The Only Historical Fiction Books You Need to Read this Summer
As the world slowly adjusts to our new reality, many are looking back at crucial moments in history for guidance, such as the response to the 1918 influenza pandemic, and how, despite the dangers of current conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus, these theories have been a part of nearly every major tragedy in history. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the atomic bomb, a tragic reminder of our nation’s past and how far we still have to go.
It’s a pivotal year for many of us, and people are turning to fiction as a way to cope with the present and make sense of our past. This is why historical fiction is now more relevant than ever. Authors take well-known time periods, people and major historical events and create beautiful, heartbreaking fictionalizations that showcase how relevant our collective, problematic past is today. Here are eleven of our favorite recent historical fiction novels, spanning a range of periods and subgenres. Many of these are available now, including a few upcoming titles that you can add to your TBR for this year!
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Following the life of a young slave, George Washington Black, this novel explores the search for self, love, betrayal, and redemption. When eleven-year-old Wash is chosen as his master’s brother’s manservant, he is shocked to discover that the man is actually an abolitionist and explorer. He introduces Wash to crafts that can carry men in the air and a world where someone born free and someone born in chains can come together and connect over their shared humanity. When a man is killed and Wash is blamed, Christopher and Wash take flight across eastern America to a remote outpost in the Arctic. This transatlantic novel is electrifying, covering the globe from Barbados to the north pole, as well as London to Morocco, and The New York Times Book Review calls Wash’s presence “fierce and unsettling.” This is not one you want to miss. You can get your copy here!
Blame the Dead by Ed Ruggero
For readers looking for a bit of crime fiction with their history, Blame the Dead is gripping in both aspects. Set during WWII at a hospital in Sicily, Italy, the story follows Military Police lieutenant Eddie Harkins, a former Philly beat cop who is forced to investigate the murder of a doctor. In fact, Booklist insists that this “vividly rendered field-hospital setting and focus on the battle-hardened nurses” is what sets this novel apart. As the battle rages on outside the walls, time begins to run out in the hunt for the killer inside the base. Eddie turns to former childhood friend and now nurse Kathleen Donnelly for assistance, and the two grow even closer as they begin to realize that the unit they are investigating may be even more sinister than they realized. You can get your copy here!
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In this dark fantasy, one of NPR’s best books of the year and a Nebula award finalist, Casiopea Tun is a young woman in the Jazz Age who dreams of something more to life as she spends her days cleaning her wealthy grandfather’s home. One day, that dream is realized when she discovers a strange wooden box in her grandfather’s room, unleashing the spirit of the Mayan god of death. He requests her help to take back the throne from his conniving brother, and promises her all that she could desire in return. Their adventure takes them from a small town in southern Mexico and the jungles of Yucatán and the bustle of Mexico City, as well as deep into the Mayan underworld. This tantalizing blend of folklore and fantasy also looks great on a bookshelf. You can get your copy here!
The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin
If you’re looking for another Jazz Age novel set just over the border in California, The Girls in the Picture explores the early days and glamour of Hollywood. If there was ever a book that would make you want to unearth silent film gems, this is it. Did you know that one of the most renowned screenwriters at the time was actually a woman? So was the highest paid actor, and they make a stunning team in this beautifully rendered novel. Exploring the complicated nuances of a female friendship over several decades, The Girls in the Picture puts early Hollywood into sharp perspective, detailing the rise of fan favorite Mary Pickford and equally talented screenwriter Frances Marion. USA Today raves that Girls “could not be more timely,” and readers will see many aspects of current sexism and #MeToo moments in the pages, a reminder of the struggles women continue to face. You can get your copy here!
House of Rougeaux by Jenny Jaeckel
This brilliant debut novel thoughtfully tackles nearly two centuries in the life of one black family, combining folklore with an exploration of race, gender, and sexuality. From the slave quarters of a Caribbean sugar plantation to Philadelphia and New York City, and even a community of free Afro-Canadians, this family epic details the trials and tribulations each new family member experiences. Publishers Weekly, in its starred review, calls this family epic a “rich tapestry of a novel.” Interested to know more about the background behind this story? The author describes her journey of allyship and responsible representation in the book in this essay.You can get your copy here!
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
In this riveting romance, Patti Callahan explores C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman’s relationship, from its humble beginnings as pen pals discussing religion and life to their inspiring, whirlwind romance that persevered even through the threat of death. The novel received high praise from Joy Davidman’s own son, Douglas Gresham, who says that it is “extraordinarily accurate…more accurate than most biographical essays that have been written about my mother.” Many of C.S. Lewis’ books were influenced by this love, calling Joy “my whole world.” Using real letters between the two, their written work, and an expansive knowledge of their time together, the story examines spirituality, heartbreak, creativity, and an all-encompassing, wholly satisfying, slow burn romance. You can get your copy here!
A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling (translated by Shelly Bryant)
Award-winning author Zhang Ling’s epic novel is lovingly translated by Shelly Bryant in this upcoming book. Combining elements of folklore and history, the novel explores the pact three men make in the wake of the Jewel Voice Broadcast, which Emperor Hirohito makes to officially surrender to the Allied forces, bringing WWII to a close. The men agree to, after their deaths, return to the Chinese village each year on the anniversary of the broadcast, a reminder of where they fought and survived. Seventy years later, that pact is upheld by an American missionary, a gunner’s mate, and a local soldier. What ties the three spirits together is also their shared connection with Ah Yan, also known as Swallow. Loved by each, Ah Yan ultimately gives them the strength to reflect on their past and remember the loss of a woman who suffered unspeakable atrocities, yet found the grace to survive. You can get your copy here!
Universe of Two by Stephen P. Kiernan
Ever wondered how the scientists and mathematicians involved in the Manhattan Project might have felt? Universe of Two, which The Boston Globe, says “skillfully educates, entertains and enlightens as great historical fiction should,” is the fictionalized account of Charles Fisk, renamed Charlie Fish. Charlie is a talented mathematician drafted into the project at the height of WWII and tasked with creating the detonator for the atomic bomb. As Charlie grapples with his conscience, the moral implications of what he is forced to do slowly becomes reality, one that he must keep secret from those he loves, including his musician wife, Brenda. Even after the war, embarking on a fresh start, Charlie is unable to escape his past, and is haunted by his role in the devastating attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Torn apart by guilt, both Charlie and Brenda dedicate the rest of their lives making amends and seeking redemption. You can get your copy here!
Dawson’s Fall by Roxana Robinson
Based on the author’s personal family history, this novel has just as much relevance today as the events that happened years ago. Weaving together actual newspaper articles and the real love letters between Robinson’s great-grandparents, Dawson’s Fall takes a look at American life, post Civil War. Spanning the life of Frank Dawson, a flawed man representative of many of those in the South, Robinson explores racism, inequality, and a new nation fraught with strife. Dawson, a man of fierce convictions, fought for the Confederacy over what he believed to be a conflict over states’ rights. He later becomes editor of the Charleston News and Courier, emerging as a voice of the New South. However, his newspaper quickly loses readers and the family is forced to confront financial issues when he is unwilling to bend his beliefs to that of those opposed to the new America. Booklist notes that this book is “unyielding and compelling in its timely themes.” You can get your copy here!
The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest
It’s never too early to start learning about history, and Amy Hest knows exactly how to introduce difficult topics to young children. In fact, in a starred review, School Library Journal praises Hest’s “expert character development and clever narration” to help draw in young readers. This middle grade novel is set in the bright, bustling town of Belle Beach on Long Island, featuring three young children as they grapple with war, loss, and the mind-boggling discovery of a baby one summer. When Julie Sweet discovers an abandoned baby on the steps of the library, the three children are propelled into an adventure across the beach as they rush to take the baby to Camp Mitchell, where they hope the soldiers and nurses stationed there will know what to do. Along the way, they run into an influential figure and find out the true identity of the baby, as well as her importance to them all. You can get your copy here!
Glorious Boy by Aimee Liu
With 2020 marking the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, Glorious Boy is a gorgeous and heart-breaking rendering of a family indelibly impacted by war. It’s a stunning blend of fiction with real-life events, set against a backdrop unfamiliar to most — the South Asian archipelago known as the Andaman Islands, home to aboriginal tribes that date back 60,000 years to the first Great Coastal Migration out of Africa. After thriving in isolation for millennia, these tribes began dying out after the British arrived in the mid-1800s to build a penal colony on South Andaman, and many were already extinct by 1936. Liu was inspired to write the novel after she dreamed about a family intertwined with the tribes that became caught up in the Japanese occupation of the islands during WWII. You can get your copy here!
