Huzzah!
In case you missed my 2018 post yesterday (found here), I decided to start theme months to spice up the new year. For January I’m focusing on one of my favorite genres, historical fiction, also known as period pieces.
Historical Fiction is pretty much a fictional story that’s set in the past, and I would add that the best examples of the genre use a historical event to help tell the story.
Why I love Historical Fiction
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I’m not a huge fan of non-fiction. Last year I read three non-fiction books, which were two memoirs and a science/history combo. I do love history though, and having a fictional narrative wrapped in a historical context brushed the dust off for me.
Historical Fiction tends to drive me to research events I didn’t know much about prior to reading, and from an early age helped to teach me empathy. I remember in middle school learning about heavier events in history through fictional tales. Having a protagonist I could relate to helped me to understand the weight of history, even at a young age.
Links!
The following Links are a deeper dive into explaining why Historical Fiction is an important genre, especially to students.
The Atlantic: Using Historical Fiction to Connect Past and Present
The Guardian: History vs Historical Fiction
Lit Hub: Historical Fiction is More Important than Ever (10 Writers Weigh In)
TBR for January
1 Pachinko – Min Jin Lee
Starting in the early 1900’s, the story about a Korean family exiled from their home and living the next century in Japan.
2 City of Thieves – David Benioff
Two thieves have the opportunity to save themselves from execution as their city, Leningrad is being sieged by the Nazis’ military.
3 Dreamland Burning – Jennifer Latham
A young woman finds a skeleton on her family’s property and starts to investigate what happen a century ago.
4 To The Bright Edge of the World – Eowyn Ivey
Set in the end of 19th Century against the Alaskan landscape a marriage is put to the test, as a perilous journey separates them.
5 The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
A family of Baptist missionaries go to Belgian Congo in 1959 and find that trying to change Africa might cost them.
Does anyone else have any Historical Fiction on their TBR this month?
Also, would anybody be interested in a book club for February (SciFi!)?
Advertisements Share this:
