100 Quotes About Historical Fiction

How did I get here How did I end up in the arms of a boy I barely knew but knew I didn't want to lose I wondered what I would have thought of Andrius in Lithuania. Would I have liked him Would he have liked me Ruta Sepetys

My love for you won't stop with my leaving. Come an evening over the years, when you step outside your door and hear the wind blowing through the cottonwoods, that'll be me, thinking of you, whispering your name, and loving you. Penelope Williamson

I thought I was going to die. I wanted to die. And I thought if I was going to die I would die with you. Someone like you, young as I am, I saw so many dying near me in the last year. I didn’t feel scared. Icertainly wasn’t brave just now. I thought to myself, We have this villa this grass, we should have laindown together, you in my arms, before we died. I wanted to touch that bone at your neck, collarbone, it’s like a small hard wing under your skin. I wanted to place my fingers against it. I’ve always liked fleshthe colour of rivers and rocks or like the brown eye of a Susan, do you know what that flower is? Haveyou seen them? I am so tired, Kip, I want to sleep. I want to sleep under this tree, put my eye againstyour collarbone I just want to close my eyes without thinking of others, want to find the crook of a treeand climb into it and sleep. What a careful mind! To know which wire to cut. How did you know? Youkept saying I don’t know I don’t know, but you did. Right? Don’t shake, you have to be a still bed forme, let me curl up as if you were a good grandfather I could hug, I love the word ‘curl, ’ such a slowword, you can’t rush it.. Michael Ondaatje

She had wanted more than she could have. She had wanted him, and more... she had wanted him to want her. In the name of something bigger than tradition, bolder than reputation, more important than a silly title. Sarah MacLean

Brick walls towered over her. Decrepit staircases crowded about her. Nothing had changed. The line there, the lessons there, the rape there. Shouldn't the place be crimson with blood and black with shame? Sarah Sundin

I stand now at a crossroads. I see before me the route to virtue, at an intersection with the route to love. Do I step to the left or the right, to the wrong or the right? M foot wavers in the air; where shall I set it down? Lise Arin

The British could leave and half India wouldn't notice us leaving just as they didn't notice us arriving. All our reforms of administration might be reforms on the moon for all it has to do with them.. J.G. Farrell

Low and behold what comes of reading too many romance novels. Kellyn Roth

Whether I like it or not, most of my images of what various historical periods feel, smell, or sound like were acquired well before I set foot in any history class. They came from Margaret Mitchell, from Anya Seton, from M.M. Kaye, and a host of other authors, in their crackly plastic library bindings. Whether historians acknowledge it or not, scholarly history’s illegitimate cousin, the historical novel, plays a profound role in shaping widely held conceptions of historical realities. . Lauren Willig

History is not another name for the past, as many people imply. It is the name for stories about the past. A.J.P. Taylor

You come to understand that history might be, as Thomas Carlyle put it, “a distillation of rumor, ” or, as Napoleon said, “a set of lies generally agreed upon James Alexander Thom

Even the poorest pit houses usually possess a state-sponsored Volkempfanger VE301, a mass-produced radio stamped with an eagle and a swastika, incapable of shortwave, marked only for German frequencies. Radio: it ties a million ears to a single mouth. Out of loudspeakers all around Zollverein, the staccato voice of the Reich grows like some imperturbable tree; its subjects lean toward its branches as if toward the lips of God. Anthony Doerr

As the tension between the Protestants and the Church of Rome intensified, so did the desire for a third way among dissenting groups. Soon a new group emerged, though in some senses it was also an old group–one that felt it could trace its origins all the way back to the New Testament. Known collectively as the Radical Reformation, these persecuted groups often advocated a nonviolent ethic, the separation of church and state, and a desire for both personal and corporate holiness. The ideas of these radicals spread through Europe, and over the years the Amish, Mennonites and Anabaptists, and to a lesser degree the Covenanters and Quakers, emerged or were influenced by this movement. . David Holdsworth

I am not a twenty-two-year-old boy; I am not a besotted fool. If you think to jilt me, think again. For I will not turn tail and run the other way as he did, oh no. I will find you, and I will drag you to the altar on your back if need be, no matter how you might be screaming. No matter how scandalous it might be. Brenda Joyce

You are not by any manner of means the sort of woman I am in search of as a wife, and I am in a totally different universe from the husband you hope to find. But I feel a powerful urge to kiss you, for all that. Mary Balogh

Life's temptations have the purpose of putting our spiritual integrity to the test. To yield to them, however, gives one a precarious and tormented satisfaction. But the worst temptations are those we give in to without getting anything in return except for the brutal discovery of our weakness. Paolo Maurensig

