Historical Fictionistas discussion

This is a thread for recommending historical fiction where the characters take a long journey within the book. Useful for clocking up the miles!

Some excellent books I have read:

Stone's Fall by Iain Pears
London > Paris > Venice > London

The Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone
Iceland > Greenland > Newfoundland

Star of the Sea by Joseph O'Connor
Cobh, Ireland > New York City, USA

Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown
England > China > America

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
New Zealand > Australia > Rome

In Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, the heroine travels to the Near East toward the end of the story, though the journey itself is not discussed.

In Second Impressions by Ava Farmer, a married Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet spend much of the story traveling in Europe.

Those are two that spring to mind right away.

There's by Noah Gordon. The author knows how to keep the story moving, although his grasp of historical accuracy leaves much to be desired.

There's also Geraldine Brooks' . The book in the title is itself on a centuries' long journey.

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: GB -> Australia
: China (-> Heavens) -> India (?)
: all around the world (by ship), e.g. all of South America, Galapagos, New Zealand, Australia, and so on (it's the journeys of the Beagle
: also once around the planet by ship
: GB -> New Caledonia in the South Pacific
: GB -> Borneo

Washington Black

I'm sorry I don't remember all the places he went but there were many. I think he ended up in the Arctic or in a desert? I just remembered liking the book. :)

Fiona; This is a great idea! Thanks for adding this thread :)

Before the Crown by Flora Harding Book trip total is 27,220 miles which I wasn't expecting. You'll travel not just all over UK but also through Europe and South Africa. You can click on my thread to see all of the trips and mileage :)

The Silver Pigs #1 Marcus Didius Falco historical mystery by Lindsey Davis Book trip total is 7,073 miles. My thread shows the trips and mileage.

Leonora in the Morning Light by Michaela Carter
Places traveled: London, Paris, Saint Martin d’Ardeche, Andorra, Madrid, Lisbon, New York and Mexico

The Year Without Summer by Guinevere Glasfurd is a series of interlinked stories taking place in Indonesia, England, Switzerland, and Vermont.

The Tiger Queens: The Women of Genghis Khan by Stephanie Marie Thornton covered almost 16k miles, from Mongolia to Iran and Vienna, and back. And all of it on horseback (thankfully it was the characters in the saddle for that distance, not me)!

I haven't read this but it's on my to read list and there's a giveaway for it:

Great Circle

We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen was a great read. Several generations of sailors traveling the world.

Travelled 34,223 miles in American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt. I didn't realize that Alice Roosevelt was such a well-travelled woman, as well as a fascinating character.

This is my third book by Stephanie Marie Thornton as part of this challenge (I also read Daughter of the Gods, which was a great read but the character stayed in Eygpt). She's becoming a favourite.

I finished The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna today and enjoyed it. She traveled a lot in the book for over 65,000 miles.

I read Silk and Song Trilogy a few years ago and really oved it. This is a compilation of 3 books Stabenow previously wrote. It is the story of Johanna, granddaughter of Marco Polo. The tale begins in 1292 while Polo still resides in Cambaluc (what we know as The Forbidden City), then follows the life of, first her mother and father and then Johanna after she loses them both. With only 2 dear foster siblings left to trust, Johanna flees down the Silk Road she traveled so many times with her parents. The journey spans over 3 decades and is rife with battles and intrigue. There was a bit of everything in this book: history, mystery and romance (beware gentle readers: the author dives into raving sex scenes once or twice, but they can be avoided.)

The Exiles goes from England to Australia and back.