Blog
HTF to Publish an Alternate History
History Through Fiction is proud to announce that this fall we’ll be publishing Reclaiming Mni Sota: An Alternate History of the U.S. - Dakota War of 1862 by HTF founder and editor Colin Mustful. Read our press release to learn more.
January Blog Series - Famous Novel Openings Explained: Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice opens with the line, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Learn more about the historical and literary context of this famous line by reading this blog post by volunteer contributor Bex Roden.
East Coast to West Coast: Author Alina Adams Returns to San Francisco
Alina Adams, author of My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region, returns to San Francisco for three in-person author events. Check out our blog to learn when and where!
Press Release: HTF Adds Short Story Acquisitions Editor
History Through Fiction is proud to announce the addition of Robin Henry as our Short Story Acquisitions Editor.
5 Reasons to Create Your Own Personal Style Guide
Have you ever created a style guide for your manuscript? If not, you should. Here are five reasons why.
From Here To There: How My Last Book Inspired My Next Book
Author Alina Adams doesn’t always write to her heart, she writes to her readers’ hearts. That’s why, after receiving a positive reception from her last historical novel, The Nesting Dolls, she wrote another historical novel, My Mother’s Secret.
Samokritika: An audio excerpt from My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams
In this audio excerpt, Regina, who recently fled Joseph Stalin's Great Purge for the Jewish Autonomous State of Birbidzhan, faces samokritika, a form of self-criticism in Marxist-Leninist ideology used to publicly interrogate and expose those with counter-revolutionary ideas. In this scene Regina struggles between her desire to show loyalty to the Communist ideals and her affection for Aaron, a man who chooses reason over ideals.
Little Facts Paint a Big Picture
Alina Adams, author of My Mother’s Secret, tells us that it’s easy to throw facts around, but but much harder to put those facts into context. “Show not tell” is the maxim every writer lives and dies by, she says. Rather than merely telling about what life was like in the USSR, Alina shows readers. And, in order to do that, she needed to include as many small details as possible in order to form a larger picture.
In the Midst of History: The Holodomor was denied once, but never again
In 1933, New York Times journalist Walter Duranty wrote an article titled, “Russians Hungry, But Not Starving.” It was a brazen denial of the Holodomor, a man-made famine that caused the deaths of millions of Soviets.
Meet The Writer Who Doesn’t Know Who She Wants To Be When She Grows Up
Author Alina Adams loves writing! She always has. She just can’t seem to decide what genre to write in.
Soviet POWs in WWII: Using Fiction to Highlight Survival, Not Death
The numbers of Soviet soldiers who died while in Nazi custody during WWII is startling. But wherever there is tragedy, there are stories of compassion and survival. These are the stories author Alina Adams uncovers in her novel, My Mother’s Secret.
Unlocked: A Writing Collaboration from Paper Lantern Writers
What tales are revealed when an old wooden chest is UNLOCKED? In this guest blog post, author Linda Ulleseit introduces readers to the brand new historical fiction anthology, Unlocked, published by the Paper Lantern Writers.
Emotional Truths, Historical Facts: My Mother’s Secret is not a WWII novel, it’s more
All good historical fiction immerses the reader into the world of its characters while sharing important and relevant historical details. My Mother’s Secret by Alina Adams, does this masterfully by focussing on the lives and struggles of its primary characters, Regina and Aaron, while still exposing the reader to the real life historical facts of WWII. Learn more about some of those historical facts in this blog post.
My Immigrant Experience: San Francisco, CA 1980s
Growing up as a Soviet-Jew in San Francisco, author Alina Adams did not see herself represented in the media. In her new novel, My Mother’s Secret, Alina wanted to see someone a little more like her. That’s why, her lead character, Lena, is perennially stuck between two worlds. Check out the blog post to learn more!
Back In the USSR: The 20th Century’s First Jewish Autonomous State
What was the first Jewish autonomous state of the 20th century? Chances are you’ve never heard of it! Alina Adams, author of My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region, explains.
Meet the Intern: Tamera Coston
We’ve got a new intern! Her name is Tamera and she is a lifeguard who also loves reading, writing, and storytelling. Check out the blog to learn more about her!
A New Gastonia Novel - Prosperity Mill by Mary Anna Barbey
In the early 1930s, six strike novels were written in quick succession, each one acting as a symbol of "the strength, courage, and tenacity" of workers in America. Known as the Gastonia novels, these stories were written in response to one of the most notable strikes in American history: The Loray Mill Strike in Gastonia, North Carolina.
Cover Reveal! A Noble Cunning by Patricia Bernstein
We have a new title! A Noble Cunning: The Countess and the Tower is based on the true story of one woman’s tremendous courage and incomparable wit in trying to rescue her husband from the Tower of London the night before he is to be executed. Check out the amazing cover.
5 Famous Literary Quotes Explained: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by”
You may think you know the meaning of the line, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by,” but you’ve probably misinterpreted it. In this guest blog post, Bex Roden explains the actual origin and meaning of this famous literary quote.
5 Famous Literary Quotes Explained: “‘Tis Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”
You probably know, and perhaps can relate to the line, “‘Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” Find out where the line originates in this guest blog post by Bex Roden.