With summer just beginning I have found myself in such a beach-read reading mood. I want something light, uplifting and fun; one that is delicious, you can just picture reading on a beach with your toes in the sand, or by a pool with a lemonade in your hand! At the end of the book though, I still want to feel that I have gained knowledge or have been made to think about a subject or topic. That is exactly what Elin Hilderbrand did for me with her book Summer of ‘69. Settle in and be ready to be taken on a delightful, but still thoughtful, ride.
Summer of ‘69 is the first book I’ve read by Ms Hilderbrand but I don’t think it will be the last! In this story Ms Hilderbrand tells the story of a fictional family set with the backdrop of the turbulent year of 1969. I love historical fiction and while I don’t usually find myself picking up a historical fiction work set as recently as the 1960’s I found I enjoyed it very much. I have a tendency to skip over the 1960’s, they happened way before I was born, but not so long ago that I think to go back and read about them as I would the decades before. My parents were alive in the 1960’s- how could it be considered history already??
Ms Hilderbrand artfully weaves together fact and fiction as she tells the story of the Levin family. Tiger, the only son, serves in Vietnam. Mrs. Levin struggles to keep her secrets hidden, secrets about the past and the present. Blair, The eldest daughter, struggles in her relationship with her husband as he works on the moon launch and is never at home during her tough pregnancy. Kirby, the wild middle child, protested the war before her brother was called up, now she struggles with her stance on the war while she continues fighting for the women’s liberation movement and for racial equality. Jessy is the youngest member of the family, she paradoxically fights both to be seen and not to be seen while everyone is caught up in their own drama and doesn’t seem to have time for her. All of this family drama in the midst of world chaos: assassinations from the previous year, the Vietnam war is on, and then there is also a little incident at Chappaquiddick that summer involving the Kennedys…. all of this wound tightly into the story of one family that is trying their hardest to have a normal fun summer…..
If you’re in the mood for a gripping summer read that can make you feel the sand under your feet while simultaneously taking you back in time-then I recommend this book to you! I hope you enjoy it!
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So even though we technically have until the third week in September before summer is officially over, we have reached the end of summer as we traditionally think of it. Looking back over my reading this summer I am pleased with my reading. I hit upon several 5 star...
Summer isn’t over yet—it’s not!! We still have some summer left to savor and if you are looking for a few more titles that have a summer feel, that are hard to put down, then you have come to the right place! The following are a list...
I realized that I have read a lot of historical fiction books this year- but I haven’t talked about all of them! Some were 5 star reads, some didn’t quite make that cut. Some of the titles were old, and some brand new; regardless I enjoyed all of them and wanted to share them with you so here is my end of summer historical fiction round up of 2021! Check them out and let me know what you think!
Hour of The Witch by Chris Bohjalian
I have read my fair share of novels about the Salem Witch Trials but this story reaches back even further in time to 1662 And tells the story of Mary Deerfield who is trying to divorce her abusive husband- in an era when divorce meant estrangement from one’s community. A woman trying for divorce is not to be believed easily and the tables quickly turn on Mary as her case for divorce turn into her needing to prove her innocence of not being a witch- a crime punishable by death. This story held my interest and was a compelling, if not overly cheerful read. If you are looking for well done historical fiction, based on North America’s first divorce case for domestic violence, with a serious tone then give this book a try!
My Name Is Mary Sutter by Robin Olivera
This is a book about 25 year old Mary Sutter, who desperately wants to become a surgeon. She has been applying, and getting rejected, from various medical colleges, when the civil war breaks out. This is a great opportunity for Mary, the chance to insert herself into the medical field when there is such a desperate need for doctors that she won’t be turned down- or will she? Mary has to fight her own battles while the civil war rages. Mary must persevere through much pain and heartbreak to achieve her dreams- will she be able to withstand everything coming her way?
Caroline by Sarah Miller
If you were a fan of the Little House on The Prairie books as a child you will like this one. If you were like me, and never quite got into the Little House books when you were you- you still might like this book. I sure did! Caroline is the retelling of the Little House on The Prairie told from the Mama’s (Caroline’s) point of view. I have always thought that the people who traveled out west were very strong people to be able to leave behind everything they ever knew and brave the frontier in an effort to make a better life for themselves. Caroline depicts the struggles that these people faced by retelling the events from Little House not the Prairie from an adult point of view. So good!!
That Churchill Woman by Stephanie Barron
Jenny Churchill was not a woman who conformed to societies’ norms. We hear so much about her son, Winston Churchill, but what about the woman who gave birth to him? It is never easy to be an American who marries into High Society in England, especially at the turn of the 19th century. Oh the games Jenny had to play in order to have her cake and eat it too… I was hesitant to pick up this book as Jenny was known for her philandering ways, however the book did not go into any great detail in any of her escapades; instead Stephanie Barron portrays the tough road Jenny Churchill had to pave in order to give her sons a bright future.
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
This is Ms Cleeton’s latest novel, about the Cuban War for Independence in the 1890s and Spanish American War, shortly thereafter. This story rotates between Evangelina Cisneros,the daughter of a revolutionary who is imprisoned and mistreated by the Spanish, who possesses a face that could become the poster child for America’s intervention in Cuba, some might even call her the most beautiful girl in Cuba… Then there is Grace Harrington, who desperately wants to be a reporter in an era when women were not taken seriously as journalists, and who is walking a tightrope between the two warring newspaper companies in New York City. Lastly we meet Marina Perez, who gave up everything her wealthy family had to offer to marry her childhood friend and love of a lower class, together they throw everything they have, including their lives, into fighting for the cause of Cuba’s independence from Spain. The stories of these 3 women intertwine during the course of life changing events. This story is based on the true story of Evangelina Cisneros, who was declared the most beautiful woman in Cuba by newspapers in the US during the Spanish-Cuban war in the 1890s.
The Gown by Jennifer Robson
This story alternates between 3 women about the making of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown. It is just after World War 2 and life is still very hard in England. Life is dark and dreary and there just seems like there is no bright spot…until the wedding announcement is made that Princess Elizabeth is getting married! Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin(a Jewish survivor from France) are head embroiderers for one of England’s most prestigious fashion houses- will they get to be a part of history being made?
Fast forward to the present day and Heather is a young woman just starting her career when her grandmother dies, leaving more mysteries and links to the past than Heather ever expected. These 3 women’s stories intertwine in unexpected ways weaving a vibrant tale of hidden hardships, unexpected friendships, and resilience.
If you are in the market for a book to read I hope you will find this list helpful! Remember you can follow me on Pinterest by tapping the Pinterest link on this website and then tapping the follow button on the profile page of my Pinterest- that way you can easily keep track of all the books I talk about and refer back to them in the future!
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Summer is here and that means longer days stretching out into beautiful evenings (we hope!). For me that sounds like the perfect reading paradise! If your reading list is a little lackluster this summer or, if you are like me, are simply looking for a new historical fiction title to add to your summer reading list, here are a few of my favorite historical fiction reads that I have recently enjoyed.
The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
If you read Ms. Cleeton’s other books you won’t be disappointed by this one either! Instead of Cuba, this historical fiction story is set in the Florida Keys right before a catastrophic hurricane that hit the Keys during Labor Day weekend of 1935.
This story follows three women, each from different walks of life. Helen, a Keys native, is in the late stages of pregnancy and has been married to an abusive husband for nine years. With the baby’s arrival so close at hand, Helen feels a strong desire to protect her baby and escape the abuse—but is now the right time?
