I started reading The Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher J. Koch, who was born in Hobart, Australia. It’s an interesting read so far, although I have to say yet again it doesn’t quite fit the idea of being historical fiction. Let me explain.
The story is set in 1965 Indonesia. As I’ve mentioned in a previous post about Anil’s Ghost in this series, the accepted definition of historical fiction is set at least 50 years prior to the present. The first publication date of this book is 1978 in Great Britain by Penguin Books. So, that means this story was written as contemporary fiction, not historical since it was published only 13 years after the story date. However, from this reader’s point of view, it’s set more than 50 years from today, so I’ll count it for my purposes.
This paperback book is 278 pages long, with an Author’s Note detailing a couple of sources for the story content. Other than that, no other supporting material is provided. It’s divided into three parts: Patet Nem: Hamilton’s Dwarf (112 pages); Patet Sanga: Water from the Moon (94 pages); and Patet Manjura; Amok (71 pages). I always find it interesting to look at the parts of a book when it’s divided up into sections like this. You may remember I did the same in my discussion about The Stationery Shop a few weeks ago. Here, the length of each part decreases as the story progresses. I’m currently on page 137, in Patet Sanga, so I don’t have a feel yet for the reasoning behind the sections. I’ll share my thoughts on that in the Impressions post next time.
One very interesting device the author is using is that of a narrator as a character in the story. His name is Cookie but so far I don’t know very much about him. He’s apparently a foreign news reporter like the character Guy, and he’s observing the relationship of the three main characters: Guy Hamilton, Billy Kwan (cameraman for Guy), and Jill Bryant (the woman the other two men love). I admit to being baffled at first by who was narrating the story because Cookie has insights into all three of the main characters but in a way that’s far more analytical than someone involved at the time of the story. Instead, the narrator has the benefit of hindsight knowing, able to provide the context of their actions and what those actions lead to in the future of the story. I think it took me several chapters to discern the narrator as a fourth character relating the story after the fact.
I should finish reading the book in a few days, so will have my Impressions of the overall story for you next time.
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
As the American Revolution drags on, Charles Town, South Carolina, remains under siege by the British, and one woman’s father is determined to marry her off to a suspected traitor. Emily Sullivan is beset from all sides but vows to fight her own war for independence.
Frank Thomson walks a fine line between spying for the Americans and being a perceived loyalist traitor. Posing as a simple printer of broadsheets and pamphlets, he sends crucial encrypted intelligence to the general camped outside of town. But when Frank learns Emily has been imprisoned by the enemy, he risks his own life, freedom, and heart for hers.
I have finished reading Cut from the Earth by Stephanie Renee Dos Santos (The Tile Maker series Book 1). Last week I mentioned that Ms. Dos Santos is from South America but it turns out I am wrong on that score. She’s a “native of the United States” but has lived in other countries, gaining first-hand experience with various cultures. That makes two authors I have mistaken as from other countries than mine. But the stories have been good, so I’ll share this one with you as well.
The story is written from multiple points of view (POVs), giving both male and female perspectives on events in the 1750s in Lisbon. In particular, the story focuses on the aftermath of a massive earthquake in November 1755. So much so that I found myself thinking of the story as a disaster movie/book. The author spent many chapters on how the characters dealt with struggling back to some kind of normalcy after devastating loss and destruction.
While the main thread of the story is about how a tile making shop owners use their income to free slaves by purchasing them from their masters, I found myself more intrigued by a separate, more subtle theme.
Throughout the story, the main characters—there are three of them: Padre Peros; Rafa; and Phaulina—all reflect on the source of their inspiration to create designs for the tiles. Through their eyes, I could see how they used their unique view of the world around them, the details others may not notice, to combine into a design, a picture, a texture. I found myself recalling the number of times I’ve been asked as a writer of fiction where I get my ideas. My best answer is from the world around me. Newspaper articles, news articles on the TV, history books, even other books and the movies I enjoy. All provide tidbits of ideas that I then piece together, like using bits of glass to create a mosaic, fashioning a new story to share with my readers. In Cut from the Earth, Dos Santos has done the same thing through her characters. Illuminated the process of inspiration and how it leads to creation.
The story was well written, and definitely researched into the finer details of tile making in the 18th century. I could quibble with some of the typos and editorial errors I spotted here and there, but the story taught me a lot about Lisbon in the 1750s. (Seeing surface errors like that is an editor’s skill and bane all at once! Skill when editing someone else’s work; bane when simply trying to read for enjoyment.) I don’t believe I’ve read any other stories set in Portugal, come to think of it.
When I embarked on my literary journey around the world, at least as far as location if not author origin, I hadn’t anticipated how much I’d learn. I’ll have to compile a list of everything I’ve learned through this endeavor as a wrap up post when I finish my tour. That and a list of all of the blog posts in order in case you missed any of them.
So, what’s up next you may be asking… I’ve selected a title I’ve heard about but haven’t read yet. And I’ve verified that the author is not from the USA, too. <grin> I’m going to start The Year of Living Dangerously by Christopher J. Koch, who was born in Hobart, Australia. It’s an award-winning book, so I’m curious to find out what I learn from reading it…
Be sure to check out the first book in my American Revolution historical romance series, which is discounted this month. I did a lot of research before writing that series, including a couple of trips to Charleston, South Carolina, to do some in-person exploring. More info is below.
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
As the American Revolution drags on, Charles Town, South Carolina, remains under siege by the British, and one woman’s father is determined to marry her off to a suspected traitor. Emily Sullivan is beset from all sides but vows to fight her own war for independence.
Frank Thomson walks a fine line between spying for the Americans and being a perceived loyalist traitor. Posing as a simple printer of broadsheets and pamphlets, he sends crucial encrypted intelligence to the general camped outside of town. But when Frank learns Emily has been imprisoned by the enemy, he risks his own life, freedom, and heart for hers.
One of the best things about doing this Historical Fiction Around the World sampling of authors from other countries than my own is “discovering” new authors! In A House Divided by Sulari Gentill I found a kindred spirit when it comes to historical fiction. This story is the first in the Rowland Sinclair Mystery series of eight historical crime fiction stories by this author set in the 1930s in Australia. I’m going to add them to my growing To-Be-Read (TBR) list! I shared my initial thoughts last time, but now that I’m finished reading the book, let me tell you more.
Ms. Gentill immersed me into the lifestyle of both the rich and famous in protagonist Rowland Sinclair, but then showed me the seedier side of life during that era with some shady and violent characters. In between those extremes, we meet several Bohemian and artistic characters and many militaristic and political characters to boot. All told, the author painted a vivid picture of the life and times in the 1930s.
I enjoyed the smattering of Aussie lingo and euphemisms she used to help create a sense of the people then, some of which I believe is still used today. That sense of vague familiarity with a foreign land and culture helped me slide right into the story world and settle in for a good tale. She wove enough of the unfamiliar terms, often explained in context, throughout the story to paint the picture of the Australian culture without leaving me foundering for understanding.
My overall impression of A House Divided is of a solid murder mystery with great and individual characters worth getting to know. If you’re a cozy mystery fan, this one is for you!
Next up is Cut from the Earth by Stephanie Renee Dos Santos (The Tile Maker series Book 1). Ms. Dos Santos is from South America, my first author from that area. This one I’m going to read on my Nook instead of in paperback for a change.
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
As the American Revolution drags on, Charles Town, South Carolina, remains under siege by the British, and one woman’s father is determined to marry her off to a suspected traitor. Emily Sullivan is beset from all sides but vows to fight her own war for independence.
Frank Thomson walks a fine line between spying for the Americans and being a perceived loyalist traitor. Posing as a simple printer of broadsheets and pamphlets, he sends crucial encrypted intelligence to the general camped outside of town. But when Frank learns Emily has been imprisoned by the enemy, he risks his own life, freedom, and heart for hers.
The next story in my Historical Fiction Around the World tour is A House Divided by Sulari Gentill. This story is the first in a series of eight historical crime fiction stories by this author set in the 1930s. I must admit to enjoying this type of historical fiction far more than war novels. It doesn’t hurt that it’s set in Australia, a continent and culture(s) I’ve wanted to experience for most of my life now. And which I’m happy to report I will finally have the opportunity to visit in 2023! Cannot wait to go there, New Zealand, and Guadalcanal next year.
