Showing posts with label Historical Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Fiction. Show all posts

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Review: The Second Empress: A Novel of Napoleon's Court by Michelle Moran

Book Description:

 National bestselling author Michelle Moran returns to Paris, this time under the rule of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte as he casts aside his beautiful wife to marry a Hapsburg princess he hopes will bear him a royal heir

After the bloody French Revolution, Emperor Napoleon’s power is absolute. When Marie-Louise, the eighteen year old daughter of the King of Austria, is told that the Emperor has demanded her hand in marriage, her father presents her with a terrible choice: marry the cruel, capricious Napoleon, leaving the man she loves and her home forever, or say no, and plunge her country into war.

Marie-Louise knows what she must do, and she travels to France, determined to be a good wife despite Napoleon’s reputation. But lavish parties greet her in Paris, and at the extravagant French court, she finds many rivals for her husband’s affection, including Napoleon’s first wife, Joséphine, and his sister Pauline, the only woman as ambitious as the emperor himself. Beloved by some and infamous to many, Pauline is fiercely loyal to her brother. She is also convinced that Napoleon is destined to become the modern Pharaoh of Egypt. Indeed, her greatest hope is to rule alongside him as his queen—a brother-sister marriage just as the ancient Egyptian royals practiced. Determined to see this dream come to pass, Pauline embarks on a campaign to undermine the new empress and convince Napoleon to divorce Marie-Louise.

As Pauline's insightful Haitian servant, Paul, watches these two women clash, he is torn between his love for Pauline and his sympathy for Marie-Louise. But there are greater concerns than Pauline's jealousy plaguing the court of France. While Napoleon becomes increasingly desperate for an heir, the empire's peace looks increasingly unstable. When war once again sweeps the continent and bloodshed threatens Marie-Louise’s family in Austria, the second Empress is forced to make choices that will determine her place in history—and change the course of her life.

Based on primary resources from the time, The Second Empress takes readers back to Napoleon’s empire, where royals and servants alike live at the whim of one man, and two women vie to change their destinies.
My Thoughts:

This is the third Michelle Moran novel I have read and though it isn’t my favorite, I still loved it.  Cleopatra’s Daughter is my absolute favorite.  I didn’t know much about Napoleons rein in France before I read The Second Empress. 

Marie-Louise is the daughter of the King of Austria.  When she turns 18, Napoleon insists on her hand in marriage.  If she refuses, Napoleon will declare war on her country.  She does the only thing she can, 

marry him.  To her, he is vulgar.  He treats her more like a prostitute than a wife.  Telling her to “undress” at every whim he has.  He wants a male heir and works at getting one every chance he gets.

Marie-Louise also has rivals in Napoleon’s first wife and his sister, Pauline.  Pauline loves her brother so much she wants to marry him!  Pauline has her servant, Paul, spy on Marie-Louise and report back to her.  She will stop at nothing to get Napoleon divorced.

The Second Empress was well research and the character came alive.  At time I felt like I was there.  The backdrop was well defined and colorful.  Moran writes a stirring portrait of a strong woman and what she will endure to save her country.  Highly Recommended.

4.5/5


I received a print copy of this book for my honest review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:00 AM 2 comments  

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Monday, September 16, 2013

Review: The Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers

It's no secret that I love historical fiction and Canadian fiction, so when I was asked if I wanted to review The Bride of New France I jumped.  I moved to Canada from the U.S. back in 1993.  I have learned quite a bit of Canadian history but I never really understood the French Connection.  I knew we had two official languages here, French and English.  I always wondered, why French.  The Bride of New France answered that question.

Book Description:

 In 1669, Laure Beausejour, an orphan imprisoned with prostitutes, the insane and other forgotten women in Paris’ infamous Salpetriere, is sent across the Atlantic to New France as a Fille du roi. Laure once dreamed with her best friend Madeleine of using her needlework stills to become a seamstress on the Rue Saint-Honoré and to one day marry a gentleman. The King, however, needs French women in his new colony and he finds a fresh supply in the city’s largest orphanage. Laure and Madeleine know little of the place called New France, except for stories of ferocious winters and men who eat the hearts of French priests. To be banished to Canada is a punishment worse than death.

