city via its principal characters—Nick Chance and his canine pal, Royo. Nick is onsite attempting to develop solar-powered lamps that may illuminate the bridge’s 1486 feet. Royo is a savvy traveler, sandwich stealer, and apparent mind-reader. The novel raises concerns about the undergirding of the bridge’s construction: tight building deadlines, a political push for property annexation, disagreements about design and stability. The book lacks focus, however. Instead of presenting a powerful tale of greed, corruption, and vanity, the story is limited by presenting only one perspective— Nick’s. The result is improbable encounters with legendary figures of the time: happening to sit next to and chatting up novelist Upton Sinclair on Pasadena public transportation, for example; and questionable historical context: while sunlight as a possible power source was known in the late 1880s, it was nothing more than an experiment for another 100 years. The novel also shifts time periods. While the lion’s share of the action is set in 1913, Nick and Royo also appear in Arroyo Seco in 1993. The connection between the time periods was lost, at least to this reader. While descriptions paint vivid pictures of the early days of Pasadena, Arroyo does not fully satisfy the appetite for straightforward storytelling. K. M. Sandrick

THE ROOM OF THE DEAD

M. R. C. Kasasian, Head of Zeus, 2019, £18.99, hb, 426pp, 9781788546393

A woman police inspector in rural England in 1940 might seem the ultimate in radical feminism, but here all familiarity ends. Inspector Betty Church of Sackwater Police Station is like no other woman police officer you’re ever likely to meet in life or fiction, and the folk of Sackwater are in the same ‘Little Britain’ mould. I refuse to outline the plot, as it will be a spoiler, but I hope it is enough to say that once you read on past the first few chapters with its twittish twins, the story finds its voice. The gormlessness of these twin numbskull music hall bobbies has its own mad logic, and Betty herself is relentlessly ironic in her encounters with them. As she says, getting information from them is worse than extracting teeth. At this stage you might lose patience and fling the book across the room to pick up a copy of Aristotle’s Logic, but persevere. It is fun once you get into it, and I found it very welcome after all the darkly nasty crime/mystery novels on offer these days. Not that this is not gruesome. Despite the relentless one-liners of doubtful wit (‘Suffolk is not renowned for its mountains…’) and the seemingly meandering plot-line, the story does eventually make sense. Bodies galore lead inexorably to a real corpse-fest in a nastily gothic denouement. My lips remain sealed, but the murderer, crowing prematurely over the next pair of unlikely victims, turns out, satisfyingly enough, to be exactly the one you ‘knew’ whodunit all along. Fun to read on a rainy day, and with more in the series, I recommend this, especially if detailed descriptions of surgical false arms are your thing. Cassandra Clark

THE WHISPERS OF WAR

Julia Kelly, Gallery, 2020, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 336pp, 9781982107796

Julia Kelly, author of The Light over London, offers up another fascinating insight into the lives of wartime women with The Whispers of War. Traveling back to 1939, through the eyes of three friends, Kelly creates a vivid picture of the fearful anticipation permeating London prior to war. The three friends Nora (a socialite), Hazel (a matchmaker), and Marie (a German expat) gather at the Harlan’s Women’s Club for their monthly dinner to get a respite from their complicated lives. But world politics and the German invasion of Poland complicate matters even more for the trio, especially for Marie. When she is labelled an enemy alien, her friends try to help her to remain free, an endeavor that could endanger them all. The Whispers of War is a gripping story of female friendships and resilience. It touches on emotional themes within the war and internment in WWII Britain, a sensitive topic to this day. Kelly made me care for all the characters, and the plot kept me up into the

small hours. This novel is a fascinating account of three different women’s fates during the war and their astounding mettle. The plot is evenly paced, but the characterization is the main strength of the book. I warmly recommend this read. Helen Piper

DEATH BESIDE THE SEASIDE

T. E. Kinsey, Thomas & Mercer, 2019, $15.95, pb, 378pp, 9781542016056

Sixth in Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle and Florence Armstrong series, Death Beside the Seaside finds the redoubtable duo in the summer of 1910, looking to enjoy a vacation at the Steep Holm View Hotel in Weston-superMare. Naturally, it’s anything but a vacation as the retired spy and her raised-in-a-circus companion are thrust into the middle of a mystery. Try as they might to enjoy Punch and Judy shows by the seaside, the hotel manager requests their assistance when scientist Dr. Goddard and his top-secret strongbox go missing. Lady Hardcastle and Flo have a veritable United Nations of suspects: Sergei Kusnetsov, Ernst Schneider, Kaito Takahashi, and Jean Martin. But when the suspects are dispatched by murder one by one, and a young American girl is kidnapped, the mystery takes a darker turn. The strength of the series is the delightful relationship between Lady Hardcastle and Flo, who complement each other perfectly and banter with each other non-stop. Although only in her 40s, Lady Hardcastle, as a widow with a title, has the freedom to behave however she likes, and Flo, although nominally her lady’s maid, is accorded the same respect. Kinsey captures the English seaside expertly, although so much attention is drawn to the tides that I knew they would figure in the denouement. The mystery itself feels a little darkly comedic with every suspect turning up dead, but this is another entertaining entry in this series. Ellen Keith

IN A FIELD OF BLUE

Gemma Liviero, Lake Union, 2020, $14.95, pb, 413pp, 9781542009447

Rudy Watts and his mother live in England’s Lake District at the family home, Lakeland Manor. It is 1922, his oldest brother Edgar is still missing and presumed dead after fighting in WWI, and his brother Laurence, a reprobate spendthrift, expects to inherit Lakeland. Unexpectedly, Mariette and a young boy, Samuel, show up claiming to be Edgar’s widow and son. Her appearance shakes up the family. If her claims are true, the child would replace Laurence as the heir to Lakeland. Rudy is captivated by Mariette, but he must put his feelings aside to find the truth. Rudy is a character to love and admire for his vulnerability and his steadfastness. He has always lived in the shadow of his brothers.

Liviero skillfully places the reader in Rudy’s thoughts so that we feel and understand his inner conflicts. He struggles to conduct an objective investigation while wanting to believe Mariette. He is falling in love with her and feels a guilty betrayal of Edgar for that. Laurence manipulates and bullies those around him, which causes Mariette to flee Lakeland, leaving Samuel in the care of Rudy and his mother. Switching viewpoints, Mariette tells her story as a young child abandoned by her mother. Starved and victimized, she and her sister Helene survive alone on the streets and wandering the countryside. Jerome gives them food and a bed in exchange for working in his orchards. Years later, WWI robs them of their happiness and their happy home with Jerome when they must flee their ravaged French village. The secrets of Mariette’s life and the fate of Edgar unfold as the story builds. The pace remains strong throughout. Each chapter ends with the right touch of foreshadowing that keeps the pages turning. This is a touching love story within a rich storyline that is well worth the read. Janice Ottersberg

LOST AUTUMN (US) / THE TRUE STORY OF MADDIE BRIGHT (Aus)

Mary-Rose MacColl, Putnam, 2020, $17.00, pb, 416pp, 9780593085059 / Allen & Unwin, 2019, A$29.99, pb, 504pp, 9781760295240

In 1920, following WWI, Edward, Prince of Wales, tours Australia. Maddie, Rupert, and Helen are part of his personal staff. Seventeen-year-old Maddie Bright is hired to read and draft responses to the letters pouring in for Edward. She becomes friends with Rupert, the Prince’s lifelong companion and personal secretary, and Helen, his press secretary and speechwriter. During the tour Maddie is captivated by the train’s glamorous surroundings, but as her eyes are opened to another world, her naiveté and the illusion of royalty are shattered, with profound effect. The novel begins with a story about the tragic loss of an infant in 1921. It then moves between 1918, 1920, 1981, and 1997 in Australia and London. Maddie achieves her dream as a writer with a book based on Rupert and Helen’s broken love in WWI France, and the beginnings of a second book. Excerpts from her two novels are interspersed throughout Lost Autumn. In 1981, an elderly Maddie lives alone in her decrepit childhood home in Brisbane while still working on her long-awaited second novel. She watches news stories of Lady Diana’s engagement to Prince Charles with a sense of foreboding. In London in 1997, Victoria, a journalist, has been assigned to cover Princess Diana’s death in Paris. Victoria is engaged to a famous actor, and her life mirrors Princess Diana’s relationship with the press. Including Princess Diana in the storyline seems an attempt to tie royalty into the later storylines, but it fails.

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When Victoria is assigned to interview Maddie in Australia, an unexpected relationship develops. With five different time periods and numerous plotlines, this novel is fractured and unwieldy. It is burdened with two books within a book and three love stories with three accompanying unplanned pregnancies. The picture of life on the Royal Tour is the most interesting portion, but it isn’t enough to redeem this disappointing book. Janice Ottersberg

KINGS OF EAST NEW YORK

R. Brian Mackey, Independently published, 2018, $15.95, pb, 342pp, 9781791715106

Robert MacDougall grows up in mid20th-century East York, a lower middle-class neighborhood in Canada. His story is about “those seminal events and the people that shaped him, all that mattered once upon a time despite the sorrow.” Robbie recalls this past from his position as an adult and a legal judge, a successful man who is married and has four children. After a car accident, his memories take over the narrative, pulling him back to early events. Young Robbie is intelligent and works hard at home and at all the side jobs he performs. His parents are preoccupied with drinking and the father’s job. Robbie fills in as a parent to one of his younger sisters and gets along well with his other siblings. It’s a neighborhood filled with gangs, and the MacDougall boys quickly learn to survive. Robert, however, is preoccupied by the question “what if?” for his future. Robert Frost’s poem about which road should be taken is pivotal in Robert’s thoughts. Meanwhile he, like his fellow Canadians, deals with the nation’s politics, the assassination of JFK, the threat from Russian leadership, and finally the death of his hero in a car accident. Robbie is inspired by a surrogate mother, Anna, who always believes in him and encourages him to go to college. Robbie in this story renders full homage to the influences that he worshipped but eventually has to let go of in order to move forward. Kings of East York is a potent, multi-layered novel that will enthrall readers about questions, dreams, coping with tough life circumstances, anxiety, and focusing on life’s best possibilities. Fine historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

THE GIRL IN WHITE GLOVES

Kerri Maher, Berkley, 2020, $26.00/C$35.00, hb, 384pp, 9780451492074

In her second venture into historical fiction, after documenting Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy and her debutante days in London, author Kerri Maher turns her attention to another American woman who moved to Europe: the iconic Grace Kelly. Maher describes Kelly’s life before and after her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco. This in-depth exposé helps the reader to understand why a successful actress 46

would give up her career and move to a small country overseas to become a wife and mother, albeit for a prince. The story moves back and forth between Grace’s time trying to make it as an actress on Broadway and later trying to live up the expectations of a Monegasque princess. Maher does an excellent job of showing how hard Grace had to work, while not always being successful. Maher draws the curtain on what royal life is really like, and how lonesome it can be to be an icon. She also divulges interesting facts about Grace’s love life before marrying the prince, and how surprisingly modern her attitude was, even at that time. Famous historical characters such as Oleg Cassini (to whom Grace almost got engaged), Edith Head, and Alfred Hitchcock all make appearances in the book. This is great historical fiction and great character development. The reader ends up feeling slightly sorry for Grace, as they learn that she spent her whole life chasing approval from the men in her life, and seldom achieving it. The glamorous life has its drawbacks. Maher depicts this, and she manages to humanize the icon of Grace Kelly without turning soppy. Highly recommended. Helen Piper

A SILENT STABBING

Alyssa Maxwell, Kensington, 2020, $26.00/ C$35.00, hb, 277pp, 9781496717429

The fifth entry in the Lady and Lady’s Maid mysteries finds Phoebe Renshaw and personal maid, Eva Huntford, once again on the trail of a murderer. Local pear farmer Keenan Ripley is struggling to make ends meet when his estranged brother, half-owner of the land, arrives in Little Barlow. A rather obnoxious character, he makes enemies quickly, but everyone is shocked when he is found dead! Another newcomer is an American prospector looking to buy the Keenan land to build a resort. This doesn’t sit well with the locals who are happily ensconced in their small Cotswold village. Stephen wants to sell; Keenan doesn’t. Keenan is arrested and to confuse matters further the under-gardener, William, has gone missing. The villagers rally together with ‘exuberant goodwill’ to harvest the pears while Keenan languishes in jail. Are they really good neighbours, or are they just not prepared to relinquish their precious ‘perry’ cider? When William is found he admits to being on the scene, but the killer’s identity remains elusive. Then a second body is found. As with all cosy whodunits, there are many clues and many suspects, but Phoebe and

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Eva follow the trail in dauntless fashion. The Gloucestershire location of the village provides for a fine backdrop to the quirkiness of the local characters and the relationship between Phoebe and maid, Eva, somewhat altered since the Great War. The plot is convoluted enough to keep the murderer’s identity secret but simple enough to bring out the characters’ interactions within the close-knit community where everyone knows everyone else. Themes of family, sisterly, neighbourly and upper/lower class relationships are explored with care and affection. This will delight Maxwell’s readers as well as all who love a good cosy. And since they appear in the plot–tea and scones, anyone? Fiona Alison

THE GIMMICKS

Chris McCormick, Harper, 2020, $27.99, hb, 367pp, 9780062908568

In his debut novel, The Gimmicks, Chris McCormick weaves an unusual tale of three Armenians living in the long shadow of the Armenian genocide in the last decades of the 20th century. Avo and Ruben are brothers who aren’t really brothers but whose loyalty to the other is the encapsulation of that bond. Avo Gregoryan is a massively tall and imposing physical specimen who is drawn into the serious world of his “cousin’s cousin,” Ruben Petrosian. Where Avo is big, Ruben is small and spends his time studying the injustice of the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide, obsessed with making things right for his people. Ruben also plays professional backgammon and trains alongside his genius and luck-suffused rival, Mina. She constitutes the hypotenuse of their triangle and shares with the boys the world-shattering experience of one bucolic night’s tragedy that will forever set their stars on different courses. Moving nimbly back and forth through time, McCormick follows the trio from the third world of 1970s Soviet Armenia to the bright and brutal ringside lights of the 1980s American professional wrestling scene. The story elegantly unfolds its characters’ intermingling tendrils of individual loyalties upon the greater backdrop of Armenian identity and pride, a trellis of life ever curling upward in hope and perseverance. In The Gimmicks, McCormick thoughtfully excavates the interior lives of three Armenians with unlikely pursuits— from competitive backgammon, small-time professional wrestling, all the way to the more seedy underbelly of Armenian political consciousness-raising—to reveal the costs of unquestioning loyalty and the sometimes inescapable burden of fate. Peggy Kurkowski

THE SHADOW KING

Maaza Mengiste, W.W. Norton, 2019, $26.95, hb, 448pp, 9780393083569

Maaza Mengiste’s The Shadow King begins after Benito Mussolini’s second invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, when a Fascist army armed with tanks and mustard gas defeated

