Category Archives: Historical

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Book Review and Content, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Code Name Verity
Elizabeth Wein
Disney/Hyperion
Published February 6, 2012

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After enduring long hours of torture, Verity, a prisoner in an abandoned hotel in Nazi-occupied France, promises to tell her German captors everything she knows. She begins with recollections of her best friend and pilot, Maddy. As Verity writes Maddy’s story, she recounts the early days of friendship and recruitment as a wireless operator in England. Life for Maddy, a simple country girl with a gift for mechanical engineering, drastically changes on the day she meets a bold woman pilot whose plane needs repair. For Maddy’s friend, a lost German pilot becomes the catalyst that sets in motion her own transformation.

While some of the content definitely places this novel in a category for older teens, it is a powerful story brilliantly told. Author Elizabeth Wein brings to life the story (inspired by history) of two courageous women who served England during World War II. Wein captures not only an intricate physical description of the places in the story, but the desperate, patriotic feel of war-time existence.

On a Personal Note
My grandfather served the US as a flight navigator during World War II. Though he rarely spoke of this period in his life, I was always proud to know that he served. Additionally, I’ve always treasured the story of a dear family friend. She lived in France, and during the war she helped a young Jewish girl escape the country with her. Reading about Verity and Maddy brought those stories along with the love and pride I feel for my family members back fresh and new. As time marches forward, and the veterans and survivors of World War II reach the end of their lives, it is so important for us to remember the sacrifices they made and the reasons they made them. Reading historical accounts and novels is one way to bring this period in history to life for our children.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme with moderate frequency.

Sexual Content
Rumors and brief comments suggest that Verity seduces war prisoners and guards in order to gain favors or information from them. As a prisoner, she allows a man to fondle her breasts in exchange for supplies for which she is desperate.

Spiritual Content
Early in their friendship, Verity and Maddy discuss assisted suicide and whether it’s selfish or noble to refuse to aid someone in ending his or her life.

Violence
As a war prisoner, Verity receives brutal treatment. Most of the torture is not described in the story. In a frantic attempt to rescue prisoners en route to Nazi concentration camps, soldiers and Resistance members face off, and several are killed.

Drug Content
References to alcohol (though all characters may be of legal drinking age) and cigarettes.

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Review: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Book Review and Content, Historical, Paranormal, , , , , ,

In the Shadow of Blackbirds
Cat Winters
Amulet Books
Published April 2, 2013

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After Mary Shelley’s father’s arrest as a traitor, Mary Shelley flees to her aunt’s home in southern California. There she hopes to find safety from the ugliness of war and the Spanish Influenza epidemic. When Mary Shelley arrives, she learns the flu epidemic is as alive and dangerous as it was in her Oregon hometown. She also discovers her childhood sweetheart, now a US soldier, apparently missing.

With so many families grieving loved ones lost to war or disease, many people turn to Spiritualism, seeking help from famed photographer who claims to capture spirits of dearly departed in his portraits of the living. Mary Shelley’s aunt presses her into sitting for a portrait. The foggy image of Stephen, her love and missing soldier appears with her in the photograph, shocking Mary Shelley. Soon after, Stephen’s ghost visits her, clearly frightened and disturbed. Refusing to accept the public story of his death, Mary Shelley vows to uncover the truth about Stephen’s death and find some way to help him rest in peace.

While the story brings to life an important period in American history, capturing the desperation of World War I and the fear of the flu epidemic, some of the other elements seems almost at war with themselves. Mary Shelley feels devoted to science and scientific understanding. She staunchly believes that the spiritualism craze is bogus and full of dishonest vendors taking advantage of families of war and flu victims.

She decries both the séance and the photographs of her with spirits, yet firmly believes in the encounters she has with Stephen’s ghost, and never really explores why she believes one and not the others, or whether other people may be able to contact spirits. Some of the scenes in which Stephen’s ghost visits Mary Shelley leave her longing for him and yet I found them creepy. I found it difficult to understand her fascination and longing for him, though her desire to see him at peace seemed noble.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild and infrequent.

Sexual Content
Mary Shelley experiences a visit from her lost love at night. The two grieve that they never had the opportunity to consummate their affection for one another, and begin to make out. No clothes are removed, but it’s a pretty intense scene.

Spiritual Content
During the early 1900s, many people were fascinated with contacting spirits of the dead. Mary Shelley participates in a séance, which she believes a hoax, until the ghost of her former lover contacts her. She sits for a photographer who claims to reveal spirits in his photographs. She does not believe in the authenticity of his practice. Still, she remains convinced that the ghost of Stephen will not be at rest until she understands how he died.

Violence
Brief references to a young man beating his brother. Many references to flu victims and their symptoms. Mary Shelley visits a veterans’ hospital and speaks with soldiers there. Various injuries are briefly described.

Drug Content
Mary Shelley hears rumors that Stephen’s brother is an opium addict.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Ten Books I Can’t Wait to Read

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy, Historical, Lists, Middle Grade 8-12, Sci-Fi, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , , ,

Outcasts by Jill Williamson

Release date: 1/7/14

Three brothers and a young girl fight for survival within the towering walls of the Safe Lands. Despite its name, the city is ravaged with disease and infested with corruption. Each brother follows a mission: to find a cure for the sick; to free the captives; to take down the Safe Lands in a rebellion.

The second in her Safe Lands series, Outcasts is quickly earning a reputation as an intense story set in a captivating world. As a fan of Williamson’s fantasy series, Blood of Kings, I’ve been eager to get lost in another story by this worthy author.

The Captive Maiden by Melanie Dickerson

Release date: 11/9/13

Lonely Gisela spends her days serving her stepmother and grasping at memories of a happier childhood. When a handsome Duke throw a grand ball, Gisela is determined to attend and to have one last glimpse of the beauty of her past.

Dickerson won my heart as a reader with her debut novel The Healer’s Apprentice, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The beautiful simplicity of the story and the lovely characters she creates are difficult to resist. I am eager to get my eyes on her latest happily ever after story, inspired by the familiar tale of Cinderella in The Captive Maiden.

 

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

Expected release date: 2/4/14

The third novel in the Lunar Chronicles series, Cress follows the story of a girl briefly mentioned in the series’ acclaimed story, Cinder. The story features unforgettable cast members, including Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf and the dreadful Queen Levana.

With Meyer’s gift for a perfect meld of sci-fi and fairy tales retold, this series is one not to miss. Cinder was a fabulous story and very clean content-wise. I’m very hopeful to find Cress to be another gem.

 

Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Expected release date: 2/25/14

The day of Lady Daylily’s wedding draws near. Unlike the princesses of fairy tales, she will wed not her true love, but his awkward and foolish cousin. Daylily has always been the dutiful daughter. This time, however, she rebels, disappearing into the legendary Wilderlands and the land of Faerie. Though not her true love, her betrothed pursues her into peril, determined to rescue her.

If you’ve followed my blog long, you’ll be familiar with this name. Stengl continually amazes me with her brilliant characters and sharp dialogue. She possesses an elusive ability to seamlessly draw symbolism into her stories without distracting from the tales. Shadow Hand revisits a fascinating character from an earlier novel in the Tales of Goldstone Wood called Veiled Rose. I can hardly wait until this one hits the shelves.

 

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Release date: 2/1/11

A young Japanese boy dreams of one day being a Samurai warrior It seems impossible, since he is the son of a fisherman. When he is stranded and then rescued by sailors on an American vessel, Manjiro begins a grand journey that will take him across the globe.

I stumbled upon this inspired-by-history novel on a rack of books for sale at the public library last summer and was immediately intrigued. My mother recently added it to her library, and has raved about the craftsmanship of the story and the power in its telling. I may have to snag this one as soon as she finishes the last page.

