Posts Tagged ‘historical fiction’
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Book Review: Lyrics Alley by Leila Aboulela
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Summary (Hachette website)
A lyrical and deeply moving novel by a twice Orange-listed rising star, set in pre-Independence Sudan, Egypt and post-war Britain.
With Mahmood Bey at its helm, the family can do no wrong. But when Mahmood’s son, Nur – the brilliant, charming heir to his business empire – suffers a near-fatal accident, his hopes of university and a glittering future are dashed. Subsequently, his betrothal to his cousin and sweetheart, Soraya is broken off, another tragedy that he is almost unable to bear.As British rule is coming to an end and the country is torn between modernising influences and the call of traditions past, the family is divided. Mahmood’s second wife, Nabilah, longs to return to Egypt and leave behind her the dust of ‘backward-looking’ Sudan. His first wife, Waheeba, lives traditionally behind veils and closed doors and resents Nabilah’s influence on Mahmood. Meanwhile, Nur must find a way to live again in the world and find peace. Moving from the villages of Sudan to cosmopolitan Cairo and a decimated post-colonial Britain, this is a sweeping tale of loss, faith and reconciliation.
Comments
I enjoyed the lyrical storytelling style of this novel. It was wonderfully evocative of the setting, both the geography and the family environment. The family was fascinating with the complex network of relationships. I enjoyed the insight into the family’s everyday life as well as the deeper insights into the political situation in Sudan and Egypt in the 1950s, the cultural insights and the complex process the family went through dealing with Nur’s paralysing injury.
Lyrics Alley is a lovely novel that manages to combine a very interesting story with numerous themes and ideas that invite readers to consider the story at a deeper level. It is also interesting that the novel is based on the life of the author’s uncle, Hassan Awad Aboulela, and there is additional information about this noted Sudanese poet and the author’s other works at her website.
Review Copy Details
Title: Lyrics Alley
Author: Leila Aboulela
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-297-86009-9, 308 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Related links: Suite101 review
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Book Review: The Calligrapher’s Daughter by Eugenia Kim
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Summary (Allen & Unwin)
Najin Han, the privileged daughter of a calligrapher, longs to choose her own destiny. Smart and headstrong, she is encouraged by her mother – but her stern father is determined to maintain tradition, especially as the Japanese steadily gain control of his beloved country. When he seeks to marry fourteen-year-old Najin into an aristocratic family, her mother defies generations of obedient wives and instead sends her daughter to serve in the king’s court as a companion to a young princess.
But the king is soon assassinated, and the centuries-old dynastic culture comes to its end. In the shadow of the dying monarchy, Najin begins a journey through increasing oppression that will change her world forever. As she desperately seeks to continue her education, will the unexpected love she finds along the way be enough to sustain her through the violence and subjugation her country continues to face? Spanning thirty years, The Calligapher’s Daughter is a richly drawn novel about a country torn between ancient customs and modern possibilities, a family ultimately united by love and a woman who never gives up her search for freedom.
Comments
I love books like The Calligrapher’s Daughter – books that are not only entertaining and interesting to read, but which also open up my world a little further. Before starting this book, I had no real knowledge of Korea’s history, particular the years spent under Japanese occupation. I found the details of everyday family life as well as reference to the political situation fascinating as I followed Najin’s story.
Eugenia Kim shares a wonderful story about the struggles of a confident and outspoken girl growing up into a strong and independent woman in a traditional society that did not value any of these characteristics in a female. It is a very gently told story, despite the conflict between the Korean nationals and occupying Japanese as well as the conflict between traditional and modern values.
Eugenia Kim weaves together Najin’s story with the story of Korea from 1915 to 1945. Najin’s personal struggles, triumphs, challenges and joys reflect the experiences of the Korean people during these decades. While there is a romantic relationship for Najin within the story, The Calligrapher’s Daughter is more about Najin’s own personal journey and character rather than her role in a romantic relationship.
