Historical Fiction Panel - July 18, 2012 discussion
Could you recommend an undiscovered gem
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Dawn (& Ron)
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Jul 18, 2012 06:26PM
Recently a list was put together by readers here on Goodreads to list undiscovered historical fiction gems that may be OOP or for some reason have been read/reviewed by too few.
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Gisborne: Book of Pawns & Isabeau: A Novel of Queen Isabella and Sir Roger Mortimer These are 2 indies I have just read and I will posting reviews in the near future on here, amazon, and my blog. Good solid reads.
My nomination would be for Manda Scott's trilogy set in early Briton, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle, Boudica: Dreaming the Bull, Boudica: Dreaming the Hound, Boudica: Dreaming the Serpent Spear. These books moved me very much; I was left sighing for that lost pagan world.The series is a bit different to most other historical fiction I've read both in subject matter and style.
Jay wrote: "My nomination would be for Manda Scott's trilogy set in early Briton, Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle, Boudica: Dreaming the Bull, Boudica: Dreaming the Hound, Boudica: Dreaming the Serpent Spear. Th..."I've read all of those as well. Really enjoyed them.
I've got the the first of Manda Scott's trilogy and have Sasson's Isabeau on my wishlist, along with the first of her Robert the Bruce trilogy in my TBR pile but will have to check out the Gisborne book. I really enjoyed two recent indies or small press author reads myself, Freedom's Sword and Dream of a Spring Night.
My idea for this question came from a Goodreads list, Unknown, Hidden Gems of Historical Fiction that a friend invited me to check out. It was so interesting and fun checking out all the lesser known historical fiction books out there. Be warned this list can be dangerous. LOL
I got a Kindle for Christmas, and have tried to read a lot of free or really cheap books, saving my money for 'real' books - ones I love and want to keep (Karleen Koen's Through A Glass Darkly series, for example - after reading the first book of this series cheaply on the Kindle I immediately purchased the entire series to keep. I will always prefer a 'real' book over the Kindle!). One of the best free books I have read is about the Donner Party, based mostly in fact and extremely well-written. It is Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West by Ethan Rarick. It is one I will read again, most definitely.
(Please note free Kindle books don't *stay* free, but do tend to be cheaper than 'real' books.)
I downloaded "The Cloister and the Hearth" from Gutenberg and was very pleasantly surprised. It was definitely worth reading and I recommend it to anyone looking for an undiscovered gem!
Who wrote this? What Era? I am intrigued...
I found this on the Charles Reade book mentioned by Karen Originally published in 1861, this early work by Charles Reade is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. It tells the story of a young scribe’s travels through Europe and deals with conflicts between family life and the church. This is a fascinating work and thoroughly recommended for anyone interested in historical English literature. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Paula, I'm new to the Kindle too, and it has allowed me to latch on to many classics or authors to test out. I have to ask due to the subject matter of the Donner book, did you find it difficult to handle, or graphic, at times?
Dawn - As to the Donner book - no, not really. Much of the book was about the trip they made across the prairie, and why they got into the situation they did. It was a much bigger group than I realized, as I learned from this book. It tells the part we all know, of course, but rather matter-of-factly. I was able to read it without any problem. And it tells what happened to those that did survive, which I was very glad to learn.If you're interested in that era, another Kindle book I just read I really enjoyed was Oregon Country by TJ Hanson. It's about the first wagon train to Oregon in 1843. Almost all the characters are real ones, just not the main ones. I didn't realize this until the end, and I was so disappointed the main female was not real! She was too good to be true, I suppose. But it is also very well done. There were a couple things that irritated me - the author said a man would NEVER consider starting a farm without a woman, which simply isn't true, this happened all the time, there just weren't that many women on the frontier - but other than that I was impressed.
Thanks for letting me know the author handled them in an evenhanded manner, handling those scenes wrong or for sensationalism, is not what I would want to read. It is good to hear that it tells what happened to the survivors since we tend to only hear of the tragedy aspects. The Oregon book, the problem you mention would be a big irritant for me. A man never started a farm without a women!? The author missed the research there. Why were wagon trains organized to bring women out west for years as captured in Westward the Women. I will have to think about that one a little more before adding it to the wishlist, that ever expanding wishlist.
I thought "Dark Angels" was a great book for an era that I knew really nothing about.
Kristina, who wrote "Dark Angels" and what era does it highlight?
