Harriet And Isabella, Patricia O'Brien; Touchstone

“A novelization based on a nineteenth-century sex scandal traces how the downfall of Henry Ward Beecher divided the nation and severed the loving relationship between his sisters, author Harriet Beecher Stowe and suffragist Isabella Beecher Hooker.”
Robin’s Note: For anyone interested in American culture and history.  It’s part history, part gossip, and part biographical portrait.  The conflict of appearances versus fact and between two headstrong sisters (who are famous each in their own right) makes for a dramatic story.  The courtroom scenes as well as family betrayals are suspenseful, moving the story along, and the depth of the history lends weight to what could be just a scandal-driven tale.

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows; The Dial Press

“January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Liz’s Notes: Don’t let the title fool you. This novel brings the period just after WWII to life, and creates characters that are thoroughly believable. The island of Guernsey is a setting one does not often see, and the period emphasis makes this a charming and moving novel.

The Air We Breathe: A Novel, Andrea Barrett; W. W. Norton

“Detached from the rest of the country on the eve of World War I, the tuberculosis-stricken residents of an Adirondack lakeside sanatorium are housed in accordance with their economic status and languish in their isolation before an enterprising patient initiates a weekly discussion group.”
Robin’s Note: Angela Barrett is well known for compelling historical fiction, often paired with investigations into the history of science and medicine.  Most of all, though, her stories are human and beautifully described without being too dense.  You might also try Ship Fever, her collection of short stories, to get a taste of her style and her first novel, The Voyage of the Narwhal.

Samurai Shortstop, Alan Gratz; Dial Books

“While obtaining a Western education at a prestigious Japanese boarding school in 1890, sixteen-year-old Toyo also receives traditional samurai training which has profound effects on both his baseball game and his relationship with his father.”
Robin’s Note: This title is a bit different from most sports titles, in that it’s historical, but I thought it might appeal, especially since we now have a star Japanese baseball player here in Boston.  The history of baseball in Japan is interesting, and they are likely the only other country that loves the sport as much as Americans do.  Baseball was adopted in Japan early on in the game’s history, and the conflict between the new culture it represented and the traditions of Japan, represented here by samurai culture, was fierce and often personal.

The Foreshadowing, Marcus Sedgwick; Wendy Lamb Books

“Having always been able to know when someone is going to die, Alexandra poses as a nurse to go to France during World War I to locate her brother and to try to save him from the fate she has foreseen for him.”
Robin’s Note: This is a relatively short but evocative title and gives a strong sense of what it was like both on the homefront and in the trenches during World War I.  There’s a touch of the supernatural in Alexandra’s ability to sense who will die, and the suspense comes from whether she can change what she has seen, but the real story is in the conflict, especially between what the people at home believe is necessary in war and what the soldiers (and Alexandra, as a nurse) witness as the reality of modern battle.

Year Of Wonders: A Novel Of The Plague, Brooks, Geraldine., Geraldine Brooks; Viking

“This gripping historical novel is based on the true story of Eyam, the “Plague Village”, in the rugged mountain spine of England. In 1666, a tainted bolt of cloth from London carries bubonic infection to this isolated settlement of shepherds and lead miners. A visionary young preacher convinces the villagers to seal themselves off in a deadly quarantine to prevent the spread of disease. The story is told through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith, the vicar’s maid, as she confronts the loss of her family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love.”
Robin’s Note: If you like atmospheric historical novels, Year of Wonders is an evocative look at a terrible time (when the Black Plague was rampant throughout Europe) through the eyes of an 18-year-old.  Based on a true story, it delves into why a village would choose to quarantine itself and the difficulties the villagers face as they try to maintain order in the face of both death and society coming apart at the seams.  It’s beautifully written, and paints a rich and ultimately hopeful picture of a challenging time.

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak; Alfred A. Knopf

“Trying to make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel—a young German girl whose book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.”
Robin’s Note: Markus Zusak based this title on his parents’ memories of World War II in Germany as civilians, and his poetic but simple writing style makes this an extraordinary look at the Holocaust with Death as your narrator.  Zusak succeeds in making the familiar stories out of WWII Germany new, and newly horrifying, even as the remarkable language and gentle progression of the story wrap the reader in Liesel’s family and town.  Never saccharine and occasionally brutal, this beautifully written novel appeals to a broad range of readers, from teens to adults.

The Rule Of Four, Ian Caldwell; Dial Press

“An ivy league murder, a mysterious coded manuscript, and the secrets of a Renaissance prince collide memorably in The Rule of Four—a brilliant work of fiction that weaves together suspense and scholarship, high art and unimaginable treachery. It’s Easter at Princeton. Seniors are scrambling to finish their theses. And two students, Tom Sullivan and Paul Harris, are a hair’s breadth from solving the mysteries of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili—a renowned text attributed to an Italian nobleman, a work that has baffled scholars since its publication in 1499.”
Robin’s Note: If you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code, there are a slew of books that are just as engaging and have a similar, addictive feeling.  Dan Brown’s other books, of course, are always worth checking out (Deception Point, Angels and Demons).  The Rule of Four was published just after the Da Vinci Code, and it has a very similar feel—secret codes, a murder mystery, and a puzzle from generations past.  The college setting makes it a bit younger (just in terms of the protagonists), and there’s a ring of truth to it all as the authors are college best friends.  Another one to try is Katherine Neville’s The Eight, a long but incredibly absorbing quest novel involving chess, mysticism, mathematics, alchemy, and everything in between.

The Duke And I, Amanda Quick; Avon Books, Inc.

“By all accounts, Simon Basset is on the verge of proposing to his best friend’s sister, the lovely—and almost-on-the-shelf—Daphne Bridgerton. But the two of them know the truth—it’s all an elaborate plan to keep Simon free from marriage-minded society mothers. And as for Daphne, surely she will attract some worthy suitors now that it seems a duke has declared her desirable.

But as Daphne waltzes across ballroom after ballroom with Simon, it’s hard to remember that their courtship is a complete sham.”

Robin’s Note: The Bridgerton series, which starts with this title, is a fan-favorite for Regency romance fans, and Quinn’s novels ensnare readers who are not usually romance readers with their smart dialogue and insight into romance.  This series is known for both the quality and romance among the romance readers I know, and is considered one of the better Regency series.  Lisa Kleypas was another author mentioned, and she may also be a place to look for solid Regency titles.

Sorcery And Cecelia, Or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot: Being The Correspondence Of Two Young Ladies Of Quality Regarding Various Magical Scandals In London And The Country, Patricia C. Wrede; Harcourt

“In 1817 in England, two young cousins, Cecilia living in the country and Kate in London, write letters to keep each other informed of their exploits, which take a sinister turn when they find themselves confronted by evil wizards.”

Robin’s Note: This Regency fantasy combines the best of Jane Austen with the charm of magical talents.  As with all of Austen’s novels, the romances are witty and compelling, and the added dash of magical adventure makes the tale all the more engaging for both fantasy and Austen fans.  This volume is followed by two sequels The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician.

The Red Necklace, Sally Gardner; Dial

In the late eighteenth-century, Sido, the twelve-year-old daughter of a self-indulgent marquis, and Yann, a fourteen-year-old Gypsy orphan raised to perform in a magic show, face a common enemy at the start of the French Revolution.

This title grabs you right from the beginning with its spooky atmosphere, intriguing characters, and strong sense of time and place (without overwhelming the reader with historical details.)