The Historical Fiction Shelf

The Tiffany Girls
Shelley Noble
William Morrow & Company
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063252448, $19.99, PB, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tiffany-Girls-Novel-Shelley-Noble/dp/0063252449

Synopsis: It's 1899, and Manhattan is abuzz. Louis Comfort Tiffany, famous = for his stained-glass windows, is planning a unique installation at the Par=
is World's Fair, the largest in history. At their fifth-floor studio on Fou= rth Avenue, the artists of the Women's Division of the Tiffany Glass Compan=
y are already working longer shifts to finish the pieces that Tiffany hopes=
will prove that he is the world's finest artist in glass. Known as the "Ti= ffany Girls", these women are responsible for much of the design and constr= uction of Tiffany's extraordinary glassworks, but none receive credit.

Emilie Pascal, daughter of an art forger, has been shunned in Paris art cir= cles after the unmasking of her abusive father. Wanting nothing more than a=
chance to start a new life, she forges a letter of recommendation in hopes=
of fulfilling her destiny as an artist in the one place where she will fin= ally be free to live her own life.

Grace Griffith is the best copyist in the studio, spending her days cutting=
glass into floral borders for Tiffany's religious stained-glass windows. B=
ut none of her coworkers know her secret: she is living a double life as a = political cartoonist under the pseudonym of G.L. Griffith -- hiding her ide= ntity as a woman.

As manager of the women's division, Clara Driscoll is responsible for keepi=
ng everything on schedule and within budget. But in the lead-up to the most=
important exhibition of her career, not only are her girls becoming increa= singly difficult to wrangle, she finds herself obsessed with a new design: =
a dragonfly lamp that she has no idea will one day become Tiffany's signatu=
re piece.

Brought together by chance, driven by their desire to be artists in one of = the only ways acceptable for women in their time, these "Tiffany Girls" wil=
l break the glass ceiling of their era and for working women to come.

Critique: Original, deftly crafted characters, interesting storyline, "The = Tiffany Girls" by novelist Shelley Noble is an absorbing, entertaining read=
from first page to last. With a special appeal to fans of women's historic=
al fiction, "The Tiffany Girls" is especially commended for community libra=
ry Historical Fiction collections and is available for personal reading lis=
ts in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.

Editorial Note: Shelley Noble (https://shelleynoble.com) is the author of W= hisper Beach and Beach Colors. Her other titles include Stargazey Point, Br= eakwater Bay, and Forever Beach (a story of foster adoption in New Jersey) = and four spin-off novellas. Shelley is also a member of Sisters in Crime, M= ystery Writers of America, and the Women's Fiction Writers Association.

Like the Appearance of Horses
Andrew Krivak
Bellevue Literary Press
c/o NYU School of Medicine
www.blpress.org
9781954276130, $28.99, HC, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Like-Appearance-Horses-Andrew-Krivak/dp/1954276133

Synopsis: Rooted in the small, mountain town of Dardan, Pennsylvania, where=
patriarch Jozef Vinich settled after surviving World War I, "Like the Appe= arance of Horses", novelist Andrew Krivak immerses his readers in the intim= ate lives of a family whose fierce bonds have been shaped by the great conf= licts of the past century.

After Bexhet Konar escapes fascist Hungary and crosses the ocean to find Jo= zef, the man who saved his life in 1919, he falls in love with Jozef's daug= hter, Hannah, enlists in World War II, and is drawn into a personal war of = revenge. Many years later, their youngest son, Samuel, is taken prisoner in=
Vietnam and returns home with a heroin addiction and deep physical and psy= chological wounds. As Samuel travels his own path toward healing, his son w= ill graduate from Annapolis as a Marine on his way to Iraq.

Critique: Featuring a spare, breathtaking prose by an author with a genuine=
flair for a distinctive and narrative driven storytelling flair, "Like the=
Appearance of Horses" is an original and freestanding, and concluding nove=
l in Andrew Krivak's award-winning Dardan Trilogy, which began with "The So= journ" and "The Signal Flame". This is a compelling and deftly crafted stor=
y about borders drawn within families as well as around nations, and redraw=
n by ethnicity, prejudice, and war. But it is also a tender story of love a=
nd how it is tested by duty, loyalty, and honor. While steadfastly recommen= ded for community and academic library Literary Fiction collections, it sho= uld be noted for personal reading lists that "Like the Appearance of Horses=
" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Andrew Krivak (https://www.andrewkrivak.com) is the author =
of The Bear, a Mountain Book Competition winner and NEA Big Read selection,=
and the novels of the Dardan Trilogy: The Sojourn, a National Book Award f= inalist and winner of both the Chautauqua Prize and Dayton Literary Peace P= rize; The Signal Flame, a Chautauqua Prize finalist.

