Gutenberg's Apprentice Archives - C.L.R. Peterson, Author

Historical novels to enjoy during quarantine

by CLR Peterson | Mar 28, 2020 | Historical novels, Quarantine

Health and peace to you in these uncertain times! Since life has changed and many of us must spend our days isolated from people and our normal activities, I’m offering suggestions of some of my favorite titles of historical fiction set in Europe. Fortunately, these novels are available as ebooks you can access from home free through your local library or purchase them online.

I just finished reading a terrific novel published last fall, The Last Train to London, by Meg Waite Clayton. What made it so special?

The author cleverly structures this historical novel so that even readers familiar with the Kindertransports prior to World War II will find it suspenseful.
She humanizes her characters so we root for them, even as we see their flaws. Given the dark times in which this novel is set, readers can assume that not all the sympathetic characters will survive, but which ones?
She masterfully interweaves several plot threads in fast-paced scenes with life-and-death stakes, compelling readers to the conclusion to find out who will live to see another day.
Clayton’s notes reveal her impressive research to achieve historical accuracy, including her meticulous study of the autobiography of one of the main characters (a real historical figure).

I highly recommend this novel, with the warning that it will be hard to put down.

My favorite historical novels set in Europe:

These books encompass a wide variety of locations, topics, and points of view, so I’d suggest reading a blurb or sample to see if a title suits your taste. I’ve included only one book per author, although I’ve enjoyed multiple novels by several of these authors.

Gutenberg’s Apprentice, by Alix Christie (Germany, late 1400s)
Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel (England, 1500s)
Girl with a Pearl Earring, by Tracy Chevalier (Holland, 1600s)
Trial of Sören Qvist, by Janet Lewis (Denmark, 1600s)
Suite Française, by Irène Némirovsky (France, World War II)

The following novels are set in Renaissance Italy:

The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone
Painter’s Apprentice, by Laura Morelli
Secret Book of Grazia dei’Rossi, by Jacqueline Park
Second Duchess, by Elizabeth Loupas
Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant

Thanks to reader Pam S.! She responded to last month’s question and reminded me of a fascinating novel about quarantine set in the Hawaiian Islands: Moloka’i, by Alan Brennert.

Readers, what are your favorite novels set in Europe that you’d add to my list?

Gutenberg’s Gift to Renaissance and Reformation

by CLR Peterson | Jul 29, 2017 | Johannes Gutenberg, Martin Luther, Reformation, Renaissance

By de Larmessin – Scanned from “Die großen Deutschen im Bilde” (1936) by Michael Schönitzer, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5017455

Johannes Gutenberg began his life in 1400 as a merchant’s youngest son in Mainz, yet by the time he died in 1468, even the pope knew his reputation—all because this goldsmith found a way to print using movable type. His journey to fame came painstakingly slowly (detailed by Alix Christie in her novel, Gutenberg’s Apprentice).

Gutenberg decided to print Bibles as his first priority (for both spiritual and financial reasons), but the printing press also led to many other accessible, relatively affordable books that nurtured the Italian Renaissance.

By Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg – http://go.distance.ncsu.edu/gd203/?p=3328, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37415152

Yet perhaps the greatest impact of Gutenberg’s invention came more than half a century later, when Martin Luther’s deft harnessing of the printing press enabled his message to spread quickly to sympathizers (creating a vast audience) as well as enemies (who would have happily silenced Luther’s voice).

Would the printing industry have mushroomed without Luther’s prolific writing and the Roman Church’s responses? Not likely; the relationship between Luther and the printing press proved mutually beneficial (as Andrew Pettegree points out in Brand Luther).

Without the printing press, would the Reformation have taken place in the sixteenth century? When might the printing industry have developed if not for Martin Luther’s calls for church reform?