Book Corner News & Reviews: Historical Fiction

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Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Angela Thompson 8:45 AM 0

Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Well-Tempered Violinist by Barbara T. Carlton

This morning, I have a historical fiction novel in our book teaser spotlight! Check out The Well-Tempered Violinist and learn about author Barbara T. Carlton.

Book 1 of The Gift

Historical Fiction

Date to be Published: November 5, 2025

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

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About the Book

Marthe Adler dreams of making history as a great violinist. But in 1905 Germany, tradition and deep-seated prejudice against women musicians stand in her way. To make matters worse, her beloved father’s sudden death shatters her family’s comfortable life, pushing them to the edge of poverty.

But the violin Marthe’s father left her is a constant reminder of the profound bond between them, and it gives her the strength to begin healing. When the Köln Conservatory offers her an unexpected scholarship, she seizes her chance to reach for excellence.

Under the rigorous tutelage of Professorin Wolff, and subjected to predatory harassment by a fellow student determined to destroy both her self-worth and her chances of success, Marthe quickly learns she will need more than motivation and talent to rise to the top.

Filled with heart, wit, and music, The Well-Tempered Violinist is an enduring coming-of-age tale about an artist striving for greatness against enormous odds.

Read an Excerpt

FEBRUARY 1949, HEIDELBERG

In the very beginning was the sound, bright and rich, with an edge of darkness.

I knew it before birth, my mother said, for whenever my father played, I became still in her womb, as if I were mesmerized.

In the sitting room of our house in Eberlinstrasse, I became the audience, propped with pillows before I could sit up, listening to my father and his friends play string quartets on Saturday nights—for love, he said, not money, for he was a banker, though as a young man he had studied with the famous Schradieck in Hamburg. Later, he told me I never fussed, never had to be removed, but remained transfixed, no matter how rough the music nor how often they repeated it. So perhaps my mother was right.

***

The second beginning was my fourth birthday, when my baby sister Anni stuck her fist into my birthday cake when no one was looking and my grandparents gave me a music box that played “Papageno’s Magic Bells” from The Magic Flute, which I listened to until everyone but me was sick of it. Best of all, my father gave me my own small violin and began to teach me its mysteries. First, the names of the strings and their personalities: A, sensible and even-tempered; D, cheerful and impetuous; down to G, serious and thoughtful; up to E, nervous and temperamental, with a tendency to squeak. How to tune them, how to find the notes and make them pure instead of scratchy. He turned exercises and drills into games and improvised harmony to my children’s songs, something different every time. Alle Meine Entchen, All My Ducklings. Bruder Jakob, a round. Kleines Mädchen, Little Girl—my favorite, because it was about me.

I practiced every afternoon for my evening lesson. Occasionally, with nerves like caterpillars in my stomach, I played for the applause and praise of my father’s friends. I might have thought all children were as docile as myself, if not for Anni. Anni’s temper tantrums, Anni thundering up and down the stairs, Anni meddling with my toys and often breaking them. I couldn’t imagine where my parents had found her, or why. Someday, I thought—preferably soon—she would run off to become a pirate and leave us in peace.

The pirate would surely come to no good. But I dreamed I would become a famous violinist and lead an exotic and sophisticated life on the concert stages of the world.

***

When I outgrew my first violin, Anni inherited it and my father began to teach her—at least, he tried. Anni never practiced and she hated lessons of all kinds. The experiment was short-lived and a spectacular failure.

I felt horribly smug for weeks.

My father and I shared a secret language, a world full of treasures where Anni couldn’t stick in her fat little fist and grab anything and where my mother didn’t care to go. A bond grew between us as between two fibers of the same tree, pure and deep. . .

***

MARCH 1906, KÖLN

Both of these beginnings came before the real one, like the prologue in fiction.

The third beginning, the real one, is now: a cold March morning a month past my eighteenth birthday, before the grand front door of one of the grandest houses in Köln. Herr Dietrich keeps a firm grip on my elbow, probably to keep me from running away. In my other hand, I carry my violin in its case. This house, on Leopoldstrasse in the heart of the Lindenthal district, belongs to Herr Ferdinand Kurtz, president of the Bank of Köln. My father’s bank.

