Historically Speaking

By Cynthia A. Smith

For my masters in library science, I took a class on readers

advisory - very similar to reference except instead of finding
information the user wants, you are finding a book the
reader wants - even if they don't know they want it. For our
final, we did an in depth study of a genre. I am a
fantasy/science fiction person myself, but we had to do
something new. Since I love history, I did historical fiction.
And this is what I learned.
Definitions
To be deemed historical (in our sense), a novel must have been written at least
fifty years after the events described, or have been written by someone who was
not alive at the time of those events (who therefore approaches them only by
research).
Definition from the Historical Novel Society
at: http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/definition.htm. Accessed 4/14/2007.
. . . I define Historical Fiction as a novel set in the past, before the authors
lifetime and experience . . . The goal of authors of historical fiction is to bring
history to life in novel form.
Saricks, Joyce G. (2001) The Readers Advisory Guide to Genre Fiction.
American Library Association: Chicago, p.81.
A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or
more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author.
As such, the historical novel is distinguished from the alternate-history genre.

Definition from Wikipedia at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_novel.

Accessed 4/14/2007.

Appeal Characteristics
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live back in the time of the
American Revolution? Have you ever wanted to meet Napoleon? Are you curious
about Chinese customs during the Qing dynasty? Are you interested in history,
but find traditional history texts and books too dry? Historical fiction may be the
genre for you.
Historical fiction books are usually large books full of detail about the culture
and society and times being depicted. Even those that are smaller and/or focus on
action are slowed down by this detail.
These novels are always set in the past, making even familiar settings different
from what the reader may be accustomed to. Usually, historical novels are full of
descriptions of the setting, helping the reader imagine a time and place far from
their own.
The characters may vary. Some are real historical figures, others are what the
author has imagined. In some cases, a place may become a character. In any case,
the characters must remain realistic and act and believe the same way people of
the time would. The characters are shaped by their time period.
The story may focus on a particular event, what lead up to it and what was the
aftermath. Or the story may follow a person through the greater part of their
lives. Some may even focus on specific issues.

Subgenres
There don't seem to be any true subgenres in historical fiction. When it is
divided, it tends to be by geography more than anything else.
For Europe, I read books by Philippa Gregory, Cecelia Holland, Rosalind Miles,
and Edward Rutherford.

For Asia, I read books by Pearl S. Buck, Anchee Min, and Gail Tsukiyama.
For America, I read books by Charles Frazier, Diana Gabaldon, and Eugenia
Price.
Some, like I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles focus on a real character. Others like
thirteen moons by Charles Frazier may be based on reality but are essentially
made up. Edward Rutherford has made is career by writing books that focus on
places over centuries or even Millennia, like London. In The Waiting Time,
Euginia Price focuses on the issue of slavery.

Historical Fiction Resources & Articles

(2003, March 28) History, the new fantasy. Bookseller, 5070, pp. 22-24.
Discusses historical fiction for children, with suggestions of titles that were recent
at the time of publication. This is a good place to start for those working with
young people.
Blasingame, James & Goodson, Lori A. (1998, Fall) Historical Fiction or
Fictionalized History? Problems for Writers of Historical Novels for Young Adults.
The Alan Review, 26(1).
An in-depth discussion of the definition of historical fiction. Although focusing on
historical fiction for young adults, the problems are just as true for those who
write in the genre for adult readers. The line between history and historical
fiction is not always entirely clear.
Ganns, Dawn. (2006, Winter) History in Historical Fiction. School Librarians
Workshop, 26(4) pp. 5-6.
A shorter discussion the definition of historical fiction, with lists of further
resources. If my site doesnt list it, this article may!
Herald, Diana Tixier, and Weigand, Wayne A. (2005) Genreflecting: A guide to
Popular Reading Interests (6th Ed.). Libraries Unlimited: Westport, Connecticut.
A more general reference, but a good place to start when helping with readers
advisory. It has titles by author divided into subcategories, lists of award

winners, and a discussion of the genre itself. A good choice if budget is an issue.
Johnson, Sarah L. (2005) Historical Fiction: A Guide to the Genre. Libraries
Unlimited: New York.
The reference to use when a general reference wont do it in helping with
readers advisory. Much more in-depth with more of everything.
Saricks, Joyce G. (2001)Readrs' Advisory guide to Genre Fiction. American Library
Association: Chicago.
The guide to helping the readers advisor to understand the various genres and
to working with the genres fans with suggested resources. It has an excellent
section on historical fiction.

Historical Fiction Links

Historical Fiction Review - A blog devoted to historical fiction, searchable by
period, region, and subject, includes essays as well.
Historical Fiction - Book reviews, news, and online book groups through a
forum.
Historical Novels Database - Can search by author, era, and location.
Historical Novel Society - The official site for writers in the genre, with reiviews,
forthcoming books, awards, and more. Very up to date and authoritative.
Reader's Advice on Historical Fiction - Booklists with historical fiction divided
by time period, location, etc. Frequently updated, run by current and retired
librarians.
Soon's HisFic.net - A historical fiction site with an author database, forum,
booksearch, and more. Forums and Author database currently down. Last
updated last year.

