Pondering Italy today…

July 30, 2014 By in apps, Books 1 Comment

I’ve traveled to many places in Europe but Italy, sadly, had never been on my agenda; I’ve just never gotten that far south. My domain has been Scandinavia and northern Europe, but as I’m starting to be exposed to new ideas and fresh faces, new places happily follow.

A plethora of historical fiction is set in Italy, and from my research, most of it comprises three fascinating periods in Italian history: ancient Rome, the Renaissance, and the world wars. I am drawn to the following picks because of the added human dimension to historical events and personages, like the destruction of Pompeii, various Roman emperors, the incredible amount of artistic talent unleashed in such a small country, later tales of royalty and decadence, and the civilization and climate of various areas of the country.  Historical fiction is my mode of learning about history and culture, and if I were to plan a visit to Italy, I would busily prepare myself by reading theses highly recommended adventures through time and place:

first manThe First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough: A towering saga of great events and mortal frailties, it is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women — soldiers and senators, mistresses and wives, kings and commoners — combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life. (Goodreads)

iclaudius

I, Claudius by Robert Graves:  Historical novel set in 1st-century-AD Rome, published in 1934. The book is written as an autobiographical memoir by Roman emperor Claudius. Physically weak, afflicted with stammering, and inclined to drool, Claudius is an embarrassment to his family and is shunted to the background of imperial affairs. The benefits of his seeming ineffectuality are twofold: he becomes a scholar and historian, and he is spared the worst cruelties inflicted on the imperial family by its own members during the reigns of Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula. (Goodreads) The television series is fantastic, too. 

venusPompeii by Robert Harris set in the ancient doomed city, tells of a young man’s rescue attempt.(Goodreads)

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone: Fictional depictionagony of Michelangelo (Goodreads), with insights into the Medici family and the culture of Italy. (Goodreads)

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant: turbulent 15th-century Florence, a time when the lavish city, steeped in years of Medici family luxury, is suddenly besieged by plague, threat of invasion, and the righteous wrath of a fundamentalist monk. (Goodreads)

The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner:  An absolutely fabulous historical novel told from the point of view of Catherine de Medici, one of the most maligned women in history. The parts dealing with her childhood are set in Italy; the rest in France. (Goodreads)

leoThe Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa: A sweeping saga of Sicilian society during Italian unification in the 19th century. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s tumultuous portrait of royal life in Sicily during Italy’s unification and transition was originally rejected by publishing houses roomand finally released in 1958, after his death. It’s now considered one of the greatest works of Italian literature. (Goodreads)

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster: E.M. Forster’s 1908 novel offers a glimpse of mysterious and romantic 19th-century Italy. (Goodreads)

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For history buffs, I have recently been made aware of an app designed especially for families traveling to Italy (by an awesome father-son team ), designed to teach history while having a good time. The website is Gumshoe Tours http://www.gumshoetours.com/home.html, b7c712e254ac4edf779c1b64acdcb5fcand the creators have completed tours of both Rome and Assisi, with hopefully more to come. There is also an attached “Life in Italy” blog by one of the  creators, an American who has lived in the country for some time.

So read and play, and tell me all about it when you return!

Review of Paullina Simon’s Bellagrand

July 23, 2014 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

Bellagrand is indeed BELLA GRAND!!! This book came straight from the author’s heart. Readers will understand the less-than-stellar lead up to this heartbreaker now…

bella2

 

BELLAGRAND

Paullina Simons has returned in fine form! The love story of Alexander’s parents is continued from Children of Liberty, and is the prequel to the stunning Bronze Horseman. Nothing I could write can describe this gem of a book better than the author’s poignant words: “[This book is about] Gina, a passionate, strong, good woman, who wants nothing more than to love and to be loved. The book is about all the things that stand in her way. In this story, you will also meet Alexander, and you will witness the love that had made him and in the end that saved him, the love that offered him, years hence, the possibility of a new life. It was all borne out of Bellagrand, out of the lifelong love affair between Gina and Harry, Alexander’s mother and father.” (from author’s website)

Gina and Harry’s journey spans four decades and two continents, from the troubled industrial immigrant town of Lawrence, Massachusetts, to the blue-blood society of Boston, to South Florida where the dream of perfection is found and lost, to a new life in a dangerous, foreign land.

