Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig

Title: Band of Sisters

Author: Lauren Willig

Genre: Historical Fiction

Lauren Willig’s latest covers a little known group of women who went to France to help the rural towns decimated by the Nazis during World War I. The Smith College Unit helped the French people become self-sufficient by providing chickens, cows, and supplies. Willig used letters written by the real women to create her story and these form the first part of every chapter. A love story is included along with a secret between long lost friends. This novel inspired by true events will have you rooting for these selfless women!

- Lisa

Check out Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig @ the library!

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Giver of Stars

Author: Jojo Moyes

Genre: Historical Fiction

This book is inspired by an actual group of women who in 1935 signed up to become the first librarians of Roosevelt's Pack Horse Library Project in the rural hills of eastern Kentucky. As you quickly learn, this was no easy job and it was absolutely fascinating to learn of these brave, strong, gutsy women and their back-breaking, often perilous attempts to deliver books & magazines to the isolated, impoverished, and often illiterate men, women and children in the remote hills of the Appalachian mountains. Everything that makes a great book is included in this compelling story: friendship, hardship, romance, adventure and purpose. The author has a wonderful ability to create believable characters that you come to know, love and/or loathe. I thoroughly enjoyed this very readable book and give it my highest recommendation!

- Karen

Check out  The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes @ the library!

All the Flowers in Paris by Sarah Jio

Title: All the Flowers in Paris
Author: Sarah Jio

Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II, Romantic Fiction, Memory Loss

In this captivating novel, we follow a story that spans both our present day as well as the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. In our times, Caroline, an American, wakes up from a coma in a Parisian hospital and has no memory of her past. She knows it is a sad life that she has forgotten and that Paris has been her escape from it. In her search for clues she looks through her apartment but it is barely decorated and does not offer up much about her past. She does discover a stash of love letters in her search and it leads her to connect with people she had little time for before her accident. Little does she know that she shares more in common with the occupants of her apartment during the Second World War than she would have ever imagined. During the dark history of Nazi-occupied France, Céline, a widow, and her daughter are barely surviving the rampant antisemitism, but its terrors are starting to be felt as their flower shop is vandalized and a Nazi officer preys on them. Céline finds herself in a very dangerous position and has to draw on strength and courage to help her through. Both women show resilience in the face of challenges and you will find yourself rooting for them both all the way.

- Elizabeth

Check out All the Flowers in Paris @ the library.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

Title: Once Upon a River
Author: Diane Setterfield

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Once Upon a River is set on the Thames back when the river was a primary means of travel and inns along its banks were the center of their communities.

The Swan was known for its storytelling and one dark night a tale landed right on their doorstep. The mystery begins with a wounded man carrying a drowned girl.  It continues when the man passes out, the girl miraculously awakes, and all who meet her are ready to claim her as their own. 

A feat of good storytelling in itself, this book offers an extensive group of townspeople who are introduced and interconnected skillfully, flowing together like the river that runs through it. 

Juliet Stevenson does a fantastic job voicing the audio book version for those of you who'd like to hear the telling of a story within a story. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Once Upon a River @ the library.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

Title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Author: Heather Morris

Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction

The Tattooist of Auschwitz tells the story of Lale, a prisoner in Auschwitz during World War II who managed to work his way to the more "privileged" position of Tätowierer (tattoo artist) - seemingly against the odds. He falls in love with a fellow prisoner, Gita, one of the first women he had to tattoo with a prisoner ID number. During their time at the camp, they find a way to maintain their romantic relationship amidst the suffering, loss, and hardships they had to endure. Their story shows the power of love and perseverance during times of extreme adversity. 

Please note: This is a fictionalized story based on a real couple's relationship during World War II. "Fictionalized" and "based" are the key words here, as there is some controversy surrounding some of the factual details recorded in the book. I'd recommend reading the book and then checking out this article, along with conducting some of your own research, to decide for yourself what you think about the changes that were made.

