Nothing pulls you further away from reality than a well-written book with characters who practically leap off the page, and nothing hooks you in like a twist in the tale. Here, we've gathered a collection of fast-moving, imaginative nonfiction works that will grab the reader and keep him or her interested from start to finish.

Book 1: The Personal Librarian Hardcover – June 29, 2021

Author: Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray Category: Biographical Fiction, Biographical Historical Fiction, Black & African American Women's Fiction

Benedict and Murray do a splendid job of capturing the protagonist's excitement and perseverance as she digs out a space for herself in a bigoted, male-dominated society. It is the story of a woman who encounters the challenges, creates her own destiny and subdues the critics. But she winds up becoming one of America's most prominent librarians throughout history. This realistic portrayal of one woman's stratospheric ascension within New York's upper society is captivating, poetic, and fraught with risk. It sheds light on the unique life of a brilliant, bright lady named Belle. She contributes to the evolution of a world-class collection by establishing herself as a mainstay in New York City society. She is one of the most powerful women in the creative and publishing industries, renowned for her impeccable taste and deft bargaining for crucial artifacts. But she faces the unthinkable option of living as an impersonator or giving up everything she'd earned and deserved. Her decision to conceal her actual identity in order to protect herself and her family from ethnic prejudice resonates not just during her era but also in ours a hundred years later. The story explores the extent she must go to protect her family and heritage while preserving her delicately crafted white identity in the midst of a racist society.

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Book 2: The Second Mrs. Astor: A Heartbreaking Historical Novel of the Titanic Paperback – August 31, 2021

Author: Shana Abe Category: American Historical Romance, Biographical Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction

This gripping story immerses you in the scandalous passion and catastrophic honeymoon of the most famous couple of their day, John Jacob Astor and Madeleine Force, on the Titanic. Madeleine Talmage Force is only seventeen years old when she catches John Jacob Astor's eye. Madeleine is beautiful, smart, and upper-class, but the Astors are in another league. Mrs. Astor is American royalty and the most prominent aristocrat in New York. Jack is a brave and diligent businessman who serves as a hero in the Spanish-American War. The turmoil underlying Jack's recent divorce and the age gap between them make Madeleine fall prey to the press target. After enjoying their extended honeymoon, the newlyweds intends to come back home in the spring of 1912. Tremendous terror rise to the brim when the ship came into contact with an iceberg at night in April. As he assists Madeleine into a raft, he tells her that he will see her in New York soon. The story shifts to four months later when Madeleine gives birth to their baby. Following the accident, the press elevates her to the position of noble, tragic heroine. But Madeleine must still make the most critical decision of her life: whether to accept the role that has been handed to her or forge her extraordinary path. Overall, this epic historical fiction masterwork will stay with readers long until the last chapter is flipped.

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Book 3: The Girls in the Attic Paperback – June 1, 2021

Author: Marius Gabriel Category: Jewish Historical Fiction, Jewish Literature & Fiction, Military Historical Fiction

Here the author weaves a compelling story of naive trust, familial devotion, and how love forces one man to question all he thought he knew. Max Wolff is a devoted member of the Reichswehr. After getting injured, he comes back to his home. But he gets furious when he discovers that his mother is harboring two young Jewish ladies in their house. Max's mother's gesture of charity is a blatant violation of all he stands for. He has committed his life to Nazism, seeking to atone for his anti-Hitler father's incarceration. It is his responsibility to turn the sisters over to the Gestapo. But he hesitates, and the longer Max delays executing his duty, the more difficult it gets. When Allied bombs rain down on Germany, Max is forced to abandon his theory and confront the horrors of war to save precious lives. But the questions arise: at what cost?

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Book 4: Carnegie's Maid: A Novel Paperback – October 2, 2018

Author: Marie Benedict Category: Biographical Fiction, Biographical Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction

This is a heartbreaking story that shows the stark difference between the lifestyles of the extremely privileged and the very destitute. It portrays a powerful, intellectual woman who efficiently deals with all of her life's obstacles. It covers Clara Kelle's adventures as she arrives in the United States and winds up working as a lady's maid. Claray is not who most people think she is. She isn't the experienced Irish maid hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's most affluent mansions. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and no money. But the woman with her name has vanished, and using her identity may only bring Clara some money to send home. Clara must rely on steel-like resolution and an unusual grasp of business, qualities that rapidly earn Carnegie's trust. Even as Andrew becomes more than just an employer, she can't let down her guard. The future of her family may be jeopardized if she uncovers her past. "Carnegie's Maid" is a fantastic nineteenth-century historical fantasy novel that is full of intrigue, complexity, and romance. It investigates the life of one remarkable woman who may have influenced Andrew Carnegie's metamorphosis from a cutthroat tycoon to the world's first genuine philanthropist.

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Book 5: West with Giraffes: A Novel Paperback – February 1, 2021

Author: Lynda Rutledge Category: Computer Network Security, Web Development & Design, Windows Vista Guides

A moving, heartbreaking story is inspired by two giraffes that gains attention and wins the hearts of Americans during the Great Depression. Johnson, Woodrow Nickel, who is 105 years old, senses his life dwindling. He remembers the memorable experience he can't take with him to his grave, but then he finds out that giraffes are becoming extinct. It's 1938. The Great Depression is still ongoing. Hitler is menacing Europe, and jaded Americans are in search of enchantment. Two giraffes unexpectedly escapes a cyclone and are transported to the San Diego Zoo, which at the moment had the world's only female zoo director.

The narrative, based on true events, merges realistic and fictional characters, along with the world's first female zoo manager, a grumpy old geezer with a backstory, a mysterious young female photojournalist, and a slew of scumbags. "West with Giraffes" is a half-journey, half-epic tale, and half-romantic story about being transformed by the compassion of animals, the benevolence of individuals, the circle of life, and a story shared before it is too late. Animal enthusiasts and those interested in American life amid the Great Depression will like this book.

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This article is authored by: Sheuly Ahmed