Best Historical Fiction

 The Korean island of Jeju is known for haenyeo – all-female diving collective. And that’s what this story brings. It is immersed in rich culture, where roles of men and women are reversed: women being providers and men taking care of the children and household.  The story begins in early 1930s with two young girls. Young-sook with her mother and grandmother support the family, while the father takes care of the younger siblings. Mi-ja loses both her parents and lives with her aunt and uncle, who mistreat her. To mollify her hunger, she steals potatoes on the fields of Young-sook’s family. She gets caught by the mother, who realizes girl’s hunger. The mother lets Mi-ja work along them in order to earn her share of food.  Thus, begins the friendship of both girls. One has rich imagination; the other is skillful in knitting and tending work required for livelihood.  Mi-ja used to live in the Jeju City. So she is familiar with electricity, lights, radio, car...

 Bartolomeo Scappi (1500-1577) was a legendary Italian chef to several popes and author of one of the bestselling cookbooks of all time. Not much is known about him. The known facts, such as him dedicating his cookbook to his nephew and apprentice, Giovanni Brioschi, and bequeathing some jewelry to a sister named Catherina, are incorporated into the story. And all the popes he worked for and are involved in this story are true. After the death of Bartolomeo in 1577 Rome, his nephew discovers Bartolomeo’s story through the letters from a woman named Stella and through Bartolomeo’s journals. Bartolomeo’s journal begins in 1525 Venice. At the age of 18, he begins his humble journey in the kitchen, working for Cardinal Grimani. In 1528, he meets “the most beautiful girl in the world.” She is of noble birth. Therefore, he can’t have her, but he can make her long for the food he makes. His creativity in the kitchen arises. When Stella gets married to cardinal’s brother and move...

 This novel brings a fictional character of Dr. Viktor Kosarek, who introduces his sedative-aided hypnosis therapy to his patients to find the Devil Aspect in human psychology. While he works on his cases, the folk myths, superstition and legends of Easter Europe come out. 1935, Prague, Czechoslovakia Dr. Viktor Kosarek, 29 years old, just recently was an intern at Bohnice Asylum. Now, he has taken a new position at Hrad Orlu Asylum for the Criminally Insane. A place known for confining murderers known as the Devil’s Six. As he travels to his new post outside Prague, on the train he meets an archeologist who reveals to him the story of the Neolithic hill fort on which the castle was built and of the network of caves. Now, the castle is an asylum holding the most extreme cases in Europe. When he arrives at the city of Mlada Boleslav, the nearest major settlement to the castle, the culture aspect of two languages is being revealed: Czech and German. At the castle, he meets Ju...

 The story is set during the Colombia’s Civil War, fought between governments and far-left guerrillas. The author was inspired by a tapestry and other pieces including a banner with the slogan: “No more war! No more hate! No more blood!” while attending the Peace Communities Arts and Crafts. The artists were women, “led by Maria Teresa Giraldo, who created the Eastern Antioquia Peace Community. Its members are mothers, wives, and daughters committed to the cause of ending the war and getting their men back.” They armed themselves with posters, “burst into the middle of the combat zone carrying flags and chanting: “No more war! No more hate! No more blood!” The story is presented through three women, opening in the early 1980s. Mariate, 15 year old, gives birth to her baby Miguel Angel in prison. She was arrested for weapon possession, which she wasn’t aware off until the day it was discovered at her house, at the bottom of a trunk hidden by her boyfriend, Julian – a guerrilla...