Historical Fiction
December 2025

Recent Releases
Boleyn Traitor
by Philippa Gregory

Set during the turbulent reign of Henry VIII, this latest from bestselling British author Philippa Gregory explores the life of Jane Boleyn, the wife of Anne Boleyn's brother. Jane serves five of Henry’s wives as lady-in-waiting and works with Thomas Cromwell as a spy in this atmospheric novel full of court intrigue. Fans of Gregory’s The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance will be glad to revisit the family here.
Final Orbit by Chris Hadfield
Final Orbit
by Chris Hadfield

Houston, 1975. A new Apollo mission launches into orbit, on course to dock with a Russian Soyuz craft: three NASA astronauts and three cosmonauts, joining to celebrate a new dawn of Soviet-American cooperation. But as NASA Flight Controller Kaz Zemeckis listens in from Earth, a deadly accident onboard the orbiting spacecraft changes everything. Meanwhile, from a remote location in east Asia, the first Chinese spacecraft secretly launches. On board is China's first astronaut, Fang Kuo-chun, whose mission puts him on a collision course with the Apollo crew. As Kaz races against an enemy on the ground and for answers beyond the sky, the safety of the remaining crew hangs in the balance--
The Gun Man Jackson Swagger
by Stephen Hunter

In 1897 Arizona Territory, sharpshooter and Civil War vet Jack Swagger takes a job guarding deliveries to and from Mexico for prosperous rancher Colonel Callahan. But not everything is as it seems in this western by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, which is “reminiscent of Larry McMurtry” (Booklist).  For fans of: Hunter’s Bob Lee Swagger novels (which star a descendent of Jack); William W. Johnstone’s westerns.
The Mad Wife by Meagan Church
The Mad Wife
by Meagan Church

In the 1950s, nothing is valued more than conformity, and Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the ideal housewife. But after the birth of her daughter, Lulu's carefully constructed life begins to teeter. Exhausted by expectations and haunted by tragic memories, Lulu looks to her new neighbor, Bitsy. Bitsy, always the model of a perfect housewife, is not quite what she seems and Lulu knows something dark lurks beneath Bitsy's constant smile. Increasingly fixated on Bitsy and her perfectly crafted life, Lulu's mental state begins to fracture, and memories she had suppressed long ago begin to rise to the surface. Soon, Lulu is forced to confront the possibility that she might be headed down a path much darker than she could ever foresee. Set against the backdrop of a post-war era defined by tradition and constrained femininity, The Mad Wife weaves together a coming-of-age search for identity with a psychological drama so poignant, you won't be able to put it down--
Tis the Season for Historical Fiction
The Christmas Boutique: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini
The Christmas Boutique: An ELM Creek Quilts Novel
by Jennifer Chiaverini

Just weeks before Christmas, severe wintry weather damages the church hall hosting the Christmas Boutique--an annual sale of handcrafted gifts and baked goods that supports the county food pantry. Determined to save the fundraiser, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson offers to hold the event at Elm Creek Manor, her ancestral family estate and summertime home to Elm Creek Quilt Camp. In the spirit of the season, Sylvia and the Elm Creek Quilters begin setting up market booths in the ballroom and decking the halls with beautiful hand-made holiday quilts. Each of the quilters chooses a favorite quilt to display, a special creation evoking memories of holidays past and dreams of Christmases yet to come. 
A Christmas Grace by Anne Perry
A Christmas Grace
by Anne Perry

This Christmas mystery from New York Times-bestselling author Perry tells the chilling story of a storm-wracked coastal village that hides a terrible secret.
Time of the Child by Niall Williams
Time of the Child
by Niall Williams

In December 1962, 12-year-old Jude Quinlan and his father take their cows to the Christmas fair in Faha, a small town where 'all commentators agreed: nothing happened here.' The town's reputation begins to change after Jude, waiting for his father to emerge from the pub, finds a baby at the back wall of the church. Jude brings the baby to the local physician, Jack Troy, whose grown daughter Ronnie names her Noelle. The Troys hide the baby to prevent her from being taken away and placed in an orphanage. Jack, regretting that he disapproved of Ronnie's former suitor, Noel Crowe, who now lives in America, concocts a far-fetched plan to lure Noel back to Ireland, so he and Ronnie can get married and take the child to the U.S. to raise--
The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
The House Is on Fire
by Rachel Beanland

What it's about: the devastating Richmond Theater Fire where 72 people, including Virginia governor George William Smith, lost their lives on the night after Christmas in 1811.

Starring: stage boy Jack, present in the rafters when the fire starts; Sally, who finds herself trapped on the third floor; Gilbert, a blacksmith and former slave who hears the chaos from outside the building and runs in to help; and Gilbert's niece Cecily, who sees the commotion as a chance to escape to freedom.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Hampstead Public Library
9 Mary E Clark Dr.
Hampstead, New Hampshire 03841
603-329-6411

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