Best Historical Fiction

  Margery and Me is based on the true story of Margery Crandon, medium, who captivated Boston society and psychic researchers with her astonishing séances in 1920s. But there was one man, the famous magician Harry Houdini, who was determined to expose all mediums as fraud. The story begins with Walter, Margery’s brother, relating the story. They grew up on a farm with a father who was a tyrant and mother who did nothing to soften the environment. As soon as Walter finished his compulsory school, he tried his luck in the city of Buffalo. As soon as Margery was seventeen, she escaped the farm life as well. She made her way to Boston, where after five years working for a pastor, she was introduced to a member of the congregation and accepted his proposal. Walter’s life gets cut short when he is crashed by derailed boxcar at twenty eight. Margery didn’t have enough time to morn her brother as her husband was expecting her to do his bidding in every way. Even though she knew it wa...

  Daughter of the Titanic sheds light on Helen Melville Smith and the grief she dealt with after losing her father - Captain Edward John Smith who went down with the Titanic in April 1912. The story is set in England, and alternates between two timelines 1972 when Dr. Catherine Haynes from the History of Art department at Oxford is researching how women are represented after catastrophe. Thus, she approaches Helen Melville Russell Cooke for an interview. The story goes back to 1912, sinking of Titanic, when Helen relates her own story. Her feelings are very raw and heartfelt. She keeps waiting for an answer, the truth, as she keeps hearing rumors of her father surviving Titanic and living on a different continent. She misses her father while hearing some villain comments about him; headlines questioning if her father was a hero or reckless soul. It pains her even more not knowing if he truly sank with the ship or not. Ten years later, she gets married, but it’s more of a mutu...

  The Windsor Affair recreates the events of the Abdication of Edward VIII that nearly toppled the monarchy, while giving the center stage to two women and their rivalry. Edward David Windsor is the heir to the throne but the complication comes when he falls in love with a commoner, American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. Edward’s younger brother Albert, known as Bertie, falls for Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who descends from Scottish nobility. Elizabeth doesn’t have the same feelings for Bertie, but his feelings never waver. It takes him three attempts when she finally has a change of heart. Elizabeth’s life was centered on coming out party and what followed. On the other side, Wallis represents stark contrast. With her divorced mother, they lived with their family and were depended on Wallis’ uncle. Her mother groomed her how to behave toward her uncle, especially when Wallis was sent on a mission to ask for money from him. From early age, it taught her how to behave with men. As a woma...

  This historical novel explores the character of Frida Kahlo and her fascination with Tehuanas – indigenous women from Oaxaca, renowned for their strong matriarchal society and vibrant traditional attire – famously adapted by Frida. Nayeli Cruz is a fictional character who represents Tehuanas. In 1939, young Nayeli Cruz arrives in Mexico City, after fleeing from her Oaxaca home per her older sister’s insistence, who took on the burden of getting married, but wanted a different life for her younger sister. Nayeli’s fate leads her to La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. Frida finds a constant connection with the lost girl standing in her garden and takes her under her patronage. Nayeli becomes Frida’s cook, through Nayeli’s cooking and Frida’s artistry; both women form a deep bond. In present time, Buenos Aires, Paloma - Nayeli’s granddaughter – explores a mystery. After the death of her grandmother, Paloma is given a key which leads her to a painting depicting her grandmoth...

  This historical novel, Rules of the Heart, weaves one woman’s quest for true love - based on her own letters - while bringing to light the lesser-known story of Henrietta “Harriet” Bessborough, sister of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. Set in England, the story begins in 1794 when Lady Harriet Bessborough recounts her love affair with Lord Granville, twelve years her junior. Harriet knew the rules of engagement - she had seen what happened to women who played their hand badly. She understood the steps she was supposed to take to stay within those rules, but she let her emotions lead her. She told herself she simply wanted to know Lord Granville better, to see if his character was as appealing as his looks. Her marriage had left her feeling lonely, needy and always craving affection. Once she truly came to know Lord Granville better, she saw in him an answer to her own wishes and desires – an answer that propelled her into their affair. Born into privilege, Harriet was...

  Sonora sheds light on a fascinating true character - an American woman who was one of the first female horse divers. Sonora Webster, after seeing the High-Diving Horse Act, is mesmerized and instantly knows what she wants to do in life: be part of the history created by Dr. W. F. Carver. But it comes with sacrifices. She must leave behind home and family to be on the road, performing. At almost twenty, she begins practicing the dives intensely, both on her own and with the horse. The act gives her a thrilling sense of freedom. As someone who adores horses and craves adventure, her spirit quickly shines through her performances. As a result, she captures the attention of crowds and newspapermen alike. The dimensions of the protagonist are beautifully explored - her grueling training, the tense relationship with her trainer Al (the owner’s son), and her belief that Al dislikes her and is begrudging training her. After learning about Al’s strained relationship with his father,...

