Historical+Fiction+Lit

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//Historical Fiction Lit//
====//Each book chosen in this section is fictional. However, they all document some historical event experienced from a woman’s perspective. Examples of such events include the American Civil Rights Movement, courtship in the 60s, white slavery, and World War II. The fictional women go through things real women experienced. Each story makes a specific point pertaining to each issue in the book.//====

By: Christina Jumic
=//Cleopatra's Daughter// =

===//Moran is an archeologist who turned author that used her research to write this engaging text. The characters come across as real, relatable people rather than the rulers of Rome or the princess of Egypt. The boys go to the circus to gamble, the women worry about the jealousy of other women, and the slaves rebel against the Roman rule. Moran teaches the reader about Egyptian and Roman culture without even trying!// === ===//After the death of Cleopatra her life was not totally uncovered. Some may not be aware but she had two twins which we are able to learn about through this beautiful story. Cleopatra's twins, Alexander and Selene are taken to Rome after Egypt is conquered. The story is told from Selene's point of view while looking at Roman rule and Egyptian culture. It follows Selene and Alexander from the moment Egypt is overtaken to the time Selene becomes queen. //=== ====//Attached is a youtube video link to Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel that shows the tyranny and life of living in the Roman Empire //==== http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7PsEBuAhVg

= //** The Secret Life of Bees **// = = = =//**Written By: Sue Monk Kidd **// = ====Sue Monk Kidd originates from Sylvester, Georgia and is best known for this novel. She got her bachelors degree from Texas Christian University in nursing. She started writing after a personal essay of hers was published. ==== ==== //The Secret Life of Bees// is the novel she is best known for and was made into a film starring Dakota Fanning. The protagonist of the book, 14-year-old Lily Melissa Owens, lives with her cruel father in South Carolina and decides to run away after her African-American caretaker, Rosaleen, has a nasty run in with some racist men. ==== ==== They are taken in by three African-American women who make honey. They agree to let Lily and Rosaleen stay with them as long as they work for their shelter. The women are seemingly the only African-Americans who are respected for their talent in making honey during the civil rights movement in the south. The characters have many issues dealing with race and especially biracial friendships and relationships. ====

http://books.google.com/books?id=FiIXot_e10sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+secret+life+of+bees&ei=e1GdS8DRPIeuNcbp5PsP&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false
= = =//The Bell Jar// = =//Written By: Sylvia Plath// =  ====Sylvia Plath was an American poet and this is her only novel. She is a graduate of Smith College and her book //The Bell Jar// was based on her life, especially of her college years. In the book, as well as in real life, the main character Esther Greenwood accepted an internship at a fashion magazine in New York City and experiences a gradual mental breakdown. The fictional account showcases how mentally ill patients, more so women, are treated in mental facilities. Another main point made in this book is the expectations held, especially at the time period, for women. Courtships are expected and encouraged by others. If a woman is not being courted then people wonder what is wrong with the girl. In the book, Esther wonders if she even wants to marry and feels pressured to stay with the man who is courting her, Buddy. ====

// Attached is an overview of the book written on // // Sparknotes, as well as a link to the book on google books: //
<span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 70%;"> http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/belljar/summary.html http://books.google.com/books?id=T2hkWXVHlGIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=the+bell+jar&ei=GUudS8y6KIjIMoOyzNkH&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

=<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Highest Price for Passion =

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Written By: Laurinda D. Brown
====<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Laurinda D. Brown is a graduate of Howard University. She was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She currently lives in Atlanta with her two daughters. She writes stories that affect and impact all sections of society, typically issues that are prevalent to the African American community. She is said to write about life, not lifestyles. ==== ====<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">//The Highest Price for Passion// is a 272 page reflection of one hundred years of the most volatile era. Set in the 1800's is the story of a young girl born into white slavery. Families are torn apart and people lose respect for themselves as they work on the plantation. It is where the divide of American soil is spread apart with the uncontrollable feeling from the unlikeliest of sources. The feelings and affection of a slave are played out between a master and a mistress. It not only includes a slave girl and a master but a "real" story of a handsome slave boy and a master. It may be brutal ,sexual, mean, and driven but it is about a time in our histories past that was extremely painful. This story is told through a slavery setting but the story is not one that we have heard often - it is a story about homosexuality at this time in history and how slaves lived their lives. ====

<span style="color: #808080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">//Attached is a google link with excerpts from the book://
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">http://books.google.com/books?id=EUWdpi74yOYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=highest+price+for+passion+laurinda+d+brown&source=bl&ots=qcv4T37Dey&sig=6PpzNwvQCTTzjHuNq_RKvzsiskw&hl=en&ei=_B6TS5_TJIjaNcDh4JkN&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAgQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

=<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">**//The Postmistress//** =

[[image:http://www.diesel-ebooks.com/mas_assets/full/parent-9780399156199.jpg width="283" height="340" align="left"]]
===<span style="color: #40408c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Sarah Blake was born in New York City. She currently resides in Washington DC with her husband who is a poet and her two sons. Blake taught high school and college English for many years in Colorado and New York. She has also lead many fictional workshops at various universities. //The Postmistress// is her second published novel and was just released in February 2010. ===

===<span style="color: #40408c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">//The Postmistress// takes place in 1940 while the war in Europe is intensifying and President Roosevelt says that he won't send anyone over seas to fight. It is a story about a loss of innocence for two wonderful women and of two countries that are torn apart by war. === ===<span style="color: #40408c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Iris James is the postmistress in a small town of Massachusetts. She believes it is her job to deliver and keep people's secrets. One day she did the unthinkable, she slipped a letter into her pocket and didn't deliver it. Meanwhile in Germany Frankie Bard, an American radio girl, reports what is happening to the refugees there trying to escape. === ===<span style="color: #40408c; font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Switching between America entering World War II, still safe but sensing danger and Europe already torn apart, the two stories meet in a letter, bringing the war home to Massachusetts. The Postmistress is an unforgettable story of the secrets we must keep. It is about what happens to love during a time of war, when those we cherish leave. ===

<span style="color: #40408c; font-family: Webdings,sans-serif;">//Attached is the link to the first chapter of The Postmistress://
<span style="color: #0606ea; font-family: Webdings,sans-serif;">http://www.sarahblakebooks.com/chapter-one.htm