Historical Fiction according to Joyce
Saricks’ The Readers’ Advisory Guide to
Genre Fiction
- “There is a wealth of accurate historical detail relating to setting (geography, customs, beliefs, culture, society, habits) as well as to characters and events.
- The mood of Historical novels runs the gamut from rollicking to somber, and this tone may be a major, if unacknowledged, factor in reading choices.
- Story lines may focus on a particular historical event or time period, or they may follow the life of a character (real or fictional). Novels may raise difficult social or moral issues through the plot.
- Characters may be real or fictional, but they are portrayed in such a way that they fit the times. Their lives and actions are shaped by the historical times and details, not vice versa.
- Historical novels are usually big books, with stories that unfold at a leisurely pace. Even shorter Historical novels are usually so densely written that they must be read slowly.
- Language and style may affect a reader’s experience. Some readers appreciate an “authentic” style, while others find this distracting. Dialects and formats also affect reader reaction” (292).
Summary
In Rhys Bowen’s stand-alone book, In Farleigh Field, a myriad of characters entertains the reader. Lady
Pamela Sutton and Ben Cresswell are young adults trying to understand the scope
of World War II. They each want to do their part to help the war effort, but Ben
had a bad knee and Lady Pamela was a woman, so they were sent to do espionage work
on behalf of Britain. Pamela worked for Bletchley Park, and Ben worked for M15.
Pamela and Ben each had a secret mission that ended up with them working together
to save Britain and its Prime Minister. After a dead body ended up in Lady
Pamela’s backyard, they knew things were getting serious. It was a race against
time as the Germans had covert connections with the Sutton family, Farleigh,
and aristocratic sympathizers around England. Pamela and Ben did not know who
to trust, and Bowen keeps the reader guessing until the very end.
Main Characters:
Lady Pamela Sutton: Code Breaker and breaker of mens' hearts. Torn between wanting the right man and doing the right thing, she follows both her heart and her brain in the matters of national security.
Lady Margot Sutton: One of Pamela's three sisters, escaped from occupied Paris, France, leaving her boyfriend behind, who was a part of the Resistance. She acts as a double agent.
Lady Phoebe Sutton: The youngest of the Sutton sisters, overheard a plot that would have ruined Britain and ushered in the German invasion faster than planned, which almost leads to her demise.
Alfie: Escaped from London in-between the air raids, now safely in the Robinson's home close to Farleigh Hall, where he befriends Lady Phoebe Sutton and helps her solve the mystery of the dead parachutist he discovered in her backyard.
Ben Cresswell: Not of the upper class, but wants to get in and win Pamela's heart. Tired of being seen without a uniform, so he embarks on a dangerous mission to be the hero for once in his life.
Jeremy Prescott: Formerly of the Royal Air Force, and recently-returned POW from a German camp. Not exactly sure where his loyalties lie, but he is always up for an adventure.
Main Characters:
Lady Pamela Sutton: Code Breaker and breaker of mens' hearts. Torn between wanting the right man and doing the right thing, she follows both her heart and her brain in the matters of national security.
Lady Margot Sutton: One of Pamela's three sisters, escaped from occupied Paris, France, leaving her boyfriend behind, who was a part of the Resistance. She acts as a double agent.
Lady Phoebe Sutton: The youngest of the Sutton sisters, overheard a plot that would have ruined Britain and ushered in the German invasion faster than planned, which almost leads to her demise.
Alfie: Escaped from London in-between the air raids, now safely in the Robinson's home close to Farleigh Hall, where he befriends Lady Phoebe Sutton and helps her solve the mystery of the dead parachutist he discovered in her backyard.
Ben Cresswell: Not of the upper class, but wants to get in and win Pamela's heart. Tired of being seen without a uniform, so he embarks on a dangerous mission to be the hero for once in his life.
Jeremy Prescott: Formerly of the Royal Air Force, and recently-returned POW from a German camp. Not exactly sure where his loyalties lie, but he is always up for an adventure.
World War II Historical Fiction Read-Alikes According to Goodreads
The
Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard
Lilac
Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
The
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann
Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Works Cited
Bowen, R. (2017). In
Farleigh Field. Seattle: Lake Union Publishing.
Goodreads. (2018). Search Books. Retrieved from http://www.goodreads.com
Google. (2017). In
Farleigh Field Book Cover. Image retrieved from https://www.google.com.
Saricks,
J. (2009). The Readers' Advisory Guide to
Genre Fiction (Second Edition). Chicago: American Library Association.
This book has been in my to-read list since it came out. I'm glad you chose to annotate it! I also appreciate that you did a brief few sentences on each of the main characters - I could see this being super helpful, as I always forget character names when I'm finished with a book. Did you enjoy reading it?
ReplyDeleteHi Malissa! Thanks! Yes, I enjoyed it immensely! It would make an awesome movie, if Hollywood ever decided to adapt it. It's full of mystery and adventure, even though it is considered Historical Fiction. Rhys Bowen also writes so much better in third person than she does in first. There was only one sex scene that could have been taken out. I was disappointed in her for that, because she generally keeps her books relatively clean and classy. It was just unnecessary and did not add to character development. Other than that, I did not have a problem with it. I thought the espionage factor in it was so cool! After reading her book, I found out that my niche in Historical Fiction is World War II. Thank you so much for your kind words!
DeleteI love that you included the characters along with your summary, and appeals! This sounds like an excellent book and I will add it to my tbr pile. Full points!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Professor Cataldi! It was a really great read. Rhys Bowen has another new one out called The Tuscan Child, and a new book coming soon in The Royal Spyness series; I believe it will be released in August. Rhys Bowen is the one author that I follow and watch for new books!
Delete