Historical Fiction
March 2025
Recent Releases
Babylonia
by Costanza Casati

Mixing mythology with ancient history, this second novel by the author of Clytemnestra traces the path of Semiramis from poor orphan to Queen of Assyria. Raised by an abusive shepherd after her mother ran afoul of Aphrodite, clever Semiramis navigates her way to the city, where court intrigue and a love triangle don't stop her ambition in this evocative, gripping tale. Read-alike: A.D. Rhine's Horses of Fire.
Fagin the Thief
by Allison Epstein

Revisiting Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and providing a more nuanced depiction of villainous Fagin, this "magnificent" (Publishers Weekly) novel begins in 1838 London when trouble arrives at the rundown house where Fagin lives with his group of young thieves. For retellings of other Dickens novels, try Jon Clinch's Marley or Barbara Kingsolver's 21st century-set Demon Copperhead.
The Queen of Fives
by Alex Hay

Destitute con artist Quinn Le Blanc, the current Queen of Fives, follows the old group's rulebook dictating she has five days to pull off five specific moves to complete a successful con. In 1898 London, she's impersonating an heiress to lure a wealthy duke into marriage, but she only has one helper left and there are mysterious plots against her. For fans of: Ashley Weaver's Electra McDonnell mysteries.
Let's Call Her Barbie
by Renée Rosen

Told from multiple viewpoints, this fun fictional take on Barbie's beginnings shows Mattel cofounder Ruth Handler, inspired by dolls in Europe, creating the revolutionary fashion icon. Though kids love her, Barbie faces in-house problems and consumer criticism on her way to success (and a dream house). For a more haunting, emotionally intense look at the power of dolls, try Mona Susan Power's A Council of Dolls.
The Unexpected Diva
by Tiffany L. Warren

This inspiring biographical novel depicts the life of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who is born into slavery but freed as a child and raised in Philadelphia's Quaker community by an elderly white woman. With a voice compared to Jenny Lind's, she tours all over as an adult, even performing for Queen Victoria in England, all while facing prejudices. Read-alike: The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate.
Focus on: Women's Lives
The Personal Librarian
by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

In 1905, Belle de Costa Greene is hired away from Princeton University to curate and run the personal library of banker J.P. Morgan. She shrewdly expands his collection of manuscripts, books, and artwork and becomes a powerful part of New York society, all the while hiding her Black family history. Read-alikes: Fiona Davis' The Lions of Fifth Avenue; Kuchenga Shenjé's The Library Thief.
The Women's March
by Jennifer Chiaverini

In 1913, not all American women have a right to vote. Determined to change that, suffragists such as Alice Paul, Maud Malone, and Ida B. Wells take part in a March on Washington, D.C., where angry men block their path. Blending fact and fiction, this powerful novel thoughtfully depicts the women's struggles and courage. For fans of: Stories from Suffragette City, edited by M.J. Rose and Fiona Davis.
Diva
by Daisy Goodwin

Well-researched and richly detailed, Diva fictionalizes the complex and scandalous extramarital affair between legendary opera singer Maria Callas and Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis. For fans of: An Unofficial Marriage by Joie Davidow; the 2024 Angelina Jolie film Maria.
Island Queen
by Vanessa Riley

Born enslaved, Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a real-life 18th- and 19th-century Caribbean woman, builds a business empire to buy freedom for herself and her family and rubs shoulders with the rich and powerful, including England's future King William IV. If you enjoyed Edward P. Jones' Pulitzer Prize-winning The Known World, try this engaging and richly detailed story.
The Engineer's Wife
by Tracey Enerson Wood

After her chief engineer husband becomes sick while working on his late father's massive Brooklyn Bridge project, Emily Warren Roebling becomes his messenger and then takes on ever more responsibilities. Despite political corruption and people from all levels of society underestimating her, she ushers the bridge to completion in 1883. For fans of: Beatrice Colin's To Capture What We Cannot Keep.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Richards Memorial Library
118 N. Washington St.
N. Attleboro, Massachusetts 02760
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www.RMLonline.org