C.L.R. Peterson Blog
Book Reviews & More
The Missing Link in a Familiar Story
These dog days of summer (in my hemisphere) are a great time for a rewarding new look at a familiar story. How did Abraham Lincoln, arguably the greatest U.S. president, make the amazing leap from country boy in rural Kentucky to the White House?Nancy Horan’s recent...
Sunny Times under the Sun King?
The Muse of Freedom takes place during the reign of France’s King Louis XIV, who spared no effort to rid his kingdom of any threats to his power. At the age of 18 Jehan (Jean Pierre) Bondurant must decide whether to return to his Huguenot faith or risk the terror of the king’s dragonnades (troops), who break up Huguenot families and kill many.
How Powerful is an Ordinary Person?
How could a tobacco-chewing, defiant, small Polish peasant woman thwart the Nazis’ attempt to exterminate the Jews? My Mother’s Secret, a short historical novel, is based on the lives of Franciszka and Helena, a Polish mother and daughter recognized as “the Righteous among the Nations” in Israel.
When Librarians Were Spies
The Librarian Spy, by Madeline Martin, is a spy-filled World War II story set in Lyon, France, and Lisbon, Portugal.
Have You Discovered This Italian Masterpiece?
The Betrothed is an Italian literary masterpiece Italians revere, but most Americans have never heard of it. What’s so special about this nearly 200-year-old novel?
Great Historical Novels of the American West
As we in the northern hemisphere hope for signs of new life and spring, I’ve discovered a new (to me) author—Sandra Dallas, whose novels focus on common people often ignored by historians. I share brief reviews of two of her novels.
Get My New Short Story!
Verona, 1571.
When Caterina welcomes her husband’s brilliant student, Alessandro, into their home, she has no idea how he will heighten the danger her family faces as the Inquisition closes in.
Immerse yourself in rich historical detail and high emotional stakes in this dramatic story of danger and conscience!