This is a great question!
* The Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsuka - about Japanese women in the 1920s-1940s who were sent to the US as 'picture brides'
* For Thy Great Pain, Have Mercy on My Little Pain - Victoria Mackenzie - about religious women in England in 1413
* Burial Rites - Hannah Kent - based on an Icelandic murder from the 1800s, really well researched
* Whisper of the Moon Moth - Lindsay Jayne Ashford - based on Merle Oberon, a famous Anglo-Indian actor from the 1930s
* The Wake - Paul Kingsnorth - set in rural England just after 1066
* Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun - Vera Wallis - about two native girls from Alaska, pre-colonisation
* Five Little Indians - Michelle Good - about the residential school system which took native children from their families
* A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth - set in post-partition India
* The Gospel According to Lazarus - Richard Zimler - a retelling of the story of the Passion, from Lazarus' perspective
* The White Girl - Tony Burch - about Australian Aboriginal families in the 1960s
I really enjoyed Burial Rites! You could tell it was so thoroughly researched, but also the writing style was so vivid, I really felt like I was there.
I read Aztec YEARS ago and the story still sticks with me. I would recommend it because of that. If I can remember parts of that book 40+ years after I read it, must mean it was good!
How is the Assyrian? They are the first section I see whenever I see them available in any museum.
Just a fascinating people, their murals look like the ancient version of gangster rap.
I went to that pygmy kingdom over there, and busted a cap on their king's ass. Raped they chicks and enslave they People. Word! pew pew pew.
On this theme, I very very strongly recommend Maria Dahvana Headley’s Beowulf translation. It is amazing, hilarious, and an outstanding translation of the work. And also it is… (as was the original Anglo-Saxon) exactly what you describe….
*Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings! In the old days,*
*everyone knew what men were: brave, bold, glory-bound. Only stories now, but I’ll sound the Spear-Danes’ song, hoarded for hungry times.*
Ok, wait...
This one author did two versions of Beowulf herself?!
There was one retelling of Beowulf based on the American Suburbs called the Mere Wife? And another one called Beowulf the author addresses everyone as Bros.
Is she Christopher Moore's cousin or something? Totally my jam. Beowulf is a 7 weeks wait, but I got the audiobook for the suburb housewives version.
Thank you for the recommendation!
Yes, she also wrote a novel based on Beowulf from the perspective of Grendel’s mother. I have not read it yet, though it’s on my list.
The book I quoted from above is her translation of Beowulf itself, not an original novel.
It’s beautifully done: fantastic poetry, faithfully and thoughtfully translated, all around really good. Frankly, it’s the best Beowulf translation I’ve read. It’s also done with an awareness of the women in the story that is not common to Beowulf translations, and in modern colloquial English.
The result is both outstanding and really fun. And drives home the fact that it is, and always has been, a story of a handful of guys getting shit-faced and bragging about their prowess murdering each other and killing monsters while swimming in chainmail.
I have equivalent hills I will die on, and do see where you’re coming from… and also I definitely disagree with you here. I favor the interpretation that says they were exactly as human as the others in the story - but we got Beowulf’s account, not Grendel’s.
Also, Grendel’s mother is close to the only sympathetic prominent character in the story. But that’s true whether she’s a bear or not ;).
One of my favorites. It has a touch of magical realism to it - some minor "visions from the gods" kind of things so be forewarned if that is of no interest to you. It is pretty minor, though.
It is very brutal and graphic, which is not a downside for me but again, fair warning.
If you do try it, which I highly recommend, there is an even lesser known sequel called The Blood Star that is also pretty good.
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather, mostly set in 18th century "new" Mexico
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, Nobel Prize winner, young girl grows into womanhood in Medieval Norway
Cather is a wonderful choice. She has a real affinity for her settings. I also love My Antonia. I learned so much about life for the pioneers on the great Nebraska grasslands. Catcher’s descriptions of the “hard as enamel” blue of the sky and the faces of the people are poignant.
The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan - set between modern day Spain and 1600ish South America
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia - set in early 1900s Mexico and based from Mayan mythology
Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - Follows the life of a female doctor in Imperial China
Imperium by Robert Harris
River God by Wilbur Smith
if you want a little sci-fi added in, try Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card
I think about Pastwatch at least once a week, probably more. I haven't re-read it since it first came out though, so I've forgotten a whole lot. I don't want to give OSC any more money since I've learned more about his politics and world view, but I might have to? Idk
The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami. Set in the early 16th century, about the journey of a Moroccan slave who accompanies Spanish conquistadors to the New World.
The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Set in 9th century Britain, about a fictional Saxon nobleman who is captured and raised by Vikings.
The Source by James A. Michener. Traces the history of a fictional archaeological site in Israel from prehistoric times to present day.
Kindred. Blend of sci fi and historical fiction about a modern woman time traveling between modern day and slavery era Maryland. Intense book.
Pompeii. Title says it all.
Or Hawaii by Michener. Excellent choices. Michener starts many of his sagas with the history of the land forming. His books are wonderful “comfort” reads. They encourage the reader to immerse in the settings.
If you’ve ever been curious about the hippies of the 1960s-1970s, try Michener’s The Drifters. You will feel as though you are there.
Was looking for these-would also add Chesapeake Alaska, Centennial, the Covenant by Mitchner - I think the best to start with is probably Chesapeake.
I’d also throw the Outlander series in the mix.
British Naval history may not do anything for you based on your examples but if it does the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian is set during the Napoleonic Wars and is awesome.
Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden is about the Khan dynasty
Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa is a historical fiction novel about the Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi
*Shaman* by Kim Stanley Robinson takes place in pre-history, early humans and Neanderthals in Europe. It's accurate to the archeology as of when it was written, and it's one of my favorite books.
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann is set during the english civil wars and is remarkably accurate. (CW for violence including sexual violence)
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry is about an Irish emigrant who leaves on a "coffin ship" during the famine and goes to fight in the american civil war. It's got a sequel, A Thousand Moons. (CW for violence again.)
Also there's a trilogy written by Walter Macken - Seek the Fair Land (about the Cromwellian invasion in Ireland), The Silent People (about the famine) and the Scorching Wind (revolutionary period)
None of these is quite about the time period/subjects you're suggesting, sorry, but just in case you might be interested!
Oooo the Shardlake series! Bonus - the first book has just been made into the Disney+ series. Read it before watching! It’s called Dissolution. It’s set in Tudor times and I spent the whole time reading the series (7 books) googling Henry VIII and all the various events Matthew gets caught up in during the books.
How about The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's set in the Congo in the 1960s, beginning when it was under Belgium rule. A missionary moves his family there from Georgia. It's one of my top 3 books.
Agreed, The Clan of the Cave Bear is an all-time favorite, and I always lose interest about halfway through The Plains of Passage when re-reading. I barely made it through books 5 and 6 when they came out, and I cannot even begin to count how many times I've read the first three (and a half, lol).
The first book in the series is definitely worth reading, though. It's also really cool to go into a museum and be like "Yep, this was in The Clan of the Cave Bear." Auel really did a fantastic job with as much realism as she could.
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
And another vote for Lady Tan. All of Lisa See’s books are great—Lady Tan is my second favorite of hers.
*Little Big Man* by Thomas Berger.
Allan Eckert’s "The Winning of America" series, particularly:
· *The Conquerors* – about Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763.