 Bride of New France explores the challenges of coming into womanhood in a brutal time and place. From the moment she arrives in Ville-Marie (Montreal), Laure is expected to marry and produce children with a French soldier who can himself barely survive the harsh conditions of his forest cabin. But Laure finds, through her clandestine relationship with Deskaheh, an allied Iroquois, a sense of the possibilities in this New World. 

What happens to a woman who attempts to make her own life choices in such authoritative times?

 My Thoughts:

 I loved this book except for the ending.  Laure Beausejour was snatched from her parents, at a young age, on the streets in France one night.  Why, what was their crime?  They were dirt poor and lived on the streets.  She was brought to Salpetriere, the same place where prostitutes and the insane were brought. 

 She was lucky though, in a way.  She was on a floor where orphans were taught how to make lace and sew. She even had dreams of becoming a seamstress one day.  That dream what ripped away from her when she was put on a ship bound for New France, now known as Canada.  The king had prostitutes and teenage women beginning their child bear years sent to New France to marry the men there.  He wanted them to stay there and populate.  He gave men incentives and wives to entice them to stay.

 Life in New France was hard.  Laurie's new husband left her in their rugged (an understatement) cabin alone for the first entire Winter and after that, whenever he felt like it.  She had to learn new skills quick and had a hard time feeding herself.  On top of that, she finally gets pregnant and he still leaves.

 Those are just the basic highlights because I don't want to risk spoilers.  This is Suzanne Desrocher's first book.  However, she took great command of  her pen with amazing that captured time and place.  Her characters were well drawn out and the essence of the new barren land was beautiful.

 Like I said, I loved this book!  The only thing missing was a satisfying ending.  I felt like I was left hanging. What happens to poor Laurie?  Mrs. Desrochers, inquiring minds want to know!  Do I smell a sequel?  I sure hope so!  Highly recommended.

 4/5

 I received this book for my honest review.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 6:00 AM 2 comments  

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Monday, June 18, 2012

Giveaway and Review: The Queen's Vow- A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner

 Pub Date: June 12, 2012 | Ballantine Books | 400p

 It is mid-15th century Spain and with her father, the King, dead Isabella and her brother Alfonso go into exile with their mother.  Their half-brother, Enrique becomes King.  When Isabella and Alfonso become  pre-teens, Enrique sends for them to join him in life at court. 

There, they meet a second cousin of theirs, Fernando of Aragon, who is there visiting.  He walks in the garden with Isabella with loose supervision and announces to her that they will eventually marry.  She's not sure about that but she does like him and enjoys his company.  However, he goes back to Aragon and she doesn't think a lot on it. 
She has too many things to worry about at court.   The two young siblings soon learn how ineffectual a ruler Enrique is and Alfonso is taken by Archbishop Carrillo of Toledo and other to strike up resistance to King Enrique with the goal of crowning Alfonso.  Isabella is accused of treason and is held prisoner. 

For awhile, it looks like Alfonso will succeed in his mission but he eventually dies and Isabella takes his place.  She marries Fernando, even though Enrique forbids it.  However Isabella does make peace with her half-brother and he vows that she will rule when he dies.  He leads a very unhealthy lifestyle and soon dies.
Enrique has a daughter who in all likelihood isn't really his but she also strikes up a fight for the crown.  However, her attempts fail and Isabella becomes Queen.  Though she is Queen she shares her power with Fernando, though she ultimately has to make most decisions on her own.  With hardly any money in the treasury and unrest all over Spain and Europe, will Isabella be able to start the healing process for her realm? 

