6. A novel based on a real person

[Cindyjaxn]

I read Preistdaddy for this prompt, a memoir about a girl who grew up as the daughter of a Catholic priest. It is non fiction but reads as fiction.

[Trinity]

I will be reading Treachery by S.J. Parris. This is book 4 in the Giordano Bruno series. Book 1 is Heresy if you are interested in picking them up.

Also fills the female author with male pseudonym if you are allowing yourself to use initials.

[Janie]

Wondering (no pun intended) if Wonder would count because it was based on a little girl the author met at an ice cream stand?

[Rose]

Philippa Gregory books would be a good choice if you're looking for royal intrigue, romance.

The Other Boleyn Girl

[Samantha]

I read Alias Grace for this prompt - this is a great book for historical fiction lovers, as well as anyone wanting to read more Canlit!

[Chinook]

Sarah E. wrote: "Wondering (no pun intended) if Wonder would count because it was based on a little girl the author met at an ice cream stand?"

Was seeing the girl merely a catalyst to writing her own story about a similar child or is the plot based on that girl’s life? To me the first wouldn’t be enough but the second would.

[Kara]

Patricia, I love Georgia O'Keefe! I will have to read that book!

[Amanda]

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,..."

Thank you for the Remarkable Creatures recommendation. It was really enjoyable!

[[deleted user]]

I listened to Lincoln in the Bardo for this one. Glad it was audio, otherwise I don't think I would have gotten through it. Very different.

[Kenya]

I... went with something bizarre for this prompt. I was originally going to read Roosevelt's Beast, but I changed my mind and went with something that I suppose, technically, is fanfic, but has been published as an actual book so I'm still gonna count it.

With Strings Attached, or The Big Pink Job

It's a book about the Beatles (yes, John, Paul, George, and Ringo) getting transported to a fantasy world and having to find their way out. It looks weird... but I like weird.

[Chris]

I went with Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald- Therese Anne Fowler
I picked this one because I love the literature, characters, and personalities of The Lost Generation. This is a very sad book.

[[deleted user]]

I listened to Lincoln in the Bardo for this one

[Kaitlyn]

I'll be reading Caroline: Little House, Revisited

[Kriti]

will Arthur & George by Julia Barnes qualify?

[Laura]

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..."

I read The Invention of Wings for last year's challenge - it's based on the Grimke sisters, who were abolitionists, and the fictional relationship with one of their slaves. It was really good, and the writing felt so intimate.

[Allegra]

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."

Last fall I audioed White Truffles in Winter, about Auguste Escoffier. Covering most of his long life, it discusses an interesting time in history, has several subplots and mini-stories, and then there's all the food. It even got me to check out one of his cookbooks, but alas, no bouillabaisse yet.

[Cornerofmadness]

I finished Maplecroft for this and almost every character is a real person so if you ever wanted to see Lizzie Borden wielding her axe in the Cthulu Lovecraftian universe, this is the book for you.

Also if you're a mystery fan there are literally dozens of mysteries where real people end up sleuths, I've seen so very many. I have a love/hate relationship with that mystery sub-genre.

[Cornerofmadness]

Nadine wrote: "I can't decide if I'm excited or terrified by the thought of "True Blood" being based on true events ;-)"

Same here!

[Emily]

Would the sword in the stone be okay? I heard suggestions that King Arthur was based on a real person.

[Leah]

I would think The Red Tent would work, if you consider Old Testament characters to be real people.

[Jackie]

Emily wrote: "Would the sword in the stone be okay? I heard suggestions that King Arthur was based on a real person."

Sure! King Arthur was *probably* a real person (historians are pretty sure anyway) but there's not much actual verifiable evidence about what his life was like.

[Tytti]

Jackie wrote: "King Arthur was *probably* a real person (historians are pretty sure anyway)"

As far as I know, most historians don't think Arthur was a real person. There might have been men and stories about them over the centuries that have contributed to the Arthur lore.

[Kimberly]

I just finished by Wingate. It is based on the life of Georgia Tann and the infamous Tennessee Children's Society. Countless children were stolen from their families, under Tann's supervision and given to wealthy families.

[Sneha]

I am reading Fire and Fury for this one :)

[Maggie]

Katie wrote: "Lincoln in the Bardo was fantastic. But I'm not sure if Abe or Willie would really be called the protagonists."
This is the book I chose for this category. I'm glad to see that it's good. I will be starting it soon.

[Maggie]

Theresa wrote: "Kristy wrote: "The Paris Wife (about Hemingway's first wife, I think...)"

Highly recommend The Paris Wife which is indeed about and from POV of Hemingway's first wife. I read it for ..."

Same here. It inspired me to go read a bunch of Hemingway's books. If you liked The Paris Wife, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler is about F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife. It's excellent and would work for this category.

[Sarah]

Cornerofmadness wrote: "Nadine wrote: "I can't decide if I'm excited or terrified by the thought of "True Blood" being based on true events ;-)"

Same here!"

