Tag Archives: Historical Fiction

August 7, 2014 · 12:46 am

Review and Giveaway: Lies Told In Silence by M.K. Tod

Lies Told In Silence Blog Tour

Today I am thrilled to welcome Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours to the Book Binder’s Daughter.  They have put together a great blog tour for the historical fiction novel Lies Told In Silence by M.K. Tod.  You can read my review and win a copy of your very own to enjoy.

My Review:

Lies Told In SilenceHelene Noisette is sixteen years old and living with her well-to-do family in Paris on the eve of World War I.  Helene’s father works at the Department of War Ministry so he is privy to sensitive information as far as national security matters are concerned.  He knows that if a war with Germany breaks out that his family could be in danger, so he moves entire family, including Helene, to country home in the rural town of Beaufort.

M.K. Tod provides the reader with details about the causes that led to so many countries declaring war.  Henri, Helene’s father, works for the government and through his conversations and observations the author creatively gives us an informative and interesting history lesson.

Helene and her family are changed by the war in ways that they never could have imagined.  Mary Tod masterfully depicts the struggles of everyday life in war torn France.  Families and friends are separated, love is put on hold, and ordinary life is greatly altered.  Helene, her mother and grandmother, who are all used to a pampered existence that included servants, shopping and social gatherings are now forced to fend for themselves in the remote town of Beaufort.  As they cook and sew and spend more time together, they have a chance to form stronger relationships that they would not otherwise have forged.  Helene learns over the course of four years in her forced “exile” that she has become a strong, independent woman capable of making her own decisions about her life.

While they are in Beaufort, Helene meets Edward Jamison, a Canadian soldier whose regiment is stationed not far from Beaufort.  When Helen meets him at a small social gathering, her life is changed forever.  Will the war keep these two apart, or will they be able to find their way to each other when the fighting ceases?

Helene’s oldest brother, Guy, is also fighting on the front lines in France.  He is wounded twice in the battles and the descriptions of his illnesses and the hospital conditions bring into vivid focus the horrible consequences that this mechanized and deadly war had on a generation of youth.  This was a very emotional read for me, as I went from feeling sadness, to joy, to anger, to hope all in the span of its 368 pages.  Do yourself a favor and read LIES TOLD IN SILENCE, if not only for the emotional read, but also to gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of The Great War.  Scroll down to the bottom of this post to win a copy for yourself.  Open Internationally.

About the Author:

03_M.K. Tod

M.K. Tod has enjoyed a passion for historical novels that began in her early teenage years immersed in the stories of Rosemary Sutcliff, Jean Plaidy and Georgette Heyer. During her twenties, armed with Mathematics and Computer Science degrees, she embarked on a career in technology and consulting continuing to read historical fiction in the tiny snippets of time available to working women with children to raise.

In 2004, she moved to Hong Kong with her husband and no job. To keep busy Mary decided to research her grandfather’s part in the Great War. What began as an effort to understand her grandparents’ lives blossomed into a full time occupation as a writer. Her debut novel is UNRAVELLED: Two wars, Two affairs. One Marriage. LIES TOLD IN SILENCE, her second novel, is set in WWI France and tells the story of Helene Noisette who featured in Unravelled. Mary has an active blog – www.awriterofhistory.com – which discusses all aspects of historical fiction and includes author and reader interviews. Additionally, she is a book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society. Mary lives in Toronto where she is happily married with two adult children.

Connect with M.K. Tod on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

 

Lies Told in Silence Blog Tour & Book Blast Schedule:

Monday, July 28
Review at Unshelfish
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at Our Wolves Den

Tuesday, July 29
Review at Just One More Chapter
Book Blast at Book Babe
Book Blast at A Book Geek
Book Blast at Mel’s Shelves

Wednesday, July 30
Review at Bookish
Guest Post at Just One More Chapter
Book Blast at Passages to the Past

Thursday, July 31
Book Blast at Royalty Free Fiction

Friday, August 1
Book Blast at Back Porchervations
Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time

Saturday, August 2
Book Blast at Mythical Books

Monday, August 4
Review & Guest Post at A Bookish Affair
Book Blast at Historical Tapestry

Tuesday, August 5
Book Blast at Layered Pages
Book Blast at Princess of Eboli
Book Blast at What Is That Book About

Wednesday, August 6
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse
Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes

Thursday, August 7
Review at The Book Binder’s Daughter
Book Blast at Kinx’s Book Nook

Friday, August 8
Book Blast at The Maiden’s Court

Monday, August 11
Review at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Book Blast at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Tuesday, August 12
Book Blast at Book Nerd
Book Blast at The Bookworm

Wednesday, August 13
Review at The Writing Desk

Thursday, August 14
Book Blast at Words and Peace
Book Blast at CelticLady’s Reviews

Friday, August 15
Review at Lost in Books
Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer

Sunday, August 17
Book Blast at Brooke Blogs

Monday, August 18
Review at The Librarian Fatale
Review at Historical Fiction Notebook

Giveaway:

To win a copy of M.K. Tod’s Lies Told In Silence please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open internationally!  Click here to enter: Rafflecopter Giveaway.

*Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on August 18th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter on August 19th and notified via email. Winner have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Thanks so much for stopping by on the book tour and thanks to M.K. Tod for a great book.  Historical Fiction Virtual book tours has a lot of other great tours going on right now, so be sure to check out their website.

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August 6, 2014 · 12:42 am

Review: Augustus by John Edward Williams

AugustusI have been studying the ancient world for the better part of 25 years, having taken  and taught countless history, mythology and literature classes.  Like every good student I have familiarized myself with important people, events, dates, etc.  But nothing has given me the experience of Ancient Rome and the Emperor Augustus quite like reading John Williams historical fiction about Augustus.

The style of this book is epistolary, whereby we learn about Augustus through the letters of those people who were most important in his life.  In Book I, Octavian, not quite yet The August, is in Apollonia with his closest friends, Marcus Agrippa, Gaius Maecenas and Salvidienus Rufus practicing his military skills and honing his philosophical abilities when he gets the word that his uncle Julius Caesar is murdered.  This young man, at the age of 19, stands at a significant crossroad in life and must decide either to also be swallowed by his uncle’s enemies, or  to embrace a position of power and leadership.  Luckily for Rome he chose the latter.

Octavian returns to Rome where Mark Antony is rude and dismissive to the young man who is the heir of Julius Caesar’s fortunes.  Although Octavian and Antony mistrust each other and view one another as rivals, they form an uneasy peace in order to avenge the death of Julius Caesar.  Williams depicts the men sitting in a primitive hut as they write proscription lists in order to eradicate everyone who was involved in Caesar’s assassination.  Cicero, the famous orator himself, who opportunely plays both sides, is also one of their victims and his head and hands are displayed on the rostra in the Roman Forum.

Through the condescending jabs and insults that Octavian and Antony throw at each other, Williams brilliantly foreshadows the civil war that erupts between Octavian and Antony.  When Antony is on campaign in the east and marries Cleopatra, the fragile peace that exists between them is shattered.  Throughout Book I, Octavian is never portrayed as a vengeful, warmongering military man, but instead he is viewed by his friends as someone who is doing the best he can to ensure peace and stability for Rome.  Maecenas states in one of his letters that Octavian did not wish Cleopatra dead and, in fact, he thought she would have made a great administrator and could have kept titular control over Egypt.

My favorite part of the novel was Book II in which we hear from Augustus’ daughter, Julia.  Julia is the only biological child of the Emperor and she gives us the image of a man who adores and dotes on his only child.  However, as Julia becomes older she is called on by her father to fulfill her duty to Rome through various marriages that are advantageous to the Empire’s political stability.

First, Julia is married to Marcellus, Augustus’ nephew and heir-apparent.  When Marcellus dies at the tender age of 19 from a sudden fever, Julia is then given in marriage to Agrippa, Augustus’ long-time friend and second in command.  Julia bore him 5 children and her time with Agrippa is some of the happiest in her life.  However, when Agrippa dies, Julia is forced to marry Tiberius, her father’s stepson, who is despised by the emperor because of his cruelty and brutality.  When she takes a lover of her own choosing, this decision leads to her downfall and lonely exile far away from Rome.  Julia’s letters are emotional, reflective and even philosophical as she contemplates her role in the legacy of Rome and the fact that woman of her rank have no control over their own circumstance.

In the final part of the book we actually hear from the Emperor himself when, in the last days of his life, he writes to his friend Nicolaus of Damascus.  At this point Augustus talks about his legacy and the peace and stability that he has bequeathed to Rome.  He worries for his empire’s future, especially because of the German barbarians who always threaten invasion from the North.  He remembers some of his old friends, especially the poets Vergil, Horace and Maecenas with whom he found true friendship.  Finally, he ponders the ephemeral nature of this life and realizes that no matter what he has done to ensure Roman peace and prosperity, his empire will not and cannot last forever.  Williams’ Augustus becomes for us the literary symbol of all leaders who struggle to deal with power, fame, fortune, strife, decision-making and the plethora of other responsibilities that weigh on them so heavily.

I do not use rhetorical hyperbole when I write that this novel is a brilliant work of literary genius.  It is John Williams crowning achievement.  What better way to commemorate the 2000th anniversary of Augustus’ death on August 19th than by spending a little time with the Emperor between the pages of Williams’ novel.

I am eternally grateful for The New York Review of Books for sending me an Advanced Copy of this novel.

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July 7, 2014 · 4:40 pm

Review: A Triple Knot by Emma Campion

It’s been a while since I have read an historical novel, so I jumped at the chance to read and review Blogging for BooksA Triple Knot when it was offered by Blogging for Books.  This site has a huge selection of titles in all different genres and they will give you a free book in exchange for an honest review.  Check out their site if you are a blogger or want to start a blog and get some free books.

Now for my review of A Triple Knot:

A Triple KnotJoan of Kent, like many medieval noble women, has very little choice about whom she marries.  Since her cousin is King Edward III of England, he wants to marry her off to Arnaud Amanieu in order to form a political alliance for the crown.  When Arnaud’s father turns out to be a scheming ladies’ man who makes inappropriate advances towards his future daughter-in-law, the betrothal is called off.

Joan does fall in love with one of the king’s knights, a man named Thomas Holland.  She secretly marries Thomas but while he is away waging battles on behalf of the King, her family forces her to marry another nobleman named William Montagu. Despite the fact that she is compelled to marry someone else, the love and devotion that Joan has for Thomas never waivers.  Much of the book deals with their struggles to be together as man and wife.

Throughout all of her trials and tribulations, Joan must also deal with the advances of her cousin Ned who is the Prince of Wales and next in line to succeed his father Edward III.   Ned pledges his love for Joan at a very early age and vows to make her his queen.  Ned is constantly a sinister presences who keeps insinuating himself into Joan’s already complicated life.

The first half of this book was difficult for me to get through.  I found it predictable and some of the descriptions of court life rather lengthy and unnecessary.  I have to admit that at one point I was actually tempted to abandon the book.  But I pressed on with it and found that the second half of the book was more enjoyable.  By that point the characters were better developed and I became more curious about their fates.

This historical fiction is not for everyone. If you have a deep interest in 14th Century England and the story of Joan of Kent then I would recommend giving A TRIPLE KNOT a try.

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July 4, 2014 · 2:25 pm

Review: The Hundred Year House by Rebecca Makkai

I received an advanced copy of this book from the Viking through NetGalley

The acclaimed author of The Borrower returns with a dazzlingly original, mordantly witty novel about the secrets of an old-money family and their turn-of-the-century estate, Laurelfield.

 

100 year houseThe Devohr family mansion in the Midwest, which in 2000 is celebrating its 100th birthday, has a rich and haunted history.  The unique setup of this novel traces the history of Laurelfield Estate beginning in 1999 and working back to 1900.  The first part of the book centers around Doug and his wife Zee who are living in the coach house of the Devohr mansion.  I found this to be the most humorous part of the book as it approaches being an academic satire.  Zee works as a professor at the local university and Doug is trying to write a manuscript about an obscure poet, Edward Parfitt, so that he too can get a job in academia.  While Doug is trying to get a handle on his writing he develops a connection with Miriam, a quirky artist who is also sharing the coach house.

The second part of the book deals with Grace Devohr and her abusive, playboy husband George who come to live in the house after their marriage in 1954.  At this point the tone of the story changes to one that is sad and tragic.  Some of the mysteries of the house and its inhabitants that are brought up in part one are solved in this second part.  It is very unique that an author can seamlessly combine such different tones as satire and tragedy such as Rebecca Makkai does in this novel.

The third part of the book describes the artist colony which the house is turned into during a 25 year period beginning in 1929.  The artists are a mixture of interesting personalities who can be somewhat mischievous.  When Gamby Devohr threatens to shut down the colony, the artists ban together and cleverly “convince” Gamby to keep the colony open for at least another 25 years.  The author really displays her writing talent in this chapter as well when some of the narrative takes the form of letters and notes.

The final part of the book is the briefest and describes Augustus Devohr and his reasons for building the house for his wife Violet in the first place. It is Violet’s soul that is said to haunt the house.  Although the initial construction of the house is not fortuitous, we know from the unique structure of the book that later generations will have a happy ending in the house.

The Hundred Year House in a unique combination of both literary fiction and historical fiction. This is one of those rare books that has something for everyone.  If you like a little mystery, some romance or a touch of tragedy then I highly recommend The Hundred Year House.

 

 

 

 

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