Historical – Page 12 – My Good Reads

‘The Night in Question’ – Laurie Graham

This is the first book of Laurie Graham’s that I’ve read, and I think it helped hugely that it was set in a time period that interests me.

First and foremost, I must say that the character of Dot Allbones was intriguing. A woman of advancing years, I found Dot was a character that I enjoyed listening to. Having moved to London to pursue a career in the music halls, we can see that Dot is part of what we might consider a bygone time. Things are changing around her, and, though she is reluctant to accommodate some of these changes, she is a keen observer of those she comes into contact with.

For the first part of the book, Graham takes her time to establish Dot as a character and to help us see the full details of her daily life. There’s a lot of information given in the novel about what life on the stage would have been like, and some of this felt more like background details given to establish the historical context than details that were relevant to the story.

In my mind, the book got interesting at the point that we start to hear of gruesome murders in and around the Whitechapel area. Thankfully the details of the crimes committed by Jack the Ripper are limited, but there’s enough to convey a sense of the horror that would have been around at the time.

I’m not entirely sure how close to the facts the novel remains, but it’s an entertaining story that keeps you engaged.

‘My Name’s Not Friday’ – Jon Walter

This reminded me quite a lot of ‘Buffalo Soldier’ by Tanya Landman (the 2015 CILIP Carnegie winner) as it focuses on a child gaining freedom in Southern America, but it has a more warm-hearted feel in many ways.
When Samuel is sold as a slave he isn’t sure why. He knows he trusts in God, but can’t work out where he is or what is happening to him. We follow him on his journey to his new home, where we gain some insight into the lives of slaves. I felt this was, to a degree, quite sanitised – Samuel is lucky enough to end up bought at auction by a fairly progressive plantation owner. The experience of Samuel was probably not common to many of the time, though there are some graphic descriptions that might be off-putting for younger readers.

Over time Samuel teaches the slaves of the house to read. There is talk of freedom, but things don’t quite turn out as they expect. Eventually Samuel finds his way back to his brother, and there is a wonderful closing scene where he is reunited with some characters from earlier in the novel and we gain a small sense of the hope, optimism and fear that these newly-emancipated people would have experienced.

With such subject matter it seems odd to describe this as an enjoyable read, but it drew me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

‘The Earth is Singing’ – Vanessa Curtis

As you would expect with any novel that is set at this time in history, the subject matter is not remotely pleasant but it is a book that I feel makes compelling reading.

Hanna is 15 years old. She is Latvian, and also Jewish. Her dream is to be a dancer. Unfortunately, the Nazis arrive in her hometown and everything changes.

For anyone who doesn’t know much about what happened to the Jews during this period in time, this novel makes a fascinating starting point. Seeing events through the eyes of a slightly older teenager means we are given some awareness of the wider issues, while those around her still try to protect her from the true horrors of what is taking place. For those readers who do have some knowledge of this period in time, you read with grim determination. You know this is going to make for unsettling reading but you feel bound to continue.

With this novel I felt that the character of Hanna was so well-portrayed that you want to see out her story. For me, the most powerful scenes in the novel are when Hanna and those around her are at their most desperate. We witness people at their lowest, and the factual way Hanna observes these events made them – for me – more meaningful.

I would certainly recommend this to people to read, though I didn’t personally like the ending. It makes sense in terms of the story, but I don’t think it fits with what we were shown of the character of Uldis earlier in the novel.

I read this because it is on the 2016 CILIP Carnegie Long-list, and I would not be surprised to see this make it to the next stage.

‘The Sealed Letter’ – Emma Donoghue

I don’t know how this novel by Emma Donoghue had passed me by, but the cover promises intrigue and I was fascinated by the little I could glean from the information given.

Set in 1864 this is the fictionalised story of a high-profile divorce case that apparently gripped Victorian England.

The story begins with a meeting between two old friends – Miss Emily “Fido” Faithfull and Helen Codrington. Somewhat unwittingly Emily becomes a pawn in Helen’s game as she continues her affair. Much is made throughout the novel of Helen’s ‘flightiness’ and the fact that she is not what people expect of a lady of this social standing. These two women are like fish out of water, but for what seems like very different reasons.

As the novel progresses we follow what quickly becomes a rather lurid story. Donoghue’s attention to historical detail seems meticulous, though at times I felt this interfered with the telling of the story.

By the end of the novel my feelings towards the three central characters had done something of an about-turn. Nobody really comes out of this well, but the sealed letter referred to in the title was a clever device that allows Donoghue to lay her characters bare in a way I wasn’t expecting.

Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century – Sarah Miller

Not knowing anything about this case, I was curious when I received a digital copy of this novel – due for publication on January 12th 2016 – from NetGalley.

I’m giving nothing away when I tell you that this novel tells us the story – gleaned from news reports and other contemporary sources – of the trial of Lizzie Borden, accused of the brutal killings of her father and step-mother. We are taken through the details of the case as it is known, and we are left to make up our own minds about the outcome.

