I am noticing that a lot of my favorite writers
are looking back in time to find fodder for their stories. In The Museum of Extraordinary Things,
Alice Hoffman brings to life New York City in the early twentieth century, with
a particular emphasis on Coney Island. I knew a lot about the NYC sweatshops and
street life from that time, but I didn’t know much about Coney Island, and I
was as fascinated by her rendering of it as I was with the story she set therein.
Another favorite writer, Emma Donogue, brings nineteenth century San Francisco
to life in her novel Frog Music. Her
story (based on a true unsolved crime) unfolds against the background of one particular
summer’s historic heat wave and smallpox epidemic. Again, it was fascinating to
have a wonderful capable writer bring this moment in history to vivid life. Then
there’s The Orphan Train by Christine
Baker Kline, which illuminates depression era orphans in NYC who were shipped
out to work at jobs in the Midwest. The list goes on.
I
never much cared for dry historical texts, so having a chance to regard
historical events as perfectly restructured backdrops for good fiction is a
great pleasure for me. But I notice the publishers for the three novels
mentioned above go out of their way not to label these titles “historical
novels.” I agree that first and foremost they are literary novels, but “literary”
doesn’t reveal very much information, and I might have been inclined, had I
published them, to call them “literary historicals.”
I
see their point though. Historical fiction as a genre seems to have shot itself
in the foot in the 70s and 80s when it took historical romance under its wing
as a sub genre. There were so many historical romances for a couple of decades
that the terms historical romance and historical fiction seemed to have merged.
The former brought the latter down a notch, because while many historical
romances are extremely good, some of them merely provide historical settings
for formulaic relationships among the characters. “Historical” became a bad
word in literary circles as a result. In more recent years historical fiction
seems to be gathering back the strength it once had, but it’s happening slowly.
My
novel, The Last Wife of Attila the Hun,
has two strikes against it. It’s historical in part, and it’s also got a
legendary component. Since most legendary materials can be labeled romantic,
it’s easy to call it a historical romance. But that’s not what it is. It’s
definitely a hybrid, and I’m still trying to figure out how to refer it myself.
But that’s okay. I like research, and the avenues I’ve been following to try to
discover how to talk about my novel are leading me into some unexpected corners.
Title: The Last Wife of Attila the Hun
Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction with a Legendary Component
Author: Joan Schweighardt
Website: www.joanschwweighardt.com
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Purchase on Amazon
About the Book:
Two threads are woven together in The Last Wife of Attila the Hun. In one, Gudrun, a Burgundian noblewoman, dares to enter the City of Attila to give its ruler what she hopes is a cursed sword; the second reveals the unimaginable events that have driven her to this mission. Based in part on the true history of the times and in part on the same Nordic legends that inspired Wagner’s Ring Cycle and other great works of art, The Last Wife of Attila the Hun offers readers a thrilling story of love, betrayal, passion and revenge, all set against an ancient backdrop itself gushing with intrigue. Lovers of history and fantasy alike will find realism and legend at work in this tale.
About the Author:
Joan Schweighardt is the author of several novels. In addition to her own projects, she writes, ghostwrites and edits for private and corporate clients.
Website: www.joanschweighardt.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/joanschweighardtwriter
Twitter: @joanschwei
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