I’ve begun reading A House Divided and am on page 126 of 358 pages. I’m enjoying the characters, their insights and quirks. It’s an easy to follow story but also includes aspects of life in the 1930s in Australia, the politics of the time, and also how crimes were solved prior to modern day methods of identification, like fingerprinting and DNA analysis.
One technique Ms. Gentill employs is one I’ve seen more often in mysteries and crime fiction, actually general fiction, than in women’s fiction and romance novels. That is the use of “head hopping” with the point of view character. In other words, the point of view from which the story is told switches within the scene from one character to another. In this story, sometimes three times in one scene. In romance, in particular, that is frowned upon; POV shifts should happen between scenes, not within them. So it took a moment for me to adjust my expectations but it’s handled well in the story and isn’t confusing to me. It reminds me of classic literature, to be honest, because you’ll find the same technique used in them as well.
I’ll try to finish reading this story before my next installment here. For one thing, I want to know whodunnit! Until then…
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. They need a father and protector. She needs a husband and business partner…one she can trust, especially now as tensions rise between the motherland and the American colonies. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn.
Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her and she’s surprised to find him so sociable and appealing. They form an instant bond and she is certain he’ll be a likeable and loving husband and father figure for her children. She envisions a quiet life at Mount Vernon, working together to provide for their extended family.
But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.
For the next installment in my Historical Fiction Around the World series, I chose what turned out to be a quick and enjoyable read. I hadn’t read anything else by this author, but Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost turned out to be a good read. Set in Sri Lanka in the 1980-90s, this fictional tale is intended to highlight the political crisis of that time. While technically not “historical” since it’s set less than 50 years from the present—copyrighted in 2000 in fact—the story does shed light on that decade. This story had been recommended to me as historical fiction but obviously it doesn’t fit that description. However, since I read it I’ll share my impressions anyway.
My overall impression of the story told is one of violence and the horror of people living through the ongoing nightmare of a civil war. In this case, a three-way fight between the government, antigovernment insurgents in the south, and separatist guerillas in the north of the country. Civilians got caught in the middle, including the doctors sometimes shanghaied to patch up the victims whether they wanted to or not. The main character, Anil, is a forensic scientist intent on solving a murder but she also is caught in the middle.
I appreciate the insights Mr. Ondaatje provides as to the life and times, the philosophical views of the ongoing war. I could empathize with the exhaustion of the characters, both physical and emotional. I wondered about how he conducted his research, how close to the actual actors in the real-life drama did he have to get to understand and then portray the depth and breadth of experience? One scene includes a man whose hands are nailed to the road, crucifixion style. I still have a hard time imagining people doing this to each other. How often did something like that actually happen? How did people react to such cruelty? Ondaatje describes how Anil and her colleague deal with the man humanely and professionally, but their emotional ties to him linger. They are not violent people but they are living within a violent world.
One of the lessons I’ve been learning by reading such a diverse, varied set of stories is what writing styles I enjoy and which ones I’m not that fond of. Mr. Ondaatje employs one technique that has its uses but in my humble opinion he overused it in this book. That technique is super short scenes. I’m talking a handful or so of paragraphs, some scenes not even one page in the book. I think that is a great way to shine a bright spotlight on a particular moment in time, whether an action, a conversation, or anything that is pivotal to the overall story, character development, or a hint at an upcoming plot twist. In Anil’s Ghost, there are many of these short scenes which at times made the story feel disjointed, choppy, maybe even disconnected.
Another confusing aspect to the style, or rather the typography, of the book is the use of italics for some scenes. I’m unclear as to the meaning for the shift from roman type to italics as those scenes were not from a specific person’s point of view, nor routinely a flashback or memory that I could discern. I’m assuming there is a reason for the italics, but I’m not sure what it is. If anyone knows, I’d love to have that explained. The editor in me is very curious as to what I missed.
So those are my thoughts about Anil’s Ghost. I liked the story overall. Mr. Ondaatje is a fine writer, as most will agree I’m sure. I probably wouldn’t have selected this book off the shelf if it hadn’t been recommended mainly because it’s not my go-to kind of story. But I’m glad I read it. It’s enlightening and eye-opening as to what others have endured in order to survive if not thrive.
Next time, I’m reading A House Divided by Sulari Gentill. This story is the first in a series of eight historical crime fiction stories by this author set in the 1930s. Time to head to the library to pick up a copy and return Anil’s Ghost.
