Historical Fiction

New and recommended historical fiction titles.

Updated September 16, 2025
Rochester Public Library RPL Staff
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Historical Fiction

New and recommended historical fiction titles.

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The wind knows my name : a novel
Allende, Isabel
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "The lives of a Jewish boy escaping Nazi-occupied Europe and a mother and daughter fleeing twenty-first-century El Salvador intersect in this ambitious, intricate novel about war and immigration" (People), from the author of A Long Petal of the Sea and...
Mother of strangers
Amiry, Suad
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR from NPR  * Set in Jaffa in between 1947 and 1951, this "fable-like historical novel of young love ... darkly humorous and touching" (Oprah Daily) is based on a true story during the beginning of the destruction of Palestine and displacement of its...
A passage north : a novel
Arudpragasam, Anuk
Paper Book
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE * A young man journeys into Sri Lanka's war-torn north in this searing novel of longing, loss, and the legacy of war from the author of The Story of a Brief Marriage.   "A novel of tragic power and uncommon beauty."--Anthony Marra<...
The heart in winter : a novel
Barry, Kevin
Ebook
A BEST BOOK OF 2024 FROM THE ECONOMIST AND THE MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE Award-winning writer Kevin Barry's first novel set in America, a savagely funny and achingly romantic tale of young lovers on the lam in 1890s Montana. "A wedding of Cormac McCarthy with Flann O'Brien;...
The Mitford affair : a novel
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...
The storm we made : a novel
Chan, Vanessa
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION 2024 FIRST NOVEL PRIZE In this "espionage-laden family epic" (Vanity Fair), an ordinary housewife becomes an unlikely spy--and her dark secrets will test even the...
Switchboard soldiers : a novel
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini, a bold, revelatory novel about one of the great untold stories of World War I--the women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, who broke down gender barriers in the military and battled a pandemic as they helped lead the...
Daughters of Shandong
Chung, Eve J.
Ebook
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,...
Clear : a novel
Davies, Carys
Ebook
"Tender, riveting, and inventive is Clear, the newest offering and masterpiece from the brilliant Carys Davies. It will take your breath away...What a thrill." --Sarah Jessica Parker Winner of the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize, 2024 Bookmark Festival Book...
The spectacular : a novel
Davis, Fiona
Ebook
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...
Beyond the door of no return
Diop, David
Paper Book
A Finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Translated Literature | Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award One of The Atlantic's 10 Best Books of 2023 A Financial Times Best Book of 2023 | Named a best book of the year by...
Learned by heart
Donoghue, Emma
Ebook
"A wrenching love story" (Chris Bohjalian, The Washington Post) based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply, and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th century York, from the bestselling author of Room and The Wonder. Drawing on years of...
The women of Chateau Lafayette
Dray, Stephanie
Paper Book
Most castles are protected by powerful men; this one by women. A reluctant resistor. A daring visionary. A founding mother. Intricately woven and beautifully told, The Women of Chateau Lafayette is a sweeping novel about duty and hope, love and courage, and the strength we find from standing...
You dreamed of empires
Enrigue, Alvaro
Ebook
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF 2024 A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR "Short, strange, spiky and sublime." --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Funny, ghastly, eye-opening, marvelous." --Wall Street Journal
James : a novel
Everett, Percival
Ebook
A brilliant, action-packed reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. From the "literary icon" (Oprah Daily), Pulitzer Prize Finalist, and one of the most decorated writers of our...
Woman of light : a novel
Fajardo-Anstine, Kali
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A "dazzling, cinematic, intimate, lyrical" (Roxane Gay) epic of betrayal, love, and fate that spans five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in the American West, from the author of the National Book Award finalist Sabrina & Corina  ...
Booth : a novel
Fowler, Karen Joy
Paper Book
Best Book of the Year Real Simple * AARP * USA Today * NPR * Virginia Living Longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize From the Man Booker finalist and bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves comes an epic...
Crossroads
Franzen, Jonathan
Paper Book
Jonathan Franzen's gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads. It's December 23, 1971, and heavy weather is forecast for Chicago. Russ Hildebrandt, the associate pastor of a...
Peach blossom spring
Fu, Melissa
Paper Book
A "beautifully rendered" novel about war, migration, and the power of telling our stories, Peach Blossom Spring follows three generations of a Chinese family on their search for a place to call home (Georgia Hunter, New York Times bestselling author).<...
