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Historical Fiction March 2025 |
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| Babylonia by Costanza CasatiMixing mythology with ancient history, this second novel by the author of Clytemnestra traces the path of Semiramis from poor orphan to Queen of Assyria. Raised by an abusive shepherd after her mother ran afoul of Aphrodite, clever Semiramis navigates her way to the city, where court intrigue and a love triangle don't stop her ambition in this evocative, gripping tale. Read-alike: A.D. Rhine's Horses of Fire. Also available on Hoopla |
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| Fagin the Thief by Allison EpsteinRevisiting Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and providing a more nuanced depiction of villainous Fagin, this "magnificent" (Publishers Weekly) novel begins in 1838 London when trouble arrives at the rundown house where Fagin lives with his group of young thieves. For retellings of other Dickens novels, try Jon Clinch's Marley or Barbara Kingsolver's 21st century-set Demon Copperhead. Available on Libby and cloudLibrary |
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Pearly Everlasting
by Tammy Armstrong
In a 1920 Canadian logging camp, Pearly Everlasting is born, and her parents also take in an orphaned bear cub, Bruno, raising the duo as siblings. In the 1930s, a new camp boss causes trouble for Bruno, and he's sold off. But Pearly goes after him, even though it means heading alone to places she's never been. This atmospheric novel by an award-winning poet is "warmly enchanting" (Kirkus Reviews).
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| The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher MurrayIn 1905, Belle de Costa Greene is hired away from Princeton University to curate and run the personal library of banker J.P. Morgan. She shrewdly expands his collection of manuscripts, books, and artwork and becomes a powerful part of New York society, all the while hiding her Black family history. Read-alikes: Fiona Davis' The Lions of Fifth Avenue; Kuchenga Shenjé's The Library Thief. Also available on Libby |
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| The Women's March by Jennifer ChiaveriniIn 1913, not all American women have a right to vote. Determined to change that, suffragists such as Alice Paul, Maud Malone, and Ida B. Wells take part in a March on Washington, D.C., where angry men block their path. Blending fact and fiction, this powerful novel thoughtfully depicts the women's struggles and courage. For fans of: Stories from Suffragette City, edited by M.J. Rose and Fiona Davis. Also available on Libby and cloudLibrary |
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| Diva by Daisy GoodwinWell-researched and richly detailed, Diva fictionalizes the complex and scandalous extramarital affair between legendary opera singer Maria Callas and Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. For fans of: An Unofficial Marriage by Joie Davidow; the 2024 Angelina Jolie film Maria. |
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| Island Queen by Vanessa RileyBorn enslaved, Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a real-life 18th- and 19th-century Caribbean woman, builds a business empire to buy freedom for herself and her family and rubs shoulders with the rich and powerful, including England's future King William IV. If you enjoyed Edward P. Jones' Pulitzer Prize-winning The Known World, try this engaging and richly detailed story. |
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| The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson WoodAfter her chief engineer husband becomes sick while working on his late father's massive Brooklyn Bridge project, Emily Warren Roebling becomes his messenger and then takes on ever more responsibilities. Despite political corruption and people from all levels of society underestimating her, she ushers the bridge to completion in 1883. For fans of: Beatrice Colin's To Capture What We Cannot Keep. Also available on Hoopla |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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