Next we meet Elizabeth, the spoiled daughter of one of New York’s social elite but since the crash her family has fallen from the high-up social circles of the day. With Elizabeth’s father and brother gone, and her mother mentally unwell, it falls to Elizabeth to fix the family’s financial situation which includes debts to one of New York’s most notorious men. Trying to find a different option than the one readily in front of her, Elizabeth goes to the Keys to find the only person she has left—her older half-brother. If she can find him, he may be able to save her—but will she be able to find him?
Then there is Mirta, a Cuba native, who finds herself quickly married off to an American man who has many secrets. Mirta is trying to navigate what a marriage with this man will look like—will it look like her parents’ marriage or will it be different? And what of all his secrets? Is Mirta supposed to live in the dark her whole life or is it possible to have a marriage of equals with this man?
The Indigo Girl by Natasha Boyd
This book was so well done! Indigo Girl is the true story of Eliza Lucas, a 16 year old girl left to run her father’s three plantations in South Carolina in 1739. The family’s finances are not looking good, her father has borrowed against their land to advance his military career, leaving Eliza with a mess on her hands. She needs to find a cash crop quickly or risk losing her family’s land—and her freedom when she is forced to wed to relieve the family’s financial burdens.
Growing up in Antigua, Eliza has seen the process of indigo making and knows it to be a very tricky process, but it could be just what she needs to save herself and her family. Will she be able to pull it off in time? Fans of America’s First Daughter and My Dear Hamilton will love this historical fiction work .
Rebel Spy by Veronica Rossi
This story kicks off in Grand Bahama where the main character, Frannie Tasker, has grown up. She has been living there under the hand of her cruel stepfather, and has been dreaming of a chance to escape. Then one night the opportunity comes in the form of a shipwreck and a stolen identity. Before Frannie can second-guess herself she goes for it, escaping to America.
Never one to simply sit around, Frannie, now known as Emmiline Coats, soon covertly joins the Rebels’ side as a spy for Washington. Based on the little known facts of the true lady agent in the Culper spy ring, who was known as 355, this book takes a rather imaginative look at the possible identity of Agent 355. You will learn the events of the Revolution that Agent 355 is credited with stopping—events that if they had gone differently could have changed the outcome of the war.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
I read The Alice Network and really was not impressed, therefore I was unsure about picking up The Rose Code, but I am so happy I did! This piece of World War 2 historical fiction rotates between three friends who were all working on different aspects of the operation to break the Enigma. We meet Mab, who is a firebrand and has secrets she desperately wants to keep hidden. We meet Beth, a mousy little thing, who is used to living under her mother’s thumb but who has an incredible mind. Lastly, we meet Osla who is sick of being treated like a silly debutante and wants to use her language skills to help her country.
The story opens with Beth in a mental institution. How did someone like her end up in a place like that? And worse, what if she can’t escape before an experimental procedure is done on her brain? The story alternates between that point and five years earlier when they are working day in and day out to break the code in order to beat the Nazi’s and every decoded message could mean life and death to thousands of people.
Summer of ‘69 by Elin Hilderbrand
I talked at length about this book last year (see the full post here) but here is a quick overview of this historical fiction novel. This is a story set in Nantucket in the turbulent year of 1969. Ms. Hilderbrand does a great job of bringing the sights and sounds of Nantucket to life so that you can just about feel the sand under your feet! This story rotates between the four women of the family. I connected quite quickly to each of the characters in this book, and the struggles each of them face—unlike some books where I feel like I am just getting immersed in one person’s world when the narrator changes. Mrs. Levin struggles with the worry of a mother as her son is overseas fighting in Vietnam. Blair, the eldest daughter, is pregnant and struggling with loneliness as she must remain close to home this summer when usually she is at the seashore. Kirby, the middle daughter, is swept up in the civil rights and women’s rights protests of the day, which brings her close to some events that occur at the end of summer—an event we have come to know as Chappaquiddick. Last but not least, we meet Jesse, the youngest of the family who feels very much lost in the shuffle in light of everything her siblings have going on. Follow the Levin family on a summer that they, and America at large, will not soon forget.