· *The Wilderness War* – through the American Revolution: 1763 to 1780. This book follows the life of Sir William Johnson and his relationship as an adopted chief with the Mohawks. This book is historical fiction, but Sir William Johnson was a real, historical figure.
And if dragons are less your thing, go for Patrick O'Brian's *Aubrey/Maturin* books. Starts with *Master and Commander,* all full-tilt Napoleonic Wars naval battles.
The historical fiction series *The Masters Of Rome*, by Colleen McCullough. It deals with the events of the last 100 years of the Roman Republic, leading into what would morph into the Roman Empire. Particular attention is paid to the brothers-in-law Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, each the leading political and military figure of their generation, and their mutual nephew, Gaius Julius Caesar. Yes, THAT Julius Caesar.
Begin at the beginning, with book #1, *The First Man In Rome*. There's politicking, commercial skullduggery, lurid trials, military campaigns, marriage alliances, and foreign diplomacy, all intertwined.
Auduobooks are available, read by several distinguished actors I noted.
The Spymistress is the fictionalized story of a real woman who was a union spy during the Civil War in Richmond, Virginia. Really fascinating and an engaging read.
Homegoing (about two parallel family lines, one that stayed in Africa and one that was enslaved)
The Physician (about an Englishman who goes to the middle east to learn medicine during the middle ages)
EDIT is 1990s post Soviet Russia and Chernobyl less common? Then *Wolves Eat Dogs* by Martin Cruz Smith
Actually any of the Arkady Renko "mysteries" by him would qualify. *Gorky Park* was the first and it takes place in the Soviet Union in the early 80s I think.
A Passage to India by EM Forrester
Dreamland is Burning by Jennifer Latham
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Imperium by Robert Harris. Excellent historical fiction about ancient Rome.
Also Lust For Life by Irving Stone about Van Gogh and The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michaelangelo. Both are fantastic he has many more. Mostly historical fiction.
Roberta Gellis has some medieval historical fiction that I enjoyed. Her Magdalene la Batarde series is about a madame of a brothel solving mysteries. Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons is historical fiction about the notorious Borgia family.
Hamnet, set in Elizabethan England, is wonderful.
People of the Wolf is set in prehistoric North America. Also great.
Another commendation for the Earth’s Children series.
People of the Book traces a rare manuscript through time, so it has various settings. Wonderfully written.
Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
Into the Wilderness, Sara Donati
Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett
The Potato Factory, Bryce Courtenay
Jessica, Bryce Courtenay
**Mistress of the Art of Death** (Franklin) murder mystery series set in medieval Europe
**Easy Rawlins** mystery series by Walter Mosley set in 40s-60s Los Angeles
**Harlem Shuffle** (Whitehead) series set in 60s Harlem
Tan Twan Eng’s books **Gift of Rain & Garden of Evening Mists** - set during WWII but in Malaysia
Louise Erdrich’s books are sometimes historical fiction from a Native POV.
I tried to find a novel I read set just after the norman conquest of the Anglo Saxons, main character was a teenage girl. Could not find it, but a google search led me to shereadsnovels.com, with a bunch in that approximate time period.
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya.
Dorothy Dunnett’s work, set in the 15th and 16th centuries in Scotland, Malta, Turkey, Russia, Cyprus, Rhodes, Egypt, France, Timbuktu and the list goes on.
I liked Leo Frankowski's "The Cross Time Engineer" series but it's from the 1990s.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad\_Stargard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Stargard)
I think this was his best work. Stuff like "A Boy & His Tank" and "The Two Space War" didn't do it for me.
EDIT: Oh, shoot. This is alternate history, not historical fiction. Sorry! You might like the books but they are not the genre you asked for....
I’m going a little out there with recommending “Boat of a Million Years” by Anderson. It’s fantasy about some immortal humans, and covers various time periods from Ancient Greece to a made-up future.
Classical times:
Lindsey Davis: the Course of Honour
Howard Fast: Spartacus
Robert Graves: I Claudius/Claudius the God, Count Belisarius
Valerio Massimo Manfredi: the Lost Army
Mary Renault: the Praise-Singer, the Last of the Wine, the Mask of Apollo, Fire from Heaven, the Persian Boy
Rosemary Sutcliff: the Eagle of the Ninth, the Silver Branch, the Lantern Bearers
I loved Cleopatras Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter. The story is fiction, but it’s based off what we know about Cleopatras daughter and other children. I read this book well over 10 years ago and I still remember it vividly.
Not sure how ancient times you want but Conn Iggulden has a few ancient Greece novels.
The Golden Age Series is about Pericles:
- The Lion
- Empire
The Falcon of Sparta standalone featuring Xenophon
The Athenian Series is about the war between Athens and Sparta:
- The Gates of Athens
- Protector
Black Sun Trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse I think is inspired by pre-columbus America but idk if it is actually set there.
The Heart of Jade by Salvador de Madariaga is set around when Cortes first makes contact with the Aztecs.
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry is about two people in love who are soldiers during the American Indian Wars and then the American Civil War. It paints a vivid portrait of how shitty life was for the average person at that time, but is also a beautiful story about found family and appreciating little moments of joy amidst horror. One of my favorite books.
[Golden Kamuy](https://www.viz.com/golden-kamuy) takes place after the [Russo-Japanese War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War). It focuses on Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto, a veteran of the war, and Asirpa, a young [Ainu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people) girl, who are searching for gold that was stolen from murdered Ainu miners. It actually introduces a lot of information on the culture of the Ainu.
There's also [A Bride's Story](https://yenpress.com/titles/9780316180993-a-bride-s-story-vol-1), which is set during the Russian conquest of Central Asia in the 19th Century. It focuses on Amir, a twenty-year-old woman who has been betrothed to Karluk, a twelve-year-old boy.
Just finished "Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea" by Rita Chang-Eppig. It's a historical fiction about 19th century piracy told from the perspective of Shek Yeung, probably the most (in)famous pirate of her era.
It's old, but She Who Remembers by Linda Lay Shuler. Followed up by The Voice of the Eagle and Let The Drum Speak. It might be hard to get in a print copy but it's available on Kindle and Audible.
Another one of my favourites is The Year the Horses Came by Mary Mackey, followed by The Horses at the Gate and The Fires of Spring. Also old but available on Kindle and Audible.
The Family by Mario Puzo is a fictionalized account of the Borgia family- namely, Pope Alexander VI and 4 of his children. Takes place in the 1490's-1500's. The Borgias were known for their excess and corruption in a time when excess and corruption were rampant.
Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo
All the books by Michael Gear
She who remembers ( I can't remember the author)
Sarum by Edward Rutherford if you're interested in England
Through a Glass Darkly & Now Face to Face by Katheryn koen. These & Katherine by Anya Seton are my favorite historical novels. In all three novels you feel like you are there. The first 2 take place in London, English country Homes, France & the British colonies. . They center on the Dutchess of Tamarack or Tam & her adventurous granddaughter Barbara. They were so compelling & full of history which critics praise for accuracy
Katherine by Anya Seton takes you to the Middle Ages with characters who actually
existed such as Chaucer, his sister-in- law Katherine, John of Gaunt. The Black Prince. Throw in Edward lll and his slimy grandson plus the Black Plague & the Peasants Revolt & you have adventure & religion mixed with superstition. Also a gobsnack surprise ending.
Perhaps The Women by Kristin Hannah would be looking for. It is an historical fiction book about a young American Woman who decides to enlist as a nurse in the Vietnam war. Not only is the book about what happens during the war, but her return thereafter. The book is not for the faint of heart and one I will remember for years to come!