  The Last Assignment brings to light a trailblazing woman photojournalist known for her work as a war correspondent from WWII through the Vietnam War – Georgette Meyer Chapelle, known professionally as Dickey Chapelle. She worked for major periodicals and captured the raw, human side of war with remarkable clarity. The story begins with her failing marriage and the backstories of how she lost her previous job and struggled to return to work she loved the most. The pace quickens when she convinces her boss, Leo Cherne of Life and the IRC, to send her to Hungary to cover the 1956 uprising. In Vienna, she meets with Dr. Faust to expedite the delivering of antibiotics for refugees, even as the window for safe passage closes rapidly. Leo warns her not to cross the Hungarian border illegally - something she is notorious for doing – and reminds her to report to RIA in New York on December 10 for debriefing. As other war correspondents begin to leave, having gathered enough material...

  The Mademoiselle Alliance is a fascinating account of a real-life heroine who risked everything to reclaim a free France – for her children and her country. Morocco, 1928. At eighteen, Marie-Madeleine Fourcade marries Edouard Meric, an army officer working for the French Intelligence Service. He is eight years her senior. It doesn’t take long for her to realize their energies don’t align. Her memories of growing-up in Shanghai reawaken her adventurous spirit - something her husband struggles to accept.   Her time in Morocco reveals her natural gift for assembling the pieces needed to gather intelligence. She defies her husband by taking secret camel rides to visit the tribal groups he needs to befriend, proving herself adept at winning trust and navigating unfamiliar terrain.   Paris, 1936. Now, separated from her husband and raising two children, Marie-Madeleine refuses to let conventions limit her. She becomes a journalist in Paris defying societal expectations ...

  The Cardinal brings to life the true story of Thomas Wolsey – his meteoric rise and dramatic fall during Tudor England. England, 1482. Wolsey’s story begins in childhood when, at the age of eleven, he is sent to Oxford. The first half of the novel explores the deep inner world of its central character. Thomas, still a boy, finds himself subject to Oxford’s harsh rules, and he longs for the warmth of his parents’ inn. Despite the cold institution, his brilliant mind sets him apart as the youngest among a thousand scholars. Thought he misses home and the early thrill of Oxford life has worn off, he remains determine to make the best of his situation and fulfill not only his family’s hopes, but his own ambitions. At fifteen, he earns his bachelor’s degree – an extraordinary feat at such young age. He continues his education at Oxford, eventually remaining at the university after graduation, waiting for the opportunity he has long dreamed of. Wolsey seeks high public office. He doesn...

  Who was Virginia Hill? What made her become part of Chicago Mob? This story explores briefly Virginia’s childhood and her abusive marriage at very young age, giving an understanding what might have led her to become one of the mobsters. Set in 1930s Chicago, Virginia’s path to the Mob starts with her search for her missing friend who disappeared in New York. But when you deal with a mafia, once you’re in, there is no way out. In order to be sent to New York, Virginia has to prove that she can be trusted. She is put at racetracks and told on which horse to bet money. At the racetrack, she meets charismatic Ben (Bugsy Siegel), and that’s when things take a turn, and she feels her trust is being tested. Her path also crosses with Velma Capone who taches Virginia how to rise in popularity and reputation as Virginia is told to create a new persona. Virginia goes from racetracks to money laundering and along the way discovering mafia’s involvement in things she didn’t expect....

 The Pretender imagines the story of Lambert Simnel, a pretender to the throne of England and a threat to the newly established reign of Henry VII. He was the figurehead of a Yorkist rebellion against the House of Tudor. The story begins in 1480s England with John growing up in a village, believing that his father is Will Collan, but everything changes when he is told that a rich man wants to pay for him to study. When the rich man arrives, he’s accompanied by a younger man and introduced as Maister Richard Simons, a scholar and priest, who is to take over John’s education. Not only that, Maister Richard informs John that he was John Collan, and now, he is Lambert Simnel – something that, of course, makes no sense to John. It is then explained that he is actually the son of George, the Duke of Clarence. By title, he is the earl of Warwick, meaning next in line to the throne. Nothing makes sense to the boy who thinks of himself as a peasant. Oxford becomes his new home, but it’s far...

  The Saint Laurent Muse brings to life the Paris of the 70s with the greatest names in fashion, their rivalry, nightlife, glamour and vanity. Loulou de la Falaise comes from aristocratic family. Her childhood wasn’t nurturing. It involved divorced parents, foster families, boarding schools, and unloving grandparents. It led her into unhappy marriage at young age, followed shortly by divorce. But there was one crucial lesson which her mother, Maxime, instilled in her that it was important to create one’s existence. Her mother always looked forward, never backwards, and understood that the key to happiness was to find something you love to do. For Maxime, it was fashion collections in Paris where she also took Loulou who was mesmerized by the clothes. Loulou’s career path takes her from assisting at in-store fashion shows in Europe to some odd fashion jobs in NYC. While visiting a friend in Paris, she is invited to a Saint Laurent couture fashion show. And that’s when everything...