Julie's Journal : Narrative Nonfiction

Narrative nonfiction, often also referred to as creative nonfiction, is a literary term for a text that presents a true story written in a style more closely associated with fiction. The writer pays close attention to elements of plot structure, character development and themes to make the story as compelling as possible.*

Examples of authors of narrative nonfiction are Erik Larson, David McCullough, Laura Hillenbrand, and Bill Bryson.  The books are meticulously researched and factual, but read like fiction.

I have been reading One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson.  The summer of 1927 was a time of so many important events, it's hard to believe they were all happening at one time.  It was the summer of Babe Ruth's neck and neck home run race with Lou Gehrig (Ruth won with a record 60 home runs).  It was the year of the first real talking movie picture.  Television was invented.  Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic in his plane, The Spirit of St. Louis.  Al Capone was at the height of his reign over Chicago.  Bombings of public officials were rampant, blamed mostly on Italian anarchists.  I found it interesting that the "car bomb" was preceded by the "wagon bomb".  The Model T was the most popular car in America.  Work on Mount Rushmore started.  The Mississippi flooded, leaving an area the size of Scotland under water.  There were several high profile murders and executions.  Bryson's writing is quick and humorous, and very clever.  I read several parts of the book out loud to my husband.  I wanted to share with him the fascinating pieces of history I had never heard and the author's quick wit.

I brought several narrative nonfiction books down from upstairs and created a display just past Lisa's office.  Come in and pick one out to try!

*Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_5065517_definition-narrative-nonfiction.html