28 Fabulous Works of Queer Historical Fiction for Pride Month
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It’s Pride month, which means I get to unapologetically talk up queer books all month (as if I don’t do that 12 months of the year). For me, Pride has always been about honoring the past as much as celebrating the present. So it’s no surprise that Pride has got me thinking about queer historical fiction.
There’s definitely not enough queer historical fiction in the world. You might think, given the general lack of queer characters in historical fiction, that queer people sprang into existence sometime in the late 1960s. Obviously, this is not the case. And while we desperately need more historical fiction staring queer people, there are, happily, some wonderful books out there that center queer stories from centuries past.
Not all of these books have happy endings, although many of them do. The queer characters in them have full, complicated, sometimes joyful, sometimes heartbreaking lives. In short: they are human. Yes, there is queer suffering in many of these books, but there is also queer resilience and joy. These books are a testament to the fact that queer people have been here all along. We might not ever know their true names and stories, but we do know that they existed.
Queer historical fiction reminds me that I am a part of a queer lineage that goes back thousands of years. I am forever grateful to these authors for imagining a history in which I can see myself. These books are a homage to our queer forebears, to their struggles and hurts, their loves, their strength. None of these characters ever got to march in a Pride parade, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t celebrate their queerness in their own quiet ways.
This list includes some books that are not technically historical fiction because they were written in the same time period during which they take place. I’ve also included some books with queer side characters, because casual queer representation is important, too.
This gorgeous and heartbreaking reimagining of The Iliad, told from the point of view of Patroclus, Achilles’s lover, is one of my favorite books of all time. The prose is stunning, and the characters come to life in refreshing new ways. It’s a book about war, but it’s also a love story, and thus it’s very tender and gentle, which is quite a feat. Prepare to bawl your eyes out.
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue
If you’re looking for a queer road trip novel set in 18th century Europe, look no further. After finishing school, Monty sets out on his Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend Percy, determined to finally admit to Percy how he feels about him. But a lot happens as they travel around Europe, including a lot of dangerous (and sometimes hilarious) adventures. This book is a romp of a good time and a great love story.
Gyasi’s masterpiece of an epic novel spans ~300 years and follows the descendants of two Ghanaian sisters—one is sold into slavery and the other marries a European slave trader. I really appreciated that she included a queer character in one of the early sections. His story (and much of this book) is heartbreaking to read, but it is absolutely worthwhile.
Tipping the Velvet
This is the first book I can remember reading featuring queer women and a happy ending. Nan Astley is a ordinary oyster girl from Whistable, when she meets and falls in love with Kitty Butler, a male imperator working the music halls. Her love for Kitty leads her on a journey through queer Victorian London—from the music halls and hidden gay bars to the socialist movement. There’s romance and friendship and heartbreak, but mostly, it’s a book about queer family and the unexpected ways that love (in its many forms) alters our lives.
This gem of a graphic novel is about a prince who loves wearing dresses and a girl who loves making them. Sebastian dons gorgeous gowns and is known about Paris as Lady Crystallia; Frances is a talented seamstress and fashion designer who makes those spectacular gowns. This book is a beautiful celebration of fashion, friendship, love, fabulous dresses, and the joys of being your true self.
the diviners
The first installment in Libba Bray’s supernatural mystery series set in 1920s New York, The Diviners, is a glittering, creepy, fast-paced romp full of fascinating characters. Queer characters get more screen time in the second book in the series, but appear in this one, too.
Wildthorn
Set in Victorian England, this book is the story of a seventeen year old girl who dreams of a life beyond the confines of her role as a respected doctor’s daughter. Instead, she is declared a lunatic and put in an asylum. While there, she slowly puzzles together the events that led to her imprisonment.
The Soldier’s Scoundrel
Oliver Rivington is a respectable gentleman, recently returned from war with a leg injury and a desire for a quiet, predictable life. Jack Turner grew up poor in London’s slums, and now does what it takes to keep his siblings safe. He’s smart, irreverent, and unconcerned with the law. Chaos and romance ensues when the two cross paths.
Set in Argentina in the early part of the twentieth century, this novel follows Leda, who travels to Argentina from Italy at age seventeen to meet her new husband. She finds, when she arrives, that he has been killed. She stays, and falls in love with the music of the city: tango. Soon, she decides to learn the violin, and, in order to play in public, joins a troupe of tango musicians as “Dante,” a young man, a decision eventually leads to self-discovery.
There’s a reason this astounding work of literature is a classic. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and, ultimately, so hopeful and redemptive that my heart feels full every time I think about it. Set in the rural South in the 1930s, it’s a book that weaves together so many threads, but ultimately, it’s a queer love story that celebrates the power and beauty of black womanhood.
Baldwin’s novel about a young gay man struggling with his sexuality in 1950s Paris is both heartbreaking and upsetting. There’s a lot of queer suffering in this one—denial, shame, and self-hatred. But it’s also a powerful and moving book about the complexities of love and desire. Baldwin’s genius is on full display, as he packs a lot of emotion and insight into such a short book.
River of Teeth
In this alternate history Western, the American South is overrun with hippos (both feral and tame), thanks to a ill-advised plan by the U.S. government to import hippos for meat. Think outlaws on horses—except instead of horses, hippos. It’s a rollicking good time, and features several queer characters, including a nonbinary character.
Ivoe is a girl who loves to read, and reads everything she can get her hands during her childhood in the segregated South in the late 1800s. Eventually, she and her family flee Jim Crow and settle in Kansas City, where she co-founds the first female-run African American newspaper. During the lynchings and race riots of the violent Red Summer of 1919, Ivoe risk her life to speak out against the atrocities she sees around her.
Trigger warnings: graphic depictions of violence, both sexual and physical, rape, abuse, child abuse.
Set in the 1950s in rural East Texas, this is the story of Ruby, who flees her violent childhood as soon as she can for the pull of the big city. When she returns home, she’s forced to confront everything that happened to her before she left. This book includes graphic descriptions of physical and sexual violence, and goes to some very dark places. It’s also a powerful story about the possibly of love and redemption.
This outstanding anthology of queer historical YA features stories from a diverse array of authors writing about many different time periods. There’s a wide range of queer people represented, and every story felt like small, beautiful moment of recognition. Whether in 1600s Virginia, California during the Gold Rush, 18th century Amsterdam or 1950s San Francisco—these are all stories about young people discovering themselves and realizing they aren’t alone.
Looking for more books about queer people through the ages? Check out 50 Must-Read Books about LGBTQ History and more books about LGBT history.
The Song of Achilles