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
On sale for only $1.99 (ebook)! Sales ends February 28!
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. They need a father and protector. She needs a husband and business partner…one she can trust, especially now as tensions rise between the motherland and the American colonies. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn.
Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her and she’s surprised to find him so sociable and appealing. They form an instant bond and she is certain he’ll be a likeable and loving husband and father figure for her children. She envisions a quiet life at Mount Vernon, working together to provide for their extended family.
But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.
The next book on my Historical Fiction Around the World tour is The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali which is one of my favorite reads so far. This story is not a romance, but is a love story between two people who should have been together all along but obstacles prevented them from sharing a life. Those obstacles include political and personal forces, but I won’t elaborate as that would count as giving away the story. The hardback I read was 308 pages long without any supporting elements like glossary, maps, or pronunciation guide. But it didn’t need any of those to help me follow the story.
The story begins in 2013, then jumps back to 1953 and progresses back up to the present day. There is one other flashback to 1916 to show the foundation for the rest of the story elements, plot twists, and character motivations and reactions. Ms. Kamali deftly handles these transitions using not only transitional language but guideposts in the form of titles and dates at the beginning of each chapter. The use of these flashbacks to previous years allowed me to see the cause and effect that events from the past had on the story present-day events.
The story is divided into five parts, with Part 1 consisting of 13 chapters; Part 5 has 8; and Parts 2-4, 9 chapters total. As you might suspect, Part 1 carries the weight of the story, with transitioning through the middle parts. Part 5 naturally provides the wrap-up, the explanations as to what has transpired throughout and what it all ultimately means for the characters. I enjoyed seeing how Ms. Kamali varied both scene and chapter lengths, as well. The combination helped the story pace to flow right along.
Ms. Kamali also uses several devices to augment the meaning and substance of the story. One of those devices is short but important exchanges as separate scenes. Another is the use of stream of consciousness sentences without punctuation to interrupt the flow. The resulting effect worked to make the moment more immediate and vivid, at least to me.
I was intrigued by life in Iran back in the 1950s and how girls/women were treated then. How they were expected to behave even as those expectations began to shift to be more Western in nature. Dealing with change is never easy, especially for those who resist new ideas. I haven’t studied this time period nor this country so experiencing Kamali’s story gave me a level of awareness as to the culture and the politics of the time in an easy to understand form.
Next up on my tour is Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost. I’m sure many of you have heard of Ondaatje since he wrote The English Patient. Mr. Ondaatje was born in Sri Lanka and then moved to Canada. I’m looking forward to finding out just what kind of ghost is in this tale.
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
On sale for only $1.99 (ebook)! Sales ends February 28!
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. They need a father and protector. She needs a husband and business partner…one she can trust, especially now as tensions rise between the motherland and the American colonies. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn.
Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her and she’s surprised to find him so sociable and appealing. They form an instant bond and she is certain he’ll be a likeable and loving husband and father figure for her children. She envisions a quiet life at Mount Vernon, working together to provide for their extended family.
But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.
I started reading Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield which is all about the Spartan culture, training, and approach to life. The edition I was reading is Large Print with a total of 562 pages. I started by poring over the couple of maps of Greece and the Aegean and of Thermopylae, the latter being the focus of the story. I’ve been to that part of the world several years ago, so I was interested in learning more about the history of the battle there.
Mr. Pressfield is a very capable writer and storyteller. He’s created distinct and memorable characters to tell the story of the Spartans and how 300 of them held off an invasion for days. I can tell he’s done his research, he knows the ancient terms the Spartans used, their training techniques, and fighting skills. In short, he knows of what he speaks! Or should I say, writes.
It’s through no fault of the writer that I couldn’t finish this book. It’s more that I have never been interested in the battle strategies of history. What turned me off about history class was having to know who fought whom, the dates, the names, the places, without really knowing who those people were. I didn’t fall in love with history and thus historical fiction until I realized it was actually talking about how real people struggled and overcame obstacles. That’s the story I care about, not the fighting techniques and strategies employed.
That’s one of the joys of books, isn’t it? That there are so many on so many different topics that you can always find something good to read. I’m sure there are plenty of people who will find the details in Gates of Fire both fascinating and intriguing. If you like that kind of story, this one is for you! It really is well written and provides insight into how the Spartans defended what they believed in.
I’m going to switch to another story, another one from a Turkish author but set in Iran. The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali should be a story more to my liking. This one is a romance set against the political turmoil in the 1950s in Tehran, so I should learn something about that history as I read. I hope you’ll read along with me!
Happy reading!
Betty
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
On sale for only $1.99 (ebook)! Sales ends February 28!
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. They need a father and protector. She needs a husband and business partner…one she can trust, especially now as tensions rise between the motherland and the American colonies. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn.
Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her and she’s surprised to find him so sociable and appealing. They form an instant bond and she is certain he’ll be a likeable and loving husband and father figure for her children. She envisions a quiet life at Mount Vernon, working together to provide for their extended family.
But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.
Now that I’ve finished Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red I’d like to share my impressions of the story and the writing. As I mentioned last week in My Initial Thoughts the format of the story is unique. For a murder mystery, having multiple points of view, all written in first person, opens up some interesting and humorous options. Some of those characters included pictures of things rather than living, breathing people characters.
It took me 11 days to read the book, with breaks here and there to do some other things like write my own book and drive to Virginia for vacation. I can’t say I enjoyed this story as much as some others. Part of that is some of the content was rather offensive to my taste. I don’t consider myself a prude, mind, but there seemed to me more than necessary mentions of the male member and various uses for it by the owner and by others, some willing, some not.
I feel like I learned more about the mindset, or expectations, of the Turkish people in the story. How much did the representation in the story reflect the reality of those times? I don’t know. Some of those sensibilities worried me, made me wonder if that was really how men in those times viewed the world around them. The people around them. Or perhaps the author views others in this way? I don’t know that either…
I also didn’t get a real sense of life in the 16th century. Most of the descriptions of place and character seemed universal instead of specific. Instead of describing what houses looked like in that time, it’s only mentioned whether they were large, or neat/messy, etc. For me, the closest to anchoring the story in the past came from the frequent mention of a dagger, of walking or riding a horse, some of the foods mentioned. Still, the overall sense I gleaned from the narrative left the setting rather vague instead of incorporating it into the story.
I applaud Mr. Pamuk on his creativity and willingness to delve deeply into the world of art, illustration, and illuminations. The latter is what intrigued me most about the story. I think the people, men actually, who did the illuminated texts were some fine artists! I’ve been lucky enough to see several tomes while in Dublin years ago.
So overall, the story was well written and creative, funny and insightful. I have a few reservations about some of the content and world view expressed within its pages, but perhaps that’s my own foible and not something others would even notice.
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
On sale for only $1.99 (ebook)! Sales ends February 28!
Martha “Patsy” Custis manages an immense eighteenth-century plantation in the Virginia colony. But as a young widow she’s hard pressed to balance her business and to care for her two young children. They need a father and protector. She needs a husband and business partner…one she can trust, especially now as tensions rise between the motherland and the American colonies. Her experience and education have sustained her thus far but when her life veers in an unexpected direction, she realizes she has so much more to learn.
Colonel George Washington takes an interest in her and she’s surprised to find him so sociable and appealing. They form an instant bond and she is certain he’ll be a likeable and loving husband and father figure for her children. She envisions a quiet life at Mount Vernon, working together to provide for their extended family.
But when trouble in the form of British oppression, taxes, and royal arrogance leads to revolt and revolution, George must choose between duty to country and Martha. Compelled to take matters into her own hands, Martha must decide whether to remain where she belongs or go with her husband… no matter what the dangerous future may hold.
I’ve started reading Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red. I’m about a third of the way into the story, which is set in Istanbul in the 16th century. This story is the 2006 winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The paperback consists of 418 pages, with 1 map of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires, and an historical chronology of events related to the story. I perused the map before I started reading but not the chronology until a bit later. That helped me to understand fact from fiction as I continue reading, which is a good thing to have some grasp on.
One of the interesting aspects of this narrative is that it’s written in multiple points of view in first person. Each chapter is written in a different point of view, mostly of people but also of objects and drawings. I mean, it’s interesting to read about the point of view of a gold coin and its travels, or a drawing of a dog or even a tree and what the depiction is meant to represent. It’s a unique approach to telling a murder mystery, that’s for certain!
