Historical Fiction

Dark Matter

Michelle Paver · Horror

A terrifying 1930s ghost story set in the haunting wilderness of the far north.

gothic atmosphere · ghosts · survival · psychological thriller · historical fiction

Dracula

Bram Stoker · Horror

To borrow a phrase used by one of the characters in the novel, Dracula is “nineteenth century up-to-date with a vengeance.” In her introduction to…

gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · vampires · historical fiction · paranormal romance

Atmosphere

Taylor Jenkins Reid · Literary Fiction

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember.

historical fiction · coming of age · forbidden romance

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Stephen Graham Jones · Horror

, a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · vampires · grimdark

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

V. E. Schwab · Literary Fiction

This is a story about hunger. 1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of…

magical realism · historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · twist ending

The Song of Achilles

Madeline Miller · Literary Fiction

This is the story of the seige of Troy from the perspective of Achilles best-friend Patroclus.

slow burn · historical fiction · coming of age · forbidden romance · found family

The Nightingale

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Despite their differences, sisters Vianne and Isabelle have always been close.

historical fiction · coming of age · survival

Heart the Lover

Lily King · Literary Fiction

*You knew I’d write a book about you someday.* Our narrator understands good love stories—their secrets and subtext, their highs and their free…

historical fiction

East of Eden

John Steinbeck · Literary Fiction

Steinbeck considered East of Eden to be his masterpiece.

historical fiction · coming of age · redemption arc

Little Women

Louisa May Alcott · Literary Fiction

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women in two parts, each resoundingly popular and receiving critical acclaim.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family

Hamnet

Maggie O'Farrell · Literary Fiction

England, 1580: The Black Death creeps across the land, an ever-present threat, infecting the healthy, the sick, the old and the young alike.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · forbidden romance

The Reformatory

Tananarive Due · Literary Fiction

"Gracetown, Florida. June 1950. Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for…

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival

Between Two Fires

Christopher Buehlman · Horror

“Buehlman…slips effortlessly into a different kind of literary sensibility, one that doesn’t scrimp on earthy humor and lyrical writing in the face…

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · survival · grimdark

The Women

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie” McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the…

historical fiction · coming of age · found family · survival

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Taylor Jenkins Reid · Literary Fiction

"Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life.

dark romance · historical fiction · forbidden romance · revenge plot

The Everlasting

Alix E. Harrow · Fantasy

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country.

slow burn · time travel · historical fiction · quest · he falls first

King of Ashes

S. A. Cosby · Literary Fiction

When eldest son Roman Carruthers is summoned home after his father’s car accident, he finds his younger brother, Dante, in debt to dangerous…

historical fiction · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

The Sword of Kaigen

M. L. Wang · Fantasy

On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and…

historical fiction · coming of age · redemption arc

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol 3

Beth Brower · Literary Fiction

historical fiction

Land

Maggie O'Farrell · Literary Fiction

The award-winning, bestselling author of Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait, returns with a soaring historical novel set in Ireland in the years before…

historical fiction · small town

Beloved

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

Toni Morrison--author of Song of Solomon and Tar Baby--is a writer of remarkable powers: her novels, brilliantly acclaimed for their passion, their…

historical fiction · magical realism · trauma recovery · haunted setting · ghosts

The Great Alone

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

historical fiction · survival · high stakes survival

Sunburn

Chloe Michelle Howarth · Literary Fiction

It's the early 1990s, and in the Irish village of Crossmore, Lucy feels out of place.

coming of age · small town · forbidden romance · historical fiction

Cleopatra

Saara El-Arifi · Literary Fiction

Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final…

historical fiction · forbidden romance

Daisy Jones and the Six

Taylor Jenkins Reid · Literary Fiction

A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous…

historical fiction · found family · road trip · coming of age

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck · Literary Fiction

Two men, migrant farmworkers, dream of a home of their own.

coming of age · found family · survival · historical fiction

Small Things Like These

Claire Keegan · Literary Fiction

A stunning new edition of Claire Keegan's multi-award-winning, bestselling novel Small Things Like These.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

Hungerstone

Kat Dunn · Horror

An orphaned, emotionally isolated heiress with no money marries a cunning steel tycoon for a chance to build back her life.

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · grimdark · psychological thriller

Stoner

John Williams · Literary Fiction

The critic Morris Dickstein has said that John Williams’s Stoner “is something much rarer than a great novel—it is a perfect novel,” and in the last…

coming of age · historical fiction · redemption arc

James

Percival Everett · Literary Fiction

**A brilliant reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—both harrowing and satirical—told from the enslaved Jim's point of view** When Jim…

historical fiction · coming of age · quest · redemption arc

Crescent City

Belva Plain · Literary Fiction

The master storyteller and best-selling author of <em>Evergreen</em>, <em>Random Winds</em>, and <em>Eden Burning</em> has now written a novel that…

historical fiction · coming of age

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen · Literary Fiction

When Mr. Dashwood dies, he must leave the bulk of his estate to the son by his first marriage, which leaves his second wife and three daughters…

romantic comedy · historical fiction · slow burn · second chance romance · opposites attract

The Red Winter

Cameron Sullivan · Fantasy

A bewitching historical fantasy from a debut author.

dark romance · historical fiction · forbidden romance · revenge plot · dark academia

Keeper of Lost Children

Sadeqa Johnson · Literary Fiction

Very good read

historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Unicorn Hunters

Katherine Arden · Fantasy

Anne of Brittany was a child when her land was invaded, her castle besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.

forbidden romance · historical fiction · enemies to lovers · political intrigue

Graceless Heart

Isabel Ibañez · Fantasy

Isabel Ibañez in her adult debut: a gorgeous, historical, and romantic fantasy that will leave readers breathless for more!

historical fiction · slow burn · forbidden romance · quest

The Book of Fallen Leaves

A. S. Tamaki · Fantasy

Shogun meets Game of Thrones in the blockbuster epic fantasy event of the year.

historical fiction · political intrigue · revenge plot

Emma

Jane Austen · Romance

Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about youthful hubris and the perils of misconstrued romance.

romantic comedy · historical fiction · coming of age · she falls first

The Frozen River

Ariel Lawhon · Mystery & Thriller

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death.

historical fiction · psychological thriller · small town

To Kill a Mockingbird

Harper Lee · Literary Fiction

Harper Lee's classic novel of a lawyer in the Deep South defending a black man charged with the rape of a white girl.

coming of age · historical fiction

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives

Elizabeth Arnott · Mystery & Thriller

A remarkable trio, whose lives were upended by their husbands' crimes, unite to catch a killer in 1960s California Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are…

historical fiction · psychological thriller · found family · revenge plot

Honey

Jack Woodford · Literary Fiction

historical fiction

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Susanna Clarke · Fantasy

Published in 2004, it is an alternative history set in 19th-century England around the time of the Napoleonic Wars.

historical fiction · slow burn · enemies to lovers

The Yellow Wallpaper

Charlotte P. Gilman · Literary Fiction

Specially printed limited edition release for the Miskatonic Literary Society.

