How did the newspaper extracts contribute to the various plotlines and the setting? Did your opinion change after the Author's Note, in which she writes they're based on real-life publications?

Newspaper extracts are used throughout the book. How did you feel those stories contributed to the various plotlines and the setting? Did your opinion change after the Author's Note, in which she writes they're based on real-life publications?

I liked the actual newspaper reports. They kept it accurate and interesting. It kept the story moving forward,

Don't want to beat a dead horse on this topic since I have said on previous threads that I found the sheer number of newspaper articles, police reports and other such elements a bit distracting. I understand they are based on or directly drawn from real-life artifacts but would have preferred a less liberal use.

I found the newspaper articles informative and a pleasant diversion from the straightforward narrative.

I found the articles pleasant to read and appreciated them more after reading the author's note.

I, too, enjoyed the injection of the newspaper accounts and notes. I thought they offered an objective, less emotional perspective which I garnered from the fictional. Reading the author’s note once I finished the entire novel made me respect the entire work even more - weaving the fictional around the literal or at least including it is a pretty amazing accomplishment in my opinion.

I thought they added variety and a good way to summarize what was happening. I was hoping this was based on facts. I like historical fiction that is well researched and accurate. The use of fiction allows for the author to make a story which is much more fun to read than just facts.

I enjoyed the addition of the newspaper excerpts. I felt they provided additional insight and color to the historical setting and the plot. I enjoy historical fiction that is well researched and accurate but I truly dislike historical fiction that is poorly researched and simply fabricated. Ms. Donati’s books have always presented as well researched and fact based.

I enjoyed reading the newspaper extracts and found myself looking forward to them. They added interest and believability to an already
good story. The Author’s Note made them more interesting.

I thought the newspaper articles were excellent. The whole novel was beautifully written, and the detail brought you into that time. The newspaper excerpts provided an image of the vocabulary of the time, and were detailed and factual.

I really liked the newspaper extracts. I thought they moved the story along well and were quite interesting. They made the plot line more real and historical.

One of the parts I like most about Donati's books are the extracts from real articles. I also like the letters she attributes to her characters. It fleshes out the story line and makes it feel more real. I always wait until I have finished the book before I read her notes at the end, and I am always glad to know the true events that influence her writing.