Dawn - Any other recommendations for that time period? I am now looking for a copy of Westward the Women. The Oregon book I still recommend. I believe he wrote it as a thesis originally, and his irritating parts are mainly at the beginning. Once he really gets into the story he seems to lose his gender issues. It is probably the best book I have read for covering supplies needed/bought for the trail and the wagon itself.Kristina/May - If you are talking about the Dark Angel series ( I think you are), the series is by Karleen Koen, and it highlights the South Sea Bubble era in Britain - mid to late 1700s. Wonderful books!
Okay, this is off subject a little, but I wanted to throw out a novel that won the Pulitzer in 1931 (?) and more or less disappeared for modern readers. It's called Years of Grace and it is stunningly good. It's not an historical novel exactly --- but it now reads as one. I recommend it to the moon.
May wrote: "Kristina, who wrote "Dark Angels" and what era does it highlight?"May, Karleen Koen wrote "Dark Angels." It's about Restoration era England.
Barbara Erskin's "Lady of Hay" is an amazing book set partly in the era of King John. It's great for a crossover book. It's one of my alltime favorites.
Paula wrote: "Dawn - Any other recommendations for that time period? I am now looking for a copy of Westward the Women. The Oregon book I still recommend. I believe he wrote it as a thesis originally, and his..."I've added the T.J. Hanson book to my Kindle wishlist and realized that Oregon Country was originally published as Western Passage. For others I would recommend are two by Gwen Bristow Calico Palace and Jubilee Trail. There is a non-fiction which you may like Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey. Also here is a historical fiction list which has several more you may find of interest http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/22...
Thanks to everybody who's written about books about the US western migration! I'm writing a trilogy set mainly in 1855-56 (tentative series title: a Romance of the California Gold Rush, although they start anywhere from Boston to the Virgin Islands) -- & after reading a ton of primary sources, these novels sound yummy! If you read ch. 1 of "Lily of the West" at http://www.Boom-Books.com, I'd love to hear what you think. -- Charisse
May wrote: "Kristina, who wrote "Dark Angels" and what era does it highlight?"Karleen Koen - Charles II. I highly recomemend any of Karleen's novels. She definitely has talent.
I have recently been completely obsessed with James Reese. His trilogy about a witch named Herculine ("The Book of Shadows", "The Book of Spirits" and "The Witchery") is fiction and could be considered pure fantasy if not for the plethora of historical elements interwoven within the saga (and believe me, it is a saga). We're talking the rise and fall of the Catholic Church in Europe,French Revolution, slavery, Spanish conquistadors, and much more....
I loved Lady of Hay as well. The book got away from me somehow, so I was delighted to find it on Kindle
Fortunes rock by Anita shreve. A terribly unconventional romance.
Silence of The Trees; I loved it, purchase on Amazon for about .99. It was an amazing read!
Also "Witches on Parole", easy read thought it was pretty young read when I started it; but, it was is a really wonderful, heartrending read.
Is it The Silence Of Trees? About a Romanian girl? If so, I also recommend it. Wonderful book!
Carla wrote: "I loved Lady of Hay as well. The book got away from me somehow, so I was delighted to find it on Kindle"I saw the 25th anniversary edition of Lady of Hay in Costco yesterday. I remember reading that book when we were on an out of town family visit. I think I was rude that weekend. I couldn't pull my nose out of it.
Karen wrote: "I downloaded "The Cloister and the Hearth" from Gutenberg and was very pleasantly surprised. It was definitely worth reading and I recommend it to anyone looking for an undiscovered gem!"I've just downloaded this for free from amazon. Thanks for the heads up :)
Paula wrote: "Is it The Silence Of Trees? About a Romanian girl? If so, I also recommend it. Wonderful book!"Yes, I loved it; should have gotten more coverage one of the best books I have read in a long time.
The Silence of the Trees is one I'd seen but didn't really know what it was about, now I'll have to add it.Lady of Hay has been out for 25 years and I still haven't read it yet, shame on me.
Forever Queen by Helen Hollick . All of Helen's books are great . Forever Queen is book 1 of The Saxon Tales .
Elisabeth Chadwick; The William Marshal Series is incredible, also great read!
Prue Batten'sGisborne: Book of Pawnsand N. Gemini Sasson'sIsabeau, A Novel of Queen Isabella and Sir Roger Mortimer. Both indie authors who wrote excellent books.
Chadwick and Hollick are well known in HF circles, not sure about readers in general. Have anyone ever read older authors like Thomas Costain, Lawrence Schoonover or Juliet Dymoke. One of my recent favs of older out of print, forgotten authors is A.M. Maughan's
, about Henry V. I find myself looking in all areas for good HF, established, independent/small press or OOP.