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · historical fiction · trauma recovery

11/22/63

Stephen King · Sci-Fi

11/22/63 is a novel by Stephen King about a time traveller who attempts to prevent the assassination of United States President John F.

time travel · historical fiction · revenge plot

Foster

Claire Keegan · Literary Fiction

A small girl is sent to live with foster parents on a farm in rural Ireland, without knowing when she will return home.

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Lady Tremaine

Rachel Hochhauser · Literary Fiction

IndieNext Pick • LibraryReads Pick "A bold and beautifully written examination of a mother's love told through the eyes of Cinderella's 'wicked'…

historical fiction · redemption arc · coming of age

The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

Each night Pecola prayed for blue eyes.

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 1

Beth Brower · Literary Fiction

A humorous, charming series of novels set in 1880s London, taking the form of the diary entries of plucky, bookish Emma M. Lion

historical fiction · coming of age

Pachinko

Min Jin Lee · Literary Fiction

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea.

historical fiction · coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

The Lion Women of Tehran

Marjan Kamali · Literary Fiction

When Homa, a girl from her childhood, reappears in her privileged world, Ellie, amidst Iran's political turmoil, joins her in pursuing their goals…

coming of age · historical fiction · political intrigue · trauma recovery

The Poisoner

I.V. Ophelia · Romance

***SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION with custom SPRAYED and DESIGNED edges, available only in the first printing!*** The Lost Apothecary meets Gothikana in a…

dark romance · historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · enemies to lovers · slow burn

Slewfoot

Brom · Horror

**Set in Colonial New England, Slewfoot is a tale of magic and mystery, of triumph and terror as only dark fantasist Brom can tell…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · demons

The Grapes of Wrath

John Steinbeck · Literary Fiction

Steinbeck’s classic novel of the Great Depression is as vivid now as ever.

historical fiction · survival · coming of age · political intrigue

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald · Literary Fiction

Here is a novel, glamorous, ironical, compassionate – a marvelous fusion into unity of the curious incongruities of the life of the period – which…

historical fiction · love triangle · forbidden romance

Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut · Literary Fiction

Billy Pilgrim returns home from the Second World War only to be kidnapped by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, who teach him that time is an…

historical fiction · time travel · trauma recovery · anti hero · psychological thriller

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus · Literary Fiction

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman.

historical fiction · coming of age · workplace romance · opposites attract

Moby Dick

Herman Melville · Literary Fiction

A literary classic that wasn't recognized for its merits until decades after its publication, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick tells the tale of a whaling…

revenge plot · obsessive love · survival · historical fiction

A Guardian and a Thief

Megha Majumdar · Literary Fiction

In a near-future Kolkata, Ma, her two-year-old daughter, and her elderly father are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma's…

historical fiction · coming of age

The Girl with a Thousand Faces

Sunyi Dean · Fantasy

Mercy Chan is a triad exorcist with a mysterious past.

gothic atmosphere · ghosts · historical fiction · urban fantasy · trauma recovery

The Possession of Alba Díaz

Isabel Cañas · Horror

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust…from…

paranormal romance · demons · forbidden romance · historical fiction · slow burn

Kindred

Octavia Butler · Sci-Fi

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California…

time travel · historical fiction · trauma recovery · survival · forced proximity

Mansfield Park

Jane Austen · Literary Fiction

Fanny Price is born to a poor family, but is sent to her mother's rich relations to be brought up with her cousins.

historical fiction · slow burn · morally grey character

A Gentleman in Moscow

Amor Towles · Literary Fiction

He can’t leave his hotel. You won’t want to. From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who…

historical fiction · coming of age · found family

Odessa

Gabrielle Sher · Literary Fiction

In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turn to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the…

magical realism · historical fiction · trauma recovery · grimdark

The Fourth Wife

Linda Hamilton · Horror

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas meets “Sister Wives” in a deliciously chilling, darkly romantic, historical gothic horror with a feminist slant, as a…

dark romance · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · historical fiction · forbidden romance

The Pillars of the Earth

Ken Follett · Literary Fiction

The Pillars of the Earth is a historical novel by Welsh author Ken Follett published in 1989 about the building of a cathedral in the fictional town…

historical fiction · political intrigue · found family

A Beast Slinks Towards Beijing

Alice Evelyn Yang · Literary Fiction

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2026 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION A dark, magical realist debut family saga that moves through the Japanese occupation of Manchuria,…

magical realism · historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

Heart of Darkness

Joseph Conrad · Literary Fiction

In Joseph Conrad's seminal work, "Heart of Darkness," readers embark on a harrowing journey through the depths of the Congo River, exploring the…

historical fiction · psychological thriller · grimdark · morally grey character

The Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro · Literary Fiction

In the summer of 1956, Stevens, the ageing butler of Darlington Hall, embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the countryside and…

historical fiction · unreliable narrator · coming of age · trauma recovery

Palaces of the Crow

Ray Nayler · Literary Fiction

In Ray Nayler’s speculative novel of the recent past, four young teens caught between Nazis and the Red Army survive winter in the woods with the…

historical fiction · magical realism · survival · found family · coming of age

The Blue Castle

L.M. Montgomery · Literary Fiction

Valancy Stirling is 29, unmarried, and has never been in love.

coming of age · historical fiction · small town

Burn Down Master's House

Clay Cane · Literary Fiction

Inspired by true, long-buried stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, a searing portrayal of resistance for readers of Colson Whitehead,…

historical fiction · revenge plot · survival

The Seven Daughters of Dupree

Nikesha Elise Williams · Literary Fiction

"It's 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father.

coming of age · historical fiction

Middlemarch

George Eliot · Literary Fiction

Eliot’s epic of 19th century provincial social life, set in a fictitious Midlands town in the years 1830-32, has several interlocking storylines…

historical fiction · small town · coming of age

The Isle in the Silver Sea

Tasha Suri · Fantasy

From World Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri comes The Isle in the Silver Sea, a heart-shattering standalone romantasy of sapphic longing,…

forbidden romance · historical fiction · multiple timelines

Persuasion

Jane. Austen · Romance

Persuasion tells the love story of Anne Elliot and Captain Frederick Wentworth, whose sister rents Miss Elliot's father's house, after the Napoleonic…

second chance romance · historical fiction · slow burn

This House Will Feed

Maria Tureaud · Horror

Amidst the devastation of Ireland’s Great Famine, a young woman is salvaged from certain death when offered a mysterious position at a remote manor…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · haunted setting · survival

