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Historical Fiction August 2026 |
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The Boleyn Secret by Alison WeirLondon, 1536: At twelve years old, Katherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Katherine is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death. Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at court, has now fallen from favor, Katherine still manages to secure a coveted role as companion to her now-motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls grow as close as sisters. Only when her mother lies dying does Katherine learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years.
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| The Daffodil Days by Helen BainIn 1961, pregnant Sylvia Plath, her husband Ted Hughes, and their baby Frieda move to an English village. In December 1962, after the breakup of her marriage, Plath returns to London with her children. This quiet, well-researched debut is told in reverse chronological order via those in Plath's orbit during this time, including a physician, a housecleaner, a horse-riding instructor, and a dress shop assistant. For fans of: Plath's writing; The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. by Lee Kravetz; Euphoria by Elin Cullhed. |
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| The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-GarciaIn 1940s Mexico, handsome Ulises charms lonely women to get their money. His newest mark, middle-aged Perla, is the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But things don't go as Ulises planned: Perla has a niece who wants in on his scheme. The two team up, but there's still trouble since Perla isn't the needy spinster Ulises thought she was. For fans of: atmospheric, pulp-inspired historical noirs. |
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The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett1933 Mississippi: Eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur is one of the unadoptable big girls at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, and she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan for them to take control of their lives.
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| There's Only One Sin in Hollywood by Rasheed NewsonIn the 1950s, married Hollywood fixer Aaron Touissant has an anonymous sexual encounter with up-and-coming actor Xavier C. Barlow in a bathroom. Then they're reunited on a biopic of a famous World War II hero, whom Aaron had a romantic relationship with when he was in the Navy. Chronicling the lives of three queer Black men in 1950s and '60s Tinseltown, this gritty character-driven novel is told via a 1971 letter. Try this next: Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen. |
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| The Queen's Coronation by Jennifer RyanIn 1953, Buckingham Palace staff prepare for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation while navigating their own lives: Caroline, assistant dresser to the queen, married for convenience and regrets it; beautiful wardrobe assistant Lucy dreams of singing stardom, capturing the attention of a deceitful man; and American Miranda, a temporary secretary, secretly writes about the coronation for her sexist boss in New York. But with new friends, the women might find new paths. Try this next: Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb. |
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The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate ThompsonMeeting through the real-life Secret Society of Librarians in London, two women form a close bond. When World War II hits, they take their libraries underground, creating a roaming underground library. But when one of them is taken to a concentration camp in Poland, they think there is no chance of ever being reunited again. This is an inspirational, true and compelling story about friendship, everyday bravery and the power of books, with a dual narrative set between London and Poland in the 1940s.
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The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine ArdenIn this rich and epic historical fantasy novel set in Brittany in 1490, the author of the acclaimed Winternight trilogy turns the real history of a remarkable woman, Anne of Brittany, into an unforgettable tale of mystery, enchantment, and the price of power. In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch conceals a secret marriage in the shadows of an enchanted forest--and unknowingly alters the fate of her world. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-703-2665forsythlibrary.org |
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