The meme is hosted by Books are My Favourite Best and is described thus: On the first Saturday of every month, a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six other books to form a chain. Readers and bloggers are invited to join in by creating their own ‘chain’ leading from the selected book. Each person’s chain will look completely different. It doesn’t matter what the connection is or where it takes you – just take us on the journey with you.
This month starts with The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, a book I have never heard of but I now know is written in an epistolery style. Letters - it makes me immediately makes me think of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and the importance that various letters play in moving the story forward.
Pride and Prejudice takes to me to The Benevolent Society of Ill Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman, a detective novel also set in Regency England with two strong female leads living authentic lives and solving a few myseteries along the way.
From there I jump to Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, a book of the same kind - strong female lead who is a private detective, living outside of the normal for women of the time period, which is between WWI and WWII. Maisie lives true to herself and her values but is greatly impacted by the trauma of having been a nurse in the trenches during WWI.
The Women by Kristin Hannah also explores the impact of war on women, this time on the forgotten nurses that servied during the Vietnam War and how they were treated upon their return. Kristin Hannah also explores the experience of women in war in her book Winter Garden, this time delving into the Siege of Leningrad.
That finally brings me to The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simmons, which for a long time I would have said was one of my favourite books. The Bronze Horseman also explores the Siege of Leningrad, but is an entirely historical novel with some elements of romance. This has actually been a good reminder to read it again some time soon.
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I read The Bronze Horseman years ago and loved it - it's good to see it in your chain!
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten how much I loved it until I wrote this, time to read it again I think
DeleteOh I like your starting ambit with the idea of the importance that letters play in moving the story of P&P forward. This is a topic my JA group has discussed more than once. Good call for your first link! I have Goodman's book on my TBR but haven't found time to read it yet. It was given to me by someone who knows I love Austen. I've heard of Paullina Simmons but have never read her mainly because while I quite enjoy historical fiction it's not a genre I follow, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy the Goodman book, its a bit of fun.
DeleteYour connection with Pride and Prejudice is clever, letters are vital to that plot!
ReplyDeleteI've never read The Bronze Horseman, is it still one of your favourites? Would it stand up to a re-read do you think?
Rose
I actually started wondering if The Bronze Horseman would hold up to my initial impression. I will read again this year and see how I feel
DeleteI've read most of these and have The Benevolent Society on hold at the library!
ReplyDeleteI got my book group to read Maisie Dobbs when it was new and then we went to see the author when she was in town, which was fun.
I would love to see Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie Dibbs was one of my top reads last year, if you enjoyed it I think you will enjoy Goodmans novel
DeleteWhat a nice idea to think of epistolary books with this challenge. And then go straight to Jane Austen. Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteHere is my list:
https://momobookblog.blogspot.com/2026/04/six-degrees-of-separation-correspondent.html
I find I can link almost anything to Austen
DeleteI'm not surprised. Me, too.
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