Hi historical fiction fans,
I am, somehow, struggling through my third illness of the year. I’m fortunate that none of them have left me seriously ill, but I’m also very tired of not feeling well. So you can see where the theme from this week’s newsletter came from. I wish I had the energy to tell you some funny anecdote about the litter of seven kittens I’m fostering right now or my dog and her cousin, who I’m currently watching, and all the fun they’re having in what we’re calling “doggie summer camp,” but I just don’t. You’ll just have to trust me that all the animals are very cute and providing some much needed snuggles and laughs–and only a little bit of extra work for their sick caretaker.
Bookish Goods
A Well Read Woman Sticker from Sauce box Stickers
This sticker is perfect for e-readers, laptops, and water bottles alike. $3.50
New Releases
Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung (May 7, 2024)
As civil war rages in China, the wealthy Ang family is more concerned by their lack of a male heir than the coming violence. Four daughters and their mother are left behind as the men flee the Communist party, and now, the women of the Ang family are left to feel the party’s wrath. But they’re also resourceful and determined, and soon they set off on a harrowing journey to escape to Taiwan and confront the family who left them behind.
The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (May 7, 2024)
In the years after the end of WWI, Constance Haverhill is just one of many women forced to give up the position she had during the war to the men returning from the front. She finds a surprising promise of something better after rescuing a baronet’s daughter from a social faux pas when she’s invited to join a motorcycle club for women. The country is celebrating its victory and on the brink of change, but for these young women, it’s also a time of loss as the privileges and freedom they were granted during the war are snatched away.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
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Riot Recommendations
I’m sick and exhausted, so this week’s newsletter we’re talking historical fiction about illness.
The Pull of Stars by Emma Donoghue
I’m always fascinated by the 1918 influenza pandemic and its parallels to Covid-19. Emma Donoghue brings her character-driven narrative to this topic in a story about a nurse working in an understaffed hospital ward for expectant mothers with the flu. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and oh so human in its exploration of how we face death and disease and each other.
King of the Armadillos by Wendy Chin-Tanner
When Victor Chin is diagnosed with leprosy as a teenager, his life is turned completely upside down. Forced to quarantine at a facility with other patients, Victor fears his life is over. But soon he finds a certain sense of freedom away from family expectations and surrounded by a diverse cast of characters. With a groundbreaking cure on the horizon, Victor will have to face a question he’s not sure he ready for: will he be able to keep this new version of himself if he leaves?
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 most social media, including Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy.
Right now I’m reading Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons. What about you?