Did the fact that the story was based on real people make a difference to the way you read or received the book? What did you think about the author’s notes at the end of the book?
No I don’t read brooks like that any differently than any book I read. What I usually find is that I’m intrigued by the settings, what people do to survive.
Interestingly, I went into the book blindly and was unaware it was based on real people. I enjoyed reading the author’s notes and may have been intrigued enough to reread with these facts in mind.
I did not realize the book was about real people. I dont think.knowing that early on.would have affected how I approached or felt about the story
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My feelings are similar with @Mary_S2- I did not know the book was based on real people. I thought the author’s notes were interesting and gave me some insight of the whaling industry at that time.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre to read. It is always interesting when the author tells the reader what inspired the book. I did not know ahead of time that it was related to a distant relative of the author. I enjoyed the notes and photos that the author included at the back of the book.
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I knew the book was based upon real lives and that made it more compelling to me. Sometimes I wish the author’s notes that appear at the end of the book were placed at the beginning before the first chapter. The notes often give context and purpose and could make a book even more interesting to the reader.
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It really made a difference to me that the story was based on real people. I found myself questioning why Cath did or didn’t do certain things., e.g., make more of an effort with Michael, but then I realized what I wanted was history to change. Being historical fiction, the author could have still changed the outcome of some of the actions of the characters, but she seemed to want to stay true to the time. The notes were very helpful.
I didnt reslize it was based on real people and that helps explain why the wuthor made the choices that she did.
I didn’t realize the story was based on real characters, but I’m not sure I would’ve approached it any differently, had I known. It was a pleasant surprise to read the author’s note at the end and learn the true background. As an aside, I love author’s notes, especially in historical fiction. The writer’s research, background, and true history of a novel’s subject matter is always fascinating (but save them for the end to avoid spoilers).