A magician, a courtesan, a politician, a frontiersman and an ad woman: These are the real life personalities that are so extraordinary, they end up living beyond their mortal lives.
This newfound existence is a result of a profound curiosity, one that inspires writers to not only document these lives and retell these stories, but sometimes to also fill in the blanks.
The following is a selection of novels that involve real people — some famous, others infamous — reimagined in fiction.
The Confabulist by Steven Galloway tells the story of Harry Houdini, arguably the most well-known magician in the history of the world. Using the events of Houdini’s life — his rise to fame, his infamous escapes, his turbulent relationships and his sudden death — Galloway weaves together a story full of suspense and intrigue, with just a dash of deception. Littered with real events, including those that are lesser known about the magician’s life, readers get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Erik Weisz, the man behind the Houdini alter ego. What is true and what is illusion? The reader must decide.
The infamous Mata Hari and her escapades have always captivated the attention of audiences far and wide. Paulo Coelho is the latest author to retell her story, uniquely from the woman’s own voice. In The Spy, readers delve directly into Mata Hari’s journey starting at the end of her life, as she faces a firing squad. Stubborn, brave and stoic, Mata Hari’s reputation does not do justice to the forward-thinking feminist behind the glamour. So much more than a rags-to-riches story, Hari’s tragic downfall speaks volumes about the women who dare to venture outside perceived gender expectations and defy convention.
In Stephen King’s 11/23/63, readers travel through time alongside protagonist Jake Epping in attempts to avert the assassination of John F. Kennedy by Lee Harvey Oswald. Sounds easy enough considering Epping is from the future, right? Wrong. There are forces working against Epping, resisting his efforts to change the past. It also doesn’t help that he arrives in the past years earlier than the assassination and needs to carve out a new life and identity for himself. This is another masterful novel by King that mixes genres and combines real life events with fictionalized storytelling. It ultimately asks the reader to ponder the questions: “What if JFK didn’t die that day?” and “How would it have affected the future?”
Fans of American history will enjoy the retelling of the adventures of early American pioneer Daniel Boone in Alix Hawley’s All True Not a Lie in It. Using Boone’s own voice to narrate, the novel begins in his childhood, recounting his upbringing in a Quaker colony. The story tracks Boone’s family tragedies and marks his teenage years of cultivating his hunting and exploration skills. Hawley also explores Boone’s adulthood as a husband and father, and documents his most harrowing encounters with different First Nations that mythicize him into one of America’s first folk heroes.
The life and times of Margaret Fishback is reimagined in Kathleen Rooney’s Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. Although Fishback might not be a household name, her achievements in writing and advertising are nothing short of remarkable. At one time, Fishback was reputed to be the highest paid female in advertising — a major feat considering the male dominance of the industry. Rooney takes readers on a journey with her reimagined character, Boxfish, as she walks the streets of her beloved Manhattan and reminisces about her eventful life and career. Her brilliance, poise and fierce independence are unwavering even at 85 years old. A life as complex as it is beautiful, Lillian Boxfish channels an intricate commentary on the changes of a city and the people who inhabit it.
If you’re interested in reading more books on real people reimagined in fiction, try World, Chase Me Down by Andrew Hilleman; The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore; Burial Rites by Hannah Kent; Drood by Dan Simmons; I Am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto; and The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Joyce Quach works at Coquitlam Public Library.
