historical fiction Archives

China Room, The

Love, Duty, Betrayal, and Society Author: Sunjeev Sahota It’s 1929 – Punjab, India. There is political unrest, but for Mehar, a young bride living with her husband’s family on a rural farm, all that is very far away. She is married into a family with three brothers. She lives with the other two wives, and during their hardworking days and stifling, hopeful nights, the women wonder which of the brothers is their husband, which of the men it is who occasionally comes for them in the dark. Mehar knows, though, and she has fallen in love with the man she thinks [...]

Frances Carden2023-05-27T19:41:54-07:00May 27th, 2023|Tags: book review, botm, fiction, historical fiction, read, reading|

Year of Wonders

Interesting Premise, But Breaks the Historical Mystique Author: Geraldine Brooks It’s 1666 and recently widowed Anna Frith is beginning to see hope and possibility. Not only has her new lodger brought some much-needed money into her domicile, but his love of her children, his inappropriately amusing city stories, and the bolts of colorful cloth he uses to weave the latest fashions are slowly drawing her back into the world. Perhaps there is more between them – or could be. Perhaps it is time to let go of grief and embrace life again. But then her boarder dies, horribly, and she [...]

Frances Carden2023-04-16T19:10:11-07:00April 16th, 2023|Tags: Black Death, book review, historical fiction, plague, read, reading|

Hacienda, The

Haunted Haciendas and Dark Priests Author: Isabel Cañas The Hacienda promises a gothic historical romp with ghosts, similar to Rebecca and Mexican Gothic. Instead, what it delivers is a weird mélange of half formed ideas set against a fantastic background and premise, but without the characters and fortitude to sustain the atmosphere and intention. It begins with a war. This war, like all wars, has its sides, and Beatriz’s father (a key general) was on the losing side. Ousted from her formerly good life, Beatriz and her windowed mother are now forced into near servitude by a sharp-tongued aunt. It’s [...]

Frances Carden2023-03-26T09:57:31-07:00March 26th, 2023|Tags: historical fiction, horror|