New historical fiction to check out
Three books to pre-order now!
One of the best perks of being an author is getting to read incredible books before they’re published. I will never take this privilege for granted. Over the last couple of months I’ve been sent some particularly amazing new novels and I wanted to highlight a few historical fiction reads that are coming out soon and that you should know about.
Sinners - Elizabeth Fremantle (3 July)
I loved Disobedient, Elizabeth Fremantle’s previous novel about 17th century Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi. If you’ve read that novel you may remember that it opens with a young Artemisia witnessing a brutal event. Sinners is the story that leads up to that scene, also based on true historical events. Beatrice Cenci and her family live under the domination of an abusive patriarch. When a feud with another prominent family of Rome leads to murder, the Cencis have to leave the city for their own safety. Trapped in a castle in the middle of nowhere, Beatrice falls in love with one of her father’s most trusted men, but they know that if he finds out, they will both die. Unless her father were to die first… The novel is based on a hugely scandalous murder trial that took place at the end of the 16th century. Usually when I hear the phrase ‘feminist retelling’ I cringe, but this is less of a retelling and more a redressing of the balance, a chance for Beatrice’s story to be known. It’s also a clear window into the strain of living under constant threat of anger and violence.
A Beautiful Way to Die - Eleni Kyriacou (8 May UK, 22 July US)
Next week I’ll be featuring an interview with Eleni so she can tell you all about her new novel in her own words. What I will say is that if you like a bit of Hollywood glamour but love the dark reality behind it even more, this is the novel for you. Think The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid) or The Seventh Veil of Salome (Silvia Moreno-Garcia). Set in the 1950s, it centres on the fates of two women. Ginny has just arrived in Hollywood and is keen to make her mark. When a big name movie star promises her the world, it seems easy to overlook the fact that he’s married. Stella was once the most famous actress in the world but recent events have seen her star wane. Relegated to a small picture filming at Ealing Studios in London, things are bad enough before she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made years before. I raced through this one. A great story, compelling characters, and the real life Hollywood cover-ups that Eleni lists at the back of the book will blow your mind!
A Thread of Light - Neema Shah (10 July)
This is a WWII novel that has a totally different take on. The year is 1941 and while the war rages on, a group of Londoners, the India Forum, are working to free India from British rule. Ruby is an air raid warden living quite a lonely life. She doesn’t know very much about her Indian father’s history, but when she stumbles across the India Forum she finds a sanctuary, a place where she can forget about the war and death outside. Kitty is a lawyer, helping Indian men in Britain avoid conscription, including the husband she gave up her life in India for. This is a great read and definitely one for those who love this era but are looking for a new angle on it.