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HFC RECOMMENDATIONS
STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS
An Exciting Historical Science Fiction Mystery - an Editorial Review of "Yonder and Far: The Tarot Terror"
Book Blurb: Violence. Politics. Magic. What could possibly go wrong? Yonder and Far are back with new mysteries, adventures and misadventures in 1800 Boston. Banished to Earth, our two heroes from the land of the Fae are still trying to get home. As they navigate the baffling human society, their quest is full of intrigue and danger. So, of course they bring their fortune-teller friend, Mary, into it. Along with Far’s armed band of Irishmen, the trio faces a new enemy – backe
An Orphan Musician Finds Her Voice in Venice - an Editorial Review of "Poinsettia Girl"
Book Blurb: Venice, 1710, Poinsettia Girl is based on the story of Agata de la Pieta, an orphan musician of the Ospedale de la Pieta. Ten-year-old Agata's world is shaken at the sudden death of her mother. Left only with her egregious father, a working musician in Venice, her ailing grandmother sends her to the well-known orphanage, hidden from everything she's ever known. Agata auditions for the conservatory style music school where music is both salvation and spectacle. Hid
From Star Singer to Pirate Prey - an Editorial Review of "Showboat Soubrette"
Book Blurb: FROM STAR SHOWBOAT SINGER TO PIRATE PREY ON THE WICKED RIVER! Showboat singer Stella Parrot’s star rises in the Antebellum South with every sold-out performance along the lower Mississippi River. When a river pirate viciously assaults her, new friends Toby Freeman and John Dee Franklin foil the attack. However, the pirate’s family is bent on revenge. Stella, Toby, and John Dee escape their riverboat with able assistance from young cub pilot Sam Clemens, only to be
She Crossed Oceans Disguised as a Boy - an Editorial Review of "Sailing Against the Tide" by Cindy Burkart Maynard
Book Blurb: She crossed oceans disguised as a boy. History forgot her-but now her story demands to be told. In 1766, Jeanne Baret, a brilliant herbalist from rural France, defied every expectation of her time. Disguised as a boy to escape the restrictions placed on women. She joins a global expedition led by explorer Louis de Bougainville and her mentor, the botanist Philibert Commerson. Aboard L'Étoile, Jeanne faces grueling sea voyages, the constant threat of discovery, and
The Real Rhythm of Rural Life During WWI - an Editorial Review of "One Summer at Helgeveld Farm"
Book Blurb: In 1949, Will Parlor glimpses a woman across a crowded Chicago street and is carried back to the summer that changed him forever. In 1917, at seventeen, he took a job as a worker on an Illinois farm. There, he’s drawn into the Dutch-American Helgeveld family, especially daughters Vlinder and Corrie. Will also befriends Moses and Isaiah Butler, African American brothers up from Alabama, seeking freedom and opportunity in an America still rumbling after the Civil Wa
The Psychological Toll of War - an Editorial Review of "The Choice Within"
Book Blurb: Save. Kill. Live. Die. How much do I give? 1944 , and war rages in the Pacific. Two young recruits from opposing sides destined to cross paths without ever meeting, changing their lives forever… Honolulu —Devoted nurse Lieutenant Jeannette Crawford has been working tirelessly, with dedication and wisdom beyond her years, to help wounded US servicemen on home soil face their greatest enemy—time. Wanting to do more, she volunteers to serve on a hospital ship, hoping
A Chilling Tale Before the Salem Witch Trials - an Editorial Review of "The Widow of Hartforde"
Book Blurb: A chilling historical horror novel of witch trials, survival, and the true monster hiding among us. Connecticut Colony, 1662 During a midnight witch trial, an unsettlingly woman confesses to making a pact with the Devil—after encountering a terrifying beast in the woods. Her words send a shiver through newcomer Rebecca Easton. She’s seen that creature too. But when Rebecca dares to speak the truth, suspicion turns on her. Accusations fly. The townspeople whisper.
Before "Marty Supreme" Starring Timothee Chalamet, There Was "PING" - an Editorial Review of "Ping"
Book Blurb: A game that spread communism. A secret that spans generations. About the Book: A Barnes & Noble Top eBook & NOOK Indie Favorite In the early 1950s, ping pong wasn't just a pastime - it was propaganda. A quiet weapon in the battle for influence, power, and ideology. Alternating between the pivotal 1971 Ping-Pong Diplomacy - where a simple game of table tennis thawed the icy relations between the U.S. and China during the Cold War - and the present-day struggles of
A Love Affair Inspiring the World's Most Unforgettable Operas - an Editorial Review of "Viva Violetta & Verdi"
Book Blurb: A Love Affair Inspiring the World's Most Unforgettable Operas Experience the intense, lifelong love affair between Giuseppe Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi, the brilliant and seductive soprano who shaped his legacy. As his muse, lover, and wife, Strepponi was the inspiration behind Verdi's most iconic works, including La Traviata and Aida. Her influence was pivotal, as she became the architect of his creative triumphs and the heart of his operatic genius. Set again
A Poignant Exploration of the Unspoken Legacies From Our Ancestors - an Editorial Review of "Red Anemones"
Book Blurb: Moving among generations of a German-Jewish-American family, "Red Anemones" is a poignant exploration of the intricate bonds, untold secrets, and unspoken legacies our ancestors bestow upon us. Natalie Barlow's journey of self-discovery begins when her estranged mother's sudden death releases a storm of unrevealed family secrets reaching back to pre-WWI Germany. As Natalie navigates the complexities of her newly discovered Jewish identity and her ancestral heritag
The Human Cost of Intolerance and the Cost to Rebuild a Life - an Editorial Review of "Cobblestones: a New Orleans Tragedy"
Book Blurb: The turbulent history of Post-Reconstruction New Orleans collides with the plight of Sicilian immigrants seeking refuge in America. Antonio, a young man fleeing Sicily after avenging his father's murder, embarks on a harrowing journey to New Orleans with the help of Jesuit priests expelled from his homeland. But the promise of a fresh start quickly sours as Antonio finds himself entangled in a volatile clash of cultures, corruption, and crime. In the late 19th cen
The Psychological Landscape of the Civil War - an Editorial Review of "Nostalgia"
Book Blurb: Coming soon Book Buy Link: Follow the author at www.utterloonacy.com Author Bio: Susannah Willey is the award-winning author of War Sonnets (JUL 2023, Utter Loonacy Press). Awarded a five star “award of excellence” by the Historical Fiction Company, War Sonnets was also awarded third place in the General Fiction Category of its 2022 Book of the Year awards. Susannah Willey was born in 1952 in the small town of Ira, New York where her family settled over 200 years
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