Best Historical Fiction

  The Cape Doctor recreates a most remarkable journey, inspired by the life of Dr. James Miranda Barry, a trailblazer of remarkable convictions, who studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, possible only to the disguise as a male. Early 1800’s: Margaret, with her mother, leaves Ireland for London, where her mother’s brother lives. The brother’s friend takes Margaret under his wing and gives her education. His library is claimed to be the best one in London; and it’s where she finds a book about the Practice of Midwifery. The brother’s friend recognizes Margaret’s gift for learning and suggests for Margaret to disguise herself as a boy in order to study medicine. Thus, Margaret becomes Jonathan Mirandus Perry. In Edinburgh, under the cover-up, she lacks the sense of belonging. She also recognizes that she would never be safe to linger in any place, thus she chooses to be a military surgeon. As a military surgeon, her post takes her to Cape Town in South Africa. A place...

  Beijing, 1839. Jiang Shi-Rong is a newly appointed secretary by the well-known official Lin, who has been given a mission of great importance by the emperor. All measures are to be taken to eradicate illegal opium, and Jiang is to help Lin achieve that. Calcutta, India. An English merchant, John Trader, is eager to get his foot into the trade with China. Many get rich quickly by supplying China with opium in exchange for tea. When John arrives in Canton region, where foreign merchants are allowed to trade, he arrives right at the time, when Chinese officials are cracking down on illegal trade. The first Opium War sets the events for this story, where in the Canton region we meet the first array of characters, including a young woman struggling with the rigid traditions of China. Mei-Ling lives with her in-laws where strict rules are imposed by her mother-in-law. Mei-Ling knows she needs to give birth to a boy, otherwise she may never see her baby-girl, and she knows the rumors wh...

  A Ballad of Love and Glory is inspired by actual events and explores the conflicting meanings of courage and loyalty. Gulf of Mexico, 1846. Ximena, for eight months, has been hearing rumors of war between US and Mexico, after the Republic of Texas became the twenty-eighth state in the Union, thus leading to a dispute over this strip of land between the Rio Grande and the Rio Nueces. As long as they remain away from her and don’t disrupt her daily life, then life feels normal. But things change when her husband dies from the hands of Texas Rangers and she sees a deserter risking his life and fighting for her country. She feels as she needs to contribute to the same cause by caring for soldiers with her gift of healing. Fort Texas, Rio Grande. John Riley has been enlisted for seven months during which time he’s seen his Irish countrymen suffer all manner of punishments at the hands of the Yankee officers. As Yankee’s ambition grows to capture the Mexico’s northern lands such as Upp...

 Booth reimagines complex lives of a very talented family of stage actors and the family behind one of the most infamous figures in American history: John Wilkes Booth. In 1822, after a short courtship, Mary Ann agrees to follow Junius to America. They settle in a cabin outside Baltimore. Junius, as a celebrated Shakespearean actor, is gone 9 months of every year, leaving the growing family in the hands of Mary Ann. The story begins with Rosalie, the oldest daughter, who relates the family events, while setting the stage for the historical background. Her father leases some slaves, but besides paying the lease, he also pays the wages as he believes that every human being should be paid for the labor. In May 1838, the ninth child is born and is named John Wilkes. Instead of leaving a legacy for who he was - a noted actor from a prominent theatrical family, he stains his name with his own action. Two years later, after the tenth child is born, the family trades the farm life for the ...

  The Great Passion beautifully imagines a story behind Bach’s writing of the St. Matthew Passion. It explores grief and music, and how music helps to cope with grief - in this case resulting in a masterpiece of musical composition. In 1727, after the passing of his mother, thirteen-year-old Stefan Silbermann is sent by his father to Leipzig to sing and learn the organ and work with proper musicians. At school, Stefan continues to be grief-stricken. He is homesick and with his red hair he is a target of teasing. Later with his angelic voice and favoritism shown by the school’s cantor, John Sebastian Bach, Stefan becomes also a target of bullying. Bach’s family takes Stefan under their wing. They show him love which he knew from his mother, but was missing from his father. No matter how crowded Bach’s house is, there is always room for love and showing kindness and charity. The love of Bach’s family shines throughout this story. As they prepare for the performance of the Passion, th...