SHE WHO REMAINS

Rene Karabash · Literary Fiction

High in the Accursed Mountains, in a village ruled by the ancient laws of the Kanun, Bekija escapes an arranged marriage by becoming a sworn virgin,…

historical fiction · coming of age · forbidden romance · trauma recovery

A Curious Beginning

Deanna Raybourn · Mystery & Thriller

"London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying…

historical fiction · quest · coming of age

Buckeye

Patrick Ryan · Literary Fiction

'Funny and tender ... Patrick Ryan has long been one of my favourite writers' ANN PATCHETT 'I love this novel with my entire heart ... Wise and…

historical fiction · coming of age · found family

The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)

Rabih Alameddine · Literary Fiction

”—NPR From the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction comes a tragicomic love story set in Lebanon, a modern saga of family, memory, and the…

found family · historical fiction · romantic comedy

The Girls Who Grew Big

Leila Mottley · Literary Fiction

Adela Woods is sixteen years old and pregnant.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · small town · trauma recovery

Homebound

Portia Elan · Literary Fiction

'A work of joyous and serious invention' KALIANE BRADLEY 'Gripping...

magical realism · historical fiction · multiple timelines

Homegoing

Yaa Gyasi · Literary Fiction

The unforgettable New York Times best seller begins with the story of two half-sisters, separated by forces beyond their control: one sold into…

historical fiction · coming of age · multiple timelines

North and South

Elizabeth Gaskell · Literary Fiction

When her father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience, Margaret Hale is uprooted from her comfortable home in Hampshire to move with her family…

historical fiction · slow burn · opposites attract

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

Shannon Chakraborty · Fantasy

Cover illustration [as Cover Art]: Ivan Belikov Map design [as Cartographer]: Virginia Allyn Waves illustration [as Illustrator]:…

historical fiction · quest · found family

The Road of Bones

Demi Winters · Romance

A woman on the run. A crew of Viking mercenaries. A forbidden romance. And the secret which threatens them all. Silla Nordvig is running for her…

forbidden romance · slow burn · historical fiction · survival · revenge plot

If I Ruled the World

Amy DuBois Barnett · Literary Fiction

A fast-paced, juicy debut novel that peeks behind the curtain at the cutthroat world of hip-hop music and the glamorous magazine scene in the late…

coming of age · historical fiction · fish out of water

The Pretender

Jo Harkin · Literary Fiction

A sweeping historical novel in the vein of Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell set during the time of the Tudors’ ascent.

historical fiction · secret identity · political intrigue · coming of age

Lincoln in the Bardo

George Saunders · Literary Fiction

February 1862. The Civil War is less than one year old. The fighting has begun in earnest, and the nation has begun to realize it is in for a long,…

historical fiction · magical realism · found family · trauma recovery

Endling

Maria Reva · Literary Fiction

Ukraine, 2022. Yeva is a loner and a maverick biologist who lives out of her mobile lab. She scours the country’s forests and valleys, trying and…

magical realism · historical fiction · trauma recovery

A Tale of Two Cities

Charles Dickens · Literary Fiction

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Charles Dickens' classic novel tells the story of two Englishmen--degenerate lawyer Sydney…

forbidden romance · historical fiction · love triangle

The Faithful and the Fallen

Seb Wolff · Literary Fiction

A boy is taken in by the monastery at Steepwood, where he discovers a world of sanctity, secrets and sin.

dark academia · coming of age · found family · forbidden romance · historical fiction

Ring shout

P. Djèlí Clark · Horror

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · closed circle

The Book Thief

Markus Zusak · Literary Fiction

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will be busier still. By her brother's graveside,…

historical fiction · coming of age · found family · trauma recovery

The Seven Dials Mystery

Agatha Christie · Mystery & Thriller

Brings back several characters from an earlier novel, *The Secret of Chimneys*, in a story that can best be described as a John Buchan thriller told…

cozy vibes · closed circle · historical fiction

Fingersmith

Sarah Waters · Mystery & Thriller

Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs.

psychological thriller · historical fiction · twist ending · found family

A Ghastly Catastrophe

Deanna Raybourn · Mystery & Thriller

historical fiction

Jamaica Inn

Daphne du Maurier · Mystery & Thriller

Her mother's dying request takes Mary Yellan on a sad journey across the bleak moorland of Cornwall to reach Jamaica Inn, the home of her Aunt…

psychological thriller · gothic atmosphere · historical fiction

The Hacienda

Isabel Cañas · Horror

Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote…

gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · historical fiction · forbidden romance

Good People

Patmeena Sabit · Literary Fiction

“Good People is a stunning read.

historical fiction · political intrigue · trauma recovery

Boy's Life

Robert McCammon · Literary Fiction

An Alabama boy's innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.

coming of age · small town · trauma recovery · historical fiction

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny

Kiran Desai · Literary Fiction

When Sonia and Sunny first glimpse each other on an overnight train, they are immediately captivated yet also embarrassed by the fact that their…

coming of age · historical fiction

Angel Down

Daniel Kraus · Literary Fiction

A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR NATIONAL BESTSELLER “A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of…

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · quest

Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin · Literary Fiction

In Paris, France, a young American is caught between relationships with both a woman and a man and the struggle with conventional morality.

coming of age · forbidden romance · historical fiction · trauma recovery

True Grit

Charles Portis · Literary Fiction

There is no knowing what lies in a mans heart.

coming of age · historical fiction · quest · revenge plot

Fairydale

Veronica Lancet · Literary Fiction

"I might be evil personified, but you're the only one I'll ever be good to." August 1955, When Miss Darcy O’Sullivan, an orphaned English teacher…

historical fiction · magical realism · coming of age · small town

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Arthur Conan Doyle · Mystery & Thriller

The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes.

gothic atmosphere · cat and mouse · historical fiction

Our Sister's Keeper

Jasmine Holmes · Literary Fiction

Mississippi, 1927. The groanings are coming. No town is perfect, but East Cobb comes close. It's a wealthy all-Black Free Town--untouched by white…

historical fiction · haunted setting · gothic atmosphere · ghosts · closed circle

The Winter King

Bernard Cornwell · Literary Fiction

Uther, the High King of Britain, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir.

historical fiction · quest · political intrigue

Still Life

Sarah Winman · Literary Fiction

"From the acclaimed author of Tin Man comes a captivating, lively new novel of people brought together across four decades of love, war, art, flood,…

found family · historical fiction · coming of age

The Others

Sheena Kalayil · Literary Fiction

Secrets, lies and love as the DDR collapses.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · forbidden romance

The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers · Literary Fiction

The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the Problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that…