The Calligrapher’s Daughter is an enjoyable glimpse into traditional family life and values at a turbulent time in the history of Korea, based on the life of Eugenia Kim’s mother. I really enjoyed reading it and would certainly be interested in reading future novels by this author.
Book Details
Title: The Calligrapher’s Daughter
Author: Eugenia Kim
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4088-0618-0, 375 pages + historical note and glossary
Genre: Historical fiction
My reviews elsewhere: Suite101
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Book Review: The Blue-Eyed Aborigine by Rosemary Hayes
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Summary (Walker Books Australia)
Intriguing, hard-hitting story – first half is based on historical events, second half is fictional
It is 1629, and there is mutiny in the air aboard the Dutch ship Batavia as she plies her way towards Java with her precious cargo. Jan, a cabin boy, and Wouter, a young soldier, find themselves caught up in the tragic wrecking and bloody revolt that follow. But worse is to come… Based on the diaries of the ship’s Commander, Rosemary Hayes recaptures some of sea history’s most dramatic moments, linking the fates of of Jan and Wouter with discoveries that intrigue Australians to this day.
Comments
My knowledge of Australian history is rather limited and I am ashamed to say that I didn’t know very much about the Batavia before reading this novel, although I was familiar with the name of the ship and the fact that it was shipwrecked off the west coast of Australia.
I enjoyed reading this novel, partly because it sparked my interest in this evetn in Australian history and partly because it didn’t romanticise life on board the Batavia or the actions of the crew and soldiers after they were shipwrecked. As a work of historical fiction it was both entertaining and informative and it inspired me to read more about the fateful voyage of the Batavia and the events that followed the shipwreck.
I thought that Hayes’ fictional ending to the story seemed quite plausible and it will be interesting to see what further evidence science uncovers to support her theories about Jan Pelgrom and Wouter Looes having contact with local Aboriginal people.
The starkness of the descriptions of life on board the Batavia and the violent acts of some soldiers and crew after the shipwreck make me hesitant to recommend this book for readers under the age of 13, although I would certainly do so for teen readers, particularly those with an interest in Australian history.
Review Copy Details
Title: The Blue-Eyed Aborigine
Author: Rosemary Hayes
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
ISBN: 978-14-84780-078-7
Genre: YA Historical Fiction (13+)
Related Links
- Review of The Blue-Eyed Aborigine at Suite101.com
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Book Review: Mosquito Creek by Robert Engwerda
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Summary (from Penguin Books website)
Huge floodwaters have engulfed a remote Victorian goldfield, reducing the prospect of digging up a fortune from very slim to impossible, and adding disease to the many possibilities of sudden death in harsh conditions. As sickness starts to take its toll and calls mount for the rescue of diggers stranded by the raging torrent, Sergeant Niall Kennedy must try to keep order in a place where frictions can become murderous. Does a suspiciously abandoned tent suggest there has already been a killing? And why has Mosquito Creek’s erratic Commissioner Stanfield drafted in special troopers behind Kennedy’s back?
In a new country where everyone’s past has a question mark, asking too many questions is dangerous. But how else can you get to the truth?
Comments
I enjoyed this novel, although it didn’t have quite the feeling of suspense that I expected. I found that the ‘current’ crises – the rising floodwaters and the intrigue centred on the Commissioner – didn’t hold my attention as much as the central characters’ back story. For me, the highlight of the novel was the way it showed just how similar the characters on the goldfields were despite their disparate backgrounds and personal circumstances. Everyone had secrets to hide and everyone was haunted by ghosts from their past.
I generally enjoy reading about this period of Australian history and did enjoy the setting and descriptions of the Victorian goldfields in Mosquito Creek. I noticed the absence of significant reference to Indigenous Australians and Chinese settlers on the gold fields, but this didn’t particularly influence the flow of the story or appeal of the novel in general.
Overall, this was an interesting read with its appeal primarily the result of the characters and historical setting.
