A Book Club for Dark Days

A Book Club for Dark Days

by | Nov 24, 2024 | Book review, England, Historical novels, World War II

Especially in this season, I’m thankful for you, reader, and I hope you’ll have a few moments to reflect on who and what you’re thankful for.

This month, I’m pleased to offer both a book review and an interview with the author! I hope you enjoy them!

Air Raid Book Club, by Annie Lyons, cover image

My Review:

In this moment, The Air Raid Book Club might be just the right read for you, as it was for me. Although the story is set in England during the dark days of the Blitz in World War II, many of this novel’s characters reveal a refreshing humanity and care for each other that often seems missing in the world today.

Many twists and turns, with both sparkling and grievous moments, immerse readers in the story of Gertie, an ordinary woman who owns a bookstore in Beechwood, a non-descript section of southeast London. She ponders, what can she can do to counter fear and despair? These are her eventual responses:
• She starts a book club, bringing people together to discuss books, forge ideas, and inspire history
• She takes in Hedy, a Jewish teen refugee from Germany

In spite of Gertie’s good intentions, Hedy doesn’t bond well with her host. One of this novel’s strong points is the clear portrayal of how their relationship, and those of other characters, evolve through the story.

Major Characters:

Gertie—protagonist, a humble heroine who brings people together
Harry—Gertie’s sweet husband
Charles—friend of Gertie’s husband, a supportive friend to Gertie after her husband’s death
Hedy—German teen whom Gertie takes in from the Kindertransport, saving her from the Nazis
Margery Fortescue—wealthy widow with a strong personality

 

Strengths:
Clear, heart-warming portrayal of how characters’ relationships evolve through the story
Satisfying ending
Variety of characters, each with a distinct personality and viewpoint
Author’s skill in weaving literature and bookshops into the story

Weakness:
Although this novel includes plenty of action to propel the story forward, it also includes passages containing characters’ reflections, so it probably won’t be a good fit for readers who prefer action adventure thriller stories

Content review:
Includes violence and death connected with World War II and the Blitz

My recommendation:
If you enjoy a historically accurate story that’s warm-hearted and life-affirming, while not shying from the tragic details of the Blitz in WWII, I would recommend The Air Raid Book Club.

Author Interview with Annie Lyons:

Annie Lyons, author photo

What triggered your decision to create this story?

There were many sources of inspiration for this book, one of them being Eudora Honeysett, the main character from my previous novel. I had so enjoyed writing the flashback scenes in that book, transporting the reader back to the Second World War and other moments in history, that I decided I wanted to write my first full historical fiction novel. It was 2021, in the middle of the pandemic and I had noticed how communities were supporting one another during these difficult times. It made me think about similarities with how communities rallied during the Second World War and the seed of an idea was planted. Added to this, I’ve always wanted to write a novel set in a bookshop about the power of books and reading and how important they can be in dark times. Gertie began to emerge as I found myself struggling to read or engage with stories for a while and I imagined a character who was ready to give up on her bookshop and move away. Hedy’s character came about after I read and listened to accounts of Jewish children who fled Nazi Germany before the start of the Second World War. It was their spirit of optimism and hope which inspired me to write this story as Hedy and Gertie’s bond grows through a love of books and reading.

It’s obvious that you do careful research in the development of your scenes and characters. What sources helped you fill in the details and context for this novel?

Research was tricky as I was writing this book during lockdown so the internet became my best friend! The Imperial War Museum online was a huge source of information. It’s a fantastic resource. Online, I listened to accounts of Kindertransport children, now adults, who came to live in the UK. Their stories and spirit were a big source of inspiration. I also love the BBC’s archived resource, The People’s War. It’s a treasure trove of personal stories which are often heartbreaking, often funny but all completely wonderful. I read a great deal too. Millions Like Us by Virginia Nicholson was a book which started as a springboard for the whole idea as it deals with the role of women during the war. I also had to understand bookselling from the start of the twentieth century and found a wonderful book called ‘The Truth About Bookselling’ by Thomas Joy.

What was the biggest surprise in researching this story?

How the role of women changed forever as a result of the Second World War. They literally went from sitting in the passenger seat to driving the truck!

What’s the ratio of fact to fiction in this story?

The bones of the story are all factual. I followed the course of the Second World War and its events as closely as I could. The fictionalized parts are the town of Beechwood itself and Bingham Books. As I was writing this novel during lockdown and couldn’t visit bookshops, it was a treat to be able to create one from my imagination!