Darlene wrote: "Carla wrote: "I loved Lady of Hay as well. The book got away from me somehow, so I was delighted to find it on Kindle"I saw the 25th anniversary edition of Lady of Hay in Costco yesterday. I rem..."
LOL! Darlene, I understand completely. I felt the same way. I don't think I spoke a word to my husband and son while I read that book.
Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Chadwick and Hollick are well known in HF circles, not sure about readers in general. Have anyone ever read older authors like Thomas Costain, Lawrence Schoonover or Juliet Dymoke. One of my recent..."I have 5 Thomas Costain books, at least one by his daughter Molly, and the Spider King by Schoonover. Don't forget Jean Plaidy--altho she's slightly whitewashed (product of the time she wrote). Norah Lofts, Jan Westcott, Rosemary Hawley Jarman, and I don't all know anymore.
My favorite books on Elizabeth I are Margaret Irwin's trilogy (Young Bess, etc) and Susan Kay's Legacy.
Hello to another Dawn! Loved Susan Kay's Legacy and will be reading my first Costain Ride With Me, later this month as a buddy read, and want to read his Plantagenet series. I didn't know his daughter wrote too, thanks, that gives me someone else to look out for. I just picked up Schoonover's The Chancellor and Juliet Dymoke's The Plantagenets: A Pride of Kings. I've read at least one from all the others except Westcott but have The Border Lord on my TBR. I agree about Plaidy, she can be a bit dry but her books make a nice straight forward introduction to a person or time period. It is fun discovering some of these lost gems.
Not only am I spotting undiscovered gems, but remembered gems as well and thinking it has been way too long since I read that, especially Legacy and The Spider King. Thanks for the reminders.
Karleen Koen's Through A Glass Darkly was a life-changing book for me and established my life-long interest in Georgian history. Twenty two years on it's as vivid as the day I read it. I liked the sequel but it didn't captivate me like the first.I've started writing in the Georgian period again but I've had six Regencies published in hard cover and large print with various publishers. For the next 24 hours my third Regency Historical Intrigue - A Little Deception - is now a Free Read on Kindle at http://tiny.cc/4cgbmw
Through a Glass Darkly was life changing g for me as well!! It's the book that started my love of historical fiction. Any others similar to that you could recommend?
Wow, this thread is definitely not good for my TBR. The Donner book mentioned above sounds fascinating. I read Norah Lofts' take on that one many years ago and it sparked an interest. I will definitely have to check the one you mentioned about out.
Sara wrote: "I have recently been completely obsessed with James Reese. His trilogy about a witch named Herculine ("The Book of Shadows", "The Book of Spirits" and "The Witchery") is fiction and could be consid..."The James Reese trilogy sounds like a fun one to check out. I have looked at A Book of Shadows several times, but not read it yet.
"The Cloister and the Hearth" by Charles Reade.
Admittedly an older book, whose author, Sigrid Undset, won a Nobel Prize for it, Kristin Lavransdatter is a must read for any true HF aficionado. If you haven't read it yet, it will definitely be on your list of "undiscovered gems"!
I have added it to my "to-read" list. Can you share a bit more about this book: time & place in history? I have neither heard of the book nor the author. This is why I love GoodReads. Thank you!
Dawn (& Ron) wrote: "Recently a list was put together by readers here on Goodreads to list undiscovered historical fiction gems that may be OOP or for some reason have been read/reviewed by too few. Unknown Hidden Gem..."I just finished "The Summer Queen" by Elizabeth Chadwick...the first in a trilogy about Alienor of Aquitaine.....it was great, I really enjoyed it. Had to order it online from GB as it won't be published in the US until Jan2014.....worth it though!
May wrote: "I have added it to my "to-read" list. Can you share a bit more about this book: time & place in history? I have neither heard of the book nor the author. This is why I love GoodReads. Thank you!"
Hi! Jumping in here--the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy is set in mediaeval Norway and it is fantastic!
I love books about female pirates, and really enjoyed Pirates by Celia Rees. I've jotted down so many books here that you've been keeping me quite busy!
Historical Fiction Panel - July 18, 2012
Books mentioned in this topic
The Chancellor (other topics)Ride With Me (other topics)
The Border Lord (other topics)
A Pride of Kings (other topics)
Monmouth Harry (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Prue Batten (other topics)N. Gemini Sasson (other topics)
