Category Archives: Historical Fiction

March 6, 2024 · 6:17 pm

The Story of a New Name

Second novel in the Italian historical fiction series the “Neapolitan Novels”

I can’t believe it, but it has been over six years since I read the first book in this series. I remember being engaged but not enthralled, and even though I had the other books in the series on my shelf, I hadn’t gotten around to reading the next one. I recently saw that the very faithful TV adaptation was available to stream on SBS on Demand. Inspired, I decided to watch a few episodes of the first season, and pick up the second book which is the basis of the second season.

Photo is of “The Story of a New Name” by Elena Ferrante. The paperback book is resting on a black shoe and an open, blank lined notebook with a black pencil. The cover is of a young white woman in profile resting against a doorframe. She has long dark hair and a strong jaw and chin. The photograph is in black and white.

“The Story of a New Name” by Elena Ferrante is a historical fiction novel and the second book in the “Neapolitan Novels” series. The story picks up almost immediately after the events of the first book with Lila’s wedding. When she returns from her honeymoon with her new husband, it becomes clear that her new life is a terrible mistake. After an intense holiday together by the seaside, Lenù and Lila see less and less of each other. When Lenù is accepted to study at university in Pisa, the friendship and their two life trajectories become even more distant.

I’m not sure if it was because the characters were more adult, the setting less bleak, the story growing more compelling or the fact that I am now older, but I found myself enjoying this book much more than I did the first one. Against a backdrop of an increasingly liberal society, Ferrante explores themes of envy and comparison that naturally take place between two friends who are so similar in age, background and ability but whose lives have diverged so drastically. Even as Lenù finds success and fulfils her academic and professional potential while Lina is trapped in a patriarchal domestic nightmare, Lenù still envies Lina’s love affairs and is plagued with insecurity that she is not as smart or as beautiful as her best friend. Increasingly, as a reader you find yourself wondering how Lina views Lenù.

While I was extremely slow to read the second book in this series, I am now much more inspired to read the third.

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January 17, 2024 · 8:56 pm

He Who Drowned the World

Queer Imperial Chinese fantasy and sequel to “She Who Became the Sun”

I received a copy of this eBook courtesy of the publisher.

Image is of “He Who Drowned the World” by Shelley Parker-Chan. The eBook cover is of sailing ships in yellow and blue sailing on a wavy yellow sea with a large blue moon at the top of the cover.

“He Who Drowned the World” by Shelley Parker-Chan is the sequel to “She Who Became the Sun” and the final book in “The Radiant Emperor” duology. The book picks up shortly after the events of the first book with the newly renamed Zhu Yuanzhang exultant as the Radiant King. However, Zhu’s ambitions don’t stop there and are now fixed firmly on the emperor’s throne together with other ambitious players. Meanwhile, her old enemy the haunted eunuch Ouyang may be the key ally to achieving her ambitions, but is Zhu willing to pay the price?

This is a powerful finale to the duology with an enormous amount of character development that builds on the very firm setting of the first book. The first book was an incredible novel exploring motivations like unfettered ambition and revenge, with the characters making decisions often seemingly against their own interests to pursue their ultimate goals. This book is a significant gear shift, and the decisions that the characters made in the first book begin to catch up on them. Zhu’s cheerful certainty against all odds, however, remains infectious. I also really enjoyed the character Wang Baoxiang who was equal parts pitiful and brilliant, and also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

I really enjoyed this book and that it took the characters in a different direction, however it didn’t always have the same punchiness and surprises of the first book. I also felt that sex in this book was treated in a very challenging way: never for mutual enjoyment or love, but always either transactional or non-consensual.

A strong finish to the duology with great character development, if not quite as spectacular as the first.

