Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction is set in the past and often features real events, people, or settings, blending factual history with imaginative storytelling.
The Great Alone
In Kristin Hannah's 'The Great Alone,' readers are transported to the wild and rugged landscapes of Alaska, where the Allbright family seeks a fresh start away from the troubles of the past. The novel delves into themes of survival, resilience, and the transformative power of nature. As Leni, the teenage protagonist, navigates love, loss, and the harsh Alaskan wilderness, her coming-of-age story is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The author skillfully weaves a tale of family dynamics, emotional turmoil, and the relentless beauty of the untamed frontier. 'The Great Alone' is a gripping and poignant exploration of the human spirit against the backdrop of nature's raw magnificence.
Things Fall Apart
Okonowo is the greatest warrior alive. His fame has spread like a bushfire in West Africa and he is one of the most powerful men of his clan. But he also has a fiery temper. Determined not to be like his father, he refuses to show weakness to anyone - even if the only way he can master his feelings is with his fists. When outsiders threaten the traditions of his clan, Okonowo takes violent action. Will the great man's dangerous pride eventually destroy him?
The Poppy War
by R. F. Kuang
Series: The Poppy War (#1)
The Poppy War is a gripping epic fantasy debut inspired by 20th-century Chinese history. When Rin, a war orphan, aces the Empire’s elite Keju exam, she shocks everyone—including herself. Admitted to Sinegard, the top military academy in Nikan, Rin faces classism and cruelty as a dark-skinned girl from the provinces. But she also discovers a dangerous gift: a rare talent for shamanism. Under the guidance of a strange mentor and fueled by hallucinogens, she learns to channel the powers of ancient gods. As tensions rise with the Federation of Mugen, Rin finds herself at the heart of a coming war.
The Kingdom of This World
A few years after its liberation from harsh French colonial rule in 1803, Haiti endured a period of great brutality under the reign of King Henri Christophe, who was born a slave but rose to become the first black king in the Western Hemisphere. In this unnerving novel from one of Cuba's most celebrated authors, Henri Christophe's oppressive rule is observed through the eyes of the elderly slave Ti Noël, who suffers abuse from masters both white and black. As he ranges across the country searching for true liberation, Ti Noël navigates bloody revolutions, maniacal rulers with false visions of grandeur, and the mysterious power of voodoo magic.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
A landmark anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin tells the story of enslaved man Tom and the brutal realities of slavery in 19th-century America. With vivid characters and emotional power, it galvanized abolitionist movements and shaped public opinion like no other book of its time. Though controversial for its portrayals today, it remains a pivotal work in American literature and history, sparking empathy and national debate.
The Secret River
The Secret River follows William Thornhill, a convict transported from London to early 19th-century Australia. As he seeks to build a new life along the Hawkesbury River, Thornhill encounters the land's Indigenous inhabitants, leading to escalating tensions and moral dilemmas. Grenville's novel delves into the complexities of colonization, identity, and the clash of cultures. Through Thornhill's experiences, the book examines the consequences of displacement and the human capacity for both compassion and cruelty.
The Bear and the Nightingale
Series: Winternight Trilogy (#1)
Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale is a rich historical fantasy rooted in Russian folklore. Set in a remote village, it follows Vasya, a girl who can see spirits others cannot. As Christianity spreads and the old ways fade, dark forces stir in the forest. Vasya must embrace her gift to protect her family and her world from ancient evil. With lyrical prose, magical realism, and a fiercely independent heroine, the novel weaves myth and history into a haunting coming-of-age tale about belief, bravery, and the struggle between tradition and change.
The Great Gatsby
Set in the decadent summer of 1922, this masterpiece follows mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby's obsessive pursuit of his former love, Daisy Buchanan. Through the eyes of narrator Nick Carraway, the story unfolds in a world of lavish parties and empty morality, exploring themes of wealth, love, and the corruption of the American Dream. As Gatsby's facade crumbles, the novel reveals the hollow heart of the Jazz Age.
River of Smoke
by Amitav Ghosh
Series: The Ibis Trilogy (#2)
The second book in Amitav Ghosh’s Ibis Trilogy, River of Smoke takes readers to 19th-century Canton, on the cusp of the Opium Wars. As East meets West in a bustling trading port, merchants, smugglers, and exiles navigate political intrigue and cultural clashes. The novel weaves multiple storylines—from botanical explorers to opium traders—shedding light on colonialism, global trade, and resistance. Rich in historical detail and multilingual voices, Ghosh paints a vivid portrait of a world on the edge of upheaval.
North and South
Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South follows Margaret Hale, who moves from rural southern England to the industrial northern town of Milton. There, she witnesses class struggles, factory life, and the tensions between labor and capital. As she clashes with and ultimately grows to respect mill owner John Thornton, the novel blends social commentary with a slow-burning romance. It explores issues of gender, class, and morality with empathy and nuance, offering a compelling portrait of industrial Britain during the Victorian era.
Oliver Twist
The story of Oliver Twist - orphaned, and set upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.
Slaughterhouse-Five
As a young man and a prisoner of war, Kurt Vonnegut witnessed the 1945 US fire-bombing of Dresden in Germany, which reduced the once proudly beautiful city to rubble and claimed the lives of thousands of its citizens. For many years, Kurt tried to write about Dresden but the words would not come. When he did write about it, he combined his trademark humour, unfettered imagination, boundless humanity and keen sense of irony to create one of the most powerful anti-war books every written, and an enduring American classic.