Review Copy Details
Title: Mosquito Creek
Author: Robert Engwerda
Publisher: Viking, 2010
Genre: Australian historical fiction
Related links
- Review of Mosquito Creek at Suite101
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Book Review: The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937 by Anita Heiss
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Title: Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937
Author: Anita Heiss
Publisher: Scholastic, 2010 (first published 2001)
ISBN: 978-1-86504-361-6
Genre: Young Reader Historical Fiction
Summary (from back cover)
‘I woke up this morning and I couldn’t sop crying cos this place is not my home, even thought everyone says it is. I miss Matron Rose and all the kids and now I miss my real mum more than ever. When I was a little girl Mum would always hug me when I cried and tell me everything would be all right. Who’s gunna hug me here?’
Mary was taken to Bomaderry Aboriginal Children’s Home when she was only five years old. Now she’s 10 years old and living with a white family in Sydney. She doesn’t fit in and starts to question why.
Comments
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect reading The Diary of Mary Talence. I knew that it raised the issue of Australia’s Stolen Generation and I wasn’t sure how this complex and emotive issue would translate into a fictional story for younger readers.
I think Anita Heiss does a wonderful job of introducing the concept of the Stolen Generation to her audience. The book deals with the aspects of the situation that younger readers could most easily relate to – Mary’s sense of confusion and grief at being separated from those she cares about and her sense of isolation and personal identity issues arising from the mixed messages she receives about the Aboriginal people and her need to pretend that she is ‘white’.
Mary shares her story well through one year of diary entries, mixing more serious thoughts on the deeper issues affecting her with a commentary on life in late 1930s Australia. While Mary’s separation from her family may not be something that most readers will easily relate to, there are many other opportunities that they may more easily connect with as Mary deals with bullies, homework, sports carnivals and family life.
Despite the serious historical issue that is central to the story, the book maintains a very positive feel and Mary is a charming narrator.
I enjoyed reading this book and I’m keen for my 11-year-old son to read it as well. This is the kind of story that parents might want to chat with their children about once they have finished reading as thoughtful readers are likely to have some questions that aren’t answered by the text or the historical note at the conclusion of the book.
This is review is part of my contribution to the Literary Road Trip hosted by GalleySmith. I am highlighting authors from New South Wales, Australia
Related links:
- How young is too young? – How old should children be before they read books about serious issues?
- Review of Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss at Suite101 and Reading Upside Down.
- Author website – Anita Heiss
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Book Review – Little Paradise by Gabrielle Wang
1Title: Little Paradise
Author: Gabrielle Wang
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 978-0-14-301147-7
Genre: YA Historical Fiction, Romance
Summary (from Penguin website)
As Mirabel watched him, she could not bear the thoughts creeping up on her. JJ was in the Chinese army and his mission in Australia would one day be over. Then she would be just like the others, a girl left behind in the wake of war. ‘I’m afraid,’ she whispered. ‘When the war ends . . . what’s going to happen to us?’
He put his arm around her and stroked her face. She knew he could not answer that question. But she wanted him to lie, to say that he would take her with him, that they would be together always.
Melbourne, 1943, and Mirabel is seventeen. She’s leaving school, designing dresses, falling in love. Then fate intervenes, her forbidden affair is discovered, and JJ is posted back to China where a civil war is raging. Despite all warnings, Mirabel sets off for Shanghai to find him . . .
Little Paradise is inspired by a true story.
Comments
I really enjoyed reading this wonderful novel. I loved the central character, Mirabel, and it was particularly intriguing to follow her journey knowing that the story was closely based on the experiences of the author’s mother during the Second World War.
I liked that as well as being entertaining historical fiction with an element of romance, Little Paradise also had me thinking about the impact the Second World War must have had on Chinese Australians and I was also interested in the information given about the situation in China during that time. I love reading books that expand my knowledge of the world and Little Paradise certainly did that.
