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The 26 Best Historical Fiction Books to Read in 2024
Take a step back in time with these fascinating and riveting stories based on true events, ish. Whether it’s traveling back to 1940s Shanghai or ancient Rome, these are some of the best stories to have ever been written about those periods.
Good historical fiction’s magic is in the details. The ability to blend real historical events with what characters might have thought, the lives they lead, the loves they lost, and the lessons they learned are not easy to combine.
Fortunately, I think each book on this list manages to do exactly that.
Best Historical Fiction Books to Read in 2023
#1. The Last Rose of Shanghai
by Weina Dai Randel
In The Last Rose of Shanghai, the year is 1940, and the setting is the intoxicating glamour and underlying grit of wartime Shanghai. Aiyi Shao is a Shanghai socialite who finds herself an unlikely guardian of a sanctuary: her nightclub, now in decline.