C.W. Gortner creates a brave Isabella who, like most people is also conflicted.  With all male advisors and a sign of the times she often gives into what she thinks must be done, even though it conflicts her ethics.  It is a time where many countries all around are trying and killing people for heresy and eventual Isabella agrees to it for Spain, which we know as the Spanish Inquisition. 
Gortner paints a vivid picture of what it was like to be there in mid 1400's Spain.  With the stroke of his pen his characters come to life and leap off the page.  This is the third book I have read by C.W. Gortner.  If it wasn't official before, it is now, I am a fan!  I didn't think he could top The Last Queen or The Confessions of Catherine de Medici, but I think he has with A Queen's Vow.  I can hardly wait to see what he comes up with next.

5/5
I was given this book for my honest review.

View the Trailor:

About C.W. Gortner:


C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici and The Tudor Secret. He holds an MFA in Writing with an emphasis in Renaissance Studies from the New College of California.

In his extensive travels to research his books, he has danced a galliard in a Tudor great hall and experienced life in a Spanish castle. His novels have garnered international praise and been translated into thirteen languages to date. He is also a dedicated advocate for animal rights and environmental issues.

He's currently at work on his fourth novel for Ballantine Books, about the early years of Lucrezia Borgia, as well as the third novel in his Tudor series,The Elizabeth I Spymaster Chronicles (US) or Elizabeth's Spymaster (UK).

Half-Spanish by birth, C.W. lives in Northern California.
 

Thanks to Amy Bruno of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and C.W. Gortner, I am giving away one copy of The Queen's Vow.

This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. and ends on July 2, 2012.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



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Friday, December 30, 2011

The King's Grace by Anne Easter Smith

Book Description:

The bestselling author of A Rose for the Crown and Daughter of York takes a young woman that history noticed only once and sets her on a quest for the truth about the murder of two boys and a man who claims to be king.

All that history knows of Grace Plantagenet is that she was an illegitimate daughter of Edward IV and one of two attendants aboard the funeral barge of his widowed queen. Thus, she was half sister of the famous young princes, who -- when this story begins in 1485 -- had been housed in the Tower by their uncle, Richard III, and are presumed dead.

But in the 1490s, a young man appears at the courts of Europe claiming to be Richard, duke of York, the younger of the boys, and seeking to claim his rightful throne from England's first Tudor king, Henry VII. But is this man who he says he is? Or is he Perkin Warbeck, a puppet of Margaret of York, duchess of Burgundy, who is determined to regain the crown for her York family? Grace Plantagenet finds herself in the midst of one of English history's greatest mysteries. If she can discover the fate of the princes and the true identity of Perkin Warbeck, perhaps she will find her own place in her family.

My Review:

I love books that are written around a little know person in real life, such as Grace Plantagenet.  The book is rich in historical detail and character development.  Smith writes a more sympathetic view of Elizabeth Woodville, which seems a bit more realistic to me than other books she has appeared it.  She is not all good and not all evil, like most people, including historical figures.

As many of you may know, I don't like a lot of romance in my books.  I don't mind it if it's just a part of a book but not the entire book.  This book hit a pretty good balance between historical detail, plot, and romance for me.  However,  I could have done with a bit less romance.  I also loved how Smith portrays Perkin Warbeck.  She adds a lot to the story about him and his claim to be Richard, duke of York.  

I listened to the audiobook version which, I downloaded from my library.  This was a very enjoyable book to listen to.

4/5

Did you review this book? Please leave your link in the comments.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:02 AM 3 comments  

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Mini Review: Oregon Trail: The Road to Destiny by Frank young, Illustrated by David Lasky

Back of Book Description:

Join the Weston family as it sets out on the Oregon trail from St. Louis in 1848 with all of its worldly belongings in a prairie-schooner wagon pulled by a team of oxen. 
 
