Adult Historical Fiction

Adult Historical Fiction

Updated January 23, 2026
Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation Portage Lake District Library
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Adult Historical Fiction

Adult Historical Fiction

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1

Miss Morgan's book brigade : a novel
Skeslien Charles, Janet
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles and based on the true story of Jessie Carson--the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France--this is "a moving tale of sacrifice, heroism, and inspired storytelling immersed in the power of books to...

2

The Sunflower House : a novel
Allegri, Adriana
Paper Book
The beloved international bestseller! Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself, and others, in a Nazi-run baby factory--a real-life Handmaid's Tale--during World War II. In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss's life seems...

3

The Goddess of Warsaw : a novel
Barr, Lisa
Paper Book
USA TODAY BESTSELLER "Utterly gripping. . . a transformative and immersive story so powerful and captivating that I could not put it down. . . . Truly one of the best books I've read."--Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish "Lisa Barr's new historical fiction,...

4

The wings of Poppy Pendleton
Dobson, Melanie
Paper Book
In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family's castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all. 1907.On...

5

Shelterwood
Wingate, Lisa.
Paper Book
USA TODAY AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BESTSELLER * "Wingate's stellar latest explores a centuries-long legacy of missing child cases. . . . Her portrayal of the region's history, culture, and landscape enthralls. Wingate is at the top of her game."--Publishers Weekly, starred...

6

The Briar Club : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Paper Book
"Quinn evocatively balances the outward cheerfulness of the 1950s with historical observations exploring racism, misogyny, homophobia and political persecution in this sharply drawn, gripping novel." - People Magazine The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The...

7

All the glimmering stars : a novel
Sullivan, Mark T.
Paper Book
Inspired by a true story, two teens kidnapped by an African warlord find salvation through love in a powerful and healing historical novel from the #1 bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley. Anthony Opoka and Florence Okori are coming of...

8

Daughters of Shandong
Chung, Eve J.
Paper Book
A propulsive, extraordinary novel about a mother and her daughters' harrowing escape to Taiwan as the Communist revolution sweeps through China, by debut author Eve J. Chung, based on her family story An Instant USA Today Bestseller, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick,...

9

Time of the child
Williams, Niall
Paper Book
"The writing in this book is lyrical . . . a beautiful book that you will love." -Good Morning America's #1 Favorite Book of the Year "I am utterly obsessed with Niall Williams." -Ann Patchett, New York Times...

10

Farewell, Amethystine
Mosley, Walter
Paper Book
Shamus Award Finalist for Best Hardcover PI Novel From "master of the genre" (Washington Post) Walter Mosley, Detective Easy Rawlins' latest client sends him down a warren of memory and nostalgia--blinding him to reason and risk.

11

The great when
Moore, Alan
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author and legendary storyteller Alan Moore, the first book in an enthralling new series about murder, magic, and madness set between two Londons-one recovering from World War II, and one a secret world unlike any other. ...

12

Hold strong : a novel
Dugoni, Robert
Paper Book
From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel--based on true events--about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II. Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious...

13

Isola : a novel
Goodman, Allegra
Paper Book
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "A shocking story, made all the more stunning by the fact that it has its roots in true history."--Jodi Picoult, author of By Any Other Name "A new generation of survival story . . . an extraordinary book that reads like a...

14

Polostan
Stephenson, Neal
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Termination Shock and Cryptonomicon, the first installment in a monumental new series--an expansive historical epic of intrigue and international espionage, presaging the dawn of the Atomic Age. The first installment in Neal...

15

The sirens : a novel
Hart, Emilia
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * #1 LibraryReads Pick * Indie Next Pick A spellbinding novel about sisters separated by centuries, but bound together by the sea, from the author of the...

16

The murder at world's end
Montgomery, Ross (Fiction writer)
Paper Book
Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo--an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian--hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times...

17

The stolen life of Colette Marceau
Harmel, Kristin
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author who "is the best there is at sweeping historical drama" (Kelly Harms, author of The Seven Day Switch), returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a...

18

The Lies they told
Wiseman, Ellen Marie
Paper Book
A Simultaneous Hardcover Edition--Also Available as Trade Paperback Original In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America's rising eugenics movement - when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove...

19

The marriage portrait
O'Farrell, Maggie
Paper Book
WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION FINALIST * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * The author of award-winning Hamnet brings the world of Renaissance Italy to jewel-bright life in this unforgettable fictional portrait of the captivating young duchess Lucrezia de' Medici...

20

Wandering stars
Orange, Tommy
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The Pulitzer Prize-finalist and author of the breakout bestseller There There ("Pure soaring beauty."The New York Times Book Review) delivers a masterful follow-up to his already classic first novel. Extending his constellation of narratives into...

21

The forest of vanishing stars
Harmel, Kristin
Paper Book
Parade "Best Books of Summer" pick * Real Simple summer reading pick * SheReads "Best WWII Fiction of Summer 2021" pick The New York Times bestselling author of the "heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism" (P...

22

The glassmaker
Chevalier, Tracy
Paper Book
Named a Best Historical Novel of 2024 by The Sunday Times, The Independent, and BookPage "The Glassmaker is as finely wrought as a dazzling Murano bead. . . . Chevalier reaffirms her status as one of the reigning queens of historical fiction." --The...