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January 15, 2024 · 5:19 pm

The Name of the Rose

Historical fiction murder mystery set in an monastery in 14th century Italy

Reading this book has been a long time coming. When I was in year 12, I was studying the International Baccalaureate (IB). This high school qualification is quite different to typical Australian high school certificates. You have to study maths, a science, your first language, a second language and a humanities subject. You have to do 50 hours each of community service, creative activities and physical activities. You have to do a philosophy-style subject called Theory of Knowledge. You also have to do a 3,000 word Extended Essay on topic of your choice. I decided to do mine on the novel “The Da Vinci Code” which had come out shortly before I started the IB. My supervisor English teacher recommended that I read this book as a potential comparison, and while I started it, I couldn’t quite get into it and didn’t read it or end up including it in my essay. This was to my detriment because it would have actually been an ideal comparison with many overlapping themes.

Photo is of “The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco. The paperback book is nestled among the green branches and cream roses of a rosebush. The cover is the colour of manuscript paper with the book title elaborately designed in the style of an illuminated manuscript with large capital letters and the tail of the R turning into a rose stem with red roses.

“The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco is a historical fiction and murder mystery novel about strange deaths that take place at a Benedictine monastery in 14th century Italy. A Franciscan friar called William of Baskerville is recruited to investigate the matter and is accompanied by young novice called Adso. When they arrive, they find the abbot and monks less than forthcoming and the monastery itself full of secrets. With more murders, fierce theological debates and monk misconduct and a library like a labyrinth with hidden rooms, William and Adso have their work cut out for them to solve the mysteries before more people die.

This is a complex and meticulously researched novel that draws on detective fiction traditions like Sherlock Holmes to examine hypocrisy and corruption within the Catholic faith. William and Adso are an effective duo, with Adso’s naïveté and William’s logical reasoning providing two unique perspectives on the events and historic backdrop of the novel. The library is the centrepiece of the novel and Eco strikes a good balance between letting the reader try to work out some of its workings while not leaving the reader struggling alone for too long.

However, I can see why I couldn’t read this book at the age of sixteen. Despite the sensationalism of the murders, a lot of the book is very dense and focuses on different religious rhetoric and political divisions within the Catholic church. There is an extensive amount of contextual background about medieval Italy, Catholicism and politics that was really quite dry and I found it quite difficult to get through it all. Much of this is explored through debates between characters. While potentially of interest to people who research these particular topics or times in history, these debates do little to further the plot.

A rich novel that weaves together many literary traditions with an end result that is at times a bit impenetrable.

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January 14, 2024 · 12:45 pm

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Nautical historical fantasy novel about a woman pirate in the Indian Ocean

This was the next set book for my fantasy book club, and I was really excited because I loved this author’s previous series.

Image is of “The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” by Shannan Chakraborty. The eBook cover is a Middle Eastern-inspired design with a black background and symmetrical geometric patterns in red, navy blue and gold over the top. There are images of fish, a crab, waves, sea birds, moons around the cover and a faint map in the centre.

“The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi” by Shannon Chakraborty is a seafaring historical fantasy novel set in and around the Indian Ocean in the twelfth century. The story is about Amina, a mother and retired pirate, who is living a peaceful life with her daughter Marjana. However, when the mother of one of Amina’s deceased crew mates arrives demanding Amina find her missing granddaughter Dunya, Amina must leave her quiet life and recruit her old crew. However, it soon becomes clear that there is more to this increasingly dangerous mission than a simple kidnapping, and Amina must face treacherous seas, evil sorcery and, worst of all, her husband.

This was a really fun story with a great setting that turns the pirate and fantasy genres on its head. Amina is a fantastic character and it was so refreshing to have a middle-aged mother as a protagonist with a colourful history and a plethora of skills as compared to the usual teenager or jaded older man. I also absolutely loved the way Chakraborty wrote about sex and sexuality, and how Amina loves (and frequently objectifies) men and the trouble she gets into as a result. Chakraborty also tackles Amina’s relationship with faith and Islam in a really interesting and nuanced way while still providing a really strong fantasy setting and including plenty of engaging and diverse characters from different regions around the Indian Ocean and with different sexualities and gender identities.

