History from a Woman's Perspective- A Book Blog

Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business  Author: Dolly Parton Genre: Nonfiction, History, Autobiography & Memoir Publisher: HarperCollins  Book Release Date: 1994 Pages: 352 Source: Borrowed Synopsis: The successful country singer reveals her life since leaving home at the age of eighteen to pursue a singing career, while discussing her personal philosophies, her marriage, her friendships, and achievements.             My Review: Dolly Parton was one of America’s most beloved stars. Her death caused many people across the country to mourn her. Even Nashville International Airport is remaining their airport in her honor. She was the co-owner of Dollywood and founded the non-profit organization, Imagination Library. In this autobiography, Dolly Parton tells the story of her success. She tells of her childhood growing up poor in the Smoky Mountains. She also talks about how she got started into show business and became a hu...

Gershwin’s Bess Author: Lisa K. Winkler Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: Atmosphere Press Book Release Date: June 9, 2026 Pages: 328 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: From Baltimore to New York City, soprano Anne Wiggins Brown refuses to be silenced. Encouraged by her mother and undeterred by a father who insists on “sensible” ambitions, Anne pursues her passion for opera amid heartbreak, prejudice, and the trials of the world in the late 1920s–1930s.        In Gershwin’s Bess , Anne perseveres and navigates the competitive world of Juilliard, a failed marriage, and the racism that denies her access to traditional stages. George Gershwin’s plans to write an opera starring all “Negroes” present an opportunity she can’t afford to lose. From her first audition to opening night two years later, she becomes an integral part in the creative process, singing melodies and lyrics as Gershwin writes them. When Anne lands...

Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp Author: Michelle Moran Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Dell  Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 311 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Maria von Trapp. You know the name and the iconic songs, but do you know her real story? This dramatic novel, based on the woman glamorized in The Sound of Music , brings Maria to life as never before.        In the 1950s, Oscar Hammerstein is asked to write the lyrics to a musical based on the life of a woman named Maria von Trapp. He’s intrigued to learn that she was once a novice who hoped to live quietly as an Austrian nun before her abbey sent her away to teach a widowed baron’s sickly child. What should have been a ten-month assignment, however, unexpectedly turned into a marriage proposal. And when the family was forced to flee their home to escape the Nazis, it was Maria who instructed them on how to survive using nothing but the p...

  Tayvie’s Story (A Sparrow Alone #3) Author: Mim  Eichmann Genre: Historical Fiction  Publisher: Living Springs Publishers Publication Date: 2024 Pages: 355 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Chicago, IL – December 1923        Terrified, racing from an irate shopkeeper who has accused her of stealing, her comatose mother sprawled in a dark hallway, four-year-old Tayvie Jackson falls asleep while hiding in a car. Hours later, Tayvie, who understands almost no English, awakens many miles from a home she barely knew. Forced to live with deceitful relatives during the Depression in the Jim Crow south, Tayvie and her adopted mother later escape, hoping to build on young Tayvie’s fledgling career as a jazz singer.        In 1938, Tayvie innocently signs a six-month contract to appear at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Almost immediately, distorted allegations erupt surroundin...

  Can’t We Be Friends: A Novel of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe  Author: Denny S Bryce and Eliza Knight Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 386 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: Award-winning author Denny S. Bryce and USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight collaborate on a brilliant novel that uncovers the boundary-breaking, genuine friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz, and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe.  One woman was recognized as the premiere singer of her era with perfect pitch and tireless ambition.        One woman was the most glamorous star in Hollywood, a sex symbol who took the world by storm.        And their friendship was fast and firm…      1952: Ella Fitzgerald is a renowned jazz singer whose only roadblock to longevity is society’s attitud...

American Daughters Author: Piper Huguley Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks Book Release Date: 2024 Pages: 356 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In the vein of America’s First Daughter , Piper Huguley’s historical novel delves into the remarkable friendship of Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, the daughters of educator Booker T. Washington and President Teddy Roosevelt.       At the turn of the twentieth century, in a time of great change, two women—separated by societal status and culture but bound by their expected roles as the daughters of famed statesmen—forged a lifelong friendship.        Portia Washington’s father Booker T. Washington was formerly enslaved and spent his life championing the empowerment of Black Americans through his school, known popularly as Tuskegee Institute, as well as his political connections. Dedicated to her father’s valu...

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SHATTERED MIDNIGHT by Dhonielle Clayton Blog Tour hosted by  Rockstar Book Tours . Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!   About The Book: Title:   SHATTERED MIDNIGHT (The Mirror #2) Author:  Dhonielle Clayton Pub. Date:  January 18, 2022 Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion Formats:  Hardcover, eBook, audiobook Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy Pages:  304 Source: This book was given to me by Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Find it:   Goodreads ,  Amazon , Kindle ,   Audible ,  B&N ,  iBooks , Kobo ,  TBD , Bookshop.org Synopsis : The Mirror: Shattered Midnight is the second novel in the innovative four-book fairy-tale series written by Julie C. Dao, Dhonielle Clayton, J.C. Cervantes, and L. L. McKinney, following one family over several generations, and the curse that plagues it.      Zora Broussard has...