23

The Briar Club : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Paper Book
"Quinn evocatively balances the outward cheerfulness of the 1950s with historical observations exploring racism, misogyny, homophobia and political persecution in this sharply drawn, gripping novel." - People Magazine The New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye and The...

24

Some murders in Berlin
Robards, Karen
Paper Book
This pulse-pounding, brilliantly twisting new historical thriller is a gripping tale that will leave you questioning everything. September 1943: Berlin is the heart of darkness--and the last place Dr. Elin Lund wishes to be. An expert in psychological profiling, she's...

25

Butcher : father of modern gyno-psychiatry
Oates, Joyce Carol
Paper Book
From one of our most accomplished storytellers, an extraordinary and arresting novel about a women's asylum in the nineteenth century, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world In this harrowing story based on authentic historical documents, we follow the career of Dr...

26

The Frozen River [Release date Dec. 5, 2023]
Lawhon, Ariel.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GMA BOOK CLUB PICK * AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha...

27

The little liar : a novel
Albom, Mitch
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with his most important novel to date, an unforgettable work of World War II historical fiction about truth and lies set during the Holocaust. Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has...

28

The cabinet of Dr. Leng
Preston, Douglas J.
Ebook
Preston & Child continue their #1 bestselling series featuring FBI Special Agent Pendergast and Constance Greene, as they cross paths with New York's deadliest serial killer ...Pendergast's own ancestor ... and now his greatest foe. AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY ...

29

Sisters under the rising sun
Morris, Heather (Screenwriter)
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a story of sisterhood and survival, inspired by a true story. A phenomenal novel of resilience and survival from bestselling author of The Tattooist of...

30

The invisible hour : a novel
Hoffman, Alice
Paper Book
The latest New York Times bestseller from beloved author Alice Hoffman celebrates the enduring magic of books and is a "wonderful story of love and growth" (Stephen King). One June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The...

31

Mrs. Porter calling : a novel
Pearce, A. J.
Paper Book
From the author of the bestselling "jaunty, heartbreaking winner" (People) Dear Mrs. Bird, a charming, heartwarming World War II novel featuring aspiring journalist and advice columnist Emmy Lake as she navigates life, love, and female friendship in wartime London--perfect for fans...

32

Flags on the bayou : a novel
Burke, James Lee
Paper Book
EDGAR AWARD WINNER FOR BEST NOVEL OF THE YEAR From New York Times-bestselling author James Lee Burke comes a novel set in Civil War-era Louisiana as the South transforms and a brilliant cast of characters - enslaved and free women, plantation gentry, and battle-weary...

33

Canary Girls
Chiaverini, Jennifer.
Paper Book
Rosie the Riveter meets A League of Their Own in New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini's lively and illuminating novel of the British home front about the "munitionettes" who built bombs in Britain's arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war...

34

The spectacular : a novel
Davis, Fiona
Audiobook
From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday. New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion...

35

The vaster wilds
Groff, Lauren
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2023 NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY NPR, TIME, ESQUIRE, VOGUE, LA TIMES, SLATE, HARPER'S BAZAAR and others "Part historical, part...

36

The Mitford affair
Benedict, Marie
Paper Book
"Plunges readers into a world of glamorous, charismatic young British debutantes and then turns that shiny world on its head...the most delicious storytelling." --Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post From New York Times bestselling...

37

The heart's choice
Peterson, Tracie
Paper Book
They must uncover the truth before it's buried forever. After witnessing a wrongful conviction as a young girl, Rebecca Whitman--the first female court reporter in Montana--is now determined to defend the innocent. During a murder trial, something doesn't sit well with her about the case, but...

38

Loyalty
Scottoline, Lisa.
Paper Book
#1 bestselling author Lisa Scottoline presents Loyalty, an emotional, action-packed epic of love and justice, set during the rise of the Mafia in Sicily. Loyalty can save a soul--or destroy one.     Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome...

39

The last Russian doll
Loesch, Kristen
Paper Book
EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL A haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center. In a...

40

Dawnlands : a novel
Gregory, Philippa
Paper Book
Palace intrigue, defiant heroism, and a long-awaited love fulfilled from New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory in her Fairmile series. It is 1685 and England is on the brink of a renewed civil war. King Charles II has died without an heir and his brother James...

41

The golden doves : a novel
Kelly, Martha Hall
Paper Book
Two female spies risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi in this sweeping, profound tale of bravery from the bestselling author of Lilac Girls. "A riveting story of two brave and amazing women who work in the French resistance during World War II . . . a triumph!"...

42

Carrie Soto is back : a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam" (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

43

Just once : a love story
Kingsbury, Karen
Paper Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling author "known for her deeply heartfelt novels" (Woman's World) and the Baxter Family novels writes a sweeping World War II love story about a young woman torn between two brothers. In 1941, beautiful Irvel Holland is too focused on...

44

The house of doors : a novel
Tan, Twan Eng
Paper Book
LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORKER, NPR, SLATE, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, AND A WASHINGTON POST NOTABLE WORK...

45

Trust
Da?z, Hern?
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S 100 BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2022 LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 BOOKER PRIZE "Buzzy and...

46

The good left undone : a novel
Trigiani, Adriana
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "[An] immersive saga. . . . A celebration of family and a paean to the power of storytelling."--People, "Book of the Week" "Trigiani conveys the beauty of Italy, the hardships of war, the taste of family recipes, and...
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