While there are plenty of story elements to keep you hooked, fundamentally the plot is a fetch-quest which includes lots of tropes from the seafaring and piracy canon like the pursuit of mythical treasures, deadly islands, sea creatures from the deep and a motley crew. I found myself enjoying the interpersonal relationships, Chakraborty’s forte, much more than the actual action.

A really great start to a new series, I can’t wait to read more of Amina’s adventures.

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January 13, 2024 · 1:15 pm

Bellevue

Historical fiction novel about corruption, betrayal and place in the Blue Mountains

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the author.

Photo is of “Bellevue” by Alison Booth. The paperback book is resting on a stylised map of a mountain with lots of greenery and a vertical train track with the title of BLUE MOUNTAINS BOOKSHOP TRAIL. Beside the book are some purple flowers and a sprig of dried gumleaves. The cover is of an old house set back behind a simple wooden fence on top of a hill with a sweeping mountain view and sunset behind and black cockatoos above.

“Bellevue” by Alison Booth is a historical fiction novel set in the 1970s about a retired teacher called Clare who inherits a property in the Blue Mountains from her deceased husband’s aunt. The house and gardens need a lot of restoration, but Clare is determined to make it work and recreate the fond memories she has of visiting the property and town with her daughter. However, not everyone is happy with her inheritance and with uninvited visitors and vandalism in the night, Clare begins to realise how isolated she really is. When she finds out about a redevelopment plan, she decides to take action, but the plot goes much deeper than she could ever have imagined.

This is a book about loneliness, community and family that gently unfurls against the beautiful backdrop of the Blue Mountains. Booth really captures the scenery and serenity of this part of New South Wales, and the sense of small community. I felt like this book struck a really good balance between building trust and broken trust, with Clare making valuable new relationships as she finds out that old ones are no longer serving her. I enjoyed her intergenerational friendship with Joe, the positive impact it has on his own family and the additional benefits when she adopts a dog.

Some of the chapters moved more quickly than others, and I enjoyed the chapters set in the Blue Mountains more than I enjoyed the bus ride and city protest. I also think I would have found it more satisfying to have a definitive answer about what really happened to Clare’s husband.

An enjoyable book that tackles themes of friendship, loyalty and ethics.

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January 8, 2024 · 11:26 pm

The Safest Place in London

Historical fiction about two women, two children and the bombing of London in 1944

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Harry Hartog an embarrassingly long time ago (2016). I have over 200 books in my to-read piles (plural) and I have been making a big effort to chip away at them, but alas also I keep getting more books. Anyway, I finally picked this one up from one of the many stacks of books and read it.

Photo is of “The Safest Place in London” by Maggie Joel. The paperback book is resting on a brown coat with a brown teddy bear in its arms. The cover, partially obscured, is of people and a building in silhouette against bright firelight.

“The Safest Place in London” by Maggie Joel is a historical fiction novel set in London during World War II. Two women from two different socio-economic backgrounds, Nancy and Diana, and their respective three year old daughters, Emily and Abigail, find themselves sheltering in an underground tube station during an air raid.

This is a character-driven story that uses a crisis setting to explore the ways people respond to extreme stress. Nancy and Diana are each fully-realised characters with clear backgrounds and motivations that influence their mothering and responses to the emergency. The actions that they take are fully believable and reveal a lot about class and personality style, and raise a lot of ethical questions.

However, the book includes four separate stories and the other two stories, Nancy’s husband Joe and Diana’s husband Gerald, were not as easy to get invested in. Much of Gerald’s story takes place in North Africa and felt really disconnected from the overall plot. Similarly Joe, despite being much closer to home, has a plotline of near misses and his own battles with his family and conscription that often felt like they were diverting from the main narrative rather than supporting it.

An interesting snapshot of World War II London that could have benefited from a more streamlined plot.

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January 8, 2024 · 12:52 pm

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Historical fantasy novel about field research on faeries

With my garden overrun by couch grass and running on hold for now, I was in need of a good audiobook to listen to while I tried to get on top of weeding and this one was the next set book for my fantasy book club.

