P is for Portrait of an Unknown Woman

I absolutely loved this book by Vanora Bennett.  I ended up listening to it on audiobook, which I highly recommend because the narrator, Josephine Bailey, has such a pleasing voice.  Thomas More really came alive for me in this book.  You definitley get to see another side to him.  Here's the description from the book:

In the year 1527, the great portraitist Hans Holbein, fleeing the Protestant Reformation, comes to England under commission to Sir Thomas More. Over the course of the next six years, Holbein paints two nearly identical portraits of the More family, his dear and loyal friends. But closer examination of the second painting reveals several mysteries. . . .

Set against the turmoil and tragedy of Henry VIII's court, Portrait of an Unknown Woman vividly evokes sixteenth-century England on the verge of enormous change—as viewed through the eyes of Meg Giggs, More's intelligent, tenderhearted, headstrong adopted daughter, who stands at the center of this sweeping, extraordinary epic. It is a tale of sin and religion, desire and deception—the story of a young woman on the brink of sensual awakening and a country on the edge of mayhem.

I started her latest book, The Queen's Lover, a few months ago, but I couldn't get into it.  I will try again later.  I have her second novel, Figures in Silk, waiting on my bookshelf.  So many books, too little time!

O is for O, Juliet

Robin Maxwell is one of my favorite authors.  I especially love the cover of this one.  I had the pleasure of reviewing this novel for Historical Novels Review back in February.  Here is my review:

Maxwell delivers a mesmerizing retelling of the famous star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in her latest novel, set in Italy at the beginning of the Renaissance. Juliet Capelletti is a headstrong, intelligent young lady who is facing an arranged marriage to Jacopo Strozzi, her father’s new business partner. She does not look forward to her match but knows that it will make her parents happy. Juliet’s entire future is forever changed one night at the engagement party of her best friend, Lucrezia, when she meets the handsome Romeo Monticecco. Romeo is at the party to seek reconciliation between his family and the Capelettis, who have been feuding and retaliating against each other for years. Juliet and Romeo find a chance to talk together alone under the stars and their destiny unfolds. Both are surprised by the other’s passion for poetry and shared interest in Dante Alighieri’s Vita Nuova. After their first meeting, Juliet is determined to find a way out of her upcoming marriage to Jacopo, even though this means defying her family’s wishes for her and possibly destroying the business between her father and her betrothed.


What unfolds is a beautiful love story between the soul mates Romeo and Juliet. Maxwell realistically portrays the torment that Juliet is faced with as she wonders what her future holds. One of the things I enjoyed the most about the novel was how Maxwell drew parallels between Dante and his love, Beatrice, and Romeo and Juliet and her use of poetry and quotes from Dante throughout the novel. Readers will savor this exquisite and magical love story.

N is for ???

Well, I am embarrassed to say that after flipping through my lists of books that I've read over the last several years and scouring my bookshleves at home, I have never read any historical fiction who's title begins with the letter N nor have I read anything by an author with a last name that begins with N.  I'm going to have to remedy that and come back to this one!  Meanwhile, you can check out what others who are doing the Challenge have read at Historical Tapestry's alphabet challenge.

M is for Mademoiselle Boleyn

By far one of the best historical fiction novels I've ever read is Mademoiselle Boleyn by Robin Maxwell.  I am always on an Anne Boleyn kick, both fiction and nonfiction, so I try and read everything written about her.  Robin Maxwell masterfully conveys the story of young Anne Boleyn’s life in the care of the scandalous court of France while her sister, Mary, becomes a mistress to the king of France. After seeing first hand the disgrace and unhappiness of her sister, Anne decides that she will not suffer the same fate. The novel focuses on Anne’s early life, ending before she becomes involved with Henry and sets the stage for Anne’s later ideas and beliefs.

One of the best things about this book is the fact that it focuses on Anne's life before she met Henry, so it's like the reader is able to see a different side of her.  Maxwell makes Anne so accessible that by the end of the book, you feel like you know her.  I loaned this book to my sister-in-law, and she asked me to get her more like this one! 

Summer Reading Begins Again!

It's time for the Summer Reading Program at my library which means two months of promoting reading to kids.  Who could ask for a more fun job?  This means that I will be staffing the SRP desk an hour a day, so I'm back to my challenge of reading all the Caldecott books.  So far just this week, I have read about 10, (there are 72 in all) so I think I will be able to complete my challenge by the end of July.  Yeah! 

Other than that, I have a busy couple of weeks of reading ahead of me.  I have three books to read and review for Historical Novels Society by June 15th.  Next week is our staff book discussion on Literary Fiction.  I am going to try and read The Stranger by Albert Camus and Beloved by Toni Morrison for the discussion.  Hopefully I will have time.  I had 14 holds come in for me all at the same time, so I have quite a pile to wade through! 

L is for Loving Frank

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan

Loving Frank is the debut novel from former journalist Nancy Horan

This beautifully written piece of historical fiction chronicles the little known love story of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick Cheney. Wright and Cheney met when she and her husband hired Wright to design their Oak Park, Illinois residence. Their first meeting rapidly turned into an affair that filled the headlines. Mamah, an intellectual and highly educated woman, struggles with her emotions as she is torn between her relationship with Wright, whom she considers the love of her life, and the children she leaves behind with her husband. The book is full of detail of early twentieth century America and portrays a woman who is ahead of her time, often constrained by early modern American society’s views of women. Readers are sure to remember the climactic ending long after the book is closed.

K is for Knight of Desire

Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

I really enjoyed this first novel in a planned series.  I'll read the others when they become available.  Here is a review I wrote of this novel that appeared in Historical Novels Review:
Knight of Desire, the first novel of a planned series entitled All the King’s Men, is set in England and Wales in 1405. Lady Catherine is left widowed after her traitorous husband, Rayburn, joined the rebel forces against their king, Henry IV. Rayburn’s lands were granted to William FitzAlan, a knight who fought bravely and loyally on the side of the king. When William rides to Ross Castle to claim his reward, which includes Lady Catherine, he is surprised and impressed by her headstrong attitude. Catherine is given the choice to either marry William or go to the Tower. The pair marry within the hour. The rocky beginning to their relationship is caused by the great deal of mistrust that exists between them. William is wary of Catherine because she spied for the king and betrayed her own husband. Catherine cannot fully give her heart to William because of the horrible abuse she met at the hand of Rayburn. Slowly the two learn to trust each other, though each time they move forward in their relationship, an incident happens to set them back again. Knight of Desire is a satisfying love story full of emotion with a bit of danger and plenty of passionate love scenes. An entertaining and satisfying read.