Adult Historical Fiction

Adult Historical Fiction

Updated December 3, 2024
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1

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...

2

Wandering stars
Orange, Tommy
Paper Book
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...

3

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...

4

Daughters of Shandong
Chung, Eve J.
Paper Book
An Instant USA Today Bestseller, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and a People Book of the Week! "Throw open the doors of your heart for the lionhearted girls of Chung's gripping debut...they are heroines for the ages." --People A...

5

The glassmaker
Chevalier, Tracy
Paper Book

6

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

7

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...

8

The divorc?s
Beaird, Rowan
Paper Book
"A rollicking thriller and poignant coming-of-age story." ―People "Timelier than ever." ―The Cut A "delicious" (Rebecca Makkai) and "deeply compelling" (Lauren Groff) debut novel set at a 1950s Reno divorce ranch, about the complex...

9

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...

10

Tiananmen Square : a novel
Wen, Lai
Paper Book
An epic, deeply moving coming-of-age novel about young love and lasting friendships forged in the years leading up to the Tiananmen Square student protests, for readers of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and The Night Tiger. As a child in Beijing in the 1970s, Lai lives with...

11

The lost letters from Martha's Vineyard : a novel
Callahan, Michael
Paper Book
"I was completely captivated by Michael Callahan's The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard. It's a history mystery you won't be able to put down, with strong female characters and plenty of secrets. Plus, it takes you behind the scenes in vintage Hollywood and Martha's Vineyard. A perfect beach...

12

You dreamed of empires
Enrigue, Alvaro
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF 2024 A NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN "Enrigue's genius lies in his ability to bring readers close to its tangled knot of priests, mercenaries,...

13

Time of the child
Williams, Niall
Paper Book
A New York Times Editor's Choice | An International Bestseller "I am such a fan of Niall Williams." -Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake "Made me laugh out loud and remember how to love." -...

14

The long march home : a World War II novel of the Pacific
Brotherton, Marcus
Paper Book
"A tour de force."--Publishers Weekly starred review "A great read."--Library Journal starred review "A must-read literary triumph."--Booklist starred review Jimmy Propfield joined the army for...

15

CABINET OF DR. LENG
PRESTON, DOUGLAS
Paper Book
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 ...

16

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...

17

I am homeless if this is not my home
Moore, Lorrie
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER * A NEW YORKER ESSENTIAL READ * From "one of the most acute and lasting writers of her generation" (The New York Times)--a ghost story set in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries, an elegiac consideration of grief, devotion...

18

Deep as the sky, red as the sea : a novel
Chang-Eppig, Rita
Paper Book
A Good Morning America Buzz Pick For readers of Outlawed, Piranesi, and The Night Tiger, a dazzling historical novel about a legendary Chinese pirate queen, her fight to save her fleet from the forces allied against them, and the dangerous price of...

19

The all American : a novel
Finkbeiner, Susie
Paper Book
A 2024 Michigan Notable Book "A moving novel, fit for inspiring any reader to dream big and believe that anything is possible."--BookPage *** Two sisters discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances <...

20

Stars in an Italian sky
Santopolo, Jill
Paper Book
Genoa, Italy, 1946. Vincenzo and Giovanna fall in love at twenty-one the moment they set eyes on each other. The son of a count and the daughter of a tailor, they belong to opposing worlds. Despite this, the undeniable spark between them quickly burns into a deep and passionate relationship spent...

21

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 and irresistible novel featuring aspiring journalist Emmy Lake as she navigates life, love, and friendship in London during World War II--perfect for fans of The Paris Library<...

22

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 about the "munitionettes" who built bombs in Britain's arsenals during World War I, risking their lives for the war effort and discovering camaraderie...

23

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...

24

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...

25

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...

26

The last dance of the debutante
Kelly, Julia
Paper Book
In this "glorious dance through the traditional glamour and suffocating expectations of a bygone era" (Genevieve Graham, USA TODAY bestselling author), a group of young women are swept up in a life-changing journey as they become three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen...

27

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...

28

CALDER AT HEART
DAILEY, JANET
Paper Book
With all the intense drama and historical detail of her original New York Times bestselling Calder series, Janet Dailey returns to 1900s Montana and the challenges war and Prohibition brought to the frontier. Adding Romeo and Juliet-style romance to compelling landowner and family...

29

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...

