The same goes for WWII. Although that is, personally speaking, one of the time periods I'm most interested in, and I hope that we will never stop learning the lessons of the atrocities committed by such otherwise "ordinary" people, it isn't always what I'm looking for.
So many important and interesting time periods, events, and people are lost to us. So, in the spirit of expanding our minds, here are four historical novels with unique settings, characters, and eras!
Empress Orchid (Empress Orchid), Anchee Min
Time Period: 1850s/1860s
Setting: The Forbidden City, Bejing, China
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Setting: The Forbidden City, Bejing, China
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Taking place during the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor, Empress Orchid is a firsthand account of the future Empress Dowager Cixi's life and rise to power. Referred to primarily as Orchid, the daughter of a low-ranking government official, through her eyes we are allowed to witness the politics and intrigue of Imperial China, and the many fascinating characters who populated its royal court. One of the main themes tackled in the novel is fate, and whether or not it is something that we can take into our own hands.
Orchid, not only as a woman but as someone with relatively little status, has already had her path chosen for her before even her birth - in Chinese culture, fate is decided by the stars, something unchangeable and predetermined - yet when she arrives in Bejing, she experiences not only a major culture shock, but also begins to come into her own as a young lady with ambitions and dreams beyond a simple life.
Despairing of her family's inevitable doom due to their lack of money, Orchid decides to take part in the "competition" to scout out future Imperial concubines. Through sheer luck and virtue of being beautiful, she is chosen, alongside seven other women (one of whom will become the Empress). Shocked and enthralled by the luxury of her new life, yet unable to help her own family in their poverty, it is in the gilded Forbidden City that Orchid claws her way through the ranks and becomes the woman who has been villainized and hated by history.
Speaking with perfect frankness, I was astounded by the beauty of this novel, its attempt to humanize someone who has been portrayed as so one-dimensional in nearly every other exploration of her life. It's difficult not to sympathize with Orchid, who is continuously forced to make the choice between which evil is worse. I think that Min really succeeds here in fleshing out this figure, and I often found myself trying to put myself in Orchid's shoes, to understand what it might be like to live a life of such loneliness, surrounded by both such beauty and cruelty. To put it succinctly: I highly recommend this, especially to anyone interested in Asian culture and history, or female characters who are not flawless and pure of heart!
It's the early 1970s, and the Cold War is well and truly on. Our unlikely heroine is Serena Frome (rhymes with Plume, as she tells us in the opening lines of the novel), the daughter of a bishop, who has grown up in a rather sheltered and privileged world. Set apart from others due to her talent with mathematics, she's admitted to the University of Cambridge, which becomes the catalyst for her entrance into the world of spying...
Although there is a relatively strong plot, I think it's the characters that really make this novel shine. It stands out in my mind mainly because of its protagonist and her hapless male target, the relationship between them that involves more than a little cat-and-mouse. I'm a huge fan of character-driven stories, and as we closely follow Serena's experiences and her perspective on the world Britain was trying to survive in during this politically charged period, it's fascinating to watch her develop into the agent the MI5 are looking for.
There's actually very little spy intrigue - or, at the very least, that's actually the least interesting part of this story - but in spite of that fact, I found myself gripped nonetheless. A good chunk of the novel revolves around literature, particularly on how everyone interprets art differently. There's also an overarching sensation of loneliness, for although Serena takes on two important lovers, we get the feeling that they never really understand or know her for who she really is.
Oh, and, it's worth mentioning that despite the book being primarily a rumination on life, love, despair and secrets, there's a couple of twists in here that are expertly done!
Orchid, not only as a woman but as someone with relatively little status, has already had her path chosen for her before even her birth - in Chinese culture, fate is decided by the stars, something unchangeable and predetermined - yet when she arrives in Bejing, she experiences not only a major culture shock, but also begins to come into her own as a young lady with ambitions and dreams beyond a simple life.
Despairing of her family's inevitable doom due to their lack of money, Orchid decides to take part in the "competition" to scout out future Imperial concubines. Through sheer luck and virtue of being beautiful, she is chosen, alongside seven other women (one of whom will become the Empress). Shocked and enthralled by the luxury of her new life, yet unable to help her own family in their poverty, it is in the gilded Forbidden City that Orchid claws her way through the ranks and becomes the woman who has been villainized and hated by history.
