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The Best Historical Fiction Books

While time travel will probably never happen, we’ll always have the next best thing: historical fiction novels. Through the magic of fiction (and authors’ dedication to researching endless incredible details), readers can feel as though they’ve been everywhere and every time, from Ancient Greece to colonial Asia to the American Revolution. If you’re a fiction lover who wants to learn more about the past but isn’t sure about diving into the world of history books, it’s the best of both worlds. 

Another reason to love historical fiction is that it can be crossed with any other genre. From historical mysteries to steamy historical romance to hilarious historical fiction, whatever genre you enjoy can be placed in another period.

Clearly, this is a genre that truly has something for everyone. Whether you prefer novels that bring you to times of war and terror or more whimsical stories set in the past; historical fiction that is surprisingly accurate or tales that take creative license with their settings, you'll find endless books to add to your TBR pile in the lists below.

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The Nutmeg Tree
The Nutmeg Tree
by Margery Sharp
The Other Side of the Sun
The Other Side of the Sun
by Madeleine L'Engle
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The Re-Read: A Wrinkle in Time
Possessing the Secret of Joy
Possessing the Secret of Joy
by Alice Walker
The Last Summer of the World
The Last Summer of the World
by Emily Mitchell
Olga
Olga
by Bernhard Schlink
The Overmountain Men
The Overmountain Men
by Cameron Judd
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Red River
Red River
by Lalita Tademy
South California Purples
South California Purples
by Baron Birtcher
Max
Max
by Howard Fast
An Outrageous Affair
An Outrageous Affair
by Penny Vincenzi
The Drop of the Dice
The Drop of the Dice
by Philippa Carr
Typical American
Typical American
by Gish Jen
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Very Old Bones
Very Old Bones
by William Kennedy
The Heirloom
The Heirloom
by Patricia Dixon
A Tale of Two Cities
A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
Refuge
Refuge
by Dot Jackson
Meridian
Meridian
by Alice Walker
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In The Full Light Of The Sun
In The Full Light Of The Sun
by Clare Clark
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Jubilee
Jubilee
by Nikki Giovanni, Margaret Walker
The Bridge of Years
The Bridge of Years
by May Sarton
The Man in the Wooden Hat
The Man in the Wooden Hat
by Jane Gardam
Power in the Blood
Power in the Blood
by Greg Matthews
The Sphinx at Dawn
The Sphinx at Dawn
by Madeleine L'Engle
Testimony of Two Men
Testimony of Two Men
by Taylor Caldwell
California Gold
California Gold
by John Jakes
Monkey
Monkey
by Wu Ch'eng-en, Arthur Waley
Presumption: An Entertainment
Presumption: An Entertainment
by Julia Barrett
Cassandra & Jane
Cassandra & Jane
by Jill Pitkeathley
Nothing Like the Sun
Nothing Like the Sun
by Anthony Burgess
The Other Alcott
The Other Alcott
by Elise Hooper
The Statement
The Statement
by Brian Moore
Wintering
Wintering
by Kate Moses
Mr. Timothy
Mr. Timothy
by Louis Bayard
The Long Song
The Long Song
by Andrea Levy
Confederates
Confederates
by Thomas Keneally
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Turncoat
Turncoat
by Aaron Elkins
Small Island
Small Island
by Andrea Levy
The Scandalous Marriage
The Scandalous Marriage
by M. C. Beaton
The Dressmaker
The Dressmaker
by Beryl Bainbridge
Cathedral
Cathedral
by Ben Hopkins
A Few Right Thinking Men
A Few Right Thinking Men
by Sulari Gentill
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc
by Mark Twain
Portraits
Portraits
by Cynthia Freeman
A Meal in Winter
A Meal in Winter
by Hubert Mingarelli
Vile Bodies
Vile Bodies
by Evelyn Waugh
Whitefire
Whitefire
by Fern Michaels
The Kindly Ones
The Kindly Ones
by Jonathan Littell
Vienna Waltz
Vienna Waltz
by Teresa Grant
A Gathering of Spies
A Gathering of Spies
by John Altman
Quest
Quest
by Richard Ben Sapir
Showing 201-250 of 364 results

Historical fiction is a genre where a fictional plot is set in a real historical setting or uses real historical characters. While there can be a mix of real and fictional events in the plot, historical fiction focuses on its fictional plot-points. 

The goal of historical fiction is to transport readers to another time. To do that, you’ll need to make the details of your story believable, even though it’s fiction. You want to focus on time period significance, historical accuracy, and detailed descriptions of characters and settings. 

Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth is often considered the first historical fiction novel.