Historical Fiction Books for People Who Don’t Like Historical Fiction

Literary fiction lovers will find a lot to enjoy in this stunning novel centered around writing, art, and the real author, W. Somerset Maugham. Lesley and Robert are two wealthy expats living in Malaysia. They’re visited by famous writer Maugham and his secret lover for an extended stay. Robert warns his wife that Maugham is known for stealing inspiration for his novels from others, and we learn Maugham is indeed at a career crossroads and in need of a fresh idea. He finds it in Lesley’s surprising connection to a Chinese revolutionary.

This sweeping historical fiction novel uses lightly speculative elements to explore themes of family legacy, generational memory, and colonization. Luz’s life in 1930s Denver is upended when her beloved brother is run out of town by a white mob. As she searches for meaning while working as a tea leaf reader, Luz starts having visions of her ancestors’ experiences in Colorado’s Indigenous Lost Territory, and she realizes she’s destined to make sure their lives are never forgotten. It’s a uniquely written story with lavish prose and a dynamic protagonist.

Inspired by the real history of Marie de France, this historical fiction novel takes readers all the way back to a 12th-century abbey in England. Brash, 17-year-old Marie, is sent away from the royal court by Eleanor of Aquitane and forced to act as prioress of a destitute abbey whose inhabitants are plagued by hunger and disease. Leading the abbey is an impossible task, but one that Marie bravely takes on, and she finds surprising strength and agency in her role. As she builds community among her new sisters and experiences strange visions, Marie grows into herself in unexpected ways.

Some of my favorite historical fiction titles are inspired by not only real historical events but real events in the lives of the author’s family. That’s the case for this haunting historical horror novel by Tananarive Due. In 1950s Florida, 12-year-old Robbie makes a split-second decision that ends up getting him a six-month sentence at a reform school for troubled boys. He’s determined to stay out of trouble and get out as soon as possible, but when he finds the school is full of the haints of boys that died there — and even more menacing living humans — it’s unclear if he’ll ever see life outside the reformatory again. It’s a creepy, immersive, and incredibly powerful story you won’t soon forget.

This mystery/thriller set in the world of classical music has contemporary and historical timelines, and both will keep you on the edge of your seat. Bern is a music historian and the lead expert on America’s most famous composer, Frederic Delaney. When a descendant of Delaney brings Bern sheet music that might be part of a famously lost opera, he thinks it will change history. But there’s a lot more history to uncover when Bern finds a clue to some of Delaney’s dark secrets.

There’s nothing as creepy as a historical haunted house story, and this one is perfectly atmospheric and tied to real historical events. Beatriz lost everything in the overthrow of the Mexican government, including her father and home. When a handsome, wealthy man with a sizable estate in the country proposes, Beatriz quickly accepts. But once she arrives at Hacienda San Isidro, she finds her new home isn’t the safe haven she hoped. Beatriz is haunted by strange voices and visions, and when she tries to ask for help, she’s made to feel even more alone. If you’re looking for historical fiction to give you goosebumps, this is the book for you.

The Last Binding trilogy is a can’t-miss historical romantasy series full of humor, magic, and charming characters. Bayonet Robin Blyth had no idea of the secret magical world all around him, but when a clerical error puts him in charge of it, he’s got to learn fast. Edwin, a member of the magical society, is begrudgingly assigned to help him. Between a threat against the magical community and a curse binding Robin and Edwin together, they can’t get away from each other.

While this book isn’t a romance, its steamy liaisons with real historical figures make it a great fit for romance readers. Sylvie de Rosiers, the daughter of a wealthy landowner and enslaved woman, has never been fully accepted into 1790s Saint-Domingue society. When the Haitian Revolution begins, Sylvie and her brother escape the violence by fleeing to Paris. But little does Sylvie know, she’s inserted herself into another world-changing revolution — and a love triangle with Maximilien Robespierre and his mistress. It’s a fast-paced, thrilling story that will also teach you some real history along the way.

Move over, Bridgertons! There’s a new family of attractive, wealthy, and single siblings in town! This first book in a new historical series set in 1910s Chicago stars the Davenport family, heirs to the fortune of a booming carriage company. It’s told through the eyes of four young women: oldest sister Olivia, whose search for a husband is derailed by a handsome civil rights leader; younger sister Helen, who is more focused on leading her family’s business into the future; their maid Amy-Rose, who is harboring a secret crush on a Davenport son; and friend Ruby, who has her eyes on the same son. I love how this book highlights an often-overlooked moment in African American history and draws inspiration from a real family.

There’s something dark lurking behind the cameras in this 1930s-set historical fantasy novel. In the glamorous Golden Age of Hollywood, actress Luli Wei is hungry for fame. As a queer Chinese American woman, she knows her path to stardom will be fraught. But the biggest dangers lie off-screen, where ancient magic with a thirst for blood requires the sacrifices of eager young starlets like Luli Wei. Living her dreams may just turn Luli into a monster herself. This is a book that sticks with you long after reading it and makes you look at old movies in a new light.

This adventurous historical fiction set on the high seas takes its inspiration from both real and fantastical pirate lore. Shek Yeung feels destined to lead a pirate crew, but when her pirate captain husband is killed by a Portuguese sailor, Shek Yeung must get creative to seize power. She quickly marries the second in command and promises to bear him a son. Her tenuous hold over their crew grows even more challenging when they’re pressured by both the Chinese Emperor and seafaring Europeans who want to rid the world of pirates. If you love a powerful, determined, morally complex woman protagonist, look no further than Shek Yeung.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is one of the most iconic sci-fi stories of all time, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia brilliantly reimagines it through the eyes of a young woman at the center of the drama in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. In 1870s Yucatán, Carlota is the only child of Doctor Moreau, a man who walks the line of brilliance and recklessness by creating human-animal hybrids. The careful balance of strange living beings is thrown into chaos when the son of Doctor Moreau’s patron arrives on their island, putting everything at risk.

Jesmyn Ward is one of our greatest living writers, and her latest novel beautifully delves into the world of historical fiction. Shortly before the American Civil War, an enslaved young woman named Annis is separated from her mother when the enslaver who fathered her sells her mother South. Not long after, in the midst of her grief, Annis’s enslaver sells her too. She’s chained to a group of women forced to walk through swamps and unforgiving terrains from North Carolina to Louisiana and joined on her journey by haunting memories, sympathetic spirits, and ancestors from the other side.

River Sing Me Home is one of my most memorable reads from 2023 and one of my favorite historical fiction novels of all time. When the 1834 Emancipation Act is announced to the enslaved people at a Barbados plantation, it seems like cause for celebration. But they quickly realize it’s being replaced with “apprenticeships” that are no different, and they still aren’t allowed to leave. Rachel decides to run away, determined to track down the five children that were taken and sold throughout her life. It’s a stunning, powerful story of one woman determined to stitch her family back together after it was systemically torn apart.

This epic historical fiction about two siblings fighting to survive during the American gold rush is a case where you can judge a book by its cover. It’s gorgeous inside and out! Lucy and Sam, children of Chinese immigrants in mid-19th century California, are orphaned by the death of their father and set off on a journey to find a place to lay his body to rest. Their journey through the hills is imperiled by dangerous creatures, aching hunger, and untrustworthy humans, bringing Lucy and Sam at times closer together and pushed further apart. It’s an emotional and transportive book steeped in Chinese mythology and gold rush era history.