- Sarah P.

Check out The Tattooist of Auschwitz @ the library.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict

Title: Carnegie's Maid

Author: Marie Benedict

Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction

Imagine that you are newly arrived ashore from Ireland and its grim poverty, and someone calls out your name as if they have been expecting you for a custom-made job... Would you take the bait even if you were not the person they were expecting? Young Clara Kelley does answer and is quickly whisked away to Pennsylvania. She has to quickly pretend that she knows how to be a ladies maid, and not only that, a good one for the exacting Mrs. Carnegie, mother of the self-made steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie. The deception seems to be working until Mr. Carnegie develops feelings for Clara Kelley. What will her fate be when the high-society world into which she has moved finds out about who she really is?

- Elizabeth

Check out Carnegie's Maid @ the library.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Title: The Island of Sea Women

Author: Lisa See

Genre: Historical Fiction

The Island of Sea Women tells a fictionalized story of the haenyeo living in Korea. The haenyeo are women sea divers who dive with only the power of their lungs, harvesting sea life to sell for profit to support their families. The tale starts with a Korea at peace, weaves its way through two world wars, and finished in nearly present day. The story is typical for author Lisa See, following friendship as it wears through the ages, families through generations, and how the two interact and influence each other. See also does a great job in this novel, and her others, of spotlighting historical cultures that are not well known. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this read.  (For more interesting information, I recommend searching "haenyeo" on the internet! I knew little to nothing about haenyeo before reading this book and found their history completely fascinating.)

- Jamie

Check out The Island of Sea Women @ the library.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Title: Next Year in Havana

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

Marisol grew up hearing stories about Cuba from her grandmother Elisa, who left there as a teenager and never returned. Now, Elisa has just passed away, and her final wish was for Marisol to visit Cuba for the first time and spread her ashes there. Marisol stays with her grandmother’s childhood best friend, who gives her a box of letters that Elisa gave her to protect when she left the country in 1959. The letters show her a side to her grandmother’s life that she never knew about, and Marisol sets out to discover the full story. The book switches between Marisol’s viewpoint in 2017 and Elisa’s in 1958, so readers learn along with Marisol about the man who wrote the letters and the circumstances that caused Elisa’s family to leave Cuba. However, the more Marisol digs into her family’s past, the more attention she draws from the government, until she begins to put herself and the family she is staying with in danger. This is an intriguing book that keeps readers surprised until the end. 

- Melissa

Check out Next Year in Havana @ the library.

Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

Title: Before We Were Yours

Author: Lisa Wingate

Genre: Historical Fiction

In this book two stories are told. 

Memphis, TN, 1939: Rill Foss is the oldest of five who live in a shantyboat on the Mississippi River. After a health crisis forces Rill's parents to seek out a hospital, Rill and her siblings are captured and end up in a Tennessee Children's Home Society Orphanage. Rill struggles to keep her siblings together and safe as they are given new names and displayed to would-be adopters.

Aiken, SC, Present: Avery Stafford, the daughter of a prominent senator, is now being groomed to take her father's place as his health is failing. With her life of privilege, her law-degree, and her long-time fiance, it seems as though everything is being planned for her. A surprise meeting during a photo op at a nursing home makes her dig deeper into her family's history and what she learns may just derail all of her family's political plans.

This book was selected as the 2017 Goodreads winner for Historical Fiction. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Before We Were Yours @ the library.

Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford

Title: Radio Girls

Author: Sarah-Jane Stratford

Genre: Historical Fiction

Radio Girls is set in pre-WWII England, as the BBC is just beginning to reach airwaves. The novel explores many topics, women's rights being the main one. Maisie takes a secretarial job at the BBC to earn some much needed income, and ends up falling into the career path of her dreams. Maisie is taken under the wing of Hilda Matheson and learns many different things, least of all how to put on broadcasts for the BBC Talks programming. An excellent read that inspires comparing the past to today's world, through the lens of journalism.

