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The rights/wrongs of History
 Posted by Kate Parker Sep 13 2011, 12:12 am in historical romance, research I’m a history bug. If it’s old, I’m curious about it. And so the title of this blog is a misnomer, but I didn’t have four lines to work out a correct title. What I really want to ask our readers is: what are the rights and wrongs of historical romance? I don’t mean the sort of wrong that has my Viking hero arriving by helicopter to save the heroine, although that might be fun. I’m talking about the sort of history that can’t be made romantic because of what happened then, and how we look at that era today. I’ve never seen a romance set in the south between the 1890s and the 1950s. In the 1890s, former slaves who had gained the right to vote and hold elective office had all their rights taken away in the course of a few years. Our local state representative, who was black, was a sitting member of the body that in 1898 took away his right to be a member of the assembly as well as his right to vote. He went on to be a productive member of society for many years afterward. He didn’t blow up the capitol and his former colleagues, as much as he might have wanted to. A heroic figure who could be the basis of many of our romance characters, by finding a way forward when other routes were blocked. Heroic yes, but this part of history hasn’t been touched in romance novels. The brides of centuries past were much younger than we portray them in our novels, due to life expectancies and political and economic realities. The idea of a historical romance novel featuring a fifteen year old heroine would bring out the worst of the anti-romance novel brigade while a more literary historical novel could portray a married fifteen year old girl and not raise an eyebrow. Authors have changed their heroines’ ages to match contemporary expectations, and in a way lose the innocence and passion of these girls. Instead, historical heroines become uniformly jaded and headstrong as the authors find ways to keep them unmarried long past the date they should have wed or married to brutes for their first husbands. And then there’s the Nazis. They left a terrible scar on history, but if you’ve seen the movie Schindler’s List, you’ve seen a way to make a man mixed up with this terrible group a romantic, heroic figure. Freedom fighters are romantic figures bucking the social order or invading armies to liberate their homeland from oppression. But what if these freedom fighters are called insurgents or criminals by our social order, such as the Mexican revolutionaries fighting along the US border in the early years of the twentieth century or the Russian revolutionaries who eventually overthrew the Czar and founded the first Communist country? Every revolutionary is a criminal to someone, as 1776 clearly tells us. And if we look at risky periods in the past, we have to remember the religious wars. There’s a lot of history that could be painted as romantic or bleak, depending on your point of view. The Crusades, the Inquisition, the Huguenots, the Pilgrims, all could be background for wonderful romances or horror stories. What is your take on this? Can we look past the racial, morals, religious and political divides to find romance in all times and places in history, and can we bring this to contemporary readers, along with the historical background that would have shaped those romances? With today’s e-pubs and indie publication, do we have the latitude to write stories about unpopular characters and times? How daring do we want to be? Or are there parts of history too painful to dig into for romantic fiction? Do we follow the advice to never discuss religion or politics in our stories so we don’t offend anyone? Where do we as authors draw the line? Share:
              
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I don’t think any period of history is off limits in romance. Why? Because, although the history plays a roll, these are stories about a man and a woman finding lasting love, and that happened regardless of era, politics, or anything else. As long as we, as authors, remember that we are telling a love story and not opining about historical events, thus keeping the history in cotext, it should be okay.
That said, at an LIRW luncheon, when Bertrice Small heard I was writing a book set during the War of the Roses, she wasted no time telling me she thought Richard III had been falsely maligned by Shakespeare and history. Some buttons are very touchy. *G*
Wow, Gwyn, I never would have guessed the War of the Roses could inspire passionate historical debate today. Perhaps there are no safe eras, and you’re right about focusing on one man and one woman and building their story against whatever the historical context is. Looking forward to reading your tale from those times.
LOL…it’s true, Shakespeare did have a political motive to malign Richard III to help legitimate the Tudor reign (i.e., somebody just HAD to kill that awful monster Richard, so it wasn’t a “bad” regicide).
But I can’t imagine getting too riled up about it in 2011.
Just got back from the doc, and am so pleased by some of the thoughtful and thought provokiing responses.
