The Historical Fiction Shelf

Within These Walls of Sorrow
Amanda Barratt
Kregel Publications
2450 Oak Industrial Drive, NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505
www.kregel.com
9780825447013, $17.99, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Within-These-Walls-Sorrow-Poland/dp/0825447011

Synopsis: Zosia Lewandowska knows the brutal realities of war all too well.=
Within weeks of Germany's invasion of her Polish homeland, she lost the ma=
n she loves. As ghetto walls rise and the occupiers tighten their grip on t=
he city of Krakow, Zosia joins pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz and his staff =
in the heart of the Krakow ghetto as they risk their lives to aid the Jewis=
h people trapped by Nazi oppression.

Hania Silverman's carefree girlhood is shattered as her own family is force=
d into the ghetto. Struggling to survive in a world hemmed in by walls and = rife with cruelty and despair, she encounters Zosia, her former neighbor, a=
t the pharmacy. As deportations winnow the ghetto's population and snatch t= hose she holds dear, Hania's natural resiliency is exhausted by reality.

Zodia and Hania's lives intertwine as they face the griefs and fears thrust=
upon them by war, until one day, they are forced to make a desperate choic=
e -- one that will inexorably bind them together, even as they are torn apa= rt.

Critique: Set in World War II Poland, with the publication of "Within These=
Walls of Sorrow", novelist Amanda Barratt's meticulous research and lush, = award-winning writing result in an emotionally moving story about a group o=
f unsung heroes who fought for hope and humanity in the most harrowing of t= imes. A timely reminder of the evils of Nazism in view of the rising presen=
ce of authoritarianism in America over the past few years, "Within These Wa= lls of Sorrow" is especially and unreservedly recommended for both communit=
y and academic library Historical Fiction collections. With a special appea=
l to readers with an interest in World War II and the Holocaust, it should =
be noted for personal reading lists that "Within These Walls of Sorrow" is = also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Amanda Barratt (www.amandabarratt.net) is the Christy Award= -winning, ECPA best-selling author of several novels and novellas, includin=
g My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Lost Love. She is a= lso a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a two-time FHL Reade= r's Choice Award finalist.

In the Shadow of a Queen
Heather B. Moore
Shadow Mountain Publishing
P.O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130-0178
www.shadowmountain.com
9781639930500, $26.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Queen-Heather-B-Moore/dp/1639930507

Synopsis: Princess Louise's life is upended after her father's untimely dea= th. Captive to the queen's overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to le= ave her mother's tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the=
position of personal secretary to her mother -- the same position each of = her sisters held until they were married.

Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen's wrath by explorin=
g the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Lou= ise involves herself in the day's political matters, including championing = the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the quee=
n lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an a= cceptable match for her defiant daughter.

Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Vict= oria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are b= roken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded h= usband who will support her free spirit.

"In the Shadow of a Queen" is the story of a battle of wills between two wo= men: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her m= other, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown's reputation unsullied no mat= ter the cost.

Critique: While a deftly crafted work of fiction, it should be noted that "=
In the Shadow of a Queen" is based upon real people and true historical eve= nts. An inherently fascination and fully engaging read with fully realized = characters and unexpected plot twists, "In the Shadow of a Queen" is a welc= ome and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Historical F= iction collections. For the personal reading lists of those with an interes=
t in the Queen Victoria era, it should be noted that "In the Shadow of a Qu= een" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $19.99) and as a c= omplete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212014359, $31.95,=
CD).

Editorial Note: Heather B. Moore (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heather_B._= Moore) is the author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper=
Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of = the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cai=
ro American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel=
.. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical resea= rch.

Phaedra
Laura Shepplerson
Alcove Press
www.alcovepress.com
9781639101535, $17.95, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Phaedra-Novel-Laura-Shepperson/dp/1639101535

Synopsis: Phaedra has been cast to the side all her life: daughter of an ad= ulteress, sister of a monster, and now unwilling bride to the much-older, p= ower-hungry Theseus. Young, naive, and idealistic, she has accepted her lot=
in life, resigned to existing under the sinister weight of Theseus's contr=
ol and the constant watchful eye of her handsome stepson Hippolytus.

When supposedly pious Hippolytus assaults her, Phaedra's world is darkened =
in the face of untouchable, prideful power. In the face of injustice, Phaed=
ra refuses to remain quiet any longer: such an awful truth demands to be br= ought to light. When Phaedra publicly accuses Hippolytus of rape, she spark=
s an overdue reckoning.

The men of Athens gather to determine the truth. Meanwhile, the women of th=
e city, who have no vote, are gathering in the shadows. The women know trut=
h is a slippery thing in the hands of men. There are two sides to every sto= ry, and theirs has gone unheard. -- Until now.

