American Historical Fiction discussion

I am not reading any historical fiction about America right now, just non-fiction at the moment. I have been reading a series about an Icelandic detective.
KB

Holly wrote: "Just finished Wings: A Novel of WWII Flygirls.

Debut author from my neck of the woods. Important book because it brought to light the women pilots who often outflew their male cou..."

Hi, I just joined this group. You might want to check out Flygirl. It's about a light-complected black woman at the start of WWII. Her father taught her to fly but the WASP won't let in a colored girl, so she decides to pass for white. It is an amazing story of how she deals with both having to reject her own heritage and the camaraderie she finds among other female pilots. The story is actually YA, but interestingly the teens I've recommended it to don't seem to understand the significance of the challenges. Older women love it.

Richard wrote: "I'm looking for a good meaty historical fiction book set during the Civil War. Any recommendations?

thanks"

Killer Angels, definitely, but also check out Unto This Hour, written a number of years ago by Tom Wicker. It's a wonderful story of Bull Run.

I startedWicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials it a book written in poety it should be an fun but different read.

Richard wrote: "I'm looking for a good meaty historical fiction book set during the Civil War. Any recommendations?

thanks"

Cold Mountain and The Black Flower: A Novel of the Civil War are both excellent.
I've also read the Kent Family Chronicles, of which The Titans
is of the American Civil War time. That whole series was excellent.
There are many more recommendations here:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/60...

Thanks for sharing the link to that list, Jaye!

Jenny wrote: "Thanks for sharing the link to that list, Jaye!"

You're welcome ! I think I'm going to read
North and South

very soon.

I've never actually read North and South, but the miniseries is my favorite!! I read Charleston, and I've got all of the Kent Chronicles sitting on my TBR shelf.

I'm reading Julian by Gore Vidal. It's a fantastic look at the Roman Empire. You really can't tell what's fact and what's fiction. Plus, the writing is superb.

The Listopia list there is a mixture of historical fiction and non-fiction; but a lot of good books!

Looking forward to White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke by Paul Clayton, one of our members. Hope I win the giveaway.

Hello every one ,
I'm reading now Penguin Readers Stories, and then Harry Potter Stories
I'm new at reading in English as I'm from Egypt.
thank you

Jenny wrote: "Thanks for sharing the link to that list,

I read almost all of John Jakes' books. (Volume 1) The Bastard and (volume 2) The Rebels in the American Bicentennial Series (also known as the Kent Family Chronicles ) deal with the causes leading up to and the fighting of the American Revolution. It marks the beginnings of a immigrant family that will expand as our young country did. I personally think these first two volumes are the best of this series. (Volume 3) The Seekers covers the early part of the 19th century and US expansion west. (Volume 4) The Furies expand over Texas's fight for independence and the pre-Civil War years. (Volume 5) The Titans and (volume 6) The Warriors span the Civil War, adding color, feeling and understanding to both sides of that terrible conflict. (Volume 7) The Lawless bring the Kent family further west to a new untamed and violent country we now remember as the wild west. (Volume 8) The Americans is the last volume in the series and describes a country almost fully expanded and on the eve of stretching it wings and becoming the world power of the twentieth century. I assure you that upon completion of the entire series you are as taken with Jakes' Kent characters as you are with the history they were a part of.
The North and South, Love and War and Heaven and Hell have been used as the basis of a television series. Unfortunately but typically the TV series falls far short of the novels. The Main and Hazard families unite when our country was still united and were torn apart by war as that same country was. North and South is the preamble to the saga as the United States tries but fails to resolve their differences. Love and War is dominated by a war that spills over into Heaven and Hell. This is a great series for anyone interested in the Civil War period but I would suggest you read them in order to get the entire flow of the story and impact of the times.

Just purchased the North and South Trilogy and I think Jake's The Bastard is next on my list.

Good choice.....you won't regret it.

Lisa wrote: "Just purchased the North and South Trilogy and I think Jake's The Bastard is next on my list."

Hello. I've just joined this group after lurking for a short time. I've never read Jake's work. Which of his books would you folks recommend as a starter? I'd prefer the book that is most readable and the most apt to keep me reading. Thanks.

This discussion reminds me - PBS is rebroadcasting Ken Burns' series on The Civil War this week.

I'm reading Water For Elephants.

I started The Bastard by John Jakes yesterday. I'm also reading John Adams by David McCullough.