Yes. It begins here.

The violin I carry is my father’s, because he is dead.

***

Meet the Author

Retired architect Barbara Thornburgh Carlton is an author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Though not a musician, she remains music-adjacent as a volunteer for the San Diego Opera and the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival in Washington. The mother of two grown children who are remarkably considerate about keeping in touch, she lives in San Diego, California, with her photographer husband, Barry.

The Well-Tempered Violinist, Book 1 of The Gift series, is her first novel.

Connect with the Author

Instagram: @btcarlton_writer

Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Angela Thompson 5:25 AM 0

Literary Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Ballad of Midnight and McRae by Jess Lederman

Today, I have a historical fiction novel in our book spotlight. Learn about The Ballad of Midnight and McRae by author Jess Lederman. Be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Literary Historical Fiction / LGBT Friendly

Date Published: 07-16-2025

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About the Book

For Caleb McRae--devout Baptist, Texas Ranger, hero of the Wild West--life's simple enough: lawmen bring bad guys to justice, and hellfire's a sinner's fate. At least it seems that way, until he falls in love with the notorious outlaw, Henry Midnight...

Thomas Anderson of Literary Titan calls The Ballad of Midnight and McRae "wildly entertaining" and recommends it "to lovers of literary fiction, fans of Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson, and anyone who believes that stories still have the power to save."

Poet Malcolm Guite writes, "In the story of Midnight and McRae we are enabled to hear the long conversation between Pagan and Christian, and within Christianity between protestant and catholic. and on a personal level between father and son, between lover and beloved, and deep within ourselves, the conversation between the person we are pretending to be and the person we really are. And all these vital conversations are enfolded in and arise from a compelling story set on the frontiers, the badlands, and the formative days of America itself, the place where so many of these conversations need to take place."

“Wildly entertaining… Jess Lederman writes with a fierce tenderness, blending lyrical prose with grit and grace.”

—Thomas Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Titan

About the Author

Jess Lederman lives with his wife and young son in Southern California, where he writes historical fiction. His debut novel, Hearts Set Free, was an award-winning Amazon best-seller. When he's not writing or playing with his son, he's usually at the piano playing Chopin and Brahms for his wife.

Connect with the Author

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Tuesday, August 12, 2025

Angela Thompson 7:59 AM 0

Historical Fiction Audiobook Spotlight: Where Eagles Nest by Helen F. Wand

This morning, I have a historical fiction audiobook in our book spotlight! Learn about the audiobook and author Helen Wand and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

Historical Fiction

Date Published: August 20, 2024

Publisher: Luminare Press

Narrator: Carolyn Wand Eslick

Run Time: 8 hours, 13 minutes

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About the Book

Where Eagles Nest chronicles a young couple, Alex and Julianna Lampert, as they immigrate from Lichtenstein, in search of land where they can raise a family and participate in the American dream. The young newlyweds eventually settle in the rugged hills and pasturelands above the Sandy River in Oregon, where they forge a life of love and pursue their quest for prosperity in spite of the struggle in the wild terrain of the Pacific Northwest in the 1880s. —Sharon Nesbit, writer and historian, author of It Could’ve Been Carpdale.

About the Author

Helen Wand was raised in the rugged hills of Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. A child of a large Catholic family, she has fearlessly trespassed into the lives of her immigrant ancestors who first settled at the west end of the Gorge. Her writing places the reader by their side as they raise and feed a large brood of children, build a farm, and ultimately, a community. Those who see the neat farms and green fields of Multnomah County, east of the Sandy River, will get a sense of how they began and the challenges they faced along the way.

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Monday, August 11, 2025

Angela Thompson 6:52 AM 0

Historical Fiction Spotlight: Whiz Kid by Joel Burcat and David S. Burcat

Today, I have a historical fiction novel in our book spotlight! Learn about Whiz Kid and authors Joel & David S. Burcat--and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post!

Historical Fiction

Date Published: 07-01-2025

Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc.

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About the Book

Whiz Kid is a powerful coming-of-age novel set in 1950 Philadelphia, where Jewish Navy veteran Ben Green faces impossible choices.

