Task 19: Read a historical fiction with a POC or LGBTQ+ protagonist

[Beth]

I want to read this in any event The Mountains Sing, but I think it will work for this prompt as it is an intergenerational story set in Vietnam.

[KL]

Would Middlesex work for this? If so, I'm thinking it could also satisfy Task 22 (read a book set in the Midwest)?

[Bonnie G.]

KL wrote: "Would Middlesex work for this? If so, I'm thinking it could also satisfy Task 22 (read a book set in the Midwest)?"

It does fit for both prompts. One of my favorite books ever.

[Siobhan]

Anna wrote: "Audra (Unabridged Chick) wrote: "Okay, I can recommend:

POC

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby
Mexican Gothic
The Ship Beyond Time



LGBTQ

Arcti..."</i>

</i>

Mexican Gothic takes place in 1950 or so, so it would definitely work. The other book SMG published last year [book:Untamed Shore would work as well, and isn't speculative, if you're picky about that.

[Erika]

So I actually ended up reading The Pull of the Stars for this one, and let me just say... five days is probably the fastest I've ever gotten through a historical fiction novel, it was so good!

[KL]

Bonnie G. wrote: "KL wrote: "Would Middlesex work for this? If so, I'm thinking it could also satisfy Task 22 (read a book set in the Midwest)?"

It does fit for both prompts. One of my favorite books ever."

Fantastic! A friend recommended Middlesex to me recently and I'm excited to read it. Added to my library holds list! :-)

[Book Riot]

Happy Monday, everyone! Here are some of our picks for this task. https://bookriot.com/read-harder-2021...

[Ryan]

For fans of Pride & Prejudice, The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh is a new publication that fits this prompt. It has a bit of a slow start and is definitely a character-driven novel, but I enjoyed reading it.

[Kai]

Does anyone have any books that fit as both LGBTQ and POC? I am a member of the LGBTQ community but I wan to read more POC focused books too, so I'd like to see if there are any that do fit both

[Bonnie G.]

Kai wrote: "Does anyone have any books that fit as both LGBTQ and POC? I am a member of the LGBTQ community but I wan to read more POC focused books too, so I'd like to see if there are any that do fit both"

Giovanni's Room
The Color Purple
Homegoing

All fit your criteria, and they are great

[Ryan]

In addition to the novels that Bonnie recommended, you may also check out Under the Udala Trees, Jam on the Vine, Dread Nation, and That Could Be Enough. I read The Prophets for this prompt and would recommend it.

[Jo]

I love diverse historical fiction so I figured I'd share some of my favorites:

POC
Mexican Gothic
The Vanishing Half
Beloved
Kindred
Libertie

LGBTQ
The Mercies
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Outlawed
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Everlasting
Lincoln in the Bardo
Shuggie Bain
The Song of Achilles
Plain Bad Heroines
Hild
These Violent Delights

POC + LGBTQ
How Much of These Hills Is Gold
Homegoing
The Color Purple
The Prophets

[Storm]

I read The Vanished: A Novel for the POC part of the category.

[Susan]

I don't see Last Night at the Telegraph Club mentioned yet. This is historical fiction, the main character is both Chinese and LGBTQ+. I love how it looks at racism and homophobia in post WWII San Francisco and it is a great story!

[Dawn]

just received a trigger warning for Shuggie Bain, from a friend who had to stop reading it. violence toward women. jfyi.

[Bonnie G.]

Susan wrote: "I don't see Last Night at the Telegraph Club mentioned yet. This is historical fiction, the main character is both Chinese and LGBTQ+. I love how it looks at racism and homophobia i..."

I think this is one that I am going to read. It look so interesting. It turns out that there are a number of interesting options for this, so I think I will be reading at least 3 for this prompt, maybe more. That is what I love about this challenge -- I learn about so many great books!

[Sheila]

I found this one on overdrive—Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. Hawaiian history . Does that qualify as POC? It is certainly history that I know little about.

[Sheila]

We read The Night Diary in last year’s book club about splitting Pakistan and India. Highly recommend .

[Jenn]

Sheila wrote: "I found this one on overdrive—Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. Hawaiian history . Does that qualify as POC? It is certainly history that I know little about."

I love this idea. I would say definitely!

[Erika]

Sheila wrote: "I found this one on overdrive—Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. Hawaiian history . Does that qualify as POC? It is certainly history that I know little about."

Polynesians would absolutely be considered POC!

[Jenna]

Another vote for The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh, by Molly Greeley. This is a LGBTQ+ love story that is also based on characters and other elements from Pride and Prejudice!

[Tammy]

Sheila wrote: "I found this one on overdrive—Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. Hawaiian history . Does that qualify as POC? It is certainly history that I know little about."

That's one of my favorite books of all time! I'm glad you found it an mentioned it here.

[Gw]

For this one I chose RING SHOUT!

[Caleb]

Just finished The Blues Don’t Care by Paul D. Marks. Although I didn’t pick this book for this topic, i think it fits. It’s a mystery set in Los Angeles, probably around 1944, with the main character a musician and budding private eye, and lots of historical detail about the home front and the jazz world.

