Tag: Historical Fiction

A Melancholic Tale of Immigration and Resilience

Sing, Wild Bird, Sing carries a thread of melancholy as it weaves a journey that begins and ends in America, with glimpses of Ireland in between. At its heart is Honora, a woman who escapes poverty in Ireland to seek a new life in the U.S.—a story shared by countless immigrants.

Honora, both the protagonist and narrator, is not an easy person to love at first. She has built a hard shell around herself, a shield forged by hardship and survival. But as her layers slowly peel away, her resilience and yearning become clear. I found myself rooting for her, wanting her to soar, unburdened, like the wild bird in the title.

“Look for the one who sees the blessing.”

“The people you have been, they are ghosts, now, Honora, she told herself. Let them go. Set them free, and concern yourself only with going on, from now on.”

The novel also draws fascinating parallels between the struggles of Irish immigrants and the experiences of Native Americans in the mid-1800s, adding depth to its historical perspective. A compelling read for fans of American historical fiction.

Where Waters Meet

This is the author’s first book in English, and I believe she has added richness to the language through her writing: “Auntie Mei dispensed the truth sparingly, as if it were a tube of toothpaste.” What a great way to describe someone who is used to a life of hardship when even toothpaste was a luxury.

This is the story of a mother and daughter, spanning China and Canada, and moving between the present and the past. We learn about the daughter’s sacrifices early in the book. The mother’s sacrifices, however, are revealed as the story unfolds, with the biggest revelation saved for the end.

The bottle the daughter finds in her mother’s memory box—what a shocking story lies behind it. And the photo of Meng Long… I loved how the author reveals this story piece by piece.

“For himself, the last bullet”—this quote appears early in the book, and only later do we discover the circumstances under which it occurred.

We have to wait until the very end to get to the bottom of the toothpaste. Recommend for fans of historical fiction who enjoy a slowly unfolding drama.

Dark and twisted

This book reminded me of the Lord of the Flies, another novel filled with unsympathetic characters. This is a dark book, and our protagonist Alys is selfish and cruel, a hard person to root for.

Alys is only sixteen for most of the story, and some of her sense of survival is understandable. I turned the pages like I was reading a horror novel, afraid of what mad scheme Aly would embark on next to save her skin.

The novel, set in the Henry VIII Tudor period, highlights how little power women had in those times, pitting them against one another to win the favor of the lord of the castle. It was a difficult time to be a Wise Woman.

Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

This is the first book of Philippa Gregory I read, and it will definitely not be my last. Based on the true story of the Boleyn Siblings, the author weaves a masterful tale, gripping from start to finish.

Some of Philippa Gregory’s readers go on to read my books, and I understand why. Our books depict royal intrigue, a world where women are powerless unless a man bestows them with it. In these historical times, women were like the moon with no light of their own. However brightly they shined, it was a reflection of a man’s power.

In The Other Boleyn Girl, the lack of a male heir plays a central role, and this is a recurring subject in my trilogy as well. One distinction in my novels based on medieval India is the ability of the male royalty to marry many wives. In Tudor England, that was not possible and resulted in deadly rivalry.

I love the choice of Mary as the narrator of this novel, so we can see her progress from her a naive young girl to a woman who understands what will bring her happiness. The author breathes life into this period of Tudor history, and I look forward to reading her other books. Highly recommend to all fans of Historical Fiction.