6. A novel based on a real person

[Ursula]

My suggestion for this category if you want to go waay back for your person (and especially if you read from the 1001 books list at all) is Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar.

For me, I've got The Agony and the Ecstasy on the shelf.

[Coleen]

I recommend The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great -- I read it for one of last year's prompts. It's a fictionalized story of Catherine the Great.

[Laura]

Letizia wrote: "I think I'm going to reread Girl with a Pearl Earring or something like that, maybe by Tracey Chevalier too. Remarkable Creatures was also good. It's about Mary Anning, who was an fossil collector,..."

remarkable creatures was great!!

[Tonya]

I read The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell last year and loved it.

[Kim]

Mount Vernon Love Story: A Novel of George and Martha Washington fits this prompt. I read it a long time ago and loved it. Also Lincoln in the Bardo fills the prompt for a book about death and/or grief as well as this prompt for those of you who are doubling up.

[Portia]

Wendy wrote: "I'm thinking of going with one of these:

Margaret the First
La Reine Margot
The Lodger - one of the earliest novels based on Jack the Ripper"

Thanks for this Wendy! The Lodger is required reading for one of my classes next semester and I hadn't gotten around to researching anything about it yet. Glad to know I can tick off a prompt and still keep on top of my uni readings lists!

[poshpenny]

The Axeman's Jazz

[Kara]

A Piece of the World

This was such a wonderful book! It is about Christina Olson, the subject of Andrew Wyeth's painting "Christina's World." LOVED this book! If you haven't picked a book for this prompt, consider this book!

[Morgan]

Caleb Carr's The Alienist has Teddy Roosevelt all over the place.

Christopher Isherwood's The Berlin Stories ... and that would also count as a book that became a play.

[Nancy]

I’m reading Three week’s with my Brother my Nicholas Sparks

[Sarah]

Linda wrote: "Would Lilac Girls count for this category?"

I just finished the audiobook for Lilac Girls and I'm counting it for this one! I highly recommend it!

[Charity]

Perma Red

I'm considering reading this one. The story is based on the author's grandmother's life.

[Lin]

I have found a couple of books that are based on story about a real person.
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
Beyond the Blossoming Fields

[Tina]

Ok. Is this fictional characters based on real people (Alice in Wonderland type thing), a nonfiction book (biography), or fiction containing a real person (historical fiction or the like)?

[Katie]

I chose Fatherland by Robert Harris....Set in the 1960's in Berlin, it's about how the world might look if the Nazis won WW2. There are many real people in the novel who were high up in Hitler's circle.
It's a great read for anyone who likes alternate history or crime thrillers.

[Malaraa]

Tina wrote: "Ok. Is this fictional characters based on real people (Alice in Wonderland type thing), a nonfiction book (biography), or fiction containing a real person (historical fiction or the like)?"

I would count either the first or the last, but not the middle, it seems intended to be fictional, not non-fiction.

[Kate]

The Uncommon Reader is a fun quick read.

[Tina]

Sanasai wrote: "Tina wrote: "Ok. Is this fictional characters based on real people (Alice in Wonderland type thing), a nonfiction book (biography), or fiction containing a real person (historical fiction or the li..."
Good deal. Ty!

[Amanda]

Lincoln in the Bardo is supposed to be good!

[Elissa]

Would The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory fit in this category?

[poshpenny]

Elissa wrote: "Would The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory fit in this category?"

Yup

[Alice]

The Honest Spy is available for 99p today on Amazon UK and is based on a true story so would fit this category.

[Bridgette]

Pernille wrote: "Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates is based on Jeffrey Dahmer. It is also made into a stage play."

Zombie was absolutely chilling! I don’t think I could handle seeing it on stage. I had no idea it was based on Jeffrey Dahmer.

(One book I haven’t seen mentioned here yet is Beneath a Scarlet Sky. The main character, Pino Lella, is apparently a real person.)

[Aryssa]

I'll be reading Fatal Throne which is a novelization of Henry VIII and his six wives! It's one of my most anticipated books of the year and I've got an arc I'm going to devour soon.

[Flick]

Bring Up the Bodies

[Rebecca]

I'm reading Confessions of Catherine de Medici. I studied art history a bit in college so I know a lot about the Medici family but not much about the last remaining heir. Her life as Queen of France was quite difficult but she had a lot of political influence. It's interesting.

[Fran]

Last year I readLilac Girls and two of the characters are real people. I looked up information about them when I finished the book. Fascinating. I recommend the book

[Callie]

I am starting The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia by C.W. Gortner

[Emily]

Many of Nancy Mitford's novels are based on her family.

[Emily]

For this one, I read Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, and if you're interested I wrote a review! You can read it on my blog The Little Book Affair, or you can read my review right here on Goodreads!

[Rebecca]

Trying a more obscure novel about a real person, I think:

The Greatest Knight
since I was reading The Summer Queen from 2017 Challenge, this kinda follows up on Eleanor.

