The Woman Who Built The House on Flat Land
She bought the property in the Santa Clara Valley in 1884. Almond, apricot, peach and plum orchards covered the flat tidal lands at the bottom
Tag: history
Wit and the Art of Conversation
As I was growing up, I became aware of people talking about how witty this book was, or that movie, or a famous person sitting
The Posthumous Adventure of Dante’s Bones
For many years now I’ve planned to write a novel about Dante Alighieri, the Italian poet. The book didn’t work out (this is what I
A Victorian Guide to Oppressing Women: Part 2
A portion of this post first appeared on the CrimeReads, a blog dedicated to books about crime true and fictional, around the time when MARIAN
A Victorian Guide to Oppressing Women: Part 1
A portion of this post first appeared on the CrimeReads, a blog dedicated to books about crime true and fictional, in conjunction with the
If It’s May, This Must Be Balmoral
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
Favorite Characters
As an author of historical fiction, I’m often asked who my favorite character is. Particularly, I’m asked about the fictional characters, because the historical figures
Making a Further Spectacle of Yourself
Last month I discussed what the nearsighted young ladies of the 19th century did to avoid walking into walls and other people (though walking into
Making a Spectacle of Yourself
I am, alas, blind as a bat. I’ve worn glasses since fourth grade (and probably needed them in third), and just can’t imagine what I
Almack’s Again: the “Marriage Mart”
Modern readers can certainly understand how Almack’s was the place to be, the most exclusive of exclusive social venues, because that concept is timeless…but there’s
Werewolves Stalked Me
Werewolves Stalked Me Originally published April 2012 by Phyllis Irene Radford I had a book come out today here on The Book View Café, Guardians of
Chocolate as a Weapon
Originally published April, 2021 by Jill Zeller I wanted to find out if chocolate had ever been used to kill someone, outside of adding poison
1917: Getting Down and Dirty (in the Garden)
This year marks the 105th anniversary of the US’s entry into World War I…a topic which I happened to do a lot of research on