Non-fiction is not something I tend to read out of choice, but this read enough like a novel to keep me interested. What I found fascinating was the way in which the trial itself was conducted and what was revealed about the society of the time.

This is certainly a book that will gain readers’ interest, and it has piqued my curiosity enough to be on the lookout for more information about the case.

‘The Lie Tree’ – Francis Hardinge

I picked this up because it was on the Carnegie 2016 Short-list, and I was not surprised when it won the Costa Award.

Though it owes much to fantasy, this is a meticulously researched novel that offers a fascinating insight into the historical setting of the novel.

Faith wants to support her father in his research as a natural historian, but being female she is regarded as less than those around her. Her frustrations with the expectations of those around her made me so angry, but I felt the novel raised so many important questions.

Her father is forced to leave his home, accused of lying, and Faith is determined to prove his doubters wrong. Sadly, Faith comes to learn that things are not as simple as they seem. A dark yet delicious novel, that I think will appeal to many female readers with an interest in the world around them.

‘The Tea Planter’s Wife’ – Dinah Jeffries

Due to be released in September 2015, this book tells the story of 19-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper. When she leaves England she is full of hope for her new life as the second wife of tea plantation owner, Laurence. Upon her arrival it is clear that her new home and family harbour many secrets, some of which will have far-reaching consequences for Gwen.

The opening of the novel had a languid feel to it, with beautiful and evocative descriptions of another land. Seeing this new land through Gwen’s eyes means we also focus on the issues surrounding race and colonialism that would have been prevalent in Ceylon at this time.

The novel was not what I expected at all. The bitter choice that Gwen makes early on has far-reaching consequences, the effects of which are only fully revealed later. The cast of characters kept me intrigued, and I think this is a novel that would warrant a re-read (if I could bear to put myself through the emotional wringer again!)

One of my unexpected pleasures of my summer holiday reading, and I thank Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Tracy Chevalier – ‘The Last Runaway’

The book opens with the passage of Honor Bright, a sheltered Quaker, to America to start a new life. This is not a journey for the faint-hearted, but it allowed us to empathise with Honor as a character set adrift from all that is familiar to her.

During the course of the journey Honor’s sister dies, and she is thrown on the mercy of her brother-in-law-to-be and his family. Honor quickly realises that if she is to survive in this new land she will have to adapt. She marries into a local family, but life is not quite as she hoped it would be.

Through Honor’s eyes we see the changes that are wrought upon groups of settlers, and we gain a clearer understanding of some of the issues surrounding life in 1850s America. When Honor encounters a runaway slave on her family’s farm, Honor’s principles are tested.

From the outset this was a book that raised questions. Having some prior knowledge of the Underground Railroad system that is referenced here I was gripped by this story. Loved it!

Adele Parks – ‘If You Go Away’

At the start of the novel Vivian Foster is a passionate and somewhat wilful young woman, throwing herself into her debutante season in the hope of securing a suitable marriage. The start of the novel was what some might call a slow-burner. Vivian was not particularly likeable, but her passion and temperament became clear early on as her parents try to manage the fallout from her indiscretion. Rushed into a marriage, as I assume many might have been, Vivian’s life seemed destined to be one that would not bring fulfilment.

When War is declared on the day of her wedding, Vivian’s new husband determines to do his duty and volunteers for action. Vivian is left to move to the country and manage her husband’s estate, as everyone is encouraged to do their bit. Howard Henderson, a brilliant young playwright, also gets involved in the war, as a journalist reporting on the scenes at the Front. He is scarred by what he sees in these early years, and when conscription becomes law in 1916 he refuses to join up. Imprisoned for his beliefs, Howard becomes one of the country’s most famous conscientious objectors. He narrowly escapes a death sentence by agreeing to carry out essential farming work for Vivian.

From their first meeting, the attraction between these two characters is evident and the relationship between them seems inevitable, though socially unacceptable. If it were not for the backdrop of the War, their story would have been very different but, as a reader, I’m so pleased that it panned out as it did.

An absorbing novel, and the blending of historical detail within this story was fascinating. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year.

‘The Paying Guests’ – Sarah Waters

Having purchased this as a gift, my interest had been piqued and I couldn’t resist picking up a copy from our local library. Although some time since I’d read anything by Sarah Waters, I thought I knew a little of what to expect. While that was the case to a certain extent, I was totally unprepared for what I got.

I don’t want to reveal too much. Reviews are widely available, so I’m not giving anything away by talking about the basic premise of the novel. It’s 1922 and the effects of war are everywhere. We are quickly drawn into this once genteel environment, on the cusp of great change, as Frances Wray and her widowed mother prepare to open their home to lodgers Len and Lillian Barber, the ‘paying guests’ referred to in the title.

Although the first section felt slow at times, I found the attention to detail absorbing and I was fascinated by the way in which Waters immerses us completely in this past world. As the inevitable occurs, I was more taken by the way in which Waters focused on the consequences of these shifting relationships. I certainly was not prepared for the two actions – one planned; the other not – that become so pivotal to the novel. From that moment on this book became something far more appealing and I, literally, could not put the book down.