What were the most challenging aspects of writing this novel?

Deciding which historical details to include and which to leave out! I love history and am particularly fascinated by the Second World War so I’d often get lost down research rabbit holes and probably have enough material for at least another five books!

What did you enjoy about writing this novel?

I loved so much of it. Losing myself in the past was particularly wonderful. I’d also always wanted to write a book set in a bookshop so this was a dream come true and choosing the books for Gertie and Hedy’s book club (and the quotations which start each chapter) really appealed to my booklover’s heart.

Beyond entertainment, what would you want a reader to walk away with after reading The Air Raid Book Club?

To remember this part of history and the profound effect it had on the world and to be proud of the role that women played during that time.

Thank you, Annie, for your informative interview!
Grazia’s Journey Through the Italian Renaissance

Grazia’s Journey Through the Italian Renaissance

by | Oct 24, 2024 | Book review, Historical novels, Italy, Jewish History, Renaissance

Some novels resonate at the time they’re published, while others have plots, characters, and themes that never go out of date.

You probably think of beloved novels in the second category, and I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorites, The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi, written by Jacqueline Park more than twenty years ago. Because it was set in Renaissance Italy, there’s no outdated technology or fashions to spoil your reading experience.

The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi, by Jacqueline Park, cover image

What makes this novel special?

  • The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi takes readers through numerous key events of the Italian Renaissance (wars, conflicts between Italian city-states, religious persecution, the sack of Rome, to name a few), from the unique vantage point of a gifted Jewish woman attempting to find her way in an often-hostile Christian culture.
  • Grazia records the secrets of her life so her son will understand her choices (and his heritage) after her passing.
  • The author based this story on a brief footnote about a real-life Italian woman of that era.
  • During Grazia’s lifetime, Italy experiences rebirth/renaissance on an intellectual level, with the discovery of ancient Greek and Roman texts. She encounters such luminaries as Pico della Mirandola, the Florentine philosopher, Aldus Manutius, Venice’s master printer, and Benevenuto Cellini, sculptor and writer.
  • At the same time, undercurrents of anti-Semitism and misogyny limit Grazia’s options and endanger her. Her romance with a Christian nobleman challenges her to abandon the faith and traditions of her ancestors, risking estrangement from her family. Grazia’s character, as well as several others, emerge as memorable portraits of the era.

As I revisited and reviewed this novel, I discovered that its author, Jacqueline Park, extended the story into a family saga with a sequel, The Legacy of Grazia dei Rossi, and the concluding volume, Son of Two Fathers (completed after her death by Gilbert Reid). I’m eager to read these novels, and I’d appreciate your comments if you’ve read either or both.

Characters:

Grazia dei Rossi—protagonist, daughter of a Jewish family who obtains a humanist education and struggles between allegiance to her heritage and her attraction to a man from outside the Jewish faith

Danilo—Grazia’s son, still an adolescent when this novel ends

Judah—Grazia’s husband, a highly-regarded Jewish physician who gains employment by the pope

Lord Pirro Gonzaga—a Christian nobleman whom Grazia meets for the first time during her adolescence

Marchesa Isabella d’Este da Gonzaga—a powerful noblewoman in Renaissance Rome, she employs Grazia as her private secretary and tries to persuade Grazia to convert to Christianity

Strengths:

This novel offers readers a close perspective on the Renaissance in Italy, revealing both high and low points of the era.

Weakness:

The novel’s length (560 pages) may deter some readers.

 

Content review:

The story includes scenes of physical intimacy, as well as violence, especially directed toward Jewish people

My Recommendation:

The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi will be a great read if you enjoy a thoughtful yet action-filled saga that places you in the midst of the Italian Renaissance.

 

Reader, do you have a favorite novel set in the Italian Renaissance?

 

Three Generations of Heroines

Three Generations of Heroines

by | Sep 23, 2024 | Book review, France, French Resistance, Historical novels, World War II

This month, I’m pleased to offer you a review of a novel I recently enjoyed.

With its title, The Women of Chateau Lafayette, you might expect a biography of Lafayette’s wife, but this novel offers much more.