You’d be surprised, Elisa, how avidly the War of the Roses is still discussed and dissected. Bertrice wasn’t the only one to corner me on the history (and demand to know where I stood on it. I made like Switzerland! *G*), and there is an entire, active society dedicated to Richard’s cause. (I have a whole folder on their arguments because my one heroine stands for York while my hero is Henry’s man.) It’s really rather interesting—although Laurie made me take out the argument where my hero and heroine debated the issue. It was she who reminded me the story needed to focus on the romance, not the politics.
Gwyn, I’d loved to have watched you play Switzerland. Still, to have your hero and heroine on opposite sides of a civil war, even one that is still hotly debated, put their love and their lives at risk. Exciting stuff.
Great post, Kate!!
I definitely remember some romances from the 80s set in the antebellum South, and how the hero and heroine both somehow managed to be anti-slavery (though the heroine might be a plantation-owner’s daughter),,,,,I felt incredibly uncomfortable reading the books anyway, since it just felt wrong to be enjoying the lightness of romance against a backdrop of horrific human suffering (however much the books might try to soft-pedal it).
But you’re absolutely right that the intensity of so many periods of history beyond just Medieval / Regency SHOULD lend themselves well to romance–there’s nothing like passionate, imperiled people falling in love!!
That’s part of what I love about Joanna Bourne’s books set during the upheavals of the French Revolution and Terror…. (and it does make me wonder why the rather tame Regency is so popular).
Most romances are fantasy or at least have fantastical elements. And by that, I don’t mean, unicorns and Druids, I mean that most of us are not in relationships with supermodel, my-abs-are-cut-from steel dudes. Maybe (prepare for the hypothesis) the tamer time periods (like Regency) lend themselves more easily to the fantasy. I dunno…it’s still early and I’m only on my second cup of coffee.
There is something very graceful and fantastic about the regency period. And those wonderful clothes! And Mr. Darcy. sigh. You’re right, Kelley. That’s a beautiful fantasy.
Definitely true, Kelley!! I’m actually a huge Regency fan myself. Love the clothes, the music, the manners, the demand for emotional restraint that intensifies private longings….(yum).
And of course if you want some drama, throw in a little Waterloo or political scandal (all those naughty royal Dukes) and you can have all the intensity you want.
I agree, Elisa, there’s nothing like passionate, imperiled people falling in love. You’d think that would make historical stories set in the south more popular, but the ick factor you mentioned is strong. Perhaps impossible to overcome.
Thinking of other authors who’ve built well on moments of great historical upheaval: Diana Gabaldon and the Outlander books!!!
Oh, and THE BRONZE HORSEMAN…set during the Seige of Leningrad, which is about as unromantic as it gets (people slowly starving and freezing to death, plus some cannibalism thrown in) but it’s one of the most passionate romances I’ve read in a long while.
Seriously, ignore the cannibalism. Check this book out!!
Thanks for the suggestion, Elisa.
Speaking of Russian stories — don’t forget Dr. Zhivago. A great love story set during the Russian Revolution. Not a happy time, but one of those enduring stories of love.
The realities you’ve listed are a lot of the reasons I’m NOT a true history buff, Kate. I enjoy historical romances, however, because they’re NOT real. I would really love to read some historical romances set in the recent past. There’s so much natural conflict between men and women in that era, it amazes me that the genre has excluded the time period between 1900 and 1980. I mean seriously, who wouldn’t enjoy a Blast from the Past romance set in the 60′s or 70′s. It’s all the rage on TV this fall.
There were terrific conflicts during the first half of the twentieth century, including 2 world wars, empries crumbling, and women getting the right to vote in many countries. Lots of conflict to keep lovers apart. I hadn’t thought about the 60s and 70s, but then, they don’t feel historical to me. They certainly are popular on TV, so they must be historical to a lot of the audience.
I recently had a published historical author tell me that the reason we can never again have American-set historicals is because you can’t tell an American story without dealing with the US treated African and Native Americans. So the western romance is forever dead, and don’t even think about writing something southern or Civil War.
She seemed to think that anything the British did during the Regency (or medieval times) was OK with her from a political correctness standpoint. She didn’t seem to have any problems with the fact that British law treated women like second class citizens during those time periods. Honestly women were chattal, treated not that much differently than the Taliban treats women in the 21st Century. But we have Regency Romances and Medieval Romances.
