October 20, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Although Ghetto Cowboy is set in the present, there’s a lot of history here. This fast-paced story is set among today’s urban horsemen of North Philadelphia’s Fletcher Street Riding Club, whose history and traditions date back to the black cowboys of the 1800s. Ghetto Cowboy is being made into a …
September 30, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Out of Left Field is a work of love dedicated to the unsung heroes and history of women’s baseball. If you’re a baseball fan, this book is definitely for you. But here’s the thing: if you, like me, have no interest in baseball or women’s baseball, or for that matter, …
July 21, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Adventure, Historical Fiction | No Comments
I’ve come across many southern pre-Civil War stories about wealthy plantation owners and slaves. I’ve also read a few stories set in the post-Civil War era and that feature sharecroppers, both black and white. This is the first book I’ve read about white sharecroppers living in the pre-Civil War era …
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March 28, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Adventure, Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction | No Comments
Hattie Big Sky was inspired by the author’s great-grandmother who single-handedly “proved up” on a Montana homestead. Many thanks to the librarians at the ImagineIF Libraries of Flathead County, Montana for helping me find an audiobook for this project. Hattie Inez Brooks is a 16 year old orphan living in …
March 9, 2019 by David McCan | Historical Fiction, Science Fiction | No Comments
Kindred by Octavia Butler is a very creative way of looking at the horrible and troubling history of slavery in the United States. In Kindred, the protagonist, Dana, time travels from the 1970s to the American South in the years before the Civil War and the end of slavery. In …
February 16, 2019 by David McCan | Historical Fiction, Legal Thriller | No Comments
This review contains spoilers. The Reckoning, by John Grisham, returns the reader to Ford County Mississippi during the 1940s to 1050s where an unusual murder takes place. Pete Banning, cotton planter, husband, father, and decorated war hero, one day walks into the Methodist church and shoots the pastor. There is no …
February 2, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction, Thriller | No Comments
The early 1950s come alive in Suspect Red with each chapter starting with “current” events, news articles, and information about 1950’s pop culture. The book contains pictures of people, places and events from 1953-1954 as well as comics and maps. A good argument for audio-listeners to have both the book …
January 20, 2019 by David McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough is one of the best written and best told stories that I’ve read in a long time. It is the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, a young painter in Rome in the early 1600s. It is a man’s world and women have little say in their …
Masterfully Told Story – Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough Read More »
January 12, 2019 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker is the first book in the Buttons trilogy. Each book focuses on a different Button family member; the first two take place in 1929 and the third book takes place during the Civil War when granddaddy Ike was just a boy. All three of …
November 25, 2018 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
According to the author Gail Levine, inspiration to write this book came from her father who was an orphan at the Hebrew Orphan Asylum, the real life counterpart for the story’s fictional Hebrew Home for Boys. When Dave Caros’ father dies in an accident, his stepmother places him in the Hebrew …
November 25, 2018 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Walter Dean Myers is known for his creative and unique writing styles when it comes to children’s literature. This book is no exception. It is written as a screenplay complete with directions for the camera shots. While listening to the full cast audiobook with sound effects and music, I felt …
September 27, 2018 by David McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
The Sea Queen by Linnea Hartsuyker continues the story that began in the Half-Drowned King. Ragnvald has sworn to King Harald, who wants to unite all of Norway under his rule. The first book focused on Ragnvald’s rise as a warrior, and his sister Svanhild played a more minor part. In …
September 13, 2018 by Cindy McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Witness is a Reader’s Theater written in free verse with 11 distinct voices. The audiobook cast features a different reader for each character which really brings the book to life for listeners. The audio also includes an interview with both the author Karen Hesse and the historian Leonard Marcus. This …
August 31, 2018 by David McCan | Historical Fiction | No Comments
Age of Iron is a fun book that takes place during a time just prior to the Roman invasion of Britain. It is historical fiction and an adventure story. At its heart are three characters. Dug is a middle-aged warrior. He would prefer an easy job as a guard or …
August 18, 2018 by David McCan | Fantasy, Historical Fiction | No Comments
Sky in the Deep is an amazing, well written book based on Viking lore. It is an incredibly rich well told story about a young Aska warrior, Eelyn. The story begins on the battlefield where once again the Aska face off against their traditional enemy, the Riki. Five years previously, Eelyn …