'Imagine that no one in the entire planet cared about you’ ★★★★★ It is easy to label WW2 as horrible, Hitler as evil, and the Nazis as depraved but it's still just that: a label; a classifying phrase. What is easily forgotten are the people behind the labels; their stories, their hardships, and their heartaches. … Continue reading The Stable Boy of Auschwitz
Author: fictionaltraits
The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women
The pivotal roles women played worldwide during the 16th Century ★★★★★ 'The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women' is a very readable, accessible book for any history lover, whether academic or layperson. The book seeks to help redress the often patchy and somewhat skewed representation of women throughout history and, further, help augment our understanding from … Continue reading The Sixteenth Century in 100 Women
The Granddaughters of Edward III
How Edward III's legacy helped shape a dynasty ★★★★ 'The Granddaughters of Edward III' is a highly detailed, thoroughly researched, and meticulously referenced book. Kathryn Warner's work provides a great secondary source not only for those history lovers of this period but also those who appreciate the revealing dynastic, political landscape created through carefully crafted … Continue reading The Granddaughters of Edward III
Arrested Song
'I'm going to live by my own rules’ ★★★★★ 'Arrested Song' is a great book; a saga even. What starts out as a Greek experience of German occupation during WW2, quickly evolves into an epic story. Calliope is a young woman when her husband is sent to war, never to return. His demise proves a … Continue reading Arrested Song
It Ends at Midnight
Someone is going to die before the New Year begins. ★★★ ‘It Ends Before Midnight’ is a psychological thriller which bounces back and forth between the present, recent past, and distant past, to slowly build a picture of misconception. How do we construct, and re-construct, or memories to suit our beliefs and needs? Sylvie is … Continue reading It Ends at Midnight
A Noble Cunning
‘heathens and fanaticals have taken over’ ★★★★ ‘A Noble Cunning' is a book inspired by real-life Winifred Herbert Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale, who, after the failure of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, and the subsequent arrest of her husband, attempted to free him from his imprisonment in the Tower of London. Bethan and Gavin, Earl and … Continue reading A Noble Cunning
How to Think Like a Woman
‘psyches are shaped in a society structured with patriarchy’ ★★★★ 'How to Think Like a Woman', is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, by Regan Penaluna, using her love of philosophy as a methodology. The intriguing title surely begs the question, 'If I am a woman, do I not think like one?' Penaluna quickly points … Continue reading How to Think Like a Woman
An Enemy Like Me
Patriotism mingled with heartache ★★★★ 'An Enemy Like Me' highlights the humanity of war; the people and families behind the guns, destruction, and violence, 'Had they [those who started the war] considered the spoiled gardens, the tearing apart of families, the devastating loneliness?' Jakob Mueller is a first-generation American. Although he lost his father when … Continue reading An Enemy Like Me
Voices of the Georgian Age
Times may change but human behaviour does not ★★★★ 'Voices of the Georgian Age' is a curated taster of what Georgian life was like. Using 17 character examples from all walks of life: aristocracy, criminals, artists, authors, working class, and poor, the book covers the gamut of livelihood. 'That they are human beings, with fundamentally … Continue reading Voices of the Georgian Age
Mrs Van Gogh
'I've stepped into a world where madness and art seem to hold hands to dance' ★★★★★ By the late 1800s, Paris had become a hive of creativity, 'everyone who lives here is about to write an epic piece of prose or paint their masterpiece…Each individual is living a remarkable life.' Johanna Bonger, is soon caught … Continue reading Mrs Van Gogh