I have been on a historical fiction kick lately and The Secrets of Mary Bowser was a pleasure to read. Written by Lois Leveen is a fictional account of Mary Bowser, as slave who was freed and educated in Philadelphia. On the cusp of the Civil War, Mary returns as a slave to her hometown of Richmond, VA in order to spy upon the Confederate army.
Like most slaves, there are very few records of Mary Bowser. During her research, Leveen was able to find a baptismal record and a record of Mary Bowser’s marriage. Most of the events in Mary Bowser’s life were imagined by the author including how she obtained her freedom to her education to her secret spying.
Whether the details of Mary’s life is real or imagined, what she did was very inspiring. Her character gives readers a different view from the typical master and slave dynamic. Mary was a house slave, not the half naked, often whipped slaves that her Philadelphia friends imagined. Though her situation was not as dire as the field slaves, the chains of slavery still chafed.
Written in first person narrative, Mary’s vocabulary and distinct voice allowed me to see life in her shoes. I appreciate that the author took the time and research to write the way people in that time period might have spoke.
I’ve never been fascinated with the details of Civil War battles, but The Secrets of Mary Bowser made me want to read more about life pre-Civil War. I highly recommend it.
by Tom Rachman was on quite a few lists, and for good reason. I finished it up last week, and I loved every page. I’m willing to admit that the cover art for this book hooked me. I love the font, the empty space, the stack of newspapers. I’m always a fan of the less-is-more approach.
by Tom Rachman, which is a delight to read. The remaining books on my list seem promising as well.
by Deborah Harkness was absolutely delightful. So great, in fact, I’ve actually checked it back out of the library to re-read, even though I just finished it a couple of weeks ago. Harkness combined witches, vampires, demons, history, and romance in her debut novel (a quick read despite its 592-page length). Harkness also manages to produce an interesting discussion on the origin story of each type of creature, and what it means to the individuals to actually understand their beginnings and where their power comes from. This book really does have a bit of everything – good vs. evil, science vs. magic, desire vs. conformity. It’s a fantastic read! I won’t share any spoilers or recap it for you – I’ll save that for another post.
by Geraldine Brooks. Originally published at 384 pages in early 2008, it’s the story of an Australian rare book conservator, invited to report on the condition of the centuries-old Sarajevo Haggadah. While the book itself (the Haggadah) is real, the story Brooks wrote is mostly fictional. She seamlessly weaved a history of the book’s journey from its original artist to its present location. Readers follow the small pieces of evidence uncovered about the book back in time, and witness how and why the book was made. I read this novel in one sitting: it’s that engrossing. Brooks created not only a moving journey through time, but a great narrative of the human story – suffering, tragedy, perseverance, and the ability to overcome.
