History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

The Mysterious Life of Mrs. Nixson: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady Author: Heath Hardage Lee Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 403 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: A new, revolutionary look into the brilliant life of Pat Nixon.        In America’s collective consciousness, Pat Nixon has long been perceived as enigmatic. She was voted “Most Admired Woman in the World” in 1972 and made Gallup Poll’s top ten list of most admired women fourteen times. She survived the turmoil of the Watergate scandal with her popularity and dignity intact. The real Pat Nixon, however, bore little resemblance to the woman so often described as elusive, mysterious and “plastic” in the press. Pat married Richard Nixon in June of 1940. As the couple rose to prominence, Pat became Second Lady from 1953-1961 and then First Lady from 1969-1974...

The Girl from Botany Bay Author: Carolly Erickson  Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Trade Paper Books Book Release Date: 2008 Pages: 252 Source: Personal Collection  Synopsis: On a moonless night in the early 1790s, prisoner Mary Bryant, her husband William, her two small children, and seven other convicts stole a twenty-foot longboat and slipped noiselessly out of Sydney Cove, Australia, eluding their captors. They sailed north, all the way to Indonesia, traveling some thirty-six hundred treacherous miles in ten weeks—an incredible feat of seamanship. For a time, Mary and her companions were able to convince the local Dutch colonial authorities that they were survivors of a shipwreck, but eventually the truth emerged and they found themselves back in captivity, in irons, on their way to England for execution.       In time, Mary's fateful journey would win her tremendous admiration. A woman once reviled as a criminal w...

A Song to Drown Rivers Author: Ann Liang Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy  Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 327 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic novel steeped in myth about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds as the fate of two kingdoms hangs in a delicate balance.       Her beauty hides a deadly purpose.       Xishi’s beauty is seen as a blessing to the villagers of Yue—convinced that the best fate for a girl is to marry well and support her family. When Xishi draws the attention of the famous young military advisor, Fanli, he presents her with a rare opportunity: to use her beauty as a weapon. One that could topple the rival neighboring kingdom of Wu, improve the lives of her people, and avenge her sister’s murder. All ...

The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt Author: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography  Publisher: Basic Books Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 353 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The definitive story of the seven Cleopatras, the powerful goddess-queens of ancient Egypt.         One of history’s most iconic figures, Cleopatra is rightly remembered as a clever and charismatic ruler. But few today realize that she was the last in a long line of Egyptian queens who bore that name.               In The Cleopatras , historian Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones tells the dramatic story of these seven incomparable women, vividly recapturing the lost world of Hellenistic Egypt and tracing the kingdom’s final centuries before its fall to Rome. The Cleopatras were Greek-speaking descendants of Ptolemy, the general who conquered Egypt alongside Alexander th...

  Priestess of Avalon (Avalon #4) Author: Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson  Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Publisher: Ace Release Date: 2008 Pages: 418 Source: Personal Collection Synopsis: In the long-awaited return to Avalon by the beloved author of The Mists of Avalon and her collaborator, bestselling author Diana L. Paxson, Marion Zimmer Bradley fuses myth, magic and romance in a spectacular unfolding of one woman's role in the making of history and spirit...        My Review: Priestess of Avalon is the prequel to The Mists of Avalon . It follows the life of Helena Augusta, the mother of Emperor Constantine. In Priestess of Avalon , Helena is a British princess called Eilan. She trains to be a priestess of Avalon. Eilan eventually learns that she is destined to give birth to a child who will change the world. Therefore, Eilan walks a journey that no priestess of Avalon has ever walked before.      Eilan ...

She Who Rides Horses: A Saga of the Ancient Steppe (Book One) by Sarah V. Barnes Category :  Adult Fiction (18+),  267 pages Genre : Historical Fiction  Publisher :   Lilith House Press   Release date:    March 2022 Content Rating :  PG.  It   contains two kissing scenes and the death of an animal. Book Description:      Set more than 6,000 years ago,  She Who Rides Horses: A Saga of the Ancient Steppe (Book One)  begins the story of Naya, the first person to ride a horse.      Daughter of a clan chief, bolder than other girls but shunned by the boys because of her unusual appearance, Naya wanders alone through the vast grasslands where her people herd cattle and hunt wild horses for their meat. But Naya dreams of creating a different kind of relationship with the magnificent creatures.     One day, she discovers a filly with a chestnut coat as uncommon as her own head of r...

Bronze Drum Author: Phong Nguyen Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Grand Central Publishing Release Date: 2022 Pages: 402 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In 40 CE, in the Au Lac region of ancient Vietnam, two daughters of a Vietnamese Lord fill their days training, studying, and trying to stay true to Vietnamese traditions. While Trung Trac is disciplined and wise, always excelling in her duty, Trung Nhi is fierce and free spirited, more concerned with spending time in the gardens and with lovers.      But these sister's lives—and the lives of their people—are shadowed by the oppressive rule of the Han Chinese. They are forced to adopt Confucian teachings, secure marriages, and pay ever‑increasing taxes. As the peoples' frustration boils over, the country comes ever closer to the edge of war.      When Trung Trac and Trung Nhi's father is executed, their world comes crashing down around them. Wi...

Bride of the Buddha Author: Barbara McHugh, Ph.D. Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Monkfish Book Publishing Release Date: 2021 Pages: 294 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: This is the story of Yasodhara, the abandoned wife of the Buddha. Facing society’s challenges, she transforms her rage into devotion to the path of liberation. The page-turner about a woman’s struggle in an unapologetic religious patriarchy, Bride of the Buddha offers a penetrating perspective on the milieu of the Buddha.       My Review: Bride of the Budddha tells the story of Buddha’s abandoned wife. Yashodhara marries Prince Siddhartha. He abandons her and their son to search for enlightenment. Wanting to find her own quest for enlightenment, Yashodhara disguises herself as a man and joins her husband’s monastery. She becomes his disciple known as Ananda and is his closest confidant. Ananda persuaded him to allow women into the order to help spread...