I was focused on social history this year and I need to do more. I'm adding What Would Mrs. Astor Do?: The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age to my list. I also appreciate getting recommendations from others so I'll have to check back here in the comments to see if more readers have suggestions.
The books I chose last year tended towards the political -- Indian Givers by Jack Weatherford, The Address Book by Deirdre Mask, and Ten Drugs by Thomas Hager. But Someday All This Will Be Yours: A History of Inheritance and Old Age by Hendrik Hartog showed me that caring for the elderly is not a modern problem. Of particular interest to me was how daughters who passed on marriage to care for their parents were treated after the parents died. While the book was based on court cases in a single area and could be skewed, it is a topic I'll look at when doing genealogical research -- who took care of the elderly and did they benefit from doing so.
Ohh those sound interesting - especially the Hartog book! And the link to “spinster caretakers” could be super beneficial - I have several in my lines, as well. Thanks for the recommendations! And happy reading and researching 🔎
Thanks, @Nicole, I’ll add them to my TBR list to look at if VA ever comes up! I have a 1930s MN history book that I got at a library sale years ago and it has helped me out with research numerous times 👍🏻
What an interesting list. I had never heard of the White Gloves book. Do you ever read historical fiction while you are doing research? I recently discovered how reading Sinclair Lewis and Willa Cather informed my own understanding of a period in American history I was researching and writing about.
The White Gloves book is one I have read a few times and learned something new each time. I do read nonfiction, but I haven’t intentionally picked a title in a time period or around a topic I’m researching NF, or writing fiction for that matter. I think I’m afraid of creep and that my subconscious will slip someone else’s words into my writing 😉 That said. I often take notes when reading and those notes have been used to spark ideas, brainstorm or even inform my writing. Great question! And I do love Willa Cather, too!
I was focused on social history this year and I need to do more. I'm adding What Would Mrs. Astor Do?: The Essential Guide to the Manners and Mores of the Gilded Age to my list. I also appreciate getting recommendations from others so I'll have to check back here in the comments to see if more readers have suggestions.
The books I chose last year tended towards the political -- Indian Givers by Jack Weatherford, The Address Book by Deirdre Mask, and Ten Drugs by Thomas Hager. But Someday All This Will Be Yours: A History of Inheritance and Old Age by Hendrik Hartog showed me that caring for the elderly is not a modern problem. Of particular interest to me was how daughters who passed on marriage to care for their parents were treated after the parents died. While the book was based on court cases in a single area and could be skewed, it is a topic I'll look at when doing genealogical research -- who took care of the elderly and did they benefit from doing so.
Ohh those sound interesting - especially the Hartog book! And the link to “spinster caretakers” could be super beneficial - I have several in my lines, as well. Thanks for the recommendations! And happy reading and researching 🔎
Thanks for the book recommendations!
This year I’ve read a couple books focused on the history of Virginia, where a large portion of my family is from:
The Settlement of the Greater Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia by Fred Ziegler
Sisson's Kingdom: Floyd County's Civil War by Rand Dotson
Thanks, @Nicole, I’ll add them to my TBR list to look at if VA ever comes up! I have a 1930s MN history book that I got at a library sale years ago and it has helped me out with research numerous times 👍🏻
I really appreciated your list of the books behind your writing and research. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Anne! I love learning as much as possible about the topics I write about, and these books helped me understand so much.
What an interesting list. I had never heard of the White Gloves book. Do you ever read historical fiction while you are doing research? I recently discovered how reading Sinclair Lewis and Willa Cather informed my own understanding of a period in American history I was researching and writing about.
The White Gloves book is one I have read a few times and learned something new each time. I do read nonfiction, but I haven’t intentionally picked a title in a time period or around a topic I’m researching NF, or writing fiction for that matter. I think I’m afraid of creep and that my subconscious will slip someone else’s words into my writing 😉 That said. I often take notes when reading and those notes have been used to spark ideas, brainstorm or even inform my writing. Great question! And I do love Willa Cather, too!