Historical Fictionistas discussion

On September 7th, 1822, Brazil declared its independence from Portugal. Prince Dom Pedro declared Brazil's independence which subsequently led to a two year war of independence.

This historical nugget leads to the theme for September's group read - South America. Any books nominated for September's group read must be historical fiction that takes place in South America.

REMINDERS
NO SELF NOMINATIONS - Any group members who self nominate will have their comment deleted and they will be removed from the group.
ALL NOMINATION POSTS MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING THREE THINGS:
1.) BOOK TITLE
2.) AUTHOR
3.) BOOK'S SETTING
If any of these three things are missing from the post, the nomination will not be counted. Mods will not be pointing out posts missing any of the required information. That nomination will simply be excluded from the poll. Members are responsible for making sure their nomination post has all the requirements.
BOOKS IN A SERIES MUST BE READ IN SERIES ORDER- Book #3 cannot be nominated if we have not read books 1 and 2.
ALL MEMBERS GET ONE NOMINATION AND ONE SECOND - Please make sure you are clearly nominating when you second a book. Extra chatter in the thread makes it hard for moderators to count seconds and ensure an accurate poll.
The complete nomination process breakdown can be found here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE DOUBLE CHECKING THE GROUP'S READ SHELF BEFORE NOMINATING A BOOK. WE HAVE READ NEARLY 200 BOOKS TOGETHER. Double checking just makes things easier for the mods. If a book rings a bell, usually it's because we have read it before. The shelf can be found here - https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

This thread will remain open until Friday 7/21.

Title: The stationary shop
Author: Marjan Kamali
Book setting: Set in the 1950’s in Tehran, Iran.

On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Andrea Yaryura Clark
Argentina

I nominate Barren Lives by Graciliano Ramos from my homeland Brazil

Setting:: "A peasant family, driven by the drought, walks to exhaustion through an arid land. As they shelter at a deserted ranch, the drought is broken and they linger, tending cattle for the absentee ranch owner, until the onset of another drought forces them to move on, homeless wanderers again."

The story is set in Sertão a dry land in Northeast Brazil similar to the Australian Outback.

It's one of my all time favourites

Kara wrote: "On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Andrea Yaryura Clark
Argentina"

The setting is missing = )

Julie Wessel wrote: "Title: The stationary shop
Author: Marjan Kamali
Book setting: Set in the 1950’s in Tehran, Iran."

Iran is not in South America.

André Felipe wrote: "Kara wrote: "On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Andrea Yaryura Clark
Argentina"

The setting is missing = )"

Argentina is the setting, yes?

I’ll nominate The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Robertis.
Setting: Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil.

I nominate Jaguars and Other Game by Brynn Barineau
Setting: Brazil

I second The Spanish Daughter

I nominate Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig. About a 19 century female pirate from China. The greatest female pirate in history.

Title: On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Author: Andrea Yaryura Clark
Setting: Tells the story of Argentina’s Dirty War in the 1970s and the long-term impact on its citizens and those left behind. During this era, many individuals were “disappeared” by the government leaving families to wonder what happened to their love ones. Toggles between 1970s Buenos Aires and 1998 New York

André Felipe wrote: "I nominate Barren Lives by Graciliano Ramos from my homeland Brazil

Setting:: "A peasant family, driven by the drought, walks to exhaustion through an arid land. As t..."

Setting is Argentina as listed but I added another post with more detail 🙂

Ashley Marie wrote: "André Felipe wrote: "Kara wrote: "On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Andrea Yaryura Clark
Argentina"

The setting is missing = )"

Argentina is the setting, yes?"

Yes 🙂

Michael wrote: "I nominate Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig. About a 19 century female pirate from China. The greatest female pirate in history."

Any books nominated for September's group read must be historical fiction that takes place in South America.

China is not in South America.

Nominated -- (Through message 16)
On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Barren Lives
The Invisible Mountain
Jaguars and Other Game
Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel

Title: Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Author: Borba de Souza
Setting: The novel takes place in South America during the War of the Triple Alliance which involved Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina between 1864 and 1870. This novel is Book # 1 in a series.

KOMET wrote: "Title: Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Author: Borba de Souza
Setting: The novel takes place in South America during the War of the Triple Alliance..."

got it.