Speaking with perfect frankness, I was astounded by the beauty of this novel, its attempt to humanize someone who has been portrayed as so one-dimensional in nearly every other exploration of her life. It's difficult not to sympathize with Orchid, who is continuously forced to make the choice between which evil is worse. I think that Min really succeeds here in fleshing out this figure, and I often found myself trying to put myself in Orchid's shoes, to understand what it might be like to live a life of such loneliness, surrounded by both such beauty and cruelty. To put it succinctly: I highly recommend this, especially to anyone interested in Asian culture and history, or female characters who are not flawless and pure of heart!
Sweet Tooth, Ian McEwan
Time Period: 1970s
Setting: London, England, Sussex, England
Setting: London, England, Sussex, England
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
It's the early 1970s, and the Cold War is well and truly on. Our unlikely heroine is Serena Frome (rhymes with Plume, as she tells us in the opening lines of the novel), the daughter of a bishop, who has grown up in a rather sheltered and privileged world. Set apart from others due to her talent with mathematics, she's admitted to the University of Cambridge, which becomes the catalyst for her entrance into the world of spying...
Although there is a relatively strong plot, I think it's the characters that really make this novel shine. It stands out in my mind mainly because of its protagonist and her hapless male target, the relationship between them that involves more than a little cat-and-mouse. I'm a huge fan of character-driven stories, and as we closely follow Serena's experiences and her perspective on the world Britain was trying to survive in during this politically charged period, it's fascinating to watch her develop into the agent the MI5 are looking for.
There's actually very little spy intrigue - or, at the very least, that's actually the least interesting part of this story - but in spite of that fact, I found myself gripped nonetheless. A good chunk of the novel revolves around literature, particularly on how everyone interprets art differently. There's also an overarching sensation of loneliness, for although Serena takes on two important lovers, we get the feeling that they never really understand or know her for who she really is.
Oh, and, it's worth mentioning that despite the book being primarily a rumination on life, love, despair and secrets, there's a couple of twists in here that are expertly done!
The Miniaturist, Jessie Burton
Time Period: 17th century, 1686
Setting: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Setting: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Set during one of the most fascinating and luxurious periods of European history, The Miniaturist is narrated by the plucky eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman, a bright blossom of hope and optimism amongst the otherwise rather serious and grim circumstances that follow. She's been lucky enough to become the wife of a wealthy merchant trader, the mysterious Johannes Brandt, complete with a magnificent home and every material thing she could dream of.
But in this beautiful place, all is not as it seems. She's frightened of Johannes's sister, Marin, who has taken to running the household since her brother has never married, and who seems to not take too kindly to Nella's sudden intrusion. Not to mention that Johannes himself is distant, never cold, but never quite enthusiastic about her presence either. It's only when her new husband gifts her a cabinet-sized version of their home that Nella begins to suspect that there are many secrets lurking within this house that she will have to uncover.
What I remember most about this rather extraordinary novel is its richness, the fact that it so easily and beautifully conveys the time period and all of its wonders and issues alike. Nella is sweet, undeniably and unmistakably naïve, and yet that is a huge part of her charm. She is essentially an innocent, especially to the kind of darkness that lurks just beneath the surface of society, who becomes entangled in a series of events that ends up changing her view on life, but never ruining or destroying the kind and accepting core at the heart of her personality.
One of the most astonishing feats of this book, however, is how it makes you care about every character. Nella is, for all intents and purposes, joining a new family and breaking away from her own; there's several extremely touching moments, to the point of bringing tears to my eyes. The only aspect which brought my rating down from five stars is due to some of the representation in this book. Without spoiling anything, there is LGBT (as well as POC rep; Otto is still one of my favorite characters) rep, and while the character is presented very positively, the story line itself certainly leaves something to be desired.
I couldn't help loving this book, though, and I think it's most certainly worth your time. Deeply moving, with an ending that brought me fully to tears, I would highly recommend this to any lovers of history and interesting characters.
But in this beautiful place, all is not as it seems. She's frightened of Johannes's sister, Marin, who has taken to running the household since her brother has never married, and who seems to not take too kindly to Nella's sudden intrusion. Not to mention that Johannes himself is distant, never cold, but never quite enthusiastic about her presence either. It's only when her new husband gifts her a cabinet-sized version of their home that Nella begins to suspect that there are many secrets lurking within this house that she will have to uncover.