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · trauma recovery

With Love from Harlem

ReShonda Tate · Literary Fiction

"Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance...A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished." —…

historical fiction · coming of age

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Ocean Vuong · Literary Fiction

Nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction • Ocean Vuong’s debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, a first love, and the redemptive…

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · trauma recovery

I Capture the Castle

Dodie Smith · Literary Fiction

Cassandra, the 17-year-old narrator, lives an eccentric existence in a crumbling castle in the English countryside in the 1930s.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family

Daughters of the Sun and Moon

Lisa See · Literary Fiction

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Lisa See draws on the vibrancy and turmoil of post-Civil War Los Angeles to tell the story of three Chinese…

historical fiction · coming of age · survival

The Calamity Club

Kathryn Stockett · Literary Fiction

Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now…

coming of age · found family · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Meet the Newmans

Jennifer Niven · Literary Fiction

From #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author Jennifer Niven, a novel about America’s favorite TV family, whose perfect façade cracks "I LOVED Meet the…

found family · historical fiction

Daughter of Egypt

Marie Benedict · Literary Fiction

Known for her “delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense” (People), New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict, returns with a…

historical fiction · quest

The Four Winds

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Texas, 1921. A time of abundance. The Great War is over, the bounty of the land is plentiful, and America is on the brink of a new and optimistic…

historical fiction · survival · coming of age

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Zoulfa Katouh · Literary Fiction

Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria.

coming of age · historical fiction · slow burn · found family

The Overstory

Richard Powers · Literary Fiction

*The Overstory* unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fable that range from antebellum New York to the late-twentieth-century Timber Wars of…

historical fiction · political intrigue · multiple timelines

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Anne Brontë · Literary Fiction

**Librarian note: Alternate cover editions for this ISBN are: "Woman in white dress" (with the title on white and black background), "Woman at the…

forbidden romance · second chance romance · historical fiction

All the Light We Cannot See

Anthony Doerr · Literary Fiction

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German…

historical fiction · multiple timelines · survival · psychological thriller

An Infinite Love Story

Chanel Cleeton · Romance

When an astronaut is lost in space, his wife relives their epic love as she attempts to unravel what truly happened to him, in this sweeping love…

slow burn · second chance romance · historical fiction · space opera

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love

India Holton · Fantasy

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "So riotously clever it almost defies description...an alchemy of romantic elements held in perfect harmony."—NPR Rival…

historical fiction · romantic comedy · opposites attract · slow burn

The Bear and the Nightingale

Katherine Arden · Fantasy

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses.

magical realism · historical fiction · dark academia · gothic atmosphere

The Geomagician

Jennifer Mandula · Fantasy

When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him, with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this…

second chance romance · historical fiction · slow burn

The Amalfi Curse

Sarah Penner · Romance

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along…

paranormal romance · historical fiction · forbidden romance · witches · slow burn

An Offer from a Gentleman

Julia Quinn · Romance

E-Book Extras: ONE: Behind the Novel: An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn; TWO: The Bridgerton Basics: Ms.

slow burn · romantic comedy · historical fiction · found family

Lovely War

Julie Berry · Romance

**A SWEEPING, MULTI-LAYERED ROMANCE SET IN THE PERILOUS DAYS OF WORLD WARS I AND II, WHERE GODS HOLD THE FATES--AND THE HEARTS--OF FOUR MORTALS IN…

romantic comedy · paranormal romance · historical fiction · fated mates · love triangle

Dark Sisters

Kristi DeMeester · Horror

“A BONFIRE, A BEACON, A BALM, A RALLYING CRY...

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · revenge plot

Agnes Grey

Anne Brontë · Literary Fiction

In her Introduction to an edition of "Agnes Grey," Barbara A.

historical fiction · coming of age

Frenchman's Creek

Daphne du Maurier · Romance

Jaded by the numbing politeness of Restoration London, Lady Dona St.

dark romance · historical fiction · forbidden romance · opposites attract

Bridgerton

Julia Quinn · Romance

A #1 New York Times Bestseller From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn comes the story of Daphne Bridgerton, in the first of her…

enemies to lovers · slow burn · romantic comedy · historical fiction · he falls first

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Kerri Maniscalco · Horror

A gothic murder mystery set in gritty Victorian-era London, where an intrepid society girl finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a serial…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · psychological thriller · dark academia · slow burn

The Resurrectionist

A. Rae Dunlap · Horror

In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy: A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland – when…

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · dark academia · cat and mouse · psychological thriller

The Terror

Dan Simmons · Horror

The bestselling author of Ilium transforms the story of the ill-fated Franklin Expedition into a devastating historical adventure that will chill you…

historical fiction · high stakes survival · gothic atmosphere · cosmic horror

Sarafina

Philip Fracassi · Horror

During one of the most violent battles of the Civil War, three brothers fighting for the Confederate army decide to go AWOL and make their way home,…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · haunted setting

The Renovation

Kenan Orhan · Literary Fiction

A dazzlingly original new voice in literary fiction for fans of Ali Smith, Mohsin Hamid and Elif Shafak The Renovation is a heart-breaking portrait…

historical fiction · trauma recovery · political intrigue

Daughter of the Forest

Juliet Marillier · Fantasy

Daughter of the Forest is a testimony to an incredible author's talent, a first novel and the beginning of a trilogy like no other: a mixture of…

slow burn · forbidden romance · historical fiction · trauma recovery · magical realism · redemption arc

A Day of Fallen Night

Samantha Shannon · Fantasy

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory.

historical fiction · quest · multiple timelines

A Natural History of Dragons

Marie Brennan · Fantasy

Marie Brennan begins a thrilling new fantasy series in A Natural History of Dragons, combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian…

dragons · quest · coming of age · historical fiction

She Who Became the Sun

Shelley Parker-Chan · Fantasy

In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule.

chosen one · quest · historical fiction · morally grey character

A Quiet Life in the Country

T E. Kinsey · Mystery & Thriller

Emily, Lady Hardcastle, is a widow with a mysterious and unconventional past.

small town · historical fiction · cozy vibes

84, Charing Cross Road

Helene Hanff · Literary Fiction

It all began with a letter inquiring about second-hand books, written by Helene Hanff in New York, and posted to a bookshop at 84, Charing Cross Road…

slow burn · found family · historical fiction

The Iliad

Homer · Literary Fiction

With this translation of the Iliad, employing an English version of the powerful meter that gave life to HOmer's original, Rodney Merrill enables…

historical fiction · quest · high stakes survival · revenge plot

Lady Tan's Circle of Women

Lisa See · Literary Fiction

*NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!* From “one of those special writers capable of delivering both poetry and plot” (The New York Times Book Review) an…

historical fiction · coming of age

The Enchanted April

Elizabeth von Arnim · Literary Fiction

A 1922 women's adventure and travel novel by British-American novelist Elizabeth von Arnim.