Narrated by eleven-year-old Rebecca Weston, this is the tale of a historic trip across more than 2,000 miles of untamed land with remarkable encounters with wildlife, Native Americans, and Natural wonders.   but the trip is also full of peril- illness, drought, raging rivers to cross- that threatens the families chance of ever reaching its destination of Salem, Oregon.  Come along and experience firsthand one of the great American adventures- A brave family in Search of a better life.

My review:

This is a graphic novel aimed at children ages 9 and up.  However, it can be enjoyed by all ages, including adults.  The writing is easy to understand and very descriptive and the illustration matched what I imagined from the writing.  It is illustrated in creative and crisp black and white images.

This book would be a great tool to teach children about the Oregon Trail.  It kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next and I' sure children would have the same experience.  I didn't pay that much attention to history in school.  I found the old text books dull and boring.  This book is very engaging.

5/5

I won this book from Rose City Reader.

Did you review this book?  Please leave the link in the comments.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 1:45 PM 5 comments  

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Mini Review: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Description of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See:

In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides.

As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.

At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls.

My Review:

I listened to the audio version of this book.  I was really looking forward to it because Snowflower and the Secret Fan made a lasting impression on me.  It was one of those books that have stayed fresh in my mind, even 5 years after I read it.
  
Shanghai Girls was quite a different story from Snowflower but I enjoyed it.  For the most part, I loved the relationship between Pearl and May there were just a few parts that didn't really work for me.  For instance, while they were confined at Angel Island, May gives birth to a girl.  However, she has Pearl fake a pregnancy herself so everyone thinks she is the mother.  Pearl gives birth in the women's shower, right  next to were the women sleep, yet no one heard a peep when May was giving birth.  Next thing you know the other women wake up with a new-born among them.  I just found that unbelievable.

The writing itself was wonderful as was the character development and the love hate relationship between the sisters.  That was very realistic to me, having an older sister myself.  Lisa See really captured the period in history in rich historical detail of the Japanese invasion in China and the Chinese immigrant experience in the United States.

4/5

I borrowed the downloadable version of this audio book from my library.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 9:01 AM 9 comments  

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Deadly: How to Catch an Invisible Killer by Julie Chibbaro

It is 1906, New York City and 16 year old Prudence Galewski takes a job as an assistant to the Head Epidemiologist, Mr. Soper.  Prudence has always been interested in science and feels very fortunate to land a job in the field.   It is practically unheard of for a woman to get such a job.  In fact, some of the men in the lab give her a hard time.

Soon after starting her and Mr. Soper start investigating a new outbreak of Typhoid.  They visit the different families who have the dreaded disease and write down all of the different foods they have eaten and take samples from their septic systems.  Soon Prudence finds a food that links all of the families, peach ice cream.  It turns out that they all have a cook who has worked for all of them, who made the peach ice cream for them.

It was recently discovered by a scientist that disease could be carried by a healthy person.  The person doesn't get sick but can pass the illness on to others. 
"The challenge ahead of us is to find this elusive cook and test her for the typhoid germ by examining her body fluids."
The cook, Mary Mallon has moved around a lot but Prudence and Mr. Soper finally tracks her down.  She refuses to get tested, she can't understand how she could make people sick when she, herself is not sick. 
Mary Mallon was a real person who was to become known as Typhoid Mary. Julie Chibbaro takes a piece of history and runs with it.  She developed her main character Prudence well and we see her learn and grow.  As I read the story I kept thinking to myself, "you go girl, show people that not all women should be chained to a house with no other aspirations."

Deadly is geared for young adults.  It deals with issues of disease, feminism, and family.  It also explores ethical issues.  I think it would make for  great discussion for a young adult book club.  Though there is science in the book, it is well explained in fairly simple terms.  I highly recommend it!

5/5

Julie Chibbaro held a giveaway of this book herself and I was fortunate enough to be one of the winners.

Did you review this book?  Please leave a link in the comments so I can post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:18 PM 3 comments  

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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

To Defy a King by Elizabeth Chadwick

Last week I was transported to 13th century England.  I traveled on horseback all over England and beyond.  I lived with some very prominent families, the Marshals and the Bigods. 

I was witness to the betrothal and marriage of Mahelt Marshal and Hugh Bigod.  Poor Mahelt, she was so young when she had to leave her parents and move in with the Bigods, too young for her marriage to even be consumated.  However, her father, William Marshal knew it would be the best protection for her as he had fallen out of favor with King John.

King John took Mahelt's two oldest brothers hostage. When given the opportunity to see her brother Will, she did so against Roger Bigod's, wishes and put herself and potentually,  the Bigod family in danger.  When Hugh came home his father was fuming!  He told Hugh that he had to learn how to rein in the free spirited wife, Mahelt but Hugh struggled with how to do so without breaking her spirited that he so adored. 

Mahelt finally did grow up and her marriage was consummated. Mahelt and Hugh were madly in love with each other. There marriage did become in jeopardy because of King John and his miss-deeds.  This included his taking their first son, Roger hostage.

I was witness to King John's many atrocities against mankind, the men, women, and children he had killed without a thought or care.  Eventually the Barons, including the Bigods had enough and joined a rebellion against him, leading up to the Magna Carta. 

I was witness to all of this, thanks to Elizabeth Chadwick.  She seamlessly weaved historical facts with real life characters and events in to breathtaking historical fiction.  She captured my imagination and my heart.  

Elizabeth Chadwick to me, in a Queen of historical Fiction.  In fact, she just won the Historical Novel Prize.  To Defy a King is a book that is nearly impossible to put down!  Thanks for the trip Ms. Chadwick!

5/5

Thanks to Sourcebooks for the advance readers copy.

Also reviewed at:

The Burton Review
Under a Blood Red Sky
The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader
A Girl Walks into a Book Store
Polishing Mud Balls
Aneca's World

Did I miss your review?  Please leave your link in the comments.


Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 6 comments  

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Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell

Set on the Island of f Dejima in Japan in the early 19th century, Jacob De Zoet was trying to make a name for himself. Jacob has come all the way from Holland as a young clerk in the hopes of making his fortune. The plan was to go back to Holland to his fiancée and marry her with the approval of her wealthy father.


While on Dejima, Jacob has a chance encounter with Ortio Aibagawa, a midwife who was granted permission to learn medicine under the tutelage of Dr. Marinus. It is very rare to see a Japanese woman unless she is a prostitute. Jacob becomes infatuated with her.

The first chapter of the book grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. It was of a childbirth that Ortio was midwife for. The child appeared to be dead but Ortio breathed life into him. It's too bad that the next 130 pages didn't hold my interest much. They were about the day to day business of Jacob as a clerk. To me they were boring and at times, hard to understand. I felt like I needed to have an interest in Jacob's job as a clerk, to understand what was going on. Historically, it seemed quite accurate but painfully boring to me.

When Ortio was brought back onto the pages, the story picked up again for me. She ended up in a horrific place that I had to see resolved. That is what kept me reading this book. It was these parts of the book that made me fall in love with David Mitchell's writing.

I have had David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green on my "to be read" list for a very long time. The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is the first book I have read by him but certainly won't be the last.

3.5/5

Thanks to Good Reads and David Ebershoff of Random House for an advance readers copy of this book.

Also reviewed by:














S is for the ship that Jacob De Zoet sailed on from Holland, Shenandoah and for the horrific place Ortio ended up at, The House of Sisters, Mount Shiranui Shrine.


David Mitchell is coming to the 2010 Vancouver Writers and Readers Festival.  He will be at four different events at the festival.  I will be seeing him at event #53, Japaning and event #62 The Sunday Brunch.  If your going to be in Vancouver, come join the fun!

