Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast Episode 302 - On the Shelf for December 2024

Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 302 - On the Shelf for December 2024 - Transcript

(Originally aired 2024/12/07 - listen here)

Welcome to On the Shelf for December 2024.

There are so many exciting things finishing up this year and looking forward to next year! We just aired the last fiction episode for 2024, “A Very Long Malaise” by L.J. Lee. If you enjoyed it, definitely check out the guest blog that L.J. sent us, exploring the details and context of a female romantic couple in medieval Korea.

And, of course, next month we’ll be open for submissions for the 2025 fiction series. Submissions month is always a time of anticipation and terror for me. Anticipating what treasures authors will send in, and terror that I won’t receive anything. And yet, you’ve never yet failed me. This year’s stories challenged me in new ways, especially in terms of finding narrators who were right for the specific cultural settings. But I’ve discovered that the social media site Bluesky is an amazing place for making creative connections with people. When I put out the call for a narrator for “A Very Long Malaise” I quickly identified several promising prospects—and the call kept getting passed around well after I’d chosen someone. I’ve found a Bluesky feed for voice talent and next year that’s where I’ll go first when I need to find a specialty narrator. There’s a very vibrant sapphic fiction community on Bluesky and I just created my very first “here are people to follow” list for authors of sapphic and lesbian historical fiction, which is getting a lot of interest. So if you want to flee the-site-formerly-known-as-Twitter and worry that you’ll never find the same community dynamics that it had in its good old days, you definitely might want to check out Bluesky.

Publications on the Blog

The blog has been seeing more action recently than it has in the last few months, thanks to my push to read material in preparation for the January essay on lesbians and the law. I finished writing up Caroline Derry’s Lesbianism and the Criminal Law: Three Centuries of Legal Regulation in England and Wales, which traces the history of how English law kept flirting with the idea of bringing the law to bear on lesbianism, but settled for trying to avoid acknowledging that such a thing existed.

Another article by Caroline Derry, “The ‘legal’ in socio-legal history” took a deep dive into the famous Pirie & Woods vs. Cumming Gordon defamation case and shows how the popular image of the case as being about debating the existence of lesbianism misses a lot of interesting and nuanced details of the legal procedures.

One of the more fascinating medieval court cases is the early 15th century trial of two French women, Jehanne and Laurence, related to their sexual relationship. In Emily Hutchison and Sara McDougall’s article “Pardonable Sodomy: Uncovering Laurence’s Sin and Recovering the Range of the Possible” Laurence’s appeal for pardon is analyzed in the context of royal pardons in general and specifically those involving sexual offenses.

Jonas Roelens looks at a period of unusually pointed interest in prosecuting lesbian-adjacent acts in “Visible Women: Female Sodomy in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Southern Netherlands (1400-1550).”

And finally, the guest blog by L.J. Lee, “Sossang and Danji: 15th century Korean maidservants in love” touches on the contexts in which same-sex relationships in Korean history might be treated as legal offenses.

Every time I get some good momentum on reading for the blog, I promise myself to keep it up more regularly. I don’t know how well I’ll manage this time, but I’ve already made notes on the first three chapters of Stephen Turton’s Before the Word Was Queer: Sexuality and the English Dictionary, 1600-1930, which is a study on how language around queer sexuality has been handled in English dictionaries, and especially how dictionaries can conspire to suppress knowledge of sexual topics even while claiming to promote knowledge.

Recent Lesbian/Sapphic Historical Fiction

No new non-fiction books were acquired this month, so we’ll move directly on to the new and recent fiction releases. I’ve started to track in my database how I hear about new books, whether through social media, via Netgalley, through other listing aggregation sites and publishers’ websites, via direct communication by authors and publishers, or by running keyword searches on Amazon. I’m only keeping track of where I first hear about a book and not how many different places I run across it. Using multiple sources can really help when the cover copy for a book doesn’t clearly indicate that it has sapphic content, or is unclear on whether the book is a historical. This month, about a third of the titles came to my attention through social media—seeing an author post about their forthcoming book and talking about it—and the other two-thirds were found in Amazon searches. I keep hoping to reduce the percentage of Amazon finds because I know that my keyword searches miss a fair number of books. This month, I stumbled across a new crowdsourced site created by @lavendersbook for 2025 sapphic fiction releases, tagged by genre, representation, and tropes. Like all such resources, it’s only as complete as the information fed into it. In the historic field, it had half a dozen 2025 books I hadn’t heard of yet (or which I hadn’t known were sapphic), and I contributed another half dozen that I’d found but that it didn’t include yet. I’ll put a link in the show notes so you can check it out.