Pressured by his pregnant wife to finish his novel or take a secure job at a prestigious ad agency, Ben must also navigate the era’s class divisions and antisemitism. His best friend’s elite world clashes with his working-class South Philly roots and Jewish identity.

Temptation, ambition, and loyalty collide—especially when Ilene, a captivating classmate, threatens to unravel his carefully balanced life. As the Phillies’ Whiz Kids chase a pennant, Ben’s own reckoning builds to a climax, culminating in a surprising decision that redefines his future.

Co-written with David S. Burcat, Joel Burcat’s late father, Whiz Kid is a deeply American story of resilience, legacy, and the true cost of following one’s heart.

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About the Author

Joel Burcat is a novelist and retired lawyer living in Harrisburg, Pa. His previous novels, Reap the Wind, Drink to Every Beast, Amid Rage, and Strange Fire have been award-winning thrillers. He is a Gold Medal Winner from Readers’ Favorite, a Finalist of the Next Gen Indie Book Awards, and a winner of the PennWriters Annual Writing Contest. Strange Fire was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Week.

David S. Burcat was a Navy corpsman in World War II, a graduate of University of Pennsylvania (English Literature and Dentistry), and a proud son of Camden NJ and his adopted town of Philadelphia. He worked in advertising in the 1950s before returning to Penn to study dentistry. He wrote Match Point, the novella within the novel, in about 1950. He died in 1998. Whiz Kid- A Novel is his first published book. Dave was the father of co-author, Joel Burcat.

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Thursday, July 31, 2025

Angela Thompson 9:50 AM 1

Historical Military Fiction Review: Legacy of Honor - The Descendants by Larry A. Freeland

Book Title:  LEGACY OF HONOR: THE DESCENDANTS by Larry A. Freeland
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +), 401 pages
Genre: Historical Military Fiction
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date:  February 2025
Content Rating: PG + M: My book is a story of sacrifice, integrity, courage (moral and physical), love, family and war.

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About the Book

In The Descendants: A Legacy of Valor, the McCormick family saga continues, plunging readers into the heart of 20th-century warfare. This gripping historical military fiction, written in three parts, follows Sean McCormick’s three sons—Alan, Lee, and Scott—as they confront the harsh realities of war and sacrifice.

In Part 1, Alan, the eldest, leads an Infantry Company with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. Amid brutal jungle battles, he faces the relentless toll of command.

Part 2 follows Lee, a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, as he navigates daring missions and personal struggles, eventually participating in the First Gulf War.

In Part 3, Scott, the youngest, is drafted into the Army during the Vietnam era, stationed in South Korea, and later recruited by the CIA, where he undertakes covert missions across the Middle East.

From the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of the Middle East, The Descendants—the powerful conclusion to The Legacy of Honor trilogy—explores the courage, brotherhood, and sacrifices of the McCormick brothers. Their intertwined journeys reveal the true cost of duty, family, and legacy.

My Review

The Author Takes Readers Beyond the Battlefield. This is the first book that I have read from the trilogy. I was hesitant to begin the series with the "end"--but the novel is certainly a stand-alone look at the lives of the three brothers (descendants) in a military family. I am not always a fan of military-based novels--but the author takes readers to, through and beyond the battlefields as he explores the personal tolls of war taken on his three main characters. The novel is a very real look into the brothers' experiences. The tears, the pain, and the harsh realities are laid open on the pages. Written with a tone that is vivid and real, the novel reads more like stories from memoirs and journals. Readers will be drawn to this family and the stories of war and its aftermath from beginning to end.

Legacy of Honor - The Descendants can be Read as a Stand-Alone--But... This is the best historical military fiction novel I've read. While this is the "end" of the series, I would certainly be interested in reading the first two books as well. You could read this novel on its own and have a complete reading experience--but you will want to stay with the family and learn about them and the legacy that preceded these three men.

Would I Recommend Legacy of Honor - The Descendants by Larry A. Freeland? Whether you love military fiction--or enjoy emotional historical fiction, this novel (and series) is one for your reading list. While this novel is a stand-alone book, I would plan to pick up the series.

