Eagerly Anticipating in 2012

Marg's Choice - Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt

I was a huge fan of Master of Verona by David Blixt to the extent that I have posted my review of that book here at Historical Tapestry and twice on my own blog! I think I have also strongly recommended this book to a number of my fellow readers.  (Yes, I am one of those people who strongly suggests that others read certain books!)

For a long time it looked like this book was not going to see the light of day, but hurrah! this year it will be published. It won't have the cover above, which is a pity because it is a gorgeous cover, but I am even more excited by the contents of the book than the fact that this won't be the cover after all!

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Alex's choice - The Second Empress by Michelle Moran

The minute I read the blurb, I wanted this book, I craved for it ! I'm not a big fan of Napoleon (never was, never will !) but a book about his second wife, Marie-Louise, is certainly a must read for me. I can't wait for the release of The Second Empress. You can read more about it at Michelle Moran's website: http://michellemoran.com/books/releases.html

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Ana's choice - The Perfume Garden by Kate Lord Brown

There's something about restoring old houses full of secrets that I just can't seem to resist. The fact that Kate Lord Brown's next book adds to that a Spanish Civil War secret is the cherry on top of the cake. I haven't read her first book, although it was reviewed here at HT and it seemed interesting, but I know I'll have to pick this one up when it comes out. Sadly there's no cover image but I will add it when I find it.

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Teddy's Choice- Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville

In the final book of a trilogy that began with her bestselling novel, The Secret River, Commonwealth Prize–winner Kate Grenville returns to the youngest daughter of the Thornhills and her quest to uncover, at her peril, the family’s hidden legacy.

Sarah is the youngest child of William Thornhill, the pioneer at the center of The Secret River. Unknown to her, her father—an uneducated ex-convict from London—has built his fortune on the blood of Aboriginal people. With a fine stone house and plenty of money, Thornhill has re-invented himself. As he tells his daughter, he “never looks back,” and Sarah grows up learning not to ask about the past. Instead her eyes are on handsome Jack Langland, whom she’s loved since she was a child. Their romance seems destined, but the ugly secret in Sarah’s family is poised to ambush them both.

As she did with The Secret River, Grenville once again digs into her own family history to tell a story about the past that still resonates today. Driven by the captivating voice of the illiterate Sarah—at once headstrong, sympathetic, curious, and refreshingly honest—this is an unforgettable portrait of a passionate woman caught up in a historical moment of astonishing turmoil.

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Kailana's Choice - Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear


I love this series, so I am always excited for the newest release.

In this latest entry in Jacqueline Winspear’s acclaimed, bestselling mystery series—“less whodunits than why-dunits, more P.D. James than Agatha Christie” (USA Today)—Maisie Dobbs takes on her most personal case yet, a twisting investigation into the brutal killing of a street peddler that will take her from the working-class neighborhoods of her childhood into London’s highest circles of power. Perfect for fans of A Lesson in Secrets, The Mapping of Love and Death, or other Maisie Dobbs mysteries—and an ideal place for new readers to enter the series—Elegy for Eddie is an incomparable work of intrigue and ingenuity, full of intimate descriptions and beautifully painted scenes from between the World Wars, from one of the most highly acclaimed masters of mystery, Jacqueline Winspear.

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What are your eagerly anticipated reads for 2012?

The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville

First settlement in New South Wales

Born in 1767 England, Daniel Rooke was a boy of great intelligence. He was exceptional with numbers and has a keen sense of curiosity about where numbers could lead him. Even though he had this intelligence or in part because of it he had trouble forming friendships with his peers.

Daniel was accepted to At Portsmouth Naval College on scholarship and became quite interested in astronomy. He becomes a Lieutenant in the Navy and goes on a mission to take convicts to New South Wales. On the ship he took on the role of navigator and once in Australia, that of Astronomer. Part of the mission was to get to know the natives and try to befriend them so that the convicts and others could live in safety.

As Astronomer, Rooke was given permission to build an observatory away from the camp to live and work in. After a time some of the natives started visiting him there and he built up a friendship with a young girl named Tagaran. She teaches him the native language and he keeps meticulous records about their conversations and the language. However, soon the relationship between the natives and soldiers deteriorates and Rooke has to choose between his friendship with the natives and duty.

I loved Kate Grenville's The Secret River (see my review) and was highly anticipating her next book. While I quite enjoyed it, I didn't love it like The Secret River. It took a long time for me to warm up to the character of Daniel Rooke . Once her started his relationship with the natives, I did warm up to him and loved reading about his special friendship with Tagaran. The problem is that it took well over 100 pages to lead up to this and it didn't last very long. I would have like to explore the relationship further. Also, in the last chapter when find out the Rooke had been married but nothing about the relationship. We are never introduced to his wife.

That said, I did enjoy The Lieutenant and would recommend it, especially to those interested in the first settlement in New South Wales.

3.5/5

HT News

I recently read The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville and reviewed it here at HT. The book isn't out anywhere other than Australia at the moment, with the release date being February 2009 in most other countries. If you would like to whet your appetite, you can however watch a couple of videos from the Australian launch of the book here.

In other interview news, there is an interview up at Loaded Questions with HF author Kathleen Kent! There is also going to be an interview up with Kate Furnivall shortly as well, which I am very much looking forward to!

Last item for today - registrations are open for the Historical Novel Society North American Conference which is being held in Schaumberg Illinois from June 12-14 2009. If it wasn't for the whole being held in another country thing, I would so be tempted to attend. Guests of honour include Edward Rutherford and Margaret George.

Upcoming Release: The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville

Not too long before I started blogging I read The Secret River by Kate Grenville and I quite enjoyed it. It has taken a while, but we finally have a new book from this author, and once again it is a historical novel with the early days of Australia as the setting!

In 1787 Lieutenant Thomas Rooke sets sail from Portsmouth with the First Fleet and its cargo of convicts, destined for New South Wales. As a young officer and a man of science, the shy and quiet Rooke is full of anticipation about the natural wonders he might discover in this strange land on the other side of the world. After the fleet arrives in Port Jackson, Rooke sets up camp on a rocky and isolated point, and starts his work of astronomy and navigation. It's not too long before some of the Aboriginal people who live around the harbour pay him a visit. One of them, a girl named Tarunga, starts to teach him her own language. But her lessons and their friendship are interrupted when Rooke is given an order that will change his life forever. Inspired by the 1790 notebooks of William Dawes in which he recorded his conversations with a young Gadigal woman, The Lieutenant is a story about a man discovering his true self in extraordinary circumstances.

I for one am very much looking forward to reading this one!

The Lieutenant is released in Australia on 1 October 2008 and in the UK and US on 5 February 2009.