The library is full of books waiting to be read like alternate history stories. But how can you know that you will like what you pick out? A good science fiction book will invite the reader into a new world, but sometimes leave them unable to relate. A fantasy trilogy can be packed with quests and adventures in a world worth escaping to. Romance leaves you poignantly feeling the dissatisfaction with your own life. The non-fiction section can be interesting, but formal, predictable and lacking the creative twists and turns that you crave in a story line. Maybe it is time you explore the American historical fiction section.
With the perfect blend of reality and fiction, you will appreciate stories and situations you are familiar with as you see them from a firsthand perspective. Think of what it might have been like to be on the Mayflower with the pilgrims, boating down the Mississippi river, or embarking on new frontier during the gold rush. Wouldn’t it have been amazing to watch Abraham Lincoln give a speech or help a slave escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad? Authors don’t need to create a completely new universe with such a rich history to draw from.
Another fascinating approach many historical fiction writers take is the “what might have been” idea. What if Custer’s last stand wasn’t his last? What if no one had the courage to participate in the Boston Tea Party? What would P.T. Barnum do if he was sent in a time machine? The possibilities are as endless as they are entertaining. Alternate history stories offer a chance to explore the world from a different perspective.
It really comes down to deciding what you are in the mood for. Do you want to read something that leans toward the bizarre and hysterical with just enough reality to keep you rooted on earth? Or are you craving the chance to learn accurate history from a source that is more interesting than your high school text book? Some authors will even include chapter notes or end notes to site their sources and inform you of what is real and what is fiction.
As with any book worth snuggling up with, the characters need to feel real regardless of whether they ever existed or not in the reality we know. You can relate to the struggles, heart break and trials they go through even if it is in a completely different era than you reside in.
American historical fiction books are certainly an ideal opportunity to feel a little closer to history and a little further from your own mundane or frantic daily life. Why wait to escape?