Tag Archives: historical fiction

Leaving Tuscaloosa

By: Walter Bennett. Format: Paperback. Read: April 2013.

It is the summer of 1962 and two young men’s lives are about to change forever. Richeboux Branscomb is a young, white male who should have stayed at the dance with his girlfriend. Instead he chooses to ride with his friends into Cherrytown. Acee Waites, is a young, black male who works hard and is just trying to find time to spend with his girlfriend. He is called home, when the cops show up searching for his brother, a civil rights activist who lives with a white, northern woman. This is the journey of these two men and the dividing barrier of one’s race.

This book is a power house of emotions and actions. Walter Bennett will captivate readers with the struggles of Richeboux and Acee. Readers will feel as though they have been transported through time and space, thanks to the intricate details and accurate dialects. Told from various points-of-view, this story allows readers a chance to feel the inner turmoil of the main characters. Leaving Tuscaloosa is a superb example of Southern Literature and this book should be on every adult’s must-read list. Graphic scenes, rough language and harsh content will not be appropriate for all ages.

This book left me breathless and speechless. It is a gripping, action-packed book that provides an excellent representation of a southern community in the 1960s. Have you read Leaving Tuscaloosa? Without giving anything away, did you feel that the consequences of the main characters’ actions were justified due to the time period?

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note:
The PR representative for this book, provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this PR company, please visit her website.

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Filed under Fiction Books, Southern Lit

My Sister’s Books Review #9

Wench

By: Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Tawawa House is a vacation resort located in the free territory of Ohio. Northern white families vacation here as well as Southern white men. However the Southern white men do not bring their wives and children, they bring their women slaves. Three of these women, Lizzie, Sweet and Reenie, have bonded over the several summers they have spent at Tawawa House. It is the newcomer, Mawu, that stirs talk of escaping into the free territories. As the women face new horrors, they relive their pasts and one tragic fire will change all of them forever.

Told mostly from the point of view of Lizzie, Wench gives a gripping inside look into a painful time. Perkins-Valdez shows the inner conflicts that some slaves faced, while dealing with the cruel demons of slavery. Readers will be caught up in all the emotions of pain and fear and even love. This is a powerful, emotional and heart-wrenching tale that everyone should read. However be prepared for an unsatisfying ending.

Similar Author Suggestions:
Kathryn Stockett, Erin Morgenstern, Marlon James, Kathleen Grissom

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The Istanbul Puzzle

By: Laurence O’Bryan. Format: Paperback. Read: February 2013.

 

Sean Ryan just learned that his friend and co-worker, Alek Zegliwski, has been killed while working in Istanbul. Sean must leave London in order to identify Alek’s body, but once he lands in Istanbul, Sean realizes there is more to his friend’s death than he realized. With the help of Isabel Sharp, a British diplomat, Sean escapes death numerous times as he hunts for the people that killed Alek. Little does he know that there is a deadly virus being tested and unleashed in Istanbul by the same people that are trying to prevent him from finding out the truth.

 

The Istanbul Puzzle is full of suspense, while history comes alive in this fast-pace, action-packed thriller. With each new twist and turn, more information is revealed about Istanbul’s past and the religions that have fought to control it. Laurence O’Bryan writes with a passion as he describes the scenery in Istanbul and he sets up intriguing possibilities for the next book. O’Bryan even includes a travel guide for those interested in visiting Istanbul. Each chapter rotates between Sean’s story and what is happening in the world, which gives readers extra insight into the truth and builds up the . Fans of conspiracy theories, mysteries and suspense need to mark this book as a must read!

 

 

I absolutely love books that combine historical facts with conspiracy theories. Authors that can build the suspense in a fiction setting, while still relaying facts have a supreme talent. I enjoy the ‘what-ifs’ these books create and love the fact that I can discover something new each time I re-read the story. This book has all of this and is set up as the first in a series. I cannot wait to read the next book! So, who are some of your favorite historical conspiracy theory authors? I know I have a few on my list and was able to add another author after reading this book!

 

Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl

Note: The author provided a copy of this book for me to review. To learn more about this book, please visit his website.

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Filed under Fiction Books, Mystery Books

My Sister’s Books Review #6

Follow the River

By: James Alexander Thom

Mary Ingles lived in the settlement with her family and was expecting her third child in Virginia in 1755. Mary’s happiness changed when the Shawnee Indians brutally attacked the village and kidnapped Mary, her children and her sister-in-law. This is the story of how Mary followed the Ohio River through rough terrain and back to her family.

James Alexander Thom writes a powerful and honest tale of life in a western Virginia settlement. The gruesome and brutal details may turn some readers off, but the descriptions are accurate and realistic. Readers will be entranced as they read this book and they will feel as though they are kidnapped along with Mary. The strength and determination Mary demonstrates, is something that will leave readers talking long after they have finished reading. I recommend this book for reading groups.

Similar Author Suggestions:  Lucia St. Clair Robson, Anna Lee Waldo, John Jakes

Note: This review was written for My Sister’s Books.

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Filed under Fiction Books, My Sister's Books