Best Historical Fiction

  The Woman at the Wheel imagines the story of Bertha Benz, whose husband built the first prototype automobile, which eventually evolved into the Mercedes-Benz marque. She lived in the shadow of her husband. This story celebrates her contribution to his success. Second half of 19th century. From a young age, Bertha Ringer is fascinated by her father’s work as a master builder in Pforzheim, Germany. Bertha is bored with every man her mother tries to push her way until she meets Carl Benz. Despite her mother’s skepticism, Bertha is fascinated with his idea of the horseless carriage. His old clothes don’t scare her. It’s his mind that fascinates her. The storytelling beautifully exposes his passion and his drive, and her strong believe in him. Her belief is so strong that she invests her dowry and inheritance in him. The path to success is not easy and meanwhile they need to make a living. They work as equal partners. They invent components for carriages, farming equipment, buildings,...

  Egypt 1935. The story begins with sixteen-year-old Cleo Davenport being told that she needs to move to London. She was raised by her adoptive mother, and her life is absorbed by finding out about her parentage. In London, she has a chance to meet the Prince of Wales, now crowned as Edward VIII, as a debutante. In Paris, she is able to talk to a courtesan who tells her a story of meeting Prince of Wales during WWI and the consequences when she gets pregnant. The story for most of the part is absorbed by personal matters with a slow progression. The dimensions to the character are stronger in the second half. She has an ambition of designing jewelry but WWII changes her plans. She wants to be useful during the war, so she finds some duties.  It is an interesting premise of the known courtesan to be claiming to have a child with Prince of Wales and her creating a story what happened to that child.  Release date: September 12, 2023 Source: William Morrow

  A Beautiful Rival imagines the story of two incredibly driven women, who achieved extraordinary success given their time and paved the way for a new category of beauty. They were rivals, but at the same time they had so much in common. NYC, 1915. When we meet Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, they are already successful, and rivals. Through their stories we get to know the historical background of how they had to convince women that make up was something that they needed, rather than view it as vulgar. In both cases, they allow us into their personal world, which doesn’t look as strong as what they achieved career and money wise. For Helena, it’s her questionable marriage and suspicion of her husband being unfaithful. For Elizabeth, it’s her giving herself a chance at love and getting married even if it misses that passion she wishes for. Especially, when pre-naps are good option, if marriage fails, he walks away without a penny. With success come some cravings. For Elizabet...

  Reclaiming Mini Sota weaves of a story of two individuals who come from different backgrounds. While they search for meaningful life, their paths cross. It’s a sad time of war where they stand on opposite sides. Despite that there is something that unites them. In 1850, Waabi, from Ojibwe tribe, is ten when his father takes him hunting for the first time, when his people experience famine for the first time in his native Minnesota. He is taught to respect the land and its natural resources; to take only what is needed from the land for them to survive. Soon after, he experiences the first unjust treatment from the hands of white people, when they’re being relocated to a different piece of land. This results in anger growing among Indians. In 1859, Samuel is fifteen when tragedy strikes his family in his native Vermont. When his family struggles to survive, he learns about the frontier land that’s open in the middle west. In the new territory, one of their encounters with the Indi...

  Set in England, during the Great War, this story involves two twin sisters. After the death of the mother, Peggy promises to take care of her sister Maude. Because of that Peggy feels many restrictions which she feels limit her own life. Another one is the social standing. She comes from the working class, called “town.” The Oxford’s Somerville College, she dreams about and sees every day across from the University Press where she works, is for the upper class, called “gown.” The story is driven by the voice of Peggy and her self-discovery. Both sisters work at bindery, but Peggy dreams about the world beyond binding. She craves the knowledge in the books she binds. A life changing opportunity comes when the tragic Great War sends Belgian refugees to parts of England. The voice of Peggy represents voice of many women who were limited to certain things just because they were women. The war in in itself is a sad event, but in that tragedy an opportunity presents for some women. The...

  Such Good Friends reimagines the friendship between Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill, sister of Jackie Kennedy. It is related through Marlene, who becomes a housekeeper at Radziwill household. As the story explores this relationship, it reveals the inner circles of the upper crust with their luxurious lives; filled with stars dazzling the parties, fashionable restaurants, and the so called “swans” ruling the high society of New York in the 1960s and 70s. As Marlene becomes a trusted member of the family, she observes the array of famous figures that come in and out of Lee’s private life. The story is written with sophisticated prose and believable dialogue. It mostly relates the relationship between two friends and how it progressed; at the same time, presenting their privileged lives, what they did and where they did it. The plot is minor here. Release date: 23 May 2023 Source: Kensington

  This historical novel is based on the true story of the painters and occultists Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington. Both women had to break away from their famous partners in order to become icons in their own right. What connected them were the tarot cards, which are the driven force in this story. France, 1939. At the International Exposition of Surrealists in Paris, paintings of Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington hang near each other. That’s how the two women meet and become friends. Leonora ignites Remedios’ interest in tarot cards. They take lessons together. But with Nazis approaching Paris, they flee separately to the French Riviera in hopes of escaping the country. In Mexico, both women reunite, and continue their passion for tarot cards, which they feel helps them reach their full potential. This story involves a dynamic female friendship and collaboration between two great artists. They break the shackles from their famous men and become the two greatest collaborato...