- Jamie

Check out Radio Girls @ the library.

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

Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Genre: Historical Fiction

This story starts in January of 1946 and is told entirely through a series of letters. The majority of the missives are sent to/from Juliet Ashton, a British writer. Juliet had a successful wartime series, but is now looking to start a serious project. A letter out of the blue ends up inspiring her to visit Guernsey, a British island that was occupied by the Nazis during WWII. As Juliet gets drawn into the daily life of Guernsey and its inhabitants, she finds much more than the inspiration for her book.

The characters are what really shine through for this story. You can picture the people - you may even know someone in your acquaintance that comes to mind as they're described. 

As a bonus, because part of the tale is about a book club, you may be inspired to read some of the mentioned titles after this one!

- Sarah R.

Check out The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society @ the library.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Title: The Underground Railroad

Author: Colson Whitehead

Genre: Historical Fiction

This Oprah Book Club selection offers a glimpse of the trials and tribulations of slave life during the time of the underground railroad. The story's protagonist is Cora, a young slave girl who is abandoned by her mother who flees the plantation in the hopes of being free.

Cora's own journey via the underground railroad is fraught with peril, not knowing if at any moment she will be found by the persistant slave catcher, Ridgeway, if she will be betrayed by others, or if she will be discovered because of her own missteps.

Full of detailed prose that paints pictures of the time, the scene, and the horrors experienced, this book helps to shed light on the incredible journey shared by many African Americans searching for finding freedom.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Underground Railroad @ the library.

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

Title: I Was Anastasia

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Anastasia Romanov was the youngest daughter to Nicholas II, the tsar of Russia in the early 1900s. At 17 years old, she, along with her family, was infamously murdered in 1918 after the Bolshevik Revolution. ...Or was she? In the years following the execution, many women came forward claiming to be Anastasia, stating that she had somehow survived the execution. The most prevailing of these women was known as Anna Anderson. In "I Was Anastasia," Ariel Lawhon presents two timelines: one moving forwards, which follows Anastasia and her life the few years before 1918; the other moving backwards, following Anna Anderson and her fight to be legally recognized as Anastasia Romanov. These two timelines converge on the execution of the Romanov family in 1918. The book reads as a suspense or mystery novel as you try to unravel what is happening and determine what is the truth.

While this book is a fictional retelling, many of the people, places, and major events are rooted in the facts and history. Lawhon did extensive research, using letters, journals, and other primary sources to craft conversations and other interactions. The book was a little slow to start, but I highly recommend sticking with it! It was an engrossing read! When I finished, I found myself researching more of the story to figure out what was true and what was fabricated. It is amazing to me that it actually took over 70 years for Anastasia's true fate to be conclusively determined! You will be fascinated.

- Sarah P.

Check out I Was Anastasia @ the library.

Lady Sherlock Series #1 and #2: "A Study in Scarlet Women" and "A Conspiracy in Belgravia" by Sherry Thomas

Titles: A Study in Scarlet Women and A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock Series #1 and #2)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Excellent! The Lady Sherlock Series is a gender-flipped retelling of Sherlock Holmes. It's not the first gender-flipped retelling, but it has to be the best. The characterization is fabulous, the crimes and surrounding plots are interesting, and both novels provoke fascinating conversations on gender and class. There's also some superbly poignant romantic tension. I listened to the audio book versions (available on OverDrive and Libby) read by award-winning narrator Kate Reading. She gives each of the many characters a unique voice without ever going over the top. Highly recommended!

- Rachel K.

Check out A Study in Scarlet Women and A Conspiracy in Belgravia @ the library.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Title: The Great Alone

Author: Kristin Hannah

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction

This book is as much a love letter to Alaska as it is a tale about a teenage girl named Lenore and her parents. Lenore's dad, Ernt, suffers from PTSD after surviving being a POW in Vietnam. Still devoted to Ernt, Leni's mom Cora refuses to leave Ernt as he becomes increasingly unstable. When they move to Alaska for a new start, all of them will be tested by the beautiful, but harsh, climate within and without. Will they all survive the great alone?

