History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Martha Washington: An American Life Author: Patricia Brady Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Penguin Books Publication Date: 2006 Pages: 280 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: With this revelatory and painstakingly researched book, Martha Washington, the invisible woman of American history, at last gets the biography she deserves.          In place of the domestic frump of popular imagination, Patricia Brady resurrects the wealthy, attractive, and vivacious young widow who captivated the youthful George Washington. Here are the able landowner, the indomitable patriot (who faithfully joined her husband each winter at Valley Forge), and the shrewd diplomat and emotional mainstay. And even as it brings Martha Washington into sharper and more accurate focus, this sterling life sheds light on her marriage, her society, and the precedents she established for future First Ladies.        My Revie...

Death Was Not on the Guest List Author: Jenni L. Walsh Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Book Release Date: June 16, 2026 Pages: 262 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh comes a witty Jazz Age mystery where rivalry, ambition, and deceit glitter under every chandelier…and no one gets out until the killer is unmasked.      In Chicago’s Gold Coast district, twenty of the city’s most glamorous socialites gather for a charity whist drive at the Bellevue House mansion. Brightest among them are Ginevra King Mitchell and Edith Cummings, real-life debutantes who inspired Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby .       But when their sharp-tongued hostess turns up dead and a blizzard traps everyone inside, suspicion and gossip give way to fear. After all, one guest has a habit of burying husbands, an...

  The Stolen Queen Author: Fiona Davis  Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense Publisher: Dutton Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 349 Source: Netgalley/ Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.       Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. That is until an unbearable tragedy strikes.        New York City, 1978: Nineteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.”  ...

Sarah Siddons: The First Celebrity Actress Author: Jo Willett Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Pen and Sword History  Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 224 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Sarah Siddons rose from a poor, traveling actor to Britain's greatest tragic actress by overcoming early career failures, becoming a superstar by her 30s, and skillfully managing her image and reputation in the eighteenth century.        Sarah Siddons grew up as a member of a family troupe of travelling actors, always poor and often hungry, resorting to foraging for turnips to eat. But before she was 30 she had become a superstar, her fees greater than any actor - male or female - had previously achieved.        Her rise was not easy. Her London debut, aged just 20, was a disaster and could have condemned her to poverty and anonymity. But the young actress – already a mo...

Sonora Author: Jenni L. Walsh  Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Harper Muse Book Release Date: 2025 Pages: 400 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Inspired by a true story of one of the first female horse divers, Sonora explores a world of daring feats and extraordinary adventures set in the heyday of the American carnival scene.        Sonora Webster is penniless but plucky, and despite the looming Great Depression, she follows her wanderlust, answering an advert to dive with horses. Little does she know that she is about to be thrust into a world teeming with danger, excitement, and fierce competition.        As Sonora delves into the cutthroat world of show business, complete with trapeze aerial acts and juggling bears, her undeniable talent and unwavering dedication propel her into the limelight, making her a sensation, and after marrying the show runner, her en...

T he Windsor Affair Author: Melanie Benjamin  Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Dell Book Release Date: June 2, 2026 Pages: 370 Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A scandalous affair. A power struggle for the throne. A sensational rivalry between an English queen and an American social climber. In this electrifying novel, the New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue tells the story of the Abdication of Edward VIII—and the two women at the center of it all.       Feuding Windsor brothers and their wives—some things, it seems, never change. The Windsor Affair recreates the cataclysmic events that nearly toppled the monarchy and incited the power struggle between Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Wallis Simpson. Told from the perspective of both women, the novel propels readers into the fabulous world of the debonair Prince of Wales, café society of the 1930s, and the glittering private lives ...