Bellagrand is an epic journey, a suitable prequel to the momumental love story of Alexander and Tatiana. Simons wraps up all the plot threads cleanly, but not before wringing your heart and dragging you through an emotional roller coaster ride. Bellagrand is a poignant and mature exploration of marriage and commitment, of sacrifice and consequences. It is a dark tale with rays of light that will touch you.

(from my review for The Historical Novels Review)

Paullina Simons, William Morrow, 2014, 576 pp, 9780062103239, paperback Continue reading →

You’ve got to love small presses!

March 28, 2014 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I have just turned in my review for Paullina Simon’s Bellagrand. Ohhhh….it’s a heart breaker. Similar to The Bronze Horseman. Hold on to your hearts if you decide to read it, and I will post the review here after the May issue of The Historical Novels Review is published. I also reviewed The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott….not impressed.

Sarah Johnson at Reading the Past has been posting galleries of upcoming small press titles, and her latest post of international titles is fascinating. THESE are the kinds of books that readers like me are hankering for-exotic locations (to us Americans, of course) and different themes than the usual fare we see in the States. One book in particular makes me chuckle, as I’m so unused to seeing American settings from an international point of view: The Hedge by Ann McPherson, set in 17th century Hartford, Connecticut. To Canadians, Connecticut must sound exotic, but it’s hard for me to imagine, being a native New Englander, someone conceiving of Connecticut the way I view Bombay… But everyone’s home is exotic to someone somewhere else.

The settings are refreshingly diverse: Western Australia, India, Singapore, North America, Spain, and the Middle East, for example. This is the appeal of Indie historical fiction-both self-published and mainstream small press-a refreshing gust of wind from a different direction. A chance to learn something fresh, educate yourself outside of your comfort zone, and grow into a worldly, sophisticated connoisseur of words. At least that’s the lofty goal. My goal right now is a soft couch, a warm fuzzy blanket, and a cup of tea with my multicultural entertainment…

Enjoy perusing Sarah’s list, and I will be writing up a review for Liza Perat’s haunting second novel, Wolfsangel, as soon as I can finish it. So far, three books for the 2014 Historical Fiction Challenge- that puts me on the road toward being a Victorian-level reader….oh the things we book lovers do for kicks!

Historical Fiction Challenge 2014

February 3, 2014 By in Uncategorized Tags: , Leave a comment

Image A new year, a new challenge. Since I read exclusively historical fiction anyway, I’m going to join Historical Tapestry’s 2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Motivation is always best from the outside, for me at least!  I wonder what I’ll be able to accomplish this year. I’ve already read one, so I’m halfway to a 20th century reader, YES! I challenge myself to the medieval level….let’s see if I can mange it! Anyone want to join in?

20th century reader – 2 books
Victorian reader – 5 books
Renaissance Reader – 10 books
Medieval – 15 books
Ancient History – 25 books

 

So far this year, I’ve read Escape from Paris by Caroline Hart, and The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott. Currently reading Wolfsangel by Liza Perat, and my next review book is the upcoming prequel (to The Bronze Horseman) by Paulina Simons, Bellagrand. Not a bad start to the year.

Latest HNS Review: Escape from Paris by Carolyn Hart, and current reads…

February 3, 2014 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

I am currently reading Liza Perat’s Wolfsangel, the second in her historical L’Auberge des Anges series. I have just begun, so I cannot comment except to say that Liza is back in formidable style- her writing captivates and her story draws you in…

Escape from Paris

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Escape from Paris is romantic suspense set in Occupied Paris in 1940, right before Germany declares war on America and the French resistance begins to coalesce. Two American sisters, Eleanor, who is married to a Frenchman, and Linda, risk their lives to save downed British pilots from the Nazis. But with watchful eyes everywhere and the Gestapo on their trail, each airman they save puts them in even greater peril…

This is a publication of the original uncut manuscript from 1982 (the first published version had cut 40,000 words), with a new introduction by this prolific author. Escape from Paris manages to pull in aspects of the German occupation from many angles: the doomed Jews of Paris, the trapped airmen who parachute into France, the fate of American expatriates under the occupation, and the cold-hearted calculatedness of the Gestapo.

The beginning of the novel feels confusing with switching points of view and different storylines, but when the plot finally blends into one cohesive storyline – that of the British pilot Jonathan and the two sisters – the plot rushes ahead, is easy to follow, and left this reader breathless. Don’t expect a neatly wrapped up conclusion from this book, but go along for the ride.

