Thursday Thirteen - Historical Fiction

Part Two

Apologies to those of you who came back last Thursday, hoping to find my second list of historical fiction favorites. The day came and went before I knew it. I still have a few more to share after today, but I won't promise to have a list up next Thursday!

From Bookmarks Magazine:

Bookstores, libraries—even this magazine—all seek to help readers by categorizing books into generally accepted genres: literary fiction, crime, romance, inspirational, and all the rest. Fans of historical fiction know that there are other ways of categorizing the world of books, but they are forced to sort through tales of modern suburban angst, lurid contemporary thrillers, or generic bodice rippers to find the works that match a compelling story with an informed view of the past. However, once a reader is on the trail of historical fiction, the genre’s diversity has some real benefits: regardless of one’s mood or temperament, there’s always a mystery, a western, a romance, or a sweeping epic that can be found to fit one’s tastes.

If finding historical fiction can be tricky, defining it is even trickier. The Historical Novel Society’s definition, for example, includes novels written at least 50 years after the events described or novels written by people approaching the subject only via research. Others may use a different cut-off date. Still, for the most part, readers recognize historical fiction when they see it.

The genre also has unofficial rules that authors are expected to follow. To persuade readers that the story could really have happened (and perhaps some of it did), authors should portray the time period as accurately as possible and avoid obvious anachronisms. The fiction and the history should be well balanced, with neither one overwhelming the other. It’s a tough genre to write, but a fascinating one to read. (Masters of the Past, Twenty Classic Historical Novels and Their Legacy by Sarah L. Johnson)

Aztec
by Gary Jennings

The Good Earth
by Pearl S. Buck

The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak

The Tea Rose
by Jennifer Donnelly

Moloka'i
by Alan Brennert

Dreamers of the Day
by Mary Doria Russell

Tallgrass
by Sandra Dallas

The Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett

The Madonnas of Leningrad
by Debra Dean

The Last Days of Summer
by Steve Kluger

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

The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
by Jamie Ford

Click on the titles for plot summaries and purchasing information.

My favorites, you ask? Well, The Book Thief is definitely my #1 pick, but The Help, The Tea Rose, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Dreamers of the Day are excellent, as well.

Click here if you missed the first list of historical fiction favorites.

Thursday Thirteen - Historical Fiction

Part One

A few weeks ago, Joy asked for some recommendations for historical fiction titles. I always struggle with this category, not quite sure if my definition of "historical fiction" is accurate. So, I searched the Internet and came up with the following:

Historical fiction is a sub-genre of fiction that often portrays fictional accounts or dramatization of historical figures or events. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, nominally attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity. Historical fiction is found in books, magazines, art, television, movies, games, theater, and other media.

Historical fiction presents readers with a story that takes place during a notable period in history, and usually during a significant event in that period. Historical fiction often presents actual events from the point of view of people living in that time period.

In some historical fiction, famous events appear from points of view not recorded in history, showing historical figures dealing with actual events while depicting them in a way that is not recorded in history. Other times, the historical event complements a story's narrative, occurring in the background while characters deal with events (personal or otherwise) wholly unrelated to recorded history. Sometimes, the names of people and places have been in some way altered. As this is fiction, artistic license is permitted in regard to presentation and subject matter, so long as it does not deviate in significant ways from established history. If events should deviate significantly, the story may then fall into the genre of alternate history, which is known for speculating on what could have happened if a significant historical event had gone differently. On a similar note, events occurring in historical fiction must adhere to the laws of physics. Stories that extend into the magical or fantastic are often considered a historical fantasy.(Wikipedia)

So there you go. And now for 13 of my favorite works of historical fiction.

A Thread of Grace
by Mary Doria Russell

These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901
by Nancy Turner

Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson

Sarum: The Novel of England
by Edward Rutherfurd

The Samurai's Garden
by Gail Tsukiyama

Pope Joan
by Donna Woolfolk Cross

The Poisonwood Bible
by Barbara Kingsolver

Losing Julia
by Jonathan Hull

Giants in the Earth: A Saga of the Prairie
by O. E. Rolvaag

Follow the River
by James Alexander Thom

Falling Angels
by Tracy Chevalier

The Clan of the Cave Bear
by Jean M. Auel

Atonement
by Ian McEwan

Click on the titles for plot summaries and purchasing information.

Come back next Thursday and I'll share another thirteen of my favorites in this genre.

Thursday Thirteen (Photo Essay)

Doing my part to go green!

I've had this Trek 800 since 1985! It's traveled up and down Highway 101 between Carlsbad and Del Mar (CA), out to Fiesta Island from Kearney Mesa (CA), around Fort Worth, Texas (not too often since it was far too hot to ride!) and on many of Lincoln's wonderful bike trails. And now it's my current mode of transportation to work (weather permitting). I can make it to work (roughly 4.5 miles on the bike path) in just about 25 minutes. When I drive (3.5 miles), it takes me about 10-12 minutes, depending on the traffic and signals.

This is the view from the top of the hill on my street,
heading down toward the bike path.
It's a nice coast down to the bottom of the street,
but it's the last stretch when I'm coming home
and it's enough to make my heart pound.

Rock Island Trail

Highway 2 and 27th Street

Fellow commuters, stopping for their breakfast treats.



Make way for ducklings.

Merging traffic.

Williamsburg Lake


Look, Ma! No gas.

I love my new mode of transportation! It's so peaceful in the morning. The only sound I hear is the wind rushing past my helmet and birds chirping. No iPod for this ride. I prefer the quiet in the morning. There aren't too many people out on the trail at 6:15 am. Maybe a half-dozen cyclists, a few walkers and the occasional jogger. It's much busier on the weekends! I'm not sure how late in the year I'll be able to ride, but I'm already looking forward to cooler temps this fall!



Thanks to Sandy & Rick, I was inspired to start biking to work. They enjoy weekend rides, in addition to their daily ride to work. Thanks, guys, for the fun ride this past weekend. I had a blast!

When the spirits are low,
when the day appears dark,
when work becomes monotonous,
when hope hardly seems worth having,
just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road,
without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.
-- (Sir) Arthur Conan Doyle (author of Sherlock Holmes),
in the January 18, 1896 issue of Scientific American Magazine