historical fiction novel – She Happily Reads

“For more than half a decade he’d thought of her every day, and here she was. Ian drank her in. He found her lovely. He found her obscene. He found her. “Here you are,” he said aloud, and smiled.”
–The Huntress by Kate Quinn

The Huntress by Kate Quinn is a force of a historical fiction novel, offering a triple POV, triple timeline story of a Huntress being hunted. Oftentimes, the story is brutal, with an incorporation of real life historical influences that make you cower, and at other times, the story is relatable, funny, and heartwarming. In typical Kate Quinn fashion, this novel is immersive, accessible, and romantic—a perfect read for someone in the mood for a historical and mysterious tale.

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Wild Women and the Blues…striking title, isn’t it? And what a cover!

This is one of those books that screams “winter read!” To me, at least. I read this one over the course of a weekend (Youtube fire place video, blankets, tea–the trifecta of stuck-inside-ness, thank you very much.) I’ve been reading some lighter reads during my free time, but I knew it was time for a historical fiction novel. I’m happy I picked this one up. While the novel isn’t perfect, it’s full of beautiful prose, compelling characters, and an immersive setting that transports you back to Jazz Age Chicago. I’ve visited Chicago only once, and it was for work so I couldn’t explore the way I wanted to. Even with my short time there, I could sense its rich culture and history; I saw the the beautiful Chicago River and felt the pride of its residents. (A cab driver took it upon himself to drive my friend and I around for an impromptu tour of historical sites!) But even as I floated on the veneer of the pretty, I could still sense the very ugly undercurrent of brutality present in the city, something that could only exist from a violent past and a violent present. After reading this book, however, I would love to return one day to Chicago. It’s an interesting city, gritty and gorgeous and full of old, untold stories.

But until then, I’ll be content to travel by way of the pages of books as good as this one.

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Tag: historical fiction novel

1.12. She Reads Historical Fiction: The Huntress by Kate Quinn

1.3. She Reads Historical Fiction: Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce