From Fact to Historical Fiction - Book Reviews

Among the wide-reaching arc of genres that populate fiction, historical fiction is particularly broad, offering both readers--and writers--the opportunity to explore what was real through the eyes of fictional characters, imagine what might have been real by fictionalizing accounts of real people, or bending both to suit the needs of the story.

My own work Island Dawn, for example, begins the story of a fictional Japanese immigrant and his family through the late 19th century into the post WWII era. In my case I have characters buffeted by the real-world events and circumstances of the times over the course of a trilogy.

Such an approach is also taken in Guernica, the debut novel for Seattle journalist Dave Boling.  Set in the moments before the outbreak of WWII in the Basque region straddling southwestern France and northwestern Spain, this novel is a beautiful meditation on the power of love and a heart-wrenching exploration of the devastation the machinery of war visits upon the innocents of all ages.  While this book tells the tale of the people at the heart of Basque culture in Guernica, it paints on a canvas even larger than Picasso did for his epic mural. This intimate portrait paradoxically sprawls across the sweeping events of the era and illuminates--through fiction--the horror of war, the heroism of living a meaningful life in the face of unimaginable heartache, and the dignity of doing the best you can in the worst of circumstances.  This was a five-star read for me, and is a fine example of how fiction at its best illuminates and informs the best and the worst in us.

Guernica, A novel by Dave Boling
Published by Bloomsbury, New York City.
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-59691-637-1

Stepping back five centuries Saltspring Island resident C.C. Humphreys uses a different approach by taking a historical figure shrouded in myth and legend and imagines what the life of the real person might have been in Vlad - The Last Confession.  Within these pages is an epic novel that gathers historical data and casts Vlad Dracul--the real Dracula--as the reviled impaler to his enemies, the Dragon's Son to his people and ultimately the hero of his homeland.  This richly textured narrative, as told by those who knew him best (remember, this is fiction), casts the cartoonish figure of Stoker's novel in an entirely different light. It brilliantly brings into sharp focus the twists of fate, political and theological machinations and external forces that may have driven Vlad to the intense and excruciating means so vividly depicted by Humphreys.  The rich characterizations and exquisite eye for detail make this an epic read, though not for the faint of heart. As Vlad Dracul learned the hard way in the 15th century, 'we torture so that we will not be tortured'.

Vlad - The Last Confession, a novel by C.C. Humphreys
Published by Sourcebooks Landmark Naperville, Ill.
Paperback ISBN: 13: 978-1-4022-5351-5


Taking yet another avenue in Blood of the Reich, Anacortes based William Dietrich takes a peculiar true historical incident, in this case a Himmler sponsored expedition of German scientists to Tibet--the roof of the world--and combines it with a fictional power supposedly left by the ancients in a remote monastery awaiting the 'blood key' to unlock the secrets.  Convinced of their Aryan superiority the Nazi expedition treks treacherously to the forbidden gates and discovers 'Vril' only to have its power denied them by the interdiction of an intrepid American archeologist and an adventurous lady pilot, presumably saving the world from Nazi domination--for now.  Dietrich cleverly switches to and from pre-war German obsessions and a modern day thrill ride as destinies separated by seven decades race toward a breath-taking collision.  Here the elements of history, fiction and the supernatural are blended seamlessly with the peculiar world of sub-atomic physics to produce an exciting page turning adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat right till the last page.  A great read, and I will note for the record, Bill's work is among my favorite reading.  His scholarship is evident, but always serves the story well without distraction.  When you finish this one, try Hadrian's Wall or the Ethan Gage series.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

Blood of the Reich, a novel by William Dietrich
Published by Harper Collins New York City
Hardback ISBN: 976-0-06-198918-6

Housekeeping

I've neglected this blog for too long, but I have an excuse.  I spent the last month putting all the pieces in place to e publish my book 'Island Dawn'.  It's up and available for Kindle and Nook for just $3.99, so I invite my followers and friends to give it a download and then send me some feedback.  I'm planning some new posts very soon, so stay tuned.

As an aside, I spent the last week at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference in Bellevue, Washington rubbing elbows with NY Times bestselling authors and senior agents from major literary representation firms.  My work has been well enough received that several want to take a look.  So wish me luck, perhaps I might find print with a publisher and actually have something to autograph for fans in the future.  I remain hopeful, particularly with so many wonderful fans rooting for me.  Thanks to you all.

New Tricks for an Old Dog

After due consideration it seemed appropriate that I make a few cosmetic changes to my blog to more accurately represent what I do on these pages.  It also serves to modernize (I hope) the mechanisms by which you may follow my ruminations.  I have added the option to follow this blog via email subscription, and I'm pretty sure I've enabled an rss feed via Atom or possibly Google--maybe both.  Not being a full-on techno guy, and more of a do-it-yourself-er, the results remain untested for the moment.

In the meantime, you may anticipate upcoming blogs with teasers like, We've Been Here Before, my take on some of the political histrionics in the run-up to the 2012 election.  (Sigh heavily, yes, it is already that time again.).  Also on the horizon, reviews of three books:  the debut books, How Faithful A Heart, by Lynette Erwin, Law of Attraction by Allison Leotta and the latest thriller by Robert Dugoni, Murder One.

Somewhere in the midst of all this I will carve out some time to promote my own novel, due for release soon entitled Island Dawn.  Plus I may even write a short story or two to post on these pages.  Something I haven't done in some time and is quite overdue.

Take heart, readers.  There is more coming soon, I promise!