Ethiopians armed mostly with spears and outdated rifles. Her heroine, Hirut, is an orphaned Ethiopian servant girl whose name means “freedom” in Amharic. Hirut’s strong-willed mistress Aster’s unlikeable husband, Kidane, leads the Ethiopian forces. Both women begin helping out the men but eventually see combat, take on important roles, and suffer the abuses of war. Heading the Italian forces is Colonel Carlo Fucelli, whose Ethiopian mistress secretly provides information to the Ethiopian side. Ettore Navarro is a Jewish photographer under Fucelli’s command who questions the war as Fascists examine his ancestry. When Emperor Haile Selassie flees the country, Hirut and Aster arrange for a poor man to pose as Selassie, a “shadow king” who helps rally the opposition. When they are captured, Etorre becomes fascinated by Hirut. When Ethiopians overwhelm the prison, Hirut flees with a box of Etorre’s possessions, and years later, they rendezvous. The Shadow King is told from an omniscient point of view, using dialogue without quotation marks, a chorus, and descriptions of still pictures. Ethiopians soldiers often defeat the Italians, who triumph using poison gas, but the focus is not on armies that clash by night. Born in Addis Ababa, Mengiste’s book has many flights of lovely poetic prose. Scenes of rape and mutilation are rendered graphically, but now and then the plot seems far-fetched, and some scenes feel more observed than lived. Mengiste has unearthed the role of Ethiopian women who fought heroically in the war side by side with men, an unacknowledged contribution The Shadow King brings to light for the first time. David Drum

THE HOLLOWS

Jess Montgomery, Minotaur, 2019, $27.99/ C$37.99, hb, 352pp, 9781250184542

Following up on her successful 2019 mystery, The Widows, Montgomery revisits 1920s Appalachian Ohio in The Hollows. Feisty Sheriff Lily Ross, a character based on the real-life Maude Collins, in 1925 the first female sheriff elected in Ohio, is confounded by the death of an elderly woman, wearing only a nightgown, whose body is discovered near an allegedly haunted railroad tunnel in Moonvale Hollow. How is it that in Lily’s small and close-knit Appalachian county no one can identify the woman? Where did she come from? Was her death an accident? A suicide, or murder? As Lily works to discover the answer to this mystery with the help of her friends, Marvena Whitcomb and Hildy Cooper, long-buried secrets of some of the most influential people in the community begin to emerge, and they aren’t pretty. She finds that bigotry and racism have been a part of the region’s history,

and now it seems history is repeating itself in horrible and violent ways. As if that wasn’t enough, Lily is also a widow and the mother of three children. She struggles to be mother and sheriff in a time when women were not considered equal to men in any way and were supposed to know their “place.” Montgomery, an Ohioan, renders a colorful and authentic image of Appalachian Ohio, its people and culture. She has a keen ear for the voices of the people, so the dialogue rings true. The Hollows is a finely crafted, exciting page-turner and is highly recommended for readers of historical mysteries and anyone interested in novels of strong and empowered women. John Kachuba

CILKA’S JOURNEY

Heather Morris, St. Martin’s, 2019, $27.99, hb, 343pp, 9781250265708 / Zaffre, 2019, £14.99, hb, 448pp, 9781785769047

Cilka Klein was a real woman who endured not only Auschwitz but also the Russian gulag: two of the most brutal places of the 20th century. We first met Cilka Klein in The Tattooist of Auschwitz, but one need not read the first in order to understand and appreciate Cilka’s Journey. As a sixteen-year-old, Cilka was sent to Auschwitz, where she became the mistress of an SS commandant. Because she was Jewish, it “stained” the commandant to be with her, so she was kept out of sight at the bunkhouse where condemned women slept the night before the gas chamber. After liberation, the Russian Army decided she had collaborated with her rapists. She was then condemned to fifteen years in the Soviet Vorkuta Corrective Labor camp, located nearly 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle, near the White Sea. It is at Vorkuta that the bulk of this story takes place, showing Cilka’s wit and strength, her fears and failures. There are many stories about specific atrocities suffered by those in concentration camps and the gulag. What makes this novel worth the read is its clarity in showing the physical as well as psychological brutalities that women prisoners endured. Cilka Klein was sent to Auschwitz because she was Jewish. She was sent to the gulag because her oppressors found her desirable. While reading a novel full of such horrific content can be upsetting, Cilka’s resilience keeps the reader hooked and hopeful. It isn’t a book of oppression and failure – this is a book

of strength and compassion. This should be required reading for everyone. Katie Stine

DEATH IN THE EAST

Abir Mukherjee, Harvill Secker, 2019, £14.99, pb, 412pp, 9781787300583

In early 1922, Captain Wyndham of the Imperial Police is on his way to a Hindu monastery in the Assamese hills, for a lastditch attempt at overcoming his crippling opium addiction. When he spots a man in a crowded station – a dangerous man who should be long dead – he would rather blame it on some opium-induced hallucination, and almost manages to do so once at the monastery. Almost. Then another patient is found dead in dubious circumstances, and the hallucination proves to be only too real… Summoning from Calcutta his trusty sidekick, Sergeant Banerjee, Wyndham begins to investigate. This is another very enjoyable instalment in a fine series, skillfully hopscotching between the seedier streets of London in 1905 and 1922 India, to weave two mysteries into one – while Wyndham and his earnest native sergeant navigate their growing friendship and the strife between their peoples. Clever, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Chiara Prezzavento

THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND

Andie Newton, Aria, 2019, £12.99/$17.99, pb, 351pp, 9781789546682

A great deal has been written about the Resistance movements in Europe in WW2, except for one country, Germany. We know about the high-level resistance of the General Staff, which culminated in the bomb plot of 1944, but very little about more ordinary resisters. Yet the Nazi regime, although democratically elected, certainly did not rule by consent but by mass repression which provoked a significant covert resistance. The Girl I Left Behind deals with the resistance among young people, mainly middle-class students and office workers. There is a lot to like about this book, besides its adventurous theme. The set piece dramas, such as the Jewish woman hidden in the cellar giving birth, are shown in harrowing detail, and Newton is equally good with happier episodes. However, it is difficult to overlook several problems. At a technical level it is sometimes difficult to sort out the dialogue, as the paragraphing does not clearly indicate who is saying what. The title is extremely misleading (I appreciate

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that this may not be the author’s choice), as the story is related entirely in the first person by the female protagonist, who does not leave anybody behind. Also, why are Jews fleeing to France in 1942? More importantly, big issues in the plot are resolved too easily, often by chance encounters. The heroine seems to have surprisingly little difficulty in meeting British spies or a complicit guard to help her escape. A good book that could have been much better. Edward James

SCRIPT FOR SCANDAL

Renee Patrick, Severn House, 2020, $28.99/20.99, hb, 240pp, 9780727889102

This is the third book in the series featuring amateur sleuths Lillian Frost and Edith Head solving murders in 1930s Tinseltown. In this installment, Lillian Frost learns that a script to a new film is based on one of her beau LAPD Detective Gene’s early cases, which led to the death of his partner. When Lillian finds Gene reluctant to talk about the case, she decides to seek answers on her own. Meanwhile, a murder on the Paramount studio lot seems to be connected to Gene’s case, and the police decide to open an investigation. Lilian teams up with Edith, who is head of wardrobe at Paramount, to find the truth and to vindicate Gene from any suspicions of wrongdoing. Script for Scandal is a delightful and entertaining story with unexpected twists and turns. It features historical figures such as rivals Joan Crawford and Bette Davis, and a tonguein-cheek scene where they end up coaching an extra. Mob moll Virginia Hill and Benjamin Siegel also make appearances, imbuing the novel with an element of noir, which further enhances the atmosphere. If you enjoy a fastpaced detective story with a sprinkle of humor, this might be the perfect book for you. Helen Piper

MARCELLO’S PROMISE

Jane Coletti Perry, Five Star, 2019, $25.95, hb, 366pp, 9781432858254

1915: Marcello Corsi and his wife, Luisa, dream of moving to America. Even though it breaks his parents’ hearts, he must do this as his brothers have already done, so one brother sends him money for the ship from Le Havre and the train to Cumberland, Wyoming. The journey is very difficult with abominable food, noxious odors from seasick passengers, and rough weather and seas. Marcello initially settles in Kansas but discovers troubles in the mines there promise bad luck for the future because of striking workers and disasters. He therefore settles in Wyoming, works diligently, and saves money for Luisa and their son, Tony, to follow. This is the story of their settlement. What stands out is this couple’s formidable courage in the face of challenges and adversity. The mining workers are unionized but resist strikes over policies that need to change; they quickly learn to negotiate and avoid violence. Luisa has already endured sorrow from having a stillborn daughter. Accidents, illness and change test this family’s closeness and endurance. Immigration is not for the faint of heart, and Perry comprehensively depicts 48

the voluminous ups and downs for foreigners settling in America. The ugly side of racism is also portrayed and conquered. Immigrant families bond together to provide strength and assistance when needed; this is the new family upon whom the Corsi family frequently depends. The characters are fully developed, and the reader gets to relish not only their loving moments but also their disagreements, like the one in which Prohibition threatens the family’s security. These characters have a will and determination that are feisty and unwavering. This is nice historical fiction which is a pleasant, realistic account of families settling America’s western mining towns. Viviane Crystal

KNOCKFANE

Homan Potterton, Merrion Press, 2019, €16.95/£14.99, pb, 268pp, 9781785372490

This is the first novel of Homan Potterton, distinguished Irish art historian and man of letters. The story begins in the 1950s, and its subject matter echoes the world of Molly Keane and Elizabeth Bowen. Knockfane itself, home of the Ascendancy family the Esdailes, who trace their presence in Ireland back to the Williamite settlement, is in effect a character, shaping the lives of those who have dwelt within its walls – principally the austere and uncompromising Willis Esdaile and his children, the domineering Julia, the likeable and put-upon Lydia, and the avaricious Edward. The secret that lies behind Edward’s early banishment to his maternal grandparents’ home frames the novel, and when it is at last revealed, is satisfyingly not what might be expected. Potterton’s work as an art historian is evident in his observations; I particularly relished a passage where an eccentric relative is described as a seascape. An even more eccentric will results, as such documents tend to, in repercussions beyond what the testator intended. The religious tensions of the time are faithfully drawn: a young husband is persuaded to change his name as it is too Catholic for his new relatives; an obstinate parish priest invokes Ne Temere (a rule in Church law concerning marriage) to get his way. I would have liked some of the supporting characters to have been more fully fleshed out, but this is an elegiac portrait of a vanished time, and I hope there will be more of Potterton the novelist. Katherine Mezzacappa

LAMPEDUSA

Steven Price, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019, $27.00, hb, 328pp, 9780374212247 / Picador, 2020, £14.99, hb, 336pp, 9781529019636

Sicily, after the devastation of the Second World War. We are given the history of the last years of Giuseppe Tomasi, true-life author of The Leopard; perhaps you’re familiar with the Burt Lancaster film from the ‘60s. Given a death sentence by his doctor, Giuseppe—who has been a critic with an aristocrat’s idle interest in letters—begins to write his life’s work. He is the scion of an old noble family. Lampedusa, the once-lavish family estate, is in ruins through which his mother wanders like a ghost. The events of the novel he is working on from a century previous sometimes find parallels in his own life. He will never have children to carry on

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

the line. Although he keeps writing and rewriting, he receives only disappointing news from the publishers. This is a languid book, literary and exquisitely evocative. The most exciting episodes of murder and death come in the form of memory as the ancient family slowly crumbles and vanishes under the Mediterranean sun. If you’re looking for the thrilling mafioso betrayal and upheaval, the stark good and evil, of a popular novel, it is not here. But the writing is so breathtaking, I have just picked up the author’s previous 750-page novel By Gaslight. I long to be in the grip of this language much longer. It is also noteworthy that Price visited with Giuseppe Tomasi’s adopted son—a character and event in the book—in Palermo as part of his research. Ann Chamberlin

THE BURNT COUNTRY

Joy Rhoades, Bantam Australia, 2019, A$32.99, pb, 369pp, 9780143793724

(Please note this is a sequel and this review contains unavoidable spoilers from the first in the series, The Woolgrower’s Companion.) Kate Dowd runs Amiens, a sheep station in New South Wales, on her own. She is separated from her husband, Jack, while her former lover, Luca, has been pushed aside as she struggles with predicaments from all directions. The local community, already scandalised by earlier happenings in the Dowd family, is aligned against her. A dangerous bushfire season looms, and Kate burns off part of her land to make firebreaks. This does not go down well with a neighbour who refuses to pay her for some stock. The Aboriginal servant, Daisy, and her little daughter, Pearl, are at the mercy of the Aborigines Welfare Board and are due to be forcibly separated. Young Harry, greatnephew of former manager, Grimes, must also leave Amiens against his will. Jack attempts to extort a huge sum from Kate in order to grant her a divorce. When a major bushfire does break out and two people die, Kate is tested to her limits in the resulting inquest. For the most part this is an engaging read with interesting characters, most of them already familiar to readers of the earlier book, but it has drawbacks with just too many threads of crisis. The bushfire description is riveting, but the romantic component is low-key, and Kate’s hesitancy and subjection against the sexism and bigotry of the 1940s that was convincing in the earlier book now tends to feel overplayed. Everything is resolved satisfactorily (with a contrived twist), but after all Kate has been through, she still seems too nice for a woman toughened by prejudice and adversity. It is hoped that she will mature and gain greater assertiveness in the next chapter in this saga. Marina Maxwell

CARTIER’S HOPE

M. J. Rose, Atria, 2020, $27.00, hb, 336pp, 9781501173639

New York, 1910. Pierre Cartier has acquired the Hope Diamond, along with its infamous bad luck, and Vera Garland is intrigued by its myths. As the daughter of one of New York’s prominent families, Vera not only struggles with the weight of expectations and newly discovered family secrets, but also how to right the injustices that face the city’s forgotten: the immigrants, the poor, and most of all, the children. When she unearths a blackmail scheme, Vera once again becomes Vee Swann, intrepid reporter. Moving effortlessly from extravagant parties, vying for a spot in the coveted society pages, to the early Suffragette marches, Vera works to expose a villain and unravel the truth Cartier might be hiding, all while struggling to understand the reasons for her father’s death. Help, and love, is found along the way from unexpected sources. In true reporter fashion, Vera is our narrator, and her voice is factual and to the point. Perhaps because of this, I found it hard at times to settle into the story and the setting, as much is told of the past before focusing on the present. Characters swirl in and out, and after a glimpse the diamond fades to the background to allow the rest of the plot to present itself. However, the risk and intrigue do catch back up towards the end for an exciting finale, and I especially enjoyed the highlights from our first, struggling sisters in feminism. Vera is determined and relatable, and the Hope Diamond’s rich history is wellresearched and fascinating. Holly Faur

