The Free-Range Bookclub
Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
Category: Historical Fiction
The Glass Room – Simon Mawer
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Based on a real villa in Czechoslovakia, the house in this book is a minimalist masterpiece with a transparent glass room as its centre. Built for Liesel and Viktor Landauer in the 1920s, the house becomes the central character and the… Continue Reading “The Glass Room – Simon Mawer”
The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo Set in the early 19th century, The Potato Factory explores the lives of London’s thieves, con men, prostitutes, street urchins and lowlife many of whom, suffering from England’s social and political inequalities, are sent to the penal colony of… Continue Reading “The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay”
The Outcast – Sadie Jones
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Eight year old Lewis Alridge meets his father for the first time in 1945, newly returned from the war. Life awkwardly ekes by until one day there is a tragedy in the family which sets Lewis on a… Continue Reading “The Outcast – Sadie Jones”
Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Set in 1838, at a time of colonial upheaval and shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China, Sea Of Poppies tells the story of the ship Ibis and her interesting collection of passengers making the journey from India to… Continue Reading “Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh”
The Sound of Butterflies – Rachael King
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel In 1904 lepidopterist Thomas Edgar arrives home to England from a collecting expedition in the Amazon. He is emaciated and cannot or will not speak. As his wife wonders what has happened, the book takes us back to the… Continue Reading “The Sound of Butterflies – Rachael King”
Accordion Crimes – Annie Proulx
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel The history of America’s founders is told by the travels of an accordion, and the hands it passes through. ♥ “An accordion is handmade by a Sicilian in 1890 and changes owners several times throughout the novel, ending… Continue Reading “Accordion Crimes – Annie Proulx”
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