Act of Oblivion is a historical novel set in England and New England in the 1660’s. It chronicles the extraordinary events of the time which included a civil war, the execution of King Charles I, the hunt, capture, and execution of the named regicides, the members who had signed the death warrant, international manhunts, the life of Oliver Cromwell, a war with the Dutch, the capture of New Amsterdam and the designation of the English town of New York, conflicts with Puritans on both continents, and the families of the three main real life characters of William Goffe and Edward Whalley, and their fictional pursuer Richard Nayler. All of the story was put together from historical accounts.
The historical account is told in a non-linear fashion and the events of the times are revealed as they impact or reflect on on the main character’s lives, a skillful narration from a master storyteller. The characters are not heroic or larger-than-life, and there are no simple characterizations of good and bad or right and wrong. The story is compelling and stands as one of the best novels by Robert Harris. Highly recommended – 4.8 out of 5.0 stars
A Gentleman in Moscow is a wonderful and creative historical fiction novel by Amor Towles. The story begins in 1922 in Moscow and ends in 1954 in a Russian village. Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to lifelong imprisonment in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, nobles were sentenced to death or to banishment, but he is thought to have contributed a poem to the “cause” and is spared. He moves from his luxurious suite to a small attic room and must reconcile his life to the confines of the hotel. He establishes routines for himself and befriends staff and guests. Outside the hotel the world is changing and as readers we learn about the changes in Russia indirectly through the Count’s eyes and through the words of his guests and visitors. 
