New Historical Fiction Releases Explore Revolution, Artistry, and Ambition
This month's literary offerings include "The Puffin," "In One Brief Moment All Eternity," and "Royal Witch," each delving into distinct historical periods and characters.
Michelle Lovric's "The Puffin" transports readers to 19th-century Venice, where a milliner named Alva seeks to foment insurrection against Austrian influence. Alva, a member of the secretive Carbonari, utilizes her hats to smuggle maps and bullets. The novel weaves a complex plot involving a princess's kidnapping, city-wide graffiti, heartbreak, and betrayal, featuring a lovelorn poet, a villain with prosthetic fingers, a formidable banker's daughter, and a pivotal puffin.
"In One Brief Moment All Eternity" by Elif Shafak centers on the 19th-century author Gustave Flaubert, creator of the scandalous Emma Bovary. Shafak chronicles Flaubert's journey from his childhood in France to his travels in Cairo, Palestine, and Beirut, exploring his inner thoughts and emotions. The narrative also incorporates the perspectives of various real and imagined characters who influenced Flaubert's work, including an indignant Emma Bovary, his nursemaid, a tightrope walker, and an angered lover. This approach gives voice to those often overlooked, rendering ordinary individuals extraordinary.
Philippa Gregory's "Royal Witch" is set in 1420 and follows Eleanor Cobham, an ambitious woman who infiltrates Westminster Palace amidst Plantagenet politicking. Initially a lady-in-waiting to Countess Jacqueline of Hainault, Eleanor witnesses Jacqueline's efforts to reclaim her stolen lands with the assistance of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. Eleanor then sets her sights on Gloucester herself. Gregory's novel reconstructs Eleanor's quest for a throne through tales of ill wishes, courtly intrigue, and secret rituals, depicting her embrace of dark arts and her defiant acceptance of the consequences.