Historical Fictionistas discussion

Hi all,
My husband and I will be going to Ireland next week, and I wanted to know some great reads that will keep me hooked on the plane flight and if possible, are set in Ireland. Some of my favorite historical fictions are by Ken Follett and Diana Gabaldon. I look forward to hearing what you suggest!

Try Brenda Jagger's A Song Twice Over: an Irish sewing girl emigrating to England in the 1800s to try to start a dressmaking business, an Irish radical making trouble in the same town, and a millowner's daughter just trying to make a life beyond social stuff. There is an absolutely hair-raising chunk about the Irish famine, and overall it's a long and fantastically absorbing read - perfect for a plane flight if you don't mind slightly dense prose.

I just came back from Ireland last week - had a wonderful time and the weather was great. Where are you going? I also read several books before going.
Galway Bay - REALLY enjoyed this one. It's about the Potato Famine. I would probably tell you to read this one first.
The Yellow House This was also good. Set in Northern Ireland
Circle of Friends Can't believe I hadn't read this already since I've most of her novels.
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion - I liked this but didn't love it. Since I was going to Dublin I really wanted to read up on this rebellion. I learned a lot and it made it more meaningful to go to the places where the events happened. I even stayed in The Shelbourne Hotel.
In the Woods, The Likeness, Faithful Place - Set in Dublin area and in present time these three books are mysteries that are very well written and I enjoyed them very much.

I also started a list (http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/85...) if you want to take a look at that for more ideas.

You absolutely cannot go wrong with How Green Was My Valley.

Lisa wrote: "Hi all,
My husband and I will be going to Ireland next week, and I wanted to know some great reads that will keep me hooked on the plane flight and if possible, are set in Ireland. Some of my ..."

Hi Lisa, Maeve Binchy writes books set i Ireland, often Dublin which show a lot of realistic parts of the Irish life. Don't know if you would like her style though.


Are you coming to Dublin or where in Ireland?

Weather is getting better but still windy.

Maureen wrote: "I just came back from Ireland last week - had a wonderful time and the weather was great. Where are you going? I also read several books before going.
Galway Bay - REALLY enjoyed t..."

You were in Dublin last week???? That is so funny. Who knows if we past each other in the street!:-)
What did you think about it, where did you go?

Lisa wrote: "Hi all,
My husband and I will be going to Ireland next week, and I wanted to know some great reads that will keep me hooked on the plane flight and if possible, are set in Ireland. Some of my ..."

I really enjoyed Roddy Doyle's "A Star Called Henry". (It's the first in what was supposed to be a trilogy.) It's about a boy growing up on the streets of Dublin in the early part of the 20th Century. He joins the IRA and meets some famous characters. The second in the series, "Oh Play That Thing!" takes him to Chicago in the 1920s.

Jeane - My husband and I were in Dublin last week as part of a week long trip celebrating our 25th anniversary. We went to Newgrange, Kilkenny, Waterford County and then ended the trip in Dublin. Loved the whole trip! Are you from there?

Maureen wrote: "Jeane - My husband and I were in Dublin last week as part of a week long trip celebrating our 25th anniversary. We went to Newgrange, Kilkenny, Waterford County and then ended the trip in Dublin. ..."

I am from Belgium but living since about 2 years and a half in Dublin

Jeane wrote: "I am from Belgium but living since about 2 years and a half in Dublin "

I hope you like living there. I think if I won the lottery I would buy a second home there and make the trip across the pond for summers (since I live in Florida and it gets HOT in the summer.) Have you read

Galway Bayyet? It was really good!

Sorry, this is pretty random, but I was wondering if anyone can recommend a book set in New Orleans during the 1800's?

Voodoo Dreams: A Novel of Marie Laveau by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Barbara Hambly's series that begins with A Free Man of Color.

Have you tried David Gemmell? I've just finished reading Midnight Falcon (2nd in the Rigante series) and I'm still in awe.

Thanks for the all the great suggestions!

The Law of Dreams is fantastic - one of my top five books. I highly recommend it.

RE: Kayla's request for New Orleans book set in the 1800's.

Okay, not historical fiction per se. :) It's supernatural themes...but I thought I'd suggest it anyway.
A series set in New Orleans and about a fictional family of witches that spans many generations.

Lives of the Mayfair Witches by Anne Rice
#1The Witching Hour
#2Lasher
#3Taltos

Terri wrote: "RE: Kayla's request for New Orleans book set in the 1800's.

Okay, not historical fiction per se. :) It's supernatural themes...but I thought I'd suggest it anyway.
A series set in New Orleans and..."

Thanks you much for the suggestion! They look fascinating and I just ordered them from the public library!

Terrific! Good luck, Kayla!. :) Keep me posted.