THE YELLOW BIRD SINGS

Jennifer Rosner, Flatiron, 2020, $25.99, hb, 304pp, 9781250179760

A mother’s unconditional love and fierce desire to protect her child is at the heart of this tragic and beautiful novel set in Germanoccupied Poland during World War II. In an attempt to escape the Nazis, a Jewish woman named Róza and her young daughter Shira find shelter in the loft of a barn. Despite the family’s initial reluctance, they let them stay for many months, even though Róza has to “pay” for her stay by yielding to the farmer’s every demand. Shira, whose name literally means “song” in Hebrew, has an innate love of music. Despite having to remain utterly quiet all the time and live in a space barely big enough for an animal, Róza tries to create a world of beauty, love and music for her daughter. She weaves stories for her daughter and tells her that when Shira cannot speak, she should compose music in her head, and that is when the yellow bird sings in her place. When Róza has an opportunity to send her child to a place of safety, that decision will have life-changing consequences for mother and daughter. The book pays homage to all of the children who were hidden during the Holocaust era. In some ways, the book is reminiscent of the movie Room, in which the mother creates an imaginary, full life for her child while in captivity. Similar to how Róza attempts to utilize her and her daughter’s suffering as the foundation for beauty, the author skillfully

transforms a heartbreaking subject into a lyrical, beautiful story of love, loss and hope. Hilary Daninhirsch

FREEDOM LESSONS

Eileen Harrison Sanchez, She Writes, 2019, $16.95, pb, 256pp, 9781631526107

Told in alternating viewpoints, this impressive novel reaches back in time to the early days of school integration, and to a place in America where resistance to integration was substantial. The setting is the late 1960s, and Colleen is an idealistic white school teacher who moves from the north to rural Louisiana with her husband, who is of Cuban descent. When she lands a job at the school for black children, she is appalled at the discrepancies between the white school and the black school regarding supplies, quality, and support from the district. Colleen forms a tenuous friendship with Evelyn, a black teacher who is well respected in the community. Frank is a student and black football player whose father died under mysterious circumstances; Frank may know more about his father’s death than he is letting on. In response to a US Supreme Court order, the school district closes the black school with almost no notice. This attempt to integrate the white school by closing the black school and firing many black teachers leads to chaos and unrest, with unpleasant consequences for the town and for some main characters. For example, when Frank is forced to attend the newly integrated school, his chances at playing football are in jeopardy. The impact of the forced integration of a school in the Deep South reverberates throughout the community and is skillfully explored within the book, particularly through the lenses of three characters with distinct voices. Though the incident in the book occurred 50 years ago, it is a timely reminder of today’s persistent racial climate. The book is a quick read but engaging and enlightening. The character of Colleen is based upon the author’s own experience, which undoubtedly contributes to the book’s authenticity. Hilary Daninhirsch

THIS TERRIBLE BEAUTY

Katrin Schumann, Lake Union, 2020, $14.95, pb, 393pp, 9781542000062

Set on the East German island of Rügen, due north of Berlin by 180 miles, is a story of love and betrayal, courage and cowardice. In the aftermath of WWII, when Russia invaded the island and established total control, the narrator of the events is Bettina Heilstrom, a young German woman who has married out of loneliness rather than love. Life on the island is repressive, and when Bettina’s husband, Werner, is tapped to become an official within the political hierarchy, Bettina hopes her life might change. She is bored, still lonely, and unfulfilled, and her only solace is her old camera, which she lugs everywhere. It is the nuances of the landscape that captivate her. One day while photographing on the beach, she meets Peter Brenner, a writer living a solitary existence with his father in a nearby village. Even though she is aware of the danger, the two continue to meet and fall in love. When

Bettina finds herself pregnant, she vows to break off the relationship, but she can’t. Peter is the pure love of her life. After her daughter is born, Werner, with all his political connections, finds out about the illicit affair and goes into a rage wondering if the baby is his. It’s almost too easy to predict that Werner exacts his revenge, and Bettina faces the ultimatum of going to prison or leaving Germany. Either way, she must forfeit her love and her child. The decision is heartwrenching. The novel is well-paced with a strong plot, but what stands out is the ending. Highly recommended. Linda Harris Sittig

THE POPPY WIFE (US) / THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE LOST (UK)

Caroline Scott, Morrow, 2019, $16.99, pb, 448pp, 9780062955319 / Simon & Schuster, 2019, £12.99, hb, 512pp, 9781471186394

“Missing in Action” is a term many have heard. This is the story of a family who is living with that reality. To begin, three brothers who do everything together sign up to fight in the Great War. One dies and is buried, and Harry’s brother, Francis, is reported to be missing in action. Harry had seen Francis fall after he was shot in the stomach, but then Harry was wounded by collapsing barbed wire and spent time in a hospital. Now both Harry and Francis’s wife, Edie, spend their days walking through fields and cemeteries in France and Belgium. Edie wonders how the brothers managed to handle the separation of their former closeness, which she describes like “deafness, blindness or losing a limb.” At one point, Francis had suggested that Harry would have taken up with Edie if Francis had been killed, an argument that turned physical and very upsetting for Harry. He later discovers his own words of “falling in love with a woman he shouldn’t have loved.” Harry hears Francis’s words in his mind: “I have spread my dreams under your feet… Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” Harry also describes the appearance of destroyed villages and fields, detailed devastation repeated to make the reader experience the full impact of war. The nature of this journey is poignant, to say the least. Harry takes pictures of graves to send to families whose lost ones are buried in France or Belgium. Searing and stark, this novel will remain etched in the minds and hearts of readers everywhere. Momentous, revelatory and astonishing historical fiction! Viviane Crystal

TASK FORCE BAUM

James D. Shipman, Kensington, 2020, $26.00/ C$35.00, hb, 304pp, 9781496723864

Shipman captures the tension and anxieties

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of a two-day mission into Germany to liberate the son-in-law of General George Patton on the eve of the war’s end in this action-packed adventure. Lieutenant Sam Hall is a brash, well-connected soldier who just wants to see a little action, earn a medal, and go home a hero. But when he circumvents his superior and goes right up to Patton, he finds that instead of a nice, soft patrol, he’s about to be thrust deep into the heart of the war. Major Alexander Stiller has been tasked by Patton to liberate Oflag XIII and retrieve his son-in-law, Lt. Col. John Waters. Commanding this small force of 300 men is Captain Abe Baum. As the task force fights across the border, they are hounded by Hauptmann Richard Koehl and his anti-tank company. After a day of bloody fighting, the task force enters the Oflag, but their ordeal is far from over, and not everyone will make it back home. Shipman packs a punch in the two days that the book covers. Tactics and countertactics and fuel and ammunition shortages add to the tension. Mixing both real and fictional characters, Shipman maintains the history while also conveying a message about the type of men who served and how a “modern” view of warfare and loyalty differs from the men who fought as the Greatest Generation. Fans of technical war stories will be engrossed by the action. A nice retelling of the real history of Task Force Baum. Bryan Dumas

THE REDGRAVE MURDERS

A. L. Sowards, Covenant Communications, 2019, $16.99, pb, 260pp, 9781524409456

In 1948 Evie Hampton and her father have survived WWII, although not without loss. Evie’s brother died in the Pacific, and her mother passed away from cancer. However, Evie now keeps house for her father in their upstate New York town and works at the university bursar’s office. Despite her father’s reservations, she enjoys the company of her steady boyfriend Gary Redhawk, an Indian. All that changes one afternoon when Evie nearly crashes her father’s Chrysler New Yorker, unable to stop the car. Someone has cut the brake lines. But who would want to harm Evie, or her father, a respected professor? Evie sets out to investigate but a second tragedy implicates Gary, who suffers from recurrent flashbacks due to his past war experiences. As Evie works to clear his name it seems that every move she makes puts herself and Gary more and more at risk. Who wants Evie dead? And why? The Redgrave Murders is an engrossing read. Part mystery and part romance, the book touches on many themes: the cost of war, the prejudices inherent in American life, the human emotions of greed, love, jealousy, and reconciliation. Evie is a spunky heroine but believable given her era. Gary Redhawk fights his own battles, many stemming from his war and his childhood boarding school experiences, which are, sadly, firmly rooted in fact. Although a quick read, The Redgrave Murders proved absorbing and multi-layered. Recommended. Susan McDuffie

RED LETTER DAYS

Sarah-Jane Stratford, Berkley, 2020, $17.00, pb, 400pp, 9780451475572

The “Red Scare” of 1950s US – a panic fueled by fears of Communists infiltrating and influencing US culture – is made intimate and real when two women are personally impacted by the finger-pointing accusations. Screenwriter Phoebe is blacklisted from her work writing for a detective show and instantly finds herself ostracized and ignored by those in her life; subpoenaed for a show trial, she instead flees to London. A tip leads her to Hannah Wolfson, a fictionalized imagining of American ex-pat producer Hannah Weinstein. Like the original Weinstein, Stratford’s Wolfson slyly fights against the Communist hysteria with a Robin Hood television show, written by blacklisted screenwriters such as Ring Lardner, Jr. Hired temporarily on the show, Phoebe is determined to improve her craft and dives into researching medieval Britain and Robin Hood, working on draft after draft of an episode for the show. But the “blacklist” label is never far behind, and when Phoebe begins getting menacing notes about the subpoena she dodged, she and Hannah both find themselves trying to preserve their professional successes as well as their personal happiness. Stratford’s book is quick-paced and manages to balance background information and descriptive detail without weighing down the story. The unbelievable horror of the blacklist and trials is depicted in a growing tension breathing down the necks of Hannah and Phoebe; Stratford’s Author’s Note makes clear the seemingly unbelievable moments were based in historical fact. Still, the heart of the book is about friendship, professional ambition, and loyalty, and both Hannah and Phoebe are compelling, energetic heroines with fulfilling emotional arcs. A satisfying read with elements that are unnervingly relevant today. Audra Friend

CITY OF SCOUNDRELS

Victoria Thompson, Berkley Prime Crime, 2019, $26.00/C$35.00, hb, 327pp, 9781984805652

Lawyer Gideon Bates is visited by Corporal Tom Preston, who wishes to draft a will in favour of his new wife, Rose, before he ships out for WWI. Tom is a one-third silent partner in a shoe factory run primarily by his disagreeable and greedy brother, Fred. Tom has married in secret, knowing his brother would disapprove, and Tom confides that he believes his brother is profiteering by making shoddy product for the army and becoming very rich in the process. He will not easily part company with his illgotten gains. When Gideon learns of Tom’s death and that Fred is determined to prevent the pregnant Rose from receiving a penny, he arranges a meeting with her. Walking in upon a surprise attack on Rose, during which the new will is stolen, Gideon offers protection. His fiancée Elizabeth once again seeks the help of her disreputable family, primarily her father, the Old Man, the most successful scam artist in NYC, arguably the whole country! Together the grifter team conjures up a very complex sting operation (I had to reread parts) to relieve Fred Preston of a great deal of money.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

“Redistribution of wealth”, the Old Man calls it. I will reveal nothing else about this ingenious plot for fear of introducing spoilers, but suffice it to say this is a great read, fast-paced, dialogue-driven, chock-full of action, and with a huge cast of characters, none of whom are who they appear to be. My only niggle is that, being third in a series, it’s hard to fully grasp Elizabeth’s con-woman-turned-lady status. I recommend beginning with the first book, City of Lies. A well-executed Robin Hood tale. Fiona Alison

ESTORIL

Dejan Tiago-Stankovic (trans. Christina Pribichevic-Zoric), Head of Zeus, 2019, pb, $15.95/C$20.95, pb, 406pp, 9781786698179

In June 1940, a ten-year-old Jewish boy from Antwerp arrives alone at the Hotel Palácio Estoril outside Lisbon. Gaby, short for Gavrihel, brings a suitcase of cash, insatiable curiosity, and the unshakable belief that his parents will soon join him. While he waits, he attends school, but his real education occurs within the hotel. A series of vignettes introduces Gaby to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the former King Carol of Romania, and various spies, including Ian Fleming. But Gaby fades into the background, reappearing when convenient. You never see how he copes, over time, with the increasing likelihood that his parents won’t come, the compelling question that begins the book. That makes him a device (if not a cultural appropriation), but few other characters show depth, either, and the narrative seldom rises above a pastiche of anecdotes. Many focus on Dušan Popov, a Serbian double agent whose spycraft wakes up the story, but he’s a male fantasy with an inexplicable knack for sexual conquest. And in this narrative, women are “girls,” who, if they lack beauty, had better justify their presence, as with the secretary who’s “homely but sensitive.” The crudeness extends to the portrayal of Jews. Gaby belongs to the highly observant Hasidic sect, yet he rarely does or thinks anything to mark him as Jewish. If that’s merely clumsy authorship, there’s no mistaking the anti-Semitic tropes. All Jewish characters are “difficult,” rich, and clever at business, young Gaby included. His brethren mourn lost fortunes but not people; in fact, the Holocaust is never mentioned. But bigotry and boorishness aren’t the only problems with Estoril, whose shallowness and haphazard storytelling will likely please few readers of historical fiction, fewer of literary tastes. Larry Zuckerman

A CRUEL DECEPTION

Charles Todd, William Morrow, 2019, $26.99, hb, 303pp, 9780062859839

In 1918, with the Great War coming to an end, Nurse Bess Crawford is ordered to leave England to find Lieutenant Lawrence Minton in Paris. Lt. Minton has been part of the allies’ discussions regarding the peace treaty with Germany and has subsequently disappeared. His mother, who is Bess’s Matron, is concerned as to his whereabouts. When Bess finally locates Lt. Minton, she finds a man suffering mentally from the war and addicted to an

opiate. She must uncover the reasons for the man’s agony and help him recover from his addiction before his mother discovers her son’s condition. I have read several of Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge mysteries, but this is the first Bess Crawford mystery I have read. The pace of this novel, and others written by the author, is slow and, at times, provides little suspense. But that is my only criticism. The novel is still rich in historical detail, especially regarding the characters involved in obtaining the peace treaty. The characters and their idiosyncrasies are the focus of this character-driven novel. The horrors of the Great War explains much about the attitudes and behaviors of those who fought and the war’s effects on the characters in this story, which makes this novel an interesting read. Jeff Westerhoff

A DIVIDED LOYALTY

Charles Todd, William Morrow, 2020, $27.99, hb, 336pp, 9780062905536

In 1921, the body of a beautiful unidentified woman is found stabbed to death near a prehistoric stone circle, not far from Stonehenge, in the village of Avebury. Chief Inspector Brian Leslie is sent to investigate the case. Despite recognizing the woman, he quickly concludes his investigation, declares the woman can’t be identified, and insists there isn’t enough evidence to find the murderer. Ian Rutledge, fresh from successfully solving a murder in another village, is asked by his Chief Superintendent to look at the crime scene to see if he can find anything Leslie missed. Despite a lack of witnesses and very little evidence, Rutledge doggedly pursues even the most seemingly insignificant clues until he discovers the woman’s identity. He comes to the troubling realization that Leslie knew more than he included in his report, but why would he leave information out? Rutledge must now decide if he will pursue justice and solve the case even if it risks his relationship with Leslie and possibly the reputation of Scotland Yard, or lie about what he has found. As he finds himself coming closer to discovering the murderer, he also puts his life in jeopardy. A Divided Loyalty is the 22nd Ian Rutledge book, but it is the first one I have read. While there were some characters and past events mentioned that I’m sure I didn’t fully grasp the significance of, I didn’t feel it affected my overall enjoyment of the book. The mystery wraps up a little neatly for my taste, but I found the atmospheric and moody descriptions of the remote village enthralling. Ian Rutledge is a complex and engaging character, and I look forward to reading more titles in the series. Janice Derr

