BOOK REVIEW: The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt

Here’s something different. I had a recommendation for a non-fiction history book from a novelist I met at a meeting: The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I by Douglas Brunt. Yes, the title is too long, clearly trying to get all the key words in. But the title fits. This is a very interesting book.

Rudolf Diesel (inventor of the diesel engine) was one of the most famous, successful inventors of his day. He rose from poverty and obscurity to become exceptionally wealthy and he was sought after for lectures and consultations all over the world. Yet on September 29, 1913, he boarded a ship to cross the English Channel and on September 30, he went missing. Had he committed suicide? Did he fall overboard accidentally? Was he murdered?

Brunt provides a biography of Diesel, situating him within his time. This includes a look into the lives of John D. Rockefeller and Kaiser Wilhelm II, two unscrupulous, powerful men who had reasons to wish him dead and the means to conduct an assassination. Brunt also explains in clear layman’s terms how diesel engines work and how they differ from other modes of power production at the time. He weaves all this together, bringing the reader up to the night of Diesel’s disappearance. And then, he makes a compelling case for what might have been the true story of what happened to Diesel.

This is a fast-paced read that taught me stuff I didn’t even know that I wanted to know! Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Charmer Without a Cause by Katherine Grant

The Charmer Without a Cause by Katherine Grant is the fourth book in her Regency Romance series The Prestons. It brings together a sensitive hero (Benjamin Preston) and a passionate heroine (Lady Lydia Deveraux) in a marriage that Benjamin thinks is a love match, but Lydia thinks is a marriage of convenience.

Benjamin, who comes from a family that live their high principles, has just inherited ten thousand pounds from his uncle. He believes in helping the less fortunate, but wants to find his own cause, not simply follow the path forged by his father. More importantly, Benjamin wants to find true love. He’s known for repeated bouts of instalove, so his father is concerned that he’ll end up with a fortune hunter. In a way, he does.

Lydia’s family belongs to the Irish Protestant aristocracy. And while her parents and brother are glad of their top dog status, Lydia has more compassion for the Irish people who want their independence from Britain. She became a true fighter for Ireland when she fell for Seamus, an Irish Catholic activist who died for his beliefs. Now, Lydia wants only to continue the fight in his memory. She sees her role as marrying for money to funnel funds to the cause.

The first part of her plan succeeds quickly. Benjamin is easy to catch. And he is even more generous with his fortune than Lydia could have hoped. But the political situation is much more difficult to navigate than she anticipated. And it’s hard to keep Benjamin at a distance when he is so handsome and kind, and they are so good together in bed. 

This steamy romance brings together strong characters in a fascinating historical setting. I don’t usually jump into a series at book four, but this one stands very well on its own. However, now I have to go back and read books 1-3!

BOOK REVIEW: Evidence of Evil by Mary Lancaster

Constance Silver and Solomon Grey are reunited in Book 2 of the Silver and Grey Regency mystery series, Evidence of Evil, by Mary Lancaster. This can be read as a standalone for the mystery, but the evolving romance will make more sense if you first read book 1, Murder in Moonlight.

Constance Silver is the exceptionally beautiful owner of a high-priced London brothel, that also serves as a refuge and training school for women in crisis. Solomon Grey is a wealthy British businessman from a Jamaican background, who has risen in society because of his wealth but is nevertheless subjected to racism as an everyday experience. The two have met before and solved one mystery together. A friendship has evolved between them, but also a sexual attraction that is difficult to ignore.

When a friend of Constance’s, Lady Elizabeth Maule, asks her to visit her in the country because she is afraid she is about to be accused of murder, Constance is ready to leap to her defense. She knows Elizabeth is incapable of murder. A one-time resident of the brothel, Elizabeth moved on to a position as governess and then married the father of the children, Sir Humphrey Maule. One of Elizabeth’s neighbors, a beautiful young woman, was found dead in Sir Humphrey’s pond, and Elizabeth is supposedly the last person to see her alive. Moreover, they had a fairly public argument.

Rather than go alone, Constance enlists Solomon’s help. 

Together the two piece together the truth of what happened. And they grow closer. The novel delves into the psyches of the protagonists and also into that of the murdered woman, who was neither as angelic nor as evil as revelations about her would suggest.

Constance and Solomon make a perfect investigating team. They also make a perfect couple, except for the fact that Constance’s profession stands in the way. Book 3 comes out in May!

