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ClareR (5874 KP) rated The Companion in Books

Jan 14, 2020  
The Companion
The Companion
Kim Taylor Blakemore | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Companion is a really enjoyable historical fiction novel set in 1855 New Hampshire. Lucy Blunt has been found guilty of a double murder, and the story jumps back and forth in time to describe what happened in Lucy’s early life, her time as a maid at the Burton mansion and her life in prison.

One thing that really stood out for me was the stark difference between the privileged Burtons and their hard-working staff. Also Lucy’s shady background was so intriguing, and I really liked the bit by bit exposure of her past and her misdemeanours. She really is an unreliable source of information, and it’s no wonder that she’s sitting in a jail cell awaiting the hangman. But DID she commit murder?

It seemed to me that Lucy was repeatedly let down by the people who should have supported her, that she was used for what these people could get from her. For someone who had virtually no possessions, they took those things that were of herself: her self respect, her trust and her love.

Guilty or not, this was a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and/ or unreliable narrators.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
  
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ClareR (5874 KP) rated Mary I: Queen of Sorrows in Books

Oct 22, 2024  
Mary I: Queen of Sorrows
Mary I: Queen of Sorrows
Alison Weir | 2024 | Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I always feel that Mary I gets a lot of bad press. She’s remembered for her bloodthirsty streak (aka Bloody Mary), for being a strict Catholic and for marrying a foreigner - and a Spaniard at that! Oh, and she was a woman at a time when women weren’t believed to be capable of ruling a country in their own right.

Alison Weir is writing a work of historical fiction, but she has done her research. Of course, a lot of Mary’s story could be open to interpretation, and we’ll never know her exact inner thoughts, but she wrote letters and people wrote things down about her at the time. And personally, I really like Weirs interpretation. She makes Mary a human being, with thoughts, loves, hates and responsibilities. The period in history is described so well, that the reader can understand why Mary had such an extreme reaction to those who wouldn’t convert to Catholicism. And, well, Elizabeth I killed a lot more people than Mary ever did, so 🤷🏼‍♀️

I found the chapters on Mary’s childhood really interesting and very sad. What a traumatic childhood she had.

So, if you enjoy historical fiction and want to find out more about Mary I, then this may well be the book for you too. A totally absorbing read!
  
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Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Into the Whirlwind in Books

Feb 15, 2018  
IT
Into the Whirlwind
Elizabeth Camden | 2013
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this book the most. It was the best written book so far for a historical fiction book. I love the fact that his is about history of event that happen in Chicago. It has some romance but not whole lot in it. This book is about the Chicago fire. It is cool that it tell you about the people and how people dealt with the fire.


I really talks about the aftermath of the great Chicago fire. It detail the what happens to some of the buildings and what the neighbors did for the city and new change came about. If you really like history or interest in history of the US then this book is for you. Remember this book has some fiction but it still go learning tool to learn about American history in some ways.
  
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Aasiyah Sidat (34 KP) rated A Study in Scarlet in Books

Jul 5, 2018  
A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet
Arthur Conan Doyle, Mark Billingham | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Although I might be a fan of historical fiction, books that were published before I was born are not ones I usually pick up.

Don't get me wrong, there are some brilliant writers; Charles Dickens, John Steinbeck, the Austen's, all amazing writers, brilliant minds, but their writing style doesn't appeal to me. I would only pick up their books because of an academic reading list, and since academia doesn't need me to read fiction, I avoid it.

A very wise person recently told me that avoiding things is something I should avoid. Which is one of the reasons why I love this read harder challenge, taking you out of your comfort zone and expanding your reading is the best way to gain perspective.

Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2017/01/read-harder-1900-1950.html
  
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Lindsay (1760 KP) rated Into the Whirlwind in Books

Aug 30, 2018  
IT
Into the Whirlwind
Elizabeth Camden | 2013
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved this book the most. It was the best written book so far for a historical fiction book. I love the fact that his is about history of event that happen in Chicago. It has some romance but not whole lot in it. This book is about the Chicago fire. It is cool that it tell you about the people and how people dealt with the fire.


I really talks about the aftermath of the great Chicago fire. It detail the what happens to some of the buildings and what the neighbors did for the city and new change came about. If you really like history or interest in history of the US then this book is for you. Remember this book has some fiction but it still go learning tool to learn about American history in some ways.