Historical fiction I have read and loved

Explore my curated list of beloved historical fiction books I've read and loved. Discover captivating stories, rich settings, and unforgettable characters in these must-read novels.

The Reckoning Cover
Book

The Reckoning

by Sharon Kay Penman

Originally published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1991.
The Sunne In Splendour Cover
Book

The Sunne In Splendour

 

No summary available.
Water for Elephants Cover
Book

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

Ninety-something-year-old Jacob Jankowski remembers his time in the circus as a young man during the Great Depression, and his friendship with Marlena, the star of …
The Pillars of the Earth Cover
Book

The Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett

"Original hardcover edition published by William Morrow and Company Inc.; previously published in a Plume edition"--T.p. verso.
An Instance of the Fingerpost Cover
Book

An Instance of the Fingerpost

by Iain Pears

A national bestseller and one of the New York Public Library's Books to Remember, An Instance of the Fingerpost is a thrilling historical mystery from …
Gates of Fire Cover
Book

Gates of Fire

by Steven Pressfield

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “Steven Pressfield brings the battle of Thermopylae to brilliant life.”—Pat Conroy At Thermopylae, a rocky mountain pass in northern Greece, the feared …
Tides of War Cover
Book

Tides of War

by Steven Pressfield

Brilliant at war, a master of politics, and a charismatic lover, Alcibiades was Athens’ favorite son and the city’s greatest general. A prodigal follower of …
The Firebrand Cover
Book

The Firebrand

by Marion Zimmer Bradley

After spending a year riding with the Amazon tribes, Kassandra, royal princess of Troy, returns to her city to dedicate herself to being a priestess …
When We Were Gods Cover
Book

When We Were Gods

 

No summary available.
When Christ and His Saints Slept Cover
Book

When Christ and His Saints Slept

by Sharon Kay Penman

The acclaimed author of The Sunne in Splendor and Falls the Shadow now begins a new trilogy, set in medieval England, during a time of …
Book Cover
Book

[No Title]

 

No summary available.
Girl with a Pearl Earring Cover
Book

Girl with a Pearl Earring

by Tracy Chevalier

Holland comes to dazzling life in this richly imagined portrait of Griet, a sixteen year old of the 1660s who inspired one of Vermeer's most …
Year of Wonders Cover
Book

Year of Wonders

by Geraldine Brooks

"When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine …