Historical Fiction
The bright sword : a novel of King Arthur
Lev Grossman
SCIENCE FICTION Grossman Lev
Fantasy, Historical Fiction
"Collum, a brilliantly gifted young knight from the provinces, arrives at Camelot two weeks after the Battle of Camlann, hoping to compete for a spot on the Round Table. But he finds the city empty, King Arthur dead, and the Table destroyed. The remaining six knights aren't the mighty heroes, the legends, like Lancelot and Gawain and Tristram and Galahad. These are the survivors, a grab-bag of minor oddball knights from the margins--Sir Palomides, the Saracen Knight; Sir Bedivere, Arthur's one-handed longtime companion; Sir Dagonet, Arthur's fool, knighted as a joke; Sir Dinadan, a cutting wit who's hiding a deep secret. Arthur's death has exposed the splinters of his kingdom, and a void has opened in the heart of Britain. As power-hungry lords from the north descend on Camelot to seize control of the land, Collum is thrust into the front lines. Here lies the battlefield between pagans and Christians, fantasy and empire, power and destiny. Monsters and fairies are reawakening, the moral center is gone, and the fragile alliances that held Britain together are breaking. It is up to the surviving knights, the rebellious sorceress Nimue, and young Collum to avenge Arthur's murder and save Camelot. Can they re-build the Table and bring back the glory that was Camelot? Should they even try? The first major Arthurian epic of the new millennium, full of duels and quests, battles and tournaments, magic swords and Fisher Kings, The Bright Sword is a story about power and hope, and the struggle for the soul of England between the new Christian God and the old gods of fairy. But most of all it's a story about flawed men and women full of strength and pain who are looking for a way to reforge a broken land, in spite of being broken themselves"--
The Mesmerist : a novel
Caroline (Caroline Courtney) Woods
FICTION Woods Caroline
Historical Fiction, Suspense
"A tightly plotted page-turner ripped from the headlines of history, as three very different women must work together to stop a killer and save the truest home they've ever known"--
Set in 1894 Minneapolis, the backdrop is a new city, teeming with possibilities--and every vice that comes with that. Abby, a progressive crusader and treasurer of the Bethany House for Unwed Mothers is desperately trying to solicit donations and lobby city leaders to support the work of the respite home. She needs to shore up their reputation as their work might not have the support of the incoming mayoral administration. And then Faith shows up. Newly pregnant, unable to speak, wearing an expensive gown, and looking as if she survived a serious act of violence, Faith is welcomed into the house’s community. But she comes with rumors—rumors of the occult, of magic powers, of mesmerism and she is quickly blamed by the other girls in the house for any small misfortune. Abby wants to help the girl—that is her prerogative and the purpose of the Bethany Home. But she also doesn’t want Faith’s reputation to be a blight on their tenuous stance in Minneapolis. She tasks May, Faith’s roommate to figure out how Faith got to Bethany. The answer is far more human than supernatural. -Anne M
Welcome to Samantha's world, 1904 : growing up in America's new century
Catherine Gourley
j973.91 Gourley
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Kids, Nonfiction, History
An in-depth look at life for girls and women in America in 1904, discussing city and town life, social reform, new inventions, amusements, and more.
If you're like me and grew up with American Girl, you know that this book was a highly sought after item! I, myself, am a Samantha, and was absolutely thrilled to find that ICPL had a copy of Welcome to Samantha's World in the collection! I'd never had the privilege of looking through this book before, but always dreamed about it when I was younger. Catherine Gourley provides a wider historical context for the Samantha books that illustrate what life what like for young girls at the turn of the century. I would definitely recommend for any fans of American Girl! -Violette
Dolls of our lives : why we can't quit American Girl
Mary Mahoney
745.59221 /Mahoney
Historical Fiction, Nonfiction
"Are you a Molly (a patriotic overachiever with a flair for drama)? Felicity (the original horse girl)? Kirsten (a cottagecore fan who seems immune to cholera), Samantha (a savior complex in a sailor suit), or Josefina (who dealt with grief by befriending a baby goat)? Have you ever wondered how Britney Spears or Michelle Kwan would answer that question? And why do we care so much which girl we are? Combining history, travelogue, and memoir, Dolls of Our Lives follows Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney on an unforgettable journey to the past as they delve into the origins of this iconic brand. Continuing the conversations that began on their podcast, they set out to answer the lingering questions that keep them up at night. What did American Girl inventor Pleasant Rowland hope to say to children with these dolls? Was girl power something that could be ordered from a catalogue, described by a magazine, or modeled in the plot lines of books? And how - and why - did this brand shape an entire generation? Through interviews with a legion of devoted doll lovers, a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg, a place that inspired Pleasant to create American Girl, and an exploration of their own (complicated) fandom, this is a deep dive into one of the 90s most coveted products - the American Girl doll" --
Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl is EXACTLY what my AG-obsessed self needed! Mary Mahoney & Allison Horrocks are hosts of the American Girl themed podcast, Dolls of Our Lives, and their book details what it was growing up with American Girl and how the brand has shaped us into the American Girl Adults we are today. A must read for all of the nostalgic American Girl references, including an essential quiz to find out which character you are (if you don't already know). -Violette
Lessons in chemistry : a novel
Bonnie Garmus
FICTION Garmus, Bonnie
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science
"Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin Evans (well, she stole his beakers.) The only man who ever treated her-and her ideas-as equal, Calvin is already a legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. But as events are never as predictable as chemical reactions, three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother (did we mention it's the early 60s??) and the star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's singular approach to cooking ('take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride') and independent example are proving revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching women how to cook, she's teaching them how to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist"--
Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry is my favorite read of this year! Readers will love Elizabeth Zott's incredible strength and sharp wit in this novel, as she perseveres against a 1960s male-dominated world that doesn't believe in her abilities. She'll prove them wrong. -Violette
The cliffs : a novel
J. Courtney Sullivan
FICTION Sullivan, J. Courtney
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Paranormal
A Harvard archivist, returning to Maine after a terrible mistake, Jane is hired to research the history of a Victorian house and the women who lived there, uncovering a story of lost lovers, romantic longing, shattering loss and the long shadow of colonialism that is even older than Maine itself.
