Free books: Historical Fiction
White Picket Fences (2009)
I would rate this 2.5 stars. I picked it because it's about a family taking in their niece as a foster kid. :-) It's all about family secrets and figuring out the past - the high school boy's past tragedy in a fire, and family events in the holocaust. The fire was waaaaay over-explained, way ...
The Basilisk’s Lair (2010)
Nathaniel Fludd is turning out to be a Beastologist that honors his family lineage. In this adventure Nate, Aunt Phil and his small gremlin friend Greasle travel to Niger to return a rare basilisk back to his/her lair. Dangerous beast these creatures are, but no match for Nathaniel Fludd. Sadly t...
Under the Mercy Trees (2011)
I had high expectations reading this, I thought it was going to be far better. Although I learning about the people that Leo left behind, the ending was a huge let down. The characters were fairly developed, I like their contribution to the story. For instance, Martin was a likeable character tha...
Jack Absolute (2003)
Absolute. Jack, Absolute. The parallels between Jack Absolute, C. C. Humphries' dashing Revolutionary-era British intelligence officer, and the iconic James Bond are unmistakeable. In the first of series of historical adventure novels centered upon the titular character, actor-turned-novelist Hum...
Gatty - Das Vermächtnis der Pilgerin (2007)
Gatty's Tale is a spin-off of the Arthur & the Seeing Stone books. This book follows Arthur's friend Gatty as she heads off on a pilgrimage for Jerusalem.A compelling book, and just as in the Arthur books, the writer paints a great picture of living in the period without overwhelming the reader w...
Gatty's Tale (2000)
Enjoyable young adult book set in medeavil times. Field maid Gatty finds herself a companion to a lady making her way to the Holy Lands on a crusade. Set in a primarily correct historical fiction background, Gatty helps her companions survive the long journey - although not everyone lives to ma...
Brooklyn Bridge (2008)
Fourteen year old Joseph Michtom’s life changed incredibly when his parents, Russian immigrants created the first teddy bear. The Michtom’s gather family and friends around the kitchen table to talk. No longer was Joseph at leisure to play stickball with the guys. No longer were Joseph and his bo...
O Labirinto de Osíris (2014)
Arab and Israeli, ancient Egypt and archaeology, wicked multi nationals, sex trafficking, environmental activists. This book has it all, held together by the detectives Yusuf Khalifi of the Egyptian police and Arieh Ben-Roi of the Israeli. The murder of a journalist in the Armenian cathedral in J...
Metropolis Case (2014)
I found this a somewhat difficult book to read due to the dense writing style, with long sentences, interspersed by many qualifiers, and a somewhat ostentatious verbiage, and told in alternating segments dealing with several characters whose connection is Wagner's "Tristan & Isolde". There are se...
The Metropolis Case (2010)
I can't say I love this book, as there were many, many times when it felt like I was slogging through a marsh, and reading it was less wonder than it was work. But I found myself so attached to (oddly) the 40-something gay attourney, Martin, and related to him so fiercely that there's no way I ca...
Four Days with Hemingway's Ghost (2012)
After a nasty accident with a mower and a trailer, Jack Phelan finds himself in a coma. The lost four days are spent with Ernest Hemingway's on the 50th anniversary of his death. I learned a lot about Hemingway the man and his life. We watch Hemingway's reactions to a changed world as he revisit...
Candlelight for Rebecca (2009)
Our initial exposure to American Girl books was on audio CD--and it was disenchanting. Actually reading this book with my daughter was DELIGHTFUL! The illustrations are beautiful and I really enjoyed learning about Hanukkah along with her. 2014--ideas to go with the book--make centerpiece like...
La esencia del sake (2009)
The author had done her research well about the historical events of the day - the end of the Tokogawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Era, and was essentially correct in her depiction of the sake brewing family. The plot follows the strong-willed daughter of the family who actually runs...
On the Blue Comet (2010)
One day in a house at the end of Lucifer Street, on the Mississippi River side of Cairo, Illinois, eleven-year-old Oscar Ogilvie’s life is changed forever. The Crash of 1929 has rippled across the country, and Oscar’s dad must sell their home—with all their cherished model trains—and head west in...
Die Rätselhafte Reise des Oscar Ogilvie (2010)
What began as nicely written historical fiction set in the Great Depression, became a time travel fantasy that rather put me off. However, I persevered and did enjoy the story. Oscar and his dad lose everything, Dad goes to California in search of work and Oscar must stay with a rather strict aun...