BOOK REVIEW: White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton

For me, one of the pleasures of historical fiction is learning something new. White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton takes readers to Korea and Japan in the years 1928 to 1943, places I know very little about.

The protagonist, Miyoung, is a young Korean girl, living in poverty, whose future is bleak. Although she excels in primary school, it’s very unusual for girls to move on even to middle school. Instead, they are given in arranged marriages with little to no say in the matter. However, with the encouragement of her teacher and a small Christian community in her town, Miyoung dares to dream of more. And when her mother arranges to send her to live with her sister (who was married to a Korean man in Japan, where presumably there is more economic opportunity), Miyoung has the chance to continue her education.

It doesn’t take long for Miyoung to understand that her Korean heritage is a disadvantage in Japan. Koreans are looked down upon, live in ghettos, and are denied good jobs with decent wages. Miyoung learns to “pass” as Japanese. However, she doesn’t stop missing her home and she has a lot of mixed feelings about living a lie.

Again, Miyoung reaches out to a Christian community for friendship and support. There, she meets a young Korean activist who is studying to be a lawyer to help his people. Her relationship with this man changes her life.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, so I’ll stop my summary there.

Based on the author’s family history, White Mulberry is an interesting look into Korea and Japan in the years leading up to WWII. It explores issues of prejudice as well as being true to oneself, as seen through the eyes of a caring, resilient young woman.

BOOK REVIEW: Orbital by Samantha Harvey

One of the most memorable books I’ve read in the past few years was The Western Wind by Samantha Harvey. And yet, it has taken me this long to read another of Harvey’s books.

Orbital is a fairly short contemporary literary novel that, like The Western Wind, is uniquely structured by time. And the writing is beautiful. 

Have you ever wondered what life would be like on the International Space Station? What you would see? What would occupy your thoughts? How you would feel? Well, I never have. And now I don’t have to. Because Samantha Harvey explores this in such rich detail, readers might as well be up there orbiting.

Orbital follows four astronauts and two cosmonauts on the space station over the course of one 24-hour day, which corresponds to 16 orbits around the earth. We get to see the work they do, the leisure they enjoy, and their views of the world they pass over. And we get very intimate looks into their psyches. Why did they choose this career? Who do they miss at home? What do they think about as they gaze down at the earth or out into space?

It’s a meditative novel, focused on character and setting. And will leave you thinking of the world in a whole new way.

BOOK REVIEW: The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews

I really enjoy Mimi Matthews’ historical romances. Her characters have depth. The plots are compelling. And she is able to ramp up the sexual tension while the novels remain “closed door.”

While waiting for her new series to launch, I reached back to an older series, Parish Orphans of Devon. Book one of the series is The Matrimonial Advertisement.

Lady Helena Reynolds is in desperate straits. Her brother, an earl, is presumed dead. The title went to her uncle, but her brother left all his wealth to her. Naturally, her uncle thinks she should sign it over to him. To persuade her, he resorts to violence and the threat of locking her away in an institution for the insane. Battered and terrified, she escapes by fleeing London to answer an advertisement for a wife.

Justin Thornhill is tired of being alone in his isolated, rundown, seaside estate in Devon. An ex-soldier with physical and mental scars, he can’t imagine wooing a wife. At the suggestion of his secretary, he resorts to placing a matrimonial ad. To his surprise, the woman who answers is a beautiful, cultured lady. He knows she’s keeping secrets, but so is he. And he wants her.

Their marriage of convenience is anything but convenient when Helena’s uncle sends his henchman to retrieve her, with the argument that she is not mentally competent to consent to marriage. Helena and Justin return to London, risking it all to free her from her uncle’s control. But once Helena is safe, willl she still need Justin?

Although the “trapped in an insane asylum” trope is one of my least favorites, it is utilized well in this novel. The protagonists (and the secondary characters) are engaging. The chemistry is believable. And I’m eager to read the rest of the series.

BOOK REVIEW: Boy by Nicole Galland

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

I’ve been wanting to read one of Nicole Galland’s historical novels for a long time, but never got around to it. So I was pleased to review an e-galley for Boy.

Set in Elizabethan England and intermingling the worlds of the theater, the queen’s court and courtiers, and the scientists of the day, Galland centers the story around two gender-bending protagonists.

