Created By: Niel Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Library, and Rachel Bussan, IA1A

Best Historical Fiction of 2012

Created By: Niel Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Library, and Rachel Bussan, IA1A

LT10361, DB74875
Title: The Sins of the Father
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Series: Clifton Chronicles, Book 2
Annotation: 1939-1945. Henry Clifton, in America under an assumed name, is imprisoned because the man whose identity he took was a deserter. Henry's family and friends presume he is dead and throw themselves into the war effort. Sequel to "Only Time Will Tell". The Clifton Chronicles, volume 2. Violence and some strong language. 2012.

BR19731, DB75837
Title: Toby’s Room
Author: Pat Barker
Series: Brooke Family, Book 2
Annotation: Siblings Elinor and Toby Brooke have a close relationship -- some say too close. When Toby goes missing in war-torn France, Elinor must sort out her relationships with him and his friends Kit Neville and Paul Tarrant. Sequel to "Life Class." Second book about the Brookes. Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB74840
Title: Vandal Love
Author: Deni Y. Bechard
Annotation: The nineteen Herve children were born either giants or runts. The hulking Jude leaves Quebec in the 1960s for the American South, where he becomes a boxer. Meanwhile, his diminutive nephew Francois seeks the identity of his father. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2006.

DB76158
Title: HHhH
Author: Laurent Binet
Annotation: Historical novel recounts the mission of Jozef Gabcik, a Slovak, and Jan Kubis, a Czech, who were recruitedby the British to assassinate Nazi official ReinhardHeydrich, "the Butcher of Prague." Translated from French.Violence. 2012.

DB75215
Title: The Sandcastle Girls
Author: Chris Bohjalilan
Annotation: Syria, 1915. American Elizabeth Endicott is helping Armenian refugees from Turkey when she meets Armen Petrosian, whose family has been wiped out by genocide. Years later Armen and Elizabeth's granddaughter Laura learns of her forebears' history -- and a buried secret. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB76194
Title: Waiting for Sunrise
Author: William Boyd
Annotation: 1913. While in Vienna to see a psychoanalyst, actor Lysander Rief is embroiled in a torrid affair—which ends with him being accused of sexual assault. Secreted out of the country, he is later recruited to spy for England. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB75511
Title: San Miguel
Author: T. Coraghessan Boyle
Annotation: Historical novel focuses on two families whose lives on San Miguel Island off the California coast are ones of hardship and sometimes hope. Marantha Waters arrives in 1888 seeking relief from tuberculosis. The newlywed Lesters settle there in 1930. Bestseller. 2012.

DB75271
Title: The Absolutist
Author: John Boyne
Annotation: England, 1919. Veteran Tristan Sadler returns from France bearing a packet of his comrade Will Bancroft's letters, which he delivers to Will's family. As Tristan recounts his wartime experience, the truth of his relationship with Will -- and Will's death -- come to light. Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2011.

DB74249
Title: Ragnarok: The End Of The Gods
Author: A. S. Byatt
Annotation: A young girl who has been evacuated to the English countryside during World War II discovers Asgard and the Gods, a book of Norse myths. The apocalyptic tale of Ragnarok -- the doom of the gods -- helps her make sense of the world around her. Commercial audiobook. 2011.

DB75564
Title: The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln
Author: Stephen Carter
Annotation: In this alternate history of Abraham Lincoln, the president survives the assassination attempt only to be faced with charges that his conduct during the Civil War violated the U.S. Constitution. Young law clerk Abigail Canner, a black woman, assists the defense. Some violence and some strong language. 2012.

DB75312
Title: The Orchardist
Author: Amanda Coplin
Annotation: Pacific Northwest, 1800s. Talmadge, a recluse who has tended an orchard for years, discovers two teenage girls lurking on his land. They are on the run, so Talmadge lets them stay. But when the man chasing them shows up it leads to a confrontation with far-reaching consequences. Some violence. 2012.