HNS Review of The Last Banquet and upcoming reviews…

November 18, 2013 By in Books Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Europa rep at BEA raved about this novel, therefore I simply had to read it…how could I not?  And here are my conclusions:

the-last-banquet-jonathan-grimwood-143x200Jean-Marie d’Aumout’s sharply distinctive and intelligent voice narrates his life story spanning 18th-century France, from desperate poverty to the viciousness of boarding school for destitute aristocratic boys, to military academy, marriage that brings fortune and titles, and beyond, to face his own demise. “Our lives are built almost entirely on a foundation of events colliding,” D’Aumout philosophically states, as he ponders the unlikely chain of events that comprise his life.

D’Aumont rises to fame guided by his exceptional sense of taste and eagerness to explore flavors without regard to social taboos. A primal desire to sample all the world offers guides him in his journey through the rise of the Enlightenment, the war with Corsica, and the fall of the aristocracy in the French Revolution. He is a man of great intellect, with an undisguised disdain for the degenerative decadence of Versailles, comparing the “underlying sourness” of the food at the palace with its corruption; corresponding with the likes of other great minds of the time – Voltaire, de Sade, and Benjamin Franklin, for example. But he is also lover, husband, and father, with a fondness for rescuing exotic creatures that earned him the title Lord Master of the Menagerie.

The Last Banquet is a bold gastronomic adventure (one not for the squeamish, however), a quest to fully live before the passage of time and history stamps out the flame. Written with just the right combination of rumination, contemplation, and startling – at times shocking – action, the prose is seductive and sophisticated. Jean-Marie D’Aumont is an ingenious human embodiment of the age of reason, with an at times morbid streak of scientific and intellectual curiosity, matched by a profound and masterful understanding of the human condition. Another fine work of literary fiction from Europa Editions. Highly recommended.

 

The next two books I’ve taken on for the HNS (to help reduce the orphan pile!) are Escape from Paris by Carolyn Hart, a reprint–sort of because it includes the entire text, some of which had to be cut for the first edition–of her 1986 WW2 thriller; and The Daring Ladies of Lowell, a drama set in the mid-ninteenth-century Massachusetts textile mills. I have also received Liza Perrat’s second novel, Wolfsangel, set in the French village of Lucie-sur-Vionne, this time during the German occupation of France in 1943. I am excited for this one, and will write a full review here.

 

Happy reading!

Never make a promise

August 12, 2013 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

I give up. Life has become so hectic as a parent and full-time employee, as well as doing my volunteer job for the HNS, that I can’t keep up with this blog. I don’t expect to have followers when I am unable to post regularly. Rather than trying to be a professional blogger, I am just blogging on a personal basis. Blah, blah, blah.

My book collection has gotten larger recently, but I haven’t been reading very fast. I did review Godiva by Nicole Galland for the August 2013 issue of the Historical Novels Review and here it is:

Set in Anglo-Saxon England, this is a reimagining of the legend of Lady Godiva, Countess of Mercia, an 11th-century noblewoman well-known for riding au naturel through Coventry to relieve her people of unfair and oppressive taxation. Godiva’s unlikely friendship with Abbess Edgiva of Leominster, who has her own troubles, and her playful relationship with her husband, Leofric, also play major roles.

The novel is well-written with colorful description and detail; however, this reader chafed at elements of predictable and clichéd plotlines, such as the abbess’s pregnancy resulting from a one-night stand, and Earl Sweyn’s attempt to “abduct” her from the abbey. The notion of a countess playing matchmaker for an abbess, in the first place, pushes the limits of believability.

The most troublesome aspect, however, is the difficulty sympathizing with Godiva’s plight, as the countess is not portrayed as a sympathetic character—she is a woman who outspokenly prides herself on her ability to manipulate men for personal gain and expresses no remorse about doing so. Therefore, when the king offers her a choice of punishments, either to literally bare herself to the people of her town, or surrender the lucrative holding of Coventry, this reader could not summon up sympathy for her dilemma. Godiva engages in a game against a crafty opponent, and King Edward gets the best of her. The plot’s power to engage hinges on the reader’s sympathy for Godiva, which is simply absent in this case.

As much as I want to be able to recommend this book, unfortunately I found Godiva uninspiring.

Obviously, I wasn’t very taken by the book, and I hope my review explains why well enough.

