BOOK LIST: Top 10 Historical Fiction

It’s no secret your literature ladies love history – we read a lot of it, both fiction and nonfiction. We feel history teaches us so much, and sometimes those fictionalized retellings of different eras and events can really make something previously skimmed over in a history textbook come alive as you journey with well-written characters through thought-provoking, descriptive narratives. Because this is our favorite genre (Sorry, Science Fiction. We know you get ignored.), we wanted to share some of our favorite historical fiction reads with you: 

Meredith’s Picks:

1. My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray – a retelling of Eliza Hamilton’s life from before her marriage to infamous Alexander Hamilton to her death. One of my favorites, and the book that inspired the start of The Literature Ladies! 
2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – post World War II on an idyllic island, told in letters and utterly delightful
3. America’s First Daughter  by Laura Kamoie and Stephanie Dray – by the same authors as My Dear Hamilton, about the life of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter. What can I say, I really love the way these women portray the women who made history as our nation began. 
4. Dragonfly by Leila Meacham – a young group of American spies in Paris. Generally, I love this author and the sweeping historical sagas she writes. This book actually deviates from what I feel is her usual “style.” 
5. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers – a deep, gritty tale of a prostitute overcoming the horrors of her past and finding healing and redemption

Jessica’s Picks:

1. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner – the tale of a young Irish immigrant’s marriage to a mysterious man framed by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
2. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys – a heart-wrenching story of one girl’s family – of life, loss, and love – in the midst of Stalin’s purge of Lithuania in the 1940s
3. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes – an empowering, inspiring novel of women linking arms and organizing the Kentucky mobile library in the midst of the Great Depression 
4. The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner – A somber WWII survival story of mother and daughter in 1940s Poland. Beautifully written. A tear-jerker. 
5. The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan – A look at the lives of four women in the English countryside in a BBC cooking competition as the Blitz of London rages on 

This is by no means a comprehensive list of our favorite historical fiction books, but ten that we felt worth sharing and recommending. There is certainly a lot of WWII fiction (especially from Jessica, the resident WWII nerd), but we both love tales that celebrate the rich history of our own country or take us to a new land we’re unfamiliar with from past reading or experiences. Maybe one of these will be that new journey for you! 

Meredith