I came up with a couple of October titles that I’d missed the first time around.

The Lady and the Maid by Paul Jackson presents a Victorian enemies-to-lovers adventure, with a non-explicit love story.

Lady Charlotte Worthington and Eliza, a housemaid, harbour an instantaneous dislike for one another. Yet fate deals them the same unjust hand, forcing them to flee Worthington Manor together. On the road, their initial animosity gradually dissipates and suppressed feelings drift to the surface, but Charlotte puts a cap on the simmering emotions. Finding unlikely travelling companions, they arrive in Birmingham where their idyllic life crumbles as hardship and desperation force them down a dark path. Can their newfound love survive the brutal realities of the city, or will their shared journey end in despair?

The Potent Solution by Ashley Nova from Spectrum Books is a historic fantasy set in England’s Georgian era. I think I missed this originally because the cover copy gives no clue to sapphic content.

Charlotte Price is a mess; perpetually tardy, chronically unfocused, and indecisive to a fault.

She'd hoped that apprenticing for London's only master alchemist and private detective would help solve her problems, but her first investigation will test her limits in ways she never imagined. On the trail of a dangerous magical drug, Charlotte's mentor vanishes without a trace, Lost, overwhelmed, and inexperienced, she must use everything she's learned, and improvise the things she hasn't, as she takes on magically empowered assassins, gate-crashes a society ball, and uncovers a conspiracy that goes right to the heart of government.

Yet Charlotte's biggest challenge is her own errant attention span, which threatens to stop the investigation in its tracks. To find her mentor and prevent disaster, she must overcome her fear of failure, trust her instincts, and learn that she has everything she needs to thrive.

I have four November books that didn’t make last month’s show.

The Long Winter of MiĂ°garĂ°r by Edale Lane is part of her mythic Tales from Norvegr series.

Three disparate women; one common goal: survive.

Jorunn holds fast to duty and honor. The stalwart shieldmaiden is admired for her skill and courage in a harsh landscape beset by dangers and enemies. Would she sacrifice it all for the love of a beautiful, mysterious woman?

Madlen, a revered holy sister of the EldrĂ­ss Hringr, bears a sacred mission to guard MiĂ°garĂ°r from Surtr and the monstrous fire giants of Muspelheim on an island dominated by a volcanic passage between the realms. While inexplicably drawn to Jorunn, her obligation to the sisters and their tasks must remain her priority.

This next book is a classic “romance of the archives” story, with the modern framing story of academic historians holding the stage as much as the historic love story they stumble across. The book is: Female Sharpshooter in the Civil War by Kenneth Alder and I’m going to condense the very long cover copy quite a bit.

A present-day lesbian couple inherits a group of letters written by two young lesbian lovers during the Civil War Era. Rachel (Ray) serves as a sharpshooter in the Union army, disguised as a man and exchanges letters with her lover Mary, who is trying to survive in an abusive home.

The heart of the story is two small groups of letters. Those from Rachel’s parents describe the political and economic factors that led to the Civil War. The remaining bulk of the letter collection is between Mary and Rachel, reflecting the turmoil of war and the confusion of civilian life

Victory, Virus, Votes: 1917-1920 (Deborah and Miriam's Boston Marriage #4) by Ellen M. Levy from Halo Publishing International is the latest installment in a series following a Jewish lesbian couple across the early 20th century. The earlier books in the series seem to have been published quite some time ago and only recently reissued, but this one appears to be new.

The end of World War I sees an upheaval in American society—the Great Migration of Black Americans, the devastation of the Spanish Flu, and women’s struggle for the vote. Victory, Virus, and Votes: 1917–1920 brings history to life through the lens of two young Jewish lovers fighting to find their place in a turbulent world. The continuing saga of Deborah Levine and Miriam Cohen explores key historical occurrences such as the suffragists’ Night of Terror, the Great Molasses Flood, and the Women’s Land Army.

Beyond the Boundaries of Time by Hazel Bennett is yet another “romance of the archives” intertwining the stories of a contemporary couple and the historic figures whose correspondence they are exploring.

Set against the backdrop of World War II and present-day, the narrative follows Isa Fletcher, an English nurse, and Sofia Delgado, a Spanish poet, whose deep bond flourishes in a time of turmoil. As they navigate the challenges of war, their letters become a lifeline, each word filled with hope and longing.

In the present, Valeria Torres, an environmental artist, and Emma Landry, a writer and historian, stumble upon the letters written by Isa to Sofia. Drawn into the echoes of the past, they embark on a journey to uncover the truth behind Isa and Sofia’s love, reflecting on their own relationship along the way. Their exploration leads them to a small Spanish church where Isa left her final letter, a testament to her enduring love that transcends time.

As Valeria and Emma delve deeper into the intertwined stories, they confront their own fears and insecurities. Inspired by the unwavering love of the wartime lovers, they realize they have the power to rewrite their own narrative, choosing a path that celebrates connection and courage.

I have five December books, but I expect more will turn up in the course of the month.

The Case of the Missing Maid (Harriet Morrow Investigates #1) by Rob Osler from Kensington appears to be the start of a new historic detective series.

Chicago, 1898. Rough-around-the-edges Harriet Morrow has long been drawn to the idea of whizzing around the city on her bicycle as a professional detective, solving crimes for a living without having to take a husband. Just twenty-one with a younger brother to support, she seizes the chance when the prestigious Prescott Agency hires her as its first woman operative. The move sparks controversy—with skeptical male colleagues, a high-strung office secretary, and her boss, Mr. Theodore Prescott, all waiting for her to unravel under the pressure.

Only an hour into the job, Harriet has an assignment: Discover the whereabouts of a missing maid from one of the most extravagant mansions on Prairie Avenue. Owner Pearl Bartlett has a reputation for sending operatives on wild goose chases around her grand estate, but Harriet believes the stunningly beautiful Agnes Wozniak has indeed vanished under mysterious circumstances—possibly a victim of kidnapping, possibly a victim of something worse.

With Mr. Prescott pushing a hard deadline, Harriet’s burgeoning career depends on working through a labyrinth of eccentric characters and murky motives in a race to discover who made Agnes disappear. When her search leads to Chicago’s Polish community and a new friendship in Agnes’s charming older sister, Barbara, clues scattered across the city slowly reveal just how much depends on Harriet’s inexperienced investigation for answers . . . and the deep danger that awaits once she learns the truth.

A different sort of cross-time story is told in Speak EZ by Elle E. Ire from Bywater Books. In addition to the contemporary characters and the long-hidden mystery they investigate, we have a ghost dog—and not only the dog.

On New Year’s Eve, in 1923, someone walked into Michelle “Mickey” McFadden’s queer speakeasy hidden beneath the Big City Little Theater and shot her and her dog, EZ, dead. Or . . . sort of, mostly, kind of dead, maybe? Because instead of crossing over, they become trapped within the bar’s cinderblock walls. And though EZ eventually manages to wriggle his way free, Mickey remains, her spirit frozen in time.

In 2022, employees of the Big City Little Theater begin encountering a stray dog sneaking in and around the premises. When Ciara, the theater’s bookkeeper, saves the dog from being hit by a truck, she begins to suspect there’s something odd about the mysterious canine and makes it her mission to catch him and either return him to his owners or keep him as her own.

That is until Ciara and her friends happen upon the sealed-up speakeasy in the theater’s subbasement —and find the dog inside. But how did he get in there when the door was locked? And why are there bullet holes in the otherwise beautifully preserved bar? Their discovery launches them on the investigation of a lifetime, complete with an ancient murder to solve, strange occurrences to explain, and a missing person to find.

When Mickey’s spirit, which has been trapped in the mysterious in-between for the past hundred years, begins to find her way out, she and Ciara finally come face-to-face. And it’s more than the speakeasy’s old wiring that makes sparks fly. Ciara’s falling hard for Mickey and Mickey for her. Can they solve the murder and figure out how EZ returned to the world of the living before the clock strikes midnight on the next New Year’s Eve?