Timely, unflinching, and transportive, Laura Shepperson's novel "Phaedra" c= arves open long-accepted wounds to give voice to one of the most maligned f= igures of mythology and offers a stunning story of how truth bends under th=
e weight of patriarchy but can be broken open by the force of one woman's b= ravery.

Critique: All the more impressive when considering that "Phaedra" is author=
Laura Shepperson's debut as a novelist, this historical work of exceptiona=
l fiction will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in Greek f= olklore, legends and myths. A fascinating, entertaining, and thought-provok= ing read from cover to cover, "Phaedra" is unreservedly recommended for bot=
h community and academic library Ancient History based fiction collections.=
It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Phaedra" is also avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $13.99).

Editorial Note: Laura Shepperson (https://laurashepperson.com/aboutme.html)=
has been fascinated by myths and myth retellings since studying Classical = Studies at university, and her current novel updates the story of Phaedra, = sister of the Minotaur. In 2017 she was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish = Prize for Fiction. Laura holds a Master of Studies in Creative Writing from=
the University of Cambridge.

The Mitford Affair
Marie Benedict
Sourcebooks Landmark
c/o Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
www.sourcebooks.com
9781728229362, $27.99, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mitford-Affair-Novel-Marie-Benedict/dp/1728229367

Synopsis: Between the two World Wars, the six Mitford sisters (each more be= autiful, brilliant, and eccentric than the next) dominate the English polit= ical, literary, and social scenes. Though they've weathered scandals before=
, the family falls into disarray when Diana divorces her wealthy husband to=
marry a fascist leader and Unity follows her sister's lead all the way to = Munich, inciting rumors that she's become Hitler's mistress.

As the Nazis rise in power, novelist Nancy Mitford grows suspicious of her = sisters' constant visits to Germany and the high-ranking fascist company th=
ey keep. When she overhears alarming conversations and uncovers disquieting=
documents, Nancy must make excruciating choices as Great Britain goes to w=
ar with Germany.

Probing the torrid political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the=
ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, "Th=
e Mitford Affair" follows Nancy's valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from ta= king over Great Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between = the personal and the political.

Critique: A fun and absorbing read from cover to cover, "The Mitford Affair=
" showcases author Marie Benedict's genuine and impressive flair for origin= ality, memorably crafted characters, and the kind of narrative storytelling=
style that keeps her readers total and rapt attention from beginning to en=
d. While unreservedly recommended for community library General Fiction col= lections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Mitford A= ffair" is also available in a paperback edition (9781728282091, $16.99), an=
d in a digital book format (Kindle, $8.54).

Editorial Note: Marie Benedict (https://www.authormariebenedict.com) is a l= awyer with more than ten years' experience as a litigator at two of the cou= ntry's premier law firms and for Fortune 500 companies. She is a magna cum = laude graduate of Boston College with a focus in history and art history an=
d a cum laude graduate of the Boston University School of Law. Marie, the a= uthor of The Other Einstein, Carnegie's Maid, The Only Woman in the Room, a=
nd Lady Clementine, views herself as an archaeologist of sorts, telling the=
untold stories of women.

A Woman of Valor
Fred Skolnik
Addison & Highsmith Publishers
c/o Histria Books
www.histriabooks.com
9781592111435, $34.99, HC, 650pp

https://www.amazon.com/Woman-Valor-Fred-Skolnik/dp/1592111432

Synopsis: "A Woman of Valor" by Fred Skolnik is a monumental family saga th=
at is in effect a history of the Jews in the twentieth century.

"A Woman of Valor" centers around a heroine who grows up in Bialystok, surv= ives the Holocaust fighting in the Underground, and rebuilds her family in = Israel. This is a unique and profoundly moving story.

Rarely has ordinary family life been depicted with such verisimilitude, and=
certainly not in the shadow of an horrendous war of Jewish extermination. = The triumph of the Lefkovitzes is not only the triumph of a family. It is a= lso the triumph of a nation.

Critique: A massive, detailed, and engaging saga of a novel, "A Woman Of Va= lor" by author Fred Skolnik is a deftly crafted and extensive work of liter= ary fiction that will be of special interest to readers with an appreciatio=
n of complex, compelling, and narrative driven storytelling. While a valued=
and recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community a=
nd academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections, it should be=
noted that "A Woman Of Valor" is also available in a digital book format (= Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: Fred Skolnik (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Skolnik) w=
as born in New York City and lives in Israel. He attended the City College =
of New York and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, working over the years =
as an editor and translator and at various times operating a farm, managing=
a hotel, and serving as financial comptroller of a textile firm. He is the=
author of six previous novels.

The Sound of Light
Sarah Sundin
Fleming H. Revell Company
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton, Ada, MI 49301
www.revellbooks.com
9780800742591, $29.99, HC, 384pp

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Light-Sarah-Sundin/dp/0800742591

Synopsis: When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt excha= nges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly=
row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon = her research -- her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she=
hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand (the merman) and wonders=
if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardingho= use has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people w= ill discover if there is more power in speech -- or in silence.