 

Stay Where You Are and Then Leave by John Boyne

Release date: 3/25/14

From the author who penned The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, an unforgettable tale of two boys who become unlikely friends during World War II comes an intriguing story about the son of a World War I soldier. His father promises not to go away, but then he leaves on a secret mission. Four years later, the boy discovers that his father is being treated in a local hospital. He vows to find his father and bring him home. I’m hopeful to find this novel every bit as engrossing and moving as Boyne’s WW II story.

 

 

Interrupted by Rachel Coker

Release date: 3/27/12

In the midst of the Great Depression, Allie’s whole life implodes. Her mother succumbs to illness and Allie is sent to a new family far away. Still lost in her grief, Allie isolates herself from the new family faces around her. The last person she hopes to see is the one she blames for her mother’s death, but her former best friend isn’t going to let Allie off so easily. Interrupted landed on my reading list when it was nominated as a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award.

 

 

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

Release date: 9/17/13

Henkes captured my household with his delightful children’s stories about two charming mice in Chrysanthemum and Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse. The quirky characters and layers of humor meant for adult and child alike made these oft-repeated bed-time tales. I was thrilled to see this book announced and can’t wait to see what glories he brings to middle grade fiction.

 

 

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Expected release date: 3/25/14

Piper scrapes out a meager existence by finding and selling scraps on Meteor Fields. When she finds a strange girl amidst the flotsam, she immediately recognizes the mark that changes everything. The girl’s arm bears the Mark of the Dragonfly, an emblem which means her return home will mean a payday to trump paydays for Piper, if she can just get there. Thus begins a grand adventure.

Something about the description of this book reminds me of the magical world created by Marissa Meyer in the Lunar Chronicles. Without having read the book, it’s difficult to say whether this is an accurate hunch. But two girls on a dangerous journey, one returning to the past and the other grasping at the only hope for her future… what’s not to like? I’m intrigued.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Release date: 5/20/09

This book may well turn out to be one of those good ones that somehow slipped past unnoticed. I’ve heard some buzz about it lately, and since it was first recommended to me by a friend, I’m more curious than ever to get into this story set in a world in which parents of a child who reaches the age of thirteen have the ability to choose whether to keep the child or to have them “unwound,” and essentially destroyed.

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Review: Secrets of the Realm by Bev Stout

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

Secrets of the Realm
Bev Stout
Published by Bev Stout
Published on April 28, 2013

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After her uncle’s death, Annie’s aunt blames and severely punishes her. Determined that life as a street urchin will be far better than survival beneath her cruel aunt, Annie runs away. She leaps at a chance to serve as a cabin boy aboard the Realm. If she is to last the voyage, Annie will have to conceal her gender and perform as well as any seasoned sailor. Some among the crew members are deeply superstitious and would not take kindly to a woman on board their vessel, not to mention the impropriety of such a thing in eighteenth century London.

Annie discovers she has friends in places she did not expect, and some are willing to go quite a distance to prepare a safer life for her. Annie wants nothing of the frills and restrictions of female life, especially now that she’s had a taste of the sea. But if her identity is discovered, will she have any choice over her future?

Though it begins a little roughly, the story quickly rights itself, launching into a great adventure at sea, peppered with memorable characters, moments of suspense and heartache. Readers will enjoy losing themselves in the rich tapestry of history. Secrets of the Realm is also available as an audiobook.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Brief battle scenes. No graphic details.

Drug Content
Some of the sailors drink to excess. Annie does not participate.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Review: City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by Tracy L. Higley

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Historical, New Adult 18up, , , , ,

City on Fire: A Novel of Pompeii
Tracy L. Higley
Thomas Nelson
Published September 24, 2013 (Originally published 2011)

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Ariella, a slave girl in service to a lustful, vicious master, finds her chance for escape during a secret celebration to honor Bacchus. Before she can flee the city, however, she is drawn to a young slave boy in a troupe of gladiators. His resemblance to her missing younger brother moves her heart, and she takes his place among the troupe members, setting him free. As a gladiator, she conceals her gender and hopes to make a name for herself, winning enough favor among the people to be rewarded with freedom.