After returning from the HNS conference, I dove right into one of the books that was given away in our gift bags, Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole. I was in the mood for a good old-fashioned WW2 tear-jerker of a romance, and that’s exactly what I got. I loved it. A multigeneraltional tale of love and loss (to put it simply), it was smoothy written, fast-flowing, and engaging.

Right now I am working on another two review books, Jonathan Grimwood’s The Last Banquet (the Europa publicist raved about this one) and The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott. The latter novel struck my interest because when I lived in Boston, I was exposed to the fascinating history of the Lowell textile mills, and the class struggles that ensued in the factory towns. The smell of textiles is still pungent when you tour one of these mills. Many have been turned into condos and there is still that eerie smell when you walk inside- talk about living history! THIS is the reason I love historical fiction.

 

The mammoth list of off-the-beaten-path book recommendations, brought to you by our HNS Conference panel

June 26, 2013 By in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

shopJulie K. Rose, Heather Domin, Audra Friend, and I presented a lively panel at the HNS conference in St. Petersburg. Members of the audience shared many suggestions for off-the-beaten-path books, and although we started out with a six-page handout of  these novels, I’m sure the length has increased considerably…so Heather Domin has graciously compiled a comprehensive list of our recommendations plus those from panel attendees. I can tell you that my heaving TBR pile is about ready to topple with additions from this wonderful list! Happy TBR pile-building!!!  (the list can be found at http://teacake421.livejournal.com/132133.html)

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This list began as a panel at this year’s HNS Conference called ‘Historical Fiction Off the Beaten Path’, which I co-presented with Andrea Connell of The Queen’s Quill Review [AC], Audra Friend of Unabridged Chick [AF], and author Julie K. Rose [JR]. The purpose of our panel was to show readers the variety of historical fiction available to them, and to show writers that there is an audience for every story. The four of us came up with a short list of books published in the last five years that fall outside current trends in historical fiction:

• lesser-known locations and/or periods
• unusual protagonists or points of view
• lack of famous historical figures
• POC  (persons of color) and/or LGBTQ characters
• characters with physical differences
• mixing of genres or sub-genres
• unusual choices in style or structure

To that list we’ve added all the books suggested by the panel audience, with the intention of starting a miniature database on our websites. This list is not exhaustive and will continue to grow, so check back to see what’s been added, and please do send us your own suggestions!

Ancient World

Alcestis by Katharine Beutner (Greece)
HD, JR: genre mixing (mythology), unusual setting, LGBTQ
Part Greek mythology, part women’s fiction, part metaphysical rumination, part literary opus, with a bonus lesbian liaison — this book defies categorization, and the result is a truly unconventional historical novel. -HD

Augustus by John Edward Williams (Rome)
[panel] unusual style (epistolary)

Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin (Paleolithic Africa)
HD: unusual setting
Set on the plains of Paleolithic Africa, this story of a young woman’s journey from matriarch to outcast paints a fascinating picture of our early human ancestors without the use of fantastical elements. – HD

Lavinia by Ursula K. LeGuin (Etruria)
JR: unusual setting

The Sweet Girl by Annabel Lyon (Greece)
AF: unusual setting

The Wedding Shroud by Elizabeth Storrs (Etruria)
HD: unusual setting

Thunderbolt: Torn Enemy of Rome by Roger Kean (Carthage)
[panel] LGBTQ protagonist, genre mixing (action/adventure)

Written in Ashes by K. Hollan vanZandt (Egypt)
AF: unusual setting

1st Century

Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray (Rome, Egypt)
AF, JR: genre mixing (magical realism), unusual setting

The Soldier of Raetia by Heather Domin (Rome, Germany)
JR: genre mixing (adventure/romance), unusual setting, LGBTQ
One of my favorite books. Beautifully written and engrossing. You feel transported in time and place. -JR

2nd Century

Eromenos by Melanie McDonald (Rome)
AF, HD: unusual setting, LGBTQ

3rd Century

Agent of Rome series (The Siege and The Imperial Banner) by Nick Brown (Syria)
HD: unusual setting, unusual protagonist

6th Century

The Dragon’s Harp by Rachael Pruitt (Wales)
JR: genre mixing (fantasy), unusual setting

7th Century

The Woman at the Well by Ann Chamberlin (Syria)
JR: unusual setting

8th Century

Seidman by Erich James (Iceland)
HD: YA, genre mixing (paranormal/romance), unusual setting, LGBTQ