30

The spectacular : a novel
Davis, Fiona
Paper Book
New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion is over the moon to have been selected to be one of the Rockettes, Radio City Music Hall's glamorous precision dancing troupe. It's an honour to perform in the world's most spectacular theatre, an art deco masterpiece. But with four shows a day as well...

31

The perfumist of Paris
Joshi, Alka
Paper Book
  "A stunning portrait of a woman blossoming into her full power...this is Alka Joshi's best book yet!" --Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Diamond Eye From the author of Reese's Book Club Pick The Henna Artist, the final...

32

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!"...

33

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...

34

The glutton : a novel
Blakemore, A. K.
Paper Book
A New York Times EDITORS' CHOICE | Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize | MOST ANTICIPATED by The Guardian * Paste Magazine * LitHub * The Millions * Library Journal From the prizewinning author of The Manningtree Witches, a...

35

Just once : a love story
Kingsbury, Karen
Audiobook
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 her...

36

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 story of truth and lies set during the Holocaust. Eleven-year-old Nico Krispis has never told a lie. When the Nazis invade his home in Salonika...

37

The maniac
Labatut, Benjamín
Paper Book
Named One of the 10 Best Books of 2023 by The Washington Post and Publishers Weekly * One of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2023 * A National Bestseller * A New York Times Editor's Choice pick * Nominated for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction ...

38

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...

39

City of incurable women
Casey, Maud
Paper Book
In a fusion of fact and fiction, nineteenth-century women institutionalized as hysterics reveal what history ignored "City of Incurable Women is a brilliant exploration of the type of female bodily and psychic pain once commonly diagnosed as hysteria--and the curiously...

40

The magnificent lives of Marjorie Post : a novel
Pataki, Allison
Paper Book
"This marvelous novel kept me up way past my bedtime. I just had to be there with the Post cereal heiress through every twist and turn."--Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls "Allison Pataki takes the reader on a luxurious ride filled...

41

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...

42

The myth of surrender : a novel
McNees, Kelly O'Connor
Paper Book
What if the most important decision of your life was not yours to make? This vivid and powerful novel follows two women whose paths intersect at a maternity home in the "Baby Scoop Era." In 1960, free-spirited Doreen is a recent high-school grad and waitress in a Chicago...

43

Little souls
Dallas, Sandra
Paper Book
Winner of the 2023 Colorado Book Award for Historical Fiction A Denver Post bestseller Sandra Dallas's Little Souls is a gripping tale of sisterhood, loyalty, and secrets set in Denver amid America's last deadly flu pandemic.

44

The lunar housewife : a novel
Woods, Caroline
Paper Book
A stylish and suspenseful historical page-turner following an up-and-coming journalist who stumbles onto a web of secrets, deceptions, and mysteries at a popular new literary magazine--inspired by the true story of CIA intervention in Cold War American arts and letters. "Sly and...

45

The sweetness of water
Harris, Nathan
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER / AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK ONE OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2021  Winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence Winner of the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction ...

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...

47

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...

48

CALDER GRIT
DAILEY, JANET
Paper Book
With all the intense drama, historical detail and grand sweep of her original New York Times bestselling Calder series, Dailey returns to 1909 Montana, as tensions mount between immigrant homesteaders and cattlemen determined to keep the range free. Adding a Romeo and Juliet...

49

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...

50

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...

51

The fervor : a novel
Katsu, Alma
Paper Book
In an internment camp in Idaho in 1944, American-born Meiko Briggs and her daughter Aiko dream of their home in Seattle and the safe return of Meiko's husband who is away with the Air Force. A sickness starts to spread amongst those in the camp and though it starts as a minor cold it triggers...

52

My policeman
Roberts, Bethan
Paper Book
Now a motion picture starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, and David Dawson, an exquisitely told, tragic tale of thwarted love. "Stunning...fraught and honest." --New York Times Book Review It is in 1950's Brighton that Marion first catches sight of Tom. He...

53

Survive the night : a novel
Sager, Riley
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER One of New York Times Book Review's "summer reads guaranteed to make your heart thump and your skin crawl"; An Amazon Best of the Month Pick; Named a must-read summer book by The Washington Post, USA Today, Vulture<...

54

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...