Image is of “Emily Wild’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett. The eBook cover is beige with a an open book at the botom, and vines, mushrooms, stars and a key coming out of it.

“Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries” by Heather Fawcett and narrated by Ell Potter and Michael Dodds is a historical fantasy novel set in 1909 in rural Norway. Scholar Emily Wilde has arrived in the remote village of Hrafnsvik to conduct field research for her latest project: an encyclopaedia of faerie lore. Although Emily is a talented academic, she is a bit lacking in people skills and struggles to connect with the locals of Hrafnsvik and make headway on her research. However, when her handsome, charming and infuriating rival Wendell Bambleby arrives in town, she reluctantly joins forces with him to search for the elusive Hidden Ones. It will take all of Emily’s knowledge and Bambleby’s charm to achieve their goals, however the more they work together, the more Emily realises that Bambleby has secrets of his own.

This is a fun story that blends adventure, folklore, romance and academia in the beautiful but bleak winter setting of northern Scandinavia. There are a lot elements in this book, but the plot never feels cluttered and Fawcett weaves them together smoothly. Bambleby in particular was a delightful character and I really liked how his character grew in complexity as the story progressed, and his otherworldly charisma is offset by quaint hobbies and quirks like sewing and darning. I think for people who love fairy tales and folklore, the fantasy elements of this story will be very satisfying.

As enjoyable as the book was overall, I did find Emily’s character a little frustrating and inconsistent at times. While I appreciate that Emily is strongly suggested to be neurodiverse with difficulties anticipating and interpreting social interactions, and a special interest in faeries, I did feel that her ability to interpret and respond to faerie etiquette was a bit at odds with her apparent difficulties with other people. As much as I loved Bambleby, I wasn’t as enamoured with the suggestion that Emily needed Bambleby to form relationships with the locals. For the audiobook, even though I enjoyed Michael Dodds’ narration of Bambleby’s small number of chapters, I found the use of a different narrator a bit jarring.

A light-hearted and well-paced story with plenty to keep you hooked.

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January 6, 2024 · 3:43 pm

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Historical science fiction novel inspired by H. G. Wells

This was the set book for my fantasy book club. I wasn’t hosting this time, but I had previously hosted a book club for a book by this author and I was keen to read more of her work.

Image is of “The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. The eBook cover is of a young woman in a teal dress standing in the doorway of a pink house covered in vines.

“The Daughter of Doctor Moreau” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a science fiction novel set in Mexico in the 1970s inspired by “The Island of Doctor Moreau” by H. G. Wells. The story is about a young woman called Carlota who lives with her father, scientist Dr Moreau who creates human-animal hybrids. She lives in relative isolation in the estate they live in and her precarious health means she requires regular treatment. She spends most of her time with Cachito and Lupe, two experiments who are more humanoid than others, with only minimal involvement in her father’s work or understanding of their financial situation. However, when Eduardo, the son of the man who owns the estate, visits one day, he takes a romantic interest in Carlota which could either be the family’s salvation or its downfall.

This story had a beautiful, lush setting in the Yucatán Peninsula and the estate, known as a hacienda, felt fully realised. It reminded me a lot of “Like Water for Chocolate” actually with a strong connection between the family and the home, and Moreno-Garcia continues to impress with her ability to set a scene. Carlota is a great character whose self-realisation transforms her from fragile to empowered and I loved how she becomes a fearsome advocate. Montgomery, Dr Moreau’s alcoholic assistant, is also a really strong character and his chapters were frequently my favourite. I really enjoy the biopunk subgenre of science fiction, and while this book (and its inspiration) in some ways is more like “Frankenstein“, it shared a lot of similar elements around the ethics of combining humans and animals and exploring the limits of human biology. I also really liked how Moreno-Garcia drew parallels (and alliances) between the exploitation of her hybrid characters and the impacts of colonialism on the Maya people. I felt like Moreno-Garcia has really hit her stride with her writing, and some of the rougher edges in her previous book are well and truly smoothed out here.