[Sarah]

I read Call Me By Your Name for this and it's excellent

[Sandra]

I don't see Esi Edugyan's books Washington Black and Half Blood Blues mentioned yet - they are both great and would fit here. The former is set in the 1800s in the Caribbean, Canada, and the US - the main character escapes from slavery on a plantation in a hot air balloon, and adventure ensues...

[Candace]

I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!

[Bonnie G.]

Candace wrote: "I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!"

Giovanni's Room is great but not historical fiction. It was written at the time it is set if I recall it correctly.

[Magaly]

Susan wrote: "I don't see Last Night at the Telegraph Club mentioned yet. This is historical fiction, the main character is both Chinese and LGBTQ+. I love how it looks at racism and homophobia i..."

Yes! Came here to say this ^ I just finished and I adored it!

[Charlene]

I'm currently reading Jazz Moon!

[Candace]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Candace wrote: "I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!"

Giovanni's Room is great but not historical fiction. It was written at the time..."

I wondered about that too, but Book Riot listed it here https://bookriot.com/queer-historical...

[Bonnie G.]

Candace wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Candace wrote: "I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!"

Giovanni's Room is great but not historical fiction. It was w..."

Oh wow, that is so weird. Well if BR says so. Generally historical fiction is defined as books set in times already gone by at the time they were written, not books written that have simply become historical because of the passage of time. I guess BR defines it differently. It is a wonderful book.

[Noam]

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno García - takes place in the 1920's, and the main character is a young biracial woman (her mom is white and her dad was Indigenous Mexican).

[Joel]

Candace wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Candace wrote: "I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!"

Giovanni's Room is great but not historical fiction. It was w..."

Yes, it's fiction. From wikipedia: "An argument can be made that David resembles Baldwin in Paris as he left America after being exposed to excessive racism. David, though not a victim of racism like Baldwin himself, is an American who escapes to Paris. However, when asked if the book was autobiographical in an interview in 1980, Baldwin explains he was influenced by his observations in Paris, but the novel wasn't necessarily shaped by his own experiences:

"No, it is more of a study of how it might have been or how I feel it might have been. I mean, for example, some of the people I have met. We all met in a bar, there was a blond French guy sitting at a table, he bought us drinks. And, two or three days later, I saw his face in the headlines of a Paris paper. He had been arrested and was later guillotined. That stuck in my mind.""

[Bonnie G.]

Joel wrote: "Candace wrote: "Bonnie G. wrote: "Candace wrote: "I am reading Giovanni's Room for this prompt? I've been wanting to read it for awhile!"

Giovanni's Room is great but not historical f..."

Yes, its fiction, its just not historical fiction

[Erin]

Just remembered the Lord John spin-off series from Outlander by Diana Gabaldon . Don't know how I could have forgotten him!

And that also led me to a Listopia that fits the prompt for more possibilities: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...

[Jordyn]

Beverly Jenkins has written countless historical romances that feature Black main characters. I'm personally reading Indigo and loving it!

[Maggie]

I haven't read all the comments to see if this to title has already been mentioned but I just finished Last Night At The Telegraph Club and it's perfect for this task. the author's note at the end really shows the amount of research that went into the time period, culture, and multiple languages.

[Sherri]

I read Deacon King Kong by James McBride for this prompt.

[Mairéad]

I'm planning to read Last Night at the Telegraph Club which is an female/female historical fiction by an author of colour!

[Alex]

I'm reading A Tip for the Hangman for this challenge. I know the author, and it is coming out this month!

[Sandra]

Uncle Tom's Cabin works for this prompt, right?

[Erika]

Sandra wrote: "Uncle Tom's Cabin works for this prompt, right?"

Nah, because it was contemporary for the time it was written (the 1850s). A book about the same events written in, say, even the 1910s or 1920s would fall under historical fiction.

[Heather]

I'm going with White Houses. About Eleanor Roosevelt's affair with another woman (which actually happened, according to the Ken Burns documentary I watched on the Roosevelts).

[Regan]

I read The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich. The protagonists are all POC (Chippewa) and it is set in the 1950s. That's a bit later than most historical fiction I would read, but Louise Erdrich is always a treat, and I really enjoyed this book.

[Mallory]

Does anybody know if Siddhartha would qualify? And/or if it fits any tasks? This one seems most likely... the story takes place in India, and I’m assuming that the main character is a POC; but I’m not sure if the book is considered historical fiction.

[Amanda]

I read The Prophets and highly recommend!

[Stina]

I really enjoyed The Haunting of Tram Car 015, the second story in Clark's steampunk Cairo series. The lead investigator is a Cairene man. (Fatma makes only a brief cameo in this one.)

[Caitlin]

Anyone think I’d qualify a book like The Secret Lives of Chirch Ladies? Seems to be set in the late 90s.

[Sophie]

I read Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez for this prompt and it was excellent!