I had the opportunity to speak with Gabrielle Wang about Little Paradise and enjoyed chatting with her about her latest book and her writing in general. I’ll post some comments about our conversation soon. I was particularly inspired by how she seems to have incorporated both her Australian and Chinese heritage into her writing and her life in general, viewing her dual cultural background as a positive and enriching aspect of her life.
There is reference to intimate moments between Mirabel and JJ, the possibility of abortion when Mirabel finds that she is pregnant and some psychiatric issues for Mirabel’s mother in the novel as well as reference to acts of wartime violence. These are all handled with great sensitivity and Little Paradise is generally suitable for readers from their early teens and older as well as adults.
Since reading Little Paradise, I have purchased a copy of another of Gabrielle Wang’s books, The Garden of Empress Cassia, to read with my daughter and I would definitely be interested in reading further books by this author in the future.
Related links
- Gabrielle Wang website
- Review of Little Paradise at Suite101.com
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Book Review: To A Distant Land by Julianne Jones
1Title: To A Distant Land
Author: Julianne Jones
Publisher: Ark House Press, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-92158-914-0
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Summary (from author website)
Wrongly accused and sentenced to seven years transportation, Katie Donovan is not the only one leaving behind everything familiar to travel to a distant land …
On the journey Katie finds friends and a new faith but it is in a distant land that her faith will face its greatest challenge. Will she stand the test?Samuel McKinnon accepts a position as spiritual advisor on a convict ship, intending to return home once the journey is complete but he soon discovers that God’s plans are contrary to his own. Will he have the courage to step into the unknown and trust God to direct his steps?
Rhiannon Sanford immigrates with her family to Australia after a rift between her grandfather and father forces the family to leave everything behind. Her father’s dream of a new life will require sacrifice and challenge. Will the price be too great?
Comments
I discovered To A Distant Land thanks to a friend, who knows the author Julianne Jones. I’m always keen to promote Australian authors so I borrowed a copy of the novel to read and review for Suite101.
I will admit to being a little nervous when I started reading. My friend raved about the book, but I’ve found some Christian fiction a little too cloying and forced in the past, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this novel.
I really enjoyed reading To A Distant Land, which I did quite quickly. For me it falls into a YA genre style, although I think that the veiled references to sexual indiscretions and illegitimate children may have led the publisher to promote it as general fiction. The Christian message is quite strongly presented in the book, but this is done very naturally through the character of the preacher Samuel McKinnon in a way that fits well with the plot.
The central characters of Katie, Samuel and Rhiannon are quite likeable and engaging and I found the historical setting also very interesting. I think for teen readers particularly it offers some general insight into the limited choices available for lower class women in the early 1800s.
The novel is complete, however there is a definite opening to extend the story and I think that there are at least two further books in the planning stages for the series. I’m looking forward to reading more about both the characters and the experience of living in Australia in the 1830s, so I’m hoping that the next book is available sooner rather than later.
Related links
- Review of To A Distant Land at Suite101.com
- Julianne Jones blog
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Book Review – The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker
1Title: The Ghost at the Wedding
Author: Shirley Walker
Publisher: Penguin, 2009 (248 pages)
ISBN: 978-0-670-07388-7
Genre: Biography/Memoir
Summary:
In the year of 1914, in the canefields of northern New South Wales, the young men couldn’t wait to set off for the adventure of war. The women coped as best they could, raised the children, lived in fear of being next to receive an official telegram. They grieved their dead, and came to learn that for returned men there are worse things than death in combat. They bore more children to replace those lost in the First World War, and the sons were just the right age to go off to the second.
The Ghost at the Wedding is like no other account of war, chronicling events from both sides – the horror of the battlefields and the women who were left at home. Shirley Walker’s depictions of those battles – Gallipoli, the Western Front, the Kokoda Track – are grittily accurate, their reverberations haunting.
Comments:
I frequently forgot that I was reading a real life account as I read The Ghost at the Wedding. The story flowed so easily that it was only when the author referred to her own role in the family drama (daughter-in-law to the central character, Jessie Walker) that I remembered that this wasn’t merely a fictional tale.