THE EMERALD AFFAIR

Janet MacLeod Trotter, Lake Union, 2020, $14.95, pb, 555pp, 9781542041188

This first book in the Raj Hotel series tells of four friends from Scotland, Esmie, Lydia, Tom, and Harold, who move to India following WWI. All four did their part in the war – Esmie, the main protagonist, as a nurse on the battlefront, Lydia as a fundraiser for the hospitals, Tom as a captain, and Harold

as a doctor. Now the four are moving forward with their new post-war lives. Lydia sets her sights on the handsome Tom, who plans to leave the army and buy the Rajah Hotel in Rawalpindi, India. Also heading for India, Harold will work as a doctor in an area of unrest and conflict. Esmie is discouraged from going with him, because as a single woman she is more vulnerable. As a solution, Harold proposes. Esmie has feelings for Tom, and after Tom and Lydia marry, Esmie reluctantly agrees to marry Harold so she can do the work she loves. It becomes clear that these hasty marriages are mismatched with uncertain outcomes. Lydia wants the party life of a socialite, and the run-down Rajah Hotel doesn’t meet her standards. At odds with Lydia, Tom wants a family and a quiet life living in his beloved, unassuming hotel. Even though Esmie is a steadfast and sensible friend, she tends to be overly concerned with other people’s problems, blaming herself for their decisions and trying to fix everything. Still in love with Tom, she is frustrated with the platonic marriage that Harold wants. In addition to real characters who we love and frustrate us, Trotter gives us details of British life in India during colonialism and the interactions of two cultures. The Afghan border conflicts are brought into the story at the Taja hospital outpost where Harold and Esmie live and work. This is an engrossing story that leaves the reader looking forward to the second book. Janice Ottersberg

LIGHT CHANGES EVERYTHING

AN OXFORD MURDER

G. G. Vandagriff, Orson Whitney Press, 2019, $8.95, pb, 260pp, 9781699886991

In this first in Vandagriff’s new sleuthing series set in 1930s Britain, poet Catherine Tregowyn discovers the body of her former professor at Somerville College, Oxford, and falls under suspicion for the crime. With the help of Dr. Harry Bascombe, fellow poet and scholar, Catherine sets out to investigate a growing list of suspects. When she is attacked, Catherine realizes her life is at risk—but so is her heart, especially with the return of quondam fiancé Rafe St. James. Developments are well-plotted, and the book is a fun, fast read, in some places moving quite hastily along. In the style of the chic cozy, Vandagriff foregoes character development or depth in favor of rapid action and breezy chat, but the characters are colorful, their world engaging, and Dr. Harry is especially charming. Details of food and fashion give a lush touch to the well-painted period settings—Oxford is evoked especially well— and the portrayal of factions, competition, and power plays within the scholarly world lend amusement and intrigue. Ongoing references to poetic theory, the Bloomsbury group, and the dark shadow of Hitler add to the textured sense of place. Those who aren’t yet fans of Vandagriff will be hooked. Misty Urban

NO HERO’S WELCOME

Jeffrey K. Walker, Ballybur, 2019, $14.95, pb, 278pp, 9781947108042

Nancy E. Turner, Thomas Dunne, 2020, $27.99, hb, 296pp, 9781250186010

In the summer of 1907, Mary Pearl Prine is a teenager living in the Arizona Territory. She is the youngest girl in a close family and responsible for looking after her two younger brothers, Ezra and Zachary. Despite living on a ranch and having no formal education, Mary Pearl’s artistic skill has been noticed, and she is accepted at Wheaton College. Before she leaves for college, Mary Pearl is asked to write down all her grandmother’s memories. During this time, she is courted by handsome, old-moneyed Aubrey Hanna. Her mother hopes she will marry him. Her Aunt Sarah, though, insists that Mary Pearl follow her long-time desire for further education, and she is persuaded to leave home to go to college. At Wheaton, she makes good friends and learns new skills, especially in art and photography techniques. After returning home, disasters combine to make Mary Pearl’s life increasingly difficult. Only later does she find true contentment, and the reader discovers this has in fact become a love story. This novel’s strength lies in its evocative descriptions of place and time – the hot, rough, unforgiving Arizona Territory early in the 20th century. It is hard on men, and even harder on women. This coming of age story explores the resilience of one young woman who is able to find happiness despite severe hardships. Valerie Adolph

It’s 1915, the Battle of Gallipoli during WWI. Sergeant Major Daniel Brannigan of the Dublin Fusiliers, fighting as part of the British Army, storms ashore in the first wave with his son Francis among the young soldiers of his unit. The operation turns out to be a massacre; Daniel is killed, and Francis loses his leg to wounds. At home in Ireland, Daniel’s wife Eda, matriarch of the large family, must find a way to cope. She eventually buys a Dublin pub, “The Gallant Fusilier,” where she rears and employs her daughter Molly, a crippled Francis, teenager Sean, and youngest, the reclusive Brendan. Another older daughter, Deirdre, a former nurse, lives abroad in Canada. These are tumultuous times in Ireland. Sean becomes firmly entrenched in the Irish independence movement and is active in the fight. Francis, sullen and often drunk, wallows in sorrow, somehow maintaining a wavering loyalty to the British Crown. Molly becomes tragically enamored with a young regular at the pub. All of this revolves around Eda, who desperately tries to keep her family happy and together as she, in turn, is wooed by a kind and bookish professor of Irish language studies with his own secrets. The family endures all the turmoil from the 1916 Easter Rising, the covert aid of the Irish diaspora in North America, and the establishment of the Irish Free State. This is a magnificently crafted novel that defies precise genre characterization. Superb historical fiction certainly, it is filled with traces of espionage, combat, romance, intrigue and even rum and gun running, all creatively and credibly interwoven by the author. The details

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are well-researched yet never overdone, and the characters are complicated and sympathetic. Final in a series, the book is fine as a stand-alone and comes with my strongest recommendations. Thomas J. Howley

THE COMMITTEE

Sterling Watson, Akashic, 2020, $16.95, pb, 351pp, 9781617757686

Tom Stall is thrust into the middle of an investigation by the Florida state legislature’s Johns Committee. As the new acting chairman of the English Department of the University of Florida at Gainesville, Stall is pushed by the university president to feed him information about the committee’s doings. As a man with a past known to a committee henchman, Stall is pushed to further the committee’s objectives. The Committee recalls the sordid Red and Lavender Scare period and its tool, the Johns Committee, named after its first chairman and acting Florida governor Charley Johns. From 1956 to 1968, the Johns Committee led wide-ranging investigations of suspected communist organizations, civil rights groups, and homosexuals in the state’s schools and colleges. It was responsible for removing more than 100 deans, professors, and teachers and expelling students for homosexual activity. The narrative presents academic life and academics with authenticity. Watson relies on his own prior experience in the English Department at the University of Florida. Themes contrast the views of the individual versus those focused on the common or collective good. Dialogue is smart, quick, and realistic. The plot strains and weakens when it falls into standard thriller mode and builds on not wholly believable motivations and actions. Its concentration on Stall shifts attention away from, and neglects to give voice to, the targets of the investigation and the tactics they endured. The Committee nevertheless is a captivating read and an absorbing tale about the abuses that can arise from intolerance and prejudice. It carries a warning from the past to the siloed, fractured communities of today. K. M. Sandrick

WE ARE ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE

Susan Rebecca White, Atria, 2019, $27.00/ C$36.00, hb, 304pp, 9781451608915

In 1962 in Roanoke, Virginia, two freshman students, Eve and Daniella, meet at Belmont College. Although they are from differing backgrounds – Eve from an old-money Atlanta family, while Daniella’s Jewish father is a professor in Washington, DC – they bond. Initially cheerful, both become disenchanted by the college’s policies towards minorities, and due to unpleasant events, they decide to transfer to Barnard College in New York. There they drift apart; Eve follows a bohemian lifestyle, becomes radicalized and, with her boyfriend, joins activist groups, while Daniella pursues a law degree. Although Daniella is involved in civil rights and participates in black voters’ registration in Mississippi, she marries a ‘reformed Republican,’ has a daughter, and joins a predominantly male law firm. Eve also 52

has a daughter, but her group’s terrorism takes its toll, landing her in trouble. She turns to Daniella for legal assistance. However, their secrets might endanger their daughters’ lives. White has used the 1960s-1990s, thirty years of turbulent events in American history, to shape this novel’s plot. Although the large cast of two generations of characters and inclusion of numerous significant incidents into a 287-page narrative is impressive, its scenes do, at times, feel rushed. Nevertheless, the descriptions of life in the Southern and Northern colleges are evocative of that period. The plot is made engrossing by addressing racism, women’s issues, gay rights, and antiSemitism, together with the inclusion of historical incidents, such as the shootings of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, Jr. The message of the novel is in its line: “We are all good people here, all trying to muddle through this the best we can,” and that’s how we’ve arrived here today. However, there is also a hint of the evil that exists in the society, particularly exposed in a gruesome scene of animal cruelty involving a cat. Waheed Rabbani

ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE

Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White, William Morrow, 2020, $27.99, hb, 448pp, 9780062931092

Williams, Willig, and White return with their third jointly written historical fiction book, All the Ways We Said Goodbye. Described as a novel of the Paris Ritz, the narrative is divided into three parts. First, in World War I France, Aurelie leaves the Ritz to rescue a sacred family relic and, in the French countryside, she ends up closer to the Germans than she ever could have imagined. In World War II Paris, Daisy is part of the French resistance even though her husband is siding with the Nazis, and she fights to save Jewish refugees. And in post-World War II Paris, Barbara Langford travels to the Ritz, desperate to find out the secrets that her deceased husband kept about the war, specifically about a member of the Resistance nicknamed “La Fleur.” As the reader progresses, the three storylines become intertwined as family secrets, betrayal, and misunderstandings are revealed and romance blossoms for all three women. All the Ways We Said Goodbye explores female heroines of World Wars I and II. Overlooked and underestimated, Aurelie, Daisy, and “La Fleur” take advantage of being ignored in order to help France win the war. It’s a bit predictable but still enjoyable. I would like to see Williams, Willig, and White move beyond the tripartite narrative format in their next book, a structure shared by all three of their novels. But within the three parts there are no changes in the narrative style, and you cannot tell which author has written which section (at an author event last year, they said that even their editor didn’t know who had written what). With its focus on the Ritz, All the Ways We Said Goodbye pairs nicely with Melanie Benjamin’s Mistress of the Ritz from 2019.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

Julia C. Fischer

THIS IS HAPPINESS

Niall Williams, Bloomsbury, 2019, $28.00, hb, 400pp, 9781635574203 / Bloomsbury, 2019, £16.99, hb, 400pp, 9781526609335

The year the rain stops in Faha is the year that changes Noel’s life. The 17-year-old is living with his grandparents when it’s announced electricity is coming to the small parish. With it, Noel meets Christy, a man with secrets he must atone for. As Noel helps Christy, he learns of a wider world and, with it, lessons in love, mistakes, forgiveness, and true happiness. Williams has created a love letter to a bygone era in rural Ireland. In his words, “...like all places in the past, it cannot be found any longer” and “May we all be so lucky to live long enough to see our time turn to fable.” Through the eyes of a teenager, Williams explores a place the modern era is settling into. A place will irrevocably change, but through the eyes of youth, it isn’t always so obvious how deep the fissures of the present will tear away from the past and its traditions. The prose is so lovely. There are rich cultural and pastoral setting details; however, they overrun the characters and the storyline. There are too many non-essential details overshadowing the author’s beautifully crafted narrative. I found myself skimming the otherwise charming text because of the lack of development, character or story-wise, keeping me engaged. While thin on plot, the book is a soliloquy of cherished sentiment to a time that is long gone except for the human connection that pulses within us all. J. Lynn Else

THE LOST DIARY OF M

Paul Wolfe, Harper, 2020, $26.99, hb, 304pp, 9780062910660

In 1964, Washington socialite Mary Pinchot Meyer was murdered during her daily walk in Georgetown. The murder remains unsolved to this day, and rumors about a CIA-sanctioned hit have been swirling for years, as Meyer was a longtime lover of JFK, the sisterin-law of the Washington Post’s Ben Bradlee, and an ex-wife of CIAchief Cord Meyer. There has also been endless speculation that the CIA made sure that her tell-all diary was never found. The supposed diary of Mary Pinchot Meyer serves as the spine of Wolfe’s engrossing debut, The Lost Diary of M. The diary format works incredibly well in this instance due to Wolfe’s tantalizing writing and deep insight into the political machinations of the era. Wolfe knows the historic details of that time, place and jargon. His descriptions of the smoke-filled and alcohol-fueled Washington parties are so vivid that I almost feel like I’m there (but thankfully without the following hangover). This is a rewarding novel that challenges your initial opinions about established 1960s history, an era that I have studied in close detail. I highly

recommend this book. I read it in one sitting because it was so captivating. Helen Piper

MULTI-PERIOD

THE VINEYARDS OF CHAMPAGNE

Juliet Blackwell, Berkley, 2020, C$22.00, pb, 416pp, 9780451490650

$16.00/

Rosalyn Acosta, suffering from the loss of her husband, agrees to a business trip to Champagne, France, as a way to begin the healing process, despite not really liking champagne. There, she meets a number of intriguing people, including a kindred spirit, Emma, who hires her to help read through some old WWI letters. The letters are between an Australian “godmother” and Émile, a French soldier in the trenches. They tell of Émile’s life, his love, Lucie, and life during the war. In Reims, France, to escape Nazi soldiers, Lucie and her family hide in the caves under their champagne vineyards in 1916. The days are dark, cold, and lonely. Only the champagne stores, and her love, Émile, keep Lucie going. Then tragedy strikes, and the future looks bleak. Rosalyn and her newfound friends are instantly enchanted and endeavor to track down the fate of these three people, as the letters suddenly stop with no real conclusion. Blackwell writes well, making it easy to visualize the network of caves the Rémois citizens hid in during the war. The letters evoke a great atmosphere and sense of place, and Lucie’s story inside the caves is intriguing. However, these are only small parts of the story. The majority of the book centers on Rosalyn, in the present, learning to live with her grief, and accepting new friends and possibly new romance. I found myself hurrying through these parts so I could get back to Lucie in the caves. It would almost have been better to write two separate stories, so that Blackwell could have given more time and attention to each character. Overall, this is a story of love, loss, family, and resilience, best read with a cold glass of bubbly. Rebecca Cochran