Alexander Cooke (Sander) is an apprentice actor at the Globe Playhouse and a city-wide celebrity. Slender, pretty, and coquettish, he stars in the female roles of Shakespeare’s great plays and is admired wherever he goes. Much of that admiration, particularly among the highborn and/or well-to-do, is due to his powerful sex appeal, making him a favorite of both women and men. Sander loves the attention. And the sex.

However, he’s getting older and the term of his apprenticeship is coming to an end. Sander knows he is outgrowing the female leads without growing into male roles. He isn’t interested in taking on a more managerial role. He wants to act. And if he cannot act, he needs a new “career.” He wants to be a courtier with a patron.

Joan Buckler is Sander’s oldest friend. They grew up together and know each other’s deepest secrets. However, while Sander is not particularly bright (except for a phenomenal memory), Joan is exceptionally smart. She wants to be a natural philosopher. Her problem is that she is female, with no hope of studying such things with the masters.

The crux of the novel focuses first on the budding physical attraction between these longtime friends, and then its blossoming into romantic love and strong sexual desire. Sander, in an effort to do something to please Joan, utilizes his acquaintance with Sir Francis Bacon to introduce Joan (who is masquerading as “Jack”) to Bacon’s circle and his ideas of inductive logic.

While Joan is furthering her education, Sander seeks patronage. This is even more important now that he wants to be able to support Joan as his wife. Unfortunately, he is fixed upon joining the circle around the earl of Essex, who was once one of the queen’s favorites but is now very much on the outs.

Galland does a lovely job of bringing young Sander and Joan to life. Sander is a complicated (if shallow) character who is redeemed by his love for his soul mate. Joan is bright, loyal, and brave. The London of the Elizabethan era is described in detail as the two make their way around in it. And the intrigue of Queen Elizabeth’s court is shown through the efforts of rivals for influence as they work to manipulate the queen’s favor.

This all requires a lot of set-up. The story ultimately reaches a satisfying conclusion; however, much of the book is slow as all the pieces must be maneuvered into position. I found my engagement with the story waxed and waned throughout. It’s definitely a worthwhile read for fans of historical fiction and the time of Shakespeare, but for a 350-page book, it read longer. 

BOOK REVIEW: Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Fagin the Thief is Allison Epstein’s third novel and, for me, she is three for three. Her historical novels are all quite different, but all insanely good. (A Tip for the Hangman and Let the Dead Bury the Dead are must-reads.) 

Fagin the Thief is a retelling of Dickens’ Oliver Twist, primarily from the viewpoint of Fagin, though we also get peeks into the psyches of Bill Sykes and Nan. Full disclosure: I’ve never read Oliver Twist. What I know of the story comes from the musical Oliver! and from popular references. But you don’t need to know anything about Oliver Twist to appreciate Fagin the Thief. Oliver, the poor orphan, is hardly present in this novel, but he serves as the catalyst for the culminating events.

Jacob Fagin was orphaned at a young age. His father had been hanged as a thief, and Jacob’s main goal in life (other than staying alive in general) is not to die the way his father did. But a boy has to eat, and Fagin doesn’t see any palatable options for a fatherless, impoverished Jewish boy other than thievery. With the aid of a skilled pickpocket, he learns to provide for himself. And as he grows older (and ages) he becomes a teacher to other young boys who are as desperate and bold as he once was. Yes, he is raising them up into a life of crime, but he feeds them, houses them, teaches them a skill, and cares for them.

Epstein portrays the grit, hunger, and desperation of London’s slums with such realism that the reader can empathize not just with Fagin, but also with the true villain of the piece, Bill Sykes. Once one of Fagin’s trainees, Sykes is not satisfied with the takings available to a pickpocket. And Fagin has to watch as the crimes escalate and Sykes becomes crueler and ever more violent.

This is a novel full of morally ambiguous characters who are shaped by their environment as well as their personal demons. The true evils in the book are poverty and prejudice. There is a message in the book, but it doesn’t stoop to preachiness. It takes the reader right into the lives of people who are so downtrodden that to be taken in by a master thief could be seen as a blessing.

Not only that, but the writing is superb.  Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: The Greek Treasure by Irving Stone

Many years ago, my mom passed along to me a book she’d read by Irving Stone. I believe it was Those Who Love, about Abigail and John Adams. I devoured it, and then read several of his other novels. I became hooked not only on Irving Stone, but on biographical fiction in general.