The Cross and the Dragon by Kim Rendfeld (Francia)
AC, HD: unusual setting

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay (China)
JR: genre mixing (alternate history), unusual setting

9th Century

The Bone Thief by V.M. Whitworth (Wessex)
HD: unusual setting

11th Century

Illuminations by Mary Sharratt (Germany)
AF: unusual setting

Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell (England)
JR: unusual setting

12th Century

Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (England)
[panel] unusual protagonist

13th Century

A Thing Doneby Tinney Sue Heath (Florence)
JR: unusual setting

Cuzcatlán Where the Southern Sea Beats by Manlio Argueta (Pre-Columbian South America)
[panel] unusual setting

Something Red by Douglas Nicholas (England)
HD: genre mixing (horror)

Sultana by Lisa Yarde (Spain)
HD, JR: POC main characters, unusual setting

15th Century

A Prince to be Feared by Mary Lancaster (Romania)
AF: unusual setting

I, Iagoby Nicole Galland (Venice)
AF: unusual setting

16th Century

Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani (Persia)
AF: unusual setting

In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker (England)
AF: genre mixing (light sci-fi)

The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy (England)
[panel] unusual protagonist

The Raven’s Heart by Jesse Blackadder (England)
AF: LGBTQ

Tom Fleck by Harry Nicholson (England)
HD: unusual protagonist, no famous figures
A delightful, folksy adventure set in rural England and Scotland, this novel uses a likable everyman to tell the story of ordinary people in an extraordinary time, including a rare look at Jewish life in Tudor England. -HD

17th Century

The Book of Seven Hands by Barth Anderson (Spain)
JR: genre mixing (paranormal), no famous figures, LGBTQ

The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas (England)
AF: unusual protagonist

The Orphanmaster by Jean Zimmerman (Amsterdam)
AF: unusual setting

The Tito Amato series by Beverle Graves Myers (Venice)
[panel] unusual setting, unusual protagonist

The Tsar’s Dwarf by Peter H. Fogtal (Russia)
[panel] unusual protagonist

White Heart by Julie Caton (New France)
[panel] unusual protagonist, lack of historical figures

18th Century

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind (France)
[panel] unusual protagonist, genre-mixing (horror)

Sea Witch by Helen Hollick (“Pirate Round” South Africa to the Caribbean)
AC: unusual setting, genre mixing (fantasy)
A pirate adventure with wide appeal starring a multidimensional and charming rogue. -AC

Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perat (France)
AC: unusual setting, LGBTQ
A bittersweet, multilayered tale that will touch your heart, told in a humble yet strong and powerful voice during a time of revolution and female suppression. –AC

The Blighted Troth by Mirella Sichirollo Patzer (New France)
AF: unusual setting, genre mixing (Gothic)

The Mirrored World by Debra Dean (Russia)
AF: unusual setting

The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones by Jack Wolf (England)
AF: unusual setting, genre mixing (horror)

19th Century

Bone River by Megan Chance (America)
[panel] unusual premise, genre mixing

Burning Silk by Destiny Kinal (France and America)
AC: unusal setting, unusual protagonist
A sensual and sensitive story written in lush prose. –AC

Butterfly’s Child by Angela Davis-Gardner (Japan, Illinois)
AF: unusual setting

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber (England)
[panel] genre mixing (literary, romance)

Daughter of the Sky by Michelle Diener (South Africa)
AF: unusual setting

Gillespie and I by Jane Harris (Scotland)
AF: unusual protagonist

Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (New York City)
AF: unusual setting

Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg (St. Kilda islands)
AF: unusual setting

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna clarke (England)
[panel] genre mixing (magical realism)

Miss Fuller by April Bernard (America)
AF: unusual protagonists

Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio (America)
AF: unusual protagonist

Slant of Light by Steve Weigenstein (Missouri)
AF: unusual setting

Syncopation: A Memoir of Adele Hugo by Elizabeth Caulfield Felt (France)

The Family Mansion by Anthony C. Winkler (Jamaica)
AF: unusual setting

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (New York City)
AF: genre mixing (mythology), POC main characters

The Luminist by David Rocklin (Ceylon)
AF: unusual setting

The Master by Colm Tóibín (England)
[panel] unusual style

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff (America)
[panel] unusual protagonist, time-slip, genre mixing (mystery, literary)

The Personal History of Rachel duPree by Ann Weisgarber (South Dakota)
AF: unusual setting, POC main characters

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas (Turkey/Ottoman Empire)
AF: unusual setting