THE TEA CHEST

druggie mother, a chance encounter reunites her with Ethan. A tea chest gift from Ethan begins a search into the past and through it, Hayley learns about her own past and her future, eventually having to decide between liberty and loyalty. Chiavaroli mixes a solid blend of historical facts with fiction to create a believable narrative that she uses to weave the two women’s lives together. Careful attention is paid to how each story ties together, and they seamlessly flow into one compelling story. Inspirational elements are allowed to form naturally and add to the overall message. Bryan Dumas

THE GIRL IN THE PAINTING

Tea Cooper, Harlequin Australia, A$32.99, pb, 374pp, 9781489270726

2019,

Australian historical fiction writer, Tea Cooper, has produced another historical fiction novel, hot on the heels of: The Naturalist’s Daughter and The Woman in the Green Dress. The Girl in the Painting is another multi-time period novel about early Australia. Predominantly set in Maitland, New South Wales, the novel spans the time periods of 1863 to 1873 and 1906 to 1913 and covers topics as diverse and seemingly unconnected as orphanages, Chinese gold rush settlement and mathematical savants. In the more recent era, an elderly businessman, Michael Quinn, and his sister, Elizabeth, take in Jane, a young woman from the local orphanage. She’s mathematically gifted and proves an asset in their business accounting. When Elizabeth becomes hysterical at a local exhibition, and rapidly descends into mental confusion, Jane sets on a course of investigation of Elizabeth’s past to try to determine what triggered her distress. Past and present converge as unexpected family and local secrets are uncovered with dramatic results. Cooper excels at creating strong and unique female characters set within interesting backdrops of Australian social history. Of particular note in The Girl in the Painting is the inclusion of Chinese settlers, the role they played in the Australian gold rush era and the challenges they faced integrating into western communities. Christine Childs

Heidi Chiavaroli, Tyndale, 2020, $24.99/ C$34.99/£20.99, hb, 464pp, 9781496434777 / $15.99/C$21.99/£12.99, pb, 464pp, 9781496434784

Liberty or Loyalty. This is the question faced by two women—Hayley Ashworth and Emma Malcolm—in Chiavaroli’s engaging multi-period romance. Emma is the daughter of John Malcolm, a customs official in Boston during the Tea Party period. John has arranged her hand in marriage to Samuel Clarke, a consignee for the East India Company. But Emma’s heart belongs to Noah Winslow, a Patriot and participant in the Tea Party. Hayley comes from a broken home in Boston and has a former love, Ethan Gagnon, and is trying to become the first woman Navy SEAL. When she goes home to reconcile with her

JERSEY: Secrets of the Sea

Paul Darroch, Seaflower Books, 2019, £11.95, pb, 124pp, 9781912020935

You don’t need to have a special relationship with Jersey to truly appreciate these remarkable cameos of Jersey folk from various epochs, who left a mark on history. But if St. Ouen’s Bay, Mont Orgueil Castle and The Howard Davis Park mean anything to you, this book is even more inspiring. Darroch alternates historical background information with realistic first-person narrative, conveying with skill both the tension of the situations and the moods of the key players. We follow in awe the changing fortunes of Sir Walter Raleigh; we are dumbfounded at the success of Charles

Robin’s cod enterprise in Canada and Tom Davis’ pauper-to-millionaire business ventures; we gasp for breath during Elinor and Lucy’s shipwrecks, but join in the elite lifestyles of the crème de la crème when they prosper. The book is structured in four seasons, representing different historical eras. The first episodes are ancient legends of extravagance and audacity, retold as parables highlighting the inevitable downfall of the malefactors. Summer introduces us to the colonial period of exploration and conquest. Three unique women feature in the Autumn section, with stories of extraordinary luck, pioneering faith, and artistic audacity. Winter then takes us to the 20th century, the tragic loss of life as the Titanic sinks and the gloom of world wars, in which Jerseymen and the island itself feature large. The book is very readable; a minor deficiency is the occasional inappropriate change of tense in the narrative. Viktor Steiner

HOUSE ON ENDLESS WATERS

Emuna Elon, Atria, 2020, $27.00/C$36.00, hb, 309pp, 9781982130220 / Allen & Unwin, 2020, £14.99, hb, 320pp, 9781911630579

An Israeli author, whose mother escaped from Nazi-occupied Amsterdam with him and his sister, travels to the land of his birth to promote his new book— and discovers a shocking secret. Realizing at once that the discovery will be the basis of his next project, the author, Yoel Blum, returns to Amsterdam to research and imagine the untold story of his childhood. The result is a beautifully written, heart-rending tale of what it means to be Jewish today—what it has always meant—and of one writer’s search for story and for truth. Writers generally love to read books about writers writing books, and with good reason: the delight of discovery, flights of fancy, and solving of riddles and puzzles makes the act of writing, and of reading about writing, an exquisite delight. Elon, a National Jewish Book Award finalist, eloquently puts the reader in the writer’s seat, moving back and forth from past to present as Yoel searches for clues to his past while imagining vividly the horrors that his mother courageously endured to guard her children’s lives. Elon writes sensitively and with deep awareness of the nuances and complexities inherent in the human condition. House on Endless Waters is a gorgeous, haunting literary work and highly engrossing, a page-turner at once poignant and provocative, with themes that resonate today and for all time. Sherry Jones

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PAX

John Harvey, Holland House, 2019, £16.99, hb, 354pp, 9781910688878

As a postgraduate student more than three decades ago I had reason to be grateful to Dr. Harvey for his Victorian Novelists and their Illustrators, and I am grateful to him now for Pax for quite different reasons. Harvey’s profound understanding of the physical processes in the making of art enrich this, his fifth novel. Peter Paul Rubens comes to London in 1629 on a diplomatic mission from the Spanish Netherlands to Charles I’s court. This is a dualperiod narrative in which the boundaries are increasingly blurred, but convincingly so. The artist Stephen Bloodsmith is producing a series of engravings recalling the events of Rubens’ London stay, while worrying how much longer he is going to be able to defend his teaching job from cuts. His favoured model has long been his wife, described physically in more or less Rubenesque language. He suspects her of betraying him at the same time as he is falling in love with a new model, the equivalent of Rubens’s mysterious Indian Maid, while Rubens is tormented by suspicion of his dead wife and his pupil Antony Van Dyck, and by his conviction that his mission is being spied upon on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu. The themes of love, lust, adultery and 17th-century bawdiness that run through the narrative are clearly signalled in the vulvoid aperture in Rubens’s painting Allegory of Peace and War which is the basis of the cover design. The “modern” strand of the story is not quite contemporary with today. Nobody has mobile phones, for instance, and how much more complicated cheating is without them! Even if I wasn’t convinced by the adjective “goodmooded”, or by the verb “[to] suave”, Pax is beautifully written, in language as vivid as the paintings described – and is a gripping read. Katherine Mezzacappa

THE EMPIREID

Ilvario, Vagabond, 2019, $27.00, pb, 296pp, 9781936293407

Subtitled “An Epic Journey in Verse,” this book employs seventeen-line stanzas to recreate the feel of ancient epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey, and to pick up Rome’s tale where Virgil’s Aeneid left off (that is, with Rome’s founding). The Empireid, or “The Story of the End of Empire,” extends the tale of ancient Rome from its foundation to today with protagonist Horacio, the last son of Troy. Horacio takes up his quest when Constantinople falls to invading Turks in 1453, a date which signals the fall of the only remaining vestige of Rome, the eastern empire. Horacio’s quest involves freeing Roman gods from a deep sleep conjured by Pluto and leads him through adventures with pirates, wars, blood feuds, and into the underworld and beyond. The ideal reader of this book is a passionate lover of all things Roman, who has the patience to savor each stanza and ponder on the meaning and symbolism therein. This reader may not be put off by the lack of the book’s cover blurb or introduction, having little need for context. But such a reader may object to the occasional intrusive modern phrases, like “business arrangement,” or “win-win situation.” Other readers will likely not have the patience this title requires. Those who 54

successfully overcome such literary obstacles will find an intriguing tale that hearkens back to the days of old yet provides fresh material for contemplation. Xina Marie Uhl

THE COTTON LASS

Anna Jacobs, Allison and Busby, 2018, £8.99, pb, 316pp, 9780749023140

Anna Jacobs’ collection of short stories, The Cotton Lass, focuses on how ordinary people take on the challenge of a new life. The author covers various genres, including historical fiction, fantasy and romance. There is a strong theme about Australia that covers several time periods. It was particularly interesting to see how the author used this theme in different times, for the characters that she creates go through the same emotional reactions in their time of change. Throughout these tales, there is always a strong romantic aspect. Jacobs uses this to deepen her characters’ personalities, their hopes and their dreams. She writes at a steady pace given the restrictions of a short story collection, giving enough time for the reader to enjoy the sense of time and place of the story before it ends. At the start of each short story, she includes an introduction that explains why and how she wrote the story. This makes each story more personal to the reader, which in turn brings us closer to the characters and their worlds. Overall, Jacobs’ collection is a heart-warming anthology that is accessible to all. Clare Lehovsky

A THOUSAND TONGUES

Ian Reid, Framework Press, 2019, A$24.95/$19.99, pb, 269pp, 9780648522300

The title comes from Shakespeare’s Richard III, “My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, and every tongue brings in a several tale …” And that is exactly what this book is: an exploration of conscience via several narratives that initially seem disparate but that eventually tie together. The bleak confronting setting of Princetown Prison on Dartmoor provides a major backdrop. The principal characters are Gavin Staines, a conscientious objector of World War I who hides a dark secret in his past; Joshua Dunn, a 1880s black circus performer who takes the extraordinary step of breaking back into prison after his release from it; and Tim and Valerie, two modern-day Australian historians grappling with matters of academic conscience in their respective research projects as well as their own ambiguous personal relationship. To complicate matters, a Turkish student, Kemal, is murdered on campus, possibly a victim of hate-related crime. There are also quirks in genealogy and debate as to the merits, even benefits, of learning history through fiction as opposed to academic rigour. Plus there are musings over current Australian social issues and the clamour on race and immigration. With its main focus on how conscience played out in the past and how it impacts the present, the novel will certainly open one’s eyes as to the treatment of those who suffered, and continue to suffer, from the blessing (or scourge) of having a conscience. The last word from Gavin Staines: “To go this way no, that way … To do something or not to do it … Sooner or later it all resolves itself into a

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

definite sense of what’s the right decision. But sometimes that comes too late, when you’ve already made the wrong choice.” A fine and complex novel that will give the reader much thought. Marina Maxwell

STRAIGHT UPHILL

Jess Wells, Fireship Press, 2019, $17.99, pb, 200pp, 9781611793949

Gretchen’s nice life is derailed by the bus accident death of her kindergarten son and divorce from her husband. She flees Loon, Michigan, to a town on a hill in Italy. There she helps in the bread bakery, savors food in the local restaurant, and attracts multiple suitors. The elderly owner of the bakery, Bettina, has troubles too. Her only son and main helper recently ran off with the wife of the restaurant proprietor. Bettina and Gretchen struggle to bake enough bread but soon change over to chocolates. In her young life Bettina had made wonderful chocolates from recipes passed down for hundreds of years. She has saved the molds and other chocolate-making equipment. Now the story jumps back to 1943, then 1863, and even the 1500s. Special chocolates have been part of Bettina’s family and this village for centuries. The chocolates saved the villagers from both Fascists and Nazis and, long before that, helped the Duke of Savoy seduce beautiful women. The story comes back to the present and two new women. The daughter of the jilted restaurant owner, Adelina, returns from Rome and her own romance gone bad. She waits on customers at the family restaurant and secretly helps Bettina produce wonderful chocolates. Then stunning blonde Kate from New Zealand arrives as part of the region’s butcher delivery service. Her specialty is lamb. Overall, this potentially beguiling mixture of love and food across hundreds of years and many characters feels cramped in its less than 200 pages. The jumps across time and characters feel too abrupt and take the reader out of plot lines just beginning to get interesting. Several of the sub-plots, Kate’s story and the Fascist time among them, deserve fuller, richer treatments. G. J. Berger

TIMESLIP

THE GHOST TREE

Barbara Erskine, HarperCollins, 2019, $15.99/£8.99, pb, 580pp, 9780008195847

When Ruth Dunbar inherits her father’s Edinburgh house, she discovers the journals of an eighteenth-century ancestor, Thomas, among her deceased mother’s things. At first, she feels enchanted by his account, his adventures at sea, at the bar, and in love. However, while she delves deeper into his life, she realizes that a deadly adversary pursues him at every step, plotting his ruin and disgrace even from beyond the grave. As Ruth finds herself faced with an enemy of her own—a certain Timothy Bradford contests her father’s will and stalks her—she begins to suspect, that she, too is haunted by a powerful spirit who might have the ability to take possession of others’ souls and bodies. After a series of terrifying rapes

and finally a murder occur, her private affair turns public, and Edinburgh is on the hunt for a killer. But are they targeting the right culprit and for the right reasons? Only Ruth and her friends, two of whom are mediums, know the answer. A time-slip novel that is equal parts ghost story, detective thriller, contemporary romance, and historical fiction, The Ghost Tree is the work of an extraordinary raconteur. Based on the life the author’s own distinguished forbear Thomas Erskine, the eighteenth-century sections, its characters, and plot twists shine particularly bright. A highly entertaining and immersive read for a long winter’s night. Elisabeth Lenckos

A QUESTION OF TIME

Steven Lazaroff, Rodger & Laz Publishing, 2019, $16.95/C$16.95, pb, 340pp, 9781775292203

In Lazaroff’s fast-paced time travel novel, historian Jonathan Lambert disappears from a train to Paris and finds himself transported to 1774, during the reign of Louis XVI. Lambert’s adjustment to life in 18th-century France, without modern hygiene and conveniences, is among the most entertaining parts in the novel. With the help of historical characters such as the watchmaker Breguet and the chemist Lavoisier, Lambert undertakes a series of inventions which, he hopes, will improve the lives of the poor while preventing the violence and bloodshed of the French Revolution, which he knows is coming. He introduces agricultural equipment, kerosene lamps, the railroad, and the automobile, but these inventions get him into trouble with the guilds, who want him arrested. Then Lambert falls in love, and he wonders if he even wants to go back to his own time. Meanwhile, in the present day, police inspector Nadeau searches for the missing Jonathan Lambert, but how can Nadeau find a man who never existed? His passport and credit cards are invalid, and his students do not remember him. Lambert’s actions in the past are changing the present-day world without Nadeau, or anyone, being aware of the changes. In this alternate modern world, there is still a king in France, and society is stratified into the three Estates of prerevolutionary France. A Question of Time is a delight to read, and Lazaroff keeps the suspense high about whether Lambert’s inventions will be successful and whether he will decide to stay in the 18th century. The present-day sections present a fascinating theory about time travel: that it is possible to change the past without people knowing that anything has changed. In his author’s note, Lazaroff mentions the possibility of a sequel, and I hope he decides to write one. Vicki Kondelik

