It’s been more than a year since the covid pandemic has put us into our shells. The blue light from tech gadgets is super tiring since we constantly use the laptop for literally everything; starting from work from home, online classes to Netflix, and even for ordering food. Now it’s the time to dig the historical fiction interest beneath us. Reading books has a lot of advantages. Watching history documentaries/movies does not give the vibe like the historical books in our hands.
If you’re feeling just a little sick of the present, look no further: get into some kickass historical fiction to escape the reality. We have curated the top historical books which have great ratings and exceptional writing. If you want to join us with escapism this is the right place for you. We took the liberty of finding the most anticipated historical fiction novels of the year. Enjoy!
1. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
The Red Tent is a New York Times bestselling book that is an adaptation of the biblical story of Dinah.
The book revolves around the patriarch Jacob who has twelve sons. The book is read from the perspective of Dinah who has four loving mothers but she has to go through the strains of getting married early in their life. The book focuses on the track women have to go in the early days of humanity. The deeply affecting book has 352pages which was published in ’07. The book is only available in paperback and the cost of it is $11.44.
2. The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The book narrates the controversial topic of Jesus Christ getting married. The Book of Longings is a touching, feminist-inflicted story written by Sue Monk Kidd with her audacious approach towards meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’s life.
The story narrates from the point of Ana who is a rebellious and ambitious girl born in the family of the ruler, Galilee. She ran away from home when she realized that her family was planning to get her married to an old widower. Her life takes a huge turn when she meets an 18year old guy named Jesus. Their marriage evolves through love and conflict where she makes a home with Jesus and his family. The story converges when Ana commits a brazen act and flees to Alexandria where startling revelations and greater dangers unfold. The book is highly recommended because this is truly a masterpiece for just $10.36.
3. The Winter King: A Novel of Arthur by Bernard Cornwell
Bernan Cornwell, the historic fiction writer is known for his richly detailed fiction of history with a pinch of his style of reimagining the English past. He centres his narrative on the famous King Arthur who is the most iconic brit of all time. The Winter King has several sequels on the Arthurian legend.
Ulter the king of Britain dies. The whole country is fighting for the crown since Ulter has only one heir who is an infant Mordred. War erupts while they squabble for the crown. In the meantime, a host of Saxion prepares itself for invading the country. The story takes a shift when the crown was headed to the fearsome warlord Arthur. How the Arthurian Legend unites the country and faces the battle with Saxions is the crux of the plot. The book has 492pages and it was published by the Penguin.
4. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Winner of the Premio Strega and the Prix Médicis Étranger awards, Umberto Eco wrote this amazing historical fiction which was ingenious and dazzling.
In 1327, it was a crime to have a different opinion from the orthodox religious values. Benedictines, a wealthy family were suspected of committing the crime of heresy. Brother William was sent to investigate the crime. The story twists when there was a sudden seven bizarre deaths which overshadowed the investigation. What William finds out through secret symbols and coded manuscripts is the intrigue of the story. The book is pretty lengthy with 592pages. The cost of the paperback is $12.50 which Is comparatively economical.
5. The Night Watchman: A Novel by Louise Erdrich
Louise Erdich, a Chippewa novelist is a real-life activist for the Chippewa tribe. The book night watchman is based on his grandfather’s story; he fought against the US govt trying to seize the native lands back in the ’50s. the book won the Pulitzer award for fiction in 2021.
Thomas Wazhashk was a night watchman at a jewel-bearing plant. He is a Chippewa council member who came to know about the emancipation bill introduced in the congress. He protested against the bill since it threatens the right of the Chippewa community. Pixie a high school student joined the school through reservation and was smart and ambitious. She had to flee to Minneapolis to find her missing sister where she was introduced to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence which endangered her life. The meeting of Pixie and Thomas is the theme of the fiction.
6. The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron is a great novel with a lot of twists and turns. The bestselling fiction is based on the world war II period when germans infiltered France.
The story is from the perspective of a dressmaker who happens to be hired by the government to infiltrate the German headquarters in the city. It’s the 1930’s and Nazis are already lining the streets. What happens after she enters the headquarters is an unexpected twist where she falls in love with Rene Toullard. Her decision to continue the same life or save her love and his Jewish family will be the plot of the book. The cost of the book is $14.49.
7. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Starting our historical fiction hunt without Leo Tolstoy’s classical masterpiece is imprudent. The paperback of the book is just $12.13 and it is a long book with whooping 1296pages.
War and Peace by Leo are based on the perspective of three all-time favourite characters: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfilment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men. The book is based on the invasion of Russia by Napoleon in 1812. The story is based on the perspectives of each character and how they struggle with each one’s unique problems is the stratagem of the fiction.
8. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
The famous writer’s first-ever book was Lincoln In the Bardo. The book came to the limelight only after him, publishing a couple of books. The cost of the book is $13.49.
The book is a father-son story that is based on Abraham Lincoln’s tale. Less than a year before the civil war, Abraham lincoln’s son is on his deathbed due to an unknown illness. Despite the predicted recovery, his son died and it put Abraham Lincoln in so much pain. Now, George Sanders with his amazing imaginative crafts brings back Abraham’s son into something supernatural. Willie Lincoln finds himself in a strange purgatory where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, quarrel, and enact bizarre acts of penance. It is extraordinary writing with around 368 pages of greatness.
9. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Famously recommended by the multi-billionaire, Bill Gates, A gentleman in Moscow is an extraordinaire fiction that will put you in tears. It was awarded as the book of the decade by the Independent
Can a life without luxury be the richest of all? The story is based on Alexander Ilyich Rostov whose birth status makes him a target by the new government in the Soviet Union in 1922. Under the Bolshevik Revolution, he moves to a luxury hotel and sees his whole way of life crumbling down. The novel is highly recommended because it is astonishing and very wise.
10. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
World war II fictions are always a crowded section. But this book, out of them stands out for its stunningly ambitious writing. The book was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Award for Fiction.
The story is about a French blind girl and a German orphan colliding in their misery of life. The blind girl, Marie, and her father were forced to flee to Nazi-occupied Paris because of their dangerous secret. On the other hand, A german orphan who was working in the mine was made to work for a brutal military academy. His innocence comes into an enigma. The book is also the winner of the Carnegie Medal for fiction.
