Staff Picks Category: Historical fiction

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig [Book]

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“Can’t cook but doesn’t bite.” So begins the newspaper ad offering the services of an “A-1 housekeeper, sound morals, exceptional disposition” that draws the hungry attention of widower Oliver Milliron in the fall of 1909. And so begins the unforgettable season that deposits the noncooking, nonbiting, ever-whistling Rose Llewellyn and her font-of-knowledge brother, Morris Morgan, in Marias Coulee along with a stamped of homesteaders drawn by the promise of the Big Ditch — a gargantuan irrigation project intended to make the Montana prairie bloom. When the schoolmarm runs off with an itinerant preacher, Morris is pressed into service, setting the stage for the “several kinds of education” — none of them of the textbook variety — Morris and Rose will bring to Oliver, his three sons, and the rambunctious students in the region’s one-room schoolhouse.
A paean to a vanished way of life and the eccentric individuals and idiosyncratic institutions that made it fertile, The Whistling Season is Ivan Doig at his evocative best.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell [Book]

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The latest work from the prodigious literary talent David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green, follows the eponymous Jacob De Zoet, a young Dutch accountant who arrives in feudal japan in 1799 on a quest to earn enough of a fortune to marry his love upon his return to Holland. The strength of Mitchell’s characterizations, his mastery of dramatic construction and the humor and grace with which he treats his characters is evident throughout this historical tale, as he fleshes out a world previously unimagined by the reader without ever delving into dull description or awkward exposition. The continued joy of discovery prevails even when the story takes dark and despairing turns for the protagonist. Highly recommended for fans of Mitchell, contemporary fiction and historical novels alike.

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway [Book]

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A haunting and memorable novel of hope, courage, and the daily struggle to survive that takes place during the 1992 siege of Sarajevo. After a mortar shell kills 22 people who were lined up in the town square to buy bread, a once famous cellist who viewed this from his window vows to pay tribute to each one during the next 22 days. Every afternoon he brings his chair to the spot where the shell had fallen, and plays a beautiful rendition of Albinoni’s Adiagio. Arrow, a gifted female sniper, is assigned to protect him. A powerful depiction of how the human spirit endures and life continues during the heartbreak of war.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R. King [Book]

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This historical mystery, by an Edgar Award-winning author, introduces the strong intelligent character of Mary Russell, with a well-imagined ‘retired’ Sherlock Holmes in a supporting role. Mary Russell first meets Holmes as her neighbor in Sussex Downs in 1915 at the age of 15, as she almost stumbles over him. Holmes, impressed with her wit and intelligence, takes the orphaned Russell under his wing, and gives her the equivalent of an apprenticeship. After working together on a few interesting cases, Russell and Holmes soon find themselves faced with a nefarious foe who wants to make Holmes suffer, and his friends die.

City of Thieves by David Benioff [Book]

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The Shanghai Tunnel [Book]

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Newman, known for her historical accuracy introduces a new character into 1860s Portland Oregon, in this departure from her Catherine LaVendeur series. Emily Stratton, the daughter of missionaries in China, is in San Francisco when her ship-captain husband dies. She accompanies his body back to the young town of Portland, and tries to make a home there. When she investigates her husband’s suspect business practices, someone wants her to stop. She must find out who to save her new life and her son. Will appeal to readers of Dianne Day and Laurie R. King.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows [Book]

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Following World War II, British author, Juliet Ashton is looking for inspiration for her next book. She begins corresponding with a man from Guernsey who was part of a book club, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, during the war while the island was occupied by the Germans. The club acted as an alibi to protect the residents from arrest. She begins corresponding with other members of the club and draws inspiration from their story of courage and preservation. The book is told through the correspondence and is a touching read.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden [Book]

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Nitta Sayuri is a celebrated Japanese geisha. In this beautiful coming of age story, Nitta shares how she was sold into slavery as a young girl, learns the art of being a geisha, survives World War II, and struggles to win the man she loves.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett [Book]

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Set in 12th-century England, the narrative concerns the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through four decades during which social and political upheaval and the internal politics of the church affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists.

The Greener Shore : A Novel of the Druids of Hibernia by Morgan Llywelyn [Book]

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Fleeing the destruction of the Sacred Grove by the invading Roman army, Ainvar the druid and the remnants of his clan flee Gaul to settle in Hibernia, where they find other Celts and druids. Along with his wife, Briga, a powerful druid in her own right, he sets out to rebuild their lives in a new homeland which is beautiful and mystical like the wanderers who are drawn to it. Sequel to The Druids.

A Chain of Voices by Andre Brink [Book]

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This wonderful novel by award-winning South African Andre Brink, banned by the apartheid regime, tells the story of an historical slave rebellion. The chain of voices consists of multiple narratives by different people: slaves, slave owners, family members, magistrates.