Their eyes locked. They could see into each other's souls. This was why she had been bored. Marion Croslydon

You must regard this deviation from your plan as part of the adventure that you sought when you decided to embark on it in the first place... Absence of certainty is its essence. People...who choose to shun the mundane must not only expect, but also enjoy and profit from surprises. Adam Yamey

The typewriter is indeed my passport into a world otherwise barred to me and my kind. Suzanne Rindell

I was fifteen when I first met Sherlock Holmes, fifteen years old with my nose in a book as I walked the Sussex Downs, and nearly stepped on him. In my defense I must say it was an engrossing book, and it was very rare to come across another person in that particular part of the world in that war year of 1915. Laurie R. King

Life is volatile. Robert J. Pajer

She had very much looked forward to a word in private with him. But she forgot, as she usually did, the silence that always came between them in these latter years, whenever they found themselves alone. The queer sensation in her chest, however, was all too familiar, that mix of pleasure and pain, never one without the other. She could have done without those feelings. She would have happily gone her entire life never experiencing the pangs of longing and the futility of regret. He made her human–or as human as she was capable of being. And being human was possibly her least favorite aspect of life. . Sherry Thomas

I reckon it’s true what they say that good begets good and bad begets bad. The evil men do lives on after them, but what good they done gets buried with their bones. Lisa Kaye Presley

The wiry man scratched his head, looked the two inquisitors up and down and cleared his throat softly. “We must be quick.” He turned to go, pulling his cloak over his head and shuffling through the door into the moonlight. The two inquisitors moved with impossible silence behind, floating across the straw-covered floor like the cats on the walls outside the hut. The cats froze at the disturbance before scurrying noiselessly into the shadows as the three silhouettes crossed the ten yards of grass before the blackness of the forest swallowed them. No fires flickered at this time, when the full moon was highest in the cloudless summer sky, and the three were the only waking souls in the hamlet. Gregory Figg

If Miss Elton spoke water instead of words, then there would have been a repetition of Noah’s flood. Kellyn Roth

LIPID (Last Idiot Person I Dated) syndrome: a largely undiagnosed but pervasive disease that afflicts single women. Lauren Willig

It would be, like all of Pammy's parties, hot and crowded and filled with impossibly glamorous people with hip bones so sharp they could qualify as concealed weapons. Lauren Willig

A glance would not be enough to tell you this was the daughter of Katherine Raquel Demure. Even a lingering gaze would not suffice. No. Only careful study of the original and a comparative inspection of her only child would even hint at a relation between the two. Viktor could see it and knew, beyond doubt, that Henrietta not only saw it but was also vexed by it on a daily basis. Gwenn Wright

I look up and watch the bad parts of me shrinking to dots in the wide blue. Lauren Nicolle Taylor

Everything changes except human behavior and its consequences. Stephanie M. Sellers

Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones. Libba Bray

Some girls are sweeter… Others have a tinge of bitterness… It is as if I can smell their souls. Their experiences and relationships are painted in warm, sour crimson. Katlyn Charlesworth

She smells of her cooking and the perfume Eau d' Hadrien. My mother wore it, too. She used to cook, like Lili. Our house smelled of garlic and thyme instead of sadness. Jennifer Donnelly

He spent the next hours watching her sleep, taking in every detail of her face, of her body. The way the soft glow of the bedside lamp cast shadows on her cheeks. The way her chest rose and fell with each breath. And when the first light of dawn finally showed through the gap in the curtains he quietly dressed and turned off the bedside lamp, and left the room, not daring to look back. Dominique Wilson

A man should not glory in what he already knows but in what he has yet to learn. Robert Stephen Parry

Even a goat got to be a goat." Esperança's comments about slaves during the triangular slave trade. Tanja Kobasic

Their eyes locked. They could see into each other's souls. This was why she had been born. Marion Croslydon

History immortalises both the names of the greats and the tyrants without making a distinction between them. Aziz Hamza

He found Granny on the porch, asleep. Her chin sat on her chest, rising and falling with her breath. He gathered her up in his arms, light as a girl, and carried her inside to her room. He covered her in her old handed-down quilt. The outer layers were burnished to a luster over decades of sleeping flesh, the inner batting composed of older blankets still. He tucked it under her feet, her elbows and shoulders, and went out into the den and opened the door of the wood stove. A mouth of red coals. He added two lengths of the seasoned white oak they kept stacked on the porch, hot-burning wood for cold nights, and stoked it to a fury before stepping outside. Taylor Brown

