August Picks
By Patrice Riordan McCannby McCann
My mailbox is filled with back-to-school catalogues. I am not ready for that yet! Summer always goes so fast! Here are some great historical fiction picks for you to read with your toes in the sand.
“Horse” by Geraldine Brooks
What a super novel! We travel to 1850 Kentucky, then to 2019 Washington DC, with a pitstop in 1954 NYC. 1850 – Jarret is a young, enslaved boy working with his father as a groom with racehorses. 2019 – Georgetown student Theo is working towards his PhD in art history. His surly neighbor discards an old painting of a horse, and Theo saves it from the dump. 1954 – Martha owns an art gallery in NYC. We learn all about Lexington, one of the most legendary racehorses of his day. This story has so many layers to it, and while it took a little bit to get into, once I got there, I was hooked! We travel through the Civil War to present day racial tensions in our capital. A sweeping novel that I certainly recommend. Thumbs up!
“The Mistress of the Ritz” by Melanie Benjamin
It’s March 1940, and the Nazis take over Paris. They commandeer the famed luxury hotel, the Ritz. We meet Claude, the hotel’s director and his frivolous American wife, Blanche. Based on the real-life story of how these two Ritz employees/residents served the Nazis and also actively participated in the French Resistance. World War II historical fiction novels always grab me, and this one was no exception. I just watched “The New Look” on Apple TV (highly recommend as well), and this details many of the same stories. Was Coco Chanel a collaborator? Were some of the Nazis plotting to kill Hitler? Great read. Well-written and fast paced.
“Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon
Ariel Lawhon delivers a perfect example of historical fiction with her recent book. It’s Maine in 1789, and we meet Martha Ballard. Martha was a real person; she was a midwife who kept exhaustive diaries. A body turns up frozen into the river. In the absence of doctors and police, the local midwife is often pressed to determine the cause of death. The deceased, however, was a bad guy with friends in high places. The minister’s wife accused him of rape, but things aren’t going smoothly in the town. Loyalties are divided. Martha is married to the ruggedly charming Ephraim, and they have so many children I lost count. Martha is determined to see justice done, and I loved reading about her. This book was fabulous!
Happy reading! Don’t forget the sunscreen!
