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Historical Fiction March 2026
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| The Last of Earth by Deepa AnapparaEuropeans aren't allowed in 1869 Tibet, so the British secretly hire Indians to conduct surveying expeditions. Looking for a missing friend who'd gone on such a trip, Balram agrees to guide an English captain in disguise. Meanwhile, 50-year-old Anglo-Indian Katherine hopes to be the first Western woman to reach Lhasa. In this atmospheric character-driven novel, the groups face storms, soldiers, doubt, and more. Library Journal calls it, "...a beautifully written, character-driven novel about colonialism that blends stunning descriptions of the Tibetan landscape with flawed and fascinating protagonists." |
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| Cleopatra by Saara El-ArifiCleopatra tells her own story, starting with her teen years when her father the pharaoh died, through power struggles with siblings and others, her relationships with her children and lovers, and on to her death and beyond. Sometimes directly addressing the reader, this richly detailed, well-researched novel presents a unique portrait of a strong woman. Booklist says, "...as a woman with the deck constantly stacked against her, she remains a fascinating figure, not for her seductive wiles but for her tenacious will to survive." |
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| Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna EverhartIn 1940s North Carolina, unmarried 24-year-old Ruth is unjustly accused of promiscuity by the sheriff and incarcerated at the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women. When 15-year-old Stella is raped and gets pregnant, her parents take her to the same place. There, Superintendent Dorothy Baker reigns, forcing medical treatments and more. This moving, eye-opening novel is based on a real government program. Read-alikes: Ellen Marie Wiseman's The Lies They Told; Meagan Church's The Last Carolina Girl; Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand. |
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| Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa JohnsonIn 1948, Philadelphian Ozzie Philips deals with racism as he enlists in the military and is sent to Europe. In 1950s Germany, an American officer's wife finds homes in the United States for the abandoned children of white German women and Black GIs. In 1965 Maryland, biracial Sophia Clark attends a prestigious formerly all-white boarding school. Inspired by real events, this well-researched novel follows these three connected lives. |
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| Skylark by Paula McLainWhen her father, a master dyer at Gobelin Tapestry Works, is unjustly imprisoned in 1660s Paris, teenage Alouette Voland tries to help, but is put in an asylum. In 1939, Dutch medical student Kristof Larson lives on the Rue des Gobelins near a Jewish family when the Nazis arrive in Paris. A GMA Book Club pick, this richly detailed, dual-timeline novel explores freedom, justice, and the tunnels under Paris. Try this next: Amanda Barratt's The Warsaw Sisters; Kirsty Manning's The Hidden Book. |
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| Meet the Newmans by Jennifer NivenFor over ten years, the Newmans have starred in a hit TV show based on their lives. In 1964, when dad Del is in a mysterious car accident, his wife Dinah suddenly needs to write a script for the season finale or risk their show being canceled. Meanwhile, rock star son Shep gets a girl pregnant and steady Guy hides the truth about his love life. "Niven captures the insular world of the Newmans and the cracks that begin to show when the real world comes knocking. It's a delightful, moving, and compelling tale that will resonate in these changing times." (Booklist) |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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