Hi historical fiction fans!
What’s the one thing readers love more than books? Famous authors! Okay, well, maybe that’s a toss up. But I know if you give me half a chance to visit a Jane Austen Museum or visit The Globe, I’m there. So this week we’re talking historical fiction books about famous authors from history.
And if you want even more fascinating stories, informed takes, and useful advice from experts in the world of books and reading, you should subscribe to Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive. With The Deep Dive, you’ll get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Subscribe and choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com
Bookish Goods
Virginia Woolf Mug from BookishlyUK
Let everyone know your love of literature and Virginia Woolf with this cook mug from Bookishly UK on Etsy. $25
New Releases
Her Lost Words: A Novel of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley by Stephanie Marie Thornton (March 28, 2023)
Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley: two literary legends who just so happen to be mother and daughter. Both left indelible marks on history with their groundbreaking writing, from Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Right’s of Women to Shelley’s Frankenstein. But who were they in life? What did they long for? And how did one’s life — and early death — impact the other?
The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng (March 28, 2023)
Growing up in a fishing village in the waning years of British rule in Singapore, Ah Boon is more interested in playing with the girl next door than fishing. But his hopes of impressing Siok Mei are interrupted by the Japanese invasion and occupation of WWII. And as growing resistance movement rises in Singapore, Ah Boon and Siok Mei — along with the rest of the nation — will have to decide what matters most in the quest for independence and modernity.
For a more comprehensive list, check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
The release of Her Lost Words got me thinking about other historical fiction novels about famous writers from history. Here are two I think you all might enjoy:
Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar
Virginia Woolf’s sister, Vanessa, was a gifted painter and part of The Bloomsbury Group alongside the writer in their youth. When the book opens, the sisters and their friends have not yet found the artistic success they will become known for, but it is just beyond the horizon. Then, Vanessa falls in love. And Virginia, who has always lived in the glow of her sister’s constant attention and affection, feels betrayed and abandoned. Vanessa must decide if it’s finally time to do something for herself, even if it means tearing their family apart.
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
Zelda Fitzgerald, the glittering wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, was one of the 20th century’s first flappers. She was also a remarkable woman and writer in her own right, whose words and writing were often co-opted (only sometimes with permission) for F. Scott’s own writing. Their story is a tale of romance, adventure, excess, and tragedy — and it reads as if right out of the pages of The Great Gatsby.
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Instagram, Goodreads, Litsy, and occasionally Twitter.
Right now I’m reading Lone Women by Victor LaValle. What about you?