Historical Fiction
March 2026

Recent Releases
The Last of Earth
by Deepa Anappara

Europeans 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. Try this next: Tsering Yangzom Lama's We Measure the Earth With our Bodies.
When We Were Brilliant
by Lynn Cullen

When up-and-coming starlet Marilyn Monroe meets documentary photographer Eve Arnold at a 1952 party for director John Huston, the two develop a friendship and working partnership that changes both of their lives. This fascinating look at two legendary women explores their strength, friendship, and ambition. Read-alike: Tatiana de Rosnay's Blonde Dust.
Cleopatra
by Saara El-Arifi

Cleopatra 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. Try this next: Natasha Solomons' I Am Cleopatra; Malayna Evans' Neferura.
Women of a Promiscuous Nature
by Donna Everhart

In 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.
Keeper of Lost Children
by Sadeqa Johnson

In 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. Try this next: The Last Thing You Surrender by Leonard Pitts, Jr.
Skylark
by Paula McLain

When 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.
Meet the Newmans
by Jennifer Niven

For 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. Try this next: Christina Hammonds Reed's The Johnson Four; Anita Abriel's American Housewife.
Fireflies in Winter
by Eleanor Shearer

In the freezing cold of 1790s Nova Scotia, Cora tries to adapt to where the British have exiled her and several hundred other Jamaican Maroons. In the woods, she meets formerly enslaved Agnes, who uses wilderness knowledge she learned from the Mi’kmaq to hide and survive. As the two spend time together, they unexpectedly fall in love, but neither has an easy road ahead in this evocative, lyrical tale. Try this next: In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas.
Library Events
Podcasting 101 Skills Workshop: Audio Editing
Thursday, March 26, 6:00pm
Almonte
You have the script written and the show planned out. Now just how do you record it!? No need to panic. Join Almonte's STEM Librarian for another episode of Podcasting 101 where they will walk you through the beginning steps of recording and editing your podcasting for maximum clarity and ease of listening. We hope to see you there! Laptops will be provided by the Almonte Library for this activity.
Gettin' By By Makin' Do: Women's Lives On the Great Plains During The Great Depression: Women's History Month
Saturday, March 28, 10:00am
Warr Acres
After the Stock Market Crash of 1929, life changed radically for the vast majority of Americans. Funds and foods were hard to find. For those who lived in small towns, ranches, and farms on the Great Plains, life became harder than ever. Based on her own research, Dr. Sara Jane Richter's presentation provides a detailed look at how females carried on through desperate times. Regardless of families’ financial straits, they still had to eat, clothe themselves, doctor their ills, clean house, and work. Suffering with summer heat, making food, shoveling dust, and resewing their used clothing were just a few of the assignments that fell to women. With a PowerPoint presentation to accompany the text, Dr. Richter offers insights on how people got along in the worst of times in this cruel chapter of American history.
Quilling Workshop
Wednesday, April 1, 6:00pm
Northwest
Come join us as we turn simple-looking paper strips into beautiful art by paper quilling. Paper quilling involves rolling, looping, curling and shaping paper strips and then combining them to create designs. Quilling is not just an art; it also helps with relaxation and hand-eye coordination. You will find it amazingly therapeutic to sit around the table with us and chat while we quill. We will have tools & supplies, along with a simple project, at each monthly meeting, so you can learn the basics and grow as a quiller. This monthly workshop is for any level of quiller - beginner, intermediate, or expert!
Beginner Native Flowers
Saturday, March 28, 1:00pm
Belle Isle
Begin your gardening this spring with this specialist led program! Prairie Rose Plant Co. will offer basics, tips, and tricks to gardening with flowers native to Oklahoma. Afterwards, chat with the specialists and grab a free native flower seed packet to get you started!
Obituary Writing Workshop
Wednesday, April 8, 6:00pm
Northwest
Writing an obituary for a loved one can be a daunting, intimidating, stressful task, but one most of us will face at some point in our lives. Rather than waiting until you are weighed down with the heaviness of grief, start writing an obituary now as a way to honor someone and what they mean to you. This workshop will look at what to include in and ways to structure an obituary. And will end with a time for you to begin writing one for a loved one or even yourself.
Library Resources
Adult Learning Center
Learn foundational, career-enhancing skills by using the expert writing lab, study tools and more. The Adult Learning Center offers test preparation (including the GED and the USCIS citizenship test) and a unique academic skills center featuring live, online tutors.
hoopla
Hoopla allows you to borrow movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows to enjoy on your computer, tablet, or phone – and even your TV! Titles are ALWAYS AVAILABLE and can be streamed immediately, or downloaded to phones or tablets for offline enjoyment later. NOTE: When creating a hoopla account, use your last name as your PIN.
Legal Forms Library
Access federal and Oklahoma-specific legal forms for business, personal, official, real estate, litigation, and general needs. Oklahoma legal forms are provided by participating attorneys, form companies or were specifically adapted for Oklahoma.
Little Pim
A language-learning resource for kids and babies that uses videos and other tools to help them learn a new language in a way they can enjoy and understand.
Signing Savvy
A sign language dictionary containing several thousand videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, fingerspelled words and other common signs used within the United States and Canada.
Contact your librarian for more great books!