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Historical Fiction September 2026 |
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| The Half Life by Rachel BeanlandIn the 1970s, Eileen O'Malley meets and quickly marries charismatic naval officer Paul Archer. Moving to the tiny Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, where Paul works aboard a nuclear submarine tender, Eileen adjusts to life as a navy wife and takes Italian cooking lessons. But when she learns of local concerns about possible nuclear contamination, she finds herself divided and her marriage in trouble. Try this next: Emily Dunlay's Teddy. |
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| Miss Bates: Emma Revisited by Catherine CliffBoring, talkative Henrietta Bates is a spinster with little money in Emma. But in this debut novel and darker reimagining of Jane Austen's classic, readers follow Henrietta as she grows up, learning to ingratiate herself with others to survive. Turning into a cunning woman, she presents her public face to the world while sharing her sometimes vengeful thoughts here. For fans of: immersive novels starring Jane Austen characters. |
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| When Mikan Road Was Ours by D.K. FurutaniReeling from his father's death and his own cancer diagnosis, high school teacher Mr. Murano is in limbo. But everything changes after inheriting his great-uncle Benjiro's unpublished memoir, where Murano learns about his Japanese family, from their bucolic farm in 1930s California to their World War II internment and beyond. This is a well-researched debut and a poignant meditation on life and family. Try this next: Naomi Hirahara's Japantown historical mysteries. |
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| Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LacourIn 1944 New Orleans, 18-year-old Odette, from a Creole family, and her cousin Delphine share secrets, including Odette's affair with a woman and Delphine's with a married white man. To avoid Jim Crow, Odette and her sisters move to California. Passing as white, Delphine moves, too, eventually running into Odette. Inspired by the author's Creole family, this novel is "a masterpiece" (Booklist). Read-alikes: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul; Kin by Tayari Jones. |
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| Runner by Ashton LattimoreIn 1923 Martha's Vineyard, a mysterious shipwreck kills her father and his crew, so Lena Jameson takes over his rum-running business instead of attending college. With help from her brother, her on-and-off boyfriend, and a glamorous young woman with secrets, Lena branches out to Boston and Harlem while also investigating what caused her dad's shipwreck. For fans of: suspenseful Prohibition-era novels; atmospheric historical fiction featuring ground-breaking Black women. |
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The Chateau on Sunset
by Natasha Lester
A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood's glamour swirls around her--a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.
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| The Parisian Heist by Jo PiazzaIn 1996 Paris, American art student Emma cleans the home of Stella Swanson, the widow of a notorious billionaire art dealer, who shares family secrets, leading Emma to plan an art museum heist. In 1891, newly widowed Jo van Gogh inherits worthless paintings by brother-in-law Vincent and champions them with help from new friend Claire. Narrated by Emma and Claire, this atmospheric dual-timeline novel is "a satisfying caper with brains and heart" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: Joan Fernandez's Saving Vincent. |
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| Song for Another Home by Bora Lee ReedAfter China enters the Korean War in 1950, Oksoon, her mother, and her brother flee Pyongyang, even though it's winter. Banding with others, they make their way south to Seoul, where Oksoon hopes to find her father and other brother. Meanwhile, Oksoon's cousin Junho seeks refuge at an orphanage, where, using his basic English, he writes letters asking American missionaries for funding and falls in love with an aristocratic woman. For fans of: moving debuts exploring resilience, family, and war; Eve J. Chung's The Young Will Remember. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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