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One of my favorite
Georgette Heyer books. |
I few weeks ago, I was seated in the café area of the grocery store near the office, reading a book during my lunch break. As I got up to go back to the office, I heard a familiar voice say: "I didn't want to interrupt, you were obviously enjoying your book." I looked up to see that our Acting Director, Anita Vassallo, had sat down only a few tables away from me. She asked what I was reading, and we discussed our mutual appreciation for the magic of Georgette Heyer and the historical worlds she created in her books.
Heyer, 1902-1974, wrote historical romances (regency and Napoleonic era), histories (medieval and renaissance settings), and murder mysteries (set more contemporaneously with her own life—many of the plots came from her husband, a barrister). One of her great gifts as an author was the ability to make the time period she was writing about come alive. She brings to her books a level of accuracy and detail about daily life that is often not present in fiction written long after the fact.
As a lover of many fictional genres, as well as nonfiction, I find that the historical details of Heyer's novels make it easier to envision the real historical events that I read about in books like We Too: Victoria and Albert by Gillian Gill.
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Set during and after the
Civil War on the battlefield
and in New Orleans |
The events, people, and society that Heyer writes about in her books are well represented in popular culture and popular history. However, there are many talented and writers writing books that illuminate extraordinary history with which many people may be less familiar.
Beverly Jenkins has created a twenty-five year career writing historical romances that feature African American characters. She was recently recognized for her achievements with the 2017 Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. While crafting interesting characters and stories, Jenkins also illuminates aspects of African American life throughout US history—from the Revolution to the Civil War to the Wild West. As Jenkins has described her work: "We're a very, very proud race. And America could not be America without the African American patches in the American history quilt." (Quote from our Books & Authors database.)
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First book in Cole's Loyal
League series |
Recently, more writers of color have broken into publishing, sharing other stories that might not ordinarily be told. Alyssa Cole's Civil War-era Loyal League books tell the story of African American spies during the Civil War and are based on the true history of the Loyal League (or Union League) in the South.
Books like those of Jenkins and Cole help create a human context for the history in books like Grant by Ron Chernow. While Grant dives deep into the life of the title subject, the lives and fates of thousands of free African Americans and ex-slaves are discussed from an abstract view without being humanized as individuals. Unfortunately, due to the losses of history, many of their stories may never be told in the depth that can be brought to their white contemporaries. These fictional portrayals can help fill in holes in the historical record.
If you want more romance recommendations, may I recommend checking out the latest episode of our Library Matters podcast? Two of our Silver Spring librarians take our hosts on a deep dive into the many subgenres of romance and also give their recommendations if you're looking for romance novels to read on Valentine's Day.
Happy Reading!
LenneaLabels: Books, e-Books, Reading
