Best Historical Fiction

    The Moon in the Mango Tree is based on the author’s grandmother’s story. In 1919, newly wed Perkins arrive in Siam. Barbara puts her dream of singing in opera aside for her husband’s work as a missionary doctor. In Nan Valley, north of Siam, she quickly finds out that her singing is not appreciated on the mission as some see it as something inappropriate. Her journey has no clear path as she is meant to follow her husband. That is the custom during her time. She quickly recognizes monks of Buddhist temples as something spiritual and nurturing. What her husband is part of is meant to have a good purpose, but she notices that the way of the natives may not be necessarily the bad way as they’re being portrayed by missionaries. The main protagonist journey has no clear path once she decides to follow her husband and when she realizes that her singing voice in a remote place is not needed. She struggles with her faith, and finding her voice. For quite some time, she finds livin...

  This saga continues on the shores of Vinland, where Anja and Bjorn settle. Their love is disturbed by a local warrior who seeks revenge. Bjorn must find the best solution to protect the woman he loves. When Karl Karlsefni arrives on one of the Viking ships that survive the journey via Greenland, Bjorn sees an opportunity. Anja, on the other hand, sees danger. She made the escape from Greenland, and it brings the past she tried to escape so badly. The first two books involve strong female characters, first Anja’s mother, then Anja. Book 3 is told through the eyes of a man who loves Anja, and is her protector. This love story is about two people who care deeply about each other and will do anything to protect each other in surroundings that are tough to endure. Their story is set against the historical background of two tribes, the Norse and the Beothuk, with their interaction, mistreatment and survival in a harsh climate. This gripping adventure has a fast pace. The lyrical prose ...

  Emilienne is based on the true story of Emilienne Andre who was born to poverty and had risen to be the most sought-after woman in Paris in the 19th century. Paris, 1889: Emilienne, at almost eighteen, learns quickly the value of her beauty. Dancing comes naturally to her and that’s what she sees as her way out of poverty. Her grit takes her from one dancing club to traveling troop. With her heart shaped face and friendly personality, she steels the show wherever she goes. Then, an act at cirque opens up as rabbit dresser. It’s not a dancing position she craves, but she recognizes an opportunity for yet another spotlight. And with her new act she becomes a rising star over Paris. Emilienne with her honest voice pulls the reader into her story from the first pages. She is a quick learner, and she also understands that dancing lasts as long as her beauty does. There comes a time when she must make a choice of man’s security and his choice for her life or her free will of being free...

  The Peasant King reimagines the Biblical story of Jemmah and Asher during the Persian rule of Cyrus the Great. Jemmah’s mother serves as the Persian king’s chief scribe. She is assigned a special task that entails travel during an escalating war. When she doesn’t come back after five days, Jemmah takes matters into her own hands. Her journey of finding her mother leads her to Asher. Asher, despite his royal blood, was never treated as royal. He had to forge his own path, which was manufacturing some of the best weaponry in the East. Supplying the enemy of his father with his weapon puts him in jail. As Jemmah and Asher’s paths cross, they are united in a way. But will she be able to convince him to a purpose he’s not sure he believes in? This story of adventure connected with some romance has a fast pace. The history is well-presented, with interesting characters, who are brave and driven. T he writing is absorbing and pulls the reader into the story from the beginning. Release d...

  This story reimagines the young life of Mary Shelley at the time leading to the creation of her literary masterpiece, Frankenstein. It alternates between two timelines set apart by four years. 1816: Mary, with others, visits Lord Byron at Lake Geneva. It’s a circle of writers and poets that spend the evenings exchanging ghost stories. One night, Byron suggests that each writes a ghost story. While Mary muses over her tale, it reminds her of another summer, when she was fourteen. 1814: Mary is sent by her family from London to Dundee, Scotland, where she stays at Baxter family. She quickly becomes friends with Isabella Baxter, the younger of two daughters. They spend hours together wandering through the nature and conjuring stories about mythical creatures. Baxter family has tradition of story night every second Friday of the month. There is a regular visitor to those evenings. It’s Mr. Booth, who is Isabella’s brother-in-law. From the first encounter, Mary notices something stran...

  Queen Hereafter brings a classical figure. She was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. Gruoch is the daughter of an ousted king. Her betrothal to Duncan is to make her a queen and reclaim the lost lands. She travels to his court and leaves behind her best friend MacBethad, who taught her basics of hand-to-hand combat. But the turn of events puts her on a path where she needs to make a choice of quiet life or climb her own way to the throne. Set against the backdrop of early medieval Scotland, this stunningly imagined story of an iconic character brings court drama and intrigue with suspense. The characters are well-developed. Grouch is complex. She is ambitious and ruthless. It seems as nothing can stop her from achieving her goal.  Release date: March 2, 2023 Source: Harper Perennial

  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,...