Why am I passionate about this?
My favorite genre, historical fiction, inserts characters into real-life events. As a former news reporter, I enjoyed doing research when communicating factual information to readers. I love learning about different time periods and coming away with a fresh perspective on times gone by. History is subjective and always revised and revisited, but factual dates and occurrences remain the same. All the stories I chose to review reveal how fictionalized characters, in real events, deal with coming out on the other side of loss or pain with a stronger spirit. None of us escape loss. It’s inevitable. But there’s healing over time and trust in a God that loves us beyond expectations.
Anthea's book list on historical fiction about overcoming loss
Why did Anthea love this book?
In the first few chapters, the book left me cold and unfeeling about the story or characters. But, years ago, I vowed to finish every book I started.
Initially, I felt no connection to Agnes, a strange, eccentric, anti-social protagonist. By mid-story, something happened—an all-in conversion. I felt the very depth of grief that pierced the body and soul of Agnes as a grieving mother. Her ravaged heart touched my own. We all know loss in some form. But the story puts words to an emptiness that, most times, words cannot express. When an author taps into emotions, it’s a remarkable, unforgettable experience.
I’m also fond of any insight into the life of William Shakespeare, and I’ve portrayed a few of The Bard’s iconic roles while in college.
33 authors picked Hamnet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
WINNER OF THE 2020 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION - THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 2021
'Richly sensuous... something special' The Sunday Times
'A thing of shimmering wonder' David Mitchell
TWO EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE. A LOVE THAT DRAWS THEM TOGETHER. A LOSS THAT THREATENS TO TEAR THEM APART.
On a summer's day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a sudden fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?
Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London.
Neither…