I've noticed that many, many blogs discuss new and recent historical fiction, but relatively few discuss histfic of the past (historical historical?). So I think I will focus on long-lost (or quasi-lost) gems that deserve to be unearthed.
Today's book I wish I'd written is The Duchess's Diary by Robin Chapman. First published in 1980, the only places I can find it new are Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble. Let's let them sum it up, shall we?
"Maria Isabel, Duchess of Caparosso, falls in love with Cervantes, author of Don Quixote, but believes he has misrepresented her character in his work. Consumed by the need to clear her name, her quest for truth and her progress back into the world with hope restored, is a love story that reaffirms the reader's faith in humanity. "
Aside from having too many commas, that summary pretty much nails it. This book is 120 pages long (a refreshing change from some of the doorstoppers that came along later), and every page is lyrically beautiful. Best of all is Maribel's more-than-ambiguous madness...but just because she's mad doesn't mean she's not also right. It's fantastic. And I wish I'd written it.
Here's the copy I found for a buck at a used book exchange many years ago (though it bears a price sticker in British pounds). Tell me it's not weird and spooky yet also oddly alluring - just like the novel itself.
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