A WITCH IN TIME

Constance Sayers, Redhook, 2020, $26.00, hb, 480pp, 9780316493598

In 21st-century Washington DC, Helen Lambert is going through a divorce when she meets Luke Varner, a mysterious stranger who seems to know a lot about her. She begins to have dreams of a prior lifetime in which he plays a part. Helen’s dreams are so real that they feel like memories: of Juliet, a painter’s

young muse in 19th-century France; of Nora, an actress on her way to stardom in 1930s Hollywood; of Sandra, a 1970s musician on the edge of breaking out. In each timeline, she meets a man whose own creative ambitions intertwine with hers, in each timeline, her skills and powers mysteriously grow, and in each one, she meets a benefactor who helps to guide her. That benefactor is Luke, the manager of the botched curse that saved Juliet’s life. But although he is powerful, his vision is clouded by his own attachments and his attempts to intervene. And he is learning that while patterns repeat, Juliet, Nora, Sandra, and Helen are not the same woman and will not respond to circumstances – or to him – in the same way. So, this time, he is as honest as he can be, and Helen risks losing love and her life to break the curse that binds them both. The stories build in nicely nested narratives – with the memories of each generation looping back in patterns that remind the reader of previous timelines but avoid excessive repetition. The pacing is just a bit uneven, especially in the later lives, and the narrative occasionally dwells on details that seem to be filling space until Sayers can get back to her main narrative. But on the whole, it’s a lively read, full of unique and intriguing ideas and unfolding consequences. Martha Hoffman

HISTORICAL FANTASY QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED

Kacen Callender, Orbit, 2019, $15.99, pb, 400pp, 9780316454933

Amongst Helle Islands’ nobles, the king will soon announce a successor. One ruler stands out from the rest, a dark-skinned islander named Sigourney. She is the lone survivor of her family’s massacre. The white colonist perpetrators stand around her, and she plans vengeance. In this Caribbean-inspired land of magic, Sigourney has a powerful kraft, the ability to enter people’s minds. But as nobles begin to die mysteriously, Sigourney finds herself a pawn in a deadly game that her own magic is powerless against. Can she discover the murderer and seize the crown for her people before it’s too late? Because the book is rooted in a fantasygained power struggle on another world, I’m unable to authentically comment on historical content. Character wise, Sigourney is full of hatred for everyone, especially herself. Her situation is complex, but her emotions are not. While deeply felt, without a counterpoint emotion, the narrative came across rather one note. Sigourney has no joy, no safe haven, to balance her visceral loathing. Additionally, every single character is markedly prejudiced, including Sigourney, and almost everyone is cruel. Sigourney’s power is mostly used as a plot device to reveal backstory and motivation. She didn’t utilize her powers consistently or to avoid danger, only when it suited the plot. The plot moves slowly with Sigourney spending copious time sitting around and

thinking. This lends to a repetitious narrative as past events are oft revisited without new insights revealed. There are no breadcrumbs for readers to follow, making the mystery a series of disconcerting events without tantalizing connections. I liked the end twist, but not how it was revealed. While lacking in emotional variety and an active narrator, the slow corruption of Sigourney’s soul with each gain of power is something readers will find intriguing. J. Lynn Else

QUEEN OF ZAZZAU

J. S. Emuakpor, Mugwump Press, 2018, $16.99, pb, 470pp, 9781946595065

In a small Hausaland kingdom in 16thcentury West Africa, a bloody prophecy has made the wise queen of Zazzau shield her eldest daughter, Amina, from being raised as a warrior. But headstrong, passionate Amina cannot escape learning the painful lessons of love when she falls for an accomplished war leader, and she is too courageous to cower when bellicose neighbors bring carnage to her door. When a new enemy costs Amina the future she dreamed of, she barters herself to the bloody-eyed and seductive wargod, Dafaru, for the power to protect everything she loves. The consequence is to make her a creature of legend; the price is steeper than she could have dreamed. Though this is a world bristling with magic, where gods stride across the landscape and the spirit world is near enough to enter, Emuakpor evokes the human world in detail that feels utterly authentic, from food and dress and architecture to cultural beliefs and practices. Amina transforms from a strongminded, impetuous young woman to an even more strong-minded warrior and queen, ambitious, even ferocious, but capable of compassion, fear, and regret. Emuakpor invents persuasive explanations for the stories surrounding this legendary queen, explaining her youthful beauty, her prowess in battle, the fortifications still known as Amina’s walls, and the rumors of her “temporary husbands.” Equally compelling is a cast of female characters who are strong, dimensional, and complex; they include Amina’s mother, sister, and her bodyguard, Jaruma, Amina’s lifelong companion, shadow self, and friend who loves as passionately and fights as fiercely as Amina does. Even the bit parts, like Amina’s slave Fatima, are refreshingly free of stereotype and cliché. Sensual, entrancing, and intense, Emuakpor’s vibrant imagining of this

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magnificent African queen is a story that deserves to be called epic. A truly riveting read. Misty Urban

A SANCTUARY OF SPIRITS

Leanna Renee Hieber, Rebel Base Books, 2019, $4.99, ebook, 276pp, 9781635730593

This second book in Hieber’s Spectral City series returns with another powerful, evocative story set in this unique alternative history of 1899 New York City in which the NYPD has a secretive paranormal department where mediums work with ghostly spirit guides to solve crimes. This refreshing and inventive setting provides a wonderful freshness to the crowded murder mystery shelf, and the supernatural elements evoked by the work of the Spiritualist crime fighters are interesting, emotional, and intriguing. Readers will benefit from – and enjoy – Hieber’s previous book, The Spectral City, which introduces this world and the main character, Eve Whitby. Eve is a cautious, empathetic medium who leads séances with three other mediums, working with the dead and the living to solve crimes. This book quickly dives into an atmospheric and moody mystery involving the seemingly impossible: a criminal who can hurt the dead. (Sensitive readers should be aware that there are child victims, but there is no inscene violence depicted, just the aftereffects.) Most challenging for Eve and her squadron of mediums is that ghosts are as unreliable as humans. Hieber expertly mixes atmospheric setting with compelling and complicated relationships – grandmother to granddaughter, friendship between women, a burgeoning romance between individuals of different cultural backgrounds, the tenuous threads connecting the dead to the living – with an unearthly and moody plot. The social mores and restrictions of late 19th-century life are still real in this world, making Eve’s work and her burgeoning romance with the Jewish Detective Jacob Horowitz resonant and emotionally satisfying. Her world building is rich and imaginative, diving into the everyday realities of what life would be like if the living could communicate with the undead. This is a compelling read that will leave readers eager for the next in the series; start with the first book to most enjoy the growth of characters in this one. Audra Friend

TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

Scott Oden, St. Martin’s, 2020, $27.99, hb, 336pp, 9780312372958

In 1218 AD, the Raven Geats are holding onto their lands in central Scandinavia and their ancient gods, surrounded by hostile Swedes, Norse and Danes, all of whom have become Christian. Now they are besieged by a crusading Christian army intent on finding a saint’s relic and replacing the last vestiges of paganism in the North. The Geats’ defense will rely on a young woman shield-maiden, a 56

mysterious witch with her band of berserkers, and their people’s traditional defender, Grimnir, the herald of Loki the tangled god and a monster-like avenger. The author explains Grimnir’s last major battle was two hundred years earlier at Clontarf, where the Irish Gaels broke the back of the Norse. This novel is a fantasy with a teenaged Supergirl and an invulnerable witch woman but also includes trolls, dwarves and a dragon to please traditionalists. Third in a series, it is a complex tale immersed in intricate Nordic mythology. Filled with era-appropriate violence and gore, there is also a theme of impending world’s end to add to the tension and drama. Recommended for fans of fantasy and Nordic legends. Thomas J. Howley

THE LOST FUTURE OF PEPPERHARROW

Natasha Pulley, Bloomsbury, 2020, $27.00, hb, 512pp, 9781635573305

When Thaniel Steepleton, a Japanese translator, is summoned to the British Legation in Tokyo to investigate a series of hauntings, his credulity is stretched. For why would his peers send him halfway around the world simply to deal with a set of ghostly visitations? As soon as Thaniel lands in Japan and visits the estate of his lover, the clairvoyant samurai Keita Mori, he understands that something is amiss. Keita, who can predict the future, has grown unsure of his abilities and seems reluctant to employ his gifts. After Keita vanishes, Thaniel goes in search of him, battling both his inner fears and an increasingly vicious climate, which unleashes electrical storms that burn the island’s flora and fauna and drown the countryside in ashes. While the Russian fleet sits in Yokohama Harbor, scientists are forced to do the doubtful work of politicians who are determined to hold on to their power, even though it means destroying the earth. As metaphysics clash with science, Keita’s wife, Takiko Pepperharrow, travels to a prison camp in Japan’s frozen north in the hope of locating her husband. Will she be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save the man who alone can set the world to rights? Keita, the only person able to answer that question, has gone missing and cannot be found. An intriguing amalgam of Victorian steampunk and historical fantasy, this novel brings back the trio of Keita Mori, the watchmaker of Filigree Street, his friend Thaniel, and Six, the precocious girl orphan. As the intrepid band travels from London to Meiji Japan, the fate of Keita’s homeland hangs in the balance. Combining a wondrous romp through the world of magical clockwork mechanisms and octopus automatons with an environmental thriller that fascinates and shocks in equal measure, this is an adventure not be missed.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

Elisabeth Lenckos

SORCERY IN ALPARA

Judith Starkston, Bronze Age Books, 2019, $15.99, pb, 456pp, 9781732833944

Sorcery in Alpara is the second book in the Tesha series, a historical fantasy loosely based on 13th-century BC Bronze Age Hittites and Egyptians. The story continues the epic journey of the young sorceress Tesha shortly after she marries King Hattu and returns to his capital, Alpara, where she will be crowned as his queen. Their entourage is attacked, and Tesha’s blind sister and the king’s commander are kidnapped by rival tribesmen, the Paskan. When Hattu tries to save them, a Pascan sorcerer casts a curse that shrouds him and his warriors in a dark cloud, disabling them. Summoning the powers of Ishana, Tesha draws the curse out of Hattu’s warriors, but at a cost to her vitality. When they finally arrive safely at the capital, traitors within Hattu’s inner circle conspire with the Paskan enemy to destroy him and malign his young queen. Threatened with loss of her marriage, Tesha must again call on the powers of Ishana to save herself and Hattu from the political machinations churning within and outside their kingdom. Author Judith Starkston masterfully weaves fantastical elements of sorcery into the historical tapestry of Bronze Age Hittites and Egyptians. Primarily told from the points of view of Tesha, her sister, and Hattu, the narrative is taut and plot-driven with political conspiracies lurking in the shadows. The fantastical elements of curses, shapeshifting, telepathy, mythological creatures, and magical potions enhance the mystique of legendary ancient cultures steeped in superstitions. Both historical fiction and epic fantasy readers should enjoy Sorcery in Alpara—a riveting story packed with romance, sorcery, betrayal, and political intrigue. Linnea Tanner

CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT SAVING SAVANNAH

Tonya Bolden, Bloomsbury, 2020, $17.99/ C$23.99, hb, 272pp, 9781681198040

Savannah Riddle is the daughter of affluent African-American parents in Washington, DC, at a time when poverty is widespread, but she despises the pretense and the ostentation of her world. She feels stifled—in need of a passion, a purpose. Then she meets Lloyd, a young man recently arrived from St. Thomas, and he introduces her to pamphlets, newspaper articles and magazines where she discovers a world outside of the endless couldn’ts, shouldn’ts, and can’ts of her mother’s strictures. She attends a speech by Hubert Henry Harrison and helps out at Nannie Helen Burrough’s school for young women. She tells her parents she wants to do more, but as the street violence builds, the moment arrives for her mother to tell Savannah her own personal history. With these revelations comes Savannah’s determination to use her artistic

talents to a more productive end: photography or perhaps journalism, documenting forgotten lives. Acclaimed YA author Bolden is skilled in bringing littleknown periods of Black American history to light. The city is firmly in the grip of Jim Crow, Red Summer, race riots, women’s suffrage, anarchist bombings, beatings and lynchings. The chanting of Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! Catch a... echoed uncomfortably within me as I recalled the words from my childhood, having been far too young at the time to understand the meaning. Diligent research thrives in this novel, and Bolden uses extensive sources and citations to build Savannah’s world which, for a brief moment, readers can inhabit with this brave young woman. Many of the names here were unknown to me, but it is a privilege to review this novel. As Savannah’s father says, “there has never been a time when there wasn’t misery in the world” somewhere. Sadly, an enduring human theme. Twelve pages of author’s notes add absorbing content. Fiona Alison

THIS LIGHT BETWEEN US

Andrew Fukuda, Tor Teen, 2020, $17.99/ C$24.50, hb, 375pp, 9781250192387

In 1935, Alex Maki’s teacher assigns him a pen pal, a French Jew named Charlie Levy. Trouble is, Charlie is a girl! Despite Alex’s initial reluctance, his friendship with Charlie grows, and their correspondence continues for years. Alex is introverted and interested in drawing cartoons. Charlie is anything but, and he confides in her more easily than with his older brother. Their friendship grows and continues even after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, when Alex’s father is arrested, and he is sent with his mother and brother to the Manzanar internment camp. Through her letters, Charlie describes increasing Nazi persecution of Jews. When the mail to Vichy France ceases altogether, Alex’s worries over Charlie are added to those for his father, who is still held by the FBI as a spy, and his mother and brother, neither of whom cope well with their imprisonment. Alex enlists in the all-Japanese American 442nd regiment in exchange for his father’s release and in the hopes of finding Charlie. Writing for young adult readers, Fukuda tells a harrowing story of racism, war, and compassion. Alex begins the story as a shy boy stuck in his football-hero brother’s shadow. He confesses his desire to Charlie to be a cartoonist rather than a dentist as his parents want. He faces racism and struggles with the injustice of being locked up simply because

of his ethnicity, then goes off to war where he confronts not only the horrors of battle, which Fukuda conveys in hauntingly realistic scenes, but continued racism—including his own internalized racism. Alex emerges as a courageous, caring young man. This Light Between Us provides a unique premise in a unique World War II story. A thoroughly intriguing read. Meg Wiviott

BUTTERFLY YELLOW

Thanhhà Lai, HarperCollins, 2019, $17.99/ C$21.99, hb, 284pp, 9780062229212

In Saigon, near the end of the Vietnam War, twelve-year-old Hang went with her five-yearold brother, Linh, to missionaries who were taking orphans to America. She planned to pretend they were orphans so they could go to the land of the cowboy. However, the missionaries only took very young children, and when she and her brother were separated, Hang lied to her family about what happened. Six years later, Hang is alone in Texas, after enduring unspeakable horrors, trying to reunite with the little brother she lost. The son of academics, LeeRoy wants to be a rodeo cowboy, like his deceased grandfather. Despite that all he knows about horses comes from books, eighteen-year-old LeeRoy leaves for the summer in a red truck and fancy cowboy-clothes to follow his hero, Bruce Ford, on the rodeo circuit. In Amarillo, unable to abandon a damsel in distress, he gets tangled up in Hang’s quest. The two find Linh, who isn’t the boy Hang expected. Hang’s pain is so evident and yet also so well hidden—from the reader and from the characters. Her uncovering is slow and smooth, poignant and painful. LeeRoy is annoying and lovable. The narration switches between main characters and sometimes to lesser characters, giving readers alternate perspectives and lovely pieces of people. Lai’s prose is beautiful. Highly recommended. Ages 13 and up. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

