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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.

Historical Fiction on Sale Now!

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Refuge
Refuge
by Dot Jackson
A Hope Divided
A Hope Divided
by Alyssa Cole
The Gate of Angels
The Gate of Angels
by Philip Hensher, Penelope Fitzgerald
Meridian
Meridian
by Alice Walker
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Through the Arc of the Rain Forest
Through the Arc of the Rain Forest
by Karen Tei Yamashita, Percival Everett
Britannia Mews
Britannia Mews
by Margery Sharp
Short Stories
Short Stories
by Irwin Shaw
The Hell Bent Kid
The Hell Bent Kid
by Charles O. Locke
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Voices on the Wind
Voices on the Wind
by Evelyn Anthony
Brazil-Maru
Brazil-Maru
by Susan Straight, Karen Tei Yamashita
Murder in E Minor
Murder in E Minor
by Robert Goldsborough
Last Friends
Last Friends
by Jane Gardam
Miss Burma
Miss Burma
by Charmaine Craig
Sepharad
Sepharad
by Antonio Munoz Molina, Margaret Sayers Peden
Before She Sleeps
Before She Sleeps
by Bina Shah
Jubilee
Jubilee
by Margaret Walker, Nikki Giovanni
The Gossamer Cord
The Gossamer Cord
by Philippa Carr
The Body
The Body
by Richard Ben Sapir
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Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
by Evelyn Anthony
The Bridge of Years
The Bridge of Years
by May Sarton
Vienna Waltz
Vienna Waltz
by Teresa Grant
The Ministry of Fear
The Ministry of Fear
by Graham Greene
Some Tame Gazelle
Some Tame Gazelle
by Barbara Pym
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Sophie's Choice
Sophie's Choice
by William Styron
The Third Life of Grange Copeland
The Third Life of Grange Copeland
by Alice Walker
China Court
China Court
by Rumer Godden
Asta's Book
Asta's Book
by Ruth Rendell
The Troubled Air
The Troubled Air
by Irwin Shaw
The Nutmeg Tree
The Nutmeg Tree
by Margery Sharp
Clandara
Clandara
by Evelyn Anthony
Peking
Peking
by Anthony Grey
Archie Meets Nero Wolfe
Archie Meets Nero Wolfe
by Robert Goldsborough
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
The Balloonist
The Balloonist
by MacDonald Harris, Philip Pullman
Family Secrets
Family Secrets
by Rona Jaffe
Bellfield Hall
Bellfield Hall
by Anna Dean
Blue Ravens
Blue Ravens
by Gerald Vizenor
Emily's Ghost
Emily's Ghost
by Denise Giardina
Nothing Like the Sun
Nothing Like the Sun
by Anthony Burgess
'Til the Well Runs Dry
'Til the Well Runs Dry
by Lauren Francis-Sharma
The Other Alcott
The Other Alcott
by Elise Hooper
The Glorious Ones
The Glorious Ones
by Francine Prose
The Strays
The Strays
by Emily Bitto
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
by B. Traven
George Passant
George Passant
by C.P. Snow
The Queen of Palmyra
The Queen of Palmyra
by Minrose Gwin
Ain't No Grave
Ain't No Grave
by Mary Glickman
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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.