On my TBR pile at the moment, there are about three books that fit the bill nicely in this category(one of which I've started already). Perhaps one of them could suit your literary needs this season as well:
THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER: In Kate Morton's upcoming novel, the title character is a benevolent spirit that watches over Edward, an artist of the Victorian era at his beloved Birchwood Manor.
During the summer of 1862, Edward and his friends plan to spend a happy time together at Birchwood but two tragic events occur that change things for the worse. One of those is the death of a female guest , the other is the loss of a valuable heirloom, both of which ruin Edward's future.
Years later, Elodie,a young archivist, becomes intrigued with the mysteries of that particular summer and her search for the truth leads her to Birchwood, where the answers she seeks may come from sources most unexpected. Morton does have a flair for placing her characters in quite engaging settings that in and of themselves evoke mysterious wonder and this new book promises to be just as elaborately crafted as her previous literary gifts to readers have been:
UNSHELTERED: Author Barbara Kingsolver has a pair of leading fictional folk with a foot in different centuries in this story of the past and present of a grand house known as Vineland.
The current owner is Willa Knox, whose family finances are nearly in as bad shape as the home that her husband Iano just inherited. With both of their collegiate jobs gone and a new baby to provide for, getting a grant to repair Vineland is crucial to their rapidly growing troubles.
While researching the history of the house, Willa discovers the tale of a prior resident from the 1870s, science teacher Thatcher Greenwood ,whose relationship with naturalist Mary Treat was rather controversial in more ways than one.
Mary was a correspondent of Charles Darwin and both she and Thatcher were eager to spread the word about Darwin's new theories of evolution. However, Thatcher's teaching position,not to mention his marriage, is put on the line for this friendship of ideals. Can Willa use this story to save Vineland and at what expense will Thatcher's dilemma be the saving of his own future and Willa's as well?
Kingsolver's compare and contrast is not merely a storytelling set-up; she places these characters side by side in order to give a true reflection of what it means to deal with changing times in the here and now.
Upon her arrival, tales of a legendary creature returning to the area emerge due to the mysterious death of a young man on New Year's Eve. Cora is intrigued and eager to awaken her dormant skills in order to find the beast but is discouraged by Will Ransome, the local vicar who believes that the talk of the so-called serpent is a sign of moral failing rather than an actual monster in residence.
While Cora and Will both agree to seek the truth of the matter, their search may threaten the peace and welfare of many others, including Cora's emotionally fragile son Francis. However, their passionate feelings about this quest as well as their own hearts leads them down a path from which turning back is no longer an option. I'm taking my time with this book in order to savor it's simmering goodness all the more, plus the pleasure in getting to know Cora, truly a woman well ahead of her time:
Even though it will be some time before the true fall season kicks in, there are plenty of good books around to help make it so. It also helps that some great historical fiction is available on the small screen as well, with the recent adaptation of The Miniaturist on Masterpiece and another season of Poldark(the next to last one, alas!) plus, we'll soon be getting a fresh season of Outlander, set in America this time out.
Historical fiction has it's limits but when done right,it truly brings the past to life for all to enjoy and learn from, two great things that are actually great together:
No comments:
Post a Comment