If you’re a bookish nerd who loves history, we’ve got the perfect book recommendations for you. These historical fiction novels will transport you back in time for inspiring stories of resilience, bravery, and community. Delve deeper into your favorite historical figures and events, and perhaps even learn something new!
The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes
The Queen of the Valley by Lorena Hughes takes readers to the lush hills of Colombia in the aftermath of tragedy. Martin Sabater followed his lifelong dream of owning a cacao plantation in the lush Valle del Cauca. But on the night of a dazzling gala, Martin disappears. But Martin’s disappearance falls to the wayside in the wake of the 1925 Cali earthquake and the emerging cholera epidemic. However, three strangers–a photographer, a young chocolatier, and a nun–are determined find out what really happened to Martin and finally set the past right.
The Novelist From Berlin by V.S. Alexander
Explore the mysterious true story of Irmgard Keun, a defiant female novelist amid post-WWI, in The Novelist From Berlin by V.S. Alexander. The Great War may be over, but dark forces are still at work. Niki Rittenhau’s marriage to her movie producer husband, Rickard, seems to be convenient for them both. But when Rickard starts making Nazi propaganda films, Niki is horrified, and turns to writing as a form of solace. After her first novel finds great success, Niki knows she must flee her husband to keep herself and her daughter safe. But will she be able to evade her husband–and Hitler’s Brownshirts–forever?
The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail
The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail is a touching story of sisterhood set amid turn-of-the-century New Orleans. When Alice’s husband leaves her pregnant and abandoned, she leaves the windy city of Chicago for the bustling city of New Orleans. As fate would have it, she crosses paths with a young widow named Constance, who grants Alice lodging in exchange for help creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all-female krewe of Mardi Gras. But as Mardi Gras draws near, a secret emerges that will cement the bond between Alice and Constance, even as it threatens the new lives each is building…
An American Beauty by Shana Abe
Delve into the captivating world of An American Beauty by acclaimed author Shana Abe, a novel that draws inspiration from the remarkable life of Arabella Huntington, the wealthiest self-made woman in America. Even at seventeen, Arabella Huntington possesses an unyielding grit and resolve to escape her background of poverty. When an opportunity presents itself in the form of Collis Huntington, a self-made multimillionaire, Arabella finds herself in a tangled affair. But to truly earn her place among the elites, Arabella’s ambition, loyalties, and heart will be put to the test.
The Book Spy by Alan Hlad
The Book Spy by Alan Hlad draws its inspiration from the incredible tales of WWII’s unsung heroes. To tip the scales of war in the Allies favor, President Roosevelt dispatches an unlikely new taskforce across Europe: undercover librarians trained in espionage. Maria Alves, a microfilm expert from the New York Public Library, is sent over to Lisbon. And when her mission opens a doorway into the Fuhrer’s inner circle, she may be able to rewrite the trajectory of war itself…
Before the Storm by James D. Shipman
Embark on an exhilarating journey with Before the Storm by James D. Shipman, a tale inspired by real-life Nazi hunters. The aftermath of WWII sets the stage for a fresh wave of turmoil. US Department of Public Affairs agent Sara Strum is summoned to West Berlin when a store is defaced with swastikas. In her investigation, she encounters Max, a Holocaust survivor on a mission to captures the Nazi scientist who betrayed his family. Join the pair as they embark on a dangerous journey towards justice…
Reprinted with permission from Kensington Books.