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · cozy vibes · road trip

Orlando

Virginia Woolf · Literary Fiction

In her most exuberant, most fanciful novel, Woolf has created a character liberated from the restraints of time and sex.

historical fiction · magical realism · secret identity · multiple timelines

Underground Railroad

Colson Whitehead · Literary Fiction

Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia.

historical fiction · survival · quest

Butcher's Crossing

John Williams · Literary Fiction

In the 1870s, Will Andrews, fired up by Emerson to seek "an original relation to nature," drops out of Harvard and heads west.

historical fiction · survival

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer

Fredrik Backman · Literary Fiction

Grandpa and Noah are sitting on a bench in a square that keeps getting smaller every day.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · found family · coming of age

Lone Women

Victor LaValle · Literary Fiction

Blue skies, empty land—and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret.

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · grimdark

Shōgun

James Clavell · Literary Fiction

After Englishman John Blackthorne is lost at sea, he awakens in a place few Europeans know of and even fewer have seen--Nippon.

historical fiction · fish out of water · political intrigue · survival

Villette

Charlotte Bronte · Literary Fiction

Villette is an 1853 novel by Charlotte Brontë.

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · slow burn · forbidden romance · coming of age

Country People

Daniel Mason · Literary Fiction

'Told with warmth and wit, Mason's prose shimmers in this immersive ode to stories, to the land, and its people' Lucy Steeds, Sunday Times…

historical fiction · found family · coming of age

Black Sun

Rebecca Roanhorse · Fantasy

"A god will return when the earth and sky converge under the black sun in the holy city of Tova...

chosen one · quest · historical fiction · political intrigue · morally grey character

The Fourth Princess

Janie Chang · Literary Fiction

From the internationally bestselling author of The Porcelain Moon comes a haunting Gothic novel set in 1911 China.

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · missing person · psychological thriller · haunted setting

To the Moon and Back

Eliana Ramage · Literary Fiction

One young woman’s relentless quest to become the first Cherokee astronaut will irrevocably alter the fates of the people she loves most in this tour…

coming of age · historical fiction · found family · quest · redemption arc

Isola

Allegra Goodman · Literary Fiction

A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this epic saga of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam.

historical fiction · forbidden romance · survival · coming of age

A Far-flung Life

M.L. Stedman · Literary Fiction

about tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of love.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

Lake Effect

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney · Literary Fiction

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nest and Good Company comes a wry and tender portrait of two families forever changed by one…

historical fiction · found family · small town

The Other Bennet Sister

Janice Hadlow · Literary Fiction

A NPR CONCIERGE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "Jane fans rejoice!

romantic comedy · coming of age · historical fiction · friends to lovers

Yellow Wife

Sadeqa Johnson · Literary Fiction

Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life.

historical fiction · survival · revenge plot

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett · Literary Fiction

"The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical.

coming of age · found family · historical fiction

The Awakening

Kate Chopin · Literary Fiction

The scandalous story of a young matron living in New Orleans in the late 1800s, who, awakens to the pangs of passion and desire for the first time in…

historical fiction · coming of age · forbidden romance

Homeseeking

Karissa Chen · Literary Fiction

Haiwen is buying bananas at a 99 Ranch Market in Los Angeles when he looks up and sees Suchi, his Suchi, for the first time in sixty years.

historical fiction · coming of age · second chance romance · found family

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward · Literary Fiction

In this reimagining of American slavery, Jesmyn Ward describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans…

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · dark academia

The Little Stranger

Sarah Waters · Literary Fiction

Abundantly atmospheric and elegantly told, *The Little Stranger* is Sarah Waterss most thrilling and ambitious novel yet.

psychological thriller · historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting

Wives and Daughters

Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell · Literary Fiction

The story is about Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor living in a provincial English town in the 1830s.

coming of age · historical fiction · small town

The Bookbinder's Secret

A. D. Bell · Literary Fiction

Every book tells a story. This one tells a secret. A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a…

historical fiction · forbidden romance · revenge plot

The Children of Gods and Fighting Men

Shauna Lawless · Fantasy

SHORTLISTED FOR BEST DEBUT AT THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS.

historical fiction · chosen one · quest

West Of Forever

Kelsy Madden · Romance

In the untamed American West, a beautiful and strong-willed woman named Miss Amelia finds herself at the helm of a bustling brothel.

dark romance · forbidden romance · slow burn · enemies to lovers · historical fiction · possessive romance

The Sirens

Emilia Hart · Fantasy

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • #1 LibraryReads Pick • Indie Next Pick A spellbinding novel about sisters…

found family · magical realism · historical fiction · multiple timelines

Aicha

Soraya Bouazzaoui · Fantasy

TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR. Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Soraya…

dark romance · revenge plot · historical fiction · forbidden romance

The Wedding

Julie Garwood · Romance

Lairds' Fiancées #2 Journeying from England to Scotland to wed a highlander, Lady Brenna had resigned herself to the arranged match.

historical fiction · enemies to lovers · forced proximity · marriage of convenience

Indigo

Beverly Jenkins · Romance

*** Now with new material -- Hester and Galen's favorite Mud Pie Recipe *** As a child Hester Wyatt escaped slavery, but now the dark skinned beauty…

historical fiction · second chance romance

Vampires of El Norte

Isabel Cañas · Romance

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

paranormal romance · vampires · historical fiction · forbidden romance · slow burn

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Khaled Hosseini · Literary Fiction

Two women born a generation apart witness the destruction of their home and family in wartorn Kabul, losses incurred over the course of thirty years…

found family · historical fiction · trauma recovery

An American Marriage

Tayari Jones · Literary Fiction

OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB 2018 SELECTION One of the most anticipated novels of 2018 according to Entertainment Weekly * Goodreads * Esquire * Elle *…

historical fiction · trauma recovery · twist ending

The Disappearers

Marlon James · Literary Fiction

MARLON JAMES'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING A BRIEF HISTORY OF SEVEN KILLINGS 'Darkness is a mood in Jamaica .

dark academia · historical fiction · grimdark · political intrigue

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

Melanie Dickerson · Romance

My only remaining marriage prospects were the head gardener, the vicar, and the steward.

slow burn · grumpy sunshine · opposites attract · historical fiction · forbidden romance

