The Langum Prize for American Historical Fiction for 2010, sponsored by the Langum Charitable Trust, has been awarded to Ann Weisgarber for The Personal History of Rachel DuPree
(Viking). Director David J. Langum, Sr., wrote in part: "Several books
have appeared recently depicting the role of blacks in the development
of the American West, for example as park rangers or Buffalo Soldiers.
Yet this well-written debut novel may be the first centering on a black
family as homesteaders.... The writing and imagery is beautiful, but the
main strength of the book is the insight into the impact of pioneer
life on the husband and wife. It is reminiscent of the writings of Ole
Rolvaag in its insistence that the western frontier experience was not
just a matter of 'upward and onward,' but that it came at a high human
cost."
Honorable Mention went to Robin Oliveira for My Name Is Mary Sutter (Viking), "an impressive debut novel, but more than that it is a masterly work of historical fiction. A powerful and engaging story of a young woman's quest to become a physician in nineteenth-century America."
There were two director's mentions:
Kelli Carmean for Creekside: An Archeological Novel (University of Alabama Press), "an interesting story of a multi-generational pioneer family farm in Eastern Kentucky [that] is combined with a fictional account of a modern archeological dig at that same location.... one of the very few, perhaps the only, historical fictions informed by archeology."
Jackson Taylor for The Blue Orchard (Simon & Schuster). "From an Irish immigrant family, Verna Krone leaves school at eight and begins work as a maid to help support her family.... After considerable inner conflict she becomes a nurse for a black doctor whose principal practice is abortion. The motivations of both doctor and nurse are interesting and more complex than either a cynical desire to make money or an altruistic wish to help unfortunate women out of unwanted pregnancies."
Honorable Mention went to Robin Oliveira for My Name Is Mary Sutter (Viking), "an impressive debut novel, but more than that it is a masterly work of historical fiction. A powerful and engaging story of a young woman's quest to become a physician in nineteenth-century America."
There were two director's mentions:
Kelli Carmean for Creekside: An Archeological Novel (University of Alabama Press), "an interesting story of a multi-generational pioneer family farm in Eastern Kentucky [that] is combined with a fictional account of a modern archeological dig at that same location.... one of the very few, perhaps the only, historical fictions informed by archeology."
Jackson Taylor for The Blue Orchard (Simon & Schuster). "From an Irish immigrant family, Verna Krone leaves school at eight and begins work as a maid to help support her family.... After considerable inner conflict she becomes a nurse for a black doctor whose principal practice is abortion. The motivations of both doctor and nurse are interesting and more complex than either a cynical desire to make money or an altruistic wish to help unfortunate women out of unwanted pregnancies."