6. A novel based on a real person

[Abigail]

Burial Rites would work for this. It's a heavy read - the historical figure is the last person to have been executed in Iceland - but the writing is really lovely.

[Bronwyn]

The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose was excellent. It's centred around Marina Abramovic and her performance of The Artist is Present at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, but it's primarily about a cast of fictional characters who all sit with Marina over the months that the show ran for. It was an unusual novel but I loved it. It won this year's Stella Prize too.

And I'll second the recommendation for Burial Rites by Hannah Kent! Some really amazing fiction out there from Australian women writers at the moment. :)

[Nancy]

The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper is based on May Alcott, Louisa's sister who she based the character of Amy on (and May hated how she was portrayed).

Girl Waits With Gun, recommended upthread, was excellent. I'll be reading the third book in the series for this prompt.

[Cristin]

Any thoughts on if the Little House (Laura Ingalls Wilder) books would count?

[poshpenny]

Cristin wrote: "Any thoughts on if the Little House (Laura Ingalls Wilder) books would count?"

Fiction based on herself and her family... sounds good to me!

[Shannon]

H.B. Moore writes historical fiction and religious fiction. I picked up The Killing Curse a while back when it was free and it references several real people, The author says you don't need to read the series in order either, which I like. I've read a few of her books and really enjoyed them.

[Stephanie]

Wenjack by Joseph Boyden. It's technically a novella, but it fits the prompt beautifully and is both a historical work and one tied to current discussion around the treatment of indigenous peoples.

[Jo]

Maplecroft is great, if quite kooky (very Lovecraftian). The Invention of Wings is good, too.

A Brief History of Seven Killings would count too, I think.

[Deepika]

The other Alcott.

[Stina]

Eujean2 wrote: "What a great chance to finally ready Maplecroft, a recommendation from a panel at Emerald City Comic Con 2017.

As Patrick Rothfus puts it in his 5 star review: "The primary charact..."

It's not for everybody, but I loved that book!

[Christina]

Anabell wrote: "Stalking Jack the Ripper just to go outside the biography genre."

I thoroughly enjoyed that book and couldn't put it down!

[Jessica]

Cate wrote: "The Paris Wife would fit the bill for this one too."

OH YES!!!!!!!!!!! I have been wanting to read this!! I am going with this one! :)

[Nicole]

If anyone is interested in a different viewpoint on the Salem Witch Trials, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Conde was a good read.

I think I'm going to finally tackle one of Margaret George's books for this prompt! I'm leaning towards Mary, Called Magdalene but I've heard her book on Henry VIII is also very good.

[Tara]

Room isn't based on a real person, there are certainly similar stories and it was apparently inspired by a True case Donohue heard, but I don't think that it really counts for this prompt.

[Elena]

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt. A novel about Lizzie Borden.

[Tara]

After I made my comment I thought about it and I think you can do what you want, who am I to judge? It was inspired by a thing she heard even if the story is fictional. But yeah Schindler's List should work right? I don't actually know much about it.

[AF]

Tara wrote: "Room isn't based on a real person, there are certainly similar stories and it was apparently inspired by a True case Donohue heard, but I don't think that it really counts for this prompt."

Bummer! I'm thinking about reading The Hours by Michael Cunningham instead.

[AF]

Tara wrote: "After I made my comment I thought about it and I think you can do what you want, who am I to judge? It was inspired by a thing she heard even if the story is fictional. But yeah Schindler's List sh..."

I changed my mind again. Schindler's List might go in microhistory, if it fits there. The Hours sounds good to me right now.

[Tara]

Haha I wondered if I was going crazy!! The Hours would work lol

[Trina]

I'm going to go with The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. The synopsis intrigued me without telling me too much. I admire the work of Hemingway and I adore a love story. Sounds like this novel will have some rich themes in which I can sink my teeth into.

[Sara]

Does anyone have recommendations on where to start with Philippa Gregory? I’ve yet to read one of her books.