The Diviners

Libba Bray · Mystery & Thriller

It's 1920s New York City. It's flappers and Follies, jazz and gin. It's after the war but before the depression. And for certain group of bright…

coming of age · historical fiction · chosen one

Forgotten Garden

Kate Morton · Mystery & Thriller

historical fiction · multiple timelines · twist ending

A Morbid Taste for Bones

Ellis Peters · Mystery & Thriller

The attempts by English Benedictine monks to transfer to their monastery the sacred bones of an obscure Welsh saint are hindered by strange…

historical fiction · closed circle

The Red Sacrament

Sara Hinkley · Horror

A savage, hypnotic dive into the lives and deaths of a coven of vampires living in 19th Century Paris, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia,…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · vampires · dark romance · found family

The Glowing Hours

Leila Siddiqui · Horror

A mind-bending, revisionist gothic horror story about the fabled summer Mary Shelley began work on Frankenstein, as told by her Indian housemaid,…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · unreliable narrator · paranormal romance

The Remembered Soldier

Anjet Daanje · Literary Fiction

INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE LONGLIST NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST—THE NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2025—THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THE 10 BEST…

historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Forgotten Midwife

Laura Anthony · Literary Fiction

Set in the dual timelines of present-day and 1950s Ireland and based on real historical events, a powerful, poignant novel of feminism and resilience…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

Catch-22

Joseph Heller · Literary Fiction

*Catch-22* is like no other novel.

historical fiction · anti hero · grimdark

The Warm Hands of Ghosts

Katherine Arden · Literary Fiction

During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this…

historical fiction · magical realism · quest · ghosts

Oliver Twist

Charles Dickens · Literary Fiction

Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress, is the second novel by English author Charles Dickens.

coming of age · historical fiction · survival · found family

Train Dreams

Denis Johnson · Literary Fiction

Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams is an epic in miniature, one of his most evocative and poignant fictions.

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · survival

Cold comfort farm

Stella Gibbons · Literary Fiction

When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at nineteen, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex.

small town · historical fiction · coming of age · fish out of water

The Stationery Shop

Marjan Kamali · Literary Fiction

"A novel set in 1953 Tehran, against the backdrop of the Iranian Coup, about a young couple in love who are separated on the eve of their marriage,…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

There Are Rivers in the Sky

Elif Shafak · Literary Fiction

From the Booker Prize finalist, author of The Island of Missing Trees, an enchanting new tale about three characters living along two great rivers,…

magical realism · historical fiction

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Mark Twain · Literary Fiction

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or as it is known in more recent editions, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, is a novel by American author Mark…

coming of age · historical fiction · road trip · found family

The Widows of Malabar Hill

Sujata Massey · Mystery & Thriller

"Introducing an extraordinary female lawyer-sleuth in a new historical series set in 1920s Bombay.

historical fiction · trauma recovery

A Slow and Secret Poison

Carmella Lowkis · Mystery & Thriller

In the early 1900s, a young gardener at a lush English manor falls in love with her employer whose past is shrouded in deadly secrets—from the author…

forbidden romance · gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · small town · slow burn

Henry Tudor Must Die

Jillian Laine · Literary Fiction

PRE-ORDER NOW! One queen exiled. Another headed for the gallows. Both hungry for revenge. England’s most infamous queens unite in vengeance against…

dark academia · historical fiction · revenge plot · witches · twist ending

Skylark

Paula McLain · Literary Fiction

! The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic…

historical fiction · slow burn · multiple timelines · quest

Far from the Madding Crowd

Thomas Hardy · Literary Fiction

historical fiction · love triangle · coming of age

Kate & Frida

Kim Fay · Literary Fiction

Sometimes a book can change your life...

found family · historical fiction · coming of age

The Sunflower Boys

Sam Wachman · Literary Fiction

A poignant coming-of-age story with the sensitivity and haunting power of What Belongs to You and Swimming in the Dark, about a young boy wrestling…

coming of age · historical fiction

The Trees

Percival Everett · Literary Fiction

After a series of brutal murders in a rural Mississippi town, investigators arrive and discover a large number of similar cases that all have roots…

dark academia · psychological thriller · historical fiction · revenge plot · trauma recovery

Winter Garden

Kristin Hannah · Literary Fiction

Can a woman ever really know herself if she doesn't know her mother?

found family · coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Lady Macbeth

Ava Reid · Literary Fiction

Fair is foul and foul is fair. From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning comes a reimagining of Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare’s…

dark academia · historical fiction · dark romance · forced proximity · morally grey character

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Mary Ann Shaffer · Literary Fiction

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey?

historical fiction · found family · slow burn

Burial Rites

Hannah Kent · Literary Fiction

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master,…

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · closed circle · trauma recovery

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston · Literary Fiction

In Zora Neale Hurston's seminal work, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," the narrative unfolds through the life of Janie Crawford, a woman of mixed…

coming of age · second chance romance · historical fiction

Till We Have Faces

C. S. Lewis · Literary Fiction

This twist on an old story, is an exploration of love—between sisters, between friends, between teacher and pupil, between men and women.

coming of age · historical fiction · redemption arc · trauma recovery · forbidden romance

The Covenant of Water (Oprah's Book Club)

Abraham Verghese · Literary Fiction

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, three generations of a Christian family in Kerala, South India, suffer a peculiar affliction: in every generation,…

historical fiction · slow burn · forbidden romance · found family

The Light Years

Elizabeth Jane Howard · Literary Fiction

This "dazzling" novel follows a family of English aristocrats as their country teeters on the brink of World War II (Penelope Fitzgerald).

historical fiction · found family · coming of age

The Secret Book Society

Madeline Martin · Literary Fiction

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets, and the women who…

forbidden romance · found family · historical fiction · coming of age

Tess of the D'Urbervilles

Thomas Hardy · Literary Fiction

A young woman finds herself the victim of fate and of forces beyond her control in nineteenth-century England.

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

The Eights

Joanna Miller · Literary Fiction

They knew they were changing history.

found family · historical fiction · coming of age · chosen one

Augustus

John Williams · Literary Fiction

"Winner of the 1973 National Book Award.

historical fiction · political intrigue

Lolly Willowes

Sylvia Townsend Warner · Literary Fiction

Unfintunately, half of the book is missing

coming of age · small town · historical fiction · found family

The Luminaries

Eleanor Catton · Literary Fiction

Wonderful novel taking place in New-Zealand during the golden rush.

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · multiple timelines

Junie

Erin Crosby Eckstine · Literary Fiction

"A strong-willed enslaved girl is haunted by her sister's ghost as she grapples with circumstances beyond her control, risking her life as the Civil…

survival · trauma recovery · historical fiction · ghosts

Shuggie Bain

Douglas Stuart · Literary Fiction

Shuggie Bain is the unforgettable story of young Hugh “Shuggie” Bain, a sweet and lonely boy who spends his 1980s childhood in run-down public…

coming of age · historical fiction · trauma recovery

Passing

Nella Larsen · Literary Fiction

First published to critical acclaim in 1929, Passing firmly established Nella Larsen's prominence among women writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

historical fiction · secret identity · psychological thriller

Red Clay

Charles B. Fancher · Literary Fiction

An astounding multigenerational saga, Red Clay chronicles the interwoven lives of an enslaved Black family and their white owners as the Civil War…

historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery · multiple timelines

Autumn

Ali Smith · Literary Fiction

A girl's friendship with an older neighbor stands at the center of this multifaceted meditation on aging, art, love, and affection.

magical realism · historical fiction · coming of age · trauma recovery

Appalachian Song

Michelle Shocklee · Literary Fiction

Forever within the memories of my heart.

historical fiction · coming of age · found family

Dubliners

James Joyce · Literary Fiction

James Joyce's disillusion with the publication of Dubliners in 1914 was the result of ten years battling with publishers, resisting their demands to…

historical fiction · small town

The Pirate Queen

Ariel Lawhon · Literary Fiction

From the million-copy bestselling author of The Frozen River comes a thrilling historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, an…

historical fiction · revenge plot · survival

No Friend to This House

Natalie Haynes · Literary Fiction

'Haynes is the modern embodiment of the best of Homer' – Radio Times No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea…

historical fiction · revenge plot

Happy Land

Dolen Perkins-Valdez · Literary Fiction

A woman learns the incredible story of a real-life American Kingdom—and her family’s ties to it—in this enthralling novel from the New York Times…

historical fiction · found family · coming of age · trauma recovery

When the Tides Held the Moon

Venessa Vida Kelley · Fantasy

The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman in this beautifully illustrated queer historical cozy fantasy, as a young Puerto Rican immigrant goes…

slow burn · forbidden romance · cozy vibes · coming of age · historical fiction · found family

The Starseekers

Nicole Glover · Fantasy

Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of…

historical fiction · magical realism · coming of age

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Ernest Hemingway · Literary Fiction

High in the pine forests of the Spanish Sierra, a guerrilla band prepares to blow up a vital bridge.

forbidden romance · historical fiction · redemption arc · political intrigue · survival

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker · Literary Fiction

A Washington Post Notable Book One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Economist, Financial Times Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award Finalist…

historical fiction · grimdark · trauma recovery

The Things We Cannot Say

Kelly Rimmer · Literary Fiction

In 1942, Europe remains in the relentless grip of war.

historical fiction · trauma recovery · missing person · survival

The Book of Lost Hours

Hayley Gelfuso · Fantasy

"A spectacular historical and speculative novel about a WWII-era girl who grows up trapped in the "time space," a cavernous library featuring books…

historical fiction · magical realism · forbidden romance · multiple timelines · survival

Vows and Ruins

Helen Scheuerer · Romance

second chance romance · forbidden romance · historical fiction

This Immortal Heart

Jennifer Saint · Romance

From the #1 bestselling author comes an epic story of love and war as two opposing deities find themselves drawn to each other against all odds.

paranormal romance · forbidden romance · historical fiction · fated mates · slow burn

A Fate Inked in Blood

Danielle L. Jensen · Romance

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior.

slow burn · forbidden romance · marriage of convenience · second chance romance · historical fiction

Sense and Suitability

Pepper Basham · Romance

In this clean Regency romance, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love--until the man who broke her heart…

historical fiction · second chance romance · enemies to lovers · slow burn

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

George R. R. Martin · Fantasy

"Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel…

grimdark · historical fiction · quest

The Viscount who Loved Me

Julia Quinn · Romance

*1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, This Author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no…

enemies to lovers · slow burn · romantic comedy · historical fiction · he falls first

Redeeming Love

Francine Rivers · Romance

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • The classic story that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide: a tragically wounded…

dark romance · historical fiction · redemption arc · trauma recovery

The Lawyer and the Laundress

Christine Hill Suntz · Romance

"Canada, 1837. Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few…

historical fiction · slow burn · forbidden romance · coming of age

The Sign of Four

Conan Sir Arthur Doyle · Mystery & Thriller

The Sign of the Four (1890), also called The Sign of Four, is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

historical fiction · cat and mouse · closed circle

The Nine Tailors

Dorothy Leigh Sayers · Mystery & Thriller

When his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he…

cozy vibes · closed circle · historical fiction

The Christmas Clue

Nicola Upson · Mystery & Thriller

In this festive whodunit, set in a cozy snowed-in country-house, an innocent mystery game goes horribly wrong, leaving the real-life couple who…

historical fiction · closed circle · locked room · cozy vibes · twist ending

The Secret of Chimneys

Agatha Christie · Mystery & Thriller

A bit of adventure and quick cash is all that good-natured drifter Anthony Cade is looking for when he accepts a messenger job from an old friend.

political intrigue · cat and mouse · historical fiction

The Butcher's Daughter

David Demchuk · Horror

The story of the vengeful barber Sweeney Todd has gripped fans across literary, stage, and screen renditions—but little has been told of Mrs.

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · dark romance · revenge plot

Knock Knock, Open Wide

Neil Sharpson · Horror

Knock Knock, Open Wide weaves horror and Celtic myth into a terrifying, heartbreaking supernatural tale of fractured family bonds, the secrets we…

gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · haunted setting · historical fiction

The Last Witch

C. J. Cooke · Horror

A deeply compelling historical horror novel following a woman accused of being a witch who must use her voice to fight for her life—and the…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · survival · witches · dark academia

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport

Paulette Kennedy · Horror

The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman…

historical fiction · haunted setting · psychological thriller · trauma recovery

This Is Where the Serpent Lives

Daniyal Mueenuddin · Literary Fiction

Moving from Pakistan’s dazzling chaotic cities to its lawless feudal countryside, This Is Where the Serpent Lives powerfully evokes contemporary…

historical fiction · revenge plot · political intrigue

Gravity's Rainbow

Thomas Pynchon · Literary Fiction

historical fiction · multiple timelines

Next Time Will Be Our Turn

Jesse Q. Sutanto · Literary Fiction

A grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty, often surprising, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story by USA Today…

slow burn · historical fiction · coming of age · found family

Village Diary

Miss Read · Literary Fiction

Here, the characters include dictatorial Amy, an old college friend, Mr Mawne, whom the village sees as a possible husband for the unwilling Miss…

small town · historical fiction · cozy vibes

Electra

Jennifer Saint · Literary Fiction

Três mulheres enredadas numa maldição antiga.

historical fiction · dark academia

The Jungle

Upton Sinclair · Literary Fiction

Upton Sinclair's dramatic and deeply moving story exposed the brutal conditions in the Chicago stockyards at the turn of the nineteenth century and…

historical fiction · survival

The Last of Earth

Deepa Anappara · Literary Fiction

From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a “thrilling and profound” (BBC) novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that…

forbidden romance · slow burn · psychological thriller · historical fiction · cat and mouse · morally grey character · opposites attract

