Category: Historical fiction
+ audio book, Australia, fiction, folklore, Historical fiction, mythology, Netherlands, review, superstition
The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
Based on a true story, an epic historical novel from the award-winning author of Things in Jars that illuminates the lives of two characters: a girl shipwrecked on an island off Western Australia and, three hundred years later, a boy finding a home with his grandfather on the very same island. 1629: A newly orphaned young girl named Mayken is bound for the Dutch … Read More The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
The Versailles Formula by Nancy Bilyeau Cover Reveal
She craved purpose. She found danger. Now, there may be no turning back. Genevieve Sturbridge was never meant for a quiet life in the English countryside. Once an artist in the heart of London, now she spends her days in restless solitude, longing for the passion and purpose she once knew. But when a familiar figure from her past arrives with an urgent request, … Read More The Versailles Formula by Nancy Bilyeau Cover Reveal
The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain
Some things are earned. Some things are worth fighting for… It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance. But the city is not a place for men … Read More The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain
A Secret in the Family by Nancy Revell
Sunderland, 1945. Ida Boulter makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave her five children behind as she escapes her husband and moves to London to start afresh with the love of her life. 1953, County Durham. Ida’s children have since built a new life in the beautiful home of Cuthford Manor – looked after by their eldest sibling Angie and her husband. #ASecretInTheFamily X/Twitter @arevellwalton @PenguinUKBooks … Read More A Secret in the Family by Nancy Revell
+ 1940s, 1950s, fiction, guest post, Historical fiction, loss, love, review, Victorian Britain, World War Two, WW2
The Butterfly Girl by Tania Crosse spotlight post
A heart-wrenching tale of wartime spirit, love, loss and the courage of a young nurse during the Plymouth Blitz. 1941. The midst of the Blitz. Bombs are raining down on the city. In one terrifying moment, trainee nurse Pippa Luscombe’s life is turned upside-down when her hospital takes a direct hit. As Pippa comes to terms with the full extent of the tragedy, she … Read More The Butterfly Girl by Tania Crosse spotlight post
+ 1930s, 1940s, fiction, friendship, grief, Historical fiction, history, holocaust, jewish history, jews, loss, love, nazi germany, non-fiction, review, WW2
The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden
‘Haunting and beautiful. Excruciatingly vivid, The Teacher of Auschwitz is rigorously researched and true to the history, powerfully conveying what a smart, loving and energetic man Fredy was.’ Dr Elizabeth Baer, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ‘The closest possible narrative a person who did not experience those times herself, could have written… which will do justice to Fredy and all those victims.’ Dita Kraus, the real-life … Read More The Teacher of Auschwitz by Wendy Holden
+ 1930s, 1960s, 1990s, family, fiction, folklore, Historical fiction, love, Native American, religion, review
A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award–winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day. From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three … Read More A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
+ audio book, fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, review, supernatural, superstition, witchcraft
The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Kerr
‘There are a lot of shadows at Ravenswood, so you will need to be strong…’ The year is 1885 and a young woman is on the run, knowing if she’s caught, she’ll be hanged for murder. Moments from a safe haven, she collides with a gruff stranger, falling and breaking her ankle. To her surprise, the man – Marcus Greybourne – convinces the local … Read More The Ravenswood Witch by Jenni Kerr
+ 1950s, family, feminism, fiction, grief, Historical fiction, lies, literature, London, loss, love, marriage, mental health, mental illness, motherhood, music, obsession, psychiatrist, relationships, review, secrets, sisters, therapy, twins
The Crooked Little Pieces: Volume 4 by Sophia Lambton
Curiosity can be a killer. The clock begins to tick on Anneliese’s moral compass as the sleuth-psychiatrist delves deeper into London’s social dregs – encountering a playbook too subversive for her tastes. While Isabel belittles the idea of jealousy Charles Anthony views his obsession as a Jezebel. Susanna’s (other) indiscretions are hard-pressed to rest in peace as torments old and new distort her life. … Read More The Crooked Little Pieces: Volume 4 by Sophia Lambton
+ 1940s, childhood, fairies, fiction, Historical fiction, Ireland, Italy, List, Magical realism, nazi germany, review, USA, whimsical, WW2
My Top 6 Books of 2024
As we slip quietly into 2025 it’s time to reflect on my absolute favourite books of 2024. It’s six this time, four of which are audio books. It’s always hard. There were instant standouts again. I have tried to include a mix of genres but failed yet again. I read a lot of crime fiction, which occasionally make my quarterly selections, but my Top books of … Read More My Top 6 Books of 2024
+ 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, cosy mystery, crime fiction, dark humour, Historical fiction, humour fiction, List, murder mystery, psychiatric hospital, Sci-Fi, superstition, thriller, time travel
My Top 10 Books of 2024 – Part Four
Here are my favourite ten books of 2024 Part Four, not counting audio books. Quite a disparate selection for a change. The Portrait Girl by Nicole Swengley I had no idea what to expect when I started reading The Portrait Girl. What we know is that Freya’s mother has just died and Freya needs to clear out her cottage and then decide whether to sell it, … Read More My Top 10 Books of 2024 – Part Four
My 4 Favourite Audiobooks of 2024 – Part Four
Here are my favourite audio books of the year Part Four. There’s always a Gothic mystery in there. Plus Chris Whitaker makes a second appearance of the year. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton I signed up for this as an audio book on Borrowbox. It’s 20 hours long – which is huge – I can see it’s six hours and 48 mins as … Read More My 4 Favourite Audiobooks of 2024 – Part Four
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