In Search of the Animalcule
Steven L. Berk, M.D.
iUniverse, Inc.
c/o Author House
1663 Liberty Dr. Suite #300, Bloomington, IN 47403
www.iuniverse.com
9781663248015, $23.99, HC, 228pp

https://www.amazon.com/Search-Animalcule-Steven-M-D-Berk/dp/166324801X

Synopsis: When he is born in 1847 Vienna, Jacob Pfleger shares just two day=
s with his mother, a female obstetrician who dies giving birth (like thousa= nds of other women around the world) of the mysterious childbed fever.

Because his birth father wants nothing to do with him, Jacob is placed in a=
n orphanage. His mother's dying wish is that he will grow up with resilienc=
e and independence. As Jacob matures into a precocious twelve-year-old, he =
is told about the legacy of his mother by her colleague, Ignaz Semmelweis, = and learns that his father is a winemaker in Lille, France.

Determined to find his father and his destiny, Jacob embarks on a quest to = locate him. When he arrives in France, Jacob is introduced to Louis Pasteur=
who is working with is father to determine why the wines of France are spo= iling. As he is led on an intense scientific journey, Jacob eventually also=
works with Joseph Lister and Robert Koch, participating in the great disco= veries of the era that uncover the animalcules, the bacteria, that have cau= sed global disease and death.

Later Jacob studies to become a doctor under the mentorship of Sir William = Osler at Johns Hopkins.

Although a deftly crafted work of fiction, "In Search of the Animalcule is =
an amazing story that fully captures the real lives and work of the great s= cientists of the time as an orphan assists in shocking medical discoveries = that change the worlds understanding of disease and uncovers the field of i= nfectious disease.

Critique: An inherently fascinating and compelling novel, "In Search of the=
Animalcule" by novelist and medical doctor Steven L. Berk is based upon ge= nuine discovers of bacteria and viruses that would revolutionize medicine a=
nd our understanding of the true nature of all manner of infections disease=
s. While unreservedly recommended for community, college, and university li= brary Historical/Medical Fiction collections, it should be noted for person=
al reading lists that "In Search of the Animalcule" is also readily availab=
le for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9781663248008, $13.99=
) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Steven L. Berk (https://www.ttuhsc.edu/medicine/dean.aspx) = joined the faculty of the School of Medicine in 1999, and served as Regiona=
l Dean for the Amarillo Campus, Professor of Medicine, until 2006 when he w=
as appointed Dean of the School of Medicine.

The Lady of the Lighthouse
Terri Greening
www.terrigreeningauthor.com
World Castle Publishing
https://www.worldcastlepublishing.net
9798385875740, $19.99, HC, 271pp

https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Lighthouse-Terri-Greening/dp/B0BW31X5G4

Synopsis: Loralei Lancaster, a lonely, pregnant young mother and lighthouse=
keeper on the Great Lakes is caught up in a WWII espionage plot while wait= ing for her shipping-captain husband, Devon, to return from a Great Lakes v= oyage. When a dashing, Italian spy posing as a down-and-out art dealer and = handyman enters her life and seduces her, she must ultimately choose betwee=
n her passionate love for him and her love for Devon, her family, and her c= ountry.

Critique: With the publication of "The Lady of the Lighthouse", novelist Te= rri Greening presents a deftly crafted and fully entertaining World War II = thriller set in the Great Lakes area and features a pirate, a Great Lakes s= hipping captain, a dashing Italian spy, and the lonely, pregnant young moth=
er who loved them all. An original and fun read from cover to cover, "The L= ady of the Lighthouse" will have a very special and particular appeal to re= aders with an interest in historical World War II espionage suspense thrill= ers. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library co= llections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Lady of = the Lighthouse" is also available in a paperback edition (9781960076403, $1= 3.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: Terri Greening (www.terrigreeningauthor.com) is a creative = writer in the Great Lakes region who enjoys yoga, gardening, nature parks, = walking, and biking.

Mimosa Road
Ruth Linnea Whitney
https://ruthlinneawhitney.com
Independently Published
9798371628817, $17.99, PB, 340pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mimosa-Road-Ruth-Linnea-Whitney/dp/B0BRZ4J8R1

Synopsis: "Mimosa Road" by author Ruth Linnea Whitney is a novel of two wom= en, two cultures, and a shadow world where people who offend Life-President=
Mobutu Sese Seko disappear.