Reviews

Buck, Pearl S. (1931) The Good Earth. Washington Square Press: New York.
The Good Earth follows the life of farmer Wang Lung from the day of his
marriage to his last days. Many changes take place during his life, which span
the days of the last emperor to beyond revolution. While exciting event take
place, Wang Lungs thoughts and impressions keep the pace slow and even.
China at the turn of the 20th century is the place. The narrator is third person,
but focuses on Wang Lung. The actions and speech of the characters are quite
realistic. In spite of all that is going on in China during this time, events impact
Wang Lung and his family relatively little. To the end, his chief preoccupations
are with his family and his land. Pearl S. Buck won the Pulitzer Prize for the
novel for The Good Earth in 1932. She later won the Nobel Prize for literature
for her life's work.
Frazier, Charles. (2006) thirteen moons. Random House: New York.
thirteen moons follows the Cherokee during the years leading up to their removal
to the West, and one remnant that stayed behind, through the eyes of orphan
Will Cooper who is taken in by them after his family kicks him out. The pace is
thoughtful, that of an old man recounting the defining moments of his life. The
setting is in the mountains of Tennessee, which we see change through the years
through Wills eyes. The characters are realistic: there are both good and bad
characters on both the sides of the Cherokee and the settlers. This is Fraziers
second book, and already he is an acclaimed author. This book is the winner of
the National Book Award.
Gabaldon, Diana. (1991) Outlander. A Dell Book: New York.
In Outlander, it is 1945 and nurse Clair Randall has just been reunited with her
husband on a second-honeymoon in Scotland. All goes well until she touches a
bolder and is sent back to 1743 where she finds danger and love. While there is
plenty of action, there is also lots of description and dialogue which keeps the
pace slower. The setting is in Scotland around Loch Nest. While the story begins
in 1945, after the first three chapters the book is entirely in the 1700s.
Everything is seen from Clairs point of view, which is sometimes rather amusing
once we go into the past with her. We come to know the other characters as she
does, especially James. The story is a bit introspective. It is also surrounded by
real events and places, giving it a bit of an epic feel. This is the first book in a
four-book series.
Gregory, Philippa. (2001) The Other Boleyn Girl. Simon & Schuster: New York.

>The Other Boleyn Girl follows Mary Boleyn, the younger sister of Anne Boleyn,
and their rivalry to catch the eye of Henry VIII and the eventual downfall of
Anne. The pace is generally slow, though points that the author wishes to focus
on are treated in more detail and more depth, slowing these parts even more.
Events generally take place at Westminster, or at other castles as the court visits
various nobility. The characters are all seen through the eyes of Mary, and all of
them reflect the court and time of Henry VIII. In fact, their main purpose was to
advance themselves while keeping their king entertained. These machinations are
described in some detail.
Holland, Cecelia. (2000) Angel and the Sword. A Tom Doherty Associates Book:
New York.
Angel and the Sword is the story of Ragney, princess of Spain who is forced to
run away as a boy to escape marriage with her father. As a boy known as
Roderick, she wins renown in the court of Charles, king of the Franks. Will this
renown be enough to save her when her secret is discovered? There is plenty of
introspection and description in this book, but the action picks up the pace to the
fast end of the genre. The setting is the end of the ninth century in Spain and
France. We mostly see things from Ragneys perspective, but others are shown
occasionally as well. Thanks to this, we understand a number of the characters
fairly well. The story is rather adventurous, almost historical-adventure if you
will.
Miles, Rosalind. (1994) I, Elizabeth. Three Rivers Press: New York.
Queen Elizabeth was the icon of an age, but she didnt begin that way and she
wasnt only a queen. In I, Elizabeth, Rosalind Miles tries to look at the woman
behind the mask of Queen. While there is lots of action, there is at least as much
introspection and description which slows down the pace. The setting is Tudor
England from 1543 to 1601. We see everything through Elizabeths eyes, which is
the most distinctive trait of this account. This book is rather epic in scope in that
it traces the life of an extraordinary woman who lived and influenced an
extraordinary time. Rosalind Miles is also known for her Guenevere trilogy and
her Tristan and Isolde trilogy.
Min, Anchee. (2004) Empress Orchid. Bloomsbury: Great Britain.
Empress Orchid follows the early years of the last empress of imperial China,
from her decision to become a candidate for concubine to save her family, to the

struggle to catch the emperors attentions, to the political machinations that take
place after the emperors early death. The pace is generally slow, but picks up as
events from outside the forbidden city and outside of China intrude. The events
mainly take place in the forbidden city or other imperial palaces and residences.
Few characters are revealed fully, and those that are we see through Orchids
eyes.
Price, Eugenia. (1998) The Waiting Time. Doubleday: New York.
When Abigails husband dies in a storm, she finds that he left her everything
including over a hundred slaves. As she begins to build a new life for herself, she
begins to seriously question the practice of slavery. The pacing is slow and
measured, following Abigails transformation. The South just before the Civil
War is where most of the events take place, though there is an important
interlude in Abigails native Boston. We see mostly Abigails thoughts and
feelings, and it is primarily through her that we come to know the other
characters as people. This book is quite introspective and character driven,
looking at the issue of slavery in all its complexity.
Rutherfurd, Edward. (1997) London. Fawcett Crest: New York.
What was London like back in the time of the Romans? During the reign of the
Tutors? How was it changed by the great fire? Edward Rutherfurd in the novel
London suggests some answers to these questions as we follow the fortunes of
several fictitious families through the centuries. There is plenty of action, but also
much introspection and description which slows down the pace. The setting is
London from pre-Roman times to the present day. Because of the introspective
nature of the book, we get to know the characters even though they rarely are
featured for more than a chapter or two. The main character in fact is the city of
London itself. The characters all reflect their time period and place, and are
effected by events that really did happen.
Tsukiyama, Gail. (1994) The Samurais Garden. St. Martins Griffin: New York.
The Samurais Gardenis a year in the life of Stephen, a Chinese young man from
a prominent family in Hong Kong who is sent to the familys summer estate in
Japan to recuperate from tuberculosis on the eve of World War II. The pace is
slow, matching the life of the village, though always with the awareness of
Japanese aggression in China. The setting is mostly in the Japanese village of
Tarumi, with brief visits occasionally elsewhere. All the characters, whatever

their culture or background, are in the end human and we are made to care for
them as we come to know them, just as Stephen gets to know them.