SHOW ME A SIGN

Ann Clare LeZotte, Scholastic, 2020, $18.99, hb, 288pp, 9781338255812

This middle-grade historical novel offers a unique setting with a compelling, relatable heroine who faces horrific prejudice while navigating her own biases. Set in 1805 on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, 11-yearold Mary is a Deaf child in a community where being Deaf is not unique and where signing is

the predominant way of communication, even among those who can hear. LeZotte breathes life into this unique setting by offering us a curious, observant narrator who loves her vibrant but insular community Protected by her family and community, Mary is sheltered from negative opinions and treatments of Deaf individuals. When a visiting scholar quickly reveals his repulsion toward Mary and the other Deaf members of their village, it is a brutal shock that makes more real the stark prejudice she sees the freed Black families and Wampanoag neighbors experiencing. Still, she is unprepared for the horrific steps the scholar will take in furthering his research and the cost she will pay for it. LeZotte’s novel is a welcome addition to the thick field of middle-grade historical fiction. She broaches thorny topics of racism and ableism with vulnerability and an awareness of privilege, inviting readers to imagine themselves in the footsteps of those experiencing bias and ignorance. LeZotte is a Deaf librarian and author and cites her yearning for Deaf heroines as the reason for Mary and this novel. All readers will find this a welcome addition to their libraries. Audra Friend

SPECIAL FORCES: MINESWEEPER

Chris Lynch, Scholastic, 2019, $18.99, hb, 184pp, 9780545861656

Before there were Navy SEALs, there were Underwater Demolition Teams, UDTs. Fergus Frew lost his father in WWII. His mother worries about him as much as he feels he has disappointed her. He is a southern California surfer who avoids other surfers, along with disliking most other people. He is happiest when he’s alone and in or on the ocean, especially when he free dives for sublime three-minute underwater excursions. He skips his high school graduation to surf and unexpectedly meets a formidable man a bit older than himself. Initially wary, Fergus ironically finds a friend in Duke, a U.S. Marine. Duke encourages Fergus to come out of his shell, and see the world, intuitively knowing the logical place for the almost amphibious Fergus is the Navy. To his mother’s dismay, Fergus enlists and learns for the first time what being part of a team means, especially when he completes UDT training. To reassure her, he introduces his mother to his team buddies in a delightful and moving scene. Soon he is off as the Korean War interrupts his newly found contentment. The team covertly inserts into hostile territory to blow up communications and logistic targets, conduct reconnaissance and, most dangerously, clear mines. The second in a young adult series on Special Forces, this novel is filled with humor, pathos and action. I very favorably reviewed the first and learned a lot from this one. The reader will learn there was “LARU” before “SCUBA” became common and what a “green dragon” was. Fergus was a beach lifeguard before and feels he’s continuing that

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calling when he conducts missions to save the lives of marines and soldiers. Uplifting and highly recommended. Thomas J. Howley

CAPTURING THE DEVIL

Kerri Maniscalco, Little, Brown, 2019, $18.99/ C$23.99, hb, 444pp, 9780316485548

In this fourth and final installment of Maniscalco’s sassy and salacious Stalking Jack the Ripper series, the darkly brilliant powercouple Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell have arrived in America, slightly worse for wear after a week on the Etruria but ready to take on new challenges in their professional—and personal—lives. When their new investigations stir memories of the old, Audrey Rose must confront the demons she’d thought at peace, and begin again with a fresh perspective. Unfortunately for those who try the patience of our cane-wielding heroine, roses have petals and thorns. From the bustling streets of 19th-century New York to the white-tented Chicago, Audrey Rose and Thomas pursue their quarry, determined to close another blood-curdling case. The Devil is in the White City, and some of his touches are decidedly personal. Can Audrey Rose’s forensic skills and Thomas’s deductive abilities solve the case? Or has Cresswell met their dark match? Maniscalco continues to address Victorian social mores, gender roles, and familial expectations in her heart-racing conclusion. Fans of Audrey Rose and Thomas will cheer their highs and mourn their lows. As ever, the two have fantastic tension and repartee, winning readers over and helping set a quick pace. Some creative arrangements have been made to fit the story’s timeline, but the representation sits well, and it makes for an intriguing setting. Fans of Young Adult, Romance, and Mystery will enjoy the Stalking Jack the Ripper series, and will be delighted to find that Capturing the Devil strikes an excitement to re-read the set with a magnifying glass in hand. Anna Bennett

KING SHAKA: Zulu Legend

Luke W. Molver, Story Press Africa, $23.95, hb, 90pp, 9781946498908

This graphic novel continues the story begun in Shaka Rising of King Shaka of the Zulus, who reigned in the early 1800s in southern Africa. Shaka’s trusted advisor Ndengezi warns him about the Mpondo clan reportedly using witchcraft to harass the nation’s southern borders. But Shaka believes he must concentrate on securing the loyalty of nearer clans first. Shaka’s mother, Nandi, also warns him about rebellious distant chiefs. Dissent among the clans, disagreement over Shaka’s permitting shipwrecked whites to settle in the area, and Nandi’s death create a power crisis between Shaka and his brothers. The 22-page supplement to this graphic novel emphasizes that it is historical fiction, because Zulu culture had an oral, unwritten 58

tradition. The “facts” were later written down by European settlers who had outsiders’ perspectives. The supplement discusses politics, the role of women, and Zulu history, culture, and language, though there’s no bibliography. There is also a list of questions prompting further research, and a useful twopage character directory. This story would make an excellent fictional hook to get children interested in African history and would lead them to want to learn about the Zulu nation. B. J. Sedlock

SURPRISE LILY

Sharelle Byars Moranville, Holiday House, 2019, $16.99, hb, 231pp, 9780823442645

Ten-year-old Rose loves living on the family farm with her grandmother Ama. What she doesn’t particularly love is having to give an oral report on her family tree. Her family tree includes her great-great-grandmother Belle, her great-grandmother Clara, and all of Clara’s daughters: Harriet Jane (Lotus), Phoebe, Mona, Annie, and Rose’s grandmother, Tulip. She considered leaving her mother, Iris, off the tree, but all the other kids would ask about her. Or worse, whisper about her “druggie mom” who’d left Rose when she was two years old. Rose doesn’t want to think about her mother and why she left. She is happy living with Ama and loves the routines of the farm: spring calves, summer haying, fall calves, and the silence of winters. Rose is happy and comfortable until Iris appears with a secret so surprising it throws Rose out of her comfortable routines and forces her to rise above past hurts and to take on more responsibilities than her mother is capable of. This multi-generational story written for readers ages 8-12 provides a lovely picture of life on a Midwestern farm, including the struggles and hardships. The story opens with a chapter from Rose’s point of view, then goes back in time to present alternating chapters from Rose’s matriarchal line: Clara, Harriet Rose (Lotus), grandmother Tulip, and her mother Iris. These chapters provide a tool to uncover family secrets of mental illness and the truth of Ama’s birth; however, neither issue seems to impact Rose. She discovers empathy and insight through the surprise Lily brings home. So while the topic of mental illness is touched upon, it is still not thoroughly discussed. Meg Wiviott

IT RAINED WARM BREAD

Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet (story) & Hope Anita Smith (poems), illus. Lea Lyon, Henry Holt, 2019, $16.99/C$22.99, hb, 148pp, 9781250165725

Can a child still hope after being torn from his family and identity? Moskowitz-Sweet’s story, based on her father’s experiences, answers this question. Told in simple, elegant, narrative poems by Hope Anita Smith, this novel follows the life of Moshie, a young Jewish boy. His story starts with the invasion of Poland, details the death marches of Jewish prisoners, and ends with the liberation of Europe. Moshie, his parents, and his two siblings live

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

a simple and happy life in Kielce, but it is clear from the first chapter that he and his family face dangerous anti-Semitism each time they leave their home. Young Moshie even employs “bodyguards,” whom he pays in homework, in exchange for protection. While the Moskowitz family is a happy one, their outside world is hostile well before the German wolves arrive in 1939. As the Germans move closer to Kielce, Moshie’s parents struggle to protect their children. His father is left heartbroken by the choice to leave his family behind and seek refuge with American relatives. Ultimately the family remains together, only to be slowly torn apart as the German occupation intensifies. Seen through the eyes of thirteen-yearold Moshie, young readers understand the impossible choices families faced during the Holocaust. Moreover, Smith’s approachable and beautiful poems convey a message of hope and love on each page; a message that is unfathomable in such dark times, yet essential to both surviving and preventing them from happening again. I highly recommend this stunning novel for middle-schoolers and beyond. Melissa Warren

UNDER THE BROKEN SKY

Mariko Nagai, Henry Holt and Co., 2019, $16.99/C$22.99, hb, 304pp, 9781250159212

Natsu lives with her family in Manchuria in the 1940s. Her mother died when her sister Asa was born, but life is good with her loving father, little sister, a horse, goats, and hens. Natsu’s parents were encouraged to settle in Manchuria, near the border with Russia, when Japan took the area away from China in 1931. As Japan starts losing World War II, the village men are conscripted. Before Natsu’s father leaves, he admits that he may not return. He makes her promise to take care of Asa; she’s the only one who could get them to Japan. When Japan loses the war, the Japanese of Manchuria are chased from their homes. Many are killed. Natsu, Asa, and their “auntie” flee to the city of Harbin, where they live as impoverished refugees, waiting for a way to sail to Japan. Under the Broken Sky is written in poignant verse. Nagai is an award-winning poet, which is obvious from her ability to craft sentences and create scenes. Unfortunately, the pacing of the story is too slow. One tragic event slowly follows another tragic event which slowly follows another, on and on. The “win” that Natsu achieves is not a real victory—it might have been better if she’d lost. As a genre, novelsin-verse focus on powerfully emotional topics, and although this story is tragic, it misses the gut-wrenching punch found in Out of the Dust and Crossover, and as a story of refugees, it doesn’t have the excitement of Refugee or the reader-character bond of Inside Out and Back Again. Beautifully written, it may be the only book about the Japanese in Manchuria for middle-grade readers ages 10 to 14. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

THE STARSPUN WEB

Sinéad O’Hart, Knopf, 2019, $16.99/C$22.99, hb, 360pp, 9781101935071

Tess de Sousa is no ordinary girl! Left as an infant on the steps of Ackerbee’s Home for Lost and Foundlings, she becomes a talented scientist as she matures. At age 12, Miss Ackerbee gives Tess the things that were left with her on the step—some unrecognizable money and a small metal object— along with her own supposition that Tess is not of this world. Enter Mr. Cleat, who clearly does not have Tess’s best interests in mind and who, against Miss Ackerbee’s wishes, takes her to his large house and tries to bribe her with the laboratory of her dreams. But Tess spends most of her alone time studying the unusual device in her possession. Accompanied always by her pet tarantula, Violet, Tess is finally able to bring the “Starspinner” to life. As she learns to wield its power, she is able to move between realities and back again, Violet being her tether to her own world. Using this knowledge, Mr. Cleat takes the precious spider hostage to force Tess to use the Starspinner for his own dastardly plan. Set in dual 1941s, the story surmises that all realities exist simultaneously on different planes and that world-changing events such as the Spanish Flu and the Great War cause things to go off kilter (mostly unnoticed, unless one happens to be looking). The novel ticks all the right middle-grade boxes: It’s quirky, supernatural, scary, exciting, a fantasy with a bit of history thrown in for good measure. Tess is feisty and brave, and the faithful, klutzy Wilf, the kick-ass hockey twins Prissy and Prossy, the brave maid, Millie, and the indomitable Miss Ackerbee add lots of narrative colour, along with the archetypal “baddies” of course! This novel is sure to excite the imaginations of 8-12-year-olds. Fiona Alison

SWALLOW’S DANCE

Wendy Orr, Pajama Press, 2018, $17.95/ C$19.95, hb, 274pp, 9781772780628

Prolific children’s author Wendy Orr beckons us back 4,000 years to Minoan Greece, when mortals believed in many gods, and omens, prayer and sacrifice were part of daily life. Leira of the Swallow Clan enters her “Learning” year—her destiny to become a saffron-gatherer and serve the goddess, as her mother did before her, so becoming a conduit for mortals to the island goddess. When the Earth Mother begins her trembling, toppling walls and temple pillars, Leira’s Mama suffers

a serious concussion. Her body recovers, but her spirit never returns. Leira, Mama, and childhood nurse Nunu sail to Crete seeking wise-women to restore Mama’s spirit. When Thera’s (Santorini) volcano finally erupts, it buries the island and sends tsunamis and ash to Crete. Already viewed with suspicion as out-of-favour priest-folk, Leira and her little family flee. Leira falls from favoured child to outcast to slave. As the formal ritual of her life is surpassed by the need for survival, her resilience grows. She is hungry, dirty, cold, and homeless, but remains gracious, brave, and willing to sacrifice. 4000 years of civilisation leave the world facing similar hardships— refugee crises, brutality, prejudice, and hate; the people of the time were not so unlike ourselves. The “Isle of Swallows” is the author’s name for Thera, which suffered a devastating volcanic eruption in 1625 BCE. This stunning middle-grade novel is poetic, lyrical, and interspersed with elegant free-verse through which readers walk in Leira’s footsteps and share her many heartaches. Nevertheless, from the residual gray ash of the goddess’s wrath, the colour of new life springs as Leira discovers a new skill. Fascinating author’s notes entice readers to seek further information about the Santorini archeological dig. Captivating throughout, this story reverberates long past the turning of its last page. Fiona Alison

THE GHOSTS OF SARATOGA

David A. Ossont and David Dampf, Milford House, 2019, $12.95, pb, 147pp, 9781620063088

It’s 1777, and 17-year-old Roland McCaffrey is a scout for General Schuyler, who leads the American militia in upper New York. His immediate superior, Sergeant Caleb O’Conner, has a habit of treating young Roland as a small boy, although their relationship is close and each respects the other. The scouts are observing the British Army under General Burgoyne, who is leading a large army south from Canada, expecting to hook up with General Howe in Albany. Roland and Caleb find that Fort Ticonderoga is surrounded by the larger British force. The British are moving artillery up the highest mountain overlooking the fort. They notify the commander of Fort Ticonderoga of the imminent threat of those cannons. Escape and retreating south are the only alternatives that can save the lives of those American soldiers defending the fort. This story is a well-researched novel for young adults that tells the story of the British army’s advance and ends with an American victory at Saratoga. Both young Roland and Caleb are skilled sharpshooters and, eventually, join Daniel Morgan’s riflemen. The authors flavor their narrative with just enough detail of the various battles fought between the British and American armies as they move towards Saratoga. The battle scenes

are authentic with vivid descriptions, without describing all the gruesome details. The main characters, Roland and Caleb, are clearly defined, although the supporting characters in the story lack emotional depth. The novel was a pleasure to read. Jeff Westerhoff

