Reading the Past

Reading the Past

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About Me

Sarah Johnson: Collection management librarian, readers' advisor, avid historical fiction reader, NBCC member. Book review editor for the Historical Novels Review and Booklist reviewer. Recipient of ALA's Louis Shores Award for book reviewing (2012). Blogging since 2006.

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Saturday, March 31, 2018

12 intriguing upcoming historical novels for my 12th blogiversary and Women's History Month

It's the last day of March, so I'm getting this in under the wire. Reading the Past turned twelve last week, and I've been too b...

Thursday, March 29, 2018

A Reckoning by Linda Spalding, a literary exploration of antebellum America and slavery's consequences

Spalding’s timely, historically sensitive sequel to The Purchase (2013), a literary saga which also confidently stands alone, explores th...

Monday, March 26, 2018

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen, a novel of secrets, wartime danger, and culinary delights in scenic Tuscany

The Tuscan Child marks my first experience reading one of Rhys Bowen’s adult novels even though she’s written many, primarily mysteries. ...

Friday, March 23, 2018

Writing Novels about Victorian Theatre, a guest post by Christina Britton Conroy

I'm pleased to have actor, singer, and historical novelist Christina Britton Conroy joining me today at Reading the Past for a fascina...

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Tempest by Beverly Jenkins, an engaging Old West romance

Regan Carmichael’s first meeting with her intended husband, Dr. Colton Lee, starts off with a bang—literally. After foiling a recent attac...

Friday, March 16, 2018

Laura Purcell's The Silent Companions, an eerie multi-period ghost story, plus giveaway

The editor’s note at the beginning of my e-ARC of The Silent Companions begins with a warning: don’t read this book at night. Well, I did...

Monday, March 12, 2018

Book review: Harbor of Spies: A Novel of Historic Havana, by Robin Lloyd

Cuba’s capital, Havana, a neutral port during the U.S. Civil War, serves as a base for Confederate trade and plotting and corresponding Un...

Thursday, March 08, 2018

A dozen new and upcoming historical novels with intriguing cover art

This post is dedicated to historical fiction cover art, one of my favorite subjects, and one I haven't posted about recently. Twelve int...

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

Googling Your Way Into the Past, an essay by E. Thomas Behr

Today I'm welcoming E. Thomas Behr, author of three historical novels, for a post about his research process, which should interest hi...

Monday, March 05, 2018

Madeline Miller's Circe, historical fantasy about a mythological sorceress and feminine power

In her stirring follow-up to the Orange Prize–winning The Song of Achilles (2011), Miller beautifully voices the experiences of the legend...

Friday, March 02, 2018

Writing Historical Fiction: Reflections on writing about a foreign history and culture, an essay by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

I'm pleased to welcome Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger to the blog today. In addition to her newly published historical novels, described below...

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Winner and finalists for the 2017 Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction

The Langum Charitable Trust has just announced the winner and finalists for the Langum Prize in American Historical Fiction for 2017. La...

Thursday, February 22, 2018

The Silver Well by Kate Forsyth and Kim Wilkins, linked stories about a Dorset village's ancient, mystical history

Many of the world’s mystical places have remained so for centuries, even millennia. In this absorbing collection, the authors present seve...

Monday, February 19, 2018

Book review: The Secret Life of Mrs. London, by Rebecca Rosenberg

Historical fiction readers know it’s no picnic being a famous author’s wife. These admirable women have endured their husbands’ egos, par...

Thursday, February 15, 2018

White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht, an unflinching saga of family and the Korean "comfort women"

“Comfort women” is a euphemism for the girls and women forced to serve as prostitutes by Imperial Japanese forces during WWII—perhaps 200,...

Monday, February 12, 2018

Historical fiction award winners from ALA Midwinter 2018

Last night in Denver, many literary awards were announced at the American Library Association's Midwinter conference. Although I didn...

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