So I don’t think any era is off limits if you have gripping characters, the sweep of history, and a good love story. Getting “different” time periods published might be hard, but that doesn’t mean writers should write about those period. We shouldn’t get into the business of saying that Holocaust is automatically off limits. If we did that, then Leon Uris’s great book Mila 18, about the resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto would never have been written. And that book had one of the most moving love stories I’ve ever read. It didn’t have a happy ending, but it’s a book that told a story worth telling so people would not forget the bravery of those oppressed people.
Hope, I agree 100%. The challenges of a resistence movement, lovers who struggle to survive in war time, who fight against history to be together—there’s all kinds of interesting, gritty, emotional possibilities—in American and European histories. Personally, I’m not a stickler for historical accuracy, as long as there aren’t anachronisms beating me senseless on every page, I’m happy with a good story. Maybe it’s me, but as I mentioned above, ain’t nothin’ wrong with a bit of fantasy in romance.
Those characters seem even more heroic when set against a backdrop of history that was less than enlightened. It’s hard to be honorable and loving when the world around you is unfair and dangerous. That the characters in romances are makes them both slightly fantasy and very uplifting.
Yes, agreed. 100%.
There must have been love stories in the west and the south and during the civil war, even under oppressive conditions. We can hope writers will find a way to keep writing about those time periods so readers can keep reading about them and that published historical author is wrong.
And I’m with you. Being treated like chattal doesn’t sound romantic, but readers must overlook this because they love those eras. Perhaps it’s all in the expectations.
Fantastic post, Kate!
I’m actually quasi-working (aka, brainstorming, but haven’t started writing) on a YA set in 1890s Washington, DC. You’re right. We see 1890s-set American historicals in NYC or Newport High Society, but never in the South.
There was a thriving middle class black community in DC then and in the early twentieth century, much different than the collective image of DC as all monuments and Congress. And by the 1890s, they would have drained the swamp that was Constitution Avenue. I’m looking forward to reading your story, Amanda, and sharing it with Erin. She loved Codename Dancer.
I know American, Western and Native American historicals have been dead for some time. I hope the published historical author who Hope knows is wrong, I’m very tired of Regencies and would love to see those genres come back. I’d be happy to read Medievals again as well. It does drive me bonkers though, to manipulate why a perfectly acceptable marriageable woman is NOT married by the time she’s 20. Heck, life expectancy was only 40s, so she’s not going to have time to raise a family if she waits so long. But I know with the pedophiles, etc, these days and 14 and 15 year olds still considered children now (and they are actually, when back then they weren’t) that you just can’t get away with being historically accurate. And that’s what drives me bonkers. All the political correctness has changed our history–yeah, there are some uncomfortable, bad stuff that has happened in all ages, but you don’t learn anything from the past if it’s been toned down to fit our expectations of today.
Diana, why is it that historical fiction can be accurate about the age females married without going on about it, but historical romance must tie itself up in knots making the heroine abnormally old? Do you think it’s possible to write a historical romance and never mention the heroine’s age, so that age is only in the mind of the reader?
oh. Now that would be a challenge for sure.
odd romance writers have to be careful what we say about women but jacque penni doesn’t.
18th century America is one of my favorite historical periods. I have this great book by Julia Cherry Spruill–and her book reports that age at first marriage was often in the later teens. I have two historicals in progress–and both have 17-year-old heroines. The second has an indentured servant girl–so they really couldn’t get married until the indenture ended at 18 or later.
Kate, thank you. This is such an interesting topic. I’m looking forward to following the threads of discussion. Kelley
Glad you’re enjoying our discussion, and adding to it. Welcome!
I gave up on hsitoricals for a long while because portrayals were not consistent with what I knew to be fact (yes. In some case cause I lived it) A year or so ago a friend gave up on her civil war story because of being bashed for several things one being the young age of the heroine. She was told several times that couldn’t be. Couldn’t be to who? Funny thing – she is taking the facts directly from a family journal that has been authenticated by two universities. Gratefully I think we are about to see a swing to more authentic H&H and settings. I’m seeing ancient Rome and Egypt books being sold and agents asking for different settings like Africa and SE Asia. Remember when settings outside the US were a no-no? I’m researching the women spies of WWII. What Nancy Wake did in France is amazing.
I’m looking forward to reading books that show us the good and bad of history and highlight our successes.
Ouch. I’m sorry for your friend, Rita. That story, taken from a family journal, would have been amazing. Tell her to finish it.
And if you like French WWII love stories, have you seen Charlotte Grey? Heartbreaking and ultimately successful, but it took the end of the war to come to completion.
I’m looking forward to an expansion of time periods too.
I love reading historicals, but I’m glad I don’t write them. The tug-o-war between historical accuracy and contemporary mores is not something I would want to tackle.
But I will say the fastest way for a historical romance author to lose me as a reader is if I feel like they are trying to preach at me or educate me about a time rather than entertain me with a romance that could only be told in that moment in history.
VERY interesting post, Kate. Thank you for getting my brain churning on this topic today.
A romance that could be told only in that moment in history. I may frame those words and put them over my computer, Vivi. They explain the pull of romance stories told in difficult, hard to sell time periods. They’re somehow more fragile and brittle and leave us holding our breath.
You know it’s not always easy to write contemporaries set in certain locales. For instance, my current contemporary WIP is set in the South, but it deals with a young woman revisiting her father’s youth and several events that took place in 1968. I’m finding this book very hard to write without pulling my punches.
But this thread has convinced me that we ought not to self-censor. Let our editors do that for us and we can work diligently at trying to convey that kernel of truth that needs to lie at the heart of every work of fiction.
Political correctness is our enemy, regardless of whether we’re writing contemporary-set stories or historicals.
I hadn’t thought of that before, Hope. The present is shaped by the past, particularly characters who are looking into their own past or their family history. Glad you mentioned that.
Me, too, Vivi! I love reading historicals, but cannot imagine trying to balance fact and fantasy. So I’ll just remain thankful that there are a lot of talented authors who can do just that!
Thanks for stopping by, Tina. Historical reading, non-fiction, romance, or fiction, is my favorite, and I’m glad for every author out there. Makes for a lot of good choices.
Historicals were my first love and will always hold a special place in my heart. I read them all the time. True, bad things happened. Atrocious things happened. But people still fell in love.
It is a tough subject though. I think of Atonement and how in the end we find out the truth and it is so heartbreaking.
Wonderful post, Kate!
Thanks for coming by today, Darynda.
Ah, Atonement. Yes.
Great post, Kate! Marriageable age throughout history (or today, geographically) is a topic that absolutely fascinates me. You’re right, there have been some eras in history when lives were short – the human lifespan has nearly doubled within the last 150 years! – and life had to be lived at what would, today, seem like a very accellerated pace, where my 17 year old niece would be married and have children instead of being told she can’t see Rated R movies. Even thinking back 30 years, no way would I have felt ready to give birth and raise a family at age 18, much less 15.
There are times when I’m reading historicals when I can’t help but think, “Nothing says sexytime like rotted teeth and no dental hygiene!” (Can you imagine the heinous breath? WHo would want to kiss?) One of the things I found so refreshing about Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” was its historical accuracy in this sense, when Claire used her later-era knowledge to help Jamie and their family and acquaintenances avoid tooth decay.
Yes! I remember how Claire has to wear a wedding dress borrowed from somebody else, and the smell of the former occupant’s sweat still clings to it. Yuck! But so vivid!!
We all have our weak spots. If I imagine the hero and heroine with rotten teeth and bad breath, I can’t read the story. My stomach heaves. I’m gagging. But a sixteen year old married heroine in medieval times? No problem. Amazing what individual quirks we have.
This is a great topic, Kate. I’m not sure where I stand…probably somewhere in Switzerland. LOL. I like to feel swept away by historical romance, but I do realize that it had real, ugly problems that aren’t too attractive to write about. Like teeth, deodorant, death and discrimination,etc.
And if you think about it there are plenty of uncomfortable things we avoid in modern times from racism to hygiene…especially after sex. I mean, really? You’re gonna lie there and bask in the glow of lovemaking until you fall asleep? Um, sex is messy and I’ve never done that. Okay, TMI.
Interesting topic, Kate
LOL, Liz. I guess the best policy is to stay in Switzerland where we can be swept away by the love story while dodging the bullets of reality. Thanks for stopping by.