• Books
  • Newsletter
  • Bio
  • Events
  • Contact Me

Ginger Ring

~ Small town romance, big time love.

Ginger Ring

Tag Archives: Historic romance

Gangsters, Gatsby, and More: Rewriting History with a Romantic Twist Part 1

28 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by Ginger Ring in My Thoughts

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Historic romance

64d9ab4cd3045c58c3ce54c6394035ab

I am a history buff. That’s right, I’m one of those nerdy people that visit museums, stop at historical landmarks, and visit old cemeteries. I’m not sure when it happened but it’s true. Would I even go so far as to attend reenactments? I haven’t yet, but given the chance I would be sporting a saloon girl outfit complete with whiskey bottle in one hand and a six shooter in the other.

I never enjoyed history in high school. It was boring and flat. The classes were just a series of facts and figures with no spirit at all. When I got into college, I had a professor that brought history to life. I remember him saying, ‘don’t bother remembering dates and years because you can look that up, remember the story of history instead’. That is why I love history. It is a story of times gone past and a tale of how we came to be.

52874aa1c6484f65200098d10582a079

I have always loved historical romance. The first book I remember reading was Ashes in the Wind by Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was hooked from then on and I became intrigued with the Civil War. Kathleen was a pioneer in modern historical romance. I also read every Valerie Sherwood and Shirlee Busbee novel that came out. I would go to bed at night dreaming of sailing the seven seas with a handsome sea captain and fighting pirates. I would be doing all, of course, while wearing a sexy corset, long skirt, and never having a hair out of place.

Were these books historically correct? In some ways they were and in many other instances they were not. There is a great amount of ‘romancing’ history in romance novels. The heroine on the pirate ship is treated like a queen and her every need and want is fulfilled. If you were on a ship back in the 1800’s I doubt that would be the experience. A ship tossed by rough seas with no running water and no indoor plumbing, I don’t think so. Your fellow shipmates, no matter how handsome, would smell pretty ripe by the time you saw shore again. Not to mention the rats, scurvy, and lack a decent food.

76d656373c9eddad9f314dcbc79641ea

Then again, we read to escape the real world. If romancing history gets people to learn, enjoy their free time, and read more I am all for it. It is the same with movies. Have you ever watched a movie and been so inspired to find out more about the real event? I have. I don’t go to many movies as I prefer to watch them at home on DVD but I did go to Titanic. After viewing the movie, I was captivated into discovering more. I even attended the Titanic exhibit when it came to a nearby city. It was so fascinating to see real artifacts that had belonged to the ship’s passengers brought back to the surface and displayed in front of me. They even had a portion of the ship.

It can also be a sobering experience. So many people lost their lives on that tragic voyage so long ago. I remember they had an ice cold wall that we put on hands on to see how long before we would let go. It was the same temperature of the water in which the ship sank. Most passengers of the Titanic didn’t drown, they froze to death.

b84994578b873630af8273c24748e749

Another reason to love history is because it teaches us to never forget. To never forget the good that people have done and never forget the bad that has been done to others. It is for us to celebrate the first and to not tolerate the second. Whether you like your history lessons romanced or not, enjoy your travels through time and always remember to make some history yourself.

In a future blog I will talk about one of my favorite time periods, the 1920’s; a fascinating era of flappers, gangsters, Gatsby, and more.

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012

Categories

  • Cougar Worthy Men
  • Cover Reveal
  • Guests
  • My Thoughts
  • New Release

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Ginger Ring
    • Join 88 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Ginger Ring
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...