I found the descriptions of Jessie Walker’s family heritage, life on the Clarence River in northern New South Wales, and glimpses of everyday family life fascinating.
I have a casual interest in Australian military history and have read several books, both fiction and non-fiction, on this subject in recent years. Through the story of Jessie Walker, her parents, brothers, husband and sons, The Ghost at the Wedding conveys the wrenching emotional impact of the World Wars on both the soldiers and their families.
What particularly impacted me was the ongoing emotional damage caused by the war, especially for the families at home. The years of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, loss and struggle left scars on those at home almost as significant as those carved on the battlefields. While physical injuries are mentioned, the story focuses more on those wounds that could not be seen – the feelings of guilt, fear, resentment and bitterness.
The novel was surprisingly easy to read despite the heavy themes and content. Jessie was an engaging character as I followed her from her youth through to her old age. I was particularly fascinated with her love of painting and the way that she was finally able to release the emotions suppressed for decades through art.
It is unfortunate that few of her paintings have survived and I was disappointed that there were no images of the remaining paintings offered in the book. I would also have liked to have some family photos and a family tree included, although this would perhaps have affected the narrative flow of the story.
I found myself thinking of my grandmother often as I read and wondering about her experiences during the difficult years of the war.
I enjoyed this novel and would definitely recommend it to anyone who generally enjoys modern historical fiction or who has an interest in Australian families and their experiences during the years of the First and Second World Wars.
Related Links:
Suite101.com review of The Ghost at the Wedding
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Book Review – Darcy’s Passions by Regina Jeffers
1Title: Darcy’s Passions
Author: Regina Jeffers
Publisher: Ulysses Press (385 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-56975-699-7
Genre: General Fiction
Grab: some smelling salts and a copy of Austen’s Pride & Prejudice for comparison
I approached reading this book with some trepidation, the memory of Meredith’s experiences with Colleen McCullough’s The Independence of Miss Mary Bennett still fresh in my mind. Two days of text messages from Meredith as she read the book, ranting about various characters and plot developments has left a lasting imprint on my memory.
Nevertheless, I was interested to read this Pride and Prejudice sequel, written from Darcy’s perspective.
On the whole, I have to say that I enjoyed this book. There were a few moment where minor changes of familiar scenes from P&P irked me a little and I didn’t particularly like the embellishments to some sections of dialogue used from the original, but overall the book kept to the P&P storyline and feel of the original and was quite enjoyable.
The use of Darcy’s perspective enabled Jeffers to better explore some less prominent relationships from P&P, particularly Darcy and Bingley’s friendship and Darcy’s relationship with his sister Georgiana.
Jeffers also continued the story past the conclusion of P&P to follow Darcy and Elizabeth into the first few months of their marriage. To Jeffers credit, she doesn’t degnerate into sleezy bedroom scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth as many sequels seem to.
Pride and Prejudice is such a favourite that I doubt it would be possible for a sequel to be written that didn’t attract some criticism. Replicating the beautiful language and symmetry of the original while maintaining character and plot integrity seems a rather large and daunting task to me.
With the exception my mild annoyance at some minor plot variations, the dialogue embellishments and a far to frequent repetition of Darcy’s appreciation of Elizabeth Bennet’s “fine eyes”, I did enjoy Darcy’s Passions and would recommend it to any Austen fan who is able to relax their devotion to P&P enough to appreciate this reasonable attempt at a companion novel.
I did note on the publisher’s website that Jeffers is planning to release a sequel to Darcy’s Passions, titled Darcy’s Temptation, in September 2009. Personally, I think I will stop with this book and perhaps revisit Austen’s original Pride and Prejudice rather than push my luck with further sequels by others.
Darcy’s Passions is distributed in Australia by Bookwise International.
For a more detailed review of Darcy’s Passions, visit Susan’s reviews at Suite101.com.