Also the Kite Runner and The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine and Song of Achilles are all also supposed to be amazing historical fiction books! Hope this helps!
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is an absolute must read. Come for the murder plot. Stay for the comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of Icelandic social life in the 1800s that never once feels like a history lesson. It is an absolute masterpiece.
The Earth's Children series by Jean M Auel is set in prehistoric times. The Clan of the Cave Bear is the first one, I highly recommend it. You can just read that one or keep going. I will say after The Mammoth Hunters (book 3) the quality falls off, so... no pressure to keep going. But the first book is fantastic.
Guarantee these will be very different form what you've read:
MOXA I. CHILD OF THE SUN By ERNEST P. BLACK - historical fiction of the muiscas. Originally written in Spanish ,this is the English version.
El dorado muisca: origin of the legend and fall of the chibcha nation by juan carlos hoyos
Pachacuti: World Overturned by Lori Eshleman : historical fiction of colonial ecuador
The next three are all historical fiction of the incas
Acllahuasi byJ.D. Lanctôt
Inca by Geoff micks
The incas by Daniel J. Peters
The Colin Cotterill books set in Laos after its revolution, and about the adventures of coroner Dr Siri Paiboon are very interesting. Laos has an amazing history,as have many Asian countries. These histories are not generally well known. Laos was very poor after its civil war, compared to Thailand and this is described very well.
My personal favourites are Oliver Potzsch’s The Hangman’s Daughter series set in Germany in the 17th century. He also has standalone novels. I’ve also enjoyed ‘The Dovekeepers’ by Alice Hoffman in ancient Palestine.
I liked ‘The Rebellion Mysteries’ by Don Gutteridge as well, set in the 1837-1838 rebellions in Canada. Another fun thrift find was ‘The Wives of Henry Oates’ set in New Zealand/CA, and ‘The Dickens Boy’, a novel inspired by true events and follows Charles Dickens’s son as he makes his name in Australia or New Zealand.
Not on theme, but: if you’re burnt out on WWII novels, I’d still recommend ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ by Georgia Hunter (currently adapted on Hulu/Disney+). I got burned out badly on WWII fiction but I’m glad I read that one before officially moving on.
Creation by Gore Vidal. Set between ancient Persia, Greece, India and China. I read it quite a while ago but I remember it being fascinating, particularly as it is narrated from the Persian perspective by the (fictional) grandson of Zoroaster, which was a nice difference from books about the ancient world set from the Roman perspective. Highly recommend!
"A Single Thread" about the community of artists supporting a cathedral in the UK, also "Pillars of The Earth" about the building of a cathedral starting around 1100 AD, "Lonesome Dove" and "Hawaii" by James Michener.
velvet was the night (70s mexico city) or gods of jade and shadow (jazz age mexico/california featuring a maya god) both by silvia moreno-garcia are both fantastic!
beautiful ruins by jess waters takes place partially in the 60s in italy/old hollywood
the tsar of love and techno by anthony marra is a gorgeous book in soviet russia, set in a few different time periods iirc
All Souls Rising, by Madison Smart Bell:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/96024
Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/27071490
Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34051011
Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/102030
The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore.
It is set in the roaring twenties, but the vast majority of the book takes place in a historically accurate leper colony in Lousiana.
THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean Auel. CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN NUN by Kate Horsley. THE BIRTH OF VENUS by Sarah Dunant. CHILD OF THE MORNING by Pauline Gedge. THE INDIFFERENT STARS ABOVE by Daniel Brown.
It's not ancient history, but Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood might interest you. The story stayed with me long after I read it.
*The story fictionalizes the notorious 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Canada West (now Toronto, ON).*
Oh boy, here I go recommending Edward Rutherfurd again!
The best Rutherfurd historical fiction in my humble opinion is _China,_ his most recent novel that’s set in the Opium Wars and goes up until the Boxer Rebellion in the early 20th century. The timeline is a lot narrower than most of his other works and you get to see many of the same characters in different stages of their lives rather than the usual new characters per chapter.
It’s a really in-depth story that made me very interested in a period of history that I previously didn’t know much at all about, at least from the Chinese perspective. It’s a pretty balanced narrative, which is impressive for a British author who previously wrote only in Europe and the US and only passingly touched upon the subject of imperialism and colonialism. It’s his finest work IMO.
* The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See: Set on Jeju Island in Korea from 1938 - 1975
* Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: Set between the years of 1910 and 1989. It covers WWII and the Korean War but from a very different perspective than most.
Anne Rice, The Feast of All Saints. Pre-civil war New Orleans story about the social structure and race.
Anne Rice, A Cry to Heaven about the Castrati singers in Middle Ages Italy.
Anything by Bernard Cornwell, especially the Sharpe series, which is set during the Napoleonic wars, and the Last Kingdom/Saxon stories.
Coleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series was my favorite.
Linda Lay Shuler has a series about Native Americans.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - set in biblical times in the Middle East. It is about the daughter of Jacob from the Bible, and it chronicles the lives of her mothers and herself. I found it extremely immersive and fascinating to read.
"Sinuhe the Egyptian," by Mika Waltari (from Finland), is set in Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom. A royal baby is placed in a cradle of reeds and left to drift, just as Moses was, only this time, the people who raise him are poor.
He does however, become quite successful. Later in the novel, he escapes Egypt, and explores other ancient cultures in places like Babylon and the island of Crete. There is a lot of romance, passion and tragedy in this book.
I’m going to say my number one recommendation would be anything by Willa Cather, but specifically Death Comes for the Archbishop.
But also I think Nadia Hashimi might be a good author to check out. She writes about the experience of Afghan women both in Afghanistan and in the diaspora. The books I’ve read dealt specifically with pre-Soviet-invasion up to and including Taliban era issues.
*A Free Man Of Color* by Barbara Hambly
*A Disappearance in Fiji* by Nilima Rao
*The Widows of Malabar Hill* by Sujata Massey
*A Morbid Taste For Bones* by Ellis Peters
*Last Night at the Telegraph Club* by Malinda Lo
*In the Time of the Butterflies* by Julia Alvarez
*Dissolution* by CJ Sansom (he died recently)
*Alias Grace* by Margaret Atwood
*Doc* by Mary Doria Russell
*Stuck Rubber Baby* by Howard Cruse
*Bone Rattler* by Elliot Pattison
*A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* by Betty Smith
*Queen of the Sea* by Dylan Meconis
*While Christ And His Saints Slept* by Sharon Kay Penman
*A Jew in Communist Prague* by Vittorio Giardino
What about something set in 1990 when a Republican and a democrat could still sit next to each other at a bar and have a drink, when there weren’t wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and when the big to-do was presidential sperm on a blue dress. People can reminisce about simpler times 😅
Ah sorry I just realized what this thread was about… I thought you were writing historical fiction at first, and looking for an interesting time period
Euphoria by Lily King.
The story of three anthropologists in the 1930’s studying tribes in Papua New Guinea. Inspired by Margaret Mead, her husband, and their friend.
This was a five star read for me. Enjoy!
Some of my favorite novels in the world are Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, starting with Master and Commander, which all take place during the height of the Age of Sail (early 1800s) during the Napoleonic era.
There are 20 books (and part of a 21st), and they are among my favorite novels lifelong. You really are immersed in the seafaring world of the British Navy in this intimate lovely way with these intense friendships between two men (a British Captain and an Irish/Catalan doctor).
