My Favorite Historical Settings

What are my favorite historical settings for books?

Regency England

You know I’m a sucker for a good regency romance.  I love them from Jane Austen all the way until today.

Poland – not in World War II

I’ve been working on finding out more about my Polish roots.  I want to find historical fiction that doesn’t focus on World War II.  Poland has a rich history before then but it is hard to find books about it.

The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak

This book is about Russia but Catherine comes from Poland. This is the first book I read that talks about a vibrant Poland.

Winter Journey by Diane Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is half World War II and half early 2000s but it is such an amazing book that I still recommend it. It is the story of a fictional investigation into war crimes committed in a Polish town. It is based on a true story.

I have these Polish historical fiction books on my TBR.

Push Not the River by James Conroyd Martin

A panoramic and epic novel in the grand romantic style, Push Not the River is the rich story of Poland in the late 1700s–a time of heartache and turmoil as the country’s once peaceful people are being torn apart by neighboring countries and divided loyalties.

The Journal of Countess Francoise Krasinska by Klementyna Tanska Hoffmanowa

The coming of age diary of a young Polish Countess, Francoise Krasinska who in the space of three years travels from the shelter of her father’s court and becomes the secret consort of the Duke of Courland. In so doing she manages the transition from innocence to awareness in a time of political treachery.

France – turn of 20th century

I like reading stories about the artists of the time.

Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

“Instantly recognizable, Auguste Renoir’s masterpiece depicts a gathering of his real friends enjoying a summer Sunday on a café terrace along the Seine near Paris. A wealthy painter, an art collector, an Italian journalist, a war hero, a celebrated actress, and Renoir’s future wife, among others, share this moment of la vie moderne, a time when social constraints were loosening and Paris was healing after the Franco-Prussian War. Parisians were bursting with a desire for pleasure and a yearning to create something extraordinary out of life. Renoir shared these urges and took on this most challenging project at a time of personal crises in art and love, all the while facing issues of loyalty and the diverging styles that were tearing apart the Impressionist group.”

Pre-Columbian America

People of the River by W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O’Neal Gear

“A gripping new saga of pre-historic America that takes us to the Mississippi Valley and the tribe known as the Mound builders. It is a time of troubles. In Cahokia, the corn crop is failing again and a warchief–and the warrior woman he may never possess–are disgusted by their Chief’s lust for tribute. Now even the gods have turned their faces, closing the underworld to the seers. If the gods have abandoned the people, there is no hope–unless it comes in the form of a young girl who is learning to Dream of Power.”

This couple have many books out about Native American life.  They are archeologists so their understanding d of the current research adds to the stories.