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Historical
Fiction
A Belvedere-Tiburon Library
Reading List
Age
of Innocence
by Edith Wharton
Wharton's story of the upper classes of Old New York
in an era when upper-class culture in this country was
still a mixture of American and European extracts, and
when "society" had rules as rigid as any in
history.
Amistad
by David Pesci
Based on the true story of the 1839 mutiny on board
the Spanish slave ship, Amistad, here is the frightening
sequence of events that led fifty-three young men and
women - and one young nation - to seek freedom and justice
for all people.
Angle
of Repose
by Wallace Stegner
Lyman Ward, a noted historian, relates a fictionalized
biography of his pioneer grandparents at a time when
he has become estranged from his own family.
The
Book
of Salt
by Monique Truong
The story of the Vietnamese cook of Alice B. Toklas
in Paris. Intricate, compelling, and witty, the novel
weaves in historical characters, from Stein and Toklas
to Paul Robeson and Ho Chi Minh, with remarkable originality.
Cold
Mountain
by Charles Frazier
The tale chronicles a Confederate army deserter's search
for home and love in the last days of the Civil War.
Corelli's
Mandolin
by Louis De Bernieres
The Greek island of Cephallonia is the setting for the
50 year epic involving Pelagia, her two suitors, a Greek
fisherman and a Nazi soldier-musician, and WWII.
Daughter
of Fortune
by Isabel Allende
An orphan raised in Chile, Eliza Sommers follows her
lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849 --
a danger-filled quest that will become a momentous journey
of transformation.
East
of Eden
by John Steinbeck
Set in the rich farmland of the Salinas Valley, this
often brutal novel follows the intertwined destinies
of two families whose generations hopelessly re-enact
the fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of
Cain and Abel.
Fine
Balance
by Rohinton Mistry
With great empathy and wit, the daily lives of India's
heroic working poor, who must cope with corruption,
social anarchy and bureaucratic absurdities is explored.
Ginger
Tree
by Oswald Wynd
In 1903, a 20-year-old Scots girl sails to China to
marry a British diplomat, but soon horrifies the British
community by having an affair with a young Japanese
count.
Girl
with a Pearl Earring
by Tracy Chevalier
Story of the painter Vermeer and his Delft household.
In
Sunlight in a Beautiful Garden
by Kathleen Cambor
With vivid characterization, the story of Johnstown
Flood of 1889 unfolds.
Jewel
in the Crown
by Paul Scott
The first of the Raj Quartet; the sweeping epic that
looks at the collapse of British rule in India.
Killer
Angels
by Michael Shaara
This novel reveals more about the Battle of Gettysburg
than many pieces of nonfiction; features deft characterizations
of all of the main actors.
Lonesome
Dove
by Larry McMurty
Historically aware, intelligent, romantic novel of the
mythic west.
Map
of Love
by Ahdaf Soueif
A family saga of Egypt and England, a reflective tale
of love, colonialism and nationalism.
Martin
Dressler
by Steven Millhauser
A young entrepreneur in late-nineteenth-century New
York City rises from assistant in his father's cigar
store to manager of the Grand Cosmo, an extravagant
luxury hotel.
Master
and Commander
by Patrick O'Brien
Britain is at war with Napoleon's France, when Jack
Aubrey is promoted to captain of the HMS Sophie. With
the aid of the ship's surgeon and secret intelligence
agent, Aubrey and his crew engage in thrilling battles.
Memoirs
of a Geisha
by Arthur Golden
Delicate rendering of geisha culture in the years before
WWII.
Oscar
and Lucinda
by Peter Carey
Two misfits, an Anglican priest and a woman glassworks
owner, share a dream of a crystal church in 19th century
Australia.
Pope
Joan
by Donna Cross
Was a woman, disguised as a man, pope during the Dark
Ages?
Ragtime
by E. L. Doctorow
New York during the early 1900's; historical and fictional
characters inter-mingle.
A
River Town
by Thomas Keneally
An Irishman moves to Australia in the early 1900's and
struggles to make a life for himself and his family.
Shogun
by James Clavell
An English adventurer, a Japanese warlord, a woman torn
between two ways of life. A saga of Japan filled with
ambition and the struggle for power.
Snow
Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson
Set on an island in Puget Sound during the early 1950's,
this novel deals with race, murder and memories of WWII.
To
Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Classic coming of age story set in the Alabama during
the depression. The story of Scout, her father Atticus
and their community.
A
Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith
Story of a young Irish girl growing up poor in turn
of the century Brooklyn.
When
the Elephants Dance
by Tess Uriza Holthe
Set in the Philippines during WWII when the Japanese
and the US are fighting for control. A gripping tale
of love, war, indomitable courage, and the struggle
for independence.
May,
2004
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