[Lindi]

Sara wrote: "Does anyone have recommendations on where to start with Philippa Gregory? I’ve yet to read one of her books."

It was suggested to me to read them in chronological order, not by publication. Here is a good list to help you out :)
The first one is The Lady of the Rivers.

[Alisia]

Lee Smith Guests on Earth is a great book. Zelda Fitzgerald is not the main character, but has a large presence in the novel.

[Cindy H.]

I’m thinking about Mademoiselle Chanel but have read and loved The Aviator's Wifeand Fever

[Brandyn]

Since the prompt is "based on" a real person I think there's a lot of leeway if you want it. Technically The Fault in Our Stars would count because Hazel was based on a girl John Green met at a Harry Potter Conference.

So I would definitely count Room as based on a real person. It wasn't her exact story, but it was based on Elizabeth Fritzl.

The Invention of Wings would also count as the Grimke's were real women.

Other options I can think of

The Girls
The Royal We
The Cartel
Wolf Hall (my plan)

[Debbie]

A few other ideas I haven't seen upthread yet:

Vanessa and Her Sister, about Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf and a host of other writers in their circle.

Alex and Eliza, about Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler

My Theodosia, about Aaron Burr's daughter

X, co-written by Malcolm X's daughter and Kekla Magoon (who is also an amazing writer you should look up) - the book is about Malcolm X's childhood, written for a middle-grade audience, but not "dumbed down" at all

The Aviator's Wife, about Charles Lindbergh's home life

I own a few books above, or ones mentioned elsewhere (like Audacity), so I'll probably try to read from my shelves for this one

[Keri]

I am reading Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman by Mary Mann Hamilton

[Jennifer]

I have found three books so far for this list:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (the main character was based on a real person) and 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It's a fictional take on preventing the Kennedy assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald is a character. Plus all 3 have been on my TBR list forever.

[Jeeps (immovabletype)]

If I'm not mistaken, The Pillars of the Earth includes some historical figures, yes?

[Bridget]

Washington and Caesar

This is what I picked for this category. It looks SO good.

[Anna]

Jeeps wrote: "If I'm not mistaken, The Pillars of the Earth includes some historical figures, yes?"

The historical figures loom large, but they're not the focus of the main action -- and the town of Kingsbridge and the main characters are all fictional.

You could argue that the cathedral is based on real places (Wells and Salisbury, I believe), and it's certainly at the heart of the book.

[Jeeps (immovabletype)]

Anna wrote: "Jeeps wrote: "If I'm not mistaken, The Pillars of the Earth includes some historical figures, yes?"

The historical figures certainly loom large, but they're not the focus of the main a..."

I think I'll call that good enough for me, since I'm trying to only read books I currently own as much as possible. Especially if you count setting as a character.

[Emmy]

I am reading Katherine Of Aragon; The True Queen by Alison Weir
Which is part of a series of historical novels, based on each of the wives of Henry VIII.

I could also suggest Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Sovereign by C J Samson which is a Tudor crime thriller but features several historical figures and happens during real historical events and contains a lot of the history of York at the time too. Plus is is a brilliant novel.

[Megan]

Emmy wrote: "I am reading Katherine Of Aragon; The True Queen by Alison Weir
Which is part of a series of historical novels, based on each of the wives of Henry VIII.

I could also suggest Wolf Hall by Hilary M..."


Ooh. I loved Katherine of Aragon! It was so good!

[Jacqueline]

I picked up the
Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley
today. The cover is exquisite and I just had to have it. When I got it home I realised it is the novelisation of the life of a real woman so it will be my book for this prompt.

[Rebecca]

I highly recommend The Moor's Account! It is the Cabeza de Vaca expedition from the perspective of their African slave. The voice is so well done - one of my favorite books of the year.

[Heather]

Isadora by Amelia Gray

[Cathy]

I stumbled across a book I think might work for this. It’s called

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party

Thoughts?

