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Best New Historical Fiction - March 2023
Find out about the five new historical fiction novels we’re looking forward to this month!
From Traitor to Hero – The Tragic Tale of James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater
James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater, was 26 years old when he was executed for treason for his role in the 1715 Jacobite Uprising. Centuries later he would be remembered as a martyr and hero in a series of sad English ballads.
Daring Escapes, Tragic Failures - Historic Attempts at Escape
In Patricia Bernstein’s upcoming novel, A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower, Bethan Glentaggart, attempts to rescue her husband Gavin from the Tower of London. This is based on the real-life story Winifred Maxwell, Countess of Nithsdale. That leads us to wonder…what other daring escapes have been attempted throughout history?
Religious Freedom in England - It could have happened a lot sooner than it did
Anti-Catholic religious persecution lasted for over 200 years in Britain. But the persecution of thousands of British Catholics could have ended long before it did, if King James II had had his way. In the midst of all the bloody upheavals over religion in Europe, Britain came close to granting all of its citizens religious freedom in 1688, long before tolerance was available in other European nations.
Meet the Intern - Hannah Karau
Hannah Mae Karau is an undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, where she is majoring in English, minoring in Creative Writing, and obtaining a Certificate in Editing and Publishing. She’s also our new intern! Check out our blog to learn more.
Best New Historical Fiction - February 2023
Find out about the five new historical fiction novels we’re looking forward to this month!
Famous Novel Openings Explained: Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison’s award-winning novel Invisible Man opens with the line, “I am an invisible man.” The novel, published in 1952, is a reflection of Ellison’s place in society. But why did he feel invisible and what did that say about American society? Volunteer contributor Bex Roden explains.
Famous Novel Openings Explained: A Tale of Two Cities
Charle’s Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities opens with the famous line, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” This line has become something we often hear, but what did it actually mean within the context of Dickens’ novel? Volunteer contributor Bex Roden explains.
Famous Novel Openings Explained: Moby Dick
Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick opens with the line, “Call me Ishmael.” Why did the author start with such a short, mysterious line and why was it the perfect opening for this genre-bending novel that has become a timeless classic? Find out by reading this blog post by volunteer contributor Bex Roden.
HTF to Publish an Alternate History
History Through Fiction is proud to announce that this fall we’ll be publishing Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 by HTF founder and editor Colin Mustful. Read our press release to learn more.
January Blog Series - Famous Novel Openings Explained: Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice opens with the line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Learn more about the historical and literary context of this famous line by reading this blog post by volunteer contributor Bex Roden.
East Coast to West Coast: Author Alina Adams Returns to San Francisco
Alina Adams, author of My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region, returns to San Francisco for three in-person author events. Check out our blog to learn when and where!
Press Release: HTF Adds Short Story Acquisitions Editor
History Through Fiction is proud to announce the addition of Robin Henry as our Short Story Acquisitions Editor.
5 Reasons to Create Your Own Personal Style Guide
Have you ever created a style guide for your manuscript? If not, you should. Here are five reasons why.
From Here To There: How My Last Book Inspired My Next Book
Author Alina Adams doesn’t always write to her heart, she writes to her readers’ hearts. That’s why, after receiving a positive reception from her last historical novel, The Nesting Dolls, she wrote another historical novel, My Mother’s Secret.
Samokritika: An audio excerpt from My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams
In this audio excerpt, Regina, who recently fled Joseph Stalin's Great Purge for the Jewish Autonomous State of Birbidzhan, faces samokritika, a form of self-criticism in Marxist-Leninist ideology used to publicly interrogate and expose those with counter-revolutionary ideas. In this scene Regina struggles between her desire to show loyalty to the Communist ideals and her affection for Aaron, a man who chooses reason over ideals.
Little Facts Paint a Big Picture
Alina Adams, author of My Mother’s Secret, tells us that it’s easy to throw facts around, but but much harder to put those facts into context. “Show not tell” is the maxim every writer lives and dies by, she says. Rather than merely telling about what life was like in the USSR, Alina shows readers. And, in order to do that, she needed to include as many small details as possible in order to form a larger picture.
In the Midst of History: The Holodomor was denied once, but never again
In 1933, New York Times journalist Walter Duranty wrote an article titled, “Russians Hungry, But Not Starving.” It was a brazen denial of the Holodomor, a man-made famine that caused the deaths of millions of Soviets.
Meet The Writer Who Doesn’t Know Who She Wants To Be When She Grows Up
Author Alina Adams loves writing! She always has. She just can’t seem to decide what genre to write in.
Soviet POWs in WWII: Using Fiction to Highlight Survival, Not Death
The numbers of Soviet soldiers who died while in Nazi custody during WWII is startling. But wherever there is tragedy, there are stories of compassion and survival. These are the stories author Alina Adams uncovers in her novel, My Mother’s Secret.