I nominate Arauco by John Caviglia set in Chile and Peru

Epic size, but a fantastic novel

I nominate State of Wonder by Ann Pratchett
It takes place in the Amazon jungle in Brazil

Tina wrote: "I nominate State of Wonder by Ann Pratchett
It takes place in the Amazon jungle in Brazil"

State of Wonder sounds fascinating, Tina, but is it historical fiction?

On a Night of a Thousand StarsAndrea Yaryura Clark

Argentina

I will nominate Violeta by Isabel Allende

Chile

I nominate The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes
Set in Vinces Ecuador

I second The Invisible Mountain

Seconding Jaguars and Other Game

André Felipe wrote: "I nominate Barren Lives by Graciliano Ramos from my homeland Brazil

Setting:: "A peasant family, driven by the drought, walks to exhaustion through an arid land. As t..."

André Felipe - I'm just rechecking the nominations and it looks like this book is contemporary to when it was written and not historical fiction by this group's definition. Please choose another book to nominate. Sorry.

Nominated -- (Through message 25)
The Invisible Mountain - 1 second
Jaguars and Other Game - 1 second

On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Arauco
Violeta
The Spanish Daughter

Barb wrote: "On a Night of a Thousand StarsAndrea Yaryura Clark

Argentina"

This was already nominated - please choose another.

The Whalebone Theatre: A Novel
Book by Joanna Quinn

I second The Invisible Mountain.

Leigh wrote: "The Whalebone Theatre: A Novel
Book by Joanna Quinn"

also not set in South America

Thanks Ashley!

Got it, Chris. :)

Nominated -- (Through message 35)
The Invisible Mountain - 2 seconds
Jaguars and Other Game - 1 second

On a Night of a Thousand Stars
Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Arauco
Violeta
The Spanish Daughter
Love in the Time of Cholera

Can I nominate Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, or is there too much magical realism?
Set in Colombia.

Ashley Marie wrote: "Can I nominate Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, or is there too much magical realism?
Set in Colombia."

Magical realism is allowed, unless specifically disallowed by the theme. We actually had a really interesting discussion regarding that "genre" and which types of cultures in books are regarded this way when we read The Murmur of Bees. It definitely made me rethink my kneejerk no-likie reaction to magical realism!

Anyway - yes, that's allowed, and added. :)

I second On a Night of a Thousand Stars Andrea Yaryura Clark

Is this okay?

I second Violeta.

I third Love in the Time of Cholera

Abigail wrote: "Tina wrote: "I nominate State of Wonder by Ann Pratchett
It takes place in the Amazon jungle in Brazil"

State of Wonder sounds fascinating, Tina, but is it historical fiction?"

Good point. I’m not sure if it qualifies as historical fiction. I’ll withdraw the nomination.

Darrah wrote: "I nominate Jaguars and Other Game by Brynn Barineau
Setting: Brazil

I second The Spanish Daughter"

Hey Becky I think this person seconded The Spanish Daughter.

Nominated -- (Through message 43)
The Invisible Mountain - 2 seconds
Love in the Time of Cholera - 2 seconds
The Spanish Daughter - 2 seconds
Jaguars and Other Game - 1 second
On a Night of a Thousand Stars - 1 second
Violeta - 1 second

Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Arauco
-------

Thanks Jasmine, I did miss that second!

I will second the Spanish Daughter

Alice wrote: "I will second the Spanish Daughter"

Got it

The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Michelle wrote: "The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4..."

This takes place in Brazil and Los Angeles... how much of it is in LA? If Brazil just bookends the story (as the description seems to indicate) but isn't at least 50% of the book, I don't think this would qualify for the theme.

it's been awhile since I read it, but I felt like it focused more on the Brazilian culture and their childhood.

Ok, I’ll allow it.

Nominated -- (Through message 47)
The Invisible Mountain - 2 seconds
Love in the Time of Cholera - 2 seconds
The Spanish Daughter - 2 seconds
Jaguars and Other Game - 1 second
On a Night of a Thousand Stars - 1 second
Violeta - 1 second

Frontiers of Fire : A Military Historical Novel
Arauco
The Air You Breathe

I will second the Spanish Daughter The Spanish Daughter

I nominate Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende Chile : An epic novel that starts in 1939 and that soars from the Spanish Civil war to the rise and fall of Pinochet in Chile