Historical Fiction
June 2025
Recent Releases
My Name Is Emilia del Valle
by Isabel Allende

Raised by her Irish former nun mother and a loving stepdad in San Francisco, Emilia del Valle never knows her Chilean aristocrat father. As a young journalist covering the Chilean Civil War of 1891, she begins a romance and also meets the father who abandoned her. Isabel Allende fans will relish reading about the del Valles, whose various members often appear in her work. Try this next: Kaitlyn Greenidge's Libertie.
The Devil Three Times
by Rickey Fayne

Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship en route to the United States with the spirit of her dead sister as her only companion. Desperate to survive the hell that awaits her at their destination, Yetunde finds help in an unexpected form--the Devil himself. Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde's mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde's descendants in their darkest hour of need and offers each of them his own version of salvation. For fans of The Water Keeper by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon. 
The Cardinal
by Alison Weir

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey rises from humble origins to become Henry VIII's closest advisor, but his loyalty and efforts to maintain peace unravel when the king's desire to divorce Katherine of Aragon for Anne Boleyn pits Wolsey against powerful enemies and personal tragedy. For fans of Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and Conclave by Robert Harris. 
These Days
by Lucy Caldwell

Germany rains bombs on Northern Ireland's capital city in spring 1941. Navigating the destruction, sisters Emma, who's secretly in love with coworker Sylvia, and Audrey, who's not-so-happily engaged, do what they can to help others while questioning their futures. For more historical fiction about the Belfast Blitz, read Melanie Maure's Sisters of Belfast or S. Kirk Walsh's The Elephant of Belfast.
The Story She Left Behind
by Patti Callahan Henry

In 1927, a famed author leaves her South Carolina home in the middle of the night. In 1952 London, Charles Jameson finds the author's papers and a letter addressed to Clara, the daughter she left behind. This soon leads Charles, Clara, and Clara's young daughter to the Lake District in search of answers. Try these next: Rhys Bowen's The Tuscan Child; Ann Hood's The Stolen Child.
Austen at Sea
by Natalie Jenner

Sisters Henrietta and Charlotte, who adore Jane Austen's books, sail to England in 1865 to visit Jane's last surviving sibling, Frank. On board are two brothers who deal in rare books (also going to see Frank) and Henrietta's secret beau. Dramatic events on ship and in England see all their lives transformed in this evocative tale. Try this next: Gill Hornby's Godmersham Park.
The Chosen Queen
by Sam Davey

A Welsh princess educated on the Lake Isle of Avalon, Igraine is now happily married to the Cornish War Duke Gorlois. When he begins to forsake the ancient magics; however, it creates a strain between them, as well as friction between Igraine and Vivian, the Lady of the Lake and High Priestess to the Goddess, inadvertently setting the stage for the blood-feud that will become the canker at the heart of Camelot.
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club
by Martha Hall Kelly

Inspired by real events, this compelling novel follows Mari Starwood in 2016 as she visits reclusive Martha's Vineyard painter Elizabeth, who has ties to Mari's recently deceased mother. Elizabeth tells Mari about the island during World War II, focusing on two teenage sisters who form a book club, run the family farm, and look for German U-boats and spies. For fans of: Madeline Martin's The Last Bookshop in London; Amy Lynne Green's The Blackout Book Club.
The Eights
by Joanna Miller

In 1920, Oxford University admits degree-seeking women for the first time. On Corridor Eight, insecure Beatrice, socialite Otto, scholarship student Marianne, and grieving Dora bond as they navigate sexism, personal loss, societal expectations, and the lingering trauma of World War I. This well-researched, character-driven debut will please fans of Natalie Jenner's Bloomsbury Girls and Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night.
The Amalfi Curse
by Sarah Penner

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven's arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work? Try this next: The Sirens by Emilia Hart. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
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