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Deborah (162 KP) rated Mistress of My Fate; The Confessions of Henrietta Lightfoot in Books
Dec 21, 2018
Hallie Rubenhold's foray into the world of historical fiction brings us to Henrietta Lightfoot and the first volume of her memoirs. I confess that I didn't realise that this was the first book in a planned series and felt a bit frustrated at the end of the book as there were many unresolved questions I was dying to know the answer to!
Books written in the first person can sometimes feel a bit contrived, but that wasn't a problem here at all. An older Henrietta relates the 'true' story of her life, evidently in answer to some untruths put about by a character we have yet to properly meet in this first volume; I'm sure all will become apparent later on!
Many of the characters who weave their way through Rubenhold's tale are actually real, historical figures. Even her fictional characters owe something to the real life experiences of other Georgian inhabitants. This certainly isn't prettified historical fiction; we follow the initially very naive Henrietta through her ups and downs. The main action of the novel takes place over the space of about a year, when Henrietta is still only 17. I look forward to the next instalment!
Books written in the first person can sometimes feel a bit contrived, but that wasn't a problem here at all. An older Henrietta relates the 'true' story of her life, evidently in answer to some untruths put about by a character we have yet to properly meet in this first volume; I'm sure all will become apparent later on!
Many of the characters who weave their way through Rubenhold's tale are actually real, historical figures. Even her fictional characters owe something to the real life experiences of other Georgian inhabitants. This certainly isn't prettified historical fiction; we follow the initially very naive Henrietta through her ups and downs. The main action of the novel takes place over the space of about a year, when Henrietta is still only 17. I look forward to the next instalment!
The Mapmaker's Children
Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Baker's Daughter, a story of family, love, and...
Historical > Historical Fiction Fiction Historical Military History > Civil War
The Girl from Bologna (Girls from the Italian Resistance #3) by Siobhan Daiko
Book
Bologna, Italy, 1944, and the streets are crawling with German soldiers. Nineteen-year-old Leila...
Historical Fiction Women's Fiction WWII Italian Historical Historical Romance
Traitor's Knot (Quest for Three Kingdoms #1)
Book
England 1650: Civil War has given way to an uneasy peace . . . Royalist officer James Hart...
Historical Fiction Historical Romance Historical Suspense Stuart Age
The Beasts of Paris
Book
In Paris 1870, three wandering souls find themselves in a city set to descend into war. 'A...
Historical fiction The Siege of Paris
Kiersten Smeal (0 KP) rated A Thousand Splendid Suns in Books
May 1, 2018
Thousand Splendid Suns
I fell in love with this book on the first few pages. I was attached to the characters quickly and was intrigued to hear their story. The ending did disappoint me slightly, but the rest of the book was superb. Definitely recommend even if your not a historical fiction person.
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Only Woman in the Room in Books
Oct 5, 2020
If you've never heard of Hedy Lamarr, that's fine, she was just an actress, but she also invented something we use in technology every day. To find out more, you can read my #bookreview of this biographical, historical, women's fiction novel about her, "The Only Woman in the Room" by Marie Benedict, on my blog now https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2019/01/25/the-beauty-of-genius/
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Bottomland in Books
Oct 5, 2020
When I learned that Michelle Hoover based this historical fiction novel on a true family story about two girls who suddenly disappeared from their rural family home, I knew I had to read it. Find out why I have this book a strong four out of five stars in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2016/04/25/the-lost-and-what-they-find/
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Alias Grace in Books
Oct 7, 2020
This classic novel of Margaret Atwood is now a televised mini-series, but I really had to read the book before I start watching it. This fascinating historical fiction novel is a psychological profile based on the true story of Grace Marks, the woman convicted of a double homicide in 1843. Read more in my review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/03/02/duplicity-or-distortion/
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated Temptation Rag in Books
Oct 7, 2020
Ragtime. The only thing I know about it was that Scott Joplin was one of its composers. So learning about this era of American musical history, and the genre through a biographical, historical fiction novel was truly tempting! Find out what I thought of this book in my newest #bookreview on my blog now. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2018/12/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-ragtime/