Crowvus Book Blog

  I've always been interested in Americana, although that comes in waves, so occasionally I'll be poring over the biographies of various presidents and then the following week my fascination has waned completely. It does mean that I was reasonably familiar with the Civil War background of the book, which made me very enthusiastic to read it. It is grounded in American history - and of course it should be: Freedom for Me is inspired by the true story of a young Chinese man who signed up to fight for the north in the American Civil War. More than complex military strategy or groundbreaking historical moments, this is the story of one boy's decision to fight, and how his reasons for fighting mature and develop over time. I loved reading about how Thomas, the main character, began to learn about himself in the context of others. His closest relationship is with his brother, but he develops deep and meaningful friendships with his brothers-in-arms and with an runaway slave, Sam....

Unfortunately, since writing this blog, YouTube have removed the video. But you can still watch the song:  Here ! It was my birthday at the start of July, and I knew exactly how to celebrate in style! While most people might choose to celebrate their 37th birthday by going for a drink or out to the theatre or any such adventure, I stayed home and celebrated by watching the Horrible Histories songs in chronological order on a three-hour marathon of musical history! We attempted to remember them all in order (and did a reasonable job!), but the only one we missed was this one. In an attempt to redress the balance, I've opted to cover it in this month's blog! Unlike the other songs we've had, which focus on one person or time period, this song gives us a cross-section of times. It stars Henry VIII, Nero, William I, Cleopatra, and Edward VIII, and two very cute little rats! As the title suggests, it assesses each of these rulers as lovers (no, not like that!), with their romant...

It's #HistFicThursdays, and I'm so excited to be sharing a guest post from  Siobhan Daiko ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. Find out all about Siobhan's research for her fantastic book  The Girl from Bologna  and the creation of that fantastic tagline: "the past is never past". But first, let's meet the book.. Blurb Bologna, Italy, 1944, and the streets are crawling with German soldiers. Nineteen-year-old Leila Venturi is shocked into joining the Resistance after her beloved best friend Rebecca, the daughter of a prominent Jewish businessman, is ruthlessly deported to a concentration camp. In February 1981, exchange student Rhiannon Hughes arrives in Bologna to study at the university. There, she rents a room from Leila, who is now middle-aged and infirm. Leila’s nephew, Gianluca, offers to show Rhiannon around but Leila warns her off him. Soon Rhiannon finds herself being drawn into a web of intrigue. What is Gianluca’s interest in a far...

It's a double #HistFicThursdays today! For the second blog of this week I'm delighted to be sharing a guest post from  Rachel R. Heil ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. Find out all about Rachel's inspiration and the balance between historical fiction and historical fact in Leningrad: The People's War . But first, let's meet the book.. Blurb Leningrad, 1941. As Europe crumbles under the German war machine, the people of the Soviet Union watch. There are whispers of war but not loud enough for the civilians of Leningrad to notice. Instead, they keep their heads down and try to avoid the ever-watching eyes of their own oppressive government. University student Tatiana Ivankova tries to look ahead to the future after a family tragedy that characterizes life under the brutal regime. But, when the rumors that have been circulating the country become a terrifying reality, Tatiana realizes that the greatest fear may not be the enemy but what her fellow cit...

It's #HistFicThursdays again, and this week I'm delighted to be sharing a guest post from  Renee Yancy ,   as part of her  Coffee Pot Book Club  tour. A little over 100 years later, we are once more in a pandemic. Find out about the inspiration and backdrop Renee used for More Precious Than Gold  in her guest post below. But first, let's meet the book.. Blurb A young woman refuses to become a pawn in her grandmother’s revenge scheme and forgoes a life of wealth and royalty to pursue a nursing career as America enters WWI and the Pandemic Flu of 1918 wreaks havoc in New York City. More Precious Than Gold  is available via Amazon UK - Amazon US - Amazon CA - Barnes & Noble - Kobo - Apple Books Guest Post The Pandemic Flu of 1918 affected not just the lives of Bellevue nurses but nearly the entire world. The administration of Bellevue Hospital gave their student nurses the option of going home while the deadly Pandemic Flu of 1918 raged through New Yo...