American Historical Fiction discussion

What American historical fiction are you currently reading or planning to read?

I'm reading Fire Along the Sky by Sara Donati. This is the fourth book in the series started by Into the Wilderness. I'm about 2/3 through and I'm really enjoying it.

I've always wanted to read that series, just haven't got around to it. I don't have any "American" historical in my immediate future outside of one I just came across - although it might be more romance than historical. All I really know until I get my hands on it and can read the jacket is that I believe it's set in old Monterey California, a favorite location/period for me. I believe it is a two book series.

I finished Fire Along the Sky, which was really good, and now I'm reading the next book in the series, Queen of Swords, which takes place during the War of 1812 in New Orleans.

New member here. I love Sara Donati. Unfortunately, I'm in grad school. So I bought, but have not had time to read the last book in the series, The Endless Forest.

Hi Shomeret, welcome! I am putting off reading The Endless Forest for a while. I'm not ready to come to the end of the story!

I just started The Endless Forest. This has been one of my favorite series. I am really enjoying it - feels like I am catching up with old friends. I want to read it very slowly since I know this is the end of the series and I don't want to say goodbye.

I own the first book in the Donati series, but I after I read that they are loosely connected to the Outlander series, I figured I should read that series first. I own all of the Outlander series except the newest one, but just haven't felt like making that big of a commitment... I will eventually! I know it will be worth it!!

Allie, they are not connected to Outlander except that in the first book one of the characters tells a story about meeting Claire. That's it, the stories are not interconnected in any way. Into the Wilderness actually takes place about 15 years later. But by all means, you should definitely read Outlander! It's one of the best books I've ever read and I became a diehard fan after that!

Well thanks for the information Jenny. I will still probably read Outlander first! Hopefully soon!

Allie be careful. Once you start Outlander and you're hooked you will not come up for air until you're done with them all. Although Echo was quite disappointing.

That is exactly what I am scared of! haha I have so many options right now since I am sooo new to my obsession it is exciting yet overwhelming!

Well, at least start with Outlander and then decide if you want to read the rest! But if you read the second, Dragonfly in Amber, you'll definitely want to read Voyager right away. The first three are the best, IMO, although I love the characters so much I enjoy everything she writes about them.

I agree with Jenny, the first three are the best and you can quit with Voyager and leave it at that, or at least slow it down. But Voyager should not be missed, ah that reunion :)

I quit with Voyager and it was mainly because I wasn't that enchanted with Gabaldon's writing. Jamie and Claire are wonderful characters, which is the only reason I got as far as Voyager, but Gabaldon overwhelms me with detail while the plot stands still. It seems to me that Voyager would have made a much better book at two hundred pages. I don't have this complaint about Sara Donati.

Misfit wrote: "Allie be careful. Once you start Outlander and you're hooked you will not come up for air until you're done with them all. Although Echo was quite disappointing."

a great series indeed, even if I haven't ready yet Echo. I agree with Misfit, Fiery Cross was quite disappointed also but the whole series is sometimes "Unputdownable" according to Sawyer's expression...

Fiery Cross was my least favorite, but I thought she came back with A Breath of Snow and Ashes. That was pretty intense.

Jenny wrote: "Fiery Cross was my least favorite, but I thought she came back with A Breath of Snow and Ashes. That was pretty intense."

I liked them all (until Echo that is), but I can well understand why others had issues. I have to wonder if I went back and read them again if I'd be whining for an editor, at the time I savored every word.

I started with Captivity last night. So far, so good.

Christy wrote: "I started with Captivity last night. So far, so good."

I really want to read that! I hope my copy comes soon!

I'm starting Savage Lands, which is about a woman who is one of many sent by the King of France to the infant colony of Louisiana to marry and start populating the colony. I've just gotten to the part where the women arrive and of course, Louisiana is nothing like what they expected. Looks like a lot of hardship to come. A lot of narrative so far and it's rather slow going, but the plot sounds interesting and I'm hoping it picks up.

I am reading the second outlander book right now im on page 432 and it got me interested in history and now I am really excited to read more American History so I hope that you guys can give me some great tips... I just put the wilderness series to read. Thanks everyone

Hi Cherise! Those are two of my favorite series, I hope you enjoy them!

I'm reading Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue. It's nothing like what I thought it would be, though. More about Elizabeth's spy network than anything else. But I'm not very far along yet so that may change. It's narrated awkwardly, too, with one spy reporting on the life of another.

I'm also picking up these new releases from the library today: Evangeline: A Novel and The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane. I'm looking forward to both of them!

I just finished this and I thought it was excellent. I think it's one of my favorites so far this year. If anyone's read it and wants to discuss it, we can start a thread for it.

