by Margaret Mitchell, 1936 North Georgia, Civil War, Scarlett O’Hara, 16 year-old belle of the county, 18″ waist, steals everyone’s boyfriends but not the one she “loves,” Ashley Wilkes. Melanie marries Ashley. So Scarlett marries Charles Hamilton (Melanie’s brother). Civil War starts – Charlie dies 3 months later (not in battle; got sick in camp). […]
by James Jones, 1951 1951 “This book is a work of fiction. The characters are imaginary, and any resemblance to actual persons is accidental. However, certain of the Stockade scenes did happen. They did not happen at the Schofield Barracks Post Stockade but at a post within the United States at which the author served, […]
by Francine Rivers, 1994 Book 2 of the Mark of the Lion Series What an excellent book! Hadassah is saved from death after being mauled by lions by the Physician, Alexander. She works for him and becomes known as Rapha, the healer. Her work for God with Alexander enriches him and he loves her. Marcus […]
by Katherine Govier, 2011 Interesting, not gripping, historical fiction about the daughter of a famous Japanese Painter, Hokusai, and how she probably was responsible for most of his paintings in his later years. Her name is Oei (like “Hey”).
by Lisa See, 2005 Lily and Snow Flower, 18th Century China, become “Old Sames” or “laotong” through a matchmaker when they are very young. At age 7, they go through “foot-binding,” which is absolutely horrible – in hopes of having tiny feet – golden lilies – to ensure a good marriage. The mothers perform it […]
by Francine Rivers, 1993 Excellent Christian Historical Fiction. Set in Jerusalem, Rome, Ephesus in about 70 A.D. Destruction of Jerusalem. Young Jewish Christian girl, Hadassah, sees her family die, is taken captive to Rome – sold as a house slave to rich Ephesian family in Rome. The Valerians – Decimus (Dad), Phoebe (Mom), Marcus (Son) […]
by Pamela Ropner, 1958 One of Wayne’s favorite books as a child. Set in Africa (South Africa). Peter lives on a game preserve with his father and mother. He loves Africa, everything about it. He sees a beautiful Golden Impala from his window one night – in the moonlight. Thousands of impala are coming onto […]
by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall Based on true events starting in 1787 when the Bounty sailed from England to Tahiti to pick up breadfruit trees to bring to the West Indies to provide cheap food for slaves. Mutiny on the Bounty: Captain Bligh was so mean, distrustful, cruel, accusatory, greedy, swindler. He accuses […]
by Lisa See, 2009 Set in Shanghai and then Los Angeles from 1937 to 1957, two sisters, Pearl and May, grow up in Shanghai, loving life – rich, beautiful, “beautiful girls,” – painted on calendars. Then their Dad (Baba) gets in trouble with gang due to his gambling and he has to sell his daughters […]
by Geraldine Brooks, 2008 Fictional tale of the true “Sarajevo Haggadah,” an ancient (1350) Jewish prayer book beautifully illustrated — “Illuminations.” It is now in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, valued at $700 million in 1991 – most valuable book in the world. She goes back in time from Hanna Heath, […]
by A. B. Guthrie, Jr. 1949, won Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1950 Lije Evans, his wife, Becky, and son, Brownie, decide to go to Oregon with a wagon train. 1840’s, I think. Lije convinces Dick Summers to be the pilot. They leave Independence, MO with about 12 other families in wagons. At first, a […]
by Sigrid Undset, 1925 Not as good as first book – very difficult to understand – almost all of it – entangled politics, difficult to pronounce/remember characters. But – still really good! Norway 1300’s. Kristin & Erlend are married. He takes her to his manor – Husaby. She starts to make things better there. Has […]
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, 2008 Recommended by Christie Leighton, finished 7-10-10 camping up at Chambers Lake, gorging myself on Gorp, pringles, cheese and crackers and wine! By Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, Annie Barrows. Annie finished the book when Mary Ann’s health prohibited her from doing so, August 2008. What a […]
by Henning Mankell, 2010 Rich, powerful Chinese man (Ya Ru) takes revenge on 19 Swedish people living in a remote village in Sweden. Their ancestor was cruel and brutal to his Chinese ancestor, San, on the railroad, and then again back in China at a Christian mission. Story of revenge taken way too far. Birgitta […]
by James A. Michener, 1946 (won Pullitzer Prize in 1948) Norfolk Island: an island in the South Pacific near Australia and New Zealand. The Norfolk Pines were planted by the Mutiny of the Bounty people who ended up there. They had to cut them all down to make a landing strip during WWII. Bill Harbison-yuck! […]
by Sigrid Undset, 1927 13th Century Norway (1st of a Trilogy) Kristin falls in love with Erlend Nikulausson, against her dear father, Lavran’s, wishes. He wanted her to marry Simon Andresson, a good, noble man. But she didn’t love him. She finally gets her way, but maybe now she sees the error of her ways.
by David Benioff, 2008 Leningrad, WWII, in siege by Germans. Lev Beniov, young 17-year-old Jewish boy, gets arrested for looting (stole a knife off a dead German), thrown into the Crosses-Russian prison. Kolya, handsome soldier, thrown in same cell for desertion (went to town to get laid). They do not get executed but instead are […]
by Pearl S. Buck, 1931, Pulitzer Prize winner I miss my messed up Chinese family already! What a great book! Wang Lung’s father arranges marriage for him to O-Lan – kitchen slave in the Great House of Hwang. Wang Lung is a farmer. They work so hard they eventually become wealthy landowners. O’Lan is a […]
by Charles Dickens, 1859 London and Paris, approximately 1770 to 1793 or 1794, French Revolution 1789 Wow! What an incredible story! Dr. Manette is rescued from 18 years in prison in France. His daughter, Lucie, now an adult, cares for him and makes him whole again. They participate in a trial of Charles Darnay, a […]
by Catherine Marshall, 1967 Christy Huddleston, 19 yrs. old, volunteers to teach in a mission school in Cutter Gap, Tennessee in 1912 (Appalachia). She learns to love God and the poor mountain people who have it so hard. Some are mean, cruel. But in the end, love conquers. She teaches 67 children in a one-room […]