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Praise for Legacy of Honor: The Patriarch

“Freeland weaves together an exciting, action-packed, and historically accurate tale of war and romance during and after World War 1.” - James Harvey, author of Grayton Beach Affair

“Freeland writes in nearly encyclopedic fashion as he includes background information about the World War I trenches, the history of the nursing corps, the big increase of cigarette use among American military personnel, the history of “Reveille,” and the meaning of “buying the farm,” among many other things. He also takes the reader on a 30,000-foot overview of a battle about to take place before dropping us down into the action. Freeland’s aim is for his trilogy to explore how this country treats its warriors and veterans during and after our wars. With Book One, The Patriarch, he’s off to a good start." - Bill McCloud - Vietnam Veterans of America

"Crawl through the trenches of France with American infantrymen and experience the horrendous brutality of WWI warfare … reminiscent of the carnage in Civil War battle scenes in The Red Badge of Courage. Then follow the “doughboys” as they assimilate back into American society, often with heartbreaking and unforgettable outcomes.” - Jameson Gregg, Benjamin Franklin Award Winner and Georgia Author of the Year

In his hometown in Wellington Ohio, Sam McCormick is on a path to follow in his father’s footsteps, leading a life of hard work as a factory manager. But in 1915, Sam loses his parents when the Lusitania is sunk by a U-boat. Soon after, Sam is called up during World War I as an infantryman with the Army’s American Expeditionary Forces and the first division to be sent to France to battle the very forces that killed his loved ones.

Now Sam’s aim is to seek vengeance for his parents’ death. He must survive brutal gas attacks, rapid machine gun fire, and relentless artillery strikes. As he and his troops repeatedly cross into “no man’s land” to take over German trenches, he will cross paths with notable leaders such as General Pershing, General Douglas MacArthur, Colonel George Patton, and Sergeant York, one of the most highly decorated American soldiers of WWI.

But Sam’s attitude changes as the war drags on, and the body count rises. Now Sam just wants the killing to stop. When he is wounded, he finds hope again to rebuild a life with his bride Marie, a witty and intelligent French nurse. But when he returns home, the United States that he loved as a civilian looks far different after the war as a veteran.

Sam McCormick must become The Patriarch. His family and way of life depend on it.

A tale of courage, sacrifice, love and honor, this 20th Century historical fiction saga addresses the horrors of WW1 and the challenges that military men faced upon returning including mental trauma, and physical illness in addition to the hardships of the Great Depression as well as other historical events before WWII, including the Bonus Army March of 1932 and the Little Steel Strikes of 1937.

https://mybook.to/TheApacheKid

Thursday, July 24, 2025

Angela Thompson 7:43 AM 0

Native American Historical Fiction Spotlight: The Apache Kid - Army Apache Scout by W. Michael Farmer

This morning, I have a historical fiction novel to share! Learn about The Apache Kid: Army Apache Scout, the first volume in The Apache Kid Chronicles by W. Michael Farmer. Read an excerpt from the book & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post.

ARMY APACHE SCOUT (The Apache Kid Chronicles-Volume 1)

Fiction / Indigenous / Historical Fiction / Native American

Date Published: 06-03-2015

Publisher: Hat Creek

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About the Book

From Army Scout to Outlaw, from Hero to Legend.

He survived the embers of the fires and murders at the Camp Grant Massacre of the Apache. Young Has-kay-bay-nay-ntayl ("brave and tall and will come to a mysterious end"), a child known by many names but later feared and revered as the Apache Kid-grows up in two cultures where survival means choosing between loyalty and betrayal, his people and their overseers. Trained by the legendary Al Sieber and other former military officers, the Kid makes a meteoric rise to prominence as a First Sergeant of scouts, a warrior whose skill and leadership helps win the U.S. Army's fight against renegades and maintain peace between Apache bands at San Carlos Reservation.

But neither war nor peace are ever simple. When forced to make an impossible choice between his own People or the Army, he chooses his People. His choice leads the Army to imprison him at Alcatraz. Released early by the Army, Arizona Territory tries to imprison him again but he, with seven other Apache on the way to Yuma Penitentiary, escape and become the object of the greatest manhunt in Arizona history. The only one to survive the manhunt, Kid becomes both a ghost and a legend, the most feared border outlaw for the next ten years before vanishing into Mexico.

