487 Results with the "Historical Fiction" genre


    • Chapter

      The Beams

      The Beams Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter "The Beams" depicts a tense moment during an artillery bombardment, with Werner and Volkheimer sheltering in a cellar. Shells explode overhead, shaking the foundations as Werner imagines the meticulous calculations of the American artillerymen—cold, precise, and detached, much like divine intervention. The scene underscores the dehumanizing nature of war, where destruction is reduced to numbers and coordinates. Amid the chaos, Volkheimer shares a story about his great-grandfather, a sawyer…
    • The Simultaneity of Instants Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin The chapter opens with a tense moment as Marie-Laure hides in a wardrobe, hearing a brick fall and a gunshot that splits the silence like a volcanic eruption. The chaos escalates as footsteps approach, and she senses an intruder searching Henri's room, the air filling with smoke and steam. The suspense builds as the footsteps grow hesitant, moving closer to her hiding spot, while Marie-Laure grips a knife, prepared for confrontation. The scene is visceral, capturing her fear and the imminent danger through…
    • Chapter VI ‑Derrick Vaughan–Novelist Cover
      by LovelyMay Chapter VI – Derrick Vaughan–Novelist begins with a surge of pride and discomfort as Derrick reads an article lauding his brother Lawrence's gallantry in battle. The report describes Lawrence’s rescue of a fellow officer with vivid praise, capturing the attention of the nation and elevating him to sudden fame. Sydney shares the article enthusiastically, while Derrick listens quietly, caught between admiration and a subtle pang of inadequacy. Though proud, he feels increasingly overshadowed. Their…
    • Chapter 18: The Hot Dog Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 18: The Hot Dog begins with Chona, one week after her assault, drifting between dreams and a painful reality. She lies in her hospital bed, barely tethered to the world, as fragments of a prayer from her childhood, Barukh She’amar, float through her consciousness like shimmering motes of light. These prayerful echoes remind her of Sabbath mornings beside her father, the comfort of ritual, and the warmth of faith long held. Her parched lips and whispered desire for water elicit a quiet response,…
    • Chapter

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 11 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 11 immerses readers in Alice’s growing realization of the suffocating nature of her life at Fair Oaks, a house that, despite its grandeur, symbolizes broken promises and unfulfilled dreams. Originally built in 1845 by Dr. Guildford D. Runyon for a bride who never lived to see it, the estate now serves as a monument to an abandoned future, much like Alice’s own marriage to Bennett Van Cleve. Every corner of the home is adorned with trinkets, reminders of a life obsessed with outward appearances…
    • Chapter 12: Struggles Under Occupation Cover
      by Denzelle On a freezing November morning in 1941, Vianne Rosignol awakens from a restless sleep, her dreams filled with fleeting memories of her husband, Antoine, who remains absent, lost to the turmoil of war. The biting cold seeps into her bones as she faces another day of hardship under German occupation in Carriveau, France. Her daily existence revolves around carefully rationing food, making do with limited resources, and attempting to shield her daughter, Sophie, from the grim realities of war. With every…
    • Chapter 3: Desiree’s Search for Identity, Family, and Reconciliation in Mallard Cover
      by Denzelle Desiree and Stella Vignes, twin sisters from the insular and color-conscious town of Mallard, step into adulthood with a move to New Orleans, where they begin working at Dixie Laundry. The city, vibrant and chaotic, is a stark contrast to the quiet constraints of their hometown. For Desiree, the move represents a determined break from her past, driven by a promise to herself never to return to the place that stifled her dreams. Her resolve is fueled by a mix of guilt and ambition, as she clings to the idea…
    • Chapter 10: The Skrup Shoe Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Chapter 10: The Skrup Shoe centers around Earl Roberts, commonly known as Doc, a man from Pottstown who becomes caught up in rumors about a Jewish woman named Chona allegedly hiding a Black child from the state. Doc hears about this from his distant cousin, Carl Boydkins, who works for the state welfare office. The families, despite their strained relationship, both trace their lineage back to the Mayflower, a claim that is more of a fabricated myth than a truth, rooted in the story of Ed Bole, an English…
    • O: ARTHUR: By the River Thames, 1852 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Arthur spent his early childhood in the grimy and impoverished districts of London, known as the Sewers and Slums, where the River Thames, once a symbol of life and commerce, now reflected the decay of the city. The thick fog that often blanketed the streets, combined with the stench from the nearby factories and tanneries, created an atmosphere of despair. As a boy of five, Arthur’s keen observational skills allowed him to notice the habits of those around him, from the poor families struggling to make…
    • O: ARTHUR: By the River Tigris, 1872 Cover
      by testsuphomeAdmin Arthur finds himself grappling with a deep sense of cultural dissonance in the chapter "By the River Tigris, 1872," as he navigates his time among the Yazidis during their annual festival, “Çarşema Sor,” or 'Red Wednesday.' The festival marks the arrival of spring, a celebration of renewal and hope that contrasts sharply with Arthur’s personal and external struggles. The Yazidi villagers of Zêrav spend their time painting eggs, cleaning homes, and making candles from sheep fat, all integral to…
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