Historical fiction or History with fictionalized human perspectives?
Sisters of the Bruce 1292-1314 by J. M. Harvey I had just finished watching the episode of A History of Scotland that referenced Robert the Bruce and the hardships his family suffered at the hand of the British host. When I had an opportunity to read the ARC of this novel, I couldn't resist. As a result of The Bruce and his men killing John Comyn (1306), Edward I, called for the 'Raising of the Dragon'. Which meant that no quarter would be given to The Bruce supporters, including his family. This work follows the effect of war and this edict upon the men and more particularly, the womenfolk of The Bruce. The story is mostly expressed as a series of letters penned between the sisters, which adds to the sense of the personal. However this is more a history book than the fictionalized story of the sisters. This unfortunately renders it a dense and lengthy work. I found myself having to put it down and take it up over a longer period of time than I normally would. Should ...