What I remember most about this rather extraordinary novel is its richness, the fact that it so easily and beautifully conveys the time period and all of its wonders and issues alike. Nella is sweet, undeniably and unmistakably naïve, and yet that is a huge part of her charm. She is essentially an innocent, especially to the kind of darkness that lurks just beneath the surface of society, who becomes entangled in a series of events that ends up changing her view on life, but never ruining or destroying the kind and accepting core at the heart of her personality.
One of the most astonishing feats of this book, however, is how it makes you care about every character. Nella is, for all intents and purposes, joining a new family and breaking away from her own; there's several extremely touching moments, to the point of bringing tears to my eyes. The only aspect which brought my rating down from five stars is due to some of the representation in this book. Without spoiling anything, there is LGBT (as well as POC rep; Otto is still one of my favorite characters) rep, and while the character is presented very positively, the story line itself certainly leaves something to be desired.
I couldn't help loving this book, though, and I think it's most certainly worth your time. Deeply moving, with an ending that brought me fully to tears, I would highly recommend this to any lovers of history and interesting characters.
The Salt Roads, Nalo Hopkinson
Time Period: 17th century; 1840s; 4th century
Setting: Haiti; France; Egypt; Jerusalem
My Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Okay, so technically I'm cheating a little with this one. It isn't straight historical fiction - it has rather strong elements of magical realism, fantasy, and even a little sci-fi - but I'm asking you to give it a chance. If you're reading this list because you also enjoy moving stories, uniquely told, set against the backdrop of intriguing time periods...then this one's most certainly for you.
At its base, this is the story of the Goddess Ezili, who lives in the bodies of three women across time and space: Mer, a slave and doctor in Saint-Domingue, the French colony that would later become Haiti; Jeanne Duval, a sex worker and the muse and lover of Charles Baudelaire; and Thais, a young woman sold into prostitution in Alexandria, Egypt. Although they are, in a way, only loosely connected, it's the experiences that they go through as black women that ties their narratives together.
Full of beautifully rendered depictions of Haitian religions, African culture and love, torture, hatred and beauty, this is easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever picked up. Hopkinson has a way of truly transporting you, of making you feel as if you are living in Mer or Thais or Jeanne's shoes. Each character has their own set of faults, their own feelings and experiences, in spite of the Goddess linking them all to one another.
Mer, however, is easily the best of the bunch - spirited and unbelievably clever and full of a simultaneous hope for the future and dread for the pain she knows is coming. In this special, gorgeously done novel we are able to witness firsthand the Haitian Revolution, the birth of Jerusalem and holiness, how love transforms but is also able to blind and injure. At times it is touching, funny, absurd, philosophical, loving...an honest and unflinching look at a part of black women's history.
Highly, highly recommended. Oh, and as an added bonus: there is plenty of varied LGBT rep to be found here!
At its base, this is the story of the Goddess Ezili, who lives in the bodies of three women across time and space: Mer, a slave and doctor in Saint-Domingue, the French colony that would later become Haiti; Jeanne Duval, a sex worker and the muse and lover of Charles Baudelaire; and Thais, a young woman sold into prostitution in Alexandria, Egypt. Although they are, in a way, only loosely connected, it's the experiences that they go through as black women that ties their narratives together.
Full of beautifully rendered depictions of Haitian religions, African culture and love, torture, hatred and beauty, this is easily one of the most gripping and interesting books I've ever picked up. Hopkinson has a way of truly transporting you, of making you feel as if you are living in Mer or Thais or Jeanne's shoes. Each character has their own set of faults, their own feelings and experiences, in spite of the Goddess linking them all to one another.
Mer, however, is easily the best of the bunch - spirited and unbelievably clever and full of a simultaneous hope for the future and dread for the pain she knows is coming. In this special, gorgeously done novel we are able to witness firsthand the Haitian Revolution, the birth of Jerusalem and holiness, how love transforms but is also able to blind and injure. At times it is touching, funny, absurd, philosophical, loving...an honest and unflinching look at a part of black women's history.
Highly, highly recommended. Oh, and as an added bonus: there is plenty of varied LGBT rep to be found here!
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