The bullet swallower : a novel
Gonzalez James, Elizabeth
Ebook
A "mesmerizing...wildly entertaining" (The Boston Globe) magical realism western in the vein of Cormac McCarthy meets Gabriel García Márquez, The Bullet Swallower follows a Mexican bandido as he sets off for Texas to rob a train, only to encounter a mysterious figure who has come,...
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
Goodman, Alison
Ebook
A Washington Post Best Mystery Novel of 2023 A high society amateur detective at the heart of Regency London uses her wits and invisibility as an 'old maid' to protect other women in a new and fiercely feminist historical mystery series from New York Times bestselling...
Kantika : a novel
Graver, Elizabeth
Audiobook
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Audiobook
The Paris daughter
Harmel, Kristin
Ebook
Instant New York Times bestseller! "A gorgeous, gut-wrenching" (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) historical novel about two mothers facing unthinkable choices as the Nazis invade France--from the New York Times bestselling author Kristin...
The world and all that it holds
Hemon, Aleksandar
Paper Book
The World and All That It Holds--in all its hilarious, heartbreaking, erotic, philosophical glory--showcases Aleksandar Hemon's celebrated talent at its pinnacle. It is a grand, tender, sweeping story that spans decades and continents. It cements Hemon as one of the boldest voices in...
The great divide : a novel
Henríquez, Cristina
Audiobook
The woman with the blue star
Jenoff, Pam
Paper Book
"An emotional novel that you will never forget." --Lisa Scottoline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Eternal From the author of The Lost Girls of Paris comes a riveting tale of courage and unlikely friendship during World War II -- Now a New York...
The lion women of Tehran
Kamali, Marjan
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER An "evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism, and political activism" (People) set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran--from nationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali. In 1950s Tehran,...
Beasts of a little land : a novel
Kim, Juhea
Paper Book
"A spectacular debut filled with great characters and heart." --Lisa See, author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan FINALIST FOR THE 2022 DAYTON LITERARY PEACE PRIZE · FINALIST FOR THE BALCONES FICTION PRIZE · LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD An epic story of love, war, and...
Bright young women
Knoll, Jessica
Ebook
Don't miss this "breakneck thriller" that examines "our culture's obsession with serial killers and true crime" (Harper's Bazaar) as it follows two women on the pursuit of justice against all odds. "A fascinating look at true crime and tabloid culture that's as thoughtful as it is gripping...
The river we remember : a novel
Krueger, William Kent
Ebook
AN EDGAR AWARD NOMINEE In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and "a work of art" (The Denver Post). On Memorial Day...
All we were promised : a novel
Lattimore, Ashton
Ebook
A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile pre-Civil War Philadelphia--"a gripping novel about standing up to impossible odds" (People, Best New Books) The rebel . . . the...
The frozen river : a novel
Lawhon, Ariel
Ebook
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...
Glorious exploits : a novel
Lennon, Ferdia
Audiobook
An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history. On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they've herded the...
The love elixir of Augusta Stern : a novel
Loigman, Lynda Cohen
Ebook
"Full of sweetness and charm." --People "The happiest I have felt in years inside the world of a book." --Natalie Jenner, #1 nationally bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society "A sparkling ode to second chances." ...
Up with the sun
Mallon, Thomas
Paper Book
A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * Through the curious life of Dick Kallman--a real-life celebrity striver, poisonously charming actor, and eventual murder victim--the unforgiving worlds of postwar showbiz and down-low gay sexuality are thrown into stark relief in this "page...
Mercury Pictures presents : a novel
Marra, Anthony
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the David J. Langum, Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction * The epic tale of a brilliant woman who must reinvent herself to survive, moving from Mussolini's Italy to 1940s Los Angeles--a timeless story of love, deceit, and sacrifice from the...
The keeper of hidden books : a novel
Martin, Madeline
Ebook
A NATIONAL BESTSELLER--for fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Tattooist of Auschwitz! A BookBub Pick for Best Historical Fiction of Summer 2023 A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true...
This strange eventful history : a novel
Messud, Claire
Ebook
Longlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize * Longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize * Winner of the 2024 Deborah Pease Prize A 2024 New York Times Best Historical Fiction Book * One of the Washington Post's 10 Best Books of 2024 * A New Yorker Best Book of 2024 * A Boston Globe...
One blood
Millner, Denene
Ebook
A People Magazine Pick. "In delicious, decadent prose, Denene Millner does what few authors can-compose a sprawling multigenerational tale that is necessary American reading. One Blood sings the song of the South in a voice that is heartbreaking, hopeful, and...