55

The women's march : a novel of the 1913 woman suffrage procession
Chiaverini, Jennifer
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini returns with The Women's March, an enthralling historical novel of the women's suffrage movement inspired by three courageous women who bravely risked their lives and liberty in the fight to win the vote. Twenty-five-year...

56

The Saboteurs
Cussler, Clive
Paper Book
Detective Isaac Bell's investigation into an attempted assassination brings him to the construction site of the Panama Canal--and straight into a nest of vipers--in the latest adventure in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series from Clive Cussler. Detective Isaac Bell's...

57

Everyone knows your mother is a witch
Galchen, Rivka
Paper Book
The startling, witty, highly anticipated second novel from the critically acclaimed author of Atmospheric Disturbances. The story begins in 1618, in the German duchy of Württemberg. Plague is spreading. The Thirty Years' War has begun, and fear and suspicion are in the...

58

Blind tiger
Brown, Sandra
Paper Book
From a New York Times bestselling author, a war-weary soldier jumps from a moving freight train to avoid trouble-and lands in more than he bargained for. On the day Thatcher Hutton arrives in Foley, Texas, a local woman goes missing. Thatcher becomes the prime suspect....

59

Go tell the bees that I am gone : a novel
Gabaldon, Diana
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Diana Gabaldon returns with the "vast and sweeping" (The Washington Post) newest novel in the epic Outlander series. War leaves nobody alone. Neither the past, the present, nor the future offers true safety, and the only refuge is...

60

The social graces
Rosen, Renâee
Paper Book
In the glittering world of Manhattan's upper crust, where wives turn a blind eye to husbands' infidelities, and women have few rights and even less independence, society is everything. The more celebrated the hostess, the more powerful the woman. And none is more powerful than Caroline Astor. But...

61

The secret keeper of Jaipur
Joshi, Alka
Paper Book
 A NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HENNA ARTIST,  A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK Good Morning America's "27 Books for June"   PopSugar's Best Summer Reads of 2021  In New York Times bestselling...

62

Our woman in Moscow : a novel
Williams, Beatriz
Paper Book
"A captivating Cold War page-turner." -- Real Simple The New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives returns with a gripping and profoundly human story of Cold War espionage and family devotion. In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her...

63

West with giraffes : a novel
Rutledge, Lynda
Paper Book
An emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. "Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes..." Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But...

64

Half life : a novel
Cantor, Jillian
Paper Book
The USA Today bestselling author of In Another Time reimagines the pioneering, passionate life of Marie Curie using a parallel structure to create two alternative timelines, one that mirrors her real life, one that explores the consequences for Marie and for science if she'd made a different...

65

Sunflower sisters : a novel
Kelly, Martha Hall
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Martha Hall Kelly's million-copy bestseller Lilac Girls introduced readers to Caroline Ferriday. Now, in Sunflower Sisters, Kelly tells the story of Ferriday's ancestor Georgeanna Woolsey, a Union nurse during the Civil War whose calling leads...

66

Band of sisters : a novel
Willig, Lauren
Paper Book
"A crackling portrayal of everyday American heroines...A triumph."    -- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue  A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at...

67

The rib king : a novel
Hubbard, Ladee
Paper Book
Thrillist - 30 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2021 Book Riot - Our Most Anticipated Releases of 2021 Real Simple - The Best New Books to Read in 2021 Chicago Review of Books - 12 Must-Read Books of January  Book Riot - January 2021 Horoscopes and Book...

68

Vera : a novel
Edgarian, Carol
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Carol Edgarian delivers "an all-encompassing and enthralling" (Oprah Daily) novel featuring an unforgettable heroine coming of age in the aftermath of catastrophe, and her quest for love and reinvention. Meet Vera Johnson, fifteen...

69

Nineteen steps : a novel
Brown, Millie Bobby
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller from iconic Emmy-nominated actress and producer MILLIE BOBBY BROWN: Nineteen Steps -- soon to be a feature film on Netflix! "My inner history-loving teenage geek clapped her hands in ecstasy at the thought of a historical novel penned by Enola Holmes, and she...

70

WOMAN WITH THE CURE
CULLEN, LYNN
Paper Book
In 1940s and '50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one's life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world's best minds are engaged in...

71

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...

72

The girl in the castle
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Beloved #1 bestselling author James Patterson delivers a thrilling novel about a teen caught between two worlds and the truths that could set her free--or trap her forever My name is Hannah Dory and I need you to believe me   ...

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