You can just pick any one and start. The Bastard is the first of eight in the series covering the creation and growth of the United States. That is as good a place as any to enter the world of John Jakes.

Thank you, Thom. At least it's an easy title to remember. :)

Frankie wrote: "I'm reading Water For Elephants."

One of my favorites! Are you enjoying it?

Jenny wrote: "I'm also picking up these new releases from the library today: Evangeline: A Novel and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I'm looking forward to both of them!"

I really liked The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane though it has been awhile since I read it. I wrote a blog post about it at http://parlezmoiblog.blogspot.com/201... if you are interested.

I read the whole Outlander series a few years back and loved it. I just finished reading Ahab's Wife and absolutely loved it. I gave my copy to a friend to read and now wish I had it back so I could re-read some parts. Beautiful book.

I was not very impressed with The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - I wanted to like it, and yet ended up giving it 2 stars. (I guessed both the villain and the "big twist" quite early, which didn't help.)

I just started "Between Shades of Gray" bu Ruta Sepetys. So far it is really good!

I could not finish Evangeline, and I still have Deliverance Dane sitting on my TBR shelf! I also have Ahab's Wife, but I haven't read it yet, partly because I didn't really care for Adam & Eve, though I have had several readers tell me that her other books are much better.

Joan--everyone is raving about Shades of Gray! Keep us posted...

Kathleen wrote: "I read the whole Outlander series a few years back and loved it. I just finished reading Ahab's Wife and absolutely loved it. I gave my copy to a friend to read and now wish I had it ba..."

I adore Outlander, and am always happy to meet a fellow fan :)

Okay will keep you posted. I would not even start Deliverance Dane - I was really disappointed with that book!

You can lose an entire summer to the Outlander series -- I know.

I am reading (believe it or not) Moby Dick. After falling in love with Ahab's Wife I decided to read it again.

Susanna wrote: "I was not very impressed with The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - I wanted to like it, and yet ended up giving it 2 stars. (I guessed both the villain and the "big twist" quite early, which did..."

Thank you! I thought I was the only person who didn't like this book. There were just so many things that a doctoral student in colonial studies should have known, but this one didn't - like that a "receipt" was a "recipe" - or that she had never been in the special collections section of the Widener library ar Harvard. I could go on. It took a really good premise for a book a destroyed it for me.

Frankie wrote: "I'm reading Water For Elephants."

I was in a writer's group with Sarah Gruen when she was working on that. She had written a couple of horse novels that sold fairly well and when she sent her publisher Water for Elephants they turned it down and told her to go write another horse book. She was so shocked.

Eventually Algonquin bought the book and look what happened.

I've also read the Outlander series (as far as you can read) but it didn't take me anywhere near a summer to do it. Once I was hooked I seemed to both live and breathe Jamie and Claire. I know that I will read the series again in a few years as good books never fail to inspire.

Hello,

I am reading "Pride and Prejudice" it's my first Austen novel. I tried reading "Jane Eyre" by Bronte and gave up 14 chapters in. I may try it again but it was just so boring and dry! These are authors I really want to like, since they're so acclaimed but oh well, maybe this isn't for me. The last historical fiction I read and really liked was "East of Eden" by Steinbeck. Thank you.

Hello,
This is my first time posting so I am very excited! Right now, I am reading "Holmes on the Range" by Steve Hockensmith and am loving it so far! Honeybfly, It took me a while to get into the Jane Austen books as they were difficult to read but now I can't put them down. Good luck to you!

Nineteenth century English literature requires a particular state of mind to truly enjoy. Charles Dickens is probably the most accessible but one could also try Thomas Hardy or William Makepeace Thackeray. Both are highly readable (if not a little dry). You mustn't forget that 19th century England is a far cry from the England (and for that matter the world) today.

Thom wrote: "Nineteenth century English literature requires a particular state of mind to truly enjoy. Charles Dickens is probably the most accessible but one could also try Thomas Hardy or William Makepeace T..."

I love Thomas Hardy. His books are among my very favorites.

Honeybfly wrote: I tried reading "Jane Eyre" by Bronte and gave up 14 chapters in. I may try it again but it was just so boring and dry!

I loved all the books by the Bronte sisters when I was in my 20s and early 30s. Recently I tried to re-read Wuthering Heights. That book is tedious. Whatever did I see in it? I quit after enduring about 25% of it. IMHO both Heathcliff and Cathy are sociopaths, made out to be heroes. We know that Emily Bronte was weird, but now I'm wondering whether she was a sociopath.