Recently, I’ve been taking some online Great Books classes that have included The Iliad and The Odyssey, and it brought to mind one of the Irving Stone books that I loved, The Greek Treasure. This is a dual biographical novel of Sophia and Henry Schliemann, amateur archeologists who are known for tenacious excavations at Troy and Mycenae. And while most of Schliemann’s conclusions (many controversial at the time) subsequently proved false, he generated excitement about the rewards of archeology in the late 1800s, and reawakened debates about the historicity of Homer’s great epics. (Schliemann was pro-Homer as a factual historian.)

Irving Stone’s novel is seen through the eyes of Sophia, a Greek girl from a family facing impoverishment, who, at 17 or 18, was given in marriage to Henry, who was 47 at the time. Recently divorced, he wanted a Greek wife for inspiration as he embarked on his excavations at Hisarlik, his presumed site of Troy. Henry was a fabulously wealthy German, who had risen from poverty by shady means, and then devoted his life and fortune to his archeological pursuits.

I think when I first read this novel, I was more impressed with Schliemann and his findings, as well as Sophia’s growth and participation in the digs. However, reading it again, I am more appalled by Henry’s megalomania and his treatment of his wife. The author does an excellent job of showing the nuances of Sophia’s relationship to her husband. Her subjugation was typical of her culture and the times. In a way, she was given a good deal of freedom and her life was enriched by the education he afforded her and the opportunity to take part in the digs. But these were crumbs he threw her way, so long as she toed the line, lavished him with praise, and kept her doubts and disappointments to herself.

The novel is meticulously detailed. The excitement of discovery comes through, as does the difficulty of the process. But I confess that I was often driven to skimming over the laundry lists of the gold and bronze items pulled from the earth. And I found myself weighing in on the side of Henry’s antagonists. His justifications for stealing artifacts (LOTS of artifacts) rang hollow.

Irving Stone’s books are not as readily available as they used to be, especially the more obscure ones. I found The Greek Treasure in my local university library. And while the writing style is a tad ponderous, the novel is still a compelling read. I expect now that I know where to go to look for Stone’s novels, I’ll be re-reading more of them.

BOOK REVIEW: A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce

I thought I had read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce in a college English class, but I clearly had not. I just finished reading it for the first time.

A summary is deceptively simple. Joyce presents a fictionalized account of his youth and coming of age, from babyhood to young adulthood, through the eyes and thoughts of the protagonist, Stephen Dedalus. Dedalus struggles with issues of family, of Irish identity and politics, of Catholicism and faith, and of his increasing understanding of his own artistic, literary temperament. He learns he must break free of it all and strike out on his own.

Of course, this superficial summary doesn’t do justice to the book. It’s not easy to read, but it is extraordinarily rewarding. Joyce’s writing has to be experienced. Maybe I’ll try tackling Dubliners. 

BOOK REVIEW: susan, linda, nina and cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli

Our book group will be meeting next week to discuss susan, linda, nina & cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR by Lisa Napoli. The book uses mini-biographies of Susan Stamberg, Linda Wertheimer, Nina Totenberg, and Cokie Roberts to tell the story of the birth and growth of National Public Radio. It incorporates references to or anecdotes about newsworthy events of the 60's thru the 2000's, providing historical context. And it serves as a reminder of just how unequal the playing field was just 50-60 years ago. White men ruled simply by virtue of being white men. The women (not only these four) who insinuated themselves into newsroom spaces and worked to break through the glass ceiling are inspirational. And it’s disturbing to think that the achievements of not so long ago can be forgotten, dismissed, or rolled back.

The message of the book is important and it is good to pay homage to these “Founding Mothers of NPR.” However the book is not as focused on the four women in the title as I might have liked. It veered off quite a bit into the contributions of the various men (NPR presidents, board members, hosts and cohosts, etc) who were also involved in the founding of NPR. At times, the narrative seemed to lose focus as it veered from anecdote to anecdote.

Still, it’s a great pick for a book club with both male and female members, all of an age to remember some of the events and who may have been NPR listeners at a time when these women were at the top of their game. It should yield great discussion.

BOOK REVIEW: High Wages by Dorothy Whipple

Somehow, I started following Persephone Books on Instagram. This is a UK “publisher of neglected fiction and non-fiction, mostly by women writers and mostly mid-20^th century, in elegant grey editions. A bookshop, too.” Now I want to go to the UK just to go to this bookshop.