I think you either like or don't like the Anne Rice Mayfair Witches series. There doesn't seem an in between with Rice.

I enjoy Anne Rice's writing style, but I did have trouble staying focused on Lasher. I think I would do better nowadays and will read the series again one day.

The first book in the series in quite large and I hope you can hang in there, because I feel Rice brilliantly captures the dark, sultry, supernatural feel of early New Orleans.

You won't be able to put this book down! Detailed, factual, passionate, full of adventure and creative story:
Written in the Ashes

Lisa wrote: "Hi all,
My husband and I will be going to Ireland next week, and I wanted to know some great reads that will keep me hooked on the plane flight and if possible, are set in Ireland. Some of my f..."

The undisputed Magnum Opus for Ireland has got to be "Trinity" by Leon Uris. But anything by Frank Delaney ("Shannon" or "The Matchmaker of Kenmare" would be appropriate and entertaining. Enjoy your trip!!!

In the vein of Lisa's comment above, my husband and I will be going to Israel in October and was wondering if anyone can recommend a book on the history, etc.

Nancy wrote: "In the vein of Lisa's comment above, my husband and I will be going to Israel in October and was wondering if anyone can recommend a book on the history, etc."
To understand the founding of the modern state of Israel, you should read, "Exodus" by Leon Uris. Amos Oz is Israel's most famous writer, you could try his "In the Land of Israel" or "Scenes from Village Life."
Have a Great Trip!

Nancy wrote: "In the vein of Lisa's comment above, my husband and I will be going to Israel in October and was wondering if anyone can recommend a book on the history, etc."

The Source will give you much about Jewish history. It is set at an archeological dig in modern day Israel. I read it before I went over there and it filled in much of the history. Warning - do not read an abridged version as all the history is left out.

Nancy wrote: "In the vein of Lisa's comment above, my husband and I will be going to Israel in October and was wondering if anyone can recommend a book on the history, etc."

Herman Wouk's "The Hope" and its sequel "The Glory" tell the story of modern Israel from the creation in 1948 through 1988, through several fictional characters. It is superb reading, as one would expect from Wouk.

Rachel - thanks for responding. As a young woman I read Exodus every spring and ironically I just read it recently again. I have also read Amos Oz and will look for the two books you mentioned.

I read and loved The Source Holly many years ago but I do plan on reading it again. It is one of my favorite books along with The Drifters also written by James Michener. Thanks for the suggestion.

Lee- funny that you mentioned these two titles since I bought them when they were first published but never did read them. Now, after your recommendation,I certainly will pick these up. BTW - Wouk at 98 is about to publish his newest book.

Nancy wrote: "Lee- funny that you mentioned these two titles since I bought them when they were first published but never did read them. Now, after your recommendation,I certainly will pick these up. BTW - Wou..."
Nancy, I think that you'll really enjoy both books. Wouk is incredible- and still writing in his 90s. He is an inspiration to us all!

I definitely will read The Hope and The Glory before we travel in October. I have read almost all of Wouk's books and being a woman from New York who snuck out to meet the guys from a boys camp, I loved Marjorie Morningstar.

Did you ever read The Drifters. Many years ago we were at a movie and I told my husband one of the scenes was supposed to be Djinn's Palace. When he asked how I knew, since I had never been there, I said Michener wrote such detail about this place that I knew it as if I had traveled there.

Nancy wrote: "I definitely will read The Hope and The Glory before we travel in October. I have read almost all of Wouk's books and being a woman from New York who snuck out to meet the guys from a boys camp, I..."
I haven't read The Drifters- but I, too, am a native of New York City!

Where did you live and where do you live now. Read The Drifters. It's wonderful.

Nancy wrote: "Where did you live and where do you live now. Read The Drifters. It's wonderful."

I grew up in Far Rockaway in Queens. I'm currently stationed in the Norfolk, Virginia area and live in Chesapeake. I will get a copy of The Drifters- thanks for the recommendation.

My husband spent summers in Far Rockaway. We now live in New Jersey. I guess that's as far as we're going to move from New York.

Nancy wrote: "My husband spent summers in Far Rockaway. We now live in New Jersey. I guess that's as far as we're going to move from New York."

He must have stayed at the bungalows. I don't know if any of them are still standing.

Yes, he did. He went with his mother, younger sister and grandparents. They all lived in the Bronx at the time and eventually they went to a bungalow colony in the Catskill Mountains.

'The Drifters' sounds a great read and pertinent to my family. My siblings and I were born and raised in Philadelphia (though my father was from England). My brother has lived all over the world though he's in VA. at the moment. My other brother has drifted around but he's more or less a hermit up in Northern PA. I've lived all over England as well as PA and now I live in Ireland.