Book picks similar to
Daughter of the Goddess Lands by Sandra Saidak


historical-fiction
fiction
prehistory
prehistoric

Nefertiti


Michelle Moran - 2007
    Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep's heretical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship. From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband's perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband's rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds--and brave enough to tell the queen--is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister's desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt, while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family. Love, betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict, Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history.

The Color of Secrets


Lindsay Ashford - 2015
    Neither wife nor widow, she lives in a numb state of limbo until, in the heat of an English summer, she meets Bill, a black American GI. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, neither can deny the love that overcomes them in the frantic weeks that follow, when every day could be their last.After Eva discovers she’s pregnant, Bill is shipped off to join the D-day fight, leaving her alone in a bigoted world. As her mixed-race daughter, Louisa, grows up, how far will Eva go to keep her safe and bury the past? And how far will Louisa go to uncover the truth?

The Red and Savage Tongue


F.J. Atkinson - 2013
    Britain's underbelly was exposed.The Dark Ages had begun... Rome had abandoned Britannia, leaving its people undefended. Anglo Saxon warriors, previously employed as mercenaries, now saw themselves as conquerors. The scene was set, as more war bands crossed the North Sea to take British gold, slaves, and land. One Briton, alone in the forest, wanting only to live as a hunter and trapper, was about to have his life changed forever. Dominic would become the hope of abandoned Britons. Dominic the wolf slayer would become the nemesis of any evil that entered his forest realm.

The Girl on the Carpathia : A Novel of the Titanic (with bonus video)


Eileen Enwright Hodgetts - 2021
    A ruthless quest to assign blame. Can one young woman stand her ground in the face of a deadly mob? North Atlantic Ocean, 1912. Kate Royston longs to bury her family’s shame. Struggling to start a new life on board the Carpathia, she’s startled by her own tenacity as she helps rescue the Titanic’s desperate survivors. But when they’re forced to return to New York City, Kate’s wounded sense of self-worth leaves her stranded in the chaotic streets without a passport or papers. Digging deep to find her courage, she negotiates her way to safety and becomes entangled in the high-profile investigation of the shocking disaster. And though she’s dismayed by the witch hunt she observes, she’s terrified that pitting her eyewitness account up against powerful men with a clear agenda will leave her ruined. Can Kate’s humble perspectives stem the tide of public rage? The Girl on the Carpathia is a gripping standalone historical fiction novel inspired by real events. If you like passionate characters, surprising revelations, and endearing romances, then you’ll love Eileen Enwright Hodgett’s seamlessly woven story.

Stalking Jack the Ripper


Kerri Maniscalco - 2016
    But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Keeper of the People


Karah Quinney - 2011
    As a young woman of great power Taikiuu must choose for herself whether to remain with her village or to trust a foreign traveler with her life and the lives of those she loves. Jon’lan, a trader, falls in love with Taikiuu when they are thrust together by forces beyond their control. They are joined by a former captive who will find the courage to dream of freedom and a wild boy, outcast from his first band, who will choose to no longer walk alone. They are relentlessly pursued by vicious warriors with a thirst for power. Jon’lan and Taikiuu unite with Roark, a jaded warrior, and his wife Star Feather who seek a better future for their newborn son along with the two orphaned children in their care. Yaa, a brave little girl with dreams in her eyes, will follow her brother into an unknown future and do the unthinkable by taking up a weapon in defense of her people. Fearing for their lives, they seek to escape those who would pursue them to the end of the world. This is the sweeping saga of a young woman who would defy tradition and follow her heart while seeking a better life for her people. Driven by the promise of freedom, Taikiuu will sacrifice all that she holds dear in an effort to secure the future of her band.

America's First Daughter


Stephanie Dray - 2016
    As Thomas Jefferson’s oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother’s death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father’s troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love—with her father’s protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William’s wife and still be a devoted daughter.Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

A Girl's Ride in Iceland


Ethel Alec-Tweedie - 1889
    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

About the Night


Anat Talshir - 2014
    Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.

The Librarian of Auschwitz


Antonio Iturbe - 2012
    Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. Out of one of the darkest chapters of human history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.

1929


M.L. Gardner - 2009
    With the help of their former, outspoken, Irish maid, Maura, and a new, equally Irish friend, Shannon, the wives become even closer than before.The couples' rocky path leads to more turmoil, however, when a business rival, Victor Drayton, creates one disaster after another. From petty tricks to outright violence, Victor's nefarious mind will stop at nothing to beat down Jonathan's last glimmer of hope.Despite everything, Jonathan and his friends are fixated on surviving.Emotional and financial destruction nip at their heels, until finally, with a lucky twist of fate, they escape city life and begin anew in their hometown of Rockport, Massachusetts.A story set in the past, 1929 is full of romance, drama, and humor. Vivid, expertly crafted characters make this novel more than memorable–1929 is unforgettable.

Amateur Night at the Bubblegum Kittikat


Victoria Fedden - 2013
    Forced to return to her family in South Florida, a place where she never felt she fit in, Victoria moved into her parents' guest room and reluctantly took a job hostessing at The Bubblegum Kittikat, South Florida's "klassiest" gentlemen's club. This hilarious memoir recounts how working in a strip club helped her recover from her breakup while giving her life and herself a much needed makeover. Amateur Night at the Bubblegum Kittikat demonstrates what miracles can happen when you stop judging yourself and others and step far out of your comfort zone (in five inch Lucite heels).

Circles of Stone


Joan Dahr Lambert - 1995
     In this compelling adventure, the stories of three wise women -- each called Zena, yet born thousands of generations apart -- unfold in a compassionate and moving saga that celebrates the remarkable growth of the human spirit. Ranging from the African savanna more than one million years ago to the fertile shores of the Red Sea to the magnificent limestone caves of the Pyrenees mountains -- where the first artists painted the firelit wonders of their existence -- scene after breathtaking scene draws us into their lives as they negotiate a world they do not understand. In this world, an ostrich eggshell becomes a wondrous device for carrying water and the earth's upheavals reveal a lush, lifesaving oasis to a starving tribe. With striking detail, Circles of Stone reinvents the incredible lives of our distant ancestors. As the human heart and soul emerge in a volatile dance of experience, language, and meaning, Circles of Stone becomes an unforgettable, supremely entertaining read.

Beyond the Veil of Tears


Rita Bradshaw - 2014
    Oswald proves to be more sadistic and violent than she could ever have imagined. On learning she is expecting a child, Angeline makes plans to run away and take her chances fending for herself and her baby. But then tragedy takes over . . .

An Heiress of Holocaust: How my family survived the holocaust and the lasting effects on my life


Sarah Segal - 2020