The reviews they post of books they’ve chosen to republish are always so compelling I add the novels to my TBR list, but some are hard to find in the U.S.

Fortunately, my library had an old copy of Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M. Delafield, which was superb.

More recently, I was drawn in by the blurb for High Wages by Dorothy Whipple, and bought the kindle edition from Persephone Books:

Persephone Books edition

 "High Wages (1930) was Dorothy Whipple's second novel. It is about a girl called Jane who gets a badly-paid job in a draper’s shop in the early years of the last century. Yet the title of the book is based on a Carlyle quotation – ‘Experience doth take dreadfully high wages, but she teacheth like none other’ – and Jane, having saved some money and been lent some by a friend, opens her own dress-shop.
As Jane Brocket writes in her Persephone Preface: the novel ‘is a celebration of the Lancastrian values of hard work and stubbornness, and there could be no finer setting for a shop-girl-made-good story than the county in which cotton was king.’"

 

This sweet old-fashioned novel is the story of Jane Carter, a young girl who arrives in the small England town of Tidsley, looking for work. She is clever, pretty, well-spoken, and has a bit of experience working in a shop, so when she sees an ad in the window of Mr. Chadwick’s draper’s shop, she applies. And thus, her life story begins.

Jane navigates the world through a career in retail. First, she is the exploited shopgirl working for

An old edition with 
a funner cover

Mr. Chadwick. She is cleverer and braver than he is, and eventually strikes out on her own. Not only is her dress shop a great success, but she is a success. Never succumbing to greed and meanness, she treats her own employees (and investor) well.

WWI is seen through the lens of its effects on Tidsley and on small-town commerce. Men go away. Some come back unscathed (like the well-to-do, handsome, but vapid Noel Yarde) while others are changed (the bookish, sensitive librarian Wilfrid). But Jane’s star continues to rise throughout.

In fact, Jane has her life, and her narrow world, well under control, until she falls in love with the wrong man.

The novel contrasts the industry and generosity of the working class compared to the cheapness, greed, and exploitative natures of the employers. The upper class (wealthy professionals and their monied offspring) are shown as lazy, boring, and bored. The story has an almost allegorical feel to it, but isn’t quite a “lesson” novel. It’s a quick, fascinating read. A period piece. And delightful.

BOOK REVIEW: Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh

 The captivating novel Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh is a superb blend of history and imagination.

The heroine, Akmaral, is a warrior and leader of her people, the Sauromatae, nomads who roamed the Central Asian steppes thousands of years ago. In her aul (her clan), women and men are equally ferocious and skilled at warfare. They fight side by side. They have a rich, complex culture and religious life, but the challenges of a harsh landscape, famine, and clashes with other auls mean raids and skirmishes are a constant. Their most revered god is the god of war.

A larger threat looms than the frequent bloody raids. The fierce Scythians are approaching. This  is a huge tribe of warriors whose migrations push aside, enslave, or destroy all peoples in their paths. As the two cultures collide, Akmaral’s people capture an intriguing man named Timor, a Scythian slave. Timor is a proud warrior whose skill eventually impresses even the Sauromatae war chief Erzhan. But Timor’s loyalties are divided and grow more so after he and Akmaral become lovers. 

This immersive, beautifully written novel succeeds in transporting readers to a time and place that is utterly foreign, and yet so exquisitely detailed that you will feel you are there. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: Maurice by E.M. Forster

I read Howards End by E. M. Forster many years ago, and always planned to read more of his work. Finally, finally, I took out Maurice from the library. This is a quietly moving, beautiful, psychological novel that completely drew me in.

Maurice Hall is, in all outward respects, a “normal” character, almost too simple a protagonist for fiction. He goes to a local boys’ school, graduates to Cambridge University, and finally, as a young man, takes over his deceased father’s place in business. To others, he seems a regular fellow, a middle class snob, self-absorbed and disinterested in the things that consume most of his peers: work, politics, religion, gossip. But it is what is going on internally that makes him a richly portrayed, unforgettable protagonist.

Maurice is gay. In his young life, he is simply confused. At Cambridge, he’s even more confused, often angry, and sometimes has bright flashes of joy. He meets a fellow Cambridge student, Clive Durham, who is a step above him on the social scale. They have some deep conversations of the college-kid type. And they fall in love. It is a romantic but platonic love, although Maurice yearns for more.