The fortune men
Mohamed, Nadifa
Paper Book
BOOKER PRIZE FINALIST * Based on a true event, this novel is "a blues song cut straight from the heart ... about the unjust death of an innocent Black man caught up in a corrupt system" (Walter Mosley, best-selling author of Devil in a Blue Dress). In Cardiff, Wales in...
The god of the woods
Moore, Liz
Ebook
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLER OF 2024 A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF 2024 PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S #1...
The seventh veil of Salome
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia
Ebook
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine--but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic. "Whenever...
Bronze drum
Nguyen, Phong
Paper Book
A "gripping historical adventure" of ancient Vietnam based on the true story of two warrior sisters who raised an army of women to overthrow the Han Chinese and rule as kings over a united people, for readers of Circe and The Night Tiger (Booklist). ...
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...
Wandering stars
Orange, Tommy
Ebook
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK * A TIME MUST-READ BOOK OF THE YEAR * The Pulitzer Prize-finalist and author of the breakout bestseller There There ("Pure soaring beauty."The New York Times...
Did you hear about Kitty Karr? : a novel
Paul, Crystal Smith
Ebook
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths...
Enlightenment : a novel
Perry, Sarah
Ebook
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Telegraph, Washington Post, The New Yorker. LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE. "Like A.S. Byatt's Possession, Enlightenment is a baroque, genre-bending novel of ideas, ghosts and hidden histories. A richly layered epic....a heartfelt paean to the consolations of...
By any other name : a novel
Picoult, Jodi
Audiobook
From the New York Times bestselling 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 plays--who are both forced to hide behind another name. "You'll fall in love...
The Briar Club : a novel
Quinn, Kate
Ebook
"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...
The last rose of Shanghai
Randel, Weina Dai
Paper Book
In Japanese-occupied Shanghai, two people from different cultures are drawn together by fate and the freedom of music... 1940. Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out...
The queen of Dirt Island
Ryan, Donal
Paper Book
"From its opening pages, this book exerts a quiet, propulsive hold over its reader. The three generations of Aylward women will break your heart and then put it back together again." -Maggie O'Farrell "This is a generous mosaic of a novel about the staying...
After Sappho : a novel
Schwartz, Selby Wynn
Paper Book
"The first thing we did was change our names. We were going to be Sappho," so begins this intrepid debut novel, centuries after the Greek poet penned her lyric verse. Ignited by the same muse, a myriad of women break from their small, predetermined lives for seemingly disparate paths: in 1892...
Cahokia jazz : a novel
Spufford, Francis
Ebook
* Winner of the Sidewise Award for Alternate History * Longlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction * Named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker, The New York Times, Fresh Air (top 10 pick), NPR, the Los Angeles Times (top 15...
The house of doors : a novel
Tan, Twan Eng
Ebook
A thousand times before
Thanki, Asha
Audiobook
"A rich family saga about art and memory's power to inform the present, make peace with the past, and maybe even alter the future." -- Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts "[Asha] Thanki reinvents generational memory, conjuring...
Good night, Irene
Urrea, Luis Alberto
Ebook
This New York Times bestselling novel tells an exhilarating World War II epic that chronicles an extraordinary young woman's heroic frontline service in the Red Cross. "Urrea's touch is sure, his exuberance carries you through . . . He is a generous writer, not just in his...
The covenant of water : a novel
Verghese, Abraham
Ebook
Black cake : a novel
Wilkerson, Charmaine
Paper Book
NOW A HULU STREAMING SERIES * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY * Two estranged siblings delve into their mother's hidden past--and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake--in this immersive family saga, "a...
Husbands & lovers : a novel
Williams, Beatriz
Ebook
Two women--separated by decades and continents, and united by an exotic family heirloom--reclaim secrets and lost loves in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives. "My favorite kind of page-turner--unputdownable!"-...
Shelterwood : a novel
Wingate, Lisa
Ebook
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...
The safekeep : a novel
Wouden, Yael van der
Ebook
* SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 BOOKER PRIZE * * WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FOR DEBUT FICTION * * WINNER OF THE 2025 WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION * Shortlisted for the 2025 Dylan Thomas Prize and Aspen Words Literary Prize * A Best Book...
Black cloud rising : a novel
Wright Falade?, David
Paper Book
Already excerpted in the New Yorker, Black Cloud Rising is a compelling and important historical novel that takes us back to an extraordinary moment when enslaved men and women were shedding their bonds and embracing freedom By fall of 1863, Union forces had taken...
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