The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon (England, Crimea)
AF: unusual setting

The Thing About Thugs by Tabish Khair (England)
AF: POC main character

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno by Ellen Bryson (America)
[panel] unusual characters and premise

The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay (NYC)
AF: unusual protagonist

Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan (England, Spain, France)
AF: unusual setting

20th Century

A Different Sky by Meira Chand (Singapore)
AF: unusual setting, POC main characters

Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara (New England)
AF, JR: unusual setting, no famous figures
Complicated, frustrating, very real characters and a lovely evocation of 1930s America, beautifully written. -JR

Dina’s Lost Tribe by Brigitte Goldstein (France)
[panel] time slip (1300s), unusual premise

Fires of London by Janice Law (England)
AF: LGBTQ

Oleanna by Julie K. Rose (Norway)
AC, AF, HD: genre mixing (literary), unusual setting, no famous figures
A gently told tale with quiet depth, atmospherically stark yet richly detailed. -AC

Our Man in the Dark by Rashad Harrison (Southern U.S.)
AF: POC main characters

Seal Woman by Solveig Eggerz (Germany, Iceland)
JR: genre mixing (literary), unusual setting, no famous figures
So beautifully written and so present and real — I felt like I was reading a biography and not a work of fiction. -JR

Skeleton Women by Mingmei Yip (China)
AF: unusual setting, POC main characters

Small Wars by Sadie Jones (Cypress)
AF: unusual setting

The Concubine’s Gift by K Ford K (China, Nevada)
AC: unusual setting, genre mixing (fantasy)
A tastefully handled and respectful exploration of sexuality and a lightening-fast fun read. -AC

The Detroit Electric Scheme by D.E. Johnson (Detroit)
AF: unusual setting

The Edge of Ruin by Irene Fleming (New York City)
HD: unusual setting
This short, fast-paced mystery is set in the early days of the American film industry, with an ensemble of quirky characters, an unusual setting and premise, and an interesting peek into a little-known world. –HD

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat (Haiti)
AF: unusual setting, POC main characters

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin (Pacific Northwest)
AF: unusual setting, no famous figures

Coming in 2013

Ancient
Heirs of Fortune by Heather Domin (Germania) [JR]
Hetaera by J.A. Coffey (Greece, Egypt) [AF]
Medea by Kerry Greenwood (Greece) [AF]
Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson (Ice Age Europe) [HD]
The Golden Dice by Elizabeth Storrs (Etruria) [HD]

3rd Century
The Far Shore by Nick Brown (Syria)[HD]

6th Century
The Secret by Stephanie Thornton (Constantinople) [AF]

7th Century
Hild by Nicola Griffith (Britain) [AC, AF, JR]
The Sword Dancer by Jeannie Lin (China) [HD]

9th Century
The Traitor’s Pit by V.M. Whitworth (Britain) [HD]

11th Century
Godiva by Nicole Galland (Britain) [AC, AF, JR]

13th Century
Sultana: Two Sisters by Lisa Yarde (Spain) [HD, JR]

18th Century
Benjamin Franklin’s Bastard by Sally Cabot (America) [AF]
Revolutionary by Alex Myers (America) [AF]
The Purchase by Linda Spalding (America) [AF]

19th Century
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Iceland) [AC, AF, JR]
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown (nautical) [AF]
Linen Shroud by Destiny Kinal (America) [AC]
Palmerino by Melissa Pirtchard (Italy) [AC, JR]
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Malaya) [JR]
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier (American Midwest) [AF]
The Mask Carver’s Son by Alyson Richman (Japan, France) [AF]
The Mountain of Light by Indu Sundaresan (India) [AC, AF]
The Outcasts by Kathleen Kent (Texas) [AF]
The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill (New England) [AF]
The Rebellion of Miss Lucy Ann Lobdell by William Klaber (New York) [AF]
The Specimen by Martha Lea (England, Brazil) [AF]

20th Century
Above All Things by Tanis Rideout (UK, Himalayas) [AF]
A True Novel by Minae Mizumura (Japan, America) [AC]
The Book of Fate by Parinoush Saniee  (Iran) [AC]
The Lion Seeker by Kenneth Bonert (South Africa) [AC]

Additional Resources

Europa Editions
Goodreads
Historical Novel Society Review Index
Historical Novel Society Indie Reviews
Unusual Historicals
Royalty Free Fiction
Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours