Best Historical Fiction

 Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a French painter and founder of a new movement called Impressionism derived from the title of his painting Impression, which was exhibited in 1874 in the first of the independent exhibitions mounted by Monet and his associates. This story starts with him at the age of 17. He is failing at school and getting estranged from his father. What makes sense to him at this point is to take an older painter’s offer of Eugene Boudin and study painting with him. Hid dream of being caricaturist has to be put on hold. The same summer his mother passes away and he throws himself at painting with Boudin for the next three years.  He continues his art schooling in Paris. There, he meets Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne, and Edouard Manet. The last one “was the only one of them who had already gained some public recognition.” When he needs to clear his head, he goes for a walk by the River Seine. One day, while on his walk he decides to enter a bookshop. There he sees ...

Judith Leyster (1609-1660) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. She was one of the first two women to be admitted to the prestigious Haarlem artist’s guild as it is not clear who was the first woman (some sources point to Sara van Baalbergen). “She was the only woman who attained master status and operated her own workshop in the city at that time. (…) The limited contemporary documentation on her life makes it difficult to know much about her training and career.” “Judith likely studied in Frans de Grebber’s workshop – quite possibly because he had a daughter a few years older who also painted.” Therefore, the author invented the friendship between Judith and Maria. The story starts with Judith being apprenticed at Frans de Grebber, where she is best friends with his daughter Maria. At the age of 24, she dreams about having her own workshop, working on her own commissions, but she cannot do this unless she is a member of the guild. She applies to be admitted to the artist’s guild as ...

The book weaves a story of the first renowned female artist of the Renaissance, Sofonisba Anguissola. She is given an honor to learn from Michaelangelo, where at his studio she meets a young artist Tiberio Calcagni. Their love story is very brief.  An event occurs sending Sofonisba back home, where she gets a request to become a lady-in-waiting and painting instructor to young bride, Elisabeth, to King Felipe II of Spain. Until the moment, when she arrives at the Spanish court the story is about her. Once at the Spanish court the story turns to be the story of the young Spanish Queen rather than the artist.  Overall, the story is interesting and well-written. The book is written in the first-person and the thoughts of the artist are very vivid. @Facebook/BestHistoricalFiction

 This story is set during a period of Inquisition and intolerance, 14th century, when new ideas are considered heresy and the era, which is best illustrated by the development of papermaking from Moorish to Christian Spain and through the rest of Europe.  It is believed by some that papermaking advanced by heretical sects who needed cheap writing materials for their secret studies.  In the Middle Ages, Narbonne in France was known as a secluded place from heresy, while the rest of the Spain was surrounded by Inquisition.  This turbulent period of prosecution and intolerance brings a story of a young mute woman, Auda, who is skilled in written word. She lives in Narbonne with her father who is a scribe. He arranges for her to be a scribe as well to a noble lady. “Better the safety of the Vicomtesse than to trust in a stranger whose motives we don’t know" (better safety than arranged marriage).  The paper they use for their scribes and what they write leads them...