I love a good mystery book. But that's not what I am going to talk about today. No, today I am going to talk about historical fiction. Because, you see, there is almost always a mystery involved when you look into history.
When I used to teach social studies, I would always tell my students that when they studied history, they had to think like a detective. They had to look at as many sources as they could to get the best possible picture of what really happened. I also warned them, though, that in the end we usually end up with a whole new set of questions. So the process starts all over again. Because the study of history is, after all, a circular pursuit. Unfortunately, sometimes we exhaust all of our resources and questions still remain unanswered.
This past month I read two novels that attempt to explain a mystery behind a well-known historical figure. The first was
BLACKHEARTS, by Nicole Castroman.
The pirate Blackbeard was known for striking fear into the hearts of even the bravest sailors. But once, he was just a young man who dreamed of abandoning his rigid life to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him - until he met the one girl who would change everything. - excerpt from book jacket
As you can see, this novel is about Blackbeard. In the author's note at the back of the book, Castroman explains that very little is actually known about the pirate until the last few years of his life. She mentions that what we
do know is that he could read and write, which means that he was educated, which means that he was born into a family of means. The mystery here is what might have caused such a man to leave his life and become a pirate in the first place, and Castroman's answer is that it was a woman.
I liked the premise. But I didn't like the book. For a number of reasons.
Let's begin with the plot. This was not a rip-roaring adventure. In fact, there was nothing even remotely 'pirate-y' about it. Wouldn't you think that a story about a pirate should have some piracy? Nope. Of course there was an accusation of piracy, but that was quickly cleared up and wasn't even a significant part of the story. This book was actually a romance, and not a very good one at that. It was very predictable for about, oh, 96 percent of the thing. I mean, it was so predictable, I knew everything that was going to happen so long beforehand that
I could have written this book. Only the ending was a surprise. I actually really liked the ending, as it was pretty much the only interesting part of the story. Unfortunately, it was rushed, unlike the rest of the book which seemed to drag on
forever.
Now for the characters. The story is supposed to be about Blackbeard, but it isn't, really. It is actually about a girl named Anne, who falls in love with him and he with her. She would have been an interesting character if, well, if this had been a better book. But that really doesn't matter, because the book isn't even supposed to be a book about
her. It is supposed to be about
him. And even though he figures prominently in the story, he seems like a secondary character. I didn't like that at all. In fact, I feel cheated.
What can I say about the writing? I didn't enjoy it. Remember how a couple of paragraphs ago I said that I could have written the book? What I meant was that
I could have written the book when I was in seventh grade. Seriously. It was very simplistic. Here is an example of some
paragraphs from the story:
Once Anne returned to the kitchen, she set the pot in the hearth. It would take some time for the water to boil. She looked around for Ruth, but the girl was nowhere to be found.
and ...
He pierced a potato with his fork and chewed with vigor. How dare she stand there and look back at him like that? He could feel the judgement of everyone, himself included, and found he was on the defensive.
That's about how long the sentences and paragraphs are in this book.
Yawn. Combined with the predictable plot and boring characters, the writing makes for a story that is
just. not. interesting. (I'll let you know if I come across a better pirate story, because
now I am going to have to go looking for one.)
I almost put this book down several times, and now I wish I had. Because instead of wasting my time, I could have been reading a book that I just
couldn't put down, like the one I recommend you read instead of this one:
VIII, by H. M. Castor.
Hal is a young man with extraordinary gifts: astonishing warrior skills, sharp intelligence, and a fierce sense of honor and virtue. Though his older brother will be the next king of England, Hal knows that he is also destined for greatness - even if his father wishes he would disappear.
But even as his future unfolds in front of him, Hal is haunted by the ghosts of his family's violent past. As Hal embarks on a journey to absolute power, he will have to embrace his demons in order to become one of the greatest and most terrible kings the world has ever known. - excerpt from book jacket
Hal, is of course, Henry VIII. You know, the infamous king known for having all his wives put to death. The burning question that H. M. Castor wants to answer is,
why? Why did someone with so much potential turn into such a horrible tyrant?
Castor, who is a historian as well as author, drew upon the extensive historical records of the king's life and times in her attempt to explain what might have happened as he was growing up that would lead him to commit the ruthless and sometimes contradictory actions later in his life.
So let's follow the pattern from the first half of this post and talk about the plot first. The story begins when 'Hal' is six years old and continues until his death. It is a long book, but the pacing is just right. About a third of the book is devoted to Henry's early years, and Castor paints a vivid picture of what they might have been like, from the interactions and relationships with his family members, to formative events in his childhood. As the book moves through his life, it selects more such events and interactions to highlight. All with one purpose in mind: Develop the character.
And boy does Castor develop the character. No flat, static character here. This book does a remarkable job of getting into Henry's head, of displaying his emotions in all of their raw glory, be they elated, sorrowful, frightened, or downright disturbed. I haven't come across many books that succeeded in getting inside a character's head as well as this one. You will fall in love with him from the very beginning, and later, even when he is at his worst, you will empathize with him and pity him instead of hating him. In fact, you will find it hard to even have more than a mild disapproval for his terrible actions.
So now for the writing. Amazing. I don't want to be like one of those movie trailers that gives away all the good parts, but I am just so excited about the writing that I have to share some of my favorite lines:
My grandmother stands in the middle of all this commotion, her yellowish face edged by a white wimple, her bony hands resting on her plain black gown. She dresses like a nun, but you do not forget for a moment she is the mother of the king.
I've heard my grandmother say that my mother's parents married for love. She says it like she's picking up a dirty, stinking rag.
In one smooth movement she stops him . . . yanks his arm out in front of him, and cuffs him across the head. I wince, as if she's hit me, too.
I watch them and think of Compton's confidence. I pick through his words carefully, like counting out coins. I often do this with things grown-ups say.
My mother looks down at me, her eyes hidden in shadow. The room is dark, the fire damped for the night, one lonely candle casting a pool of yellow light across my pillows. . . . My mother's shadow stretches itself across the floor and runs straight up the wall, like spilled ink running the wrong way.
I prod it. For a moment, staring stupidly, I can't think. There is something horrible about how solid this thing is - I sense that, even before I register the curl of straw-colored hair at the collar, even before I see that it is a person: a boy, bigger than me, folded over, face down, inside the trunk, with his forehead to his knees.
I mean, can't you just see it? And hear it? And imagine what he was thinking? And feel what he must have been feeling? I am going to buy this book.
One last thing that I didn't mention yet ('cause my paragraphs just wouldn't flow right when I tried to add it in there), is the fact that the author weaves in some unexpected elements. Like the tale of the two princes in the tower of London (the brothers of Henry's mother!), the superstitions of the day, and some supernatural/psychological stuff (you never know which it
really is, so you're left to believe whichever one makes the story more enjoyable for you -
very smart). These give a fascinating twist to the story, making it NOT your average historical fiction. Not by a long shot.
I think I am very glad that this author decided to take all of that history rattling around in her head and put it to good use in this book. If you like historical fiction or even just fantasy set in the Middle Ages, you should definitely pick this one up.
Rating: 5 Stars
Reading Level: 5.2
Age Appropriate: Middle Grades +
Page Count/Word Count: 422/ 92,829
Genre: Historical Fiction
Keywords: Renaissance England, royalty, family relationships
