Category: History (Page 4 of 6)

PAULA MCLAIN BOOK EVENT

May 29, 2019 /

Tonight I had the wonderful opportunity to hear bestselling author Paula McLain speak. She is best known for The Paris Wife, historical fiction from the perspective of Ernest Hemingway’s first wife Hadley. McLain is now promoting her newest novel, Love and Ruin, which I have already read and included in my favorite books of 2018.

Following my usual rules for attending a book event I arrived early, sat in the back, and was therefore the very first person to get my book signed; this certainly capped off my amazing experience (more on this later).

‘THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN’

May 19, 2019 /

This new novel about Winston Churchill’s mother, That Churchill Woman, is a good read for anglophiles who enjoy historical fiction.

Jennie Jerome, an American, marries Randolph Churchill, the son of a duke and becomes Lady Churchill. Their oldest son, Winston, of course goes on to become the Prime Minister, but this book covers the family drama and secrets during his childhood. For one, Jennie remains in love with another man, Charles Kinsky, but there is much more to this family’s complicated story.

‘WHEN WE LEFT CUBA’

April 26, 2019 /

I’ve been so excited to tell you about this book I just read: When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton.

This book is a sequel to one I read and loved last year: Next Year in Havana.

This work of historical fiction is told from the perspective of Beatriz Perez, who fled Cuba with her family when Fidel took power (their exile is covered in the first book).

“It’s been nearly a year since we left Cuba for what was supposed to be a few months away until the world realized what Fidel Castro had done to our island, and American has welcomed us into her loving embrace – almost.”

Now living in Miami, the rest of her family is trying their best to assimilate, but Beatrice yearns for her homeland and decides to risk everything to save it.

‘LOST ROSES’ BY MARTHA HALL KELLY

April 10, 2019 /

The book I just finished, Lost Roses: A Novel, is getting a lot of attention as the prequel to Lilac Girls, both by Martha Hall Kelly. Thanks to NetGalley I got access to this book in advance, and I’m ready to tell you more about it.

I liked this book though I had a couple of issues with it. Perhaps my expectations going in were a bit off, so I hope to help out with that in this post (for your future enjoyment). I do think it’s worth reading!

‘AMERICAN DUCHESS’

April 4, 2019 /

I’m excited to write my first recommendation since publishing my spring reading list for:

American Duchess: A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt by Karen Harper.

An intriguing story, this work of historical fiction was a lighter read until the last sections. It tells the story (from first person perspective) of Vanderbilt heiress Consuelo who was forced by her mother Alva to marry the Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo’s character, as it is written here, is likeable and she navigates her circumstances admirably, becoming a champion for the underprivileged.

I had already read and enjoyed a prequel to this book though it was by a different author: A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts. which focuses on Alva but follows Consuelo’s marriage from afar.

‘AMERICAN PRINCESS’

March 12, 2019 /

It’s been a long winter, and I am ready to start my “spring reading” which means I will compile a new list of the most intriguing new books to read. As I read through this list, I will post about the books I want to recommend (usually this isn’t all of them although I had great luck with my winter reading list!!). And today I am happy to write that I can already recommend a book from my spring list:

American Princess: A Novel of First Daughter Alice Roosevelt

This is historical fiction by Stephanie Marie Thornton as the subtitle implies about a first daughter starting in 1901. I did not know anything about the oldest daughter of Teddy Roosevelt before reading this book. Apparently she obtained celebratory status with the press reporting her every move (many of these moves being rebellious) and even had the color “Alice Blue” named after her.

‘THE DOLLHOUSE’ & MY MARDI GRAS PARTY

March 9, 2019 /

I don’t have a book club, but I do have a Downton Abbey group…a group of 4 women who connected over this show years ago.

Once or twice we tried to read this same book but we were forgetting to talk about it until the end of our “meetings” so we gave that idea up, and now we just “meet.”

At the past meeting I hosted I had to laugh because they all walked in with a pile of books, and the first 20 mins of the gathering consisted of them passing books around to each other, returning books to each other, and recommending books.

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY

January 12, 2019 /

This book about the German occupation of the island of Guernsey during WWII was published in 2009, but caught my attention as a new movie feature on Netflix. And I’m always looking for additions to my WWII historical fiction reading list.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – A Novel

The novel reads as a series of letters. At first, the letters were a bit confusing as Juilet Ashton corresponds with her publisher and friends. But then, she receives a letter from Guernsey (territory of Great Britain in the channel islands) because her address was inscribed on the inside of a Charles Lamb book that made its way to the island. Juliet begins corresponding with the letter writer (Dawsey Adams) and the other members of his informal literary group called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society.

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers How delightful if that were true.”
the guernsey literary and potato peel society (2009)

This is how I relaxed after holiday craziness.

‘THE RAGGED EDGE OF NIGHT’ – more WWII fiction

December 29, 2018 /

WWII is a favorite genre of mine. Although a couple of years ago I read SO MUCH of it that I needed to take a break from it, but not before I started this WWII fiction reading list that I add to occasionally.

Today I am happy to add this book to my running list of WWII historical fiction that I recommend:

The Ragged Edge of Night by Olivia Hawker

LOVE AND RUIN

December 1, 2018 /

One of my favorite reads over the past few years has been The Paris Wife so when my cousin reminded me that this author, Paula McClain, had a new book out about Ernest Hemingway’s third wife Martha Gellhorn, I was on it, immediately. This new books is:

Love and Ruin: A Novel

I didn’t previously know much about Martha Gellhorn, but this woman was a real journalist and author in her own right without being tied to Ernest Hemingway. She was his second wife between Pauline and Mary. (The Paris Wife is about his first wife Hadley.)
Continue reading

Category: History (Page 4 of 6)

PAULA MCLAIN BOOK EVENT

‘THAT CHURCHILL WOMAN’

‘WHEN WE LEFT CUBA’

‘LOST ROSES’ BY MARTHA HALL KELLY

‘AMERICAN DUCHESS’

‘AMERICAN PRINCESS’

‘THE DOLLHOUSE’ & MY MARDI GRAS PARTY

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY

‘THE RAGGED EDGE OF NIGHT’ – more WWII fiction

LOVE AND RUIN

Love and Ruin: A Novel

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