Winter Solstice

Rosamunde Pilcher · Literary Fiction

Elfrida Phipps, once on the London stage and retired at 62, never anticipates going off with a man.

found family · historical fiction · cozy vibes

Wolf Hall

Hilary Mantel · Literary Fiction

Wolf Hall (2009) is a historical novel by English author Hilary Mantel, published by Fourth Estate, named after the Seymour family's seat of…

historical fiction · political intrigue · morally grey character

By Any Other Name

Jodi Picoult · Literary Fiction

From the co-author of Mad Honey comes an “inspiring” (Elle) novel about two women, centuries apart—one of whom is the real author of Shakespeare’s…

historical fiction · unreliable narrator · multiple timelines · secret identity

Buffalo Hunter

Zane Grey · Literary Fiction

Epic Western adventure from a master American storyteller.

historical fiction · survival

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Betty Smith · Literary Fiction

The beloved American classic about a young girl's coming-of-age at the turn of the century, Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and…

coming of age · small town · historical fiction · survival

A Resistance of Witches

Morgan Ryan · Fantasy

AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER RESISTANCE IS MAGIC “War II meets A Discovery of Witches…I raced through this one.” —Kate Quinn, New York Times…

historical fiction · grimdark · witches · revenge plot

When Women Were Dragons

Kelly Barnhill · Fantasy

A GOODREADS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A fiery feminist fantasy tale set in 1950s America where thousands of women have spontaneously transformed into…

magical realism · historical fiction · dragons · coming of age · redemption arc

Daughter of the Empire

Raymond E. Feist · Fantasy

Mara, a young, untested Ruling Lady of Kelewan, is called upon to lead her people in a heroic stuggle for survival.

historical fiction · political intrigue · revenge plot

The Words of Kings and Prophets

Shauna Lawless · Fantasy

THE BRILLIANT NEW GAEL SONG NOVEL FROM SHAUNA LAWLESS, THE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD, AVAILABLE NOW!

political intrigue · historical fiction · grimdark · fae

Weyward

Emilia Hart · Fantasy

**KATE, 2019** Kate flees London – abandoning everything – for Cumbria and Weyward Cottage, inherited from her great-aunt.

found family · historical fiction · witches · slow burn · trauma recovery

The Snow Child

Eowyn Ivey · Fantasy

November, 1920. Jack and Mabel have staked everything on making a fresh start in a homestead 'at the world's edge' in the Alaskan wilderness. But as…

magical realism · historical fiction · coming of age · gothic atmosphere

The Beheading Game

Rebecca Lehmann · Fantasy

Disgraced. Beheaded. And out for revenge . . . We all know what happened to Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn. But what if she woke up the day…

revenge plot · grimdark · historical fiction · quest

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

India Holton · Romance

A New York Times Notable Book of 2021 “The kind of book for which the word “rollicking” was invented.”—New York Times Book Review A prim and proper…

romantic comedy · historical fiction · brothers best friend · heist

Seeking Persephone

Sarah M. Eden · Romance

When Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the ill-tempered Duke of Kielder, she refuses, and then reconsiders.

historical fiction · slow burn

Murder on the Rocks

T. E. Kinsey · Mystery & Thriller

February 1913. Lady Hardcastle and her diminutive but brave lady's maid, Flo, have been invited by their friend JB McIntyre to spend the weekend at…

cozy vibes · historical fiction · closed circle

Her Royal Spyness

Rhys Bowen · Mystery & Thriller

INTRODUCING A FEISTY NEW HEROINE (JACQUELINE WINSPEAR) whos thirty-fourth in line for the throneand flat broke.From the Agatha Award-winning author…

historical fiction · cozy vibes · political intrigue

Maisie Dobbs

Jacqueline Winspear · Mystery & Thriller

historical fiction · cozy vibes

Benbecula

Graeme Macrae Burnet · Mystery & Thriller

Booker-nominated Graeme Macrae Burnet returns to the historic Scotland of His Bloody Project to tell the multi-layered story of madness and murder in…

psychological thriller · historical fiction · unreliable narrator · cat and mouse · closed circle

The Parisian Heist

Jo Piazza · Mystery & Thriller

Emma, a struggling American artist in Paris, thought she had left her dreams behind when she took a job cleaning for the city’s wealthy elite.

heist · historical fiction · multiple timelines · political intrigue

Fiend

Alma Katsu · Horror

Imagine if the Sackler family had a demon at their beck and call.

historical fiction · grimdark · dark academia · demons

The Lies They Told

Ellen Marie Wiseman · Literary Fiction

In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement – when…

historical fiction · coming of age · survival · political intrigue · trauma recovery

The Infamous Gilberts

Angela Tomaski · Literary Fiction

The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held…

dark academia · historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · found family

The Dutch House

Ann Patchett · Literary Fiction

A HOUSE FORMERLY OWNED BY A WEALTHY COUPLE IS PASSED DOWN TO A NEWLY RICH BUSINESSMAN AND HIS CHILDREN. HOW THE HOUSE OWNERSHIP MOVES THROUGH TIME.

coming of age · found family · historical fiction · trauma recovery

The Penelopiad

Margaret Atwood · Literary Fiction

Homer's Odyssey is not the only version of the story.

historical fiction · magical realism · twist ending · redemption arc

Empire of Shadows

Jacquelyn Benson · Literary Fiction

Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.

historical fiction · quest · coming of age · fish out of water

Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy · Literary Fiction

Based on incidents that took place in the southwestern United States and Mexico around 1850, this novel chronicles the crimes of a band of…

historical fiction · grimdark · survival

Stations

Louise Kennedy · Literary Fiction

** PRE-ORDER NOW - FROM THE PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF TRESPASSES ** In 1982, Róisín and Red meet as teenagers in their hometown in Ireland.

coming of age · small town · historical fiction · slow burn · forbidden romance

The Crucible

Arthur Miller · Literary Fiction

The Crucible is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller.

historical fiction · political intrigue · psychological thriller

The Antidote

Karen Russell · Literary Fiction

From Pulitzer finalist, MacArthur Fellowship recipient, and bestselling author of Swamplandia!

historical fiction · found family

Hard Times

Charles Dickens · Literary Fiction

Dickens scathing portrait of Victorian industrial society and its misapplied utilitarian philosophy, Hard Times features schoolmaster Thomas…

historical fiction · coming of age

Recitatif

Toni Morrison · Literary Fiction

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • A beautiful, arresting story about race and the relationships that shape us through life by the legendary Nobel Prize…

coming of age · historical fiction · unreliable narrator

The Briar Club

Kate Quinn · Literary Fiction

Washington, DC, 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s…

found family · historical fiction