Because if they don’t, they’re pretty certain Mickey’s time will finally be up—this time for good.

Ghostly characters also feature in Clara, Darling by Chace Verity, which raises interesting questions about what constitutes “ever after” in “happily ever after.”

It was Sadie Reynolds’s dream to leave her small town behind and drink in the exciting life that New York City offered with her best friend at her side. Now it’s 1932, Sadie’s rich and has a career in radio, and she’s miserable. She’s married to a cheating comedian, the wealthy elite of Fifth Avenue think she’s a gold digger, and Clara Prescott has been dead for nine years.

As Christmas draws near, Sadie prepares for another year of pretending to be someone she’s not. Her plans get interrupted, however, when Clara returns as a ghost.

Since Clara was brave enough to come back, Sadie realizes she can also be brave enough to do what she needs in order to start truly living again—this time, with Clara.

Encrypted Hearts (A Women in War Historical Romance #3) by E.V. Bancroft from Butterworth Books features the famous World War II codebreakers.

Cam Langley, a sharp-witted codebreaker at Bletchley Park, dresses like a man and makes no secret of who she is. Gloria Edwards, eager to escape her domineering father, joins the war effort and is quickly drawn into Cam's orbit.

Cam feels an immediate attraction, while Gloria is caught off guard, having only ever been with men. As they work closely together, their connection deepens, but a spy within Bletchley threatens to destroy everything.

Can they survive the chaos of war, or will secrets tear them apart?

 Unbroken by Kim Pritekel from Sapphire Books Publishing has a very cinematic description.

In 1945, thirty-three-year-old Jessie Lowrey is summoned back to Greyson Manor. The huge mansion served as the backdrop of her childhood, as her father worked on the extensive grounds and her mother served as personal maid to Mrs. McGovern, the estate’s matriarch, who is now dying of cancer and wants to make amends.

The visit stirs nostalgia in Jessie, a journey of memory taking her back in time to 1918, when her family first arrives at the estate to work in service to the family. As the two are close in age, Jessie is assigned to be essentially a living toy for the McGovern daughter, Heaven. The girls quickly grow inseparable, exploring everything from the expansive grounds, to the endless corridors and rooms, which still echo with girlish giggles
to each other.

When heartache strikes, along with the stock market crash of 1929, the two young women are torn apart by deeply buried secrets, which Jessie will have to face and unbury, piece by piece, to find her way home.

Will Heaven be waiting for her?

What Am I Reading?

So what have I been reading in the last month?

It wasn’t quite all audiobooks this month, but it was mostly audiobooks. I listened to Emma R. Alban’s queer historic romance You’re the Problem, It’s You which is a direct follow-on sequel to Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend, but this time with the focal couple being male. It has the same positives and negatives as the first book. The characters are interesting, the plot—though somewhat predictable—carries through. But as with the first book, the characters think, act, and feel like modern teenagers and the historic setting is overall weakly built.

Nghi Vo has another addition to her Singing Hills cycle of novellas with Brides of High Hill. This time the tale of story-collector Chih picks up gothic horror elements that grow slowly as all the initial premises unravel.

I loved Rose Sutherland’s A Sweet Sting of Salt, set in a fishing village. The characters aren’t aware of what genre they’re living in, so it takes the entire book for the protagonist to learn the secret that the reader finds obvious: that the woman she loves is a selkie. There are some tense moments of peril, and I’ll note a content warning for animal death, but the romantic couple has a happy ending. The writing is gorgeous and the details of the setting feel solid and true.

I did manage one story in print—the short story “Harvest Season” by Annick Trent, part of her 18th century “Old Bridge Inn” cycle. This is a lovely sweet romance overlaid on some light adventure around weaver labor activists. Great writing and a solid historic grounding to the characters. It’s a quick read—I finished it in a single sitting while riding the train to San Francisco to meet some friends.

I have high hopes of returning to more print reading once I’m not staring at a screen all day for work. Only 150 days to retirement!

Show Notes

Your monthly roundup of history, news, and the field of sapphic historical fiction.

In this episode we talk about:

Links to the Lesbian Historic Motif Project Online

Links to Heather Online

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