Category: Historical

Books where the History of the area is a key aspect of the story. Mail order & Western Romance book will rarely appear in this category. Most books will deal with American history.

The Reluctant Pioneer by Julie McDonald Zander

by LyndaP

Rating: 5 stars ~ Genre: Historical fiction ~ Pages: 396 ~ Publish Date: 1 Oct 2024

Far from another Oregon Trail book, this poignant story was inspired by a true one. And it pulled at my heartstrings. I suspect it will do the same for you. I wonder how many husbands announced to their wives they were going west. And the wife had the same reaction Matilda Koontz had — “What!” followed by “No.” I was drawn to this book by the description. Plus I’m the family genealogist with ancestors who were the first settlers in what became Sullivan County, Missouri. As well as a yet-to-be-proved, great or great-great-grandmother “born in a covered wagon”. I have none who took the Oregon Trail. I am always pulled to a story about pioneers—the courage they had to travel into the unknown.

“All her direct blood descendants had died out, so there was no one left to tell her story,” Zander said. “I thought someone should.”[1] And I for one am so glad she did.

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When Hope Sank by Denise Weimer

by LyndaP

When Hope Sank: April 27, 1865. The day the steamboat, the Sultana, went down and over 1,100 people died.
The book is the third in the series, A Day to Remember.

Such research went into this book.Like many history buffs (I’m one via my genealogy research and no, I didn’t have anyone on the Sultana.), I’ve read about the Sultana tragedy and wondered if it was an accident, poor judgment, or what we would call today a terrorist act. This is a novel based on a historical event. The Sultana remains the worst maritime disaster in United States history.

The novel, When Hope Sank, is a window into what happened, the survivors and those who cared for them. The Civil War had ended only days before (April 9th). Soldiers were coming home. Those who hated still hated — whether Union or Confederate.

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Tough Luck by Sandra Dallas

by LyndaP

I was captivated from the very beginning. The first sentence is a humdinger. The characters are — well … charming, engaging, and a couple, aggravating. The plot is different — not your typical “go west young wo/man” story. And you’ll keep reading because you can’t wait to see what will happen next. The year is…

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To the Wild Horizon by Imogen Martin

by LyndaP

Missouri, 1846: In the frontier town of Independence the sound of a gunshot shatters the night. As the pistol drops from her hand and clatters to the ground, Grace knows she has no choice but to leave. Now. ~~ from the description. What would you have done? It’s 1846 in Independence, Missouri. You are a…

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Wyoming Wild by Sarah M Eden

by LyndaP

What makes a good book? Intriguing plot that develops. Great characters. Descriptive scenes. Good beginning. Good dialogue. Genre the reader enjoys. So try Wyoming when it was still a territory and the year is 1876. The character is Hawk, a U.S. Marshal, full name — John Hawking. His two deputies are Ensio Cooper & Paisley…

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Where Coyotes Howl by Sandra Dallas

by LyndaP

The Prologue begins in 1945 with two women entering a house that has been vacant for years. One of the women knew the lady of the house and instantly remembered things such as Ellen buying the chairs. Outside she remembered that Ellen kept an excellent garden. And beautiful flowers. Ellen made Hollyhock dolls for the neighbor’s girls.

The place, Wyoming, eastern Wyoming. The time, 1916. The view, open prairie. A wide, lonesome prairie where the coyotes howl mostly at night. The couple, Charlie Bacon and Ellen Webster, And how these two loved each other. The reader learns this immediately so I’m giving nothing away.
——— Click Read more for full review.

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LyndaP's Book Reviews
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