Set in Kinshasa, Zaire, 1974-1975, "Mimosa Road" is the story of a privileg=
ed expat and a Zairian in a simple village who meet and find themselves in = close-up range of Mobutu's mindless brutality.

Their stories intertwine in a post-colonial world that bewilders, terrifies=
, yet challenges them to confront violent oppression. Of special note is ho=
w "Mimosa Road" raises issues in the mid-1970s that are surprisingly releva=
nt to our time and place in 2023.

Critique: An original and inherently riveting read from beginning to end, "= Mimosa Road" is exceptionally well written and presented, showcasing as it = does the impressive and narrative driven storytelling skills of novelist Ru=
th Linnea Whitney. While especially and unreservedly recommended for commun= ity library General Fiction, Historical Fiction, and Political Fiction coll= ections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Mimosa Road" i=
s also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Ruth Linnea Whitney (https://ruthlinneawhitney.com) short s= tories and essays have appeared in The Threepenny Review, Kaleidoscope, Nat= ural Bridge, Assisi, and elsewhere; her poetry in Raven Chronicles and Anci= ent Paths; her journalism in Chicago Tribune, Town & Country, Seattle PI, a=
nd elsewhere. Her professional memberships include: The Authors Guild, Inte= rnational Women's Writing Group (IWWG), Pacific NW Writers Association (PNW= A), and Writers Guild of PCUSA. She has taught primary school subjects to A= IDS orphans in Uganda, ESL to nurses in Vietnam and to immigrants at Penins= ula College in Port Townsend, WA.

Liv's Secrets
Janet Levine
Armin Lear Press Inc.
https://arminlear.com
9781956450507, $24.95 Paper/$7.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Livs-Secrets-Janet-Levine/dp/1956450505

Liv's Secrets doesn't sound like a historical novel, but it comes steeped i=
n the genre's best trappings of action and facts. It follows a fictional So= uth African Jewish family's journey from Eastern Europe to South Africa, wh= ere currents of prejudice and racism follow them to affect their new lives.

A somewhat-daunting list of characters opens the story. While some might tr= anslate this to a weighty novel that will feature fluctuating major players=
and a complexity that belays emotional investment in people and outcomes, = such a perception could not be further from the truth. Janet Levine's appro= ach is designed to introduce and streamline the many characters that intera=
ct on the pages and arena of historical change, and this prologue and revie=
w helps readers immediately place the characters and their connections.

Because this story of the Weisz family members evolves over a series of dec= ades and different generations, such a review lends a foundation of knowled=
ge to the story that makes it easier to become involved in its personas and=
events from the start.

Eighty-eight-year-old narrator Liv opens the tale with a reflection on her = present circumstances, the post-apartheid world, and memories good and bad = that might pass with her. Her observations of the importance of preserving = these experiences for future generations do not go unnoted: "We learn histo=
ry from survivors' horrific nightmares? Is this all we have to share? Night= mare stories. Our century was one of struggle and strife. Perhaps I've live=
d too long? I'm forgetting the beauty of life; I'm forgetting the joy, the = love, and the surprises."

As the saga evolves, it becomes a template for other scattered South Africa=
n Jewish family experiences, revealing the social, political, and emotional=
ties that are all tested by history and life. Liv's first-person introduct= ion leads to third-person descriptions of the 1960s in South Africa and the=
events which unfold to present new challenges to her family. The timeline = that moves from past to present is clearly identified in chapter headers th=
at keep readers on track about the changing milieu which propels Liv and he=
r family in new directions.

Relatively little fiction has been written about Jewish experiences in Sout=
h Africa. This fact, combined with Janet Levine's enticing attention to cap= turing life under a repressive White South African government and its lasti=
ng impact on the psyches of all strata of society, makes for a story that i=
s rich in historical detail, compelling in its social examination, and ceme= nted by family and characters that face difficult decisions on how to live = their lives and reflect their values and ideals.

Libraries (especially those strong in cross-cultural fictional explorations=
of Jewish communities and experience in history) will find Liv's Secrets a=
thought-provoking, delightful exploration that ideally will find its way t=
o discussion groups interested in South African history and Jewish cultural=
experience in particular.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promo= ting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no fund=
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The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "Califo= rnia Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwat= ch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available=
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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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