Cecilia Ekback’s — The historians *****

In 1943 Laura works with the chief negotiator on German access to Swedish iron ore when her friend from university, Britta, is tortured and murdered. She tries to discover what happened, but soon her own apartment is burgled and blown up. Despite the danger, Laura seeks the help of her past university friends and later the secretary to the minister of foreign affairs to eke out what Britta had uncovered that caused her death.

This is a very different WW11 story. Sweden remained neutral although it was pressured from both Germany and the Allies. And while the book is fictional, it is based on facts about what was happening with both German soldiers passing through Sweden and its indigenous Sami people.

More on research

On a visit to New Zealand some years back, I took over one hundred photos in one day at an important setting in a historical fiction manuscript I was preparing. Many were of signs that I didn’t actually refer to once I began writing, but having all those photos allowed me to choose the best fit. For example, the photo above may seem insignificant, but it was a location two characters passed over. Without the photo I would have forgotten this tiny detail.

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Min Jin Lee’s — Pachinko *****

In the early 1900s when Sunja falls pregnant, she refuses to be mistress to a wealthy man she discovers is already married. Instead she accepts an offer of marriage from a minister, and they soon leave Korea for Japan.

This is a four generational tale exploring Japan’s attitude towards Koreans as well as the family’s struggles to survive. A compelling story. And I’ve decided to reblog this exceptional book because of the current controversy on Twitter over a Nike advertisement depicting racism in Japan.

Melinda Haynes’s — Mother of Pearl *****

African American Evan grew up an orphan in a small Mississippi town. When he meets Valuable, the daughter of the town whore who doesn’t know who her father is, their lives change. Both want a family, something neither of them have, but can this racial combination survive in the 1950’s racist south?