I’m learning more about Turkish literature, and about the Koran, through the eyes of the characters and objects. One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction is the opportunity to learn about other cultures and histories. This blog series that I’m working my way through is all about Historical Fiction Around the World by authors from countries around the world. I’m not including American authors only because that’s the kind of historical fiction I’ve mostly read and I want to expand my reading.
I am enjoying the story and the writing style. It’s interesting and funny too. I mean, Chapter 3 is entitled “I Am A Dog” and includes, “I’m a dog, and because you humans are less rational beasts than I, you’re telling yourselves, ‘Dogs don’t talk.’ Nevertheless, you seem to believe a story in which corpses speak and characters use words they couldn’t possibly know. Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.” That paragraph made me laugh out loud! And wonder…
I’ll share more about the story and my impressions next time. Happy reading!
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
On sale for only $1.99 (ebook)! Sales ends January 31!
An unsuspecting Southern town. Ghosts. Witchcraft. Skeletons in the closet. Discover the Secrets of Roseville in this five book series… Undying Love, Haunted Melody, The Touchstone of Raven Hollow, Veiled Visions of Love, and Charmed Against All Odds!
She lost everything but only his love can save her…
How does one recover after tragic loss demolishes your heart and soul? Meredith Reed grapples with that question every day, especially after she inherits Twin Oaks. The historic plantation is meant for a large family but hers no longer exists. She has some ideas for its future: tear it down; bulldoze it; burn it. Regardless of her incensed family and the handsome, irate estate lawyer’s objections. And despite the influence of the Lady in Blue haunting the place…
Max Chandler anticipates buying his dream home with the raise from his expected promotion after passage of the historic property preservation legislation he championed. Twin Oaks is just the sort of place he dreams of. Big and roomy, with lingering echoes of laughter and love from past generations within its very walls. Perfect. Except, perhaps, for the Civil War era ghosts in residence. They’ll have to go.
When Twin Oaks is threatened with a bulldozer, he has to fight, ignoring his growing attraction to Meredith. Her intentions go against everything he’s worked for. He has no choice but to do all in his power to stop her.
Will Meredith’s grief destroy her heart and home or will she listen to what the Lady in Blue is trying to teach her?
(Updated and revised edition; originally published in 2014 as Traces.)
My sampling of Historical Fiction Around the World continues! When I first started The Mathematics of Love by Emma Darwin I was a bit confused. It’s written in first person and I didn’t know enough about the skirmish it opens with to follow what was happening. So I had to go back to the book description to find my bearings before I restarted reading it. Here’s what the book is about:
The Mathematics of Love is a poignant chronicle of two people, separated by centuries, whose lives—amazingly, impossibly—become interwoven in a brilliant tapestry of tragedy, memory, and time. Following alternate but intimately connected stories—of a curious, promiscuous teenager in her season of exile and awakening in the English countryside in 1976, and a nineteenth-century soldier damaged on the fields of Waterloo, struggling to find his way back to life with the help of a compassionate, extraordinary woman—Emma Darwin’s breathtaking narrative brilliantly evokes the horrors of war, the pain of loss, the heat of passion, and the enduring power of love.
The book starts in the point of view of Major Stephen Fairhurst during an altercation in a small town involving a young boy getting caught up in the middle of things and a woman looking out for him. The woman becomes a friend of the Major and is quite a strong-willed, forward-thinking woman indeed for that time period. Perhaps too much so at times, but I’m looking at this through a 21st-century lens so my expectations may be somewhat skewed.
The other point of view is that of a fifteen-year-old girl in 1976 England who is indeed promiscuous. She’s practically treated like an orphan, though her mother and her boyfriend/lover are supposedly going to send for her when they establish a new business in another country. Her uncle is put in charge of her in a defunct school which used to be a country estate, the estate of Major Fairhurst in the previous century.
So my first question about the author’s story is why 1819 and 1976? Why a difference of 157 years? It’s a prime number which reflects the title on one level. But how does it apply to the story, or rather two intertwined stories? I don’t have an answer, but if you do, please share!
Since I was rather confused by the opening chapter, I went in search of reviews to find out how others had handled the opening. This book has very mixed reviews, most of them not positive. Many were confused by the story, and several thought the book a waste of money. I wouldn’t go that far, because I did enjoy most of the story. I do think the author missed some amount of potential for the story by keeping the story threads unwound for so much of the book. But it did end up tied together for the most part.
There are similarities between the past and story-present time periods. The 1819 thread includes a woman who sketches the world around her, while the 1976 thread has a deep dive into photographic techniques of the time. Both look at light, shadow, capturing memories, being aware of the beauty and wonder of the world. Some play on ghostly images and echoed images can be seen between them as well. These themes are dear to my heart as my father was a photographer and we talked about these things frequently.
Another theme between the two times is that of forbidden or discouraged love of varying kinds. In the past, the strict societal constraints on women and their sexuality, their activity, their reputation is a primary topic of conversation with regard to the Major’s friend. In the present, the teenager also rebels against societal constraints but ultimately in both times they bow to the need to comply however unwillingly.
Emma Darwin’s writing style is also remarkable. She did an excellent job of distinguishing the time periods through her authorial voice modifying to suit the Major or the teen. Without the need for noting the difference in time period, I could (usually) tell when the shift occurred, whether it was indicated through typography or not. I will say some of the transitions were jolting, going from an intensely happy moment to one of battle and bloodshed, for instance. Perhaps she was aiming to emphasize the contrast of joy to horror? For me, it felt more like a non sequitur.
Overall, I enjoyed finding out more about the impact on the soldiers after the Battle at Waterloo. The 1819 thread of the story was far more interesting to me than the 1976 thread. But then, I have never enjoyed reading about wayward youths, especially when they basically get away with their bad behavior for one reason or another. As the book description mentions, there is a good deal of the “heat of passion” primarily with the teen. The 1819 story also includes passion, but with adults in a more emotionally satisfying relationship than the teen’s. I don’t want to give too much away in my impressions of the book, but the mirroring effect of having couples in both stories engaging in relationships that some would find inappropriate is another way Darwin contrasts and compares love in its many guises in both times.
This novel is far more about the lives, loves, and times of the two time periods than about the battles in the 19th century. If it weren’t for the 1819 time line this wouldn’t qualify as historical fiction, since the other is in 1976, and thus too recent. Yet it’s mainly through the teen’s interpretation and growing understanding of Stephen’s letters and life that we gain a clearer picture of his life story. The ending to the book is mostly satisfying but leaves open, at least for me, a few questions.
That’s my impression of this story. Did you read it as well? What are your thoughts and opinion of the story? I’d love to hear from you if you’ve read it.
Moving on, let’s switch countries, this time to Turkey and Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red. Turns out this story is set in 16th-century Istanbul. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve actually visited Istanbul, even bought a carpet while there. I was also astounded by the driving skills of the motor coach drivers! So glad I wasn’t driving, let me tell ya! I’m looking forward to dipping into this Turkish tale. Will you join me?
P.S. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for my newsletter, which I send out most every month, including news like new covers, new releases, and upcoming appearances where I love to meet my readers, along with recipes and writing progress. Thanks and happy reading!
An unsuspecting Southern town. Ghosts. Witchcraft. Skeletons in the closet. Discover the Secrets of Roseville in this five book series… Undying Love, Haunted Melody, The Touchstone of Raven Hollow, Veiled Visions of Love, and Charmed Against All Odds!
She lost everything but only his love can save her…
How does one recover after tragic loss demolishes your heart and soul? Meredith Reed grapples with that question every day, especially after she inherits Twin Oaks. The historic plantation is meant for a large family but hers no longer exists. She has some ideas for its future: tear it down; bulldoze it; burn it. Regardless of her incensed family and the handsome, irate estate lawyer’s objections. And despite the influence of the Lady in Blue haunting the place…
Max Chandler anticipates buying his dream home with the raise from his expected promotion after passage of the historic property preservation legislation he championed. Twin Oaks is just the sort of place he dreams of. Big and roomy, with lingering echoes of laughter and love from past generations within its very walls. Perfect. Except, perhaps, for the Civil War era ghosts in residence. They’ll have to go.
When Twin Oaks is threatened with a bulldozer, he has to fight, ignoring his growing attraction to Meredith. Her intentions go against everything he’s worked for. He has no choice but to do all in his power to stop her.
Will Meredith’s grief destroy her heart and home or will she listen to what the Lady in Blue is trying to teach her?
(Updated and revised edition; originally published in 2014 as Traces.)
Betty Bolte's Musings 