History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

The American Queen Author: Vanessa Miller Genre: Historical Fiction, Christian  Publisher: Thomas Nelson Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 366 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865 - 1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom in Appalachia as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life.        Over the twenty-four years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there's no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.        But when William finally listens to Louella's ple...

  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.   ...

Marmee: A Novel of Little Women Author: Sarah Miller Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Release Date: 2022 Pages: 427 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From the author of Caroline, a revealing retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s beloved Little Women , from the perspective of Margaret “Marmee” March, about the larger real-world challenges behind the cozy domestic concerns cherished by generations of readers.       In 1861, war is raging in the South, but in Concord, Massachusetts, Margaret March has her own battles to fight. With her husband serving as an army chaplain, the comfort and security of Margaret’s four daughters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—now rest on her shoulders alone. Money is tight and every month, her husband sends less and less of his salary with no explanation. Worst of all, Margaret harbors the secret that these financial hardships are largely her fault, thanks to a disastrous mistake made over ...

  John Brown’s Women Author: Susan Higginbotham Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Onslow Press Release Date: 2021 Pages: 374 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: As the United States wrestles with its besetting sin—slavery—abolitionist John Brown is growing tired of talk. He takes actions that will propel the nation toward civil war and thrust three courageous women into history.      Wealthy Brown, married to John Brown's oldest son, eagerly falls in with her husband's plan to settle in Kansas. Amid clashes between pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, Wealthy's adventure turns into madness, mayhem, and murder.      Fifteen-year-old Annie Brown is thrilled when her father summons her to the farm he has rented in preparation for his raid. There, she guards her father's secrets while risking her heart.      Mary Brown never expected to be the wife of John Brown, much les...

This Side of The River: A Novel Author: Jeffrey Stayton Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Nautilus Release Date: February 15, 2015 Pages: 256 Source: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: At the end of the Civil War, a group of young, angry Confederate widows band together, take up arms, and march north to Ohio intent to burn down the home of General William Tecumseh Sherman.       My review: A group of Confederate widows are filled with hatred  against General Sherman for what his army had done to them. In order to satisfy their lust for revenge, they get together, grab their guns, and march north to Ohio to burn down General Sherman’s home. Their chosen ringleader is Captain Cat Harvey, a Texas Ranger with a dark side. When the widows start to see Cat Harvey’s sinister side, they soon begin to wonder what price they have to pay for their common cause.      The story is told from many poin...

I Shall Be Near To You: A Novel Author: Erin Lindsay McCabe Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Crown Publishers Release Date: 2014 Pages: 320 Source: This book was given to me as part of the TLC Book Tour in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: An extraordinary novel about a strong-willed woman who disguises herself as a man in order to fight beside her husband in the Union Army, inspired by the letters of a remarkable female soldier who fought in the Civil War.      Rosetta doesn't want her new husband, Jeremiah to enlist, but he joins up, hoping to make enough money that they'll be able to afford their own farm someday. Though she's always worked by her father’s side as the son he never had, now that Rosetta is a wife she's told her place is inside with the other women. But Rosetta decides her true place is with Jeremiah, no matter what that means, and to be with him she cuts off her hair, hems an old pair of his pants, and signs up as a Union soldier. ...

Hometown Heroines: True Stories of Bravery, Daring & Adventure Author: Betty Bolte Genre: Historical Fiction Nonfiction, History, Biography, Short Story Collection Publisher: Epublishing Works! Release Date: 2012 Pages: 190 Source: My State Public Library Synopsis: Did you know that girls and young women made a difference in Americas history?  During the 1800s, many girls helped America grow bigger and better, yet are missing from many history books.  Virginia Reed, at 12, survived the trek to California with the Donner Party. Joanna Troutman, at 17, created the first Texas flag.  Belle Boyd risked her life to spy for the Rebels during the Civil War.  Grace Bedell wrote a letter to Abraham Lincoln that changed the way he faced the nation.  Kate Shelley, at 15, crawled across a high trestle in a ferocious thunderstorm to stop the next train from falling through a washed-out bridge.  A young teacher, Minnie Freeman led her 17 students...

The Treason of Mary Louvestre Author: My Haley Genre:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Koehler Books Release Date: 2013 Pages: 338 Source: This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From the widow and collaborator of Alex Haley, award-winning author of Roots , comes a new American epic from the Civil War. The Treason of Mary Louvestre is based on the true story of a seamstress slave from the Confederate town of Norfolk, Virginia. When her owner gets involved with modifications to the ironclad CSS Virginia, Mary copies the plans and sets out to commit treason against the South. Facing certain death as a spy if caught, she treks two hundred miles during the bitter winter of 1862 to reach the office of Union Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, where she hands over the plans. Mary's act of bravery is ably told by Haley, using a rich narrative and characters drawn from that pinnacle era of American history. First there was Roots , now t...