They experience a few years of joyful, extreme friendship, until abruptly, Clive falls out of love. Maurice has to work through grief and come to grips with the fact that he is a lover of men and can’t change that about himself. In Edwardian England, this is regarded as perverse and criminal, and makes navigating the social world a sometimes dangerous challenge.

I don’t want to give away any more of the plot, because while the beauty of this novel is in Forster’s exquisite prose, Maurice’s journey is what makes it so compelling. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

 I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Alexandra Vasti, author of Ne’er Duke Well, has a new book out today in the Belvoir series, Earl Crush. This is an entertaining romp of a Regency Romance, a fine follow-up to the first.

Lydia Hope-Wallace is intelligent, beautiful, and passionate about social justice. Unfortunately, she suffers from an almost crippling social anxiety. This leaves her unable to attract a husband in the usual way. So she focuses her attention on the cause of equality for all. Men and women. She writes inflammatory pamphlets that are published and distributed by her friend Selena (who readers will have met in book 1, the owner of Belvoir library and publishers.) She signs the pamphlets only as “H.”

One of her readers has written back to her, repeatedly, through her publisher. They discovered a true meeting of the minds. This reader signed his letters as Lord Strathrannoch, an impoverished Scottish earl. Lydia, the possessor of a substantial dowry, decides to go to Scotland and propose. Unfortunately, when she arrives, the earl has no idea who she is. He didn’t write the letters. That was his brother, assuming his identity.

Arthur Baird, the Fifth Earl of Strathrannoch, is a gentle giant of a man. He’s very conscientious, caring for his tenants, but a recluse. He hasn’t been looking for a wife. Arthur is also an inventor. And one of his inventions was recently stolen by the same brother who has been writing to Lydia and using his name.

The two join forces to track down this brother. During their adventures, they find themselves lusting after one another increasingly. However, Lydia can’t forget that Arthur rejected her when she first proposed marriage. And Arthur can’t forget that Lydia proposed to him thinking that he was his brother. The steaminess of the novel soon ratchets up to high, especially after they have to pretend to be man and wife.

Readers know they’ll end up together, but there are plenty of surprises along the way. The novel stands alone, but book one will introduce you to Belvoir and to Lydia’s female friends, and they are not to be missed!

BOOK REVIEW: Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana de la Rosa

Ana Maria and The Fox by Liana de la Rosa is an adventurous Victorian Romance, the first in the series, A Luna Sisters Novel. It’s a slow-burn, but ends high-steam.

Set in 1863, Ana Maria and her two sisters are Mexican heiresses, sent to London for safety when France occupies Mexico, forcing her parents into hiding. Ana Maria’s father is a high official in the resisting Mexican government. Because of her father’s status, Ana Maria has spent her life being a perfect daughter, and suffers because of the impossibility of pleasing him. 

The novel turns the trope of the American “dollar princess” on its head.

In London, under the protection of their uncle, the three wealthy sisters are encouraged to disobey their father’s instruction to keep a low profile. Their uncle is an ambassador, and he sees the beautiful, vibrant sisters as perfect representatives for their country. Hoping they will win British sympathy for the Mexican cause, he gives them license to burst onto the scene and captivate the ton. Which they do.

One of the first people captivated by Ana Maria is Gideon Fox, an MP. Gideon is the grandson of an enslaved woman. His all-consuming goal is to win Britain over to complete abolition of slavery throughout their empire, throughout the world. He devotes all his time and passion to this cause. 

At first, Ana Maria and Gideon resist their strong attraction, each thinking that a romance will hurt the other’s cause and their own. (Plus, Ana is engaged to wed a man of her father’s choice back home.) However, their paths keep crossing and their interest in each other grows. At a house party in the countryside, a villainous nobleman with completely opposing political goals enters the scene—and Ana Maria and Gideon have to join forces for the protection of the Luna sisters. This is where things get steamy.

This is an interesting romance that incorporates diversity and more than the usual amount of history into more typical romance tropes. Readers will root not only for Ana Maria but for all three of the sisters. We can already see where Isabel and Gabriela’s romantic interests are likely to lie in books two and three, with heroes as interesting as Gideon.

ANNOUNCEMENT: MY NEW READER/WRITER NEWSLETTER

 

I'm launching a newsletter to share reviews of my favorite books, talk about my writing progress (or lack thereof), host some giveaways, and hopefully interview other authors. The sign-up button is at the top of my sidebar. I'd love for you to sign up -- and share the link!