Seen through Kid's eyes, The Apache Kid: Army Apache Scout brings to life the thrilling and tragic journey of Apache Kid as a young man and the best of the Army's Apache scouts.

Read an Excerpt

The stars in the milk river sweeping over us seemed especially bright that night, and I could
hear bats swooping through the cool night air collecting insects. Off toward the north, Wolf
howled and then Coyote. It was a beautiful night, one that lives in my memory.

Sieber said, “Kid, I wanted to talk to you about what you plan to do when your six-month
enlistment is up. Do you think you’ll reenlist? Do you plan to be in the scouts a while? I expect
the Chiricahuas are gonna be runnin’ wild after they heal up from that beatin’ we gave ’em. I
understand General Crook is gonna be comin’ back to command Arizona Territory and maybe
even New Mexico. I hope so, cause he knows what he’s doin’.”

I took a swallow of coffee and, staring at the fire, said, “I be scout. Wait for Hashke Bahnzin
daughter, Chita, to have her womanhood ceremony. Then we marry. She already strong, wise
woman I think of many times. Why you ask, Sieber?”

“I watched how you fought against the Chiricahuas. You did just like I thought you would.
Cool under fire and still a great shot. If you stay in the scouts, I want you to become a first
sergeant.”

I raised my brows in surprise and Sieber grinned.

“That’s a step up from the time to become a first sergeant as we talked about earlier. You
knew all the drill commands and how to do them when you joined. I never saw you make a drill
mistake when you drilled after signing up. You know the rules and you’re a natural leader. It’ll
mean extra pay if you’re also a first sergeant. What do you say?”

Meet the Author

W. MICHAEL FARMER blends over fifteen years of research into 19th-century Apache history and Southwest living to create richly authentic stories. A retired PhD physicist, his scientific work included laser-based measurements of atmospheric aerosols, and he authored a two-volume reference on atmospheric effects.

His fiction and essays have earned numerous honors, including three Will Rogers Gold and six Silver Medallions, multiple New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards, and a Spur Finalist Award. His novels include The Life and Times of Yellow Boy, Legends of the Desert, and the award-winning Geronimo duology. His latest novels include Trini! Come! and the Chato Duology, featuring Desperate Warrior and Proud Outcast.

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Monday, July 21, 2025

Angela Thompson 6:33 AM 0

Historical Fiction Audiobook Spotlight: The Irish Girl by Ashley E. Sweeney

Do you enjoy coming of age novels and historical fiction? This morning, I have an audiobook to share! Learn about The Irish Girl and author Ashley E. Sweeney! Check out the book and be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post!

Coming of Age/ Fiction/ Historical Fiction

Date Published: December 10, 2024 (Paperback) / March 11, 2025 (Audiobook)

Publisher: She Writes Press/Tantor Media

Narrator: Aoife McMahon

Run Time: 9 hours and 39 minutes

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About the Book

From multi-award-winning historical fiction author Ashley E. Sweeney comes a family saga about the Irish immigrant experience spanning New York, Chicago, and Colorado so compelling that, USA Today best-selling author Kelli Estes says, “I read this story in one sitting.”

Thirteen-year-old Mary Agnes Coyne, forced from her home in rural Ireland in 1886 after being accused of incest, endures a treacherous voyage across the Atlantic alone to an unknown life in America. From the tenements of New York to the rough alleys of Chicago, Mary Agnes suffers the bitter taste of prejudice for the crime of being poor and Irish.

After moving west to Colorado, Mary Agnes again faces hardships and grapples with heritage, religion, and matters of the heart. Will she ever find a home to call her own? Where?

About the Author

A native New Yorker, Ashley E. Sweeney is the multi-award-winning author of four novels, The Irish Girl, Hardland, Answer Creek: A Novel of The Donner Party, and Eliza Waite. She graduated from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. with a degree in American Literature and American History and spent her career as a journalist and educator before turning to writing full-time. When she is not chained to her writing desk, Sweeney is an avid gardener, art quilter, and mosaic artist. She lives in the Pacific Northwest and Tucson.

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Tantor Media

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