BLURRING FICTION NOVELS WITH FACTUAL HISTORY BOOKS.

Authors of historical novels are rightly proud of the fictional
characters and situations they create, and the accuracy of
the historical background included in their novels. Simply
defined, they write about fictional characters set in actual
historical atmosphere and military events during days gone by.

But something odd has happened in public libraries
gradually over time -- shelving historical fiction
titles amidst non-fiction history books. To come
across a book you know is a novel nestling amidst
History titles is jarring, to say the least.

Evidently, some librarians nowadays have a somewhat
wobbly grasp of what is factual history and what is
historical fiction, which results in blurred genres.

Three examples of fictional novels being mistakenly
shelved in the non-fiction History Section that I have
come across:

THE GREAT PACIFIC WAR, by Hector C. Bywater
SCHINDLER'S LIST (SCHINDLER’S ARK) by Thomas Keneally.
ROOTS, by Alex Haley

Likely, you have noticed a few others yourself. If
you do encounter these or similar historical novels
being mis-catalogued in libraries and well-meaningly
feel urged to tell a librarian about it, take warning
-- you are in for a frustrating experience. :-)

First, you are automatically assumed to be mistaken.
i.e., wrong.

Second, you will find yourself trapped into giving
an interminable explanation, in face of a bemused
librarian who likely just hears you out politely,
has not the faintest idea what you are talking about,
and will not correct the book's classification in the
slightest.