[Ingrid]

Anna wrote: "I've been meaning to re-read Wolf Hall... Or maybe this is the chance to finally tackle Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath

Burial Rites would also qual..."

Anna wrote: "I've been meaning to re-read Wolf Hall... Or maybe this is the chance to finally tackle Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath

Burial Rites would also qual..."

I keep an amazing memory of Wintering, I had no idea it was about a famous writer when I opened it (the French version didn't translate the second part of the title) and I discovered Plath's work after reading this book!
The recent West of Sunset by Stewart O'Nan is also quite good, deals with FS Fitzgerald's last years in Hollywood after Zelda was institutionalized.
(Pardon any mistakes in my English I read and undetstand it fluently but haven’t practiced in a while)

[Shelley]

I read America's First Daughter which was a beautifully written book that seems to have been very well researched. It really highlights both the difficulties of the poor wealthy (the Jeffersons go through a lot of money problems) and the moral issues of being anti-slavery while having their entire lives dependent on them. It was an interesting look into a question that I've always wondered how someone could live with.

[Theresa]

The Cottingley Secret - uses actual me oir of Frances Griffith as core around which contemporary fictional story revolves. Francex Griffiths was one of the girls in the infamous Cottingly Fairy photos from 1917.

[Ariel]

The Map of Time Trilogy is centered around H.G. Wells and features other real life people as well.

[Megan]

Finished Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession

Would *not* recommend.

[Elizabeth]

Looks like I'll be trying either The Woman on the Orient Express or Mrs Queen Takes the Train depending on which comes in first from the library.

[Melanie]

Are there any books that fit this prompt that are NOT murder-related or about royal families? I am really struggling to find something that fits this prompt.

[Kara]

Melanie wrote: "Are there any books that fit this prompt that are NOT murder-related or about royal families? I am really struggling to find something that fits this prompt."

The Cottingley Secret
A Piece of the World
Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb

[Pepita]

I have just read The Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley - while John Gould is famous for his study and discovery of many species of birds from around the world it was his wife Elizabeth who actually did the paintings that illustrated his books; this is a beautiful story of her own achievements, support for her husband's work all while bearing his children year after year....

[Milena]

Melanie wrote: "Are there any books that fit this prompt that are NOT murder-related or about royal families? I am really struggling to find something that fits this prompt."

The Other Einstein
Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Paris Wife

[Jess]

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres. Recommendations from my read list:

Books with a protagonist from history

Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies
The Drowning Guard: A Novel of the Ottoman Empire
Confession
Anything by Philippa Gregory
The Last Queen of India
Murder as a Fine Art
The Bloodletter's Daughter: A Novel of Old Bohemia
The Accursed Kings series by Maurice Druon


Books heavily featuring a person from history
Mirror Mirror
House of Bathory
To Say Nothing of the Dog
The Lacuna
The Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Saylor
The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

Books based on a true story
Frog Music

[Frogli]

I've been meaning to read In the Time of the Butterflies for a while so I'll probably go with that.

Although I did see both The Hamilton Affair and Alex and Eliza at the library. As much as I love the musical not sure I can face either of those lol.

[Ali]

My grandmother lent me Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which stars Jane Austen so I think I'll be using it! It sounds rather cheesy, but I think it'll be a fun read. My grandmother recommends it!

[Tara]

I counted The German Girl here. It was a book club pick so I’m always a little less picky about placing those. The events are real and there really were people in the protagonists situation so whether she is literally a real person she was definitely based on real people. Also there were real characters in it as well.

[Fran]

Melanie wrote: "Are there any books that fit this prompt that are NOT murder-related or about royal families? I am really struggling to find something that fits this prompt."

Yes both I know are World War Two
Lilac Girls
And The Zookeeper's Wife

[Catherine]

Ugh! I'm so totally lost for this prompt. The only thing I"ve ever read like this is Outlander, but I don't even think that counts as the protagonists aren't real people, there are just real people littered throughout the books.

Any suggestions? I'm REALLY bad with history, so if the book needs a lot of prior knowledge about royals or wars etc, I'm pretty much out as I'll be lost. I was hoping for something that was more of a personal 'story' than a recount of some battle or reign.

Does it have to be 'historical'? I guess that's just the genre that fits best as authors don't tend to write fictional books about people that are still alive. But anything a bit more modern might pique my interest?

Help?

[Frogli]

Catherine wrote: "Ugh! I'm so totally lost for this prompt. The only thing I"ve ever read like this is Outlander, but I don't even think that counts as the protagonists aren't real people, there are just real people..."

How about something like Chasing the Light which is historical but pretty self contained no need for prior knowledge of wars/royals.

I'm sure there are many others that's just the first thing that springs to mind.

Also Remarkable Creatures which is a good one for those avoiding war/murders/royals as well.

[Amanda]

Anna wrote: "Actually, I've been meaning to read The Agony and the Ecstasy forever, and this looks like a good reason to do it!

(It's a biographical novel about Michelangelo. Bonus: I'm going to..."

Such a great book!!!

[Patricia]

Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keeffe