Suzanne Adair

Suzanne, I pretty much agree with you about Heathcliff and Cathy! (Or at least for sure about Heathcliff.) Thom, very true about the state of mind required.

New blogpost on this topic: The Delights of Nineteenth Century Literature Should Not Be Inflicted on the Young.

http://karenlynnallen.blogspot.com/20...

I reread Wuthering Heights last year, and halfway through I was thinking, these people are crazy! why did I love this book? But by the end I was in love with it again. I don't think Heathcliff and Cathy are painted as heroes--they're both villainous testaments to the power of strong emotions and the havoc anger and jealousy can wreak. And both of them suffer for their actions. Little Cathy and Hareton are the real heroes, able to overcome all that they've been through at the hands of Heathcliff, to turn out alright and find love with each other.

Anyway, after seeing everyone rave about Ahab's Wife, I'm going to have to pull it off the shelf and give it a try!

Kathleen wrote: "Thom wrote: "Nineteenth century English literature requires a particular state of mind to truly enjoy. Charles Dickens is probably the most accessible but one could also try Thomas Hardy or Willia..."

Suzanne wrote: "Honeybfly wrote: I tried reading "Jane Eyre" by Bronte and gave up 14 chapters in. I may try it again but it was just so boring and dry!

I loved all the books by the Bronte sisters when I was in m..."

I did read Great Expectations and I thought it was ok. You're right, it's a particular mind set you have to be in for this style of writing.

Shoot, I just posted two new titles, which I enthusiastically recommend, on the Intro chat room instead of this one. Briefly, The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss is set in Idaho during WWI. A young woman is the protag -- she's a horse trainer who accomplishes wonders with whispering and touching and loving the horses. Lots about horses, but about the people of this isolated valley, too. Really good book.

the other one is set in Germany in the years leading up to and then during WWII. Those Who Save Us is by Jenna Blum. Young woman, Aryan, in love with Jew who is caught by Nazis. She has child, is scared, starving. SS officer takes her as mistress. Very insightful, realistic feel for the choice she has to make. Feed her child and herself by accepting the creepy SS guy versus starvation, probably execution as well. Lots more in it, but this is a little box. Highly recommend both of these titles.

Water for Elephants
It amazes me that this book slipped pass me for this long until i "discovered" it about last week and apparently the movie is gonna premier next week.
I am loving the book so far and the copy i got at Audible is just a top class production, so far the best i got from audible.

Beyond the shining mountains by Doris Shannon. This is shaping up to be a lucky find. Englishman through circumstances is sent to western British Columbia to *see* about his father in law's businesses (he's a rival to Hudson's Bay Company). Laurence (Laurie) becomes involved with a young woman who is half indian.

I just started The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss. Someone lent it to me thinking I would enjoy it because of the things I write. Same time period, same kinds of characters. I am not very far into it but the two protagonitst have caught my fancy, and I want to see where it is all going. The two threads are written in first person, and I wonder if it will get tedious or confusing.

Suzanne wrote: "Honeybfly wrote: I tried reading "Jane Eyre" by Bronte and gave up 14 chapters in. I may try it again but it was just so boring and dry!

I loved all the books by the Bronte sisters when I was in m..."

That's so interesting -- I had the same experience. I loved the books when I was young but when I re-read it all I could think is "these people need a meeting!" I wrote a blog post about it if you are interested: http://parlezmoiblog.blogspot.com/200...

I do love Thomas Hardy though...

I just started Megan Chance's The Spirtualist which is set in New York in the 1850s about the big fad for spiritualism at the time. So far I'm really enjoying it.

Hi! I'm reading Outlander by Gabaldon right now for the IRL Historical Fiction Book I run. Gabaldon is pretty much my favorite author flaws & all.
Another recent read was The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Howe.
I agree with another poster that it really had potential & the set up was great, but the ending......meh. She could've done so much more. sigh.

Kathleen wrote: "I just started Megan Chance's The Spirtualist which is set in New York in the 1850s about the big fad for spiritualism at the time. So far I'm really enjoying it."

Kathleen your link was to
The Wanderings of a Spiritualistby Arthur Conan Doyle. This is the book by Megan Chance: The Spiritualist: A Novel in case people reading this thread wanted to find out more about Megan Chance's book.

I'm reading The Help The Help and it is a great read. Funny, heartfelt, infuriating all in one.