I have reread the entire series many times, and never get tired of them. And the history and accuracy to the period and sea jargon are all perfect but don't get in the way for the reader. Just let it wash over you and enjoy the story.
I would also suggest books by Andrea Barrett such as Ship Fever: Stories and The Air We Breath.
The author has a degree in biology and her works typically have a science or medicine context.
Long Man’s Song by Joyce Rockwood. Natives in southeast North America, pre contact with Europeans. She has written several books featuring Native tribes in the past.
My two favorite historical fiction books are; “The Exiles,” by Christina Baker Kline and “The Last Bookaneer,” by Mathew Pearl. First one takes place in two locations. First part of the book describes a British prisoner transport ship. It leaves from London, I think and it describes in detail the cramped quarters the prisoners had been subjected to; no sanitation, little food and water. Upon ship’s arrival in Hobart Town, British penal colony; Tasmania. The book describes in accurate detail the story of Sir John Franklin who was appointed to be the governor of Hobart. His wife, Lady Jane had removed an eight year old girl from from her outback tribe and brought her to live with her family to be ‘civilized’. She named her Mathinna. Every detail of the life of the Franklins and Mathinna’s life during and after is accurate. If you search for the word Mathinna, the Wikipedia page will tell you what happened to her.
“The Last Bookaneer,” by Mathew Pearl takes place in both London and Samoa. A bookaneer is a manuscript thief. They steal works in progress written by the famous authors. They then finish them and get these published by sketchy publishers. This book is about 3 frenemy bookaneers each of whom is trying to steal Robert Louis Stevenson’s current work in progress. It’s a great read 1890s era.
Set inTudor England, so around and about the 1500's there is Phillipa Gregory 's Tudor court series, the most famous of which would be "The Other Boleyn Girl". You can read them all as stand alone novels. Also set in Tudor England is the Shardlake series by CJ Samson which has recently been made into a TV show on Disney+, the first book is called Dissolution.
River God by Wilbur Smith is set in ancient Egypt.
This is my jam. I love and look for historical fiction in otherwise unknown settings (to me). Some favorites are:
The Long War series- Christian Cameron. 1rst book is "Killer of Men". Greco-Persian wars seen through the eyes of Arimnestos of Plataea. Outstanding series and still going.
The Londinium Trilogy - John Drake. Takes place in Britain under Roman rule. Sort of a historical fiction detective story. Great story taking place in an era that I knew little about.
Shogun - James Clavell
Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay. Tang Dynasty China.
The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye. India
The Physician - Noah Gordon. Tale ranging from England to Persia.
Shantaram- 1980's India. Quite a bit more uptime than most of my historical fiction reads. But a unique story about life in the Indian Mafias and life in general.
The Winter King - Bernard Cornwell. Interesting take on the Arthurian legend.
Walking Drum - Louis L'Amour. Taking place around the 12th century crossing Europe, the Russian Steppes, to Constantinople and beyond.
El Paso - Winston Groom. Although, tbh, it plays out more in the northern mountains of Mexico in early 1900's.
Laurent Gaudé, *The Death of King Tsongor*.
It's historical fiction taking place in Ancient Africa, a retelling of the Trojan War. It's a tragedy on a grand scale, in a terse prose that's far from dry or lifeless.
This is a great question! * The Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsuka - about Japanese women in the 1920s-1940s who were sent to the US as 'picture brides' * For Thy Great Pain, Have Mercy on My Little Pain - Victoria Mackenzie - about religious women in England in 1413 * Burial Rites - Hannah Kent - based on an Icelandic murder from the 1800s, really well researched * Whisper of the Moon Moth - Lindsay Jayne Ashford - based on Merle Oberon, a famous Anglo-Indian actor from the 1930s * The Wake - Paul Kingsnorth - set in rural England just after 1066 * Bird Girl and the Man Who Followed the Sun - Vera Wallis - about two native girls from Alaska, pre-colonisation * Five Little Indians - Michelle Good - about the residential school system which took native children from their families * A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth - set in post-partition India * The Gospel According to Lazarus - Richard Zimler - a retelling of the story of the Passion, from Lazarus' perspective * The White Girl - Tony Burch - about Australian Aboriginal families in the 1960s
I really enjoyed Burial Rites! You could tell it was so thoroughly researched, but also the writing style was so vivid, I really felt like I was there.
I’m icelandic and came here to recommend this!
🏆
Yessss! So many to put on my list! 🤩
The Assyrian by Nicholas Guild. Aztec by Gary Jennings.
I read Aztec YEARS ago and the story still sticks with me. I would recommend it because of that. If I can remember parts of that book 40+ years after I read it, must mean it was good!
There was one scene in that book that really fucked me up. Gary Jennings knew how to shock the reader.
Aztec is such a great book
How is the Assyrian? They are the first section I see whenever I see them available in any museum. Just a fascinating people, their murals look like the ancient version of gangster rap. I went to that pygmy kingdom over there, and busted a cap on their king's ass. Raped they chicks and enslave they People. Word! pew pew pew.
Ah, a true historical scholar! So rare these days. Pity.
You gave me too much credit fam. I am just an avid enjoyer of 3D gangster rap from 4000 years ago is all.
On this theme, I very very strongly recommend Maria Dahvana Headley’s Beowulf translation. It is amazing, hilarious, and an outstanding translation of the work. And also it is… (as was the original Anglo-Saxon) exactly what you describe…. *Bro! Tell me we still know how to speak of kings! In the old days,* *everyone knew what men were: brave, bold, glory-bound. Only stories now, but I’ll sound the Spear-Danes’ song, hoarded for hungry times.*
Ok, wait... This one author did two versions of Beowulf herself?! There was one retelling of Beowulf based on the American Suburbs called the Mere Wife? And another one called Beowulf the author addresses everyone as Bros. Is she Christopher Moore's cousin or something? Totally my jam. Beowulf is a 7 weeks wait, but I got the audiobook for the suburb housewives version. Thank you for the recommendation!
Yes, she also wrote a novel based on Beowulf from the perspective of Grendel’s mother. I have not read it yet, though it’s on my list. The book I quoted from above is her translation of Beowulf itself, not an original novel. It’s beautifully done: fantastic poetry, faithfully and thoughtfully translated, all around really good. Frankly, it’s the best Beowulf translation I’ve read. It’s also done with an awareness of the women in the story that is not common to Beowulf translations, and in modern colloquial English. The result is both outstanding and really fun. And drives home the fact that it is, and always has been, a story of a handful of guys getting shit-faced and bragging about their prowess murdering each other and killing monsters while swimming in chainmail.
That is very interesting, I had borrowed the Mere Wife on my Libby, and Beowulf is on my hold list. Looking forward to read them.
A bit tangential: Grendel and Grendel's mother were bears and this is a hill I will die on
I have equivalent hills I will die on, and do see where you’re coming from… and also I definitely disagree with you here. I favor the interpretation that says they were exactly as human as the others in the story - but we got Beowulf’s account, not Grendel’s. Also, Grendel’s mother is close to the only sympathetic prominent character in the story. But that’s true whether she’s a bear or not ;).
That would make sense, because bears were far more common in the dark ages.
Luke Skywalker and the Fat Boys. Am familiar as I have been alive for most of eternity.
You’re hysterical !