This book was actually a very appropriate read for Spooky Season, with the plot revolving around a house on the cliffs that is haunted by it's past. I quite enjoyed this book for the variety of story lines intertwining a house and its occupants over the years, from the past and the present and across cultures including the Shakers, Indigenous People who lived in the northern portion of Maine, and a women healing from family trauma and struggling with alcoholism. The research done by the author for this book was very satisfying for me, and the story is driven by a mystery rooted in the history which is solved through mysticism, spiritualism, and research and an acknowledgement that the future is affected by the heritage of its people and the land they occupy. -Mari
The Count of Monte Cristo
Alexandre Dumas
If you search the ICPL collection for this title, you'll find many adaptations of this story, from films, to audio books, and ebooks, even a comic book! Ripe for adaptation "Alexandre Dumas's novel of justice, retribution, and self-discovery" is a great adventure. Originally translated from French, "This novel tells the story of Edmond Dantes, wrongfully imprisoned for life in the supposedly impregnable sea fortress the Chateau d'If." A tale of escape, treasure, and revenge, reading this newly edited version in advance of seeing the film, will enhance your screening! -Katie
Hidden yellow stars
Rebecca Connolly
FICTION Connolly Rebecca
Historical Fiction
"Based on the true story of two World War II heroines who risked everything to save Jewish children from the Gestapo by hiding them throughout Belgium. ... Young schoolteacher Andrée Geulen secretly defies the Nazis in Belgium who are forcing Jews to wear a yellow Star of David. Andrée is not Jewish, but she feels a maternal connection to her students, who are living in constant fear, and decides to take action. No child should have to suffer under such persecution. But what can one woman do against an entire army? Ida Sterno is a Jewish woman who works with the Committee for the Defense of Jews in Belgium, a clandestine resistance group tasked with hiding children from the Gestapo. She wants to recruit Andrée because her Aryan appearance can provide crucial security measures for their efforts. Andrée agrees to join and begins work immediately by adopting a code name: Claude Fournier. Together, Andrée and Ida, and their undercover operatives, work around the clock to move Jewish children from their families and smuggle them to safety through the secret channels established by the resistance. As each child is hidden, Andrée commits to memory their true name and history. Someday, she vows, she will help reunite as many of these families as she can. But with the Gestapo closing in, and the traitorous Fat Jacques who has turned from ally to enemy, threatening to identify and expose any Jew he meets, Andrée and Ida must work even harder against increasingly impossible odds to save as many children as possible and keep them safely hidden-even if might cost them their own lives"--
This takes a different angle of World War II, focusing on the people who hid Jewish children in Belgium and how their networks operated. It's well-written and hopeful. -Amanda
The bear and the nightingale : a novel
Katherine Arden
SCIENCE FICTION Arden, Katherine
Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction
"In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay"--
The Winternight Trilogy is fantasy with a heavy historical influence. The detail Arden uses to describe medival Russia really grounds the more fantastic elements of the story, and the world is alive with characters from Russian folklore. Vasya is a very empowering protagonist because she only ever becomes more herself. She refuses to let the world change her, and the series follows her as she carves out a place for herself in spite of the conventions that would cage her. -Chelsea
The bullet swallower : a novel
Elizabeth Gonzalez James
FICTION Gonzalez Elizabet
Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure
In 1895, Antonio Sonoro is the latest in a long line of ruthless men. He’s good with his gun and is drawn to trouble but he’s also out of money and out of options. A drought has ravaged the town of Dorado, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children, and so when he hears about a train laden with gold and other treasures, he sets off for Houston to rob it—with his younger brother Hugo in tow. But when the heist goes awry and Hugo is killed by the Texas Rangers, Antonio finds himself launched into a quest for revenge that endangers not only his life and his family, but his eternal soul. In 1964, Jaime Sonoro is Mexico’s most renowned actor and singer. But his comfortable life is disrupted when he discovers a book that purports to tell the entire history of his family beginning with Cain and Abel. In its ancient pages, Jaime learns about the multitude of horrific crimes committed by his ancestors. And when the same mysterious figure from Antonio’s timeline shows up in Mexico City, Jaime realizes that he may be the one who has to pay for his ancestors’ crimes, unless he can discover the true story of his grandfather Antonio, the legendary bandido El Tragabalas, The Bullet Swallower.
Looking for an action-packed read that will keep you turning the pages? Look no further. -Anne M
I'm a huge fan of Grossman's "Magicians" trilogy, so I was very excited to dive into his new novel. It did not disappoint at all, and it's easily my favorite book of the year. It reimagines Arthurian legend and gives it great emotional heft. It follows the "leftover" knights after Arthur has fallen and fills in their backstories, while bringing a new knight, Collum, into the fold. I highly recommend to readers who enjoy Arthurian legend and those who know nothing about it all. -Brian