Historical Fiction: Unpacked

On the final episode of Historical Fiction: Unpacked, I talk with Joanna Davidson Politano about her latest novel, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple. We had a wonderful conversation about the silent film industry, the part gardens play in this story, and Joanna’s research and writing process. Here’s a description of the novel: In her newest narrative, Politano once again whisks readers away to Edwardian England, where an unlikely duo—an underground investigator and a silent-film actress—join forces to uncover secrets and solve cases. But the most baffling case still remains. Dive into the past for a whimsical and layered tale that will leave readers breathless but craving more of Politano’s mesmerizing tales. Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has been tasked with uncovering the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which is currently in the possession of beautiful silent film actress, Lily Temple. In order to stay closer to her, he employs Lily on one of his cases, which leads to a useful partnership. Lily is both charming and quick-witted, but behind her costumes and make-believe world is a woman with a murky past—that includes the Briarwood Teardrop, which she will neither part with nor explain its presence. As she continues to work with Peter, her own story weaves in and out of their encounters, and hints about her background begin to surface. As Peter draws closer to the truth about Lily’s past, danger draws closer to both of them. It is soon obvious that he needs her help as much as she needs his, especially when his life is dependent on Lily’s ability to spin a believable tale. Purchase The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Joanna’s website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list (email newsletter) here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

This week’s episode features a fun conversation. Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson make up A.D. Rhine. They met as military “brats” when they were kids and stayed close over the years. They’ve united to write a duology, Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze. I sat down with Ashley and Danielle to talk about their friendship, their mutual love of Homer’s Iliad, and what led them to write these novels together. Here’s a description of the duology: A sweeping and epic duology in which Troy’s strong, yet misunderstood women take center stage in the most famous war in history. Andromache is cast as the doting wife of Prince Hector, yet her Amazon warrior name means “battler of men.” The only one with the cunning to outwit the invading Greeks, she must gather a band of outcasts and become the military commander she was born to be before the life she and Hector have built is reduced to ashes. Rhea is a war refugee and a horse whisperer who finally earns a place and sense of belonging in Hector’s stables. To save her new home, she must become an unlikely spy and face down a forbidden love that will test all her loyalties. Helen is blamed by all for starting the Trojan War, but no one knows her real story. To escape her tormentor and foil a plot to undermine Hector, Helen must find the healer within and risk everything by revealing her true face to the one who despises her most. Set in the wider landscape of the late Bronze Age collapse, this realistic and immersive Troy is a perilous battleground for warriors and politicians alike, not a playground where the fate of men and women make sport for gods and goddesses. It’s a harrowing novel of palace intrigue, the transcendent bond of female friendship, and the everyday bravery of invisible heroes in times of war. The women of Troy are threads spinning on a single loom. Can they reweave the tapestry of fate? Purchase Horses of Fire on Amazon (affiliate). Check out A.D. Rhine’s website, and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram. Follow Ashlee on Instagram and Facebook and find her website here. Follow Danielle on Instagram and find her website here. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Award-winning author Erin Bartels joins me on the show to talk about her latest novel, The Lady with the Dark Hair. We discuss the barriers women historically faced when they wanted to pursue a career as an artist as well as the recent emergence of female artists from history. Here is a description of the novel: A charismatic man with a legacy that long outlives him. A forgotten woman whose fate is forever tied to his. And the family whose history is still being written. Toulouse, France—1879 Catalan orphan-turned-fugitive Viviana Torrens has found sanctuary serving in the home of an aging artist in Southern France. It is in his studio that she meets Francisco Vella, a Gibraltarian merchant who sells artists’ pigments. When her past catches up to her, she is compelled to pose as Vella’s sister and join him on his travels or be deported back to Spain to stand trial. Along the way she will discover that the many parts she has been playing in order to hide her identity have far-reaching implications she never could have foreseen. East Lansing, Michigan—Present Day Esther Markstrom and her artist mother have always been proud of their ancestor, painter Francisco Vella. They even run a small museum and gallery dedicated to raising awareness of his scandalously underappreciated work. But when Esther reconnects with her former art history professor, she finds her once-solid family history on shaky ground as questions arise about Vella’s greatest work—a portrait entitled The Lady with the Dark Hair. This dual-timeline story takes you on a captivating journey across time and continents, where past and present converge in a relentless search for truth, identity, and the freedom to follow one’s dreams. Purchase The Lady with the Dark Hair on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Erin’s website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

New York Times Bestselling author Allison Pataki joins me on the show today to talk about her latest release, Finding Margaret Fuller. We discussed Margaret’s place in history, the many famous transcendentalist writers she was connected to, and her influence on the U.S. feminist movement. We also talked about Allison’s research process, including her visit to Concord and Walden Pond and how real historical figures morph into a characters in her novels. Here’s a description of the novel: Massachusetts, 1836. Young, brazen, beautiful, and unapologetically brilliant, Margaret Fuller accepts an invitation from Ralph Waldo Emerson, the celebrated “Sage of Concord,” to meet his coterie of enlightened friends shaping a nation in the throes of its own self-discovery. By the end of her stay, she will become “the radiant genius and fiery heart” of the Transcendentalists, a role model to young Louisa May Alcott, an inspiration to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s character of Hester Prynne and the scandalous Scarlet Letter, a friend to Henry David Thoreau as he ventures into the woods of Walden Pond . . . and a muse to Emerson himself. But Margaret craves more than poetry and interpersonal drama, and she finds her restless soul in need of new challenges and adventure. And so she charts a singular course against a backdrop of dizzying historical drama: From Boston, where she hosts a women-only literary salon for students like Elizabeth Cady Stanton; to the editorial meetings of The Dial magazine, where she hones her pen as its co-founder; to Harvard’s library, where she is the first woman to study within its walls; to the gritty New York streets where she spars with Edgar Allan Poe and reports on the writings of Frederick Douglass. Margaret defies conventions time and again as an activist for women and an advocate for humanity, earning admirers and scathing critics alike. When the legendary Horace Greeley offers an assignment in Europe, Margaret again makes history as the first female foreign news correspondent, mingling with luminaries like Frederic Chopin, Walt Whitman, George Sand, and more. But it is in Rome where she finds a world of passion, romance, and revolution, taking a Roman count as a lover—and sparking an international scandal. Evolving yet again into the roles of mother and countess, Margaret enters a new fight for Italy’s unification. With a star-studded cast and epic sweep of historical events, this is a story of an inspiring trailblazer, a woman who loved big and lived even bigger—a fierce adventurer who transcended the rigid roles ascribed to women, and changed history for millions, all on her own terms. Purchase Finding Margaret Fuller on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Allison’s website, and follow her on Facebook, and Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

I had a wonderful conversation with Jennifer Ryan about her newly released novel, The Underground Library. It’s based on the real Bethnal Green Library, which went underground to service the bomb shelters beneath the streets of London during the Second World War. Jennifer and I chatted about the roles women played during World War II, how research inspires her stories, and what lead her to become an author. Here’s a description of the novel: When new deputy librarian, Juliet Lansdown, finds that Bethnal Green Library isn’t the bustling hub she’s expecting, she becomes determined to breathe life back into it. But can she show the men in charge that a woman is up to the task of running it, especially when a confrontation with her past threatens to derail her? Katie Upwood is thrilled to be working at the library, although she’s only there until she heads off to university in the fall. But after the death of her beau on the front line and amid tumultuous family strife, she finds herself harboring a life-changing secret with no one to turn to for help. Sofie Baumann, a young Jewish refugee, came to London on a domestic service visa only to find herself working as a maid for a man who treats her abominably. She escapes to the library every chance she can, finding friendship in the literary community and aid in finding her sister, who is still trying to flee occupied Europe. When a slew of bombs destroys the library, Juliet relocates the stacks to the local Underground station where the city’s residents shelter nightly, determined to lend out stories that will keep spirits up. But tragedy after tragedy threatens to unmoor the women and sever the ties of their community. Will Juliet, Kate, and Sofie be able to overcome their own troubles to save the library? Or will the beating heart of their neighborhood be lost forever? Purchase The Underground Library on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Jennifer’s website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

This week’s episode brings you a conversation with Joel H. Morris. His debut novel, All Our Yesterdays, releases next week, and it’s the origin story of the famous lady featured in Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Joel and I discussed his love of Shakespeare and how he became fascinated with one of the most studied female literary figures. Here’s a description of Joel’s novel: A propulsive and piercing debut, set ten years before the events of Shakespeare’s historic play, about the ambition, power, and fate that define one of literature’s most notorious figures: Lady Macbeth. Scotland, the 11th Century. Born in a noble household and granddaughter of a forgotten Scottish king, a young girl carries the guilt of her mother’s death and the weight of an unknowable prophecy. When she is married, at fifteen, to the Mormaer of Moray, she experiences firsthand the violence of a sadistic husband and a kingdom constantly at war. To survive with her young son in a superstitious realm, she must rely on her own cunning and wit, especially when her husband’s downfall inadvertently sets them free. Suspicious of the dark devices that may have led to his father’s death, her son watches as his mother falls in love with the enigmatic thane Macbeth. Now a woman of stature, Lady Macbeth confronts a world of masculine power and secures the protection of her family. But the coronation of King Duncan and the political maneuvering of her cousin Macduff set her on a tragic course, one where her own success might mean embracing the very curse that haunts her and risking the child she loves. Purchase All Our Yesterdays on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Joel’s website, and follow him on Instagram. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

