Readingthepast

Over a century since it sank in the icy North Atlantic in the early hours of April 15, 1912, readers remain fascinated by the Titanic, seeking out novels that sweep them into a story of opulence, desperate human drama, and the hubris that declared the ship “unsinkable.”

Alas, I’ve never been one of them. I understand the reasoning behind the obsession, but the i...

One expects some level of eccentricity from the ultra-wealthy, yet Marjorie Lennox’s family sits in a class by itself. In 1927, at their mansion in the Detroit suburbs, they rest secure in their fortune made from automotive windshields, but their luxurious life doesn’t bring contentment.

Charlotte (Chet), preoccupied by death, secretly pens newspaper obituaries under t...

Through their novels, authors can unearth obscure figures from the past and draw the public eye toward their interesting lives. They can also reveal the little-known backstories of the wildly famous and wildly rich.

In Run, Darling, Karen Essex illustrates the complicated family and romantic histories of the Gabors and the astonishing trials they endured before a...