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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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The House of Boleyn
by Tracy Borman
When nobleman Thomas Boleyn, lord of Hever Castle, is called to London in 1509 to present himself to a newly anointed King Henry VIII, he sets in train events that ensure the Boleyn name will never be forgotten. His daughters Mary and Anne were young then, and though he was ambitious for his family to prosper, he could not imagine what would transpire in the two decades to come.
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| When Mikan Road Was Ours by D.K. FurutaniReeling from his father's death and his own cancer diagnosis, high school teacher Mr. Murano is in limbo. But everything changes after inheriting his great-uncle Benjiro's unpublished memoir, where Murano learns about his Japanese family, from their bucolic farm in 1930s California to their World War II internment and beyond. This is a well-researched debut and a poignant meditation on life and family. Try this next: Naomi Hirahara's Japantown historical mysteries. |
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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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| Runner by Ashton LattimoreIn 1923 Martha's Vineyard, a mysterious shipwreck kills her father and his crew, so Lena Jameson takes over his rum-running business instead of attending college. With help from her brother, her on-and-off boyfriend, and a glamorous young woman with secrets, Lena branches out to Boston and Harlem while also investigating what caused her dad's shipwreck. For fans of: suspenseful Prohibition-era novels; atmospheric historical fiction featuring ground-breaking Black women. |
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Single Girls
by John Searles
After the success of Sex and the Single Girl, Helen Gurley Brown is named editor of failing Cosmopolitan magazine in 1965. She assembles a team of smart, savvy women, and their lives become the stuff of magazine cover lines (Champagne hot tubs! Clashes with Joan Crawford!). Also covering Gurley's childhood and her later years, this fun read by former Cosmopolitan editor John Searles "sparkles" (Library Journal). Read-alike: Gill Paul's Scandalous Women.
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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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