Historical Fiction
September 2025
Recent Releases
A Promise to Arlette
by Serena Burdick

In an idyllic Massachusetts neighborhood, local boy Sidney and his British bride Ida haven't recovered from the war. They hide it well until 1952 when a neighbor shows off a Man Ray photo, leading Ida to steal it. She heads to California to confront the artist, knowing her beloved friend Arlette was actually the photographer. Set in England, France, and the United States before, during, and after World War II, this is an evocative, haunting novel. Try this next: Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey.
Six Weeks By the Sea : A Novel by Paula Byrne
Six Weeks by the Sea
by Paula Byrne

As Jane Austen's family relocates to Bath, she finds solace in a seaside holiday where family ties, budding romance, and unexpected friendships—including with a mysterious lawyer—shape her reflections amidst the social complexities of Regency England.
Fonseca
by Jessica Francis Kane

Mining a real 1952 trip to Mexico by Penelope Fitzgerald, this “masterful” (Publishers Weekly) novel follows the acclaimed English writer who's traveling with her six-year-old son while broke and pregnant. She’s come at the behest of the eccentric Delaney sisters, who’ve dangled an inheritance before her, but it turns out, she's not the only one. For fans of: Penelope Fitzgerald; witty stories starring real people.
Julia : a novel inspired by the extraordinary life of Julia Child by Heather B. Moore
Julia: A Novel Inspired by the Extraordinary Life of Julia Child
by Heather B. Moore

"Julia leaves behind a privileged life in California to join the OSS during World War II, decoding covert messages and aiding the Allied effort. Amid her far-reaching missions, she meets Paul Child, whose love leads her to postwar Paris. There, Julia Child's daring pursuit of French cuisine transforms her into a culinary trailblazer and icon, forever changing the way America cooks"
When Sleeping Women Wake
by Emma Pei Yin

Set during the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong in 1941, this moving debut follows three women: a Chinese wife who was unable to birth the son her wealthy husband desired; her maid, who's been like a sister to her for decades; and her beloved daughter. Navigating a new world, each will resist in her own way. Read-alikes: Andrew X. Pham's Twilight Territory; Eve J. Chung's Daughters of Shandong.
The English Masterpiece
by Katherine Reay

At London's Tate Modern Gallery, Lily Summers happily works as powerful curator Diana Gilden's assistant. But after viewing a painting Diana has authenticated at a 1973 Picasso exhibit, Lily blurts out that it's a fake, shocking the crowd and threatening her own career. Digging into the past, Lily tries to uncover the truth. Well-researched and evocative, this compelling novel has intrigue, memorable characters, and a bit of romance. For fans of: Kate Quinn; Fiona Davis.
The Art of a Lie
by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

After her husband's violent murder, Hannah Cole still runs her confectionary shop in 1749 London, but money is tighter than ever. She gets a bit of help from a stranger who knew her husband, but Chief Magistrate Henry Fielding thinks she may have been involved in her husband's death, leading her to look for the killer. Read-alikes: Katharine Schellman's The Body in the Garden; Kate Saunders' The Secrets of Wishtide.
The Original
by Nell Stevens

In 1899, 25-year-old Grace Inderwick, who has face blindness, travels with her aunt to Rome to meet someone claiming to be her cousin Charles, thought to have been lost at sea years ago. While Grace ponders growing up with her cold relatives and her remarkable ability to copy paintings, she and others wonder if the man is an imposter hoping to inherit a sizeable English estate. For fans of: captivating, evocative stories about art forgery; Sarah Waters; Emma Donoghue.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044
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