Category: Historical Fiction

My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

Post author By Jackie
Post date June 7, 2013
14 Comments on My Notorious Life by Kate Manning

Five words from the blurb: poverty, midwife, controversial, trust, downfall

My Notorious Life is the best 2013 release I’ve read so far. It is an atmospheric and engaging story about Axie, a midwife in 19th century New York who begins to perform abortions.

Axie has a difficult start in life. After the death of her mother she is separated from her brother and sister and finds herself working as an apprentice to a midwife. She learns the craft and begins to realise that some women face persecution, and even death, if they continue with a pregnancy. Axie begins her own clinic performing a wide range of midwifery services, but spends some of her time performing secret and controversial acts that prevent or terminate pregnancy.

The wonderful thing about this book is the sensitive way it handles such a difficult subject. It skillfully shows both sides of the abortion argument, leaving the reader to make their own judgement about what is right or wrong. Much of this book is based on historical fact and it is heartbreaking to know that so many women suffered in the ways described within these pages. I think this book will make many people look at abortion in a new light, or at least help them to realise what a difficult choice these women made – with both decisions leaving deep emotional scars for life.

The writing was wonderfully vivid and I loved the way the sights, sounds and smells were described so evocatively that the reader is made to feel as though they are there:

-It is so dark, said the Gentleman when he started up our stairs. I saw the wrinkle of his toffee nose as the smells choked him in the nostrils, the cabbage cooking and the p*** in the vestibule, the chamber pots emptied right off the stair. Mackerel heads and pigeon bones was all rotting, and McGloon’s pig rootled below amongst the peels and oyster shells. The fumes mingled with the odors of us hundred-some souls cramped in there like matches in a box, on four floors, six rooms to a floor. Do the arithmetic and you will see we didn’t have no space to cross ourselves. As for the smell we did not flinch, we was used to it.

If that’s not enough to persuade you to give this book a try then I should also add that all this is rounded off with a satisfying plot, characters you really care about, and fascinating snippets of information about life in 19th century New York. This wonderful book will appeal to a wide range of readers and I can see it becoming a modern classic.

Highly recommended.

Tags Abortion

2013 Historical Fiction Uncategorized

Secrecy by Rupert Thomson

Five words from the blurb: Italy, sculptor, hidden, dangers, revelations

Last year I read The Book of Revelation by Rupert Thomson and was impressed by its original and thought provoking plot. So when an unsolicited review copy of Thomson’s latest book popped through my letter box I was keen to see what he’d written. Secrecy is very different in style to The Book of Revelation, but his ability to write such accomplished books in different genres is a testament to his skill as an author.

Secrecy is a vivid piece of historical fiction set in 17th Century Italy. The central character, Zummo, is an artist who creates macabre models from wax. Zummo has many secrets and is forced to flee from his home town to Palermo, then Naples. Luckily he finds favour with Tuscany’s Medici ruler, Cosimo III, who commissions him to make a large wax sculpture, the nature of which is to be kept secret from everyone around them.

The writing was atmospheric and reminded me of Pure by Andrew Miller in the way it also contained depth and insight:

Secrecy has many faces. If it was imposed on you, against your will, it could be a scourge – the bane of your existence. On the other hand, you might well seek it out. Nurture it. Rely on it. You might find life impossible without it. But there was a third kind of secrecy, which you carried unknowingly, like a disease, or the hour of your death. Things that could be kept from you, maybe for ever.

The plot contained many twists and turns, but none were jaw-dropping – it was simply good old-fashioned story telling. Unfortunately I never connected emotionally with Zummo, but I remained interested in his story throughout. He was a fantastic character and I loved the fact that he was so flawed; encouraging the reader to be disgusted by him one moment and then feel sympathy for him the next.

This period of history was unfamiliar to me so I enjoyed learning at little about life in the Medici court. This book was clearly very well researched, but I liked the way that the historical facts were present, but never over-burdening.

