Following last month’s announcement of the 2018 longlist for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, the shortlist has been revealed today. As you probably know by now, I am currently working my way through all of the shortlisted titles for this prize since it began in 2010 (you can see my progress here). There are six books on this year’s list and here they are:
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
Sugar Money by Jane Harris
Grace by Paul Lynch
The Wardrobe Mistress by Patrick McGrath
Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves by Rachel Malik
The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers
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I am currently halfway through Sugar Money, but haven’t read any of the other five books yet. If you’ve read them, please let me know what you thought. I’ll be reading them all eventually anyway, but which would you recommend I read first?
The winner will be announced in June.
She Reads Novels 
I’ve read three of them – The Wardrobe Mistress, The Gallows Pole and Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves. The latter is my personal favourite but I also really enjoyed The Wardrobe Mistress. The Gallows Pole is quite remarkable. I tipped it to make the shortlist and as a good bet for eventual winner. I called it the Days Without End of the 2018 list. I’m planning to read the other three (I was working my way through the longlist but hadn’t yet got any of those) starting with whichever becomes available at the library next.
You’ve made a good start on the shortlist already, then. I hope you enjoy the other three. It will be interesting to see if you’re right about The Gallows Pole – I’m looking forward to reading that one!
I absolutely adored The Wardrobe Mistress; McGrath does chilly London atmosphere with the aplomb of a Dickens.
That sounds great – I love books with a lot of atmosphere!
Manhattan Beach was one of my top 25 reads last year. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I’ve only read one book by Jennifer Egan – A Visit from the Goon Squad – and it wasn’t really my kind of book. Manhattan Beach sounds very different so I’m hopeful that I’ll like it better, especially as you enjoyed it so much.
I’ve only read Manhattan Beach, and I thought it was disappointing. I’ll post this list on my page soon.
Manhattan Beach is the one that sounds least appealing to me from this list. I will have to read it eventually, though, so I hope I like it more than you did.
The heroine becomes a diver, and I think some people liked the detail of that, but I didn’t think it had much period atmosphere.
I haven’t read any of them, I’m afraid, but I’ve seen several very positive reviews of The Gallows Pole, so it’s sitting on my wishlist. I was also intrigued by Sugar Money when it came out, but as usual haven’t found time to read it. Maybe you’ll persuade me when you review it…
The Gallows Pole sounds great! I hadn’t even heard of it until it was included on the longlist for this prize last month.
I have not read any and have now added all of them to my never ending TBR. I have also placed an order for The Wardrobe Mistress after all your recommendation and the blurb which sounds very very intriguing! Thank You for some great suggestions!
I love the sound of The Wardrobe Mistress. I hope we both enjoy it! 🙂
I really enjoyed Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves. It went in a direction I did not expect, but which wasn’t out of left field. The Wardrobe Mistress is on my TBR.
I’m glad you enjoyed Miss Boston and Miss Hargreaves. It’s not a book I had thought about reading before it appeared on this list, but it does sound good and I’m looking forward to reading it now.