Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear Quiz

Answer: Circa 1450 BC in Ancient Greece

"The King Must Die" is written by Mary Renault. It is told by Theseus as an old man remembering his youth. When he was teenager he set out to find his father. Along the way he encounters battles and obtains lands. He is enslaved on the isle of Crete and makes friends, lovers, and enemies. A subplot about understanding the fate of man is interwoven throughout.

Answer: AD 70 in Judea

"The Dovekeepers" is written by Alice Hoffman and takes place during the first Roman-Jewish War. The story is of four women who work in the dovecotes in the fortress of Masada. Yael is a young woman who had to flee across the desert with her family. Revka is an older woman who is burdened by guilt. Shirah is a woman known as a witch who can make spells and potions. Aziza is a young girl who is trained as a warrior.

Their individual stories tie into the overarching narrative of the siege of Masada.

Answer: 1100s in England

"Pillars of the Earth" was written by Ken Follett and follows Prior Philip's attempts to build a church in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The tale begins with the uniting of two families (Tom and Ellen) after much misfortune, and their move to Kingsbridge to look for work.

There Prior Philip hires Tom and he becomes master builder of a proposed church. Over the years, the cathedral grows as does the political turmoil and intrigue in both the monarchy and the town. It encapsulates church versus state, good versus evil, and man against man.

Answer: 1200s in Mongolia

"The Sky Worshipers" was written by F.M. Deemyad and focuses upon Genghis Khan and his family as they conquer various nations. The story is told through three princesses. Princess Chaka begins the writing and passes it next to a Persian captive. The manuscript is then passed to Princess Krisztina who adds her stories.

A hundred years later, in the 1300s, it is found by the wife of a Persian ruler who vows to use the stories to help others. The book shows both the power and destructiveness of Genghis Khan and his Mongol empire.

Answer: Early 1300s in Italy

"Valperga" is the second book by Mary Shelley after he novel "Frankenstein". "Valperga" is the story of Castruccio, the Prince of Lucca. His main goal in life is power and military dominance. He finds himself having to choose between his female love and the decision to destroy her town named Valperga.

The book highlights difficult choices and the heart rendering penalties that must be paid.

Answer: late 1400s in France

"The Lady and the Unicorn" was written by Tracy Chevalier. It is the story of the mystery behind the famous French tapestry set. A French nobleman, Le Viste, hires a charming artist named Nicolas to design the tapestries in order to celebrate his rise in the French court. Nicolas interacts with many of the household members, especially the female audience.

He takes his ideas to Brussels and the items are woven. The stories, hidden secrets, and relationships are woven into these beautiful tapestries and into the novel itself.

Answer: late 1500s in England

"Hamnet" was written by Maggie O'Farrell and follows the story of Shakespeare, his wife Agnes, and son Hamnet. The story bounces between timelines and shows how William and Agnes met and fell in love and how she persuaded him to go to London to follow his dream of writing.

The family grows and soon the story highlights the bubonic plague and the death of Shakespeare's son. The book highlights family ties, job versus family, loss of a child, and guilt.

Answer: 1600s in New France, North America

"Black Robe" was written by Brian Moore. It follows Father Laforgue, who is a young Jesuit priest sent as a missionary from Europe to the New World. He travels with the Algonkin tribe as they make their way deep into unchartered territory. Along the journey, his assistant Daniel falls in love with the forbidden.

The novel depicts the harshness of the conditions, the hostility between various cultures, and theological musings.

Answer: 1700s in Ghana

"Homegoing" was written by Yaa Gyasi. It is the story of two women with the same mother but remarkably different lives. Effia ends up married to a slave trader and lives freely in a castle. Esi is captured as a child and sold as a slave on the Gold Coast.

The novel delves deep into the horrors of slavery across color lines. "Homegoing" shows the world through the eyes of different people, the voice of different languages, and the effects of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Answer: 1840s in South Carolina, USA

"The Invention of Wings" was written by Sue Monk Kidd. It is the story of Sarah Grimke who is given a slave called Handful for her eleventh birthday. They bond and Sarah begins to delve into the history of slavery and tries to teach slaves to read. Heartbroken over a romantic entanglement, Sarah devotes herself to the abolition movement and women's rights.

The novel is filled with symbols like quilts, wings, buttons, etc. that signify dreams that have failed and those that have come true.