Young Roman nobleman Cato escapes Rome following a bitter political defeat. He hopes to begin a new life in Pompeii as a wine merchant, but he finds his new home steeped in corruption. His determination to remain apart from politics is shattered when the vile city leader sets his eyes on Cato’s married sister and intends to take her as his mistress. Cato vows to protect her, and when he discovers the identity of a fierce young girl masquerading as a boy gladiator, he longs to keep her safe as well. An injured man and an urgent errand bring Cato and Ariella to the home and meeting place of a group of Christians. At first both are reluctant to become involved with the strange faith, but neither can deny the genuine warmth and peace the group’s members possess and how deeply they hunger for such peace. Before either of them can understand the spiritual hunger or find a way to pursue it, a powerful volcano reigns terror on Pompeii and its citizens, and Cato and Ariella must overcome great obstacles to find one another and their families and escape the city.

Higley has clearly done a monumental amount of research on Pompeii and her people, and many interesting cultural or historical tidbits are woven throughout the story, intermingled with fascinating characters and a beautiful landscape. For the most part, the plot is powerful and well-constructed, with only one weak spot: when Ariella has freedom within her grasp and she instead takes the place of a gladiator slave, it was hard to grasp why she would do this thing. The boy was not her brother, and surely if her deepest motivation was to find him, wouldn’t she have had a better chance to do so with her freedom? Despite this, City on Fire is a rich retelling of the story of a volcano and its wrath upon an ancient city, and a great pick for historical fiction fans. See Tracy Higley’s web site for more information on the research she used in her novel about Pompeii.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
References to aberrant sexual practices perpetrated by members of a cult who worship Bacchus. Descriptions are brief but creepy.

Spiritual Content
Ariella was captured and enslaved in Jerusalem, and after experiencing cruelty and abuse at the hands of her perverse master, she abandoned any hope or faith in God. The wealthy Roman Cato has always gone through the motions of worship to the Roman gods. When the two cross paths with a secret Christian group, their hearts are drawn to the strange, kind ways of the people and the whispers of a Presence to which they can’t deny being drawn.

Violence
As a slave, Ariella knew a cruel master. As a gladiator, she knows only violence as a means of survival. Details are brief, and she is usually spared from having to end the life of her opponent by the mercy of the games’ host. Some descriptions during the volcanic eruption are a little bit intense as well.

Drug Content
During cult celebrations, participants drink wine laced with an opiate.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires by Cathy Gohlke

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Historical, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires
Cathy Gohlke
Moody Publishers
Published September 1, 2008

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Prompted by a desperate letter from an estranged cousin in Virginia, Robert must put aside his plans to join the Yankee army and help his family. A visit to his uncle throws him by mistake into the middle of a prison escape. After he’s left for dead, an unexpected friend lends him a hand, further blurring the lines of Robert’s patriotic loyalty. As he and his new friend set out to find his family, Robert finds the journey to be harder than he ever imagined, and that the enemy he must confront has a different face than he first believed. If he is going to rescue his family, Robert knows it will take wrestling with more than just the enemies of war. And the results may not be of his own making.

I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires is the sequel to Gohlke’s Christy Award-winning William Henry is a Fine Name. The Civil War story tackles issues of loyalty, humanity, and faith through the eyes of an 18 year-old boy with family on both sides of the battle lines.

The writing is absolutely amazing– the kind of stuff that will stick with you long after you put the book down. If you enjoy historical fiction, particularly the Civil War era, you absolutely have to give this a read. I haven’t read William Henry, but I had no trouble following the plot and characters of I Have Seen Him in the Watchfires. I don’t think you have to read them in order, but if the first one is as good as this (and I’ve heard it is) then by all means, read both as I plan to do myself!

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None

Sexual Content
There are some oblique references to a rape that occurred before the story takes place.

Spiritual Content
Robert wrestles with his faith and the idea that God is in control, has a plan, and will take care of him.

Violent Content
Robert is bound during the prison escape. One character shoots another and threatens other lives before falling to death.

Drug Content
None

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