Crowvus Book Blog

For Christmas a couple of years ago, my sister set me this challenge . The story which rose from it is Part Five of my Family Saga, which is only a first draft at the moment with the working title: Spies and Rebels . Unlike most of my books in this series which reference real people, Spies and Rebels  actually include real people from history. One of these was Sir Henry Thompson, whose lovely letter to his daughter was included in the challenge box. Henry Thompson is best known as a surgeon (no surprises then that I chose to have him as a significant character!), but his was also responsible for a number of advances in other social fields. As a surgeon, he was second-to-none in his field of care and - when Leopold, the first king of Belgium - was suffering from kidney stones, he was immediately sent for. This is where Spies and Rebels picks him up, as the victim of a pickpocket, but whose assailant is caught by none other than one of the titled spies. With the endearing letter as a...

 This week for #HistFicThursdays, I'm delighted to once again be teaming up with  The Coffee Pot Book Club  for author  Jessie Mills ' blog tour! Today, I'm sharing an excerpt from her debut release,  Rosalind: DNA's Invisible Woman ! First of all, let's meet the book... 'A luminous, pin-sharp portrait of a true trailblazer. Mills's writing simply glows.' Zoë Howe, Author, Artist and RLF Writing Fellow at Newnham College, University of Cambridge Rosalind: DNA’s Invisible Woman tells the true story of the woman who discovered the structure of DNA, whose work was co-opted by three men who won a Nobel prize for the discovery. Her story is one of hope, perseverance, love and betrayal.  Driven by her faith in science, Rosalind Franklin persisted with her education in the face of formidable obstacles, including the de-reservation of women from war science.  In Norway at the start of World War II, her place at Cambridge's first women's college was throw...

This week for #HistFicThursdays, I'm delighted to once again be teaming up with  The Coffee Pot Book Club ! Today I'm sharing an excerpt from the brilliant book, The Eisenhower Chronicles  by M.B. Zucker! So let's begin by meeting the book... In 1938 he was a lieutenant colonel stationed in the Philippines; by 1945 the world  proclaimed him its savior. From leading the forces of liberal democracy against history’s most evil tyrant to the presidency, Dwight D. Eisenhower fought for and kept the peace during the most dangerous era in history. The Eisenhower Chronicles dramatizes Ike’s life, portraying his epic journey from unknown soldier to global hero as only a novel could. He is shown working with icons such as FDR, Winston Churchill, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and confronting challenges like D-Day, the Little Rock Crisis, and Sputnik. Eisenhower’s legacy is grounded in defending the world from fascism, communism, and nuclear weapons. This novel shows how he ac...

  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....