Posted by Teddy Rose at 8:57 PM 6 comments  

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

For the King's Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick


Ida de Tosney was a ward of King HenryII through childhood.  As a teenager she was presented to the King  who would determine her future.  Hopefully he would find a suitable marriage for her and she would have a happy life.  However, once set eyes on Ida, he decided to keep her for himself and kept her as his mistress.  She had no say in the matter.  

Ida prayed that she wouldn't become pregnant and have King Henry's bastard child.  She took every preventative measure she could find however, she conceived a son.  Though she was worried about the religious ramifications, she fell in love with her son.  In the mean time, she became infatuated with Roger Bigod.  

Roger had a story of his own.  He rebelled against his father and took the side of King HenryII.  He spent the majority of the time trying to win the Kings favor and getting his family land holdings after his father died.  His rightful title was Earl and he wanted it.

Eventually, King Henry married Ida de Tosney off to Roger Bigod and they had many children of their own.  However, the son she had with King HenryII, was kept from her.

Many of my friends, including those at Historical Tapestry have been encouraging me to read a Elizabeth Chadwick book for a very long time.  I have had her on my TBR and finely had the chance to read one of her books when I received an invitation to review this advance readers' copy.  

Chadwick did not disappoint!  She had a good cast of characters from real life to draw from.  She made them come back to life with richly textured scenes of England and Royalty.  I felt like I was one of the maids,  getting to witness everything that happened.   I will definitely be reading more Chadwick in the future!

Note: For the King's Favor was released previously as The Time of Singing.

4.5/5

Thanks to Danielle Jackson of Sourcebooks, Inc. for this book.

Also reviewed by:
Booklust
Historical Tapestry

If you reviewed this book, please include the link in the comments so I can give you some "link love."

"R" is for Roger Bigod

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:30 AM 9 comments  

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

Houdini Pie by Paul Michel

Halley, named after Halley's Comet was born right after his father Charles got caught in one of his fraudulent schemes. Once Hal was considered old enough he was expected to work for Charles in his less than honest business ventures including running a lucrative alcohol business during prohibition.


In 1934, as a young man Hal is a pitcher for and upstart baseball team and strikes just about everyone out. His Uncle Warren shows up after a long absence and asks Hal to join in him in a business venture that his Charles is also tied up with. Hal thinks it sounds preposterous but his mother Vera talks him into doing it with the promise of riches, gold actually. 

A Hopi Indian and his daughter lead the search, with the story of their ancestors, who were Lizard people. They hid treasure in Los Angeles California way beneath a downtown street. Somehow the crackpot sounding scheme get approval from the mayor and they are allowed to dig.

This is a story about love, hope and loyalty for Hal. Though the constant reference to Houdini Pie and it's symbolism got a little tiresome to me, the book flowed well with simple old fashioned story telling. Some of it was quite predictable but the book was enjoyable.

3/5

Thanks to Mary Myers of Bennet & Hastings Publishing for this book.

If you reviewed this book also, please leave a link in the comments.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:21 PM 2 comments  

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Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Captivity by Deborah Noyes

Captivity is actually two stories intertwined that took place mostly in upstate New York in the early to mid 19th century. The first is about the real life Fox Sisters. They were a family of women who were mediums who claimed that they could communicate with the deceased. They had many followers but were also constantly questioned by people who wanted to discredit them. They were put though numerous tests which included improper poking and prodding of the women by men. The Fox Sisters inadvertently gave birth to the Spiritualist Movement.


The second part of the story is about the fictional reclusive Clara Gill. She long ago suffered the loss of her secret lover William. The scandalous affair came out and Clara never fully recovered. Her mother had died in childbirth and she lived with her father all of her life, until his death. She never married.

Maggie Fox is invited in by Clara's father to work. She served Clara tea in her room, which she rarely left. Slowly Clara started to respond to Maggie and they became friends, even though Clara didn't believe in the Spiritual Movement. Because of their friendship, Clara starts coming out of her room and eventually starts going out into the community again.

There are many layers to this story and they are slowly peeled away, layer by layer until the very end. Deborah Noyes shows both sides of the historical Spiritualist Movement/ debate of the time, while crafting interesting characters and plots. At times I found the story dragged and in fact, I had trouble getting through the first 100 pages and almost gave up. However, I was rewarded greatly with my perseverance and I discovered a gem.

If you're looking for a fast paced story with a neat and tidy, all questions answered ending, this is not a good book for you. However, if you are a patient reader you will be greatly rewarded with a thought provoking and insightful story.

4/5

Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Summie of Unbridled Books for this book. Please look for a guest post here tomorrow, at So Many Precious Books by Deborah Noyes to find out more about the Fox Sisters and for a chance to win a copy of this book.

Have you reviewed this book? Please leave a link in the comments so I can include it in this post.

M is for Maggie Fox.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:15 AM 9 comments  

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Friday, April 30, 2010

The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills

Muskoka is the summer playground for the very wealthy families that want to escape the stifling heat of summer in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The year is 1914 and one such family living there in the summer is the Wyndwoods. This large family lives an easy and fun filled summer with servants to meet their every need. The matriarch of the family is Augusta Wyndwood who took over the running of the family and business when her husband died. Al she has to do is threaten disinheritance and the family members jump to attention and do as she bids.


There are too numerous characters to mention here however I will mention the main characters of this story. Victoria is the headstrong granddaughter of Augusta. She would like to have more of the freedoms that men have but Augusta would like to marry her off to a wealthy cousin, Justin who is in love with Victoria. Victoria however is in love with her other wealthy cousin, Chas.

Then there is Jack, Augusta's grandson. He shows up, when the story opens, as a waiter at the resort restaurant that the family goes to every Monday for dinner. The next day he shows up at the Wyndwood estate and is introduced by Augusta. Jacks father was disinherited by Augusta for marrying beneath himself. His family was very poor and he died fairly young, leaving his family to survive on their own. Jack hopes to ingratiate himself into the family.

The family live there usual glutinous summer on the lake, boating, swimming, playing tennis, and the other things in their idyllic lifestyle. However, things start to turn dark when WWI is threatened and many of Victoria's cousins go off to war, to eventually become part of "the lost generation."

This story travels from Muskoka, Ontario Canada to Britain, and the skies of war torn France. It includes the horrific bombing and sinking of the famous Lusitania ship of the shores of Britain. There is a little of something for everyone including, wealthy living, romance, mystery, adventure, and war.

It is evident the Gabriele Wills did her research of the period. She has beautiful writing and very interesting characters that leap out from the pages. There are a couple more minor story lines that I didn't really care for. For instance Helena, who marries Victoria's father James later in the story. She is a stereotypical conniving stepmother. This took away from the story for me. That said, I really did enjoy this book over. This book is the first of a trilogy and I hope to read the other two books.

4/5

Thanks to Gabriele Wills for sending me a copy of this book. To find out more about this book and the writing of it, head on over to my collaborative blog, Historical Tapestry, where we featured her, here. Also coming soon to Historical Tapestry is a collaborative review of this book with Kailana and myself.

Also reviewed at:
The Book Chick

If you have also reviewed this book, please leave the link in the comments so I can post it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 10:36 PM 5 comments  

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

This wonderful book is a re-issue from Sourcebooks and came out this month. It is the first in a series of 34 books, the 34th is coming out in November by Sphere. The series is called The Morland Dynasty and is the longest historical saga series in history.


The year is 1434 and Robert Morland's father, Edward tells his son to pack for a trip. When he asked where they are going his father said that it was time for him to be married and that the arrangements have been made. Robert figures that he should give his bride a present so runs to the barn and takes the best puppy in the litter for her.

A couple days later they arrive at the fine house of the Beaufort family and he is married to Eleanor Courtney, the ward of Lord Edmund Beaufort. It is a business match to benefit both families. Edward Morland is a very wealth sheep farmer and Lord Edmund has power and prestige. However, Eleanor is hurt and disappointed, she is secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York and thought it beneath her to have to marry a mere sheep farmer.