WHITE BIRD

R. J. Palacio, Knopf, 2019, $24.99/C$31.99, hb, 220pp, 9780525645535

From the author of Wonder comes this moving and inspirational graphic novel—the author’s first foray into this genre—about the Holocaust. The story begins with Julian, whom many readers will remember as the bully in Wonder, receiving a lesson in kindness from his grandmother, Sara. Her simple words take on deeper meaning as she reveals to Julian the story of how she and her Jewish family living in Paris became hunted by the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II. One day, while Sara is at school, soldiers come to round up Jewish children. Sara hides with the aid of a disabled student named Julien, who takes her to his family’s home. There, she spends the next few years hidden from the Nazis, relying entirely on the kindness of strangers for her survival. Unlike many young adult novels about the Holocaust, the focus of White Bird is upon one person and her thoughts and fears as she lives a life cut off from family and society at large, her entire world drawn down to Julien and his parents. As a result, the Nazi reign of terror being unleashed on Jews and other “undesirables,” including persons with disabilities like Julien, who suffers from polio, is presented mostly at a distance which in some ways, makes it all the more terrifying. This is a story about bravery and heroism. It’s a story about good people standing up for the right thing and teaches a valuable lesson to young readers. That lesson remains relevant in a world where families are still torn apart, incarcerated, and deported. This is a wonderful story with beautiful illustrations and a wealth of additional resources at the back to help readers learn more about the time period. It is an important read and highly recommended. John Kachuba

HOW HIGH THE MOON

Karyn Parsons, Little, Brown, 2019, $16.99/ C$22.49, hb, 314pp, 9780316484008

What are the ingredients of a happy childhood? Karyn Parsons answers this

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question in her stunningly beautiful novel set in Clarendon County, South Carolina, during the Jim Crow era. While exploring the brutal complexities of the American South in 1943, Parsons makes a strong case that love, community, and fortitude are

those ingredients. How High the Moon is the story of cousins Ella, Henry, and Myrna who live with their Granny and Poppy on a vegetable farm. Although their town, Alcolu, is segregated, the three middleschoolers enjoy a life of fishing, farming, and friends despite the danger they face each time they leave home. Granny and Poppy do their best to help them navigate a world filled with “White Only” signs and hateful looks, but the children long for their absent parents. For Ella, her longing transforms into hope when her mother suddenly sends a telegram inviting her to Boston. Young Ella is stunned by the freedom she finds walking the streets of Boston with her mother, but most days, she is trapped alone in a tiny apartment, desperately trying to solve the mystery of her father’s identity. Meanwhile, Henry and Myrna struggle to cope with the tragic fate of their classmate George Stinney. It is not until the three are reunited that they begin to heal as a family. Parsons creates a dynamic portrait of a time and place of great love and great sorrow. Seeing the community of Alcolu through the eyes of Ella, Henry, and Myrna transforms a historical event no child should have to live through into a story every child should read. I highly recommend this novel for ages eight and up. Melissa Warren

BLOOD COUNTESS

Lana Popovic, Amulet, 2020, $17.99, hb, 304pp, 9781419738869

Blood Countess is a historical tale of gothic suspense and horror set in 16th-century Hungary. Sixteen-year-old Anna, a gifted healer, comes to the attention of Countess Elizabeth Báthory in a chance encounter on her wedding day to Lord Nadasdy. A few years later, Anna secretly treats Elizabeth’s grievously ill bastard son and is lured into serving the upper-class household of the Countess and her husband. As the primary provider for her destitute family, Anna first labors in the kitchen and then rises to the position as Elizabeth’s chambermaid. The beguiling Countess spins Anna into her web of debauchery as they become lovers and companions in search of eternal youth. Ultimately, Anna must find a way to escape the clutches of the Countess and redeem herself. Author Lana Popovic skillfully spins horror into this cautionary tale about Anna’s struggles to find her humanity in an aristocratic world mired in darkness and that is manipulated by the Countess and her vindictive husband. The rich metaphors such as “I tread through a 60

spider’s web” evocatively set the gothic tone of the story told in Anna’s first-person perspective. Readers are swept into the whirlwind of Anna’s madness as she struggles to reconcile Elizabeth’s charm with her sadistic treatment of servants. The torture scenes described in the narrative can be disturbing but add gravity to Anna’s complicit participation in bloody murders and the fight for her soul. Blood Countess is a haunting depiction of the reputed serial killer Countess Elizabeth and her seduction of a naïve young woman into her unhinged world. Mature teens and adults who are fascinated with historical tales steeped with visceral horror and suspense should enjoy this book. Linnea Tanner

VILLAGE OF SCOUNDRELS

Marge Preus, Amulet, 2020, $16.99, hb, 320pp, 9781419708978

Based on the true story of villagers who saved thousands of Jews during World War II, Village of Scoundrels traces the fortunes and misfortunes of several teenagers in Les Lauzes, France, in 1943. Tucked away in a corner of Vichy France near the Swiss border, Les Lauzes is a haven for Jewish teens living under false identities and non-Jewish youth working for the French resistance. But when a policeman comes to town and grows suspicious, the Gestapo arrive, and the friends must scramble to protect themselves and each other. While the novel illuminates a fascinating and little-known facet of an extensively studied and novelized war, Village of Scoundrels is less powerful than it could have been. This is due primarily to Newbery Honor winner Preus’s decision to include multiple point-of-view characters. The tactic might have worked with two or three, but a middle-grade novel is simply too short to accommodate the half dozen or so Preus includes. She can’t spend enough time with any one character for the reader to develop more than a superficial attachment. Additionally, because the characters all manage to catch amazingly lucky breaks, the stakes never feel as high as they would have been in that time and place. The characters and events of the book are based on the actual villagers, and in this regard, Preus’s careful and extensive research must be applauded, but in a plot line, the repeated narrow escapes feel too convenient. Where the book shines is in its extensive end material, which includes photographs and biographies of the individuals who inspired each character, including their lucky breaks. Overall, Preus has crafted a unique, soundly researched novel, whose shortcomings will most likely be overlooked by its target audience. Sarah Hendess

FOLLOW CHESTER!

Gloria Respress-Churchwell, illus. Laura Freeman, Charlesbridge, 2019, $16.99/C$19.99, hb, 64pp, 9781580898355

This picture book tells the story of Dr.

REVIEWS | Issue 91, February 2020

Chester “Chet” Pierce. As a child, he lacked confidence, even though he saved his brother from drowning in a well. As a young person, he attended Harvard University and played on the school’s football team. When his team traveled to the segregated University of Virginia in 1947, the Harvard coach brought Chet to play, even though he was black and most integrated teams didn’t do that. His white teammates supported Chet by “following” him whenever a racial injustice occurred. They entered a restaurant in the back with him, and they all peed in the woods when Chet was not allowed in a gas station restroom. During the game, he was cheered by the black fans and booed by the white. Chet made history and helped to integrate football. The story is told in a simple narrative that is easy to understand. The mostly full-page illustrations are bold and bright. Recommended. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

THE VINYL UNDERGROUND

Rob Rufus, Flux, 2020, $11.99, pb, 328pp, 9781635830507

In 1968 Ronald Bingham is mourning the death of his brother Bruce in Vietnam. It’s a pain that hangs with him all the time, one especially renewed when he listens to his brother’s amazing album and ‘45 record collection. Milo, Ronald’s best friend, wants to become a movie director and avoid the draft. Hana is a new neighbor and rock ‘n’ roller whose half-Japanese identity angers many in the neighborhood who fear she is a “gook,” or enemy Vietnamese spy. Ronald’s father believes Bruce met his fate with honor and courage. However, the question arises for the three friends of what a true definition of courage is, including that of a conscientious objector, to fight in a war that is so hated by most Americans. For Ronald’s 18th birthday, Milo plans a scheme that will guarantee Ronald will be deferred from military service before the draft can get him. The rest of the novel is all about these questions and plans to escape military service. It’s also about the violent and shocking reaction to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Milo and Hana will physically be maimed as the result of ignorant prejudice and formulate a plan of devastating revenge. Ronald will have to decide what he will do with his future since he can’t become a famous DJ with his departed brother as they originally planned. This novel raises more questions and suggests multiple answers about rage, violence, prejudice, and war. The reader will be entranced by these characters, who represent so many other young Americans of the late 1960s. Relish the most popular music named and played from this era in America. Highly recommended, unforgettable historical fiction. Viviane Crystal

THE GOOD THIEVES

Katherine Rundell, Simon & Schuster, 2019, $17.99/C$23.99, hb, 264pp, 9781481419482

In Prohibitionera New York, Vita and her mother arrive from Liverpool only to learn that her widower g ra n d f a t h e r, Jack, has unwittingly sold the family castle, brought over from Europe generations ago when the family was wealthy, to real estate crook Victor Sorrotore. Vita is determined to get it back. An heirloom emerald necklace hidden in the castle would pay for legal fees to right the wrong, if they can only get to it. Vita encounters circus kids performing at Carnegie Hall, near her grandfather’s flat, and recruits animal trainer Arkady and aerialist Samuel to help her. Vita also recruits an initially reluctant Silk, a pickpocket living on the streets. The children use their various talents (Vita can throw objects extremely accurately) to get into the castle, but once they find the necklace, events take a surprising twist. This was my introduction to Rundell’s work, and it is a real page-turner. An exciting quest plot line, excellent characterizations, and Rundell’s enchanting prose are all compelling: “The Plaza Hotel was the kind of place you expect to find people clad in velvet and swan’s feathers, who pitch their voices low and their eyebrows high. It was for people who did not walk but swept.” Rundell does not spoon-feed the reader; the historical period has to be deduced from clues in the text, and sometimes the reader has to wait for an explanation of why something happened. The characters’ struggles are also compelling: Vita is physically challenged from having had polio, but she does not let that hold her back. Samuel’s efforts to become an aerialist are not easy—the circus expects children to follow in their parents’ footsteps; his works with horses, not on the trapeze. I enthusiastically recommend this book to both young readers and adults. B.J. Sedlock

SOMEWHERE BESIDES DENVER

Jo Schaffel & Sara Webley, Pangolin Books, 2019, $8.99, pb, 163pp, 9780578520230

Violet, Marion, and Helen, a trio of young women from Denver, are doing the Grand Tour of Europe in 1907, accompanied by their chaperone, Lena Mercer. Marion is an art student, eager to experience the Parisian art world. Violet learns while helping Lena with their trip accounts that she loves numbers, and she begins thinking about how she could help

her father run the family department store once she gets home, rather than marrying and having children. Helen is excited to see the world beyond her father’s isolated ranch, but she runs into gossipy acquaintances from home who make innuendos about Helen’s mother, who deserted the family years ago. Helen learns her mother may be living in sin with a man in London, and she sets out to search for her once they arrive there. The girls encounter issues of the day, such as women being liberated from wearing restrictive corsets. Helen meets a suffragette in London and they attend a votes-for-women rally, and Violet gets tipsy on absinthe at a Paris art world party. But there really isn’t a problem to be solved to drive the plot, nor much conflict, beyond a quarrel between Violet and Helen. The story would be greatly improved if the tale hadn’t petered out while the group was still in London. If the novel had followed the girls home to Denver and showed how they were changed by their experiences, it would have made a more interesting ending. If you like travelogues or are interested in social change in the early 20th century, you will enjoy the story. An author’s note explains which characters were real and which fictional, and discusses social issues of the period. But if you prefer novels with conflict and a strong climax, look elsewhere. B. J. Sedlock

THE BLOSSOM AND THE FIREFLY

Sherri L. Smith, Putnam, 2019, $17.99, hb, 320pp, 9781524737900

Japan, 1945. After being buried alive in the wake of enemy bombings, Hana has become a ghost of herself. At 15, her class serves as maids to the warriors of Japan. They mend clothes, serve food, and wave goodbye to the kamikaze pilots. Hana’s is one of the last faces they’ll see in life. Growing up, Taro loves to play violin. But after Japan’s victory at Pearl Harbor, Taro enters Youth Pilot School. He will bring honor to his country and his family by volunteering to be a tokko pilot, also known as kamikaze. Before his final mission, he meets Hana. The war should keep them apart, but a love of music will bring together two people with vastly different fates. Hana and Taro are two young people who come together in a dangerous and confusing time. To die for the emperor is a great honor in their culture. The tokko pilots know death is coming and face it bravely. Hana almost died but feels ashamed. She was afraid during the experience and has lost a piece of herself. Through Taro, while he’s bound to die, she finds a new way to live. It’s hard to imagine these situations, but Smith does a superb job making the situations and characters relatable. The prose artfully gives life to the setting and sentiments, making mundane daily tasks come alive with vivid personalities. The stark contrast between Hana’s and Taro’s lives is a hauntingly beautiful chord playing in the background to

Smith’s rich, elegant narration. Like a classical music score, you appreciate the final moments more because of the crescendoing waves of prose that build to a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended. J. Lynn Else

UNDER THE FREEDOM TREE

Susan VanHecke, illus. London Ladd, Charlesbridge, 2019, $7.99/C$9.99, pb, 64pp, 9781580895514

In 1861, three men escaped slavery by rowing across a body of water and being received and protected by the Northern army. Soon more former slaves arrived, and they settled Slabtown, then created the Great Contraband Camp on the ashes of the town of Hampton which had been burned by Southern soldiers. A teacher arrived and taught former slaves in the shade of a large oak tree, the official first “classes” of Hampton University. The tree still grows and is called the Emancipation Oak. This picture book contains full-page illustrations that reflect the mood of the story— sometimes dark and stormy, sometimes bright with hope. The story is told in gorgeous lyrical poetry meant to be read aloud, but which also makes the details of the story sometimes hard to follow. The historical notes at the end fill in the informational blanks. I enjoyed the poetry and pictures while wondering about the intended audience. It would work in a classroom, as part of a unit teaching the time period, or with a parent who can clarify what is happening to the people in the pictures. Elizabeth Caulfield Felt

RACHEL’S ROSES

Ferida Wolff, illus. Margeaux Lucas, Holiday House, 2019, $15.99, hb, 314pp,

9780823443659 Rachel Berger is tired of having her little sister tagging along, getting in the way when Rachel wants to be with her friends. Worse, although Rachel is in the third grade and Hannah isn’t even in school, the girls have to dress alike. When their mother, who has just left her job at a tailor shop and is hoping to work for herself as a dressmaker, promises to remake the girls’ old skirts for Rosh Hashanah, Rachel has an idea: at least she can get some pretty buttons for her skirt that won’t be same as her sister’s. But to get the fancy buttons she longs for, glass with red roses inside them, Rachel will have to earn the money to pay for them. Set in New York’s Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century, this is a charming novel with a vivid cast of characters. It reminded me of Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family series, which is high praise indeed. Margeaux Lucas’s illustrations make a wonderful book even better. Susan Higginbotham

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CONFERENCES

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

ÂŠ 2020, the Historical Novel Society, ISSN: 1471-7492 | Issue 91, February 2020

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