I spoke with Gail Lehrman about her love for New York City, how she came to become a writer later in life, and what’s so special about her debut novel, Across Seward Park. Here’s a description of the novel: Unions. Strikes. War. Depression… Set in the crowded tenements and teeming streets of New York’s Lower East Side, Across Seward Park follows one family’s journey through the roiling events of the 20th Century. Irving Friedman and his big sister Miriam struggle to survive in the savage sweatshops of the early garment industry. Then Marxist firebrand Leo Hirsch comes into their lives, drawing Irving into the dangerous world of union building and Miriam into a bittersweet romance. As the decades pass and the family weathers war, a Depression, and war’s aftermath, Irving becomes the sole custodian of a haunting family secret that will put him on a collision course with Miriam’s ambitious daughter Shelly. Purchase Across Seward Park on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Gail’s website, and follow her on Instagram and Facebook. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Eric Z. Weintraub spoke with me about his newly released novel, South of Sepharad: The 1492 Jewish Expulsion from Spain. Eric and I talked about what we’re writing, the role of Eric’s Jewish heritage in his decision to write about this topic, the research his project required, and how he found a publisher. Here’s a description of South of Sepharad: Fleeing death by the Spanish Inquisition, a Jewish doctor makes an impossible choice between home and faith, then struggles to lead his family on a journey for a new life. GRANADA, SPAIN, 1492. Vidal ha-Rofeh is a Jewish physician devoted to his faith, his family, and his patients. When Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand conquer Granada they sign the Alhambra Decree, an edict ordering all Jews convert to Catholicism or depart Spain in three months’ time under penalty of death. Against his wife’s belief that converting is safer than exile, Vidal insists they flee. Unwillingly leaving behind their oldest daughter with her Catholic husband, Vidal’s family joins a caravan of 200 Jews journeying to start their lives anew across the sea in Fez. On the caravan, Vidal struggles to balance his physician duties of caring for the sick while struggling to mend strained relationships with his family. At the same time, his daughter back home finds herself exposed to the Spanish Inquisition living as a converso in a Christian empire. Presenting readers with a painful but important part of Jewish history, South of Sepharad is a heroic, heart-breaking story of a father who holds tightly to his faith, his family, and his integrity all while confronting the grief of the past and the harsh realities of forced exile. Purchase South of Sepharad on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Eric’s website, and follow him on Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Amy Lynn Walsh joins me on the show today to talk about her new release, Nellie. It’s part of the Apron Strings Series, a string of heartfelt inspirational stories by various authors featuring different women through the decades. Amy and I talked about the book’s setting of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which is the area where we both live! We also discussed tuberculosis treatment, Amy’s other books, and how she balances her writing life with her teaching career. Here’s a description of Nellie: Finances are tight for the O’Dwyer family who live on a mountain outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1931. Life gets even harder when their beloved Dadaí must cease work as a coal miner to become a patient at the West Mountain Sanitarium. Nellie is her preferred name, but family and friends have heard Mam shout “Fenella Aileen O’Dwyer!” all too often with the countless predicaments she got herself into throughout childhood. So, it’s not altogether surprising when Nellie impulsively accepts a job as an assistant cook at the Clarinda House in a case of mistaken identity—though she’s the last person her family would ask to prepare a meal. Fortunately, along with determination, a talent for acting, and the gift of blarney, Nellie has Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, a treasure she discovered at a Red Cross drought relief sale. As her reluctant admiration for her employer grows, Nellie wishes she could be the truthful woman of faith that Mr. Mason Peale esteems. If she confesses all, will she lose her job along with the friendships she’s formed at Clarinda House? Purchase Nellie on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Amy’s website, and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Find her “Character Café” blog here and join the “Wisdom, Whimsy, & Wordsmithing” Group here. Ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Dean Cycon is an author, lawyer, human rights advocate and internationally renowned social entrepreneur. His debut novel, Finding Home, released last June. We talked about this tale of survivors of Auschwitz returning to their former town following World War II, why Jews in Hungary had a slightly different experience from those in other European countries, how Dean incorporated the perspective of the bystander into his story, and the role that music played in this novel. We also discussed how and why Dean turned from his former pursuits and began writing novels. Here is a description of Finding Home: The war is over, but hatred has not surrendered. Eighteen-year-old Eva Fleiss clung to sanity during nine months in Auschwitz by playing piano on imaginary keyboards. After liberation, Eva and the five remaining Jews of Laszlo, Hungary, journey to their hometown, seeking to restart their lives. Yet the town that deported them is not ready to embrace their return. Their homes and businesses are legally in the hands of former neighbors and friends, who resist relinquishing their new-found wealth and status. Eva longs to pursue her dream of being a concert pianist, all that remains of her past life. She is forced to clean her own home in exchange for practice time on the piano. Her profound experiences in Auschwitz allow Eva to access music at a depth she did not know existed. Her performances begin to affect those around her, with unexpected consequences. Purchase Finding Home on Amazon (affiliate). Check out Dean’s website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. To enter the GIVEAWAY of Dean’s novel, sign up for both Dean’s mailing list and my mailing list by Sunday, February 11. (Instructions below). Subscribe to Dean’s mailing list “Dispatches from Dean” by going to this link and scrolling to the bottom of the page to enter your email. Subscribe to my mailing list here. Then email me at [email protected] to let me know that you subscribed! Deadline: Sunday, February 11 at midnight (Eastern Time) We’ll email you if you’re the winner!   Other ways you can help the show: Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Follow the show on Instagram! Purchase Alison’s historical novel, One Traveler (affiliate). Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!