Speaking of True Blood, (vampire) Elvis is in some of the Sookie Stackhouse books

[Cornerofmadness]

Tytti wrote: "Jackie wrote: "King Arthur was *probably* a real person (historians are pretty sure anyway)"

As far as I know, most historians don't think Arthur was a real person. There might have been men and s..."

It's actually a hotly debated topic and there are probably just as many historians that do believe he was a Roman era king as not just judging by what you can find in scholarly journals.

[Tytti]

Cornerofmadness wrote: "It's actually a hotly debated topic and there are probably just as many historians that do believe he was a Roman era king"

Well not really, as there is no historical evidence that he ever existed. Some people might believe he did but that's about it, they can't prove it. And usually he has been said to have lived in the fifth or sixth century (in part because there are hardly any historical sources from that time), so that would be after the Roman era.

[Kimberly]

I’m Reading “Lady of the Rivers” by Philippa Gregory for this one. It is about Jacquetta Woodville, grandmother to the “Princes in the Tower”. Very good so far.

[Fran]

Kimberly wrote: "I just finished by Wingate. It is based on the life of Georgia Tann and the infamous Tennessee Children's Society. Countless children were stolen from thei..."

Thank you for this ! My daughter was adopted, legally of course! I definetly will read this

[Hayley]

I'm thinking about The Girls in the Picture for this prompt (and probably double duty for a book published in 2018), does it qualify?

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

I read Breaking Free: How I Escaped My Father-Warren Jeffs-Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult for this prompt although it is her story not just a work of fiction based on real life but I still thought it would work for the prompt.


I read this book in a single sitting yesterday! It’s hard to fathom that this sort of thing still happens today in the US! This book made me so grateful for my own life!

[Theresa]

The Widows of Malabar Hill - set in 1920s India (Bombay actually), a new mystery series that Massey has based on India's first female lawyers: Cornelia Sorabji of Poona and Mithan Tata Lam ofll Bombay.

[Crumb]

Can you read a book that is based on multiple real people? Like In the Time of the Butterflies or The Magdalen Girls?

[Ellie]

For all those who aren't too keen on historical fiction in general I can thoroughly second all the recommendations for Remarkable Creatures! I usually just prefer non-fiction to learn about figures in history but Tracy Chevalier does such a good job.

I didn't think I had any books on my TBR for this prompt but I've had a second look and I have HHhH and Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer, both of which I've had for years. Time to dust one of them off!

[Juliebean]

Do you think Island of the Blue Dolphins would count for this? It seems to be fiction but based on a true event. It's one of those books that I "should" have read but never did, and it's on my Kindle already. So it has two points in its favor as far as I'm concerned. ;)

[Kayla]

What about Before We Were Yours?

[Crumb]

Kayla.. I have seen other people in this prompt choosing to use that one, so I would say yes.

[Laura]

Julie wrote: "Do you think Island of the Blue Dolphins would count for this? It seems to be fiction but based on a true event. It's one of those books that I "should" have read but never did, and i..."

I don't know if it would fit exactly since it's an event rather than a person, but you could use it for the "childhood classic you've never read" prompt if you need to fill that. Maybe even "set at sea," but I haven't read it so this would need confirmation.

[Danielle]

Laura wrote: "Julie wrote: "Do you think Island of the Blue Dolphins would count for this? It seems to be fiction but based on a true event. It's one of those books that I "should" have read but ne..."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Island_...

It is based on a real person - I grew up in Southern California and read this as a child, and part of what was emphasized was that it was something that did happen.

[Juliebean]

Thanks, Laura and Danielle. I think I'm going to use it. Since the event it was based on was an actual girl living alone on an island, I think it will work. Close enough anyway.

I thought about "childhood classic" but I already read Swallows and Amazons for that. I suppose I could shuffle that around too if necessary. Every year I end up with a few extras here and there that don't fit anywhere, It's not the end of the world when it does.

[Theresa]

Both Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade and Around the World with Auntie Mame fit this category. Also Grand Hotel - read recently on how some of the characters are based on real people author knew or read about - i.e. the famous ballerina Pavlova.

[Leigh]

I read Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict, which is about how a fictitious relationship Andrew Carnegie forms with his mother's lady's maid inspires him to become a philanthropist.

[Trish]

I read Stitches by David Small, which is an auto-biographical graphic novel about a boy who deals with a bad home life and a medical condition that leads him to run away from home and pursue art. It read like a movie and I would definitely recommend to people who don't mind reading something kind of depressing.

[Jane]

I finished Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga by Pamela Newkirk on Feb 16.

[Crumb]

So, I won a Goodreads Giveaway and I had no idea that it was novel based on a real person.. but it is! So I thought I would throw this idea out to everyone. The book is called Rust & Stardust by T. Greenwood. It is based on the experiences of kidnap victim Sally Horner. So for those who don't particularly like historical fiction, this would be a good choice.. if you can get your hands on a copy.

[Esther]

I read Burial Rites by Hannah Kent and it was lovely.

[Ouida]

Two more:

Alias Grace

The Danish Girl

[Jessica]

Aryssa wrote: "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."

I loved this one! Great YA pick