The Great Silence
Marissa Doyle
November 9, 2023
In a few days we will observe Veterans Day in the U.S….but we’re not the only country to observe a holiday. This year marks the
Author : Marissa Doyle
Marissa Doyle graduated from Bryn Mawr College and went on to graduate school intending to be an archaeologist, but somehow got distracted. Eventually she figured out what she was really supposed to be doing and started writing. She’s channeled her inner history geekiness into a successful young adult historical fantasy series, and is now also happily writing contemporary romantic fantasy. She lives in her native Massachusetts with her family, including a pair of bossy but adorable pet rabbits, and loves quilting, gardening, and collecting antiques. Oh, and coffee.
Not Quite Trick or Treat
Marissa Doyle
October 26, 2023
Am I the only one to notice that over the last several years, Halloween has morphed from a children’s holiday to one just as popular
Quiz: No Slang Like Old Slang, Unless It’s New
Marissa Doyle
October 12, 2023
For most writers of historical fiction, the slang of the 19th century is a delight. Creative and clever, it’s fun to know and, for us,
Governesses, Part 2: Educating Lady Agatha
Marissa Doyle
September 28, 2023
Continued from last time (see here.) Lady Agatha Crumpington is now nearly five. Her devoted nurse, Mrs. Hoggett, has taught her to not make messes
Governesses, Part 1: The Original Home-Schoolers
Marissa Doyle
September 14, 2023
They’re a stock figure in fiction in and about the 19th century, from Charlotte Bronte to Georgette Heyer, who populated many of her stories with
Chair Amie
Marissa Doyle
August 24, 2023
Here, for your viewing pleasure, may I present Pocock’s Reclining Patent Chair, from the March 1813 issue of Ackermann’s Repository: Isn’t it a beauty? The
The Royal Waterloo Bath!
Marissa Doyle
August 10, 2023
From the June 1819 edition of Ackermann’s Repository, may I present to you with mingled delight and horror… THE ROYAL WATERLOO BATH “This very elegant
Chillin’ Out in the Seventeenth Century
Marissa Doyle
July 27, 2023
Did you know that the first air conditioned building in London was Westminster Abbey…back in the year 1620? No? Well, it was a bit of
Toxophilia!
Marissa Doyle
July 13, 2023
In these days when young women can participate in pretty much any sport they choose, it’s easy to forget that little more than a hundred
The Lady of the Lake and the Highland Revival
Marissa Doyle
June 22, 2023
Just in case you think that media having a profound effect on popular culture is a modern phenomenon, I have five words for you: The
Lawn Ornaments, Garden Furniture, and Hermits
Marissa Doyle
June 8, 2023
The early 19th century saw the birth of a new phenomenon in Great Britain: local tourism. Spawned by improved roads and transportation, the growth of
If It’s May, This Must Be Balmoral
Marissa Doyle
May 25, 2023
Queen Victoria, footloose and fancy-free? Really? Well, yes. As Queen of the United Kingdom, Victoria either had use of or personally owned dozens of houses
Court Dress or Tea Cozy?
Marissa Doyle
May 11, 2023
It’s May, and we’re in the height of the Season…or we would have been, two hundred years ago. And in addition to husband-hunting, the Season