Looking for a story that ferries you to a time in the past? History that ignites your imagination? Here are some 5-star reads that I have enjoyed over the years.
The Museum of Extraordinary Things: A Novel
This is an atmospheric tale that presents life in New York City in 1911. It is a time of exuberance and of tragedy, of cruelty and of beauty. Starting with the Triangle Shirtwaist factory and ending with the Coney Island Dreamland fire, we follow two characters, a freak show performer and a budding photographer, as they search for meaning in a rapidly changing city. This is the perfect read for those who love well-researched and detailed descriptions that bring the past alive.
The Mermaid from Jeju
by Sumi Hahn
Set in the period after WW2 and before the Korean war, this book brings to life the effect of war on the culture and lives of Korean pearl divers as they struggle to continue their customs while the world is rapidly changing around them. Coming of age during this period, a young girl must eke out where her path in life must go.
At the Water’s Edge
by Sara Gruen
At the Water’s Edge takes the reader into rural Scotland during World War II. Three spoiled upper-class Americans come searching for the Loch Ness Monster and find something else. A character-driven novel about class, spousal abuse, war, and true bravery. Recommended for readers’ who appreciate emotionally tense reads. Contains violence and spousal abuse.
The Seed Keeper
by Diane Wilson
This novel takes you deep into the tragic, yet persevering, history of the Dakhota people of the American Midwest. It is told through the first-person viewpoints of a family whose culture and land have been decimated by government, by the white settlers, and by the continued abuse and pollution of the land by industrial farming.
The theme of seeds ties the story together. There are the story seeds passed down through family history, the seeds of hope for a renewal of culture, and the actual seeds that carry the strength of the women who grew them and saved them and are planting them again. A wonderful book.
The Game of Kings Book 1 in the Lymond Chronicles
by Dorothy Dunnett
I have to admit that the Lymond Chronicles are one of my all-time favorite historical fiction series. There are six books altogether which start in Scotland then follow the tormented hero across Europe, the Mediterranean, Constantinople, Russia, and back to Scotland during the 16th century. You meet kings and rogues, experience heartbreak and laughter, and learn things about history you never thought you wanted to know. I have read this series four times. Every time I learn something new.
They are not easy reads. Dunnett makes the point that to survive in this period you needed to know numerous languages so her characters slip from one to another. She uses dialect freely and an overwhelming number of literary references. The cast numbers in the thousands. There’s a romance with a HEA for romance lovers, and there are always mysteries to solve–Dorothy Dunnett wrote detective stories, too.
Why this series hasn’t been made into a Netflix production, I have no idea. Anyone who loves Bernard Cornell’s books or the Outlander series will love these.
Ash and the Butterfly
by Lark Maitland
A burnt-down museum, a dead earl, and a collection to be retrieved and revived bring together a group of scholars. Luke Ashburton, a well-traveled entomologist, and Grace Chetwood, mathematician in charge of decoding the earl’s notebooks, bring a backstory of enmity and a fiery hot passion for each other that eventually combusts. The sparks between the hero and heroine are blazing, as is Grace’s desire to prove that women can be brilliant too.
This romance will please readers who enjoy unique settings and characters that are not usually found in Regency romance.
The Berry Pickers
by Amanda Peters
7This is a story of love, loss, and the power of family. It is told through the eyes of a brother and sister wrenched apart in the most horrible of ways.
Set in the 1960s in Maine and Nova Scotia, it immerses the reader in the Mi’kmaq cultural heritage of the author and the cruelty of prejudice as it tells the story of one family and how they make their way through life.
A powerful read.
Wolf Island
by Giula Torre
I read this Gilded Age historical romance a while ago, but it has stuck with me over the years. I have just reread it and enjoyed it even more than the first time. Set in the Thousand Islands, this is the story of a desperate romance between two people from different social classes , played out against the development of the St. Lawrence Seaway. There is a striking twist at the end that leaves you breathless.
Highly recommended for all readers who love a romance set in well-researched history.
In the Company of the Courtesan
by Sarah Dunant
Set in 16th-century Venice, this book shares the world of a courtesan through the eyes of her faithful companion, a dwarf, as they weave their spell around the rich and powerful. Then into their lives comes a healer, bent and blind, La Draga, who brings plenty of intrigue and twists to the story. Beautifully written and rich in historical detail.
Find more of my book recommendations on Goodreads.