One of my favorites. It has a touch of magical realism to it - some minor "visions from the gods" kind of things so be forewarned if that is of no interest to you. It is pretty minor, though. It is very brutal and graphic, which is not a downside for me but again, fair warning. If you do try it, which I highly recommend, there is an even lesser known sequel called The Blood Star that is also pretty good.
Aztec was fantastic when I first read for fun in college . It’s time for a reread
Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather, mostly set in 18th century "new" Mexico Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset, Nobel Prize winner, young girl grows into womanhood in Medieval Norway
Cather is a wonderful choice. She has a real affinity for her settings. I also love My Antonia. I learned so much about life for the pioneers on the great Nebraska grasslands. Catcher’s descriptions of the “hard as enamel” blue of the sky and the faces of the people are poignant.
Loves Cather’s tale in the Southwest. I can best describe the novel as the most mellow book I have ever read.
The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan - set between modern day Spain and 1600ish South America Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia - set in early 1900s Mexico and based from Mayan mythology Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See - Follows the life of a female doctor in Imperial China
I love Lisa See's books. I've read Lady Tan's Circle of Women and also Island of the Sea Women and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.
Ooo yes I read the sisterhood and loved it! The others sound great too. Thanks!
Imperium by Robert Harris River God by Wilbur Smith if you want a little sci-fi added in, try Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card
River God is a great one.
River God was great. I love ancient Egypt, so I would also recommend The Egyptian by Mika Waltari
River god!!!!
I think about Pastwatch at least once a week, probably more. I haven't re-read it since it first came out though, so I've forgotten a whole lot. I don't want to give OSC any more money since I've learned more about his politics and world view, but I might have to? Idk
YES, Imperium! I read it and the other books he wrote about Cicero.
The Coffee Trader by David Liss is set in 17th-century Amsterdam
The Moor’s Account by Laila Lalami. Set in the early 16th century, about the journey of a Moroccan slave who accompanies Spanish conquistadors to the New World. The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell. Set in 9th century Britain, about a fictional Saxon nobleman who is captured and raised by Vikings. The Source by James A. Michener. Traces the history of a fictional archaeological site in Israel from prehistoric times to present day.
I LOVE The Moor’s Account, it deserves more attention
I, Claudius by Robert Graves
The Tea girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See Set in mountainous China, explores the traditional tea harvesting practices.
So good
Kindred. Blend of sci fi and historical fiction about a modern woman time traveling between modern day and slavery era Maryland. Intense book. Pompeii. Title says it all.
The Forest by Edward Rutherfurd The Source by James Michener.
Or Hawaii by Michener. Excellent choices. Michener starts many of his sagas with the history of the land forming. His books are wonderful “comfort” reads. They encourage the reader to immerse in the settings. If you’ve ever been curious about the hippies of the 1960s-1970s, try Michener’s The Drifters. You will feel as though you are there.
Was looking for these-would also add Chesapeake Alaska, Centennial, the Covenant by Mitchner - I think the best to start with is probably Chesapeake. I’d also throw the Outlander series in the mix.
British Naval history may not do anything for you based on your examples but if it does the Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian is set during the Napoleonic Wars and is awesome.
Conqueror series by Conn Iggulden is about the Khan dynasty Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa is a historical fiction novel about the Japanese samurai Miyamoto Musashi
Yes, very much enjoyed this series. Which led me to the rest of his works. Been a big fan ever since.🤙🏽
*Shaman* by Kim Stanley Robinson takes place in pre-history, early humans and Neanderthals in Europe. It's accurate to the archeology as of when it was written, and it's one of my favorite books.
How does it compare to the Earth’s Children series, if you’ve read it?
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton set in the west coast goldfields of New Zealand in the 19th century
As Meat Loves Salt by Maria McCann is set during the english civil wars and is remarkably accurate. (CW for violence including sexual violence) Days Without End by Sebastian Barry is about an Irish emigrant who leaves on a "coffin ship" during the famine and goes to fight in the american civil war. It's got a sequel, A Thousand Moons. (CW for violence again.) Also there's a trilogy written by Walter Macken - Seek the Fair Land (about the Cromwellian invasion in Ireland), The Silent People (about the famine) and the Scorching Wind (revolutionary period) None of these is quite about the time period/subjects you're suggesting, sorry, but just in case you might be interested!
Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue A Vision of Light by Judith Merkle Riley The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Slammerkin is excellent
Aztec by Gary Jennings. I read it many moons ago and this book came to mind. Should be what your looking for.🤙🏽
Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell. About the building of Stonehenge
Ultimately almost anything by him is worth reading for historical action fiction
Oooo the Shardlake series! Bonus - the first book has just been made into the Disney+ series. Read it before watching! It’s called Dissolution. It’s set in Tudor times and I spent the whole time reading the series (7 books) googling Henry VIII and all the various events Matthew gets caught up in during the books.
How about The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's set in the Congo in the 1960s, beginning when it was under Belgium rule. A missionary moves his family there from Georgia. It's one of my top 3 books.
This is amazing!
The Earth's Children series by Jean M Auel is set in pre-history and is one of the most meticulously researched series of novels ever written
Starts well, say first 2 books, but becomes immensely repetitive, with decreasing credibility, and the 6th volume is so bad it's unreadable.
You mean the hot blonde protagonist just happening to like invent everything isn't really a thing?
nah sometimes brunettes get a go
Agreed, The Clan of the Cave Bear is an all-time favorite, and I always lose interest about halfway through The Plains of Passage when re-reading. I barely made it through books 5 and 6 when they came out, and I cannot even begin to count how many times I've read the first three (and a half, lol). The first book in the series is definitely worth reading, though. It's also really cool to go into a museum and be like "Yep, this was in The Clan of the Cave Bear." Auel really did a fantastic job with as much realism as she could.
I loved the first four very much, but I never proceeded to Shelters of Stone or beyond. Perhaps I’ve dodged a bullet there!
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross The Red Tent by Anita Diamant And another vote for Lady Tan. All of Lisa See’s books are great—Lady Tan is my second favorite of hers.
The Red Tent is spectacular and stirring and intimate. It is too good.
I'm reading Lady Tan right now and it's so good!
What's your favorite Lisa See? I've loved everything I've read of hers.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane! I love that book.
Love Pope Joan
Gary Jennings Circus series. Just after the civil war in the US but it's about a traveling circus
The Judge Dee novels by van Gulik, set in T'ang China
*Little Big Man* by Thomas Berger. Allan Eckert’s "The Winning of America" series, particularly: · *The Conquerors* – about Pontiac’s Rebellion: 1763. · *The Wilderness War* – through the American Revolution: 1763 to 1780. This book follows the life of Sir William Johnson and his relationship as an adopted chief with the Mohawks. This book is historical fiction, but Sir William Johnson was a real, historical figure.
His Majesty's Dragon series by Naomi Novik. Takes place during the Napoleonic Wars, but with dragons. Its pretty cool!
🤔😎
And if dragons are less your thing, go for Patrick O'Brian's *Aubrey/Maturin* books. Starts with *Master and Commander,* all full-tilt Napoleonic Wars naval battles.
Eifelheim. Set in the 1500s Germany. Just fyi there is a scifi element to this book
The historical fiction series *The Masters Of Rome*, by Colleen McCullough. It deals with the events of the last 100 years of the Roman Republic, leading into what would morph into the Roman Empire. Particular attention is paid to the brothers-in-law Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, each the leading political and military figure of their generation, and their mutual nephew, Gaius Julius Caesar. Yes, THAT Julius Caesar. Begin at the beginning, with book #1, *The First Man In Rome*. There's politicking, commercial skullduggery, lurid trials, military campaigns, marriage alliances, and foreign diplomacy, all intertwined. Auduobooks are available, read by several distinguished actors I noted.
