Reader's Corner: Historical Fiction
Looking for a good book to read but don't know where to start? This guide covers popular, award-winning, and just plain great nonfiction and fiction genres and books.
Staff Picks
Horse by
"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." --The New York Times Book Review "Horse isn't just an animal story--it's a moving narrative about race and art." --TIME A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse--one studying the stallion's bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
Call Number: FICTION BROOKS GPublication Date: 2022-06-14
The Librarian Spy by
"Readers will be on the edge of their seats.... A brilliant tale of resistance, courage and ultimately hope." Kelly Rimmer, New York Times bestselling author of The Warsaw Orphan From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London comes a moving new novel inspired by the true history of America's library spies of World War II. Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It's a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them. As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war. "Uplifting, inspiring and suspenseful, this is one to savor!" -Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Riviera House. "Madeline Martin is a fantastic author. The Librarian Spy is a stunning tour de force of historical fiction." -Karen Robards, author of The Black Swan of Paris For more historical fiction from Madeline Martin, don't miss The Last Bookshop in London.
Call Number: FICTION MARTIN MPublication Date: 2022-07-26
Haven by
In this beautiful story of adventure and survival from the New York Times bestselling author of Room, three men vow to leave the world behind them as they set out in a small boat for an island their leader has seen in a dream, with only faith to guide them. In seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks--young Trian and old Cormac--he rows down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. In such a place, what will survival mean?
Call Number: FICTION DONOGHUE EPublication Date: 2022-08-23
A Sunlit Weapon by
In the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series, a series of possible attacks on British pilots leads Jacqueline Winspear's beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs into a mystery involving First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. October 1942. Jo Hardy, a 22-year-old ferry pilot, is delivering a Supermarine Spitfire--the fastest fighter aircraft in the world--to Biggin Hill Aerodrome, when she realizes someone is shooting at her aircraft from the ground. Returning to the location on foot, she finds an American serviceman in a barn, bound and gagged. She rescues the man, who is handed over to the American military police; it quickly emerges that he is considered a suspect in the disappearance of a fellow soldier who is missing. Tragedy strikes two days later, when another ferry pilot crashes in the same area where Jo's plane was attacked. At the suggestion of one of her colleagues, Jo seeks the help of psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs. Meanwhile, Maisie's husband, a high-ranking political attaché based at the American embassy, is in the thick of ensuring security is tight for the first lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, during her visit to the Britain. There's already evidence that German agents have been circling: the wife of a president represents a high value target. Mrs. Roosevelt is clearly in danger, and there may well be a direct connection to the death of the woman ferry pilot and the recent activities of two American servicemen. To guarantee the safety of the First Lady--and of the soldier being held in police custody--Maisie must uncover that connection. At the same time, she faces difficulties of an entirely different nature with her young daughter, Anna, who is experiencing wartime struggles of her own.
Call Number: MYSTERY WINSPEAR JPublication Date: 2022-03-22
The Marriage Portrait by
The author of Hamnet--New York Times best seller and National Book Critics Circle Award winner--brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici as she makes her way in a troubled court. Florence, the 1550s. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: the duke is quick to request her hand in marriage, and her father just as quick to accept on her behalf. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Perhaps most mystifying of all is her new husband himself, Alfonso. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? As Lucrezia sits in constricting finery for a painting intended to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court's eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferranese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess's future hangs entirely in the balance. Full of the beauty and emotion with which she illuminated the Shakespearean canvas of Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell turns her talents to Renaissance Italy in an extraordinary portrait of a resilient young woman's battle for her very survival.
Call Number: FICTION OFARRELL MPublication Date: 2022-09-06
The Diamond Eye by
New York Times Bestseller The bestselling author of The Rose Code;returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history's deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story. In 1937 in the snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv), wry and bookish history student Mila Pavlichenko organizes her life around her library job and her young son--but Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia sends her on a different path. Given a rifle and sent to join the fight, Mila must forge herself from studious girl to deadly sniper--a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour. Still reeling from war wounds and devastated by loss, Mila finds herself isolated and lonely in the glittering world of Washington, DC--until an unexpected friendship with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and an even more unexpected connection with a silent fellow sniper offer the possibility of happiness. But when an old enemy from Mila's past joins forces with a deadly new foe lurking in the shadows, Lady Death finds herself battling her own demons and enemy bullets in the deadliest duel of her life. Based on a true story, The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.
Call Number: FICTION QUINN KPublication Date: 2022-03-29
Shrines of Gaiety by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The #1 bestselling, award-winning author of Life after Life transports us to a restless London in the wake of the Great War--a city bursting with money, glamour, and corruption--in this spellbinding tale of seduction and betrayal. "[Shrines of Gaiety] is set during Jazz Age London, in all its fizzy madness and desperation for the new, the better, the hustle. Atkinson simply has a magician's ability to switch readers' moods within a few paragraphs, and as dark as her stories can get, within them always shines a beacon of humanity." -Gillian Flynn, bestselling author of Dark Places 1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time. The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie's empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho's gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost. With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson gives us a window in a vanished world. Slyly funny, brilliantly observant, and ingeniously plotted, Shrines of Gaiety showcases the myriad talents that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time.
Call Number: FICTION ATKINSON KPublication Date: 2022-09-27
Mercury Pictures Presents by
The epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini's Italy to 1940s Los Angeles--a timeless story of love, deceit, and sacrifice from the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena "A genuinely moving and life-affirming novel that's a true joy to read."--Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere "A great literary read."--Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House Like many before her, Maria Lagana has come to Hollywood to outrun her past. Born in Rome, where every Sunday her father took her to the cinema instead of church, Maria immigrates with her mother to Los Angeles after a childhood transgression leads to her father's arrest. Fifteen years later, on the eve of America's entry into World War II, Maria is an associate producer at Mercury Pictures, trying to keep her personal and professional lives from falling apart. Her mother won't speak to her. Her boss, a man of many toupees, has been summoned to Washington by congressional investigators. Her boyfriend, a virtuoso Chinese American actor, can't escape the studio's narrow typecasting. And the studio itself, Maria's only home in exile, teeters on the verge of bankruptcy. Over the coming months, as the bright lights go dark across Los Angeles, Mercury Pictures becomes a nexus of European émigrés: modernist poets trying their luck as B-movie screenwriters, once-celebrated architects becoming scale-model miniaturists, and refugee actors finding work playing the very villains they fled. While the world descends into war, Maria rises through a maze of conflicting politics, divided loyalties, and jockeying ambitions. But when the arrival of a stranger from her father's past threatens Maria's carefully constructed facade, she must finally confront her father's fate--and her own. Written with intelligence, wit, and an exhilarating sense of possibility, Mercury Pictures Presents spans many moods and tones, from the heartbreaking to the ecstatic. It is a love letter to life's bit players, a panorama of an era that casts a long shadow over our own, and a tour de force by a novelist whose work The Washington Post calls "a flash in the heavens that makes you look up and believe in miracles."
Call Number: FICTION MARRA APublication Date: 2022-08-02
Historical Fiction
Historical fiction presents a story set in the past, often during a significant time period. In historical fiction, the time period is an important part of the setting and often of the story itself. Historical fiction may include fictional characters, well-known historical figures or a mixture of the two. In some historical fiction, famous events appear from points of view not recorded in history, showing historical figures dealing with actual events while depicting them in a way that is not recorded in history. Other times, the historical event or time period complements a story's narrative, forming a framework and background for the characters' lives.
Historical Fiction Booklists in the BPL Online Catalog
- Historical or Famous Figures in FictionIf you are interested in historical fiction but enjoy novels with real-person cameos, this list is for you! Titles on this list include novels where the main character is a historical or famous figure, and novels where the historical figure is a supporting character. Included in this list are retellings of actual historical events, as well as alternate histories with little to no factual basis. You are guaranteed to find something to your liking here!
- 10 Great Historical Fiction Reads on the Great American Read ListPBS's Great American Read initiative lists 100 titles, chosen by a national survey, that Americans say are among their best-loved novels. The list include works of classic, popular, and genre fiction. Check out my top 10 favorite historical fiction novels from the list.
- In "Real" Life: Biographical FictionSo you've read the historical fiction novels with famous characters, such as Ernest Hemingway in "The Paris Wife", or Virginia Woolf in "The Hours", and you enjoy this biographical fiction. How about trying the novels on this list that focus on the less-famous or lesser known historical characters. All the people on this list are real people, but the novel is fiction, meaning the narrative of their life may be close to the truth, or it may differ greatly. Regardless, these are all historical novels about real people.
- The Wild, Wild West: Novels of the FrontierDoes the idea of discovering the "lonesome prairie" or the "wild west" intrigue you? Then look no further than these novels set in the American Frontier to satisfy your curiosity.
- The Wives' ClubThere is a recent popular theme of publishing fictional accounts of famous wives or mistresses in history. Here is a list of some of these novels, as well as a number of books centered on being the wife or mistress of a prominent figure.
- Past Imperfect: Historical Mystery FictionHistorical Fiction is becoming more and more popular, but do you like yours with a dose of mystery and suspense? This list features titles with just that- these are examples of the sub-genre Historical Mystery Fiction.
- Revolutionary Road: Novels Set in the 60s and 70sLooking for a great new read? Check out this list of titles set in the 60s and 70s. You're sure to find something to add to your TBR list.
- Go West! American Frontier TalesA selection of ten novels that capture the spirit of the Old West. The list includes both classic and contemporary authors. Check out one today and take an armchair trip to the American Frontier.
- If you like Lisa See...Did you like Lisa See's previous novels "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan", "Shanghai Girls", "Dreams of Joy", and more? View this list for similar titles and authors.
- If you liked The Help...If you enjoyed the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett, try these similar titles put together in a short list from Books and Authors.
- If You Liked Master and Commander...If you enjoy the naval adventure stories of Patrick O'Brian, and would like to learn more about naval warfare, and life aboard a British man-of-war during the Age of Fighting Sail, try some of these fiction and nonfiction books and DVDs.
- If you liked The Paris Wife...If you enjoyed The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, try these titles! List put together by Books and Authors.
- If you liked Water for Elephants...If you enjoyed Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, try these similar titles put together by Books and Authors.
- World Historical Fiction: Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Covering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries (and territories) included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
- World Historical Fiction: Canada, Greenland, Antarctica, and other Arctic RegionsCovering as much of the Canada, Greeland, Antarctica as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries/territories. Note that the country/province that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country/province.
- World Historical Fiction: Central America and the CaribbeanCovering as much of Central America and the Caribbean as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various Central American countries and Caribbean Islands. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country.
- World Historical Fiction: Central EuropeCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.
- World Historical Fiction: East AsiaCovering as much of the East Asia as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various East Asian countries. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries (regions) included in East Asia for the sake of this booklist are: China, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Tibet.
- World Historical Fiction: Eastern EuropeCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Belarus, the Crimea, Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine.
- World Historical Fiction: France and MonacoCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries (and territories) included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: France and Monaco.
- World Historical Fiction: Germany and SwitzerlandCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries (and territories) included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Germany and Switzerland.
- World Historical Fiction: Italy and Vatican CityCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries (and territories) included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, and Vatican City
- World Historical Fiction: OceaniaCovering as much of Oceania as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various Oceanic countries or territories . Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in Oceania for the sake of this booklist are: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau. American Samoa, Cook Islands (part of NZ), Easter Island (part of Chile), French Polynesia, Niue (part of NZ), Norfolk Island (part of Australia), Pitcairn Islands (British), Samoa, Tokelau (part of NZ), Tuvalu, Tonga, and Wallis and Fotuna (France).
- World Historical Fiction: Prehistory, Biblical and Early Christian Eras, the Ancient WorldInterested in Historical Fiction taking place thousands of years ago? Take a look at this list with books from era such as: Prehistoric, Biblical/Early Christian, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome.
- World Historical Fiction: Russia, the Baltic States, and TranscaucasiaCovering as much of this region (Russia and it's territories, the Baltics, and Transcaucasia) as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Chechnya, Siberia, and the Crimea.
- World Historical Fiction: ScandinaviaCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
- World Historical Fiction: South AmericaCovering as much of South America as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various South American countries. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country.
- World Historical Fiction: South and Central AsiaCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
- World Historical Fiction: Southeast AsiaCovering as much of the Southeast Asia as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various Southeast Asian countries. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in Southeast Asia for the sake of this booklist are: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
- World Historical Fiction: Southern EuropeCovering as much of this region as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various countries or territories. Note that the country that is tagged in the description (when possible) is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in this region for the sake of this booklist are: Andorra, Malta, Portugal, and Spain. Italy has it's own list that can be accessed here: http://bit.ly/1R6OXNB
- World Historical Fiction: The African ContinentCovering as much of the African Continent as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various African countries. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Since much of Africa's history can be seen in more recent revolutions or civil wars, the definition of historical fiction in this list includes novels into the late 1980's.
- World Historical Fiction: The Balkan PeninsulaCovering as much of the Balkans as possible, this list includes historical novels set in various Balkan countries. Note that the country that is tagged in the description is the name of the present-day country. Countries included in The Balkans for the sake of this booklist are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. For more books set in Ancient Greece, check out this list: http://bit.ly/1SX2ego
- World Historical Fiction: The British Isles & IrelandLove historical fiction with the backdrop of the beautiful, green lands of Ireland and the British Isles? This list is perfect for you. Enjoy these novels set throughout hundreds of years of history in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
- The War Years; American Civil War (1861-1865) FictionHistorical fiction set during the time of the American Civil War covering various genres including romance, military fiction, general fiction, and more.
- The War Years: World War I (1914-1918) FictionHistorical fiction set during the time of the Great War (World War I) covering various genres including romance, military fiction, general fiction, and more.
- The War Years: World War II (1939-1945) FictionHistorical fiction set during the time of World War II covering various genres including romance, military fiction, general fiction, and more.
- The War Years: The Korean War (1950-1953) FictionHistorical fiction set during the time of the Korean War covering various genres including military fiction, mystery/thriller, general fiction, and more.
- The War Years: Vietnam War (1961-1975) FictionHistorical fiction set during the time of the Vietnam War covering various genres including romance, military fiction, general fiction, and more.
- The War Years: Fiction of the Persian gulf, Afghan, and Iraq WarsHistorical fiction set during the most recent wars: The Persian Gulf War, and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq covering various genres including military fiction, mystery/thriller, general fiction, and more.