Historical Fiction
March 2025
Recent Releases
Daughters of Bronze : a novel of Troy
by A. D. Rhine

"Lost between the timeless lines of Homer's epic, the women of Troy finally stand to be counted. Their story is one you've never encountered, and it will change the fate of Troy forever. Andromache has proven herself a capable leader, but can she maintain that hard-won status now that she is the mother to the city's long-awaited heir? With enemies closing in, Andromache must bring together a divided city in time to make a final stand. Rhea is a Trojan spy, but she never expected to find love in the enemy camp. When the final battle lines are drawn, Rhea must decide where her loyalties lie and how much she is willing to lose. Helen is no longer the same broken woman first brought to Troy as a captive. Given a second chance at life, she must cast off her shroud of grief and use her healing gifts to save Troy's greatest hope. Cassandra has seen Troy's fate. But she knows the truth is only as valuable as the person who tells it . . . and few in Troy value her. All that is about to change. One hero will rise, another will fall . . . and this time, Cassandra will have her say. From the highest tower to the most humble alley, the bloody beaches to the dusty plain, Daughters of Bronze is the thrilling conclusion to the duology that began with Horses of Fire, andbreathes life into the Troy of myth and history. It is an epic of a thousand invisible actions leading to a single moment, adding a refrain of unexpected light to the legend of Troy"
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!
Indianapolis Public Library
P.O. Box 211
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206-0211
317-275-4100
www.indypl.org/