In our First Impressions feature this week, readers discuss The Widow Queen by Elżbieta Cherezińska. Set in the 10th century, this historical novel is the first in a planned trilogy. This volume focuses on Świętosława, a Polish princess who seeks power and status beyond the advantageous marriage her father plans for her.

Our Editor's Choice review covers Kaitlyn Greenidge's second novel, Libertie, also historical fiction, this one set in what is now Brooklyn and revolving around a young Black woman looking for the liberation promised by the Reconstruction era.

We also bring you news of books available to request, a new Wordplay and more.

Very best,

Davina

Each month we give away books to BookBrowse members who live in the U.S. to read and review. Members who choose to participate receive a free book about every 3-4 months. Here are their opinions on one recently released title.

"For lovers of historical fiction with a sweeping scope and a healthy dose of strong, savvy women characters, Elżbieta Cherezińska's The Widow Queen delivers richly. This is the first book in the trilogy, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment. Be prepared to be swept off your feet, sometimes forcefully (we are talking about Vikings after all), and absorb the rich history of Poland during the late 10th century. Love, betrayal, war, exile...this story will stay with you. Do not let this one pass you by." - Peggy K. (Westminster, CO)

"The Widow Queen is a historical fiction masterpiece set in the 10th century. The story focuses on the Piast dynasty of Poland and the Vikings in Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Norway. Duke Mieszko of Poland is a ruthless leader who seeks to expand Poland's borders through cunning, strength and his children. He grooms them in the roles they are to play and arranges marriages for them based on his ambition for power. At the center of this epic novel is the intelligent Swietoslawa, Mieszko's favorite daughter, whose very presence commands respect. This historical fiction has something for everyone: battles, intrigue, alliances, betrayals and even some love stories. It will keep you turning the pages and leave you wanting more." - Margaret A. (Cornelius, NC)

"It was refreshing to see a woman as the main character in a saga where the main players are usually men. Even though this book is just shy of 500 pages, I did not want it to end. Imagine how excited I was to find out that there will be a sequel. If readers enjoyed Ken Follett's Kingsbridge series or Linnea Hartsuyker's Vikings series, The Widow Queen will not disappoint!" - Julie M. (St. Paul, MN)

Members! This month's First Impressions and Book Club books are now available. Request at bookbrowse.com/arc before end of Saturday, April 17. If you're not currently a member and wish to become one, take advantage of our one-month free trial and join today, then request a book by end of Saturday and you will receive it. If you are a past member, you can renew here.

Books are mailed to members free of charge with the understanding that they'll do their best to either write a short review or join an online discussion, depending on whether the book is assigned for First Impressions or the Book Club.

Due to publishing restrictions, books are only available to US-residents. Members who take part fairly regularly generally receive about 3-4 books each year.

Libertie has always known, on some level, that she is participating in history. She is the daughter of Cathy Sampson, a Black woman practicing medicine during and after the Civil War in a community of free Blacks in Brooklyn. Dr. Sampson often uses her expertise to heal the physical scars of those who have escaped slavery (sadly, their mental scars are far more difficult to remedy). After the war, Dr. Sampson helps found a hospital for women, focusing on maternal care and reproductive education.

Throughout, Libertie is at her side, following her mother's example, learning from her, and believing in her dream. After a brief but disastrous sojourn to a medical program at an Ohio college, Libertie returns home to her mother's practice. Too ashamed to admit her academic failings, she rushes into marriage with Emmanuel. ... continued

Greenidge's character Dr. Cathy Sampson in Libertie is based on the real-life story of Dr. Susan McKinney Steward, the first Black woman to become a medical doctor in New York State. The novel's setting, meanwhile, is based on the historical settlement of Weeksville, which was located in what is now the Crown Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

By the 1850s, Weeksville was a thriving community of more than 500. It offered residents opportunities for home ownership, entrepreneurship and employment. It had its own churches, schools, and Black-owned businesses, and its own newspaper, The Freedman's Torchlight. ... continued

Read more articles about Places, Cultures & Identities

Review and article by Norah Piehl

Solve our Wordplay puzzle to reveal a well-known expression, and be entered to win a 6-month membership to BookBrowse.

"It's N S O M N"

The answer to the last Wordplay: S O O A Half A D O T O

"Six of one and half a dozen of the other"

The earliest known written use of the expression is in the 1836 novel The Pirate and The Three Cutters by Frederick Marryat:

"I knows the women, but I never knows the children. It's just six of one and half-a-dozen of the other; ain't it, Bill?" (Chapter IV: The Leak) ... continued

Published every Thursday, BookBrowse Highlights is one of BookBrowse's four free newsletters. We also offer Publishing This Week every Sunday, and Book Club News and Librarian News monthly.