DB75428
Title: The Bartender’s Tale
Author: Ivan Doig
Annotation: Rural Montana, 1960. Twelve-year-old Rusty lives with his single father Tom, a bartender, at their saloon. Then a woman from Tom's past -- and her suspiciously familiar-looking daughter -- come to town bringing changes. Meanwhile, Rusty and new girl Zoe connect in ways he didn't expect. Some strong language. 2012.

BR19842, DB76157
Title: Half-Blood Blues
Author: Esi Edugyan
Annotation: 1940. The remaining members of the Hot-Time Swingers, a jazz band made up of Germans and Americans, black and white, have fled to Paris from Berlin. But for trumpeter Hieronymus Falk, a mixed-race German without papers, the new city is as dangerous as the old. Some strong language. 2011.

DB75660
Title: The Stockholm Octavo
Author: Karen Engelmann
Annotation: Stockholm, 1789. Emil Larsson, an official with the Office of Customs and Excise, enjoys his bachelor life. Mrs. Sparrow, the proprietress of the local gambling den, reads Emil's fortune in the cards one night and tells him he must gather eight people to help realize his destiny. Strong language. 2012.

DB75547
Title: Winter of the World
Author: Ken Follett
Series: Century Trilogy, Book 2
Annotation: The five families continue to struggle through the tumultuous 1930s and 1940s. Carla von Ulrich, daughter of Maud and Walter, fights the Nazis while Lloyd Williams and Boy Fitzherbert vie for the attentions of socialite Daisy Peshkov. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2012. Sequel to "Fall of Giants." Second book in the Century Trilogy.

DB75302
Title: City of Women
Author: David R. Gilham
Annotation: 1943. Sigrid Schroder works as a stenographer in war-torn Berlin while her husband fights on the eastern front. She begins an affair with Egon -- a Jew -- and is drawn into intrigue by a coworker. Some violence, some strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2012.

LT10582, DB75395
Title: The Kingmaker’s Daughter
Author: Philippa Gregory
Series: Cousins’ War, Book 4
Annotation: Anne, a kingmaker's daughter, becomes a pawn of her father's political machinations. But Anne gains real power when she weds Richard, Duke of Gloucester, and makes an enemy of Elizabeth Woodville, daughter of Jacquetta. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2012. Sequel to "The Lady of the Rivers." Fourth book in the Cousin's War series.

DB75204
Title: Sarah Thornhill
Author: Kate Grenville
Series: Thornhill Family, Book 2
Annotation: Sarah Thornhill navigates life in colonial New South Wales, Australia. Her stepmother disapproves of her first love Jack Langland's aboriginal roots. Then Sarah meets Irishman John Daunt, a more appropriate suitor. Sequel to "The Secret River." Second book about the Thornhill family. Some descriptions of sex. 2011.

DB76531
Title: Enchantments
Author: Kathryn Harrison
Annotation: St. Petersburg, 1917. Masha and her sister Varya, the daughters of Rasputin, are taken into the care of the tsar and tsarina on the death of their father. Masha is entrusted with the care of the little prince, Alyosha, as their world crumbles around them. Some violence. 2012.

DB75860
Title: In Sunlight and in Shadow
Author: Mark Helprin
Annotation: New York City, 1946. Paratrooper Harry Copeland returns home from the war to run his late father's leather-goods business. He falls in love with heiress/actress Catherine Hale and is soon fighting anti-Semitism, extortionists, and Catherine's ex-fiancé. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2012.

DB75862
Title: The Snow Child
Author: Eowyn Ivey
Annotation: Still grieving over their stillborn child, middle-aged couple Mabel and Jack left a comfortable Pennsylvania life in 1918 to homestead in Alaska. Two years later, after building a snowchild, they see glimpses of a young girl who appears to live in the woods. Some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

DB74282
Title: The Orphan Master’s Son
Author: Adam Johnson
Annotation: North Korea. Pak Jun Do spends his childhood on an orphan slave-labor crew -- even though his father runs the orphanage. Later he is placed on kidnap duty, snatching Japanese citizens whose skills are needed. Over time, his assignments grow increasingly dangerous. Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

DB76585
Title: The Uninvited Guests
Author: Sadie Jones
Annotation: England, 1912. Edward Swift leaves his wife Charlotte's country home to try and borrow money to save the house from creditors. Charlotte's daughter Emerald is hosting her own twentieth birthday party when third-class survivors from a train wreck arrive seeking assistance, disrupting the celebration, and causing mischief. 2012.

LT10228, DB74467
Title: I’ve Got Your Number
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Annotation: Poppy Wyatt is frantic. First she loses the heirloom engagement ring her fiancé gave her. Then her cell phone is stolen. When Poppy finds a discarded cell phone that belonged to businessman Sam Roxton's personal assistant, more complications follow. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2012.

DB75233
Title: The Headmaster’s Wager
Author: Vincent Lam
Annotation: Vietnam, 1960s. Percival Chen, a Chinese immigrant and the headmaster of an English-language school, has set up a good life. Accustomed to bribing local officials, Percival tries to ignore the country's escalating conflict, but it soon tears apart his family. Violence and explicit descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB74880
Title: Bring Up the Bodies
Author: Hilary Mantel
Series: Thomas Cromwell, Book 2
Annotation: England, 1535. Katherine of Aragon is dying and rumors of Anne Boleyn's infidelity are flying around court. Thomas Cromwell is charged with deposing Anne so King Henry VIII can marry Jane Seymour. Sequel to "Wolf Hall." Second book about Thomas Cromwell. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

BR19778, DB75968
Title: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
Author: Ayana Mathis
Annotation: In 1925 Philadelphia seventeen-year-old Hattie fights to save her twins from pneumonia but fails. Over the decades that follow, Hattie's subsequent nine children must deal with a mother who believes the world is only out to hurt you. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

LT10587, DB75840
Title: Sweet Tooth
Author: Ian McEwan
Annotation: England, 1970s. Cambridge student Serena Frome's affair with a professor leads to a job with MI5. Serena is assigned to Operation Sweet Tooth, which secretly funds writers with MI5-sanctioned views. Problems arise when she falls for one of the authors. Strong language and explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

DB76218
Title: In Need of a Good Wife
Author: Kelly O’Connor McNees
Annotation: Manhattan, New York; 1866. When her husband abandons her, former barmaidClara Bixby seeks a better life for herself. Through a chance meeting, she learns of Destination, Nebraska--a town of bachelors in need of spouses. Clara starts a mail-order bride company, recruits prospective women, and moves west. 2012.

DB74857
Title: The Song of Achilles
Author: Madeline Miller
Annotation: The Iliad told from the perspective of Patroclus, Achilles's companion and lover. Meeting first as foster brothers, they are schooled by Chiron, and then join the Greek army against Troy. Violence and explicit descriptions of sex. Orange Prize. 2012.

LT10570, DB75594
Title: Sutton
Author: J. R. Moehringer
Annotation: Pulitzer Prize-wining reporter's fictionalized take on the life of bank robber Willie Sutton begins with the sixty-eight-year-old's release from prison in 1969. Sutton spends the next day with a writer and reminisces about his career as an outlaw-turned-folk-hero, his years behind bars, and his one true love. Strong language. 2012.

DB74645
Title: Sacre Bleu: A Comedy D'art
Author: Christopher Moore
Annotation: Painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and baker-turned-painter Lucien Lessard investigate the suspicious death of their friend Vincent van Gogh. Lessard and Toulouse-Lautrec are soon on the trail of the mysterious Colorman, who sold Van Gogh and others the sacred blue pigment, ultramarine. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2012.

DB75816
Title: The Life of Objects
Author: Susanna Moore
Annotation: Ireland, 1938. Seventeen-year-old Beatrice Palmer, desperate to leave her hometown of Ballycarra, is thrilled when a German countess hires her to make lace for the Metzenburg family. Once in Germany, Beatrice is caught up in the outbreak of war. Violence. Commercial audiobook. 2012.