Overall this was an enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a good piece of literary historical fiction.

Tags Italy

Historical Fiction Other

Two Historical Fiction Sequels

Post author By Jackie
Post date January 11, 2013
10 Comments on Two Historical Fiction Sequels

Merivel by Rose Tremain

Five words from the blurb: physician, courtier, laughter, King, loyalty

Last year I read and enjoyed Restoration by Rose Tremain in which Robert Merivel found favour with King Charles II. Merivel is the sequel to this 1989 Booker shortlisted novel and it begins in 1683, towards the end of Charles’ reign. Merivel is just as entertaining as Restoration – so if you enjoyed the first book you’ll find the sequel equally satisfying.

The book begins with Merivel heading to Versailles to enjoy the courts of Louis XIV. It follows him to Switzerland and then back to England, covering similar themes to the first book.

The writing is vibrant and it is a wonderful insight into 17th century life!

Recommended to fans of Restoration.

Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville

Five words from the blurb: Australia, histories, relationship, love, stories

I loved The Secret River so was keen to read this sequel. Unfortunately it was written in a different style to the first book and I failed to engage with it.

Sarah Thornhill begins a generation after The Secret River and follows William Thornhill’s daughter, Sarah, as she grows up and falls in love with a mixed-race neighbour. Unfortunately their love affair was unconvincing and all the characters were two-dimensional.

The writing style was lighter and faster paced than that of The Secret River, but I felt it lacked the depth of the first book. I never cared about the characters and found myself losing interest in the plot. After a particularly unconvincing scene about half way through I abandoned it. I’ve heard similar complaints about The Lieutenant. Are any of Grenville’s other books as good as The Secret River?

DNF

The commenting problem on my blog has now been fixed, although all comments left in the last 24 hours have lost. 🙁 Sorry for all inconvenience caused.

1980s Historical Fiction

Restoration by Rose Tremain

Post author By Jackie
Post date August 4, 2012
17 Comments on Restoration by Rose Tremain

Shortlisted for 1989 Booker Prize

Five words from the blurb: King Charles II, Court, love, mistresses, grace

Restoration is a special piece of historical fiction that manages to be entertaining whilst retaining plenty of period atmosphere. Set in 17th century England, the book follows Robert Merivel, a medical student, who finds himself inside the court of King Charles II. Merivel is desperate to find favour with the King and agrees to his demands, no matter how extreme they seem. This book is slow, but engaging and unlike a lot of historical fiction it does not focus on war or tragedy.

The book is written in a distinctive style, but is never difficult to understand. The tone remains light throughout and I frequently found myself smiling at the joyful enthusiasm of it all.

I shall not dwell upon the details of our journey, except to record that, as we came to Mile End and Will saw in the distance the tower and turrets of London, he grew most childishly excited thinking of the marvels he was about to witness for the first time, he having passed all thirty-nine years of his life in Norfolk.

The subject matter occasionally gets a little darker, but despite the appearance of the plague and the fire of London, the tone never becomes overbearing and quickly returns to its entertaining style.

There are a few brief descriptions of homes and personal belongings, but the book concentrates on Merivel’s relationships – showing the importance of loyalty and trust in the 17th century.

My only problem with the book was that the plot was slow and meandering. I was engaged throughout, but I prefer my books to have a little more pace and forward momentum.

Merivel is a fantastic character. I didn’t always like him, or agree with his choices, but I loved following his journey through life. The sequel, Merivel, is published in September and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens to him next.

Have you read Restoration?

Are you looking forward to reading the sequel?

2011 Books in Translation Chunkster Historical Fiction

The Hand of Fatima by Ildefonso Falcones

Post author By Jackie
Post date July 16, 2012
11 Comments on The Hand of Fatima by Ildefonso Falcones

Translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor

Five words from the blurb: Christian, oppression, Moors, Arab, conflict

It has taken me over six months to complete this 970 page epic. The book gives a detailed history of 16th century Spain, revealing the horrific violence that took place in Grenada when the oppressed Christians battled against the Arabic Moors. The book is narrated by Hernando, the son of an Arab woman who was raped by a Christian priest. Having mixed blood Hernando finds it difficult to be loyal to either side and through strong friendships with those from both religions he tries to bring peace to the region.

