Historical Fiction
April 2025
Recent Releases
The Jackal's Mistress
by Chris Bohjalian

With 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.
The English Problem
by Beena Kamlani

In 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. Try this next: Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux.
The Dressmakers of London
by Julia Kelly

After their mother's unexpected death, Isabelle Shelton and her estranged sister Sylvia inherit the family dressmaking shop, prompting Izzie to reluctantly seek Sylvia's help to save it while aiming to buy her out, leading to letters that explore old wounds and the possibility of reconciliation within their shared legacy.  You might also like: Nineteen Steps by Millie Bobby Brown.
Let Us March On
by Shara Moon

A maid to Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lizzie McDuffie, whose husband is FDR's personal valet, becomes the President's eyes and ears into the Black community, advocating for the needs and rights of her fellow African Americans when those in the White House blocked access to the President. Try this next: Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks.
Harlem Rhapsody
by Victoria Christopher Murray

In 1919, Jessie Redmon Fauset becomes the first Black woman literary editor of The Crisis magazine, putting her at the forefront of Harlem's cultural renaissance, where she discovers talents such as Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen. But her ambitions and a secret affair with W.E.B. Du Bois threaten it all. Try these next: Piper Huguley's By Her Own Design; Tia Williams' A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.
Frankie
by Graham Norton

Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take center stage--after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before. As she recovers from a fall, Damian, a young Irish caretaker, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.  You might also like: One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle.   
The Ghosts of Rome
by Joseph O'Connor

With 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. Try this next: Shanghai by Joseph Kanon.
The Café With No Name
by Robert Seethaler

In 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). For a more contemporary novel about found family, pick up Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum.
The Girl From Greenwich Street: A Novel of Hamilton, Burr, and America's First Murder Trial
by Lauren Willig

Bitter rivals Hamilton and Burr unite to defend a carpenter accused of murdering Elma Sands, a mysterious young woman found in a well, intertwining a high-profile trial with their own political ambitions and personal enmity. You might also like: Because I Could Not Stop For Death by Amanda Flower.
Mutual Interest
by Olivia Wolfgang-Smith

Told by a witty omniscient narrator, Mutual Interest follows three secretly queer people in turn-of-the-20th-century New York City. Vivian Lesperance, who was treated poorly by her parents in Utica, reinvents herself as a sought-after party guest and makes a lavender marriage with shy businessman Oscar Schmidt. When Oscar falls for his eccentric rival, New York blueblood Squire Clancey, the trio end up living and working together. Try this next: The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye.
Contact your librarian for more great books!