Five Historical Women’s Books You’ve Got to Read in 2022
One Good Mama Bone, by Bren McClain. Set in early 1950s rural South Carolina, One Good Mama Bone chronicles Sarah Creamer’s quest to find her “mama bone,” after she is left to care for a boy who is not her own but instead is the product of an affair between her husband and her best friend and neighbor, a woman she calls “Sister.” When her husband drinks himself to death, Sarah, a dirt-poor homemaker with no family to rely on and the note on the farm long past due, must find a way for her and young Emerson Bridge to survive. But the more daunting obstacle is Sarah’s fear that her mother’s words, seared in her memory since she first heard them at the age of six, were a prophesy, “You ain’t got you one good mama bone in you, girl. Fiction, https://amzn.to/3hvnFGL @brenmcclainbooks
Reconciliation: Atone the Devil in Buried Sunshine by Carolyn Palmer Hartley. Reconciliation is a beautiful time capsule rendering the nostalgia and disappointment that are the unique dichotomy of family. Hartley’s story delivers in the complexity of sisterhood, the excitement of financial windfall, the anxiety of lingering distrust, and the scabby wounds of lost childhood. In fascinating detail, Reconciliation takes us on a journey of rivals, pride, jealousy, and love as Adele establishes her new life and attempts to weave the tatters of her old one into it. (Review by Kasie Whitener, President SC Writer’s Association) Fiction https://amzn.to/3vuOqDu #CarolynPHartley, @jmerrillpress.com, #HistoricalFiction, #Reconciliation
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths she must go to—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives. In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener, daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Fiction https://amzn.to/3sAmV9F @authormariebenedict
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique is fascinated as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star. Fiction: https://amzn.to/3K7XX7x @Tjenkinsreid
Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen From pirates to artists, warriors, daredevils, women in science, activists, and spies, the accomplishments of these incredible women who dared to push boundaries vary as much as the eras and places in which they effected change. Featuring bold watercolor portraits and illuminating essays by Ann Shen, Bad Girls Throughout History is a distinctive, gift-worthy tribute to rebel girls everywhere. A lovely gift for teen girls, stories to share with a young girl at bedtime, or a book to display on a coffee table, everyone will enjoy learning about and celebrating the accomplishments of these phenomenal women. Non-fiction https://amzn.to/3HvuyCw @AnnDangerIt