A lot of authors write fictional books about famous historical figures. But sometimes, writers choose to re-imagine moments in history through the eyes of lesser-known bystanders. That’s the case with each of the following, highly-recommended books:
Books for adults:
The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory
Ms. Gregory began her literary career by writing works of pure historical fiction. But she hit her stride with this 2001 novel about Mary Boleyn, who was King Henry VIII’s mistress before her sister Anne stepped onto the world’s stage. The prose in this story is often florid, and some of the book’s historical accuracy is questionable. Yet the novel brilliantly presents the downfall of Katherine of Aragon and the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn through the eyes of a close witness who has been largely forgotten by history. This book not only inspired a small budget BBC telemovie and a big-budget Hollywood feature film; it also redirected Gregory’s writing trajectory. She has since penned fourteen other novels about the Tudor and Plantagenet queens and princesses. I’ve read them all, but this one is by far the best.
Mr. Mac and Me, by Esther Freud
On the eve of WWI, a 13-year-old boy named Thomas Maggs strikes up an unlikely friendship with a Scotsman who moves to his small village along the Suffolk Coast. The man turns out to be the renowned Scottish artist and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work heavily influenced the Art Nouveau movement. Thomas is a fictional character, but he’s the protagonist of this beautifully atmospheric 2015 novel. I knew nothing about the very real “Mr. Mac” and his wife, the artist Margaret Macdonald, before I read this story, but I found this novel a wonderful introduction to their work.
Brontë’s Mistress, by Finola Austin
This 2020 novel presents an infamous part of the Brontë family legend from the point of view of history’s original “Mrs. Robinson,” i.e., the “woman of a certain age” who supposedly seduced young Branwell Brontë when he was working as a tutor for her young son. Ms. Austin does a marvelous job of bringing the historical character Lydia Robinson to life and presenting her in a (mostly) sympathetic manner. After Branwell and his sister Anne leave the Robinson family’s employ, this novel gets a bit bogged down with plot twists I found less compelling. But I nevertheless enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would – particularly for the way it focused on a middle-aged woman for the main character. Not enough novels do that these days!
Books for children
(Warning: Each of these books is very short, and each of these reviews contains spoilers)
Socks Goes to Washington: The Diary of America’s First Cat, Written and illustrated by Michael O’Donoghue and J.C. Suarès
This picture book (published in 1993) recounts the early days of Bill Clinton’s presidency through the eyes of his daughter’s cat Socks. It’s left-leaning in parts, but generally apolitical. Typical entries: “I like to scare the Secret Service guys by racing up and down the hall for no apparent reason” and “Nothing peps up a Cabinet meeting more than a dead mole.” I really like the way the authors present Socks as a real cat with an entirely feline agenda. The book draws to a sentimental close with its third-to-last (and longest) entry, describing how the overwhelmed President sometimes finds “it’s quite soothing to just sit and pet a cat.” I’m not sure that this is a fact-based conclusion (I’ve read that Clinton was actually allergic to Socks’ dander, but he put up with the cat because he loved Chelsea so much). Nevertheless, this is a fun book for cat-lovers of all political persuasions.
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo, Written by Jill Twiss; illustrated by EG Keller
This 2018 book about Mike Pence’s pet rabbit was written in response to reports that Pence’s wife and daughter were publishing a children’s book about the very same bunny. The Pence family’s book was entitled “A Day in the Life of the Vice President” and showed little Marlon Bundo hopping alongside “Grandpa” as he went about his political business; it ended with the bunny joining the Pences in a nighttime prayer. Twiss and Keller’s story, by contrast, shows Marlon hopping around the Pence family’s garden and falling in love with another male rabbit. Troubles ensue when “The Stink Bug” (a white-haired insect who bears a disturbing resemblance to Pence) tries to stop the gay bunnies from getting married. However, the other animals in the yard stand up to the Stink Bug and vote him out of office, allowing Marlon and his fiancé Wesley to pledge their troths. The publication of this book was sponsored by comedian John Oliver, and it definitely has a political agenda. But the story is told in a very sweet way that can inspire parents to have discussions with their children about the importance of accepting love in all of its forms and standing up to self-righteous bullies. It’s a darling book. And, I’m happy to note, the white-haired Stink Bug was, indeed, voted out of office in 2020.
Abul-Abbas, The Elephant, written and illustrated by Karen Neis
Disclaimer: I am the mother of the talented writer/artist who created this charming children’s story, so perhaps I can’t be entirely objective in my review. But the original manuscript for this 2018 book won an award from the University of Notre Dame’s Medieval Studies Department, so several scholars can back me up in my praise. This picture book tells the story of an elephant who was sent from Baghdad to Charlemagne’s court in Europe as a gift from the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. The illustrations are based on medieval artwork, and the text is accompanied by a short note in the back of the book that places the story in its historical context. While the tale is a simple one – an elephant makes a long and scary journey to a new home, where he hopes to find friends – the story also has an ecumenical appeal (the Muslim Caliph appoints a Jew to transport his magnificent living gift to a Christian emperor). I can’t say enough wonderful things about this book. Just go and buy yourself a copy and see for yourself how lovely it is! The publisher of this book will soon be folding, so order your copy while you still can!
Mr. R - A Rock & Roll Romance 