Today’s Topic: Frequently Used Words In [Insert Genre/Age Group] Titles
Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl
This actually was a more interesting topic choice than I initially anticipated. I wasn’t sure I would even be able to fulfill this week’s prompt. Since historical romance is my favorite genre, I decided to focus on titles from my Goodreads list. As I researched I found that though there are many unique titles, there are also many that are more frequently used than I realized.
Most of these are centered around the titles or roles of a woman or the goals and desires of a woman. I do not consider myself a feminist by any stretch of the imagination, but I started to become a little insulted by how often words like lady, bride or daughter popped up, as if that is all we are. I did find it interesting that the terms girl and woman were more commonly used in my contemporary titles than my historical ones. I’m not sure if that is progress or not. Thanks to my mother’s training, I’ve been taught to think a lady is a better thing to be than a girl or even a woman. Ladies are gracious, kind, thoughtful, generous and compassionate, but also have a backbone of steel when necessary.
I don’t have any problems with the words love and heart, as I think love is a universal desire and many people are guided by their hearts. But of course, I also don’t agree with the idea that the heart is the ultimate moral guide or that (romantic) love should be our sole aim in life.
Ultimately, I realized that as these are words used in historical fiction titles. They accurately reflect the culture and mindset of the times. Though there are many things I appreciate and value from these eras, I’m also thankful for the freedom and opportunities that modern women now enjoy. Continue reading “Top Ten Tuesday -Familiar Words in Historical Fiction Titles”