The Women of Chateau Lafayette, by Stephanie Dray, cover image

This amazing time slip novel draws readers into three distinct eras, separated by generations but united in several ways:

  • Each takes place in one of history’s darkest hours
  • Each is set at least partially at Castle Chavaniac, the residence of Gilbert Lafayette, the Frenchman who helped the American colonies win their independence so long ago
  • Each female protagonist’s efforts culminated in heroism at Chavaniac

Summary of each time period:

(includes protagonists; kept general to avoid spoilers)

 

  • Revolutionary era: After helping American colonists win their independence from the British, Gilbert Lafayette returns to France a hero and helps spark the French Revolution, which goes terribly wrong. His family and the French nation suffer grievously. Gilbert’s wife, Adrienne, must navigate between the values of her wealthy noble family and Gilbert’s ideals of democracy, political liberty, and religious freedom. Her heroism will surprise or even shock readers.
  • In World War I, Beatrice, whose marriage to William “Willie” Astor Chanler, elevated her from humble beginnings, finds her passion in creating the Lafayette Memorial Fund, first supplying care packages for French soldiers in the trenches, and then helping refugee children orphaned by the war. Her husband buys Castle Chavaniac for her, and she manages its transformation into a sanctuary for displaced children and orphans. She is torn between her failed marriage and a new life with a kind Frenchman who loves and supports her.
  • During World War II, Marthe, an orphan who grew up at Castle Chavaniac, now teaches there. She must come to terms with her identity, as well as deciding how she can live out her ideals with integrity during and after the Nazi occupation of France.

Other major characters:

Maxime Furlaud—a banker and military officer; Beatrice’s French romantic interest

Victor Chapman—Willie’s nephew, close to Beatrice and Willie; an American architecture student who joined the French Foreign Legion

Emily Sloane—Beatrice’s American friend who works with her to gather aid and work at Chavaniac

Baron Amaury de LaGrange—husband of Emily Sloane; interim president of Preventorium at Chavaniac after Fall of France Riom Trial

Anne—daughter of Emily and Amaury, contemporary of Marthe

Yves Travert—small-town policeman who keeps an eye on Chavaniac and Marthe; he must cooperate somewhat with the Gestapo

Madame Pinton—mother of Marthe’s fiancé, she plays an unexpected role

 

Strengths:

This is a fascinating novel, with its three linked plots, all strong, well-portrayed, and providing windows into life in France in each era.

Weakness:

Three time frames and sets of characters can lead to confusion for readers, who may benefit from taking a few notes as they read.

Content review:

This novel doesn’t shy away from the violence of war, or expressions of the major characters’ sexuality.

My recommendation: 

Readers who enjoy historical fiction steeped with romance and values (both personal and societal) will find The Women of Chateau Lafayette a rewarding and thought-provoking read.

Reader, do you have a favorite time slip historical novel?

My writing update:

I continue to sift through the comments of my beta-readers and polish my upcoming novel, Lucia’s Journey.

Escape to Oregon’s Pioneer Days

Escape to Oregon’s Pioneer Days

by | Aug 23, 2024 | Book review, Historical novels, Medical History, Oregon Territory, Women's Struggles

Greetings, Reading Friend! 

I hope you’ve had a chance for a break during this warm season (in the northern hemisphere). I’ve enjoyed time with family and friends in my native Pacific Northwest.

Returning to my Northwest roots, I discovered a novel set in that region, All She Left Behind, and I review it below.

When I’m not reading other authors’ novels, I’m revising Lucia’s Journey, my new novel, based on feedback from my beta-readers.  (Thank you so much to each one!). I hope to publish it in the next few months.

My Review of All She Left Behind, by Jane Kirkpatrick

All She Left Behind, by Jane Kirkpatrick, cover image

How could a girl who struggled with reading and spelling, born into a pioneer family settled in the Oregon Territory, become a medical doctor?

Jennie Lichtenthaler’s passion to be a healer seemed an impossible dream, and she received little encouragement to pursue a life beyond the traditional role of wife and mother.

Yet All She Left Behind, a historical novel, tells the surprising, fact-based story of Jennie’s life. Readers may think its twists and turns couldn’t possibly reflect reality, but its skillful author, Jane Kirkpatrick, has crafted this captivating novel using information gleaned from historical documents.

Kirkpatrick shows the obstacles Jennie faced, including:

  • The attitudes of close family members
  • Society’s reluctance to allow female physicians.

The author also reveals how dreams delayed were not always dreams destroyed in Jennie’s life.

 

Characters:

They are both historical and fictional, distinctive, some even memorable.