It was a hymn with the force of a march, a march with the majesty of a hymn. It was the song of soldiers bearing sacred banners and of priests carrying swords. It was an anthem to the sanctity of strength. Ayn Rand

The virtuous are among the the weakest and quickest to sin Aziz Hamza

When you walk the path of revenge, know that someone will always follow your trail Aziz Hamza

If the gods chose Sextus as King of Rome, the worst possible evil will befall it Aziz Hamza

Discourses, which are mostly wrapped in spurious religious and patriotic ideologies that ignite the enthusiasm of the ignorant masses Aziz Hamza

In my end lies my beginning" Who said that? Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587). Danny Saunders

Lady's mouth tasted like blood and iron all the time now. It tasted like defeat. Kiersten White

War is a terrible, bloody thing. Katlyn Charlesworth

When you live in my house, you learn to be fine with whatever you come across. It's the only way to stay sane in insanity. Katlyn Charlesworth

ANTONIO PONTÓN’S TRIAL made front page headlines across major newspapers. On April 17, 1915, the Schenectady Gazette headline read, “Trial of Ponton on the Charge of Committing one of Most Startling Murders in History of County. Yasmin TiradoChiodini

Peggy is a sovereign nation. She governs herself and those around her by her own laws. Katlyn Charlesworth

Sir, you do understand that - officially - I'm not actually a centurion. I haven't even been assigned to a legion yet.' The general continued writing as he spoke. 'What was the name?' ' Corbulo, sir.' ' Corbulo, you have an officer's tunic and an officer's helmet; and you completed full officer training did you not?' Cassius nodded. He could easily recall every accursed test and drill. Though he'd excelled in the cerebral disciplines and somehow survived the endless marches and swims, he had rated poorly with sword in hand and had been repeatedly described as "lacking natural leadership ability." The academy's senior centurion had seemed quite relieved when the letter from the Service arrived. 'I did, sir, but it was felt I would be more suited to intelligence work than the legions, I really would prefer -' 'And you did take an oath? To Rome, the Army and the Emperor?' 'I did, sir, and of course I am happy to serve but -' The General finished the orders. He rolled the sheet up roughly and handed it to Cassius. 'Dismissed.' 'Yes, sir. Sorry, sir. I just have one final question.' The General was on his way back to his chair. He turned around and fixed Cassius with an impatient stare. 'Sir - how should I present myself to the troops? In terms of rank I mean.' 'They will assume you are a centurion, and I can see no practical reason whatsoever to disabuse them of that view. Nick Brown

A brief whiff of her mother had come through a cracked window that opened to a weed-infested courtyard. It was a fragrance that almost spoke to her, saying, 'Yes, it was an unjust end to the life of a good man.' A man who had accepted gratitude in the place of love, and who knew Magdalena's heart would always remain with Ales's father. Victoria Dougherty

Alana Marks had always known she was different. From her gypsy childhood, to the way she now made her living in the movies, she'd always lived on the edge. She'd been paid to leap from a sixteenth story window, roll a car to a cliff edge, get thrown off a speeding train and dragged into a river by a runaway horse. At the moment, she was about to set herself on fire and jump out of a burning barn. . Barbara Kyle

Mama says love is a sickness of the heart. Only the weak fall under its spell. Katlyn Charlesworth

Our lover is the sun, and we the stars forever floating in their glow. We push and push, yearning for our sun's rays to reach out and touch us for just a moment in time… one second-glance to warm our spirits and soothe our aching hearts. Katlyn Charlesworth

You think I started out like this? Well, I didn't. I started out like anyone else - young and hopeful. I started out arrogant and in love, assuming the whole dizzy world was where it should be: at my feet. I started out - well, I started out a little like you. Gail Levy

I understand, gentlemen, ” John Kennedy said. “If you find that life it’s not easy, let me tell you, death is worse. Pierre Marshesso

She's got a big belt around her hips. It has a shiny buckle with PRADA on it, which is Italian for insecure. Jennifer Donnelly

Beautiful people don't need coats. They've got their auras to keep them warm. Jennifer Donnelly

Darcy looked at Graham for the first time in months, and realized that her memory had not done him justice. He was gold and bronze, perfect like a statue. His eyes were ice blue. They were eyes that could pierce a man's resolve, and probably had many times. But not now. Now they assessed her, ice fading to liquid sky... Olivia Stocum

The only thing he was sorry for was slamming the door and perhaps raising his voice to the woman who'd been like a mother to him since the passing of his parents. Perhaps she hadn't really deserved his reaction, but he was, justifiably, weary of their meddling and hearing about his father's will. Apparently no suitable maiden was going to appear on his doorstep. He seemed to be looking for a needle in a haystack. . Lisa M. Prysock

To those of you who have lost your way, may my story serve as a reminder that life is a journey. The lessons we learn along the way are not for our sake alone. We are obligated to share them Nancy B. Brewer

Yet, the quest for knowledge will overcome us and we must know. And, at last, we must see where the road ends, even if it be the cliff. Nancy B. Brewer

History repeats, again. R.S. Gompertz

He wondered where the difference was between the good guys and the bad guys if their means were all just born out of perceived necessity and their goals by the unquestioned orders they had been given. Osiris Brackhaus

So when I saw you lying in the shed there, I thought that even God couldn't be that cruel. You were everything I ever asked for — so maybe you could also be the love of my life... Osiris Brackhaus

I been running up a bill with the devil ever since, and now he's come to collect on the debt. Steven B. Weissman

Enjoy the ride! Emery Lee

Medicine is a bit like love, " Aunt Gertrude began. "There are the theatrical outer forms gone through by the players-the bandages and injections and extractions, the flowers and love notes and dances-but the real work is always happening out of sight. In here, " she added, tapping herself on the heart. Unknown

Yes, she had seen Alex's temper flare over his disappointment with a lack of his own regiment to command, but she saw that as merely the fighting spirit of an ambitious and confident leader. Yet, wasn't that what appealed most to her about him? A spirit and impetuousness that could match her own and challenge her to be better herself in this new democracy? A man who could honor her own values? Unknown

What Mrs. Schuyler is saying, " General Schuyler added, "is that it is the Schuylers who would be honored by a union woth so brilliant and noble a personage as Colonel Hamilton. Unknown

He had written her reams and reams of letters, as well as a poem that she kept folded in a locket around her neck. Her letters were full of love and anticipation, matching his for enthusiasm and tenderness. He was the luckiest man in the world. Unknown

Silly man. I know the man I am marrying is destined for great things, as the many remarkable things he has done thus far have brought himto such a high oint already. Mark my words, Alex. You are a man whose future lies before him for all to marvel at one day. And you, Colonel Hamilton, are mine, and I am yours always. Unknown

Altogether, the first glimpse of his bride-which should have come as no surprise to Alex, standing there looking so lean and handsome himself-nearly brought him to his knees. Unknown

For Alex to be enveloped into one of New York State's blue-ribbon families helped put to bed a lifetime of doubts and depression about his own dubious birthright. Unknown

I shall love you and give myself up for you, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up"- then Alex looked into Eliza's shining eyes and added a twist of his own-"and I shall serve you with tenderness and respect, and encourage you to develop the gifts that God has given you. Unknown

Eliza had never seen Alex quite so happy and relaxed. She shook her head and laughed at the incongruity of it all: Imagine General Washington's famous aide-de-camp taking the time to stop and admire the birds." One day, Alex, when you tire of being a soldier, we will spend all of our days just like this, watching birds and taking in the sun, surrounded by children of our own. You'd like that, wouldn't you, my love?"" Eliza, you and the Pastures have already taken a perfectly fine soldier and turned him into a lovesick pup. And at this moment, on this very day, there's nothing and nowhere I'd rather be. . Unknown

And at last, the lonely young man who belonged to no one finally belonged to someone, forever, and the practical girl who would not settle for less than a love story for the ages found the lifelong romance she had yearned for all her life. Unknown

I would be no more than a shadow of myself if I thought that I had truly lost you. Lise Arin

If queens did not exist, the poets would have had to invent them, so necessary as they are to a nation's glory. Lise Arin

She didn't know how she would survive when every breath stung, every tear burned, and every step took her further from the only man she'd ever loved. Janell Rhiannon

Love is a poison, ' her father responded. 'One you grow accustomed to, but does not kill you. Janell Rhiannon

To know, finally, what love is and not be allowed fulfilment ... Anne Rouen

All of them. Fated to love in vain. Anne Rouen

Once the spark of true love has been ignited, it cannot be quenched. It is there forever. Anne Rouen

It is true, Monsieur, that when you die, the ones who love you come for you ... I have seen it. Anne Rouen

It proved what he had always instinctively known. Love is Forever. Anne Rouen

Now, at last, she understood her great attraction to him. Here was the companion of her spirit. Here, indeed, was love. Anne Rouen

Why are we fated to love those we cannot have. ..? Anne Rouen

She was destroyed many years ago, La Belle, on the cobblestones of the alley beside the opera house ... Anne Rouen