The minute Robert set eyes on Eleanor he was in love but it took many years for Eleanor to feel the same about him.

Once they arrive back at Morland Place, Eleanor is appalled at what she sees. For a wealth family, they live more like live stock than people. The next morning, with the help of her maids, Eleanor starts to make the place more liveable. She also makes the servants more presentable and not stinking by forcing every one of them to take a bath.

Robert and Eleanor have 10 children and all the while Eleanor schemes to grow the sheep farming business into something more. She talks Robert into using her ideas one by one and they build a business empire together.

Set against the backdrop of the War of the Roses, the story starts out with King Henry VI still in power. it continues through King Edward's rein and through Richard III's short rein and ends shortly after King Henry the VII comes into power. The Morlands' see some of their male children off to war and live through some of their deaths. Robert dies at a well before Eleanor and she lives to see some of her male grandchildren and great-grandchildren go to war and die.

I first heard about the Morland series soon after I started my book blog, from other historical fiction fans. It has been on my list of books to try since then, so when I was offered an advance readers copy I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed.

Though some would consider this book to be a doorstop at over 530 pages, it reads very fast. Sure there are a couple places where it drags slightly but not many. Cynthia Harrod Eagles weaves a story about a believable family and sees them through 3 generations and the War of the Roses. With the deft stroke of her pen (or computer) she captures the beauty and ugliness of the period.

I was offered a review copy of the second book in the series, The Dark Rose but turned it down due to other commitments. Boy do I regret that! I hope to continue the series one day soon. I highly recommend this book.

4/5

Thanks to Danielle Jackson of Sourcebooks for this book.

Also reviewed by:


Did I miss your review?  Please leave a link in the comments, so I can include it here.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 12:01 AM 8 comments  

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Saturday, January 30, 2010

O, Juliet by Robin Maxwell


Last year I had the pleasure to read Robin Maxwell's Signora daVinci.  So, when she contacted me to see if I wanted an advance reader copy of her new novel, O'Juliet  I jumped at the chance. 
We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet so I will not repeat the story.  Maxwell sticks to the major events that happen in William Shakespeare's story but does a nice job in retelling it with some new twists and characters.  Maxwell's version it is set in 15th century Florence during the Medici era. 
Juliet's best friend Lucrezia was engaged to Piero de Medici and big party was thrown by the patriarch of the Medici family, Cosimo de Medici and his wife.  Juliet was there and met Romeo, who actually came to the party to enlist the help of Cosimo, to help break the feud between the Monticeccos' and Capellettis'.  Right away the couple find they have a strong common interest, the writings of Dante. 
The two found all kinds of different ways to see each other and their love for each other grew very fast.  A big problem, even bigger than the feud was that Juliet was promised to her father's business partner, Jacopo Strozzi.  She loathed him but as with most women back then, she had to abide by her father's wishes.
Romeo figured out a plan so that Juliet would be able to marry and live with him.  However there are many twists and turns that get in their way.
I loved the way Robin Maxwell used the Medici as a starting point and background to the story.  It really added a new and exciting dimension to the story.  I didn't care for her portrayal of Jacopo Strozzi.  She used the "done to death" plot of him being ugly and sour breathed.  She mentioned this just about every place he appeared in the novel.  Yes, I got the point, he was evil.  That said, another part I really adored was the addition of Dante's writing in the story and how she used them.
Over all, I really did enjoy this retelling of Romeo and Juliet.  I recommend it for fans of romance, historical fiction, and the Medici.
3.5/5
Thanks to Robin Maxwell for sending me this book.
Also reviewed by:
All Things Royal
Passages to the Past
The Burton Review
If I missed your review of this book , please leave the link in the comments.

Posted by Teddy Rose at 4:00 AM 0 comments  

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