HISTORICAL FICTION READING CHALLENGE 2025

It's a new year! Which means it's time for a new historical fiction challenge, hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker. The sign-up is here for anyone who wants to join in!

I didn't make my goal last year.  I aimed for 50+ and read 42. I haven't looked at my own stats, but my gut feeling is that I was reading more nonfiction, mostly for research for my own historical novels. And I was writing, writing, writing...

So, this year, I'm shooting for the Ancient History level of 25+ books and hoping to exceed it. Links will be posted below.

1. Ana Maria and the Fox by Liana de la Rosa

2. Remember When by Mary Balogh

3. To Carve Identity by Susan Steggall

4. Mrs. Lowe-Porter by Jo Salas

5. Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti

6. Maurice by E. M. Forster

7. Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh

8. High Wages by Dorothy Whipple

9. The Greek Treasure by Irving Stone

10. Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein

11. Boy by Nicole Galland

12. The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews

13. White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton

14. Evidence of Evil by Mary Lancaster

15. The Charmer Without a Cause by Katherine Grant

BOOK REVIEW: The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

My history/historical fiction book club is meeting this weekend. Our book is The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides. I wasn’t particularly excited by the choice, never having had an interest in Cook’s explorations, but I was encouraged by the great reviews.

And the great reviews are valid. This is a very readable account of Cook’s last voyage, drawing on diaries, published accounts, and oral histories passed down through generations. Cook was lionized in his own time, and is often vilified in ours, because of the short and long-term consequences of his voyages. This book is a balanced account that brings out Cook’s impressive skills and unusual methods, while not shying away from the devastating impact of first contact and colonialism. The author also muses over Cook’s seeming change in personality in this, his final voyage, and how that might have contributed to his violent end. 

In addition, the book tells the story of Mai, a Tahitian man who had been brought to England, immersed in the British culture, and then taken home. His story is tragically symbolic of the psychological confusion resulting from trying to live in or meld the cultures of two very different worlds.

For me, one of the more rewarding aspects of the book is the geography lesson underpinning the narrative. My knowledge of geography is pretty pathetic, but in following the map of Cook’s voyage, I had to picture the route (the map helps), and I finished the book with a more comprehensive image of the globe.

Whether you are interested in Captain Cook or not, this is a compelling book. Highly recommended.

BOOK REVIEW: Remember When by Mary Balogh

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Remember When by Mary Balogh is the latest novel in The Ravenswood series. This warm, lovely Regency Romance is told in the signature Balogh style.

Clarissa Ware is the Dowager Countess of Stratton (met before in books 1-3). She has been a dutiful loving mother and had been a supportive wife up until her husband’s demise a few years earlier. She loved her husband despite his faults—which included serial infidelity. Now, at fifty, with her children grown, and for the most part, married off or otherwise settled, she wants time alone to rediscover herself. Who is she, besides a widow and mother?

She returns alone to Ravenwood, the estate where she was once the countess, a title that now belongs to her beloved daughter-in-law. She intends to enjoy her solitude. But one thing she is determined to do is to visit her old and once very dear friend, Matthew Taylor. They were children together and the most devoted of friends. They were both the offspring of respectable gentry, though Clarissa’s connections and expectations were somewhat better than Matthew’s, particularly since he was a second son. When she was 17, and Matthew 18, as the first sparks of possible romance were appearing between them, Clarissa had an offer of marriage from the Earl of Stratton. Excited by the possibilities and awed by the earl, she said yes. 

Matthew Taylor was a difficult child, understood only by Clarissa. When she wed the earl, he lost not just a woman he had begun to love, but also his only true friend. In quick fashion, he married another, but she died in childbirth. Matthew took himself away from the village and wandered (readers will discover where and why) for a decade, before returning to the village near Ravenswood to make his living as a carpenter and artist in wood.

Clarissa and Matthew renew their friendship. And despite their advanced ages (50! 51!) they discover their feelings go beyond platonic friendship. The problem is, now as it always was, Clarissa is socially above him. And much more so now. Moreover, they both value the lives they are leading, and aren’t sure what they are willing to risk.

The love story develops at a slow but steady pace, although it gets rather repetitive at times. There are no villains in this story, and in fact, little conflict, as everyone involved truly just wants what is best for the pair. It’s a soothing and angst free tale. The two deserve their happily ever after. 

BOOK REVIEW: To Carve Identity by Susan Steggall

To Carve Identity by Susan Steggall is the story of a resilient, determined sculptress with feet in both Scotland and Australia, who struggles to find work/life balance in the post WWII years.

Ellie Gilmartin had a difficult youth, yet manages to make a start as a sculptress in Glasgow. While ferreting out painful family secrets in Australia, she meets Jim Blackwood, a solicitor, who helps her cope with what she learned, but their budding relationship is put on pause when she returns home.

Back in Glasgow, she gets back to her artist’s life, missing Jim and wondering if there might be a future with him, when he appears at her studio and asks her to marry him. 

Jim has his own troubled past. He’d been in the Australian army during WWII, was captured, and suffered as a POW in New Guinea. Now, he is trying to lay his own demons to rest by helping other traumatized veterans, a tactic that is only partly successful.

Ellie and Jim enjoy an enchanted honeymoon period, deepening their love for and understanding of one another. They intend to return to Australia one day, but that day comes sooner than they’d anticipated when Jim’s father falls ill.

The story shifts to Australia, where the pregnant Ellie must learn how to be a wife and mother while following her passion for art away from the supportive environment of Glasgow and London. There are family obstacles, health crises, and the push-and-pull of world events, but Ellie perseveres.

To Carve Identity succeeds beautifully in immersing the reader in the modern art of the time, while also following the life of a woman who, though she loves, cherishes, and supports her husband, children, and friends, nevertheless refuses to give up her artistic career.

BOOK REVIEW: Mrs. Lowe-Porter by Jo Salas

Mrs. Lowe-Porter by Jo Salas  is a gorgeous, moving, and infuriating biographical novel, telling the story of Helen Lowe-Porter, the first English translator of Thomas Mann’s monumental works.

I’ve read Buddenbrooks and Joseph and His Brothers, and am awed. I also read Colm Toibin’s biographical novel of Mann, The Magician, which made me determined to read all of Toibin’s novels. So when I saw a review of Mrs. Lowe-Porter, it caught my attention. I’m so glad it did.

Helen Porter was a brilliant, ambitious, creative woman, who struggled against the obstacles women faced in her time (and still do today)—including the necessity of always taking a backseat to men. Despite her many talents, she fell into the trap of deferring to the men in her life and apologizing for the space she wanted to carve out for herself. Helen yearned to be a writer. She was warned by her maiden aunt that, to succeed, she’d have to forego marriage and all the distractions that drained away women’s focus and energy. And yet, she fell in love.

Elias Loew (later Lowe, to hide his Jewish ancestry) was a confident, charming, ambitious academician, a friend of her sister’s, living in Germany. When Helen came to Munich as a long-term tourist, Elias showed her around the city. They became friends. He treated her as one of the guys, until he seduced her. Apparently, he loved her, at least as well as an ego-centric, self-absorbed, condescending jerk could love. His needs, his career, everything about him, always came first. Also, as he explained to her after sleeping with her, sex was a life force. This force was stronger in men than in women. And in him, it was stronger than in other men. So he had to be unfaithful to her. And she had to be understanding.

Yech!

While Elias struggled to get his academic career off the ground, applying for grant after grant with no success, and with a baby on the way, Helen was fortunate enough to get work translating German writings into English. Her big break (or life-crushing event) was being asked by the Knopfs to translate Buddenbrooks.

For most of the rest of her life, she was Mann’s translator. And while she was pleased to do it, recognizing the author’s brilliance and feeling privileged to be trusted with his work, it was nevertheless a thankless job that sapped her creative energy. For all her devotion, meticulousness, and creativity in bringing Mann’s work to an English-speaking audience, she was dismissed as a mere clerk.

The novel is told through short chapters, each an episode in Helen’s life, generally in her viewpoint but sometimes in Elias’, or rarely in their daughter’s or granddaughter’s. The episodes are not strictly chronological. Chapters dated 1963, when Helen is in a nursing home/dementia unit, are interspersed with chapters taking us through her life. The “1963" chapters are particularly heartbreaking. This woman who gave herself so freely to two men, Elias and Thomas Mann, ended up with nothing for herself. 

This is a lyrical, literary novel that will give you a great appreciation for Helen Lowe-Porter, and an urge to track down one of Mann’s masterpieces translated by this remarkable woman.