I'm waiting to see if the library will pick this one up Jenny.

I am getting ready to start Gone With the Wind for the first time and I am pretty excited about it!

I think however I am going to bring My Theodosia by Anya Seton with me to the beach this weekend to read first, since it is a 3rd of the size of GWTW and I don't feel like lugging it to the beach.


Both American Historical Fiction so I thought I would share!

Allie wrote: "I am getting ready to start Gone With the Wind for the first time and I am pretty excited about it!

I think however I am going to bring My Theodosia by Anya Seton wi..."

I think you will love GWTW!! It took me about a hundred-fifty pages or so to really get into it, but then I couldn't put it down. Margaret Mitchell was a heck of a writer!

I'm reading two non-American books this weekend and then next up is One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, recommended by Tara!

Allie, GWTW is awesome. It reads a lot faster than you would expect for a book of that size so don't let it intimidate you.

I'm readingBread and Roses, Toowhich is a YA novel that deals with the Lawrence, Massachusetts mill strike of 1912. The song "Bread and Roses" emerged from that strike.

Shomeret wrote: "I'm readingBread and Roses, Toowhich is a YA novel that deals with the Lawrence, Massachusetts mill strike of 1912. The song "Bread and Roses" emerged from that strike."

That book sounds great. Just checked and my library has it, so I've added it to my list. Be sure to let us know what you think of it!

I just started the French Blue about the hope diamond and the travels of obtaining it - sounds so good!

Joan wrote: "I just started the French Blue about the hope diamond and the travels of obtaining it - sounds so good!"

I've heard good things about this one. Let us know how you like it!

I'm relatively new to this group but I just started My Name is Mary Sutter. I hope it's as good as it sounds!

Leah wrote: "I'm relatively new to this group but I just started My Name is Mary Sutter. I hope it's as good as it sounds!"

Hi Leah, Mary Sutter is excellent.

I've been waiting and waiting for Mary Sutter. I've been number four on the list at my library for two months now!

btw, Welcome Leah!

Leah wrote: "I'm relatively new to this group but I just started My Name is Mary Sutter. I hope it's as good as it sounds!"

Hi Leah and Welcome! I am almost finished with this one and am enjoying it very much. It is a very powerful book - hope you like it too.

My name is Mary Sutter sounds wonderful - I've added it to my to-read list which is totally out of control! Thanks girls!

Just started Evangeline: A Novel which will be part of my annual "French & Indian War fiction initiative". First chapter has not really pulled me in- hopefully it will get better.

I just got Evangeline from Amazon. It will have to wait a bit because of library due dates, but I hope to get to it soon. I'm very interested in the subject matter of this book. I've read non-fiction about the Acadians.

Sandra is Evangeline getting any better ? - want to know if it's a good book before I order it.

Re Evangeline, I'm on p90 and still not really drawn in. There's something about the writing that just doesn't flow well for me. He's still introducing characters & setting the scene. Maybe I'm too distracted by work & other stuff right now to enjoy this one. Have to put it aside anyway to start a f2f group read that needs to be done by Tuesday. Would be interested to hear if anyone else is having trouble getting into Evangeline.

I gave up on Evangeline at page 97. I thought the language was thick, and frankly, it was boring. I skimmed the rest and don't feel like I missed out on anything by taking it back to the library. I was disappointed because I really like this time period and the book sounded so good from the description.

Thanks Sandra & Jenny! It just shows how you never really know - I thought it really sounded good also.

If you like F&I War era I loved this oldie but goodie: Juniata Valley: 2. It had a great and involving personal stories but also gave you a real feel for the actual warfare and politics of the period. It may be hard to locate a copy of this 1981 publication. Since I am the "queen" of my public library I see to it that this title never gets weeded out of the collection. It's good to be the queen. p.s.- don't know why there is a 2 after the title in the Goodreads record.

I'm starting Bound: A Novel. Hope it's good! I couldn't finish the last two American historicals I picked up.

Jenny,
I recently read Bound by Sally Gunning and I would recommend reading 'The Widow's War' prior to reading Bound. Bound is a continuation of sorts for the characters in 'The Widow's War'. I was glad I read Gunning's trilogy in chronological order, I think it made for a richer reading experience.

Barb wrote: "Jenny,
I recently read Bound by Sally Gunning and I would recommend reading 'The Widow's War' prior to reading Bound. Bound is a continuation of sorts for the characters in 'The Widow's War'. I ..."

Barb's got a good point and I didn't realize the latest one was related to the others until after I'd read it.

I read The Widow's War last year and I won a copy of The Rebellion of Jane Clarke thru LibraryThing, so I picked up Bound so I could read them in order.