History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Clytemnestra’s Bind (The House of Atreus #1) Author: Susan C. Wilson  Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy  Publisher: Neem Tree Books Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 288 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review  Synopsis: Clytemnestra’s Bind is a bold and brutal first-person retelling that redefines her story, unveiling the untold depths of her soul and the legacy she forged as a mother, wife, and queen.      Queen Clytemnestra's world shatters when Agamemnon, a rival to the throne of Mycenae, storms her palace, destroys her family and claims not only the throne but Clytemnestra herself. Tormented by her loss, she vows to do all she can to protect the children born from her unhappy marriage to him. But when her husband casts his ruthless gaze towards the wealthy citadel of Troy, his ambitions threaten to once more destroy the family Clytemnestra loves.      From one of Greek mythology's most reviled chara...

  The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of the Bondwoman’s Narrative Author: Gregg Hecimovich Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography  Publisher: Ecco Release Date: 2023 Pages: 430 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A groundbreaking study of the first Black female novelist and her life as an enslaved woman, from the biographer who solved the mystery of her identity, with a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr.       In 1857, a woman escaped enslavement on a North Carolina plantation and fled to a farm in New York. In hiding, she worked on a manuscript that would make her famous long after her death. The novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative, was first published in 2002 to great acclaim, but the author’s identity remained unknown. Over a decade later, Professor Gregg Hecimovich unraveled the mystery of the author’s name and, in The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, hefinally tells her story.   ...

Pure Wit: The Revolutionary Life of Margaret Cavendish Author: Francesca Peacock Genre: History, Nonfiction, Biography  Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication Date: 2023 Pages: 358 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review.  Synopsis: A biography of the remarkable—and in her time scandalous—seventeenth-century writer Margaret Cavendish, who pioneered the science fiction novel.       "My ambition is not only to be Empress, but Authoress of a whole world."—Margaret Cavendish       Margaret Cavendish, then Lucas, was born in 1623 to an aristocratic family. In 1644, as England descended into civil war, she joined the court of the formidable Queen Henrietta Maria at Oxford. With the rest of the court she went into self-imposed exile in France. Her family's wealth and lands were forfeited by Parliament. It was in France that she met her partner, William Cavendish, Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a marriage that...

The Last Masterpiece: A Novel of World War II Italy Author: Laura Morelli Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Publishing  Release Date: 2023 Pages: 404 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In a race across Nazi-occupied Italy, two women—a German photographer and an American stenographer—hunt for priceless masterpieces looted from the Florentine art collections.       In the summer of 1943, Eva Brunner is taking photographs of Nazi-looted art hidden in the salt mines of the Austrian hinterland. Across the ocean in Connecticut, Josephine Evans is working as a humble typist at the Yale Art Gallery. When both women are called to Italy to contribute to the war effort, neither imagines she will hold the fate of some of the world’s greatest masterpieces torn from the Uffizi Galleries and other Florentine art collections in her hands. But as Italy turns from ally to enemy and Hitler’s plan to destroy irreplace...

From Dust to Stardust  Author: Kathleen Rooney Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing Release Date: 2023 Pages: 279 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis:  From the bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk comes a novel about Hollywood, the cost of stardom, and selfless second acts, inspired by an extraordinary true story.       Chicago, 1916. Doreen O’Dare is fourteen years old when she hops a Hollywood-bound train with her beloved Irish grandmother. Within a decade, her trademark bob and insouciant charm make her the preeminent movie flapper of the Jazz Age. But her success story masks one of relentless ambition, tragedy, and the secrets of a dangerous marriage.       Her professional life in flux, Doreen trades one dream for another. She pours her wealth and creative energy into a singular achievement: the construction of a one-ton miniature Fairy Cast...

The Orchid Hour Author: Nancy Bilyeau Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery & Suspense  Publisher: Lume Books Historical Fiction Release Date: 2023 Pages: 320 Source: Netgalley/ Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Nancy Bilyeau, author of The Blue , returns with a tantalizing novel about one woman caught up in a secret nightclub that one can only reach through a certain florist on a cobblestone street.       New York City, 1923. Zia De Luca’s life is about to be shattered.      Having lost her husband to The Great War, she lives with her in-laws in Little Italy and works at the public library.       But when a quiet poetry-lover is murdered outside the library, the police investigation focuses on Zia.       After a second tragedy strikes even closer to home, Zia learns that both crimes are connected to a new speakeasy in Greenwich Village called The ...

  An American Beauty: A Novel of the Gilded Age Author: Shana Abe Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Kensington Books Release Date: 386 Source: Netgalley/ Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor returns with a spellbinding new book perfect for fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age and readers of Marie Benedict, Karen Harper, and Allison Pataki. This sweeping novel of historical fiction is inspired by the true rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington—a woman whose great beauty was surpassed only by her exceptional business acumen, grit, and artistic eye, and who defied the constraints of her era to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.      1867, Richmond, Virginia: Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham’s gambling parlor, Arabella stands apart. It’s not merely her statuesque beauty and practiced charm. Even ...

Out of Avalon: An Anthology of Old Magic and New Myths Author: Jennifer Roberson (editor) Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Anthology  Publisher: ROC  Release Date: 2001 Pages: 336 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: Where Magic Was Born and Legend Lives On…      Avalon. Mist-shrouded, wrapped in magic. The legendary island of the Goddess, resting place of Arthur. This mystical island’s legacy has remained strong over the centuries, becoming a symbol of hope and wonder.       Out of Avalon presents fifteen original stories of magic, adventure, and romance from an era lost to history—yet always remembered by those with imagination…      My Review: The legend of King Arthur is one of the most enduring literature of all time. This anthology pays homage to the King Arthur legend by creating fifteen original stories based on the tales. Most of the stories are told from a female perspective. The my...