Readers’ Pick – Historical Fiction by Jean Plaidy

One of the many great things about using the public library for reading suggestions is that there is a great breadth and depth to the collection that a typical bookstore can’t match.

Public libraries can connect readers with authors and titles that may be out of print, or more likely, simply fallen off the radar of most readers.

I was thinking of this recently after speaking with a library patron who had received some reading suggestions from a RA at the Keshen Goodman library. The staff member had helped the patron discover some new historical fiction titles.

One of the suggested titles was by author Jean Plaidy, a pseudonym for Eleanor Alice Burford Hibbert, who wrote fiction from 1941 -1993. Although this patron was aware of the author, she had never bothered to try a Plaidy novel. She felt that Jean Plaidy was an author for her mother’s generation.

(btw, Plaidy also wrote under the names of Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr).

Well lo and behold, since reading William’s Wife, this patron has become a fan.

Here are a few of her observations on what appealed to her:
–Plaidy’s historical fiction writing is crisp and concise, free from extraneous sex and violence;
-The story is extremely well executed and characters are very well developed and quite interesting;
-The book is much shorter than the average historical fiction novel.

Here also is a description from NoveList:

“… Jean Plaidy can be credited for educating readers about the British monarchy in her Historical novels, which span the centuries from the Norman Conquest in 1066 through the end of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1901. Plaidy’s popularity lies in her ability to bring well-known historical figures to life without sacrificing historical accuracy. Although her novels don’t have explicit sex, violence, or language, Plaidy doesn’t shy away from the reality of royal families’ tumultuous private lives. While most of Plaidy’s novels occur in series, her books can be read in any order. Start with The Bastard King.”

If you enjoy Jean Plaidy you may also enjoy the following read-a-like suggestions, as provided by NoveList:

Rosalind Miles
Robin Maxwell
Margaret Campbell Barnes