[Chrissy]

Anabell wrote: "Stalking Jack the Ripper just to go outside the biography genre."

This looks amazing. I hadn't heard of it before. Last year I started watching the new TV series The American Ripper on the History Channel, and it has sparked an interest in Jack the Ripper for me. This may be my book for this prompt. Thanks.

[Jess]

This is an easy prompt for me because historical fiction is my favourite genre! I am going to go with the one that has been on my TBR for the longest and that is Now is the Time about the English peasant's revolt of 1380. I believe John Ball and Wat Tyler who led the revolt are the story's protagonists.

The Baroque Cycle Collection are a fantastic series of novels set across Europe in the 17th century. I don't know how well they would fit this theme though because although many real people of the time feature (e.g. Isaac Newton, Samuel Pepys, James I and II of England, William of Orange, Queen Anne of England, Leibniz, Louis XIV of France to name but a few) the three protagonists are fictional characters. Although I would definitely say they were archetypes of time era and there were definitely people like each of these characters I can't say they were based on anyone in particular.

[Lily]

@63Jo wrote: ".... The Invention of Wings is good, too. ..."

I am fascinated that Sue Monk Kidd apparently was looking for a story of two sisters when she attended the dedication of the Judy Chicago installation at the Brooklyn Museum (Google it if interested) and came upon the Grimke sisters, abolitionists born in Charleston and whose slave-supporting family was active in South Carolina politics.

I was fascinated by Kidd's creation of a parallel slave story to the story of the sisters, a story she had to largely develop on plausibility, rather than historic record. Fascinating read for both the "history" and for the writing.

(Okay! I needed a synonym for "fascinating" here! But you get the idea, no?) :-)

[Stephen]

Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass. The former (and hence the latter) began when with tales told to Alice Liddel and her sisters. There is debate about how much the fiction Alice is based on Liddel, but it's clear there's influence. For instance, Alice in Wonderland takes place on Alice Liddel's birthday.

[Tara]

There's also Alice I Have Been from the pov of Alice Liddell

[Susan]

May I suggest The Tattooist of Auschwitz for this prompt? "Based on the true story" is always a good giveaway for me!

[Karen]

For any Norwegians, Fvonk by Erlend Loe would work!

[Molly]

I've been thinking about Young Jane Young for this, although I wonder now if that not based enough on a real person. It's clearly inspired by the Monica Lewinsky scandal, but I don't know if I should instead be going for a novel that features a real person...

[Sarah]

Bernard Cornwell writes fiction that is frequently based on real people. I highly recommend The Last Kingdom. Uhtred is one of Cornwell's ancestors (though he is misplaced in time) but it also features King Alfred the Great, Ubbe Lothbrokson, and Ivar the Boneless, King Edward, the list goes on. Many of his other novels feature almost entire casts of real people.

[Sarah]

Sarah wrote: "Bernard Cornwell writes fiction that is frequently based on real people. I highly recommend The Last Kingdom. Uhtred is one of Cornwell's ancestors (though he is misplaced in time) but..."

Oh! He also has one coming out in 2018 (for the US, already released in the UK) called Fools and Mortals and it's based on Richard Shakespeare (brother of the more famous William Shakespeare).

[Shelly]

Sarah wrote: "Bernard Cornwell writes fiction that is frequently based on real people. I highly recommend The Last Kingdom. Uhtred is one of Cornwell's ancestors (though he is misplaced in time) but..."

Yes. Thank you, Sarah. I have this one under prompt #4 (a book tied to your ancestry) under the advanced challenge. I am looking forward to it.

[Sarah]

Shelly wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Bernard Cornwell writes fiction that is frequently based on real people. I highly recommend The Last Kingdom. Uhtred is one of Cornwell's ancestors (though he is misplace..."

Haha! Is it weird to tell you I'm jealous of your ancestry?

Edited: I just don't know much about my own ancestry- is where this comment came from, to clarify. Wish I did.