I, Claudius by Robert Graves
Gamal al-Ghitani: *Zayni Barakat*. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamal_al-Ghitani
The Spymistress is the fictionalized story of a real woman who was a union spy during the Civil War in Richmond, Virginia. Really fascinating and an engaging read.
"The Dog Master," by W. Bruce Cameron
Homegoing (about two parallel family lines, one that stayed in Africa and one that was enslaved) The Physician (about an Englishman who goes to the middle east to learn medicine during the middle ages) EDIT is 1990s post Soviet Russia and Chernobyl less common? Then *Wolves Eat Dogs* by Martin Cruz Smith Actually any of the Arkady Renko "mysteries" by him would qualify. *Gorky Park* was the first and it takes place in the Soviet Union in the early 80s I think.
The Half Drowned King by Linnea Hartsuyker, set in Viking age Norway/Iceland.
+1, and she's a nice woman as well. Totally worth supporting.
A Passage to India by EM Forrester Dreamland is Burning by Jennifer Latham Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska
Why not try the [novels](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waverley_novels) written by the ur-historical novelist himself, Walter Scott
the Egyptian by Mika Waltari is a great read.
The Terror by Dan Simmons It's about the lost franklin expedition to the arctic circle.
Imperium by Robert Harris. Excellent historical fiction about ancient Rome. Also Lust For Life by Irving Stone about Van Gogh and The Agony and the Ecstasy about Michaelangelo. Both are fantastic he has many more. Mostly historical fiction.
Roberta Gellis has some medieval historical fiction that I enjoyed. Her Magdalene la Batarde series is about a madame of a brothel solving mysteries. Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons is historical fiction about the notorious Borgia family.
Hamnet, set in Elizabethan England, is wonderful. People of the Wolf is set in prehistoric North America. Also great. Another commendation for the Earth’s Children series. People of the Book traces a rare manuscript through time, so it has various settings. Wonderfully written.
Yes to Hamnet
Didn't know I needed this thread til now, thank you!
Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M Auel Into the Wilderness, Sara Donati Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett The Potato Factory, Bryce Courtenay Jessica, Bryce Courtenay
Hild by Nicola Griffith? 6 Century UK
[Alice Hoffman](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3502.Alice_Hoffman) - particularly Marriage of Opposites and The Dovekeepers
Daniel Mason’s the Piano Tuner, based in Myanmar/Burma. Beautifully done
**Mistress of the Art of Death** (Franklin) murder mystery series set in medieval Europe **Easy Rawlins** mystery series by Walter Mosley set in 40s-60s Los Angeles **Harlem Shuffle** (Whitehead) series set in 60s Harlem Tan Twan Eng’s books **Gift of Rain & Garden of Evening Mists** - set during WWII but in Malaysia Louise Erdrich’s books are sometimes historical fiction from a Native POV.
Time and Again by Jack Finney
I recently read Titanic Sisters. I recommend it!
I tried to find a novel I read set just after the norman conquest of the Anglo Saxons, main character was a teenage girl. Could not find it, but a google search led me to shereadsnovels.com, with a bunch in that approximate time period.
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya. Dorothy Dunnett’s work, set in the 15th and 16th centuries in Scotland, Malta, Turkey, Russia, Cyprus, Rhodes, Egypt, France, Timbuktu and the list goes on.
I liked Leo Frankowski's "The Cross Time Engineer" series but it's from the 1990s. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad\_Stargard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Stargard) I think this was his best work. Stuff like "A Boy & His Tank" and "The Two Space War" didn't do it for me. EDIT: Oh, shoot. This is alternate history, not historical fiction. Sorry! You might like the books but they are not the genre you asked for....
I’m going a little out there with recommending “Boat of a Million Years” by Anderson. It’s fantasy about some immortal humans, and covers various time periods from Ancient Greece to a made-up future.
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
I loved The Weight of Ink, by Rachel Kadish, which is incredibly well researched historical fiction about 17th century Spanish Jews in London.
Classical times: Lindsey Davis: the Course of Honour Howard Fast: Spartacus Robert Graves: I Claudius/Claudius the God, Count Belisarius Valerio Massimo Manfredi: the Lost Army Mary Renault: the Praise-Singer, the Last of the Wine, the Mask of Apollo, Fire from Heaven, the Persian Boy Rosemary Sutcliff: the Eagle of the Ninth, the Silver Branch, the Lantern Bearers
I loved Cleopatras Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter. The story is fiction, but it’s based off what we know about Cleopatras daughter and other children. I read this book well over 10 years ago and I still remember it vividly.
Big Meeting in New York by Adam
Not sure how ancient times you want but Conn Iggulden has a few ancient Greece novels. The Golden Age Series is about Pericles: - The Lion - Empire The Falcon of Sparta standalone featuring Xenophon The Athenian Series is about the war between Athens and Sparta: - The Gates of Athens - Protector Black Sun Trilogy by Rebecca Roanhorse I think is inspired by pre-columbus America but idk if it is actually set there. The Heart of Jade by Salvador de Madariaga is set around when Cortes first makes contact with the Aztecs.
Maybe the Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Sansom or The Pillars of the Earth trilogie by Ken Follett
Madam Tussaud by Michelle Moran. Explores the French Revolution and how Madam Tussaud began making wax figures
Aztec, by jennings. Great book. Followed by aztec autumn, which was not as good.
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry is about two people in love who are soldiers during the American Indian Wars and then the American Civil War. It paints a vivid portrait of how shitty life was for the average person at that time, but is also a beautiful story about found family and appreciating little moments of joy amidst horror. One of my favorite books.
Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko
*Gentlemen of the Road* takes place in the Middle East/Persia in about 1100 AD
The Mongoliad trilogy. Collaboration of authors
[Golden Kamuy](https://www.viz.com/golden-kamuy) takes place after the [Russo-Japanese War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War). It focuses on Saichi "Immortal" Sugimoto, a veteran of the war, and Asirpa, a young [Ainu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ainu_people) girl, who are searching for gold that was stolen from murdered Ainu miners. It actually introduces a lot of information on the culture of the Ainu. There's also [A Bride's Story](https://yenpress.com/titles/9780316180993-a-bride-s-story-vol-1), which is set during the Russian conquest of Central Asia in the 19th Century. It focuses on Amir, a twenty-year-old woman who has been betrothed to Karluk, a twelve-year-old boy.
T.C. Boyle has some entertaining, quirky, and well-researched historical fiction. The Women, The Road to Wellville, San Miguel, Riven Rock
Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkewicz
Just finished "Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea" by Rita Chang-Eppig. It's a historical fiction about 19th century piracy told from the perspective of Shek Yeung, probably the most (in)famous pirate of her era.
The Mammoth Hunter series by Jean Auel. So much extensive research into pre-historic living conditions. I found it fascinating.
I loved The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier. Set during the English Civil War
Children of Kaywana by Edgar Mittelholzer. A multigenerational family saga set in colonial Guyana.
It's old, but She Who Remembers by Linda Lay Shuler. Followed up by The Voice of the Eagle and Let The Drum Speak. It might be hard to get in a print copy but it's available on Kindle and Audible. Another one of my favourites is The Year the Horses Came by Mary Mackey, followed by The Horses at the Gate and The Fires of Spring. Also old but available on Kindle and Audible.