Mexican Gothic
Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic is a chilling gothic horror novel set in 1950s Mexico. Socialite Noemí Taboada is sent to a crumbling countryside estate to check on her cousin, who has sent a disturbing letter. There, Noemí discovers a decaying mansion, a mysterious family, and dark secrets tied to the land itself. As the house begins to haunt her dreams, she uncovers horrifying truths. Combining Lovecraftian horror with feminist themes and colonial critique, Mexican Gothic delivers an atmospheric and unsettling tale of resistance, rot, and reclaiming power.
Lessons in Chemistry
In the 1960s, brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott challenges sexist norms in academia and television when she becomes the host of a cooking show that teaches women about science and independence. Blending humor, feminism, and heart, Lessons in Chemistry celebrates intellect, defiance, and the transformative power of belief—in yourself and in change.
Silence
by Shusaku Endo
Set in 17th-century Japan, Silence follows Portuguese Jesuit priest Sebastião Rodrigues as he searches for his mentor, rumored to have renounced his faith under persecution. Rodrigues confronts the brutal suppression of Christianity and grapples with the silence of God amid suffering. The novel delves into themes of faith, apostasy, and cultural conflict, presenting a profound exploration of spiritual endurance and the complexities of missionary work in hostile environments.
A Suitable Boy
by Vikram Seth
A modern classic, this epic tale of families, romance and political intrigue, set in India, never loses its power to delight and enchant readers. At its core, A Suitable Boy is a love story: the tale of Lata - and her mother's - attempts to find her a suitable husband, through love or through exacting maternal appraisal. At the same time, it is the story of India, newly independent and struggling through a time of crisis as a sixth of the world's population faces its first great general election and the chance to map its own destiny.
Black Sun
Series: Between Earth and Sky (#1)
Rebecca Roanhorse’s Black Sun is an epic fantasy inspired by pre-Columbian civilizations in the Americas. Set in the city of Tova, where celestial prophecies converge, it follows a blind priestess, a ship captain with secrets, and a mysterious man marked as a god. As a solar eclipse approaches, political tensions and divine destinies collide. Roanhorse weaves a richly detailed world of magic, prophecy, and power struggles, crafting a narrative full of diverse cultures, complex characters, and mythic resonance. Black Sun is the first in the Between Earth and Sky series and a bold, genre-defying fantasy adventure.
Bleak House
Bleak House by Charles Dickens is a sweeping, complex novel that critiques the inefficiencies and injustices of the British legal system through the fictional case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce, a never-ending lawsuit over a disputed inheritance. Blending mystery, satire, and social commentary, the story follows a large cast of vividly drawn characters, including the virtuous Esther Summerson, the mysterious Lady Dedlock, and the sinister lawyer Tulkinghorn. Through interwoven plots and dual narrators, Dickens exposes the destructive consequences of bureaucracy, poverty, and secrecy. Bleak House remains one of his most ambitious and influential works, rich in atmosphere and moral urgency.
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
by Victor Hugo
An emotionally stirring story, Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is rightfully considered to be one of the finest novels ever written. Rejected by fifteenth-century Parisian society, the bell-ringer Quasimodo believes he is safe under the watchful eye of his master, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But after Quasimodo saves the beautiful Romani girl Esmeralda from the gallows and brings her to sanctuary in the cathedral, he and Frollo's mutual desire for her puts them increasingly at odds, before compassion and cruelty clash with tragic results.
Lonesome Dove
Series: Lonesome Dove (#3)
More than a love story, more than an adventure, Lonesome Dove is an epic: a monumental novel which embraces the spirit of the last defiant wilderness of America. Legend and fact, heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers - Lonesome Dove is the central, enduring American experience dramatically recreated in a magnificent story of heroism and love; of honour, loyalty and betrayal.
Cry, the Beloved Country
by Alan Paton
In apartheid-era South Africa, a Black pastor searches for his missing son in Johannesburg, only to discover the boy has committed a grave crime. Amid sorrow and injustice, the novel weaves themes of reconciliation, hope, and social reform. Cry, the Beloved Country is a poetic, moving examination of racial inequality and moral redemption in a divided nation.
The Scarlet Letter
Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts, The Scarlet Letter follows Hester Prynne, who bears the shame of an adulterous affair through the symbol of a scarlet “A.” Amid judgment, secrecy, and hypocrisy, she seeks dignity and redemption. Hawthorne’s classic explores sin, guilt, and the oppressive moral codes of society. Rich in symbolism and psychological depth, it remains a powerful critique of public shaming and the complexity of human emotion.
The Grapes of Wrath
Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.
The City Beautiful
Death lurks around every corner in this unforgettable Jewish historical fantasy about a city, a boy, and the shadows of the past that bind them both together. Chicago, 1893. For Alter Rosen, this is the land of opportunity, and he dreams of the day he'll have enough money to bring his mother and sisters to America, freeing them from the oppression they face in his native Romania. But when Alter's best friend, Yakov, becomes the latest victim in a long line of murdered Jewish boys, his dream begins to slip away. While the rest of the city is busy celebrating the World's Fair, Alter is now living a nightmare: possessed by Yakov's dybbuk, he is plunged into a world of corruption and deceit, and thrown back into the arms of a dangerous boy from his past. A boy who means more to Alter than anyone knows. Now, with only days to spare until the dybbuk takes over Alter's body completely, the two boys must race to track down the killer--before the killer claims them next.