|
|
|
|
Historical Fiction February 2026 |
|
|
|
| The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. BellIn this "stellar debut" (Publishers Weekly), apprentice bookbinder Lily Delaney works at her widowed father's failing bookshop in 1901 Oxford, England. After a customer gives her a burned book, she finds a cryptic 50-year-old love letter hidden in the binding that speaks of murder. Drawn into the mystery, Lily looks for other books by the obscure author, discovering she's not the only one after them. Read-alike: Jess Armstrong's Ruby Vaughn mysteries, starting with The Curse of Penryth Hall. |
|
| Sharpe's Storm by Bernard CornwellAmid brutal winter conditions in 1813 France, Major Richard Sharpe is ordered to keep Rear Admiral Sir Joel Chase safe, as Chase has plans that may finally defeat Napoleon. But Sharpe's task is made difficult by Chase's extreme confidence and thirst for battle. This is the latest in the long-running Sharpe series, which started in the 1980s and spawned the popular TV series starring Sean Bean. For fans of: thrilling adventures that beautifully blend history and fiction. |
|
| Daughter of Genoa by Kat DevereauxAlone and with her home destroyed, Anna is helped by Father Vittorio, a Jesuit priest who is part of a secret group helping Jewish people escape World War II-era Italy. A talented forger, Anna, who's Jewish, makes fake documents and meets the group's leader, whom she falls for. This is "one of the best works of World War II historical fiction published in recent years," raves Library Journal. For fans of: Joseph O'Connor's My Father's House. |
|
| Canticle by Janet Rich EdwardsSet in medieval Bruges, this atmospheric debut follows devout teenager Aleys as she runs away from home to avoid an arranged marriage and joins a group of secular women supporting the church. Her time there isn't without incident, however, as corrupt religious officials abound and others are suspicious of her ability to read books and her supernatural healing talent. For fans of: Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken; Matrix by Lauren Groff. |
|
| The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie GodfreyIn 1979, 12-year-old Miv lives with her lonely father, her opinionated Aunty Jean, and her mother, who had a breakdown and no longer speaks. With the (real-life) Yorkshire Ripper terrorizing the area, curious Miv investigates with her loyal best friend. Though steeped in crime, this isn't as much a traditional mystery as an atmospheric coming-of-age tale. Great for book clubs, it explores friendship, community, prejudice, and loss. Read-alike: Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney. |
|
|
|
The Last of Earth
by Deepa Anappara
1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rapÂidly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians--permitted to cross borders that white men may not--to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet. Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of another Westerner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa. As Balram and Katherine make their way into Tibet, they will face storms and bandits, snow leopards and soldiers, fevers and frostbite. What's more, they will have to battle their own doubts, ambitions, grief, and pasts in order to survive the treacherous landscape.
|
|
| With Love from Harlem by ReShonda TateIn 1943 Harlem, beloved jazz pianist Hazel Scott is at the top of her game, performing in front of Langston Hughes and others, when she meets married pastor and councilman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., leading to an exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changes the course of her life. For fans of: well-researched biographical novels starring Black artists; Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray. |
|
|
|
Hope and Destiny
by Niklas Natt Och Dag
1434: The unified kingdoms of northern Europe are cracking at their seams as a peasant rebellion, led by the charismatic figure Engelbrekt Engelbrekts, erupts in the north. Sent by his family to find a foothold in this rising revolutionary movement is young Magnus Bengtsson, who must win Engelbrekt's trust and favor no matter the cost. Back at Magnus's family castle, his mother, father, and sister wait for news of his success. One is lost in longing, another is forging his own plan for the throne and crown, and one is looking for the opportunity to rise from her brother's shadow.
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|