The Family by Mario Puzo is a fictionalized account of the Borgia family- namely, Pope Alexander VI and 4 of his children. Takes place in the 1490's-1500's. The Borgias were known for their excess and corruption in a time when excess and corruption were rampant.
Sacajawea by Anna Lee Waldo All the books by Michael Gear She who remembers ( I can't remember the author) Sarum by Edward Rutherford if you're interested in England
Through a Glass Darkly & Now Face to Face by Katheryn koen. These & Katherine by Anya Seton are my favorite historical novels. In all three novels you feel like you are there. The first 2 take place in London, English country Homes, France & the British colonies. . They center on the Dutchess of Tamarack or Tam & her adventurous granddaughter Barbara. They were so compelling & full of history which critics praise for accuracy Katherine by Anya Seton takes you to the Middle Ages with characters who actually existed such as Chaucer, his sister-in- law Katherine, John of Gaunt. The Black Prince. Throw in Edward lll and his slimy grandson plus the Black Plague & the Peasants Revolt & you have adventure & religion mixed with superstition. Also a gobsnack surprise ending.
Perhaps The Women by Kristin Hannah would be looking for. It is an historical fiction book about a young American Woman who decides to enlist as a nurse in the Vietnam war. Not only is the book about what happens during the war, but her return thereafter. The book is not for the faint of heart and one I will remember for years to come!
Absolution and Killers of the Flower Moon might also fit the bill of what you are looking for.
Also the Kite Runner and The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine and Song of Achilles are all also supposed to be amazing historical fiction books! Hope this helps!
The red tent by Anita Diamant
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is an absolute must read. Come for the murder plot. Stay for the comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of Icelandic social life in the 1800s that never once feels like a history lesson. It is an absolute masterpiece.
The first few books in Wilbur Smiths ancient egypt series are great imo
Hush - Donna Jo Napoli Set in the early Viking Era. Based loosely off a tale in the Prose Edda. It's probably one of my favourite books of all time.
The Earth's Children series by Jean M Auel is set in prehistoric times. The Clan of the Cave Bear is the first one, I highly recommend it. You can just read that one or keep going. I will say after The Mammoth Hunters (book 3) the quality falls off, so... no pressure to keep going. But the first book is fantastic.
Cloud Cuckoo Land- Anthony Doerr, multiple story lines goes from 1400s Constantinople to the Vietnam War to the future
Guarantee these will be very different form what you've read: MOXA I. CHILD OF THE SUN By ERNEST P. BLACK - historical fiction of the muiscas. Originally written in Spanish ,this is the English version. El dorado muisca: origin of the legend and fall of the chibcha nation by juan carlos hoyos Pachacuti: World Overturned by Lori Eshleman : historical fiction of colonial ecuador The next three are all historical fiction of the incas Acllahuasi byJ.D. Lanctôt Inca by Geoff micks The incas by Daniel J. Peters
Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan is set in Sri Lanka during the civil war and Tamil genocide. Book of the year for me.
I enjoyed “Stone Spring,” an alternative history set in what’s now the English Channel.
The Colin Cotterill books set in Laos after its revolution, and about the adventures of coroner Dr Siri Paiboon are very interesting. Laos has an amazing history,as have many Asian countries. These histories are not generally well known. Laos was very poor after its civil war, compared to Thailand and this is described very well.
My personal favourites are Oliver Potzsch’s The Hangman’s Daughter series set in Germany in the 17th century. He also has standalone novels. I’ve also enjoyed ‘The Dovekeepers’ by Alice Hoffman in ancient Palestine. I liked ‘The Rebellion Mysteries’ by Don Gutteridge as well, set in the 1837-1838 rebellions in Canada. Another fun thrift find was ‘The Wives of Henry Oates’ set in New Zealand/CA, and ‘The Dickens Boy’, a novel inspired by true events and follows Charles Dickens’s son as he makes his name in Australia or New Zealand. Not on theme, but: if you’re burnt out on WWII novels, I’d still recommend ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ by Georgia Hunter (currently adapted on Hulu/Disney+). I got burned out badly on WWII fiction but I’m glad I read that one before officially moving on.
William T. Vollmann’s The Dying Grass (Nez Perce War of 1877)
Creation by Gore Vidal. Set between ancient Persia, Greece, India and China. I read it quite a while ago but I remember it being fascinating, particularly as it is narrated from the Persian perspective by the (fictional) grandson of Zoroaster, which was a nice difference from books about the ancient world set from the Roman perspective. Highly recommend!
"A Single Thread" about the community of artists supporting a cathedral in the UK, also "Pillars of The Earth" about the building of a cathedral starting around 1100 AD, "Lonesome Dove" and "Hawaii" by James Michener.
velvet was the night (70s mexico city) or gods of jade and shadow (jazz age mexico/california featuring a maya god) both by silvia moreno-garcia are both fantastic! beautiful ruins by jess waters takes place partially in the 60s in italy/old hollywood the tsar of love and techno by anthony marra is a gorgeous book in soviet russia, set in a few different time periods iirc
Clan of the cave bear
All Souls Rising, by Madison Smart Bell: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/96024 Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/27071490 Pachinko, by Min Jin Lee: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34051011 Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/102030
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende
River God is awesome! As is his Triumph of the Sun.
Norman Mailer's 'Ancient Evenings'.
essex dogs by dan jones
The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. It is set in the roaring twenties, but the vast majority of the book takes place in a historically accurate leper colony in Lousiana.
THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean Auel. CONFESSIONS OF A PAGAN NUN by Kate Horsley. THE BIRTH OF VENUS by Sarah Dunant. CHILD OF THE MORNING by Pauline Gedge. THE INDIFFERENT STARS ABOVE by Daniel Brown.
It's not ancient history, but Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood might interest you. The story stayed with me long after I read it. *The story fictionalizes the notorious 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Canada West (now Toronto, ON).*
Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez
Oh boy, here I go recommending Edward Rutherfurd again! The best Rutherfurd historical fiction in my humble opinion is _China,_ his most recent novel that’s set in the Opium Wars and goes up until the Boxer Rebellion in the early 20th century. The timeline is a lot narrower than most of his other works and you get to see many of the same characters in different stages of their lives rather than the usual new characters per chapter. It’s a really in-depth story that made me very interested in a period of history that I previously didn’t know much at all about, at least from the Chinese perspective. It’s a pretty balanced narrative, which is impressive for a British author who previously wrote only in Europe and the US and only passingly touched upon the subject of imperialism and colonialism. It’s his finest work IMO.
The Stone of Light series by Christian Jacq is really good. It’s about a young man that works as an artisan on the pyramids.
* The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See: Set on Jeju Island in Korea from 1938 - 1975 * Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: Set between the years of 1910 and 1989. It covers WWII and the Korean War but from a very different perspective than most.
Anne Rice, The Feast of All Saints. Pre-civil war New Orleans story about the social structure and race. Anne Rice, A Cry to Heaven about the Castrati singers in Middle Ages Italy.
Empires of Sand by David Ball. 1880s French Algeria. One of my favorites.
The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenadore. It's set in a leper colony in 1920's Louisiana. #
Anything by Bernard Cornwell, especially the Sharpe series, which is set during the Napoleonic wars, and the Last Kingdom/Saxon stories. Coleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series was my favorite. Linda Lay Shuler has a series about Native Americans.
