C.L.R. Peterson Blog
Book Reviews & More
Holiday Treats for You
As we approach the end of a difficult year, let me offer suggestions for holiday-related reading treats, for a variety of tastes (historical fiction and more)—like a plateful of holiday cookies, but for your reading pleasure: “What Child Is This,” a short story by...
Who helps in time of need?
November is the month of Thanksgiving in the U.S., when Americans remember Native Americans with gratitude for their assistance to new immigrants, which helped them survive difficult times in a new land in the early 1600s. Over the next few centuries, the roles of...
An Up-and-Down Hero’s Legacy
At this time of the year, the name of Christopher Columbus inevitably comes up. Many disputes have arisen about his legacy for America, but what about his impact on Spain? Spain struck it rich, thanks to silver from the New World, and Columbus became a hero—doesn’t...
Troublemaker or Saint?
In this time of restricted travel, many people feel confined or even trapped in their circumstances—valid emotions, of course! But just imagine what your options might have been if you were Hildegard of Bingen, born in 1098 as child #10 to a family of the German lower...
Dutch Heroes or Villains?
What would you do if you were a David in a small nation, facing down a Goliath, a giant enemy who appeared to be coming to destroy your town and kill everyone you loved? Would you try to reason with him, run, hide, or fight? The Dutch people confronted this dilemma in...
Compassion or Collapse!
How would you describe the current mood in your part of the world? In many places, today’s theme might be division rather than unity. Is our time unique? Over the centuries, internal divisions accelerated the decline of many powerful civilizations—ancient Greece, the...
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!