DB75235
Title: The Chaperone
Author: Laura Moriarty
Annotation: 1922. Abandoned as an infant in New York City, Cora Carlisle is now a respectable matron in Witchita, Kansas. When teenaged Louise Brooks needs a chaperone to attend a New York dance school, Cora volunteers, hoping to find her birth family. Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

BR19495, DB74782
Title: Home
Author: Toni Morrison
Annotation: 1950s. African American Frank Money, a Korean War veteran suffering from stress and alcoholism, leaves a Seattle mental hospital after learning that his sister Cee is gravely ill. Frank rescues Cee, taking her home to rural Georgia so that they may both heal. Violence and some strong language. Bestseller. 2012.

DB75668
Title: The Secret Keeper
Author: Kate Morton
Annotation: England. In the 1960s teenager Laurel Nicolson witnessed her mother Dorothy stab a man to death. Decades later Laurel, now a renowned actress, visits her senile ninety-year-old mother and begins to research the matriarch's complicated past. Bestseller. Commercial audiobook. 2012.

DB75367
Title: John Saturnall's Feast
Author: Lawrence Norfolk
Annotation: England, 1600s. Orphan John Saturnall, the son of a proclaimed witch, rises in the kitchen ranks at Buckland Manor and becomes the estate cook. As the English Civil War begins, he falls in love with the daughter of the house, Lady Lucretia. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB75262
Title: The Coldest Night
Author: Robert Olmstead
Annotation: Henry Childs is only seventeen when he elopes with Mercy, a judge's daughter. Mercy's family opposes the match and violently separates the couple. Now alone, Henry joins the marines and faces the horrors of war in Korea. Violence, strong language, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 2012.

DB74790
Title: The Book of Madness and Cures
Author: Regina O’Melveny
Annotation: Venice, 1590. Gabriella Mondini has received another letter from her physician father, ten years after he left her and her mother. Tired of feeling abandoned, Gabriella sets out to trace his movements through his old letters. Along the way, she learns about the art of medicine. 2012.

DB75937
Title: Eight Girls Taking Pictures
Author: Whitney Otto
Annotation: Interlinking stories describe female photographers from different eras and places struggling to balance their desire for the art with societal expectations and domestic pressures. In "Cymbeline in Love" a married woman in the 1910s continues her photographic career despite an unsupportive husband, difficult pregnancy, and recent house fire. 2012.

DB75089
Title: The Cove
Author: Ron Rash
Annotation: WWI-era North Carolina. To the townspeople of Mars Hill, the nearby cove and its residents, the Sheltons, are cursed. Ostracized Laurel Shelton nurses a mute stranger back to health -- only to find herself embroiled in a witch hunt. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 2012.

BR19629, DB75520
Title: In The Shadow Of The Banyan
Author: Vaddey Ratner
Annotation: Cambodia, 1975. Seven-year-old Raami's father comes home from his morning walk with news of the brewing revolution. Soon, her family is swept into the chaos of the Khmer Rouge regime. As she deals with loss, Raami submerges herself in the stories and poems her father told her. Some violence. 2012.

DB74781
Title: The Lifeboat
Author: Charlotte Rogan
Annotation: 1914. Young newlywed-turned-widow Grace Winter is rescued after twenty-one days lost at sea, only to be accused of murder back in New York City. Grace recalls for her lawyers the ocean liner's sinking, the physical hardship she endured, and the life-or-death decisions made on the overloaded lifeboat. Bestseller. 2012.

DB75335
Title: The Prisoner of Heaven
Author: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Annotation: Barcelona, 1957. A stranger visits Sempere and Sons bookshop and buys a rare volume. Delving into the man's motives, Daniel Sempere uncovers secrets of Spain's dark past. Sequel to "The Angel's Game." Third book about the Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Translated from the Spanish. Strong language and some violence. 2012.

BR19658, DB75623
Title: Illuminations: a Novel of Hildegard von Bingen
Author: Mary Sharratt
Annotation: Germany, 1177. Abbess Hildegard von Bingen, known far and wide for her visions, is visited by Benedictine monk Guibert of Gembloux Abbey, who wants to write her life story. Hildegard recounts her past as she awaits the prelates coming to excommunicate her. Some violence. 2012.