Critique. With the publication of "The Sound of Light", Sarah Sundin (Bests= elling author of more than a dozen WWII novels) offers pens still another r= iveting story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances = with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future. Highly recommended f=
or personal reading lists and community library World War II fiction and Hi= storical Christian Romance collections, it should be noted that "The Sound =
of Light" is also available in a paperback edition (9780800736385, $17.99) = and in a digital book format (Kindle, $11.99).

Editorial Note: Sarah Sundin (https://www.sarahsundin.com) is the author of=
When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, and the popular WWII ser= ies Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award finalist and =
a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Boo= klist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have appeared on Booklis= t's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years".

We Are All Together
Richard Fulco
Wampus Multimedia
9798985035322, $17.99 Paper/$8.49 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Are-All-Together-Richard-Fulco/dp/B0BL2XKYX8

We Are All Together is a novel set in the 1960s during the Summer of Love. =
It doesn't open with love; but with a violent confrontation between musicia=
ns in a Topeka, Kansas dive bar in 1963.

Twenty-one-year-old Stephen Crane finds his young life taking a step backwa=
rd when his band falls apart and he must move back home to live with his Ch= ristian mother. Rebelling against the dissolution of his musical ambitions,=
he decides to go to New York City with his former friend and fellow musici=
an Dylan John, who is spearheading a brand new brand of psychedelic music.

Always on the cutting edge of change, however, Dylan then becomes involved =
in civil rights issues, handing the baton of potential success to Stephen, = who finds that his life's ambition and visions do not deliver as expected.

Richard Fulco creates a story that captures the atmosphere, ideals, challen= ges, and struggles of not just a young man's growth, but a nation under sie=
ge from its own youngsters. His ability to interpret these times for modern=
minds involves a special brand of description and insight that proves enli= ghtening and engrossing even for readers already well versed in novels set =
in the 60s.

Fulco's descriptions allow a deeper "you are here" feel than most accounts =
of the times: "Janis Joplin attacked Big Mama Thornton's "Ball and Chain" a=
s if she had lived every lyric, as if it were the only song she knew, as if=
her life depended on it, as if she sang it with just the right amount of s= oul and gusto that when she died Hades himself would welcome her to the und= erworld and personally dust off her throne next to his.

When Big Brother and the Holding Company's mesmerizing, four-song set had e= nded, every single hippie on the fairgrounds, which must have been close to=
eight thousand, experienced a spiritual awakening." Fueled by vivid experi= ences of the past that challenge Stephen's trajectory and life, We Are All = Together's deeper value lies in capturing a sentiment of uniformity and hum= anity that is essentially a missing ingredient in modern America. The resul=
t is a journey, a reminder, and a historical exploration steeped in musical=
interludes as it pairs a coming-of-age story with the coming-of-age of Ame= rica.

Book club groups interested in literary works about the 60s will find much = food for thought and discussion here, while libraries looking for represent= ative stories of growth and evolving social and political changes will appr= eciate the opportunity to include We Are All Together in their collections.

The Fugitives of Gethsemane
D. S. Lliteras
Rainbow Ridge Books
http://www.rainbowridgebooks.com
c/o Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
www.squareonepublishers.com
9781937907747, $16.95, PB, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fugitives-Gethsemane-Three-Following-Crucifixion/dp/= 1937907740

Synopsis: With the publication of "The Fugitives of Gethsemane: The Three D= ays Following the Crucifixion of Jesus", novelist D. S. Lliteras explores t=
he paradox that wanting believers must overcome while struggling to underst= and the essence of the Christian faith.

It is a creed that cannot be learned -- it must be experienced by those pon= dering the complexity of its teachings. "The Fugitives of Gethsemane" does = not attempt to explain the unexplainable. But it does dramatize the efforts=
of four disciples hoping to find trust and belief in the Lord, Jesus.

So the reader is invited to disregard their ordinary reason. "The Fugitives=
of Gethsemane" presents the ancient mystery of belief, as it was in the ti=
me of Jesus and continues on to this very day.

Critique: A carefully crafted, thought-provoking, thoroughly entertaining w= ork of fiction, "The Fugitives of Gethsemane: The Three Days Following the = Crucifixion of Jesus" is an extraordinary and memorable read from first pag=
e to last. Simply stated, "The Fugitives of Gethsemane" is highly recommend=
ed for community library Historical Fiction collections and personal readin=
g lists.

Editorial Note: D. S. Lliteras (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._S._Llitera=
s) is the author of sixteen books that have received national and internati= onal acclaim. His short stories and poetry have appeared in numerous nation=
al and international magazines, journals, and anthologies.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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