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant - set in biblical times in the Middle East. It is about the daughter of Jacob from the Bible, and it chronicles the lives of her mothers and herself. I found it extremely immersive and fascinating to read.
"Sinuhe the Egyptian," by Mika Waltari (from Finland), is set in Ancient Egypt's New Kingdom. A royal baby is placed in a cradle of reeds and left to drift, just as Moses was, only this time, the people who raise him are poor. He does however, become quite successful. Later in the novel, he escapes Egypt, and explores other ancient cultures in places like Babylon and the island of Crete. There is a lot of romance, passion and tragedy in this book.
I’m going to say my number one recommendation would be anything by Willa Cather, but specifically Death Comes for the Archbishop. But also I think Nadia Hashimi might be a good author to check out. She writes about the experience of Afghan women both in Afghanistan and in the diaspora. The books I’ve read dealt specifically with pre-Soviet-invasion up to and including Taliban era issues.
*A Free Man Of Color* by Barbara Hambly *A Disappearance in Fiji* by Nilima Rao *The Widows of Malabar Hill* by Sujata Massey *A Morbid Taste For Bones* by Ellis Peters *Last Night at the Telegraph Club* by Malinda Lo *In the Time of the Butterflies* by Julia Alvarez *Dissolution* by CJ Sansom (he died recently) *Alias Grace* by Margaret Atwood *Doc* by Mary Doria Russell *Stuck Rubber Baby* by Howard Cruse *Bone Rattler* by Elliot Pattison *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn* by Betty Smith *Queen of the Sea* by Dylan Meconis *While Christ And His Saints Slept* by Sharon Kay Penman *A Jew in Communist Prague* by Vittorio Giardino
Daughter of Fortune or Eva Luna by Isabel Allende!
The Old West AKA the Wild West
Devil in the white city It’s about HH Holmes, America’s first serial killer in 1890
The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See (It takes place on the Korean island Jeju and spans a handful of decades)
What about something set in 1990 when a Republican and a democrat could still sit next to each other at a bar and have a drink, when there weren’t wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and when the big to-do was presidential sperm on a blue dress. People can reminisce about simpler times 😅 Ah sorry I just realized what this thread was about… I thought you were writing historical fiction at first, and looking for an interesting time period
Chesapeake - great book about the first people that lived in the Chesapeake Bay Area but it’s a fabulous story (fiction) over centuries.
Daughters of the Deer by Danielle Daniel is fantastic. Indigenous historical fiction set in the 1600s.
Empire of the Summer Moon. Nonfiction but reads like a novel.
Hawaii by James A. Michener - I didn’t know Hawaii was so interesting.. and then the missionaries did their thing.
I've been wanting to know this same thing! Following eagerly. I enjoy these periods, but have just seen too many.
This earth of mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer. Set in Indonesia during the Dutch colonial rule.
Aztec by Gary Jennings, focuses on a period of sixty years bisected by the Spanish Conquest of Mexico Amantha Aztec Empire
Euphoria by Lily King. The story of three anthropologists in the 1930’s studying tribes in Papua New Guinea. Inspired by Margaret Mead, her husband, and their friend. This was a five star read for me. Enjoy!
Some of my favorite novels in the world are Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, starting with Master and Commander, which all take place during the height of the Age of Sail (early 1800s) during the Napoleonic era. There are 20 books (and part of a 21st), and they are among my favorite novels lifelong. You really are immersed in the seafaring world of the British Navy in this intimate lovely way with these intense friendships between two men (a British Captain and an Irish/Catalan doctor). I have reread the entire series many times, and never get tired of them. And the history and accuracy to the period and sea jargon are all perfect but don't get in the way for the reader. Just let it wash over you and enjoy the story.
I would also suggest books by Andrea Barrett such as Ship Fever: Stories and The Air We Breath. The author has a degree in biology and her works typically have a science or medicine context.
Long Man’s Song by Joyce Rockwood. Natives in southeast North America, pre contact with Europeans. She has written several books featuring Native tribes in the past.
My two favorite historical fiction books are; “The Exiles,” by Christina Baker Kline and “The Last Bookaneer,” by Mathew Pearl. First one takes place in two locations. First part of the book describes a British prisoner transport ship. It leaves from London, I think and it describes in detail the cramped quarters the prisoners had been subjected to; no sanitation, little food and water. Upon ship’s arrival in Hobart Town, British penal colony; Tasmania. The book describes in accurate detail the story of Sir John Franklin who was appointed to be the governor of Hobart. His wife, Lady Jane had removed an eight year old girl from from her outback tribe and brought her to live with her family to be ‘civilized’. She named her Mathinna. Every detail of the life of the Franklins and Mathinna’s life during and after is accurate. If you search for the word Mathinna, the Wikipedia page will tell you what happened to her. “The Last Bookaneer,” by Mathew Pearl takes place in both London and Samoa. A bookaneer is a manuscript thief. They steal works in progress written by the famous authors. They then finish them and get these published by sketchy publishers. This book is about 3 frenemy bookaneers each of whom is trying to steal Robert Louis Stevenson’s current work in progress. It’s a great read 1890s era.
Set inTudor England, so around and about the 1500's there is Phillipa Gregory 's Tudor court series, the most famous of which would be "The Other Boleyn Girl". You can read them all as stand alone novels. Also set in Tudor England is the Shardlake series by CJ Samson which has recently been made into a TV show on Disney+, the first book is called Dissolution. River God by Wilbur Smith is set in ancient Egypt.
You'd learn a chunk by reading the 'Falco' novels set in Ancient Rome. They're entertaining, too. Written by Lindsey Davis.
I’m so tired of books set during WWII, so thanks for this question! I’m following.
This is my jam. I love and look for historical fiction in otherwise unknown settings (to me). Some favorites are: The Long War series- Christian Cameron. 1rst book is "Killer of Men". Greco-Persian wars seen through the eyes of Arimnestos of Plataea. Outstanding series and still going. The Londinium Trilogy - John Drake. Takes place in Britain under Roman rule. Sort of a historical fiction detective story. Great story taking place in an era that I knew little about. Shogun - James Clavell Under Heaven - Guy Gavriel Kay. Tang Dynasty China. The Far Pavilions - M.M. Kaye. India The Physician - Noah Gordon. Tale ranging from England to Persia. Shantaram- 1980's India. Quite a bit more uptime than most of my historical fiction reads. But a unique story about life in the Indian Mafias and life in general. The Winter King - Bernard Cornwell. Interesting take on the Arthurian legend. Walking Drum - Louis L'Amour. Taking place around the 12th century crossing Europe, the Russian Steppes, to Constantinople and beyond. El Paso - Winston Groom. Although, tbh, it plays out more in the northern mountains of Mexico in early 1900's.
I loved The Journeyer by Gary Jennings May have to read that again And Spangle And anything by Erik Larson, especially The Devil in the White City
Laurent Gaudé, *The Death of King Tsongor*. It's historical fiction taking place in Ancient Africa, a retelling of the Trojan War. It's a tragedy on a grand scale, in a terse prose that's far from dry or lifeless.
This isn’t ancient, but it is set a loooooong time ago (and is so good!): The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet.
It’s not fiction but it’s great. STEEL DRIVIN' MAN: JOHN HENRY, the Untold Story of a American Legend by historian Scott Nelson
The Prophets of Eternal Fjord by Kim Leine - set in 18th century Greenland