- Sarah R.

Check out The Great Alone @ the library.

News of the World by Paulette Jiles

Title: News of the World

Author: Paulette Jiles

Genre: Historical Fiction, Western

Set after the Civil War, in the wild country of Texas, this story follows a war battled Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd as he journeys to deliver a young girl he names Johanna back to her family. Johanna, an orphan now ten years old, was captured when she was six by the Kiowa Indians, and has no knowledge of English nor any memories of being anyone other than a Kiowa. Captain Kidd is a news man: he reads newspaper articles of far away places to audiences for a dime a head to make his living. This unlikely pair forms a unique bond on their travels. Captain Kidd and Johanna both learn about each other and we get to understand them differently as they encounter all the many varied people, many of them not so pleasant, on the road. The writing transports you back to a time and a part of the country that feels very different from our own today, but also pulls you in with its beauty and the magic of the history. Enjoy!

- Elizabeth

Check out News of the World @ the library.

The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey

Title: The Widows of Malabar Hill

Author: Sujata Massey

Genre: Historical Mystery

The historical mystery The Widows of Malabar Hill  by award winning author Sujata Massey takes in place in British colonial India. This is a first in a series with the first female attorney, Parveen Mistry, to practice in the 1920’s Bombay. The story switches between a murder mystery involving Mistry’s clients that are Muslim who practice purdah, total seclusion, and Mistry’s backstory of becoming an attorney in her father’s practice and her first marriage.  The historical and cultural details are fascinating. It’s also a great murder mystery! This book can be recommended to fans of historical fiction and murder mysteries that enjoy  a strong and intelligent heroine. 

- Mary

Check out The Widows of Malabar Hill @ the library.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Title: A Gentleman in Moscow

Author: Amor Towles

Genre: Historical Fiction

Looking for a deeply compelling read that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last? Consider A Gentleman in Moscow. You will follow the ins and outs, ups and downs, of the life of an aristocrat who is put under house arrest at his Moscow hotel at the beginning of the formation of the Soviet Union. What follows is the story of a man who thrives and lives a colorful and meaningful life in spite of his circumstances, or perhaps because of those same circumstances. Highly recommended if you enjoy historical fiction, following a longer life story, or if you enjoy Russian history.

- Elizabeth

Check out A Gentleman in Moscow @ the library.

The Lost Letter by Jillian Cantor

Much like Jillian Cantor's other works of historical fiction, The Lost Letter, beautifully weaves together two stories of love and loss. One part of the storyline, set in 1938 Austria, follows the Fabers, a Jewish family trying to survive as the Nazis march into Austria. Patriarch Frederick Faber is a master stamp engraver making postage stamps for the Austrian government. When the Nazis institute antisemtic legislation in Austria, the Fabers are forced to leave Austria leaving young Kristoff, Frederick's non-Jewish apprentice, in charge. When one of Frederick's daughters refuses to leave Austria, and becomes involved with the resistance movement, Kristoff finds himself falling in love.

Fast forward to 1989 shortly before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Katie, the daughter of an avid stamp collector is sorting through her father's stamp collection as her father suffers from the late stages of Alzheimer. When Katie finds a letter with a unique stamp on it she begins to journey into the past to uncover the story behind the unopened letter.

Cantor, much like she does in her other historical fiction novels, tells a completely captivating story. With seamless incorporation of historical events, Cantor alternates between characters with ease, perfectly blending the two time periods together.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee's Pachinko is a multi generational story set in Japan that focuses on the twists and turns of history as it affects an immigrant Korean family beginning in 1900. This book is sure to be of interest to those fascinated by history or reading about how events affect life in weird and wonderful ways.