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Historical Fiction April 2025 |
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The Queens of Crime : a Novel
by Marie Benedict
In 1930 London, the Queens of Crime, a secret society of renowned women writers led by Dorothy L. Sayers investigates the murder of nurse May Daniels, found strangled in a park, and must navigate a web of intrigue and danger as they challenge societal norms.
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| The Jackal's Mistress by Chris BohjalianWith her Confederate husband in a Union prison, Libby Steadman runs their gristmill in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, helped only by her 12-year-old niece, a 60-year-old freedman, and his freed wife. Libby faces many dangers as war surrounds her, especially when she hides an injured Union officer. If you enjoy this fast-paced book, which is based on a true story, try Paulette Jiles' Chenneville or Robert Hicks' Widow of the South. |
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The Book Club for Troublesome Women
by Marie Bostwick
In suburban Virginia of the 1960s, Margaret Ryan forms an impromptu book club with three neighbors, discovering shared dissatisfaction with societal expectations, as the group bonds over personal struggles, feminist ideas and the transformative power of friendship during a life-changing year.
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How to Dodge a Cannonball
by Dennard Dayle
A razor-sharp satire diving into the heart of the Civil War, hilariously questioning the essence of the fight, not just for territory, but for the soul of America.
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Hold Strong : a Novel
by Robert Dugoni
Sam Carlson faces unimaginable brutality as a POW on the infamous Arisan Maru, while his girlfriend, Sarah, works as a Washington codebreaker, unknowingly aids a mission targeting his ship, testing their love and courage amid World War II.
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| The Sable Cloak by Gail Milissa GrantTaking place in the first half of the 20th century in South Carolina and St. Louis, Missouri, this moving saga follows different members of a powerful Black family as they get involved in politics, run a funeral parlor, and face tragedies. |
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The Sirens : a Novel
by Emilia Hart
Lucy searches for her missing sister Jess in a modern-day coastal Australian town shrouded in eerie legends, uncovering connections to Jess's adolescent past and twin sisters from 1800 whose haunting ties to the sea ripple across generations.
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| The English Problem by Beena KamlaniIn this thought-provoking debut, Mahatma Gandhi sponsors 18-year-old Shiv Advani to study British law to aid Indian independence. Shiv arrives in 1931 London ready to do what's asked of him, but over the years finds himself torn between what he's promised and what he desires as he faces racism and learns about love, literature, and himself before returning home ten years later. Read-alike: Rishi Reddi's Passage West. |
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| The Umbrella Maker's Son by Tod LendingNazi Germany invades Poland, forcing 17-year-old Reuven's family to give up their artisan umbrella shop, leave their home, and perform hard labor. Things get worse, but Reuven is always desperately seeking his missing girlfriend. Written by an award-winning filmmaker, this moving debut ponders the power of love but doesn't hide the horrors of the Holocaust. |
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His Girl Hollywood
by Maureen Lee Lenker
Arlene finally gets her shot at directing in 1930s Hollywood, only to discover her leading man is Don, her former best friend and lost love, who now has dangerous mob ties that threaten both their film and rekindled feelings.
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The Hidden Book : a novel
by Kirsty Manning
In a novel based on a true story of clandestine courage in World War II, prisoners of war risk their lives to secure evidence of Nazi atrocities.
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| The Ghosts of Rome by Joseph O'ConnorWith the Nazis in control of Rome, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty (who's based on a real person) leads the Choir, a covert network made up of an Italian countess, a British diplomat, an Irish medical student, and others. As the Gestapo desperately try to stop them, they help Allied soldiers and Jewish people escape. Though this is the stirring sequel to My Father's House, readers can start here. |
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Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
When Nikki visits her estranged grandmother in North Carolina, she uncovers a hidden legacy tied to a forgotten kingdom of freed people, unraveling her family's secrets and her own identity while fighting to protect their endangered heritage.
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| The Café With No Name by Robert SeethalerIn 1966 Vienna, Austria, 31-year-old laborer Robert Simon takes a leap and signs a lease for a café. He builds a neighborhood hub, where patrons navigate life and love together. Fans of evocative, character-driven stories will love this "gem of a novel" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Grace of the Empire State by Emma TizzardThe Great Depression has caused many to lose their jobs in 1930 New York, including dancer and former circus performer Grace O'Connell. Her Irish American family needs her income, especially when her twin breaks his arm working on the Empire State Building, so brave Grace impersonates her brother, taking his place on the job. Try these next: Ella by Diane Richards; We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall. |
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| The Riveter by Jack WangBarred from military service in 1942 due to his race, Chinese Canadian Josiah Chang works in a Vancouver shipyard where he meets white Poppy Miller, but her parents take exception to their relationship. Trying to prove himself, Josiah goes to Toronto, where he's allowed to join the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion headed to Europe. Read-alikes: Adriana Allegri's The Sunflower House; Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Centerville Library
111 W. Spring Valley Rd
Centerville, OH 45458
(937) 433-8091
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Woodbourne Library
6060 Far Hills Ave Centerville, OH 45459
(937) 435-3700
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Creativity Commons
895 Miamisburg Centerville Rd
Centerville, OH 45459
(937) 610-4425
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