Historical Fiction Book Reviews

An exceptional sequel to Blessings from the Four Winds, which asks timeless questions about our sense of belonging and the many risks we take for family, Smoke on the Wind by Syvila Weatherford is a riveting trip into the past.

Life on the Applegate Ranch settles into some kind of normalcy for the new couple, but with a baby on the way, and shared feelings of separation from sacred traditions, emotions are running high. As the country continues to rapidly evolve, conflicts bubble over into everyday life, and Niabi makes the decision to bring her family back together in […]

A visceral portrait of oppression and resilience across generations, Seasons of Destiny by Howard Glassroth is a stark reminder that resistance in the face of hate is the only path to freedom.

After a shocking act of Cossack violence and a painful betrayal nearly destroy their inn, David and Blin, two Polish Jews, pass the family business onto their son, Usher. A few miles north, a desperate father tries to save his rebellious son, only to plant a target on his family’s fortunes. As years pass, the children of these families are drawn to Warsaw, where the simmering threat of […]

Pushing the boundaries of time, belief, and blood, Crossing Borders and Generations: One Man’s Journey to Search for His Ukrainian, Greek, and Bulgarian Roots by Kiril Kristoff is a thought-provoking work of historical fiction drawn from a very real family legacy.

When an icy road leaves George Kakhovskiy and his grandson comatose in the hospital, their internal journey through the past becomes a shared window of connection, understanding, and revelation. Encompassing six generations of the Kakhovskiy family, this novel explores the immigrant experience in America, the challenges of assimilation, the power of faith, and the range of cultural traditions that […]