Tag: Historic Fiction

Special Feature: Lilli de Jong by Janet Benton

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Lilli de Jong
by Janet Benton

Paperback Publication Date: July 10, 2018
Anchor Books
Paperback; 352 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

 

 

Philadelphia, 1883. Twenty-three-year-old Lilli de Jong is pregnant and alone—abandoned by her lover and banished from her Quaker home. She gives birth at a charity for wronged women, planning to give up the baby. But the power of their bond sets her on a completely unexpected path. Unwed mothers in 1883 face staggering prejudice, yet Lilli refuses to give up her baby girl. Instead, she braves moral condemnation and financial ruin in a quest to keep the two of them alive.

Lilli confides this story to her diary as it unfolds, taking readers from a charity for unwed mothers to a wealthy family’s home and onto the streets of a burgeoning American city. Her story offers a rare and harrowing view into a time when a mother’s milk is crucial for infant survival. Written with startling intimacy and compassion, this accomplished novel is both a rich historical depiction and a testament to the saving force of a woman’s love.

Awards

NPR Best Books of 2017
Library Journal Best Historical Fiction 2017
Bustle The 17 Best Debut Novels by Woman in 2017
An Amazon Best Book of May 2017
Semifinalist in historical fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards, 2017
Finalist, David J. Langum Prize in Historical Fiction, 2017 Continue reading “Special Feature: Lilli de Jong by Janet Benton” →

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Review: Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose

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I’ve been a fan of M.J. Rose for quite some time. She always writes really rich and atmospheric novels of romance and historical fiction blended together. I love her Reincarnationist series is really fun but I got hooked on her books with her Daughters of La Lune books!

She has this great storytelling style that never seems to fail in any of her series’. She always has this velvety tone and it never fails to hook me.

So when this book came up for review, to say I was thrilled was a complete understatement. More like I was swooning at not only the fact that a new MJ Rose novel was coming out, but the summary sounded so exciting and I was eagerly awaiting the day that I could start this book! Continue reading “Review: Tiffany Blues by M.J. Rose” →

Giveaway: THE WHALE: A LOVE STORY by Mark Beauregard

~ The Lit Bitch ~ 5 Comments

I am thrilled to be offering this book up for giveaway this week! Can we talk about how beautiful that cover is?! It makes me think of the summer and beach reading!

A rich and captivating novel set amid the witty, high-spirited literary society of 1850s New England, offering a new window on Herman Melville’s emotionally charged relationship with Nathaniel Hawthorne and how it transformed his masterpiece, Moby-Dick

In the summer of 1850, Herman Melville finds himself hounded by creditors and afraid his writing career might be coming to an end—his last three novels have been commercial failures and the critics have turned against him. In despair, Melville takes his family for a vacation to his cousin’s farm in the Berkshires, where he meets Nathaniel Hawthorne at a picnic—and his life turns upside down.

The Whale chronicles the fervent love affair that grows out of that serendipitous afternoon. Already in debt, Melville recklessly borrows money to purchase a local farm in order to remain near Hawthorne, his newfound muse. The two develop a deep connection marked by tensions and estrangements, and feelings both shared and suppressed.

Melville dedicated Moby-Dick to Hawthorne, and Mark Beauregard’s novel fills in the story behind that dedication with historical accuracy and exquisite emotional precision, reflecting his nuanced reading of the real letters and journals of Melville, Hawthorne, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and others. An exuberant tale of longing and passion, The Whale captures not only a transformative relationship—long the subject of speculation—between two of our most enduring authors, but also their exhilarating moment in history, when a community of high-spirited and ambitious writers was creating truly American literature for the first time.

Giveaway runs 8/13/18-8/19/18

A winner will be announced 8/20/18

(how to enter)

On this blog you must leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway.  Your comment MUST include your email so I can contact you….if you do not enter an email in the comments your entry will be void. Winners will be notified by email the day after the giveaway closes and have five days to respond, it not another winner will be chosen. 

(GIVEAWAY OPEN TO US ONLY AND NO PO BOX)

Make sure you note if you have done the following for more chances to win: Tweet about the giveaway (+1), share on Facebook (+1), like The Lit Bitch on Facebook (+1), follow The Lit Bitch on Twitter (+1), subscribe to The Lit Bitch’s blog (+1), follow The Lit Bitch on Instagram (+1). Tweet/RT about the giveaway (+1). Share about the giveaway (+1).

Special Feature: Murder at the Flamingo (A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery #1) by Rachel McMillan

~ The Lit Bitch ~ 2 Comments

I was so sad that I couldn’t fit this one in to my review schedule for the summer, so I opted to do a special feature instead! This looks like a promising new mystery series with an intriguing duo!

About Murder at the Flamingo

  • Series: A Van Buren and DeLuca Mystery (Book 1)
  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson (July 10, 2018)

“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times — including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square.  When he meets his cousin’s “right hand man” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand.

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo night club.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Rachel McMillan

Rachel McMillan is a history enthusiast, lifelong bibliophile, and author of the Herringford and Watts series. When not reading (or writing), Rachel can be found at the theater, traveling near and far, and watching far too many British miniseries. Rachel lives in Toronto where she works in educational publishing and is always planning her next trip to Boston. Facebook: RachKMc1; Twitter: @RachKMc; Instagram: RachKMc.

Connect with Rachel

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Instagram tour:

Monday, July 16th: @alittlebookishlife

Tuesday, July 17th: @ladyofthelibrary

Wednesday, July 18th: @thebooksellersdaughter

Thursday, July 19th: @jennblogsbooks

Friday, July 20th: @kim_reads

Saturday, July 21st: @pnwbookworm

Sunday, July 22nd: @brookesbooksandbrews

TBD: @dropandgivemenerdy

Review tour:

Monday, July 23rd: Reading Reality

Tuesday, July 24th: Book by Book

Wednesday, July 25th: Jessicamap Reviews and @jessicamap

Thursday, July 26th: Fiction Aficionado

Friday, July 27th: Blooming with Books

Friday, July 27th: Broken Teepee – spotlight

Monday, July 30th: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

Tuesday, July 31st: Running Through the Storms

Wednesday, August 1st: What is That Book About – guest post/Q&A

Wednesday, August 1st: Fiction Aficionado – author Q&A

Thursday, August 2nd: By the Book

Friday, August 3rd: Cheryl’s Book Nook

Monday, August 6th: Reader’s Cozy Corner

Tuesday, August 7th: Reflections from my Bookshelf

Wednesday, August 8th: Write Read Life

Friday, August 10th: From the TBR Pile

Friday, August 10th: The Lit Bitch

Monday, August 13th: Books & Bindings

Tuesday, August 14th: Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen

Wednesday, August 15th: @ladyofthelibrary

 

Review: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (Her Royal Spyness #12) by Rhys Bowen

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The Royal Spyness mystery series is one that has been gifted and recommended to me more times than I can count. I literally have three copies of the first book from my mom because she keeps forgetting that she already recommended it to me.

So clearly it’s a book that people want me to read. I just haven’t thought about it when I am looking for something to read. I am no stranger to Rhys Bowen’s books though. She writes beautifully and I love reading her stand alone books!

Finally, after all this time, I picked up a Royal Spyness mystery…..about twelve books too late!  Continue reading “Review: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (Her Royal Spyness #12) by Rhys Bowen” →