Costume-Drama Novels Every Intelligent Woman Needs to Read
Forget the powerless
girl mooning over the lord of the manor. These exhilarating journeys into the past feature women who rise above
their historical circumstances to find freedom, love—and
well-deserved glory.
6 of 11
The Swan Gondola
By Timothy Schaffert
464 pages;
Riverhead Hardcover
Set during the 1898 Omaha World's Fair, this novel recreates the few
months that Nebraska served as an international capital, complete with
lavish temporary palaces and a cast of cynical hucksters, pickpockets
and performers who earn their living on the midway. Though the
historical details about the fair's construction delight (imagine:
"buildings shaped like foreign shrines," "cupolas with candy-striped
shingles" and "a greenhouse full of humming birds that buzzed so close
you could almost feel their wings flutter your lashes"), it's the love
story of a certain ventriloquist named Ferret Skerritt and an actress
named Cecily that captivates, most especially when a wealthy rival to
Ferret threatens to separate the two. Be prepared for a romantic
finish—and some unexpected twists in the plot that prove magic is
possible, even for magicians.
— Leigh Newman
Published 07/17/2014