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Historical Fiction September 2026 |
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| The Half Life by Rachel BeanlandIn the 1970s, Eileen O'Malley meets and quickly marries charismatic naval officer Paul Archer. Moving to the tiny Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, where Paul works aboard a nuclear submarine tender, Eileen adjusts to life as a navy wife and takes Italian cooking lessons. But when she learns of local concerns about possible nuclear contamination, she finds herself divided and her marriage in trouble. Try this next: Emily Dunlay's Teddy. |
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| Miss Bates: Emma Revisited by Catherine CliffBoring, talkative Henrietta Bates is a spinster with little money in Emma. But in this debut novel and darker reimagining of Jane Austen's classic, readers follow Henrietta as she grows up, learning to ingratiate herself with others to survive. Turning into a cunning woman, she presents her public face to the world while sharing her sometimes vengeful thoughts here. For fans of: immersive novels starring Jane Austen characters. |
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| Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LacourIn 1944 New Orleans, 18-year-old Odette, from a Creole family, and her cousin Delphine share secrets, including Odette's affair with a woman and Delphine's with a married white man. To avoid Jim Crow, Odette and her sisters move to California. Passing as white, Delphine moves, too, eventually running into Odette. Inspired by the author's Creole family, this novel is "a masterpiece" (Booklist). Read-alikes: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul; Kin by Tayari Jones. |
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| The Parisian Heist by Jo PiazzaIn 1996 Paris, American art student Emma cleans the home of Stella Swanson, the widow of a notorious billionaire art dealer, who shares family secrets, leading Emma to plan an art museum heist. In 1891, newly widowed Jo van Gogh inherits worthless paintings by brother-in-law Vincent and champions them with help from new friend Claire. Narrated by Emma and Claire, this atmospheric dual-timeline novel is "a satisfying caper with brains and heart" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: Joan Fernandez's Saving Vincent. |
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| Song for Another Home by Bora Lee ReedAfter China enters the Korean War in 1950, Oksoon, her mother, and her brother flee Pyongyang, even though it's winter. Banding with others, they make their way south to Seoul, where Oksoon hopes to find her father and other brother. Meanwhile, Oksoon's cousin Junho seeks refuge at an orphanage, where, using his basic English, he writes letters asking American missionaries for funding and falls in love with an aristocratic woman. For fans of: moving debuts exploring resilience, family, and war; Eve J. Chung's The Young Will Remember. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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