Best New Historical Fiction - August 2024
The Naturalist’s Daughter by Tea Cooper
Publisher: Harper Muse
Release Date: August 20th, 2024
Synopsis:
Two fearless women--living a century apart--find themselves entangled in the mystery surrounding the biggest scientific controversy of the nineteenth century: the classification of the platypus.
—1808 Agnes Banks, NSW
Rose Winton wants nothing more than to work with her father, eminent naturalist Charles Winton, on his groundbreaking study of the platypus. Not only does she love him with all her heart but the discoveries they have made could turn the scientific world on its head. When Charles is unable to make the long sea journey to present his findings to the prestigious Royal Society in England, Rose must venture forth in his stead. What she discovers will forever alter the course of scientific history.
—1908 Sydney, NSW
Tamsin Alleyn has been given a mission: travel to the Hunter Valley and retrieve an old sketchbook of debatable value, gifted to the Public Library by a recluse. But when she gets there, she finds there is more to the book than meets the eye, and more than one interested party. Shaw Everdene, a young antiquarian bookseller and lawyer, seems to have his own agenda when it comes to the book. Determined to uncover the book's true origin, Tamsin agrees to join forces with him.
The deeper they delve, the more intricate the mystery of the book's authorship becomes. As the lives of two women a century apart converge, discoveries emerge from the past with far-reaching consequences in this riveting tale of courage and discovery.
Why We Recommend It!
An intricate story of curiosity and relentlessness, The Naturalist’s Daughter by Tea Cooper tangles two time periods with one mysterious creature. In New South Wales, Australia, this unique pick traces the determination of two women as they delve into science.
Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa
Publisher: Pantheon
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Synopsis:
In the spring of 1972, twelve-year-old Tomoko leaves her mother behind in Tokyo and boards a train alone for Ashiya, a coastal town in Japan, to stay with her aunt’s family. Tomoko’s aunt is an enigma and an outlier in her working-class family, and her magnificent home—and handsome foreign husband, the president of a soft drink company—are symbols of that status. The seventeen rooms are filled with German-made furnishings; there are sprawling gardens and even an old zoo where the family’s pygmy hippopotamus resides. The family is just as beguiling as their mansion—Tomoko’s dignified and devoted aunt, her German great-aunt, and her dashing, charming uncle, who confidently sits as the family’s patriarch. At the center of the family is Tomoko’s cousin Mina, a precocious, asthmatic girl of thirteen who draws Tomoko into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling.
In this elegant jewel box of a book, Yoko Ogawa invites us to witness a powerful and formative interlude in Tomoko’s life. Behind the family's sophistication are complications that Tomoko struggles to understand—her uncle’s mysterious absences, her great-aunt’s experience of the Second World War, her aunt’s misery. Rich with the magic and mystery of youthful experience, Mina’s Matchbox is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time—and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse.
Why We Recommend It!
A more recent history of family ties and breaking bonds, Mina’s Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa is an intricate sketch of a young girl’s life set in Japan. Mina faces the deep roots of family history and an onslaught of incoming changes in this transition period of her life.
The House of Fever by Polly Crosby
Publisher: HQ
Release Date: August 15, 2024
Synopsis:
1935, Hedoné House, a luxurious sanatorium for the creative elite dedicated to the groundbreaking treatment of tuberculosis. As the doctor’s new wife, Agnes Templeton has pledged her life to a house of fever.
But Hedoné is no ordinary hospital. High society rubs shoulders with artists, poets and musicians. No expense is spared on the comfort of the guests, and champagne flows freely. It’s a world away from everything Agnes knows.
Her husband’s methods are unusual. There are whisperings about past patients and even a cure. Hedoné’s secrets draw Agnes in, revealing truths she could never anticipate, and soon she is caught between a past she is desperate to escape and a future she may forever regret.
Why We Recommend It!
An entrancing mystery, The House of Fever by Polly Crosby creates a tantalizing painting of a sanatorium. A read full of creativity and entertainment, this tale is sure to keep your mind wondering what could be behind every door.
Watching Over You by Simon Delaney
Publisher: Rare Bird
Release Date: August 13, 2024
Synopsis:
Alternating between London and Paris in the 1940s, the 1960s, and the present, Watching Over You explores the provenance of a collection of paintings hidden from the plundering Nazis during World War II and the fate of the families entangled in the search for the lost artworks.
The novel touches on the themes of greed and heroism inspired by the stolen works, tracing the web of collaborators, opportunists, and art dealers who exploited the Third Reich’s lust for prestigious trophies. The hero, restauranteur Michel de la Rue, walks a financial tightrope while his spendthrift head chef and brother, Antoine, depletes their strained resources. The narrative switches between Michel and Antoine's foodie tour of France (which is being filmed by a documentary TV crew), the machinations of art dealer Alain Deschamps, and his pursuers—Interpol’s Lorenzo Pieters and the Le Monde journalist, Fabian Ritzier.
The battle between Michel trying to protect his family’s precious heirloom and Alain’s brutal hunt for the missing paintings results in a relentless chase across the continent.
Why We Recommend It!
A vivid story of and identity and courage, Watching over You by Simon Delaney is a stunning historical thriller for the ages. A down-on-his luck hero, a hunt for historic relics, this novel paints a complex picture of greedy hands and a resilient family.
The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen
Publisher: Lake Union
Release Date: August 6, 2024
Synopsis:
An investigation into a girl’s disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II in a haunting novel of suspense by the bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Paris Assignment.
London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case.
Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.
As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar?
Why We Recommend It!
A heart-churning mystery, The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen delicately intertwines two stories, as one seeks to tell the other. Full of nature, charm, and terror, this novel is sure to tangle you in its branches.