This book is massive in terms of both length and scope. I knew nothing about this period of history, but a basic knowledge is assumed and so I found that I had to research some sections in order to understand what was happening. I also found that having a Spanish map available was helpful, as without knowing the geography it was difficult to know the distances involved for each journey.

At daybreak, they began to climb to Moclin, where a commanding fortress defended the entrance to the plains and the city of Granada. They covered the same distance as on the first day, but this time uphill, feeling the cold of the mountains penetrating their rain-soaked clothes until it seeped into their very bones. They could not leave Moriscos on the road, so all the fit men had to help those who were not well or even carry the corpses, as there was not a single cart for them.

The pace was often painfully slow, as many side stories were weaved into the main narrative. I would frequently struggle through 20 pages, abandon the book for a week or two and then try again, only to be caught up in a new plot thread that captured my heart and hurtled me through another 70 pages….where I would then stall again. It was frustrating and gripping in almost equal measure!

This book isn’t for the faint hearted – there are many graphic scenes of rape and violence. The massacres of entire villages are described in vivid detail and I admit that I sometimes skimmed over a few paragraphs to prevent the terrible images from entering my head.

I’m pleased that I read this book, if only to be made aware of this turbulent period of history. I think it could have benefited from being much shorter, but the basic premise of the book was very good.

Recommended to those who love historical fiction and are not afraid to invest a serious amount of time in a long, meandering book.

Stu of Winston’s Dad and Richard of Caravana De Recuerdos are hosting a Spanish literature month.
Head over to their blogs for lots of other Spanish literature recommendations!

Tags Spain, Spanish

2011 Historical Fiction

Pure – Andrew Miller

Five words from the blurb: Paris, cemetery, clear, bones, death

Andrew Miller’s debut novel, Ingenious Pain, is one of my favourite books and so I was excited to read his latest release, Pure. Miller is one of those writers with the rare ability to make even the dullest scenes spring to life. I had hoped that Pure would come close to the magic of his first novel, but unfortunately it didn’t quite make it, only equalling the quality of his other good, but not outstanding books.

Pure is set in Paris at the end of the 18th century. Les Innocents cemetery, in the middle of the city, is overflowing and the stench of the dead is spreading to the surrounding area.

“They tell me that during a single outbreak of the plague fifty thousand corpses were buried at les Innocents in less than a month. And so it continued, corpse upon corpse, the death-carts queuing along the rue Saint-Denis. There were even burials at night, by torchlight. Corpse upon corpse. A number beyond any computation. Vast legions packed into a smudge of earth no bigger than a potato field. Yet no one seemed troubled by it. There were no protests, no expressions of disgust. It may even have seemed normal. And then, perhaps it was a generation ago, we began to receive complaints. Some of those who lived beside the cemetery had started to find the proximity an unpleasant one. Food would not keep. Candles were extinguished as if by the pinch of unseen fingers. People descending their stairs in the morning fell into a swoon….”

A young engineer, Jean-Baptiste Baratte, is summoned by the king and given the grim task of destroying the cemetery; moving all human remains away from the city centre.

This is a fantastic piece of historical fiction, perfectly capturing the destruction of the cemetery. The descriptions were so vivid that I could picture exactly what life was like and the characters were so well drawn that it was impossible not to develop an attachment to them.

The only problem was that the plot was quite simple. A few events occurred along the way, but the book basically took 300 pages to describe the way in which the cemetery was removed. I enjoyed being transported to 18th century France, but the book’s limited scope means that I am unlikely to recommend it to anyone. Instead I advise you to try Ingenious Pain and after reading that I’m sure you’ll want to read all his other books anyway!