More American Wives

If you tuned in last night you know I liked Curtis Sittenfeld's AMERICAN WIFE, although I thought it lost some steam at the end right when I expected it to take off. If you've read AMERICAN WIFE or like historical fiction prominently featuring strong female characters, might I suggest these picks?

Pre-Revolutionary War: Kathleen Kent, THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER. I was lucky enough to get to review this much buzzed about novel earlier this year, about a woman named Martha Kent accused (and convicted) of being a witch during the Salem Witch Trials. There are many, many books about this era, but this one is narrated by Martha Kent's young daughter, which allowed it to render the real anguish of having your family torn apart -- and being told that it's for your own good.

Antebellum South: Ann Rinaldi, IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE and THE LAST SILK DRESS This is a nostalgia pick, the most vivid of all the Rinaldi books I read when I was younger. Like THE HERETIC'S DAUGHTER, these are both narrated by young women who bear witness to the Civil War, from sacrificing for the Confederate Army to watching the generals of both sides gather for peace talks in your living room.

American abroad: Laurie Graham, GONE WITH THE WINDSORS. The entrance of Wallis Warfield Simpson into British society, which led to the abdication of a king, is barely a footnote in American history, which is why I'm so glad this British author wrote this gossipy novel about her.