Browsing: Historical Fiction

The verse novel is a condensed blend of poetry and story that flows from one word to the next. It shows the reader how to listen, how to see more sharply, how to emotionally connect. And somewhere in the journey we are changed.

Lara’s Gift is a step back in time to Imperial Russia, before the revolution of 1917. O’Brien captures the realities of the count’s estate, the clothing and lavish interiors, the grand kennels and stables, the lush celebrations, the intricate relationship between nobles and servants—and the longings of a peasant girl trapped by traditions and superstitions.