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Historical Fiction

Real people and pivotal moments from our past come alive through compelling stories that blend documented facts with imaginative storytelling. Whether following famous figures or everyday characters, these books transport readers into richly detailed worlds shaped by the authentic customs, conflicts, and cultural forces of their time periods.

Historical Fiction Book Summaries

The Invention of Wings Summary
The Invention of Wings
by Sue Monk Kidd 2014 384 pages
4.25
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
Clockwork Princess Summary
Clockwork Princess
by Cassandra Clare 2013 567 pages
4.56
400k+ ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Romance
Orphan Train Summary
Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline 2013 278 pages
4.20
400k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
And the Mountains Echoed Summary
And the Mountains Echoed
by Khaled Hosseini 2012 12 pages
4.08
300k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Novels
Between Shades of Gray Summary
Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys 2011 344 pages
4.37
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
The Kitchen House Summary
The Kitchen House
by Kathleen Grissom 2010 369 pages
4.23
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Book Club
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Summary
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
by Jonas Jonasson 2009 396 pages
3.82
200k+ ratings
Contemporary
Historical Fiction
Humor
Firefly Lane Summary
Firefly Lane
by Kristin Hannah 2008 479 pages
4.19
400k+ ratings
Chick Lit
Romance
Contemporary
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Summary
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz 2007 11 pages
3.89
200k+ ratings
Magical Realism
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Summary
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by Junot Díaz 2007 335 pages
3.89
200k+ ratings
Magical Realism
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close Summary
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer 2005 326 pages
3.97
400k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Novels
To Sir Phillip, With Love Summary
To Sir Phillip, With Love
by Julia Quinn 2003 372 pages
3.70
200k+ ratings
Romance
Historical Romance
Historical
Middlesex Summary
Middlesex
by Jeffrey Eugenides 2002 529 pages
4.04
600k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
LGBT
The Other Boleyn Girl Summary
The Other Boleyn Girl
by Philippa Gregory 2001 661 pages
4.08
500k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Romance
The Dream of the Red Chamber Summary
The Dream of the Red Chamber
by Cao Xueqin 1761 966 pages
4.19
5k+ ratings
China
Historical Fiction
Literature
Cilka's Journey Summary
Cilka's Journey
by Heather Morris 2019 352 pages
4.40
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
World War II
A Woman Is No Man Summary
A Woman Is No Man
by Etaf Rum 2019 339 pages
4.26
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Feminism
The Immortalists Summary
The Immortalists
by Chloe Benjamin 2018 346 pages
3.71
200k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
How to Stop Time Summary
How to Stop Time
by Matt Haig 2018 339 pages
3.83
100k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Science Fiction
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell Summary
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
by Robert Dugoni 2018 448 pages
4.44
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Coming Of Age
Contemporary
We Were the Lucky Ones Summary
We Were the Lucky Ones
by Georgia Hunter 2017 403 pages
4.42
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
World War II
Historical
Lincoln in the Bardo Summary
Lincoln in the Bardo
by George Saunders 2017 368 pages
3.75
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Literary Fiction
The Girls Summary
The Girls
by Emma Cline 2016 355 pages
3.51
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Literary Fiction
Salt to the Sea Summary
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys 2016 391 pages
4.35
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Young Adult
Historical
Commonwealth Summary
Commonwealth
by Ann Patchett 2016 322 pages
3.83
100k+ ratings
Literary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Contemporary
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Summary
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
The Original Screenplay
by J.K. Rowling 2016 293 pages
4.16
100k+ ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Magic
The Wrath and the Dawn Summary
The Wrath and the Dawn
by Renée Ahdieh 2015 416 pages
4.05
100k+ ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Romance
Library of Souls Summary
Library of Souls
by Ransom Riggs 2015 465 pages
4.14
100k+ ratings
Fantasy
Young Adult
Paranormal
The Storyteller Summary
The Storyteller
by Jodi Picoult 2013 461 pages
4.30
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Holocaust
Historical
Life After Life Summary
Life After Life
by Kate Atkinson 2013 544 pages
3.78
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Historical
Ordinary Grace Summary
Ordinary Grace
by William Kent Krueger 2013 307 pages
4.27
100k+ ratings
Mystery
Historical Fiction
Coming Of Age
The Story of a New Name Summary
The Story of a New Name
by Elena Ferrante 2012 471 pages
4.45
200k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Italy
Italian Literature
The Secret Keeper Summary
The Secret Keeper
by Kate Morton 2012 484 pages
4.16
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Mystery
Historical
Winter of the World Summary
Winter of the World
by Ken Follett 2012 940 pages
4.38
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
War
Home Front Summary
Home Front
by Kristin Hannah 2012 390 pages
4.24
100k+ ratings
Romance
Historical Fiction
Chick Lit
The Snow Child Summary
The Snow Child
by Eowyn Ivey 2011 423 pages
4.01
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Magical Realism
The White Queen Summary
The White Queen
by Philippa Gregory 2009 415 pages
3.96
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Romance
Little Bee Summary
Little Bee
by Chris Cleave 2008 271 pages
3.72
200k+ ratings
Africa
Historical Fiction
Book Club
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell Summary
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
by Susanna Clarke 2004 1006 pages
3.86
200k+ ratings
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Historical
Year of Wonders Summary
Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks 2001 304 pages
4.01
100k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
British Literature
The God of the Woods Summary
The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore 2024 490 pages
4.18
300k+ ratings
Mystery
Thriller
Mystery Thriller
The Cartel Summary
The Cartel
by Don Winslow 2015 616 pages
4.36
36k+ ratings
Crime
Thriller
Mystery
The Moor's Account Summary
The Moor's Account
by Laila Lalami 2014 321 pages
4.04
12k+ ratings
Historical Fiction
Historical
Africa
Sent Summary
Sent
by Margaret Peterson Haddix 2009 320 pages
3.94
17k+ ratings
Science Fiction
Young Adult
Time Travel
The Last Temptation of Christ Summary
The Last Temptation of Christ
by Nikos Kazantzakis 1955 506 pages
4.18
14k+ ratings
Religion
Classics
Historical Fiction
Yayati Summary
Yayati
A Classic Tale of Lust
by Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar 1963 251 pages
4.12
5k+ ratings
Marathi
Mythology
India
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