The main issue I had with this book, which I had with “The Gods of Jade and Shadow”, is that once again the ending just wasn’t very satisfying. I appreciate that this isn’t exactly a romance book but like her previous book, I felt like there was an enormous amount of emotional setup that wasn’t followed by a solid conclusion.

Nevertheless, a unique, colourful and sensitive retelling of a classic science fiction novel.

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January 5, 2024 · 4:24 pm

The Fire and the Rose

Historical fiction novel about forbidden love set in medieval England

I received a copy of this eBook courtesy of the publisher.

Image is of “The Fire and the Rose” by Robyn Cadwallader. The eBook cover is a beige with blooms of what appears to be ink and blood.

“The Fire and the Rose” by Robyn Cadwallader is a historical fiction novel set in England in 1276. The story is about a young woman called Eleanor who has moved to a town called Lincoln to work as a housemaid. Things are not easy for Eleanor: she has a conspicuous birthmark on her face and she has talents and ambitions for a profession women are excluded from. Then, she falls in love with a Jewish spicer called Asher, but their relationship is forbidden. As Jewish people are increasingly persecuted in Lincoln, Eleanor must find a way to be true to herself and survive on her own.

This is Cadwallader’s third novel and I think it’s my favourite. She revisits some familiar themes from “The Anchoress” and “Book of Colours” such as the role of religion and the significance of books in 13th century England. However this book feels bolder and more subversive than her previous books, tackling issues like facial difference, sexism and racial and religious discrimination. Eleanor was a great character and I really enjoyed reading a book about someone who did not fall within the typical roles of women during that time. Of course, there would have been unmarried women who worked in atypical jobs, but Cadwallader created a believable story about how someone like Eleanor would have lived and the ways in which communities practise tolerance while churches preach exclusion. I also really enjoyed Asher as a character. He was gentle, erudite and principled and the long-term romantic tension between him and Eleanor felt very real.

The only part I struggled with was the ending. Eleanor experiences a lot of indecision towards the end, and although I felt her reactions and responses throughout the novel were very realistic, I didn’t quite feel the same way about her ultimate choices at the end.

A really interesting and immersive story about a tumultuous period of persecution in England.

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January 2, 2024 · 8:00 pm

Daisy Jones & the Six

Historical fiction about a band and rock music in the 1970s

I came across this book after seeing trailers for the TV adaptation which looked really, really good. I like to read the book first and saw that there was audiobook was available. As it happened, this would be the last audiobook I’d listen to this year for running.

Image is of “Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The Audiobook cover is a photograph of a young woman with long textured red hair and aviator sunglasses. Reflected in the sunglasses is the face of a man. There is a sticker that says “NOW AN ORIGINAL SERIES: prime video”.

“Daisy Jones & the Six” by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a historical fiction novel set in the 1970s about a fictional band called The Six. Told in a documentary-style format, the book cuts from character to character who each recall the rise and fall of the band with a particular emphasis on Billy Dunne, the band’s front man, and Daisy Jones, a talented singer who joins the band.

This was a really immersive story that pulls the reader straight into the 1970s with all the sex, drugs and rock and roll associated with the time period. The interview format was really effective, and even more so in audiobook format as each character was narrated by a different voice actor. The book tackles a number of different issues including drug addiction, family violence, sexism and exploitation in the music industry. The characters are all really well-rounded and Jenkins Reid excels at generating and maintaining tension and chemistry between them.

I think the only things that didn’t quite work was the reveal at the end, which I found a bit lacklustre, and without visual cues or clear narrative context, some of the secondary characters’ voices were a bit hard to distinguish from one another. When I did watch the TV adaptation afterwards (which was also very good), this wasn’t an issue at all.

A really enjoyable book and I am keen to read more of Jenkins Reid’s work.

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