Find Escape In Books And Take Comfort From History - 2021 Read With Me Recommendations From Award Winning Author Donna Fletcher Crow

    WILMINGTON, NC, January 23, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- 2021 is finally here and we can see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Though caution in the short term is warranted, we now have a vaccine for the Covid virus and the long term outlook is much better. While the economy and the political situation may keep things unsettled for a time, we can have faith that this too shall pass.

Award winning author Donna Fletcher Crow is steadfast in her belief that history will repeat itself and we will come out the other end stronger, wiser and more prepared to face whatever challenges await. In that we will be in "lock-down" mode for a while longer, Crow has offered another short list of books that dovetail in with our current situation and help us understand that we are not the first generation to suffer though plagues and political unrest, nor will we be the last. She recently had this to say:

"I wonder if any year before 2021 has been greeted with such a universal sigh of relief? The feeling that 'We made it!' and 'Things will surely get better now' seem to be everywhere.

"And the experts agree. But not yet. On January 2 'The Economist' warned 'The Tunnel Gets Darker.' New mutations of the virus mean that 'the nights are still growing longer.' In many places hospitalized patients 'have now exceeded the peak' of last April.

"The article concluded: 'There is still light at the end of the tunnel. But the road through it has become a lot more treacherous.' Vaccinations are, indeed, out there. Some, already delivered. But it's going to be a slow process.

"So what do we do to help us hold on until we can throw that mega party or reschedule the international trip we had to cancel last year? My answer to keeping the faith and holding on is two-fold: find escape and solace in books, and take comfort from history.

"Apparently, a lot of people are doing just that. 'The Economist' reported in December that 2020 was on track to be one of the best years for book sales this century. Surprisingly, print books were particularly popular. The surmise is that people want a break from screen time. Print books are somehow more 'real.' Also, backlist books outsold new releases, taking 68% of the market. It seems that in uncertain circumstances, readers prefer time-tested books. I agree. In times of stress, turn to the classics.

"I have found comforting historical perspective in recent reading. Daniel Defoe's 'Journal of the Plague Year' shows vivid similarities in the 1665 London plague to our own situation: the 'impatience of being pent up within doors' a fourteen-day quarantine, the 'silent streets' as people fled from the city, the fear of touching anything contaminated.

"In his book 'Shakespeare', Bill Bryson recounts the frequent plagues in Elizabethan times when all public gatherings—except for churchgoing—were banned. A calamitous situation for the Bard's theatre. The results of previous plagues and pandemics were far more catastrophic than Covid-19, yet civilization always survived—and ultimately flourished.

"Seeing the darkness of times in the past—and learning that humanity has always triumphed was one of the recurring lessons I learned when writing my Arthurian epic 'Glastonbury.' In the midst of war, disease, famine, natural catastrophes, a flicker of light endured, and the Light always triumphed—as it will this time.

"Glastonbury saw it all—armies marched, cultures clashed, kingdoms rose and fell—but through it all Glastonbury remained a place of serenity, prayer and reconciliation. Sweeping through 1500 tumultuous years this is a story of faith passed on from generation to generation, of the triumph of good over evil through the darkest moments of history. As the last of the Glastonbury monks searches back through the pages of recorded history in a valiant quest to find meaning in the struggles those broken arches stood witness to—seeking for the Holy Grail itself—so his odyssey becomes every person's journey for the meaning of life and hope for today."

Donna Fletcher Crow is the author of 50 books, mostly novels of British history. She has taken a number of high-level industry awards for her work. 'Glastonbury' is her best-known book, which received the prestigious First Place, Historical Novel, award from the National Federation of Press Women. Readers and reviewers have raved about 'Glastonbury', calling it "The best of its kind," "richly fascinating," "beautifully researched," "gloriously evocative," and "panoramic." One Amazon reader said, "WHAT a work! Every reader can be enveloped in the sheer scope and quality, every historian be constantly nodding at the precise detail and accuracy, and every Christian can rejoice in the fullness of scripture. For me it is simply beyond descriptive praise. I would urge all who value truth to treat themselves to a feast."

The Monastery Murders Series features atmospheric contemporary crimes with their roots buried deep in the middle ages. Books in the series include 'A Very Private Grave', 'A Darkly Hidden Truth', 'An Unholy Communion', 'A Newly Crimsoned Reliquary', 'An All-Consuming Fire' and the newly-released 'Against All Fierce Hostility.'

The Daughters of Courage, 'Kathryn', 'Elizabeth' and 'Stephanie' is a pioneer family saga based on the stories of Crow's own family and other Idaho pioneers in the Kuna, Nampa and Boise area. A short story on her blog entitled "A Nostalgic Fourth of July" is based on a scene from 'Kathryn: Days of Loss and Hope'.

Where There is Love is a 6-book series of the enduring legacy of love and faith all based on historic people and events. The titles are: 'Where Love Begins', 'Where Love Illumines', 'Where Love Triumphs', 'Where Love Restores', 'Where Love Shines', and 'Where Love Calls'.

The Elizabeth & Richard Mysteries is a literary suspense series using literary figures as background: Rudyard Kipling in 'The Flame Ignites', Dorothy L Sayers in 'The Shadow of Reality', Shakespeare in 'A Midsummer Eve's Nightmare', and Jane Austen in both 'A Jane Austen Encounter' and 'A Most Singular Venture'. Watch for 'A Prodigious Sum of Corpses: Seeking Sanditon at Jane Austen's Seashore', which will take readers to all of Austen's favorite seashore resorts. Accounts of Crow's visits to these sites are available on her blog under the heading "Jane Austen Seashore Tour."

The Lord Danvers Victorian true-crime series is an Amazon bestseller in the British Detectives category. Books in the series include 'A Lethal Spectre', 'A Most Inconvenient Death', 'Grave Matters', 'To Dust You Shall Return' and 'A Tincture of Murder'. Donna provides a no-charge download of 'A Tincture of Murder' for those who sign up for her newsletter. More information is available at her website.

Donna Fletcher Crow's awards include:

Where Love Begins, Best Historical Romance, Pinnacle Awards 2019
A Lethal Spectre, Best Mystery, Pinnacle Awards, 2019
Glastonbury, First Place, Historical Fiction, National Federation of Press Women Award of Merit
The Banks of the Boyne, Silver Angel; First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
The Fields of Bannockburn, First Place Historical Fiction, National Federation Press Women
Professional Achievement Award, Northwest Nazarene College
Juvenile Books Award of Merit, Idaho Press Women
Top Idaho Author
Pacesetter Award, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference
Outstanding Historical Fiction, Idaho Press Women, National Federation of Press Women,
Idaho Writer of the Year
Best Inspirational Novel, Finalist Romance Writers of America
Writer of the Year, Mt. Hermon Writers Conference

Donna is available for media interviews and can be reached by email at [email protected]. All of her books are available at online book retailers. More information, including a no-charge download of 'A Tincture of Murder', is available at her website at https://www.donnafletchercrow.com.

Donna and her husband live in Boise, Idaho. They have 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren living on 3 continents. Donna is a former English literature teacher and lifelong Anglophile. Idahoans with long memories will remember her as a former Queen of the Snake River Stampede, Miss Rodeo Idaho and runner-up for Miss Rodeo America. She is an enthusiastic gardener.

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