Comments on: Jane’s Bookshelf: Historical Fiction as a Window to the Past

By: Mary Sullivan

Mary Sullivan — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:29:40 +0000

Captivated by May the Road Rise Up to Meet You by Peter Troy. It views history through the eyes of a 12 year old boy during the Irish Famine, through his experiences growing up in New York and fighting with the Irish Brigade in the Civil War. From within the person you experience the struggles and romance of the four main characters, two immigrants and two slaves. It helped me see history in a different light, real, human and life-changing. It made me cry on the subway. Hope there’s more!!

By: susan

susan — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:05:06 +0000

You forgot one other genre, that goes with historical fiction. The historical Romance. I used to read these when I was a teenager. But, then grew out of them. I love historical fiction now a days. The historical fiction has changed. They are books they go in the place, and person but then is not stuck in a rigid history. It bends a bit, which makes the story fiction and new. Making us see history a different way. Love the books you mentioned, Loving Frank, D. L Doctorow, can’t remember the title, about the homeless men in early 20th century. Baker’s Daughter- goes back and forth in history.

By: Anthea Mazer

Anthea Mazer — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:00:52 +0000

I also loved Alice I Have Been. Some other historical novels I have read and enjoyed are The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent, Stealing Mona Lisa by Carson Morton, All Other Nights by Dara Horn and The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott. I read The Paris Wife but wasn’t enthralled by it. I found it a little slow.