Have you ever finished a historical novel and immediately looked up the real events behind it? I've found myself doing this a number of times this year. I've been drawn into a book through it's characters and discovering stories from parts of history that I had no idea about. Here's a little look into our fascination and the growing genre that is historical fiction.
A little history without the homework
For me personally I'm not a huge reader of history books so reading historical fiction is a great way for me learn about the history of a certain country and era. This year I've been having an Irish moment, for book club we chose Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These which is a powerful book that puts a spotlight on the Magdalene laundries in 1980s Ireland. After reading, I went heavy into my own research on this part of Ireland's history which I really had no idea about. I highly recommend Noelle McCarthy's latest memoir, Stakes, where Noelle shares growing up in Ireland.
A connection to our own whānau and Aotearoa
A story set somewhere our parents, grandparents or ancestors lived can have a personal connection. It helps us to vision what life was like for them or think about your own whānau history and think about their experiences. I recently read Kelly Ana Morey's Ordinary People Like Us which captured the feeling and history of Aotearoa through the eyes of five generations of Māori women. Kawai by historian Monty Soutar was a novel that really set the scene for me of pre-colonial times in Aotearoa.
Discovering stories we weren’t taught
I find historical fiction is a great way to find out stories that we were never taught at school. One book that really stuck with me after reading was Banjara by Shana Chandra. It felt like I was transported back in time with the sights and smells of India and Fiji. I learned so much about the relationship that there was between the two countries that I really had no idea about. I highly recommend this as your next read.
We know the history but what was it like to live through it?
You may already know be a history buff but fiction brings us closer to the emotions that happen everyday like falling love, holding secrets or making difficult decisions. Even when we know what the historical events are, we still want to feel and experience what the characters go through.
Let us know if you're a fan of historical fiction, we'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments!