Historical Fiction
Cane River by Lalita Tademy Submitted by Mrs. D
Plot: This is an amazing personal story of generations of a family persevering through slavery times. It is both fiction and non-fiction. Tademy develops the plot through research on her own family. What she can't find, she creates. She starts with her great, great, great, great grandmother and tells the story through each successive grandmother down to her mother. The reader will learn about their hardships, their experiences with slavery, and how their families grew and tried to break the chains of slavery, even after they were finally set free.
Why Read?: This book is a page turner. Even though it is part fiction, it is mainly based on real lives. The reader gets to see true insight to how slaves lived, were treated, and persevered. Tademy develops it so well, you get pulled in emotionally. The women she writes about become your friends. You laugh with them, and you cry for them. It truly is an amazing piece of fiction.
Plot: This is an amazing personal story of generations of a family persevering through slavery times. It is both fiction and non-fiction. Tademy develops the plot through research on her own family. What she can't find, she creates. She starts with her great, great, great, great grandmother and tells the story through each successive grandmother down to her mother. The reader will learn about their hardships, their experiences with slavery, and how their families grew and tried to break the chains of slavery, even after they were finally set free.
Why Read?: This book is a page turner. Even though it is part fiction, it is mainly based on real lives. The reader gets to see true insight to how slaves lived, were treated, and persevered. Tademy develops it so well, you get pulled in emotionally. The women she writes about become your friends. You laugh with them, and you cry for them. It truly is an amazing piece of fiction.
Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier Submitted by Molly M.
Plot: The novel is about the lives of W. P. Inman and Ada Monroe. Inman is a deserter of the Confederate Army who is traveling back to his home in Cold Mountain where his sweetheart, Ada resides. He has to travel on foot, facing starvation, capture, and unseen danger. Throughout his perilous journey he discovers things about himself that he never knew before. Ada Monroe was a high-class lady from Charlestown before her preacher father moved them both out to Cold Mountain. Shortly into the novel her father dies, leaving Ada penniless without any skill of how to sustain her. She is assisted by Ruby, an uneducated mountain-woman, who teaches Ada how to run a farm and her own life. The two women toil side by side trying to create a life for themselves. As Inman minimizes the miles between himself and Ada, she is expanding the distance between herself and her past life.
Why Read? : The story of Ada and Inman is a tale anyone can sink into and loose themselves in the story. It is a novel about self-growth and prevailing love. You can find a representation of yourself in any character, the strong-willed Inman, the always-evolving Ada, and even the extremely blunt Ruby.
Comments: Once you begin reading this novel you will have a hard time putting it down.
Plot: The novel is about the lives of W. P. Inman and Ada Monroe. Inman is a deserter of the Confederate Army who is traveling back to his home in Cold Mountain where his sweetheart, Ada resides. He has to travel on foot, facing starvation, capture, and unseen danger. Throughout his perilous journey he discovers things about himself that he never knew before. Ada Monroe was a high-class lady from Charlestown before her preacher father moved them both out to Cold Mountain. Shortly into the novel her father dies, leaving Ada penniless without any skill of how to sustain her. She is assisted by Ruby, an uneducated mountain-woman, who teaches Ada how to run a farm and her own life. The two women toil side by side trying to create a life for themselves. As Inman minimizes the miles between himself and Ada, she is expanding the distance between herself and her past life.
Why Read? : The story of Ada and Inman is a tale anyone can sink into and loose themselves in the story. It is a novel about self-growth and prevailing love. You can find a representation of yourself in any character, the strong-willed Inman, the always-evolving Ada, and even the extremely blunt Ruby.
Comments: Once you begin reading this novel you will have a hard time putting it down.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Submitted by Jessica E.
Plot: Narrated by Death, The Book Thief follows two teenagers' lives as they live through Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel, the main character steals books to foster her love of reading and shares them with a Jewish man who is hidden in her basement.
Why Read?: This book is written in a way that keeps you reading more. You are on the edge of your seat to find out what happens. The narration by Death makes this book stand out beyond many other historical fiction books. This book is written for teenagers who are interested in history (especially WWII).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Submitted by Christina N.
Plot: This book is set in 1930's Nazi Germany. Death is the narrator in this book telling about the life of a book thief, Liesel Meminger. Liesel and her brother are being sent to Molching, Germany to live with a foster family. He brother dies along the way, and one of the grave diggers forgot his book. She stole it which was her first act of thievery and many more to come. Hard times occur for her and her family in Germany, she develops a love for reading, and her life changes when her foster parents hide a Jew in their house. Bad things happen as the narrator is death.
Why Read?: This book is very interesting. It explains a lot about Nazi Germany through the eyes of the Germans and Jews who had to live during that time. Many reviews tell that this book should be a classic just like A Diary Of Anne Frank. It has a blend of all literary techniques.
Plot: Narrated by Death, The Book Thief follows two teenagers' lives as they live through Nazi Germany during World War II. Liesel, the main character steals books to foster her love of reading and shares them with a Jewish man who is hidden in her basement.
Why Read?: This book is written in a way that keeps you reading more. You are on the edge of your seat to find out what happens. The narration by Death makes this book stand out beyond many other historical fiction books. This book is written for teenagers who are interested in history (especially WWII).
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Submitted by Christina N.
Plot: This book is set in 1930's Nazi Germany. Death is the narrator in this book telling about the life of a book thief, Liesel Meminger. Liesel and her brother are being sent to Molching, Germany to live with a foster family. He brother dies along the way, and one of the grave diggers forgot his book. She stole it which was her first act of thievery and many more to come. Hard times occur for her and her family in Germany, she develops a love for reading, and her life changes when her foster parents hide a Jew in their house. Bad things happen as the narrator is death.
Why Read?: This book is very interesting. It explains a lot about Nazi Germany through the eyes of the Germans and Jews who had to live during that time. Many reviews tell that this book should be a classic just like A Diary Of Anne Frank. It has a blend of all literary techniques.
