New & Novel: Historical Fiction

Experts say if you want to learn about political history, read history books. If you want to learn about social history and what life was like at a given time and place, read historical fiction.
~Michelle Ulle, "Why Read Historical Fiction?"

Why read historical fiction? It can educate readers about the past; it can write about society from the point of view of voices that were marginalized during past eras; it can connect the dots between the world of the past and the world as it is today; sometimes it is is written about characters who actually existed; it can be interesting to see how different authors have interpreted the same event; for children, it can help start a discussion about difficult topics; it can make history come alive for readers in a way that textbooks may not and encourages empathy.

Some of the most popular historical fiction of recent years has included Wolf Hall, All the Light We Cannot See, The Poisonwood Bible, Code Name Verity, Outlander, The Pillars of the Earth, and The Book Thief. Do you have a favorite historical fiction book, or a favorite historical period you like to read about? Let us know in the comments! Here are some new and novel titles from a variety of different eras for you to consider:

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee

Chango's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes by William Kennedy

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead [book on CD]

There Your Heart Lies by Mary Gordon

The Daylight Gate by Jeanette Winterson

The Baker's Secret by Stephen P. Keirnan [eBook]

A Hero of France by Alan Furst [eAudio]

The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie

Jerusalem by Alan Moore

The Scribe of Siena by Melodie Winawer

Becoming Bonnie by Jenni Walsh 

The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke

Rani Patel in Full Effect by Sonia Patel [YA]

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson [book on CD]

The House at Bishopsgate by Katie Hickman 

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders  [eAudio]

The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman

The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain 

Unspeakable Things by Kathleen Spivack

Anne Boleyn: A King's Obsession by Alison Weir

Isadora by Amelia Gray

The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry [YA]

Lilli de Jong by Janet Benton 

The Lost History of Stars by Dave Boling 

Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig

The Book of Harlan by Bernice L. McFadden 

Music of the Ghosts by Vaddey Ratner