 Because Jennie’s life story includes many characters, I list only those who play major roles in the novel:

 Jennie Lichtenthaler—protagonist; young pioneer woman married at 17; her circumstances thwart her ambition to become a physician

 Josiah Parrish—Jennie’s second husband, a blacksmith, sheep breeder, and missionary who encourages Jennie’s medical studies and career

 Elizabeth Parrish—Josiah’s first wife; Jennie takes care of her in Elizabeth’s declining days

 Charles Pickett—Jennie’s first husband, he can’t overcome his addictions to alcohol and drugs

 Douglas Pickett—son of Jennie and Charles, he struggles with addictions

 Ariyah Cole—Jennie’s fictional best friend, an artist who provides a sounding board and support for Jennie

 Priscilla Melvin—a prostitute whose life takes a new turn; Jennie’s encounters with her near the beginning and ending of Jennie’s adult life reveal her character arc.

 Callie Charlton—Jennie’s fellow female medical student and colleague

 

Strengths:

  • Inspiring story
  • Well-developed characters
  • Setting details transport readers into the Oregon Territory and early days of statehood in the last half of the 1800s
  • This novel reveals the state of the medical profession and the status of women in that era.

Weakness:

 The prologue seemed a bit confusing to place in the context of the chapters that follow.

 

Content review:

 This novel discusses struggles with and details of addiction to alcohol, drugs, and sex.

 

My recommendation:

 All She Left Behind will appeal to readers who appreciate a lively plot that Includes historical as well as romantic and inspirational elements. As a native of the Pacific Northwest, I enjoyed the window this novel provided into the history of Oregon in the early days of statehood.

 

Reader, can you recommend a novel set in the Northwest?

Read a Terrific Book or Two! 

Read a Terrific Book or Two! 

by | Jun 23, 2024 | Book review, Contagious disease, Historical novels, U.S. History

If you’re a new reader, welcome!

Welcome back to my long-time readers!

I have an invitation for all of you:

Would you like to be an advance reader for my new novel?

Your input can help me make it the best it can be!

If you’re interested, please reply and I’ll send you more information.

Thanks for considering!

Now on to our latest book review:

Why should you read a novel about the Influenza Epidemic of 1918? You’ve probably heard, if not read, about it.

The Orphan Collector, by Ellen Marie Wiseman, cover image

I recently discovered The Orphan Collector, a novel focused on this epidemic, and I could hardly put it down.

Why?

  • I worried about the characters—would they overcome their many challenges?
  • Multiple plot threads kept me interested in more than just whether the characters would survive the epidemic

When the influenza epidemic strikes Philadelphia in 1918, Pia, a shy German immigrant in her early teens, struggles to keep her family alive and together.

In the midst of this devastating plague, well-intentioned strangers send her to an orphanage. 

She experiences both the highs and lows of human behavior: selfishness, cruelty, bigotry, prejudice, and deception, as well as friendship, kindness, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

The Orphan Collector takes readers with Pia as she wages a heroic battle for her family’s and personal survival. 

Major Characters:

Pia Lange—young protagonist, she must mature and struggle with difficult personal qualities to survive and help her family

Finn—Pia’s Irish neighbor, a kind teen who becomes her loyal friend

Bernice Groves (Nurse Wallis)—Pia’s neighbor whose losses bring out her best and worst qualities as she deals with orphans, grieving parents, and the world

Mother Joe—director of St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum, where Pia was forced to live; she employs the severe discipline frequent in that era, but also shows wisdom at times

Dr. and Mrs. Hudson—sympathetic couple who employ Pia as their nanny

Max and Ollie—Pia’s twin baby brothers for whom she risks everything

Strengths:

  • Strong plot
  • Sympathetic major characters draw readers in
  • Antagonistic characters are shown as multi-dimensional people whose weaknesses may arise from factors beyond their control.

Weakness:

A situation or two seems a bit contrived.

 

Content review:

  • Includes descriptions of the symptoms and after effects of influenza infection that may disturb some readers
  • Very limited violence
  • No descriptions of physical intimacy
  • Some mild profanity

My Recommendation:

If you enjoy an engaging story with heroic yet realistic characters, and you don’t flinch from the realities of an epidemic, The Orphan Collector will be a rewarding read.

Reader, is there a story you love with heroic characters in extreme situations?

Arrivederci/ Until next time,

Colleen

clrpeterson.com

Lucia’s Renaissance: a Novel of 16th-century Italy

 

By the way, it’s not too late if you’d like to find out more about joining My Renaissance in Venice tour in September, 2025! Just send me a comment if you’d like more information.

Exploring Ancestry and Early America Through ‘Caleb’s Crossing’ + an Invitation

Exploring Ancestry and Early America Through ‘Caleb’s Crossing’ + an Invitation

by | May 23, 2024 | Book review, Historical novels, U.S. History

Review of 'Caleb’s Crossing' by Geraldine Brooks

Why would I read and write about Caleb’s Crossing, a historical novel set on the east coast of seventeenth-century North America, when my primary fiction interest is Renaissance Europe?

Caleb's Crossing, by Geraldine Brooks, cover image

Thanks to recent research discoveries about my family’s ancestors, I learned that one of my 10th great-grandfathers arrived in America 15 years after the Mayflower landed (in 1620). Although many of this novel’s characters spring from the author’s imagination, her deeply-researched portrayal of the era’s physical, political and religious background helps me understand the context of my ancestors’ lives.

Why should you read this historical novel that came out over a decade ago?

  • The story is engaging, yet complicated
  • You’ll find out about living conditions faced by early English settlers
  • You’ll observe the complex relationships between English settlers and Native Americans
  • You’ll learn about the beliefs of the Puritans, settlers who dissented from them, and the Native Americans in the region
  • You’ll get a unique view of the mixed early history of Harvard College (now University)

Author Geraldine Brooks traces two major threads in Caleb’s Crossing:

  1. The impact of English settlers on the Native Americans in the regions where they co-existed.

Brooks writes that Caleb, the title character, was the Native American historical figure who inspired this novel. According to historical records, he and Joel Iacoomis were the first Native Americans to complete their undergraduate degrees at Harvard (in 1665).

In the final pages, Bethia wonders if Caleb would have been better off if she hadn’t accepted his friendship and eventually gone to Harvard.

  1. The life story and choices of Bethia, the young female protagonist.

Early in the story, she writes about her mother’s death in childbirth, but then says “I killed my mother.”

Throughout the novel, the author explores why Bethia believes that statement, as well as the interplay between the transplanted English culture she lived in and her contacts with Native Americans, and how both shaped her beliefs and actions.

Major Characters:

Note: all but Caleb and Joel are fictitious, although some are modeled after historical figures

  • Caleb—sympathetic male protagonist, member of Wampanoag tribe of Noepe (Martha’s Vineyard) who meets Bethia by chance and befriends her
  • Bethia Mayfield—female protagonist, she’s the quick-witted daughter of immigrants whose father is a missionary to Native Americans and the minister of the English church in Great Harbor
  • Makepeace—Bethia’s older brother, less intellectually gifted than she is
  • Joel Iacoomis—brilliant son of the first Wampanoag convert to Christianity
  • Samuel Corlett—fellow at Harvard who tutors young scholars; he meets Bethia when she works for his father, Master Corlett, a preparatory school instructor
  • Anne—young Nipmuc Native American girl, she comes to the preparatory school because of her gift for learning

Strengths:

This novel is extremely well-researched; the characters are memorable, and the plot contains many twists that hold readers’ interest.

Weakness:

A few plot points didn’t seem credible to me, especially as regards Bethia’s openness to Native American culture.

Content review:

This novel contains mentions of off-stage violence and discussions of sexual intimacy.

My Recommendation:

If you’d like to learn more about Native Americans’ interactions with the first English settlers they encountered, or perhaps have an interest in 17th-century U.S. history, Caleb’s Crossing is an entertaining way to absorb that information, with the caveat that the author used her imagination to create the characters’ personalities and actions.

Reader, can you recommend other novels about colonial North America?

My Update and an Invitation:

I have exciting news and an invitation for readers who’d enjoy a relaxed, curated journey to Venice and the surrounding countryside:

I’ve been invited to share my knowledge of Renaissance Venice during a 7 to 10 day journey in September, 2025. This tour will combine the highlights of Renaissance Venice with time to focus on reflection and personal renaissance during our stay at a comfortable residence in the countryside.

I’m looking forward to sharing my passions for the Renaissance and for writing fiction with interested group members. I hope the journey and our conversations will inspire each guest to pursue their dream, whatever it may be. I’m pleased to partner with Travel Impactful, a unique tour company with values I support.

This will be a small-group tour for 15 to 20 guests. If you’d like